The Heart Given to Brighten the Moon - Chapter 2

The head in the lake had hair splayed in every direction, bobbing up and down on the surface; at first glance, it looked remarkably like a ghost.

Do not be fooled by the palace’s cleanliness, where even a fallen leaf or a withered flower is promptly swept away one can never know how many wronged souls are buried in these deep wells and small lakes each year. Tales of suicide by drowning were no rarity within the palace walls. In this freezing winter, a body cast into the depths would not bloat and resurface until the coming spring.

Song Mingjue’s heart trembled. He wondered: Is this a criminal servant from some palace whose time has not yet come? Or is it a vengeful spirit seeking a life for a life? Should I intervene, or should I not? He squinted his eyes, peering through the dark. While he was still debating, the head in the water seemed to pivot, sensing his presence.

He wasn’t certain at first, but when the head began to swim toward him, Song Mingjue lost his composure. His foot slipped, and he fell flat on his backside by the shore. This shock nearly shattered his soul. He scrambled up on all fours and took off at a run.

“Hey! Don’t run!” the head in the lake shouted.

Song Mingjue ran a short distance before he dared to steal a glance back. The person had raised a hand and was waving frantically, finally shouting for help. In the dead of winter, even if this person managed to swim to shore, they would be lucky to survive with half their life intact. Confident that he had never done a wicked deed, Song Mingjue gritted his teeth and turned back.

Disregarding the value of the rabbit-fur cloak, he dropped it to the side and stepped into the shallows, dragging the disheveled “female ghost” from the water.

The two collapsed on the shore, gasping for air. Song Mingjue had heard from elders that a water ghost seeking a soul is much heavier than a living person. He stole a glance at the “ghost” beside him and slowly braced his body, his toes tensed and ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

As the snow continued to drift down, the ghost caught her breath and wiped her face. Her features were clear and refined, like a lotus seed stripped of its husk pale and translucent. Song Mingjue froze. She did not look like any palace servant; rather, she looked like a lady from a wealthy, noble household who had never left her boudoir.

The “ghost” seemed to finally realize someone was beside her. She turned and glared at him. “What is wrong with you? You saw me and chose not to save me?”

Even in anger, she possessed a transcendent elegance. Song Mingjue stared blankly until she waved a hand in front of his face twice. Embarrassed, he withdrew his gaze and stammered, “This lowly one thought, I had encountered a”

He did not dare utter the word “ghost” in the presence of such a beauty.

But she was as sharp as a mirror and knew exactly what he meant. She snapped, “This lady was born with natural beauty! Where exactly do I look like a ghost?!”

Song Mingjue, knowing he was in the wrong, apologized profusely. Fortunately, she was not one to be unreasonably difficult. Seeing his sincere attitude, she gave herself a graceful way out. More importantly, now that her anger had ebbed, the chill set in; she hugged her arms, her entire body shivering violently.

Song Mingjue picked up the rabbit-fur cloak, now stained with snow and mud, and offered it to her with both hands. “If the Lady does not mind, please wrap yourself in this first. My sister has a set of clean clothes at home; it is not far, though it is a bit of a walk.”

Her lips were turning purple from the cold. Ignoring any propriety, she snatched the cloak and wrapped herself in it. Seeing Song Mingjue still standing there like a pillar, she snapped again, “Walk! Why are you so strange?”

Urged by her, Song Mingjue gathered his wits and made a gesture of invitation. “Lady, please follow me.”

Within the high walls of the forbidden city, there were only the Imperial Family, the guards, and the servants. This woman, with her slender, delicate hands and lack of any physical strength, did not look like someone raised in the harsh environment of a palace. With a temper like hers, if she were a servant, she wouldn’t have survived nine lives. Who then would appear in the deep palace at this hour? Only an assassin with a death wish.

Thinking this, Song Mingjue couldn’t help but steal another glance at her. Is there an assassin who acts this brazenly?

Suddenly, she bumped his arm. Song Mingjue’s heart tightened, but then he heard her trembling voice: “Hey, little brother, is your family some kind of hidden sages? Why do you live in such a huge place?”

Song Mingjue suddenly smacked his forehead and stopped to bow. “I nearly forgot. May I ask the Young Mistress’s honorable name?”

The woman was taken aback, then gave a slight smile. “My name is Shen Danxin.”

“Is it the ‘Danxin’ as in ‘A bird’s heart reflects the loyal red’?” Song Mingjue’s eyes lit up.

Whether it was the wind or the snow, the woman’s smile froze. Her lip twitched. “Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s ‘Dan’ as in the rare character for ‘serenity’.”

Song Mingjue did not look disappointed. He let out a dazed “Ah,” and gestured forward again. “Lady, please. It is just ahead.”

Shen Danxin nodded awkwardly, her smile stiff.

The two returned to the servants’ quarters in silence. The moment Shen Danxin saw the long, seemingly endless rows of tile-roofed shacks, her mouth fell open. She stopped shivering from the shock. Seeing this, Song Mingjue said with embarrassment, “My humble, wretched home must be a joke to the Lady.”

Shen Danxin’s smile remained stiff; she said nothing.

For the first time in his life, Song Mingjue truly hated his low status. He pushed the door open and called out, “Sister, I’m back.”

Shen Danxin took a small step forward, peering inside. She heard the rustle of footsteps, and a “young beauty from a humble home” with flushed cheeks entered her vision. Aside from the redness caused by the cold, she was truly a clear, ethereal beauty like a painting come to life. Even the sway of her waist and her graceful gait were enough to make one’s heart skip a beat.

“Why are you back so soon?” the beauty’s voice was as captivating as her face.

As the words left her lips, she spotted Shen Danxin behind her brother. Her expression shifted instantly. She pointed at Shen Danxin and demanded, “Who is this?”

“I picked her up from the lake.” Realizing how that sounded, Song Mingjue quickly added, “I was passing the lake path and happened to see Miss Shen fall into the water, so I lent a hand.” Still feeling it was inadequate, he looked at Shen Danxin with a racing heart.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Shen Danxin nodded and bowed. “This little brother pick I mean, saved me.”

The beauty looked skeptical. Then, her gaze fell upon the rabbit-fur cloak wrapped around Shen Danxin. The once snow-white cloak was now unrecognizable, covered in mud stains.

“My cloak!” Her face turned ferocious. She reached out with her “millet” hands red and swollen, unlike her delicate face and snatched at Shen Danxin. Terrified, Shen Danxin froze, allowing the woman to rip the still-warm cloak away.

Shivering, Shen Danxin leaned toward Song Mingjue and whispered, “How, how much is this cloak worth?”

Song Mingjue gave a bitter smile. “One human life.”

Seeing Shen Danxin look as though her soul were about to depart, Song Mingjue quickly consoled his sister. “Sister, do not worry. I shall check next door in a moment. If Sister Lvling is not there, I will make another trip to the Laundry Bureau.”

The beauty’s eyes shimmered with tears. Shen Danxin patted her chest to calm her racing heart and offered a placating smile. “Um, this is my fault. I’ll go with him in a bit.”

Fortunately, the beauty was reasonable and stopped obsessing over the cloak. She wiped her eyes, glared at Shen Danxin, and demanded, “Who exactly are you?”

Shen Danxin was about to speak when she let out a thunderous sneeze. Seeing how pitiable she looked, the beauty turned and pulled a set of clothes from a battered wardrobe, thrusting them roughly into Shen Danxin’s arms. Shen Danxin dared not complain and maintained her forced smile.

Song Mingjue tactfully stepped outside. The beauty glanced at Shen Danxin and prepared to wait outside as well. However, as Shen Danxin unfolded the clothes, she was baffled. She grabbed the beauty’s hand.

To her surprise, the beauty had a massive reaction. She let out a cry of shock and violently shook Shen Danxin’s hand off. “Lecher!” she screamed.

Shen Danxin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. We are both women; what you have, I have. Who am I ‘leching’ exactly? But the terrified beauty clearly didn’t see it that way, shrinking against the wall and glaring at her with lingering fear.

“No, Miss I mean, Lady, it’s just that I don’t know how to wear these clothes.”

The beauty clearly didn’t believe her “nonsense.”

Shen Danxin, unable to bear her burning anger, pleaded with a long face, “Are you all doing some kind of ‘historical reenactment’? I know ‘Hanfu’ and ‘Archaic Speech’ are trendy right now, but I’ve never played before. Can you just give me something I can actually wear? A down jacket? A sweater? At the very least, some thermal underwear?”

Utterly nonsensical!

“I do not understand a single word you are saying!” the beauty huffed and flicked her sleeve to leave.

Frantic, Shen Danxin rushed forward to block her path, spreading her arms with a look of tearless despair. “I’ll wear them! I’ll wear them, alright? Lady, show some mercy, have a heart and help me? Please, pretty please?”

The beauty fell silent for a long while. Seeing Shen Danxin’s pitiable pleading, she finally showed some kindness. She snatched the clothes back and said coldly, “Strip, then.”

Shen Danxin did not hesitate. She stripped down to her underwear, clutching her arms and shivering. The beauty had never seen black lace lingerie before. She stared at it for a long while, her initial embarrassment vanishing. She pointed at Shen Danxin’s chest and asked, “What is this object?”

“A br—… inner garment.” Shen Danxin’s teeth chattered loudly.

“Oh—” the beauty narrowed her eyes, pretending to understand.

Seeing the beauty’s gaze still lingering on her “heaving peaks,” Shen Danxin actually became embarrassed herself, slowly raising an arm to cover her chest. The beauty finally snapped out of it, though her already flushed face showed no further signs of blushing.

A silence fell between them, broken only by another of Shen Danxin’s loud sneezes, which saved them from the awkwardness. The beauty’s “millet” hands looked clumsy, yet she dressed Shen Danxin in the complex layers with fluid, practiced ease.

Throughout the process, Shen Danxin didn’t dare breathe. Once the final knot was tied, she said, “Many thanks for your heroic assistance, Lady. Shen Danxin shall never forget this.”

The beauty scanned Shen Danxin from head to toe and nodded with satisfaction. A small smile finally appeared. “Your name is Shen Danxin? ‘Danxin’ as in ‘A bird’s heart reflects the loyal red’?”

Shen Danxin’s lip twitched. “It’s ‘Dan’ as in ‘serenity’.”

“Where is your home?”

“I am a Beijinger.”

“Where exactly do you live?”

“No. 206 Xiushui East Street, Chaoyang District.”

“How many people are in your family?”

“My dad, my mom, my grandma, my grandpa, my other grandma” Shen Danxin was counting on her fingers when she suddenly looked up. “Are you running a background check on me?!”

The beauty, who had been smiling a moment ago, shifted instantly. She looked fierce as she demanded, “Speak! Which household sent you as an assassin?!”

Shen Danxin’s face fell; she felt more wronged than the legendary Dou E, she was ready to cry until the Great Wall collapsed. Just then, the beauty leaned in close and whispered ominously:

“Were you sent to assassinate Zhao Zongqian?”