Seducing the Heart - Chapter 8

Yun Jin looked at the white jade pendant in her hand. It was exquisite and translucent, of superb quality, and carved with a simple yet elegant pattern. This pendant had been kept and warmed by her side for over two months, specifically so she could give it as a gift. Today was Yaoqin’s birthday.

Yun Jin suddenly recalled the day she first met Yaoqin. At that time, Yun Jin had been sitting in the usual spot Aunt Hua reserved for her, resting casually. Judging the hour, she had intended to depart. But just as she rose, she heard Aunt Hua announce that the building had welcomed a new top courtesan.

Out of curiosity, she turned to look and happened to lock eyes with the beauty below the stage who was looking back at her. In that moment, her gaze flickered. The woman was utterly out of place with her surroundings, like a bright pearl dulled by dust.

“Envyless Immortal” was a respectable place that only dealt in arts and nothing else. However, when Yaoqin first arrived, there were instances of dandies trying to use their influence to force her into breaking the rules. It wasn’t until the news of Prince Jin’s obsession with this courtesan spread that no one dared to pester her again. Yun Jin had protected her in a way that Yaoqin tacitly accepted. Since then, two years of friendship had passed.

Yun Jin put the jade pendant away and turned to see Yingxi walking in, holding a wooden watering pot.

“Yingxi, where is your Princess?”

“The Princess has gone out. This servant came to water those few pots of cacti.”

Those cacti in front of the window had been bought by Qin Zhanluo after she discovered Yun Jin slipping out at night. As for the Princess Consort’s purpose for raising cacti, the answer was self-evident.

Yun Jin gave a few dry coughs. “Understood. This Prince is also going out tonight. If the Princess Consort returns and asks, tell her not to wait for me.”

Yaoqin feared that Yun Jin would come, yet feared she would not. It wasn’t until she heard Xing’er joyfully calling out “Miss” while knocking on the door that she knew Ah Jin had indeed come.

Yun Jin stood outside the door with a composed air. Seeing Yaoqin open the door, her eyes curved into a smile. “Yaoqin, happy birthday.”

She allowed Yaoqin to invite her into her private chamber. For an ordinary person, a glimpse into the top courtesan’s bedroom was a dream sought for a thousand gold pieces, yet it was not the first time Yun Jin had entered. In previous years, Yaoqin’s birthdays had been just like today: the two of them quietly staying in the room, chatting and drinking.

The room held a faint scent of sandalwood. The elegant ancient zither that Yaoqin cherished stood in the corner, waiting for its master to play a melody. Yun Jin tested the strings and played a piece called “Ode to the Flowing Wine” with a practiced hand. The notes were crisp and melodious, very pleasant to the ear.

Yaoqin loved watching Yun Jin play the zither. Her posture was relaxed and leisurely, yet her expression held a hidden focus. Yaoqin had always felt that Yun Jin’s hands did not look like those of an ordinary man, but rather like the carefully nurtured hands of a daughter from a wealthy family. They were milky white to the point of being translucent, slender and tapering, with well-defined joints. They were excessively beautiful.

“Yaoqin, this is for you.” After finishing the piece, Yun Jin took out a prepared sandalwood gift box, her tone mysterious. “A birthday gift. I wonder if you will like it.”

“If it is a gift from the Prince, Yaoqin will naturally like it.” Yaoqin took the gift but did not open it immediately, instead putting it away carefully.

Yun Jin keenly noticed that although the woman had a smile on her face, there was little actual joy. “Yaoqin, are you unhappy?” Yun Jin was as meticulous as ever, easily seeing through Yaoqin’s true emotions.

“Thank you, Prince, for your favor over these past two years. It is just that…” Yaoqin began pouring the green plum wine that Yun Jin usually loved. “I fear today is the last time this lowly girl will meet with the Prince.”

Yun Jin looked at Yaoqin in surprise, but saw that her expression was normal, as if she were speaking of an unrelated matter. After a long silence, Yun Jin took the wine cup offered by Yaoqin and asked softly, “Why?”

“Someone has redeemed my freedom. He likes me, and I…” Yaoqin paused, revealing a joyful smile. “I also admire him.”

Yun Jin believed she had spent enough time with Yaoqin to understand her fairly well. This admirer her friend spoke of seemed a bit sudden. Yun Jin swirled the wine cup and slowly drank the wine. “This is a good thing. May I meet that person?”

“Of course,” Yaoqin answered easily. “He would naturally be willing to meet the Prince. After all, the Prince has taken great care of me.”

An unexpected silence followed between the two. Yaoqin simply poured cup after cup of wine for Yun Jin, and Yun Jin accepted each one, drinking them slowly.

Shortly after Yun Jin left, Yaoqin sat back down and looked at the cold, noble woman sitting opposite her.

“Miss Yaoqin, do you not feel any regret?” Qin Zhanluo asked softly, her eyes flickering with emotion.

Yaoqin avoided the question and simply clinked her cup against the other’s with a light laugh. “Thank you for your help, Princess Consort. From now on, Yaoqin is truly a free person.”

Yaoqin indeed let Yun Jin meet the scholar, whose name was Lin Lan. He was clean-looking, came from a respectable family, and possessed some talent. Yun Jin could see that Lin Lan genuinely liked Yaoqin, and his behavior was decent. Although he spoke a bit too much like a formal scholar, he was humble and polite. Yun Jin felt a bit more at ease.

“Yaoqin is a good girl. I hope you will treat her well in the future.” Yun Jin smiled calmly and leaned slightly toward Lin Lan. “If I ever hear that she has suffered any grievances in the future, you would not want to know the consequences.”

“The Prince can rest assured. This Lin would never dare let Miss Yaoqin suffer even a bit of grievance.” Lin Lan hurriedly bowed with a very sincere expression.

Yun Jin turned to look at Yaoqin. Thinking that after this departure, they might never meet again, she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. But this was Yaoqin’s choice, and Yun Jin could only sincerely wish her happiness.

“Prince… in your heart, what kind of person is Yaoqin?” Yaoqin asked in a plain voice, as if she didn’t care about the answer and was just mentioning it casually.

Yun Jin looked at Yaoqin, feeling that the woman’s eyes held too many things she could not decipher. She fell silent for a moment before answering softly, “Yun Jin has always regarded Yaoqin as a soulmate.”

A soulmate?

Yaoqin laughed with a sense of relief. “Correct. The Prince is also my only soulmate. Yaoqin will often pray for the Prince.”

“If there is ever a day you wish to return to the capital, come back and visit.”

“Alright,” Yaoqin replied with a smile, though she knew clearly in her heart that this departure meant they would likely never meet again in this lifetime.

Yaoqin knew that Ah Jin disliked partings the most. Therefore, Yun Jin only escorted her personally to the outskirts of the capital before being persuaded to return. For the rest of the journey, Lin Lan accompanied Yaoqin as they walked silently toward the river. The boat to Jiangnan had already been hired.

Seeing the occasional gloom in Yaoqin’s brow, Lin Lan finally couldn’t bear it. “Miss Yaoqin, the play has been performed; this Lin should also depart.”

Yaoqin looked at the destitute scholar in surprise, not having expected him to say such a thing. His initiative saved her from the polite rejection she had already planned. Yaoqin had indeed made a small use of Lin Lan’s admiration for her, knowing he was a true gentleman. Based on that day in front of Zhu Mingcheng, where Lin Lan had stepped in despite his fear, Yaoqin could not help but have a good impression of him.

Lin Lan bowed to Yaoqin. “This student can see that Miss Yaoqin actually harbors feelings for Prince Jin, and I know you wanted to use me to put on a show. But if I were to continue acting the fool and go along with it, my conscience would never find peace.” He raised his head and asked in confusion, “I only don’t understand why Miss Yaoqin is unwilling to stay in the capital. At least you would have the chance to see Prince Jin.”

Yaoqin smiled bitterly. “How could I continue to stay in the capital? The Prince has always only regarded me as a soulmate. Why should I cling to my own wishful thinking?”

Rather than clinging to a one-sided love that would never have a result, Yaoqin would rather cut the roots of her affection personally and decisively. Time would fade all things. Before her feelings grew too deep, Yaoqin selfishly thought of cutting her losses in time. From this perspective, she knew she was no longer worthy of seeking Yun Jin’s love.

“I wish for the lady to find true love soon and spend her life together with them.” Although Lin Lan still couldn’t understand the twists in Yaoqin’s heart, he felt that knowing when to let go was a different kind of wisdom.

Yaoqin laughed sincerely. “Lin Lan, you are a good man.”

After saying this, she turned and boarded the boat, looking out at the endless river. Lin Lan waved at the boat as it drifted further away, feeling a wave of emotion. It was true what people said: in this world, only the word “love” is impossible to decipher. It truly makes one sorrowful.

The wind on the river was just right, and the boatman was experienced, so the journey was not very bumpy. Yaoqin lowered her eyes and slowly opened the small sandalwood box she had been carrying. She saw that what was hidden inside was a white jade pendant. It was a piece of exquisite warm jade. Yaoqin held the pendant in her palm, feeling the warmth emanating from it.

Yaoqin sat in the boat, opened the small window of the cabin, and looked back at the shore, which was gradually becoming a tiny speck. She smiled. She would go to Jiangnan to see the prosperity that rivaled the capital and experience the customs she had never known.

A sound from the floorboards startled Yaoqin, but the person who crawled out was an acquaintance. Yaoqin looked at the soot-covered Xing’er with amusement and couldn’t help but tease, “Why is Xing’er like a mouse? When did you hide in my boat?”

To her surprise, the little girl’s eyes filled with tears. “Miss cannot abandon me. No matter where you go, do not leave me behind. Xing’er eats very little.” She seemed to have completely forgotten the fact that she could eat a whole lotus leaf chicken plus three pieces of osmanthus cake.

It turned out it was Yun Jin’s idea. When Xing’er learned Yaoqin was leaving, she feared being left behind. So Yun Jin told her she could hide under the floorboards in advance and only come out halfway through the journey, as it would be difficult to send her back then.

Yun Jin was truly something else sometimes. Yaoqin laughed helplessly. It was good to have Xing’er for company; at least she wouldn’t be bored. Yaoqin looked at the chattering little girl with a touch of playful disdain and stuffed a piece of pastry into her mouth. Finally, she could have some peace.

The boatman began to hum an unknown tune that was unexpectedly beautiful: “Traveling the river for years, the four seas are home. From where do I come, to where do I go? Who knows? Wandering through this life, on whom do I lean, on whom do I rely?”

Your Highness, take care.

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