Chapter 20: Catching Whispers of Springtime Longing, Gazing Daily at a Face Like Jade

"Mother..."
"Father... your daughter is unwilling..."

A few murmurs drifted from nearby. Guan Yin, who had been feigning sleep, opened his eyes to see Liu Jiao’an, still clutching her embroidery frame, slumped over the table in a deep slumber, her head resting on her forearms.

Guan Yin felt a pang of heartache. It reminded him of his own days preparing for graduate school entrance exams, sitting in a chair late at night with books in his hands, falling into an exhausted sleep without even realizing it.

The window was not shut tightly, and the damp, cool air of the night crept stealthily into the room. The weather had warmed up, so there was little risk of catching a cold even without a cover. However, Liu Jiao’an had been working day and night, and now she seemed to be harboring unspoken sorrows that made her particularly vulnerable to the chill. Worried, Guan Yin stood up quietly, picked up a garment draped over a nearby chair, and walked behind her, carefully placing it over her shoulders. "If you are unwilling, then let it be. Why force yourself?"

"Sister Tongtong, why... can't we go back?" Even with Guan Yin’s interjection, Liu Jiao’an remained lost in her own world, questioning those who were not present—asking the very questions Guan Yin sought to answer but did not know where to begin.

Sister Tongtong? Was that the original owner of this body? Guan Yin wanted to seize this opportunity to probe further; after all, people rarely remembered the answers they gave in the haze of a dream.

"My husband, you are not good at this, but I do not find it troublesome."
"You said you would take care of yourself, so why did you lie to me?"
"Was it Tongtong who lied to you? Lied to you... about what?" Seeing Liu Jiao’an purse her lips as if sinking deeper into her slumber, Guan Yin’s probing voice grew softer and softer, eventually fading away alongside her steady, rhythmic breathing.

"Very well, sleep well."

Why had he stood up in the first place? Guan Yin suddenly felt a sense of selfishness. He claimed he did not want to interfere with history, yet he had been constantly utilizing the kindness of everyone around him to achieve his own goal: returning home.

The stars and moon have their own sentiments, keeping company with the sleepless. The wind and clouds have their own integrity, refusing to illuminate those who seek misery for themselves. Pushing open the door, Guan Yin was met with the profound silence of the night.

Wisps of wind stirred the leaves, sounding like a mocking laugh brushing past his ears. After taking a few steps, the lonely night seemed to hide something predatory, forcing Guan Yin to retreat back into the room.

The lamp, which had been flickering dimly, was now burning brightly. Guan Yin guessed that Liu Jiao’an had awakened.

"Sanheng? It is so late, why are you still up?" He was surprised to see Sanheng walking out of the room. "You have much to do tomorrow; why not get some rest?"

Guan Yin remembered that there was no rule about keeping watch in Liu Jiao’an’s house. Even if Sanheng was highly trusted by the masters, he was, after all, a man; his presence in the mistress's sleeping quarters late at night was not entirely appropriate.

Sanheng did not answer directly, instead turning to head to the kitchen to prepare some hot water for the other man. "It is late, sir. You should wear more when stepping outside, lest you catch a cold."

"Oh, right." Subconsciously, Guan Yin felt that Sanheng was hiding something from him. Even when the neighbor first arrived, he had sought out Sanheng... Was it truly just because they looked down on the original owner’s past in the teaching quarters?

"Sanheng?"

Sanheng, having just reached the entrance of the newly constructed kitchen, heard his master call and turned around. "Is something the matter, sir?"

"Sir, I will go prepare some hot soup for you." Seeing his master silent again, Sanheng was momentarily confused. "The new stove is a bit small and the water boils slowly, but I will build a larger one another day."

Hearing about the kitchen, Guan Yin felt a flush of shame. He did not want to influence history in the slightest, but his very presence had likely caused changes he hadn’t noticed—the original owner certainly wouldn't have been capable of burning down the kitchen, or else Sanheng wouldn't have felt safe leaving him alone.

"Hmm..."
"I meant that you don't need to trouble yourself. I have some things I would like to discuss with you." Guan Yin sighed, planning to probe indirectly. "I remember you were with the mistress, right? From the Liu family?"

"Yes." Sanheng knew his master had been muddle-headed since falling into the water, but he wondered why he was asking such trivial questions.

"Then do you know that I once..."
"Rest assured, sir, I would never look at you differently." Sanheng worried that his master had been provoked. When he had first married the mistress with such spirit, he hadn't been this hesitant—otherwise, the mistress surely wouldn't have fallen for him. "Did that family say something unseemly?"

"You need not take it to heart, sir. Whoever the mistress chooses, I accept as well." Sanheng declared his loyalty, but this was not the answer Guan Yin wanted.

"Besides, everyone says you sold yourself to bury your father, and only then fell into the teaching quarters. I admire your filial piety, sir."

Finally, a few clues he actually wanted to know.

"It is just that you have never taken the mistress to pay respects to your late father..."

As he suspected, there was more to the story. But if the Liu family knew the original owner came from the teaching quarters, how could they not have discovered that the original owner was a woman disguised as a man?

"Sir?"
"It is getting late. You should go get some rest!"

Sanheng truly hoped for his mistress’s happiness. Even if his master’s status was criticized, his skills were enough that the mistress’s devotion was not in vain. However, his master’s recent behavior made Sanheng worry about their future.

Guan Yin nodded, knowing he would not sleep tonight.

"Chirp, chirp, chirp..."
"Coo!"
"Chirp! Coo, coo, coo..."

Birds were already hopping on the branches, awakening the morning. Guan Yin felt a throbbing ache in his temples, yet he was wide awake.

A sliver of white on the horizon swallowed the deep blue of the night. The orange-red of the new day began to peel away the darkness. Guan Yin watched as Liu Jiao’an stirred at the first crow of the rooster.

"Good morning, madam."

Liu Jiao’an sat up slowly and felt the garment draped over her shoulders. Knowing Sanheng wouldn't enter the room at night, she glanced at Guan Yin, whose eyes were heavy with fatigue, and understood what had happened. "Did you not sleep, my husband?"

"I..."
"You should get some rest."
"I cannot sleep."

Though Guan Yin claimed he could not sleep, shortly after Liu Jiao’an left for the market, he fell into a deep slumber while staring blankly at his desk.

The sound of drizzling rain seeped into his dreams, whispering as Guan Yin murmured in his sleep.

"You've finally come!"
"Which soul-snatcher is this?" Guan Yin startled, snapping his eyes open, only to see that familiar figure once again.