Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - 2 001 Above the Altar_2 Chapter 2: 001: Above the Altar_2 Chapter 2: 001: Above the Altar_2 “This house is really impressive.”

Of course, it’s impressive.

Flower Chamber Hall is the most expensive property in the Imperial Capital, containing only 19 garden villas, each with a garden of three acres. The villa district is located right at the center of the Imperial Capital, with the largest freshwater lake of the empire, Falling Leaf Lake, right behind it—enjoying natural landscapes and the nourishment of Spiritual Spring amidst the bustling city.

You can’t just buy your way in here with money.

Walking through the corridor, they reached the front courtyard, where people were talking in the hexagonal pavilion to the west.

The slightly older one was the Gu Family’s household manager, Manager Ming. The two younger ones were the domestic staff for the garden, Xiao Yin and Xiao Xia.

Manager Ming, dressed in the Gu Family’s work uniform—a knee-length skirt, her hair neatly tied in a low bun—was stiff and strict, “The guests are in the hall, why aren’t you attending to them? What are you standing around here for?”

Xiao Yin was a subordinate, a bit meek, “I saw it raining and came over to prepare umbrellas for the guests.”

Manager Ming glared at her face, “Did you put on makeup?”

Xiao Yin immediately lowered her head, “No.”

The Gu Family had specific staff responsible for receiving and attending to guests. Umbrella delivery wasn’t the gardener’s job.

Manager Ming didn’t want to hear Xiao Yin’s excuses and commanded directly, “Go wash your face clean.”

“I told you I didn’t.”

Xiao Xia, who enjoyed the spectacle, chimed in, “Eyebrows, lipstick, not a thing missing. And you say you didn’t?”

Manager Ming had already lost her patience, “Go wash it off. If the lady of the house sees you, you will have to pack up and resign tomorrow.”

The Gu Family was a family of distinction—such a large garden villa required people to look after it, hence several domestic staff with gardener certification were employed.

Old Mr. Gu was upright in his entire life, but the two sons of the Gu Family were incompetent and lascivious. It was not uncommon for them to get entangled with the household staff. The lady of the house, at her wit’s end, stipulated that all the domestic female staff working in the Gu Family weren’t allowed to wear makeup.

Manager Ming scolded, “You’re not new to working here, don’t you remember the rules?”

Xiao Yin was silent.

Xiao Xia seemed annoyed, fanning the flames, “It’s because Mr. Xie is coming, isn’t it.”

“What nonsense are you talking about!”

“Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, the devil knows.”

Xiao Yin’s intentions were clearly poked at, as her face flushed red with embarrassment.

Only then did Manager Ming understand what the dolled-up young lady was up to, “You’re really daring to think this way.”

Manager Ming looked her up and down again. She was someone with decent looks and figure, but that Mr. Xie...

“Hurry up and wash your face. Don’t spend your days dreaming.”

The three of them left the pavilion, one after another.

The rain grew heavier, creating a misty veil. The lanterns hanging from the eaves with the “Gu” character on them swayed gently, and the hanging tassels were faintly visible.

The scene was so beautiful, it was surreal, like a frame from an old film.

Moved, Jiahui exclaimed, “If I lived in such a place, I’d dream too.”

They passed through another corridor.

“The paintings hanging in the corridor are originals, right? Even TV dramas wouldn’t dare to shoot like this.”

Jiahui was a chatterbox, talking non-stop along the way, constantly marveling at the elaborate set up of the house—the flying eaves and curling corners, and white walls with black tiles—everywhere showing off the exquisite taste of the house owner.

At that moment, a man approached, dressed in a black suit. He passed through the Moon Cave Gate holding a black umbrella, moving slowly.

The umbrella was lowered so Wen Changling could not see his face.

Jiahui abruptly fell silent, her gaze irresistibly drawn to the man. She observed his pants wet with rain yet still immaculate, his unremarkable but valuable umbrella, and his hand clutching the handle, adorned with a silver plain ring, slender and bony—a pair of hands that might inspire one to shape eyebrows and apply lipstick, hands to dream about in broad daylight.

The narrow path between the rockeries could not fit two open umbrellas. Wen Changling was about to make way when the man had already closed his umbrella and stepped aside to let the lady pass first.

Rather than his appearance, what Wen Changling first noticed was his hair, a bold and unusual shade between white and gold, with even a faint and hardly noticeable hint of pink—a color not easily pulled off by the average person.

Ordinarily, someone daring enough to try such a hairstyle might not be very obedient, at least not heeding the advice of their elders. But his appearance was of rare decency, not intense, and attractively well-proportioned.

His skin was a cold white. As his gaze fell on him, he tilted his head and saw his beautifully streamlined nose bridge and distinct lip edges. His pupils were not purely black but a light amber with a hint of yellow. His features, when observed individually, were clean-cut, but there was an air about him incongruent with his looks, more suggestive of a wanderer than a young nobleman.

Wen Changling and Jiahui walked past him.

From the other end of the path, a young voice shouted, “Fourth brother, why are you so late?”

“The rain was heavy, and there was a jam on the road,”

The voice was pleasant, its low timbre and unhurried pace suggesting an inherent elegance regardless of the spoken words.

“Didn’t you come from the Xie family?”

“From the pawn shop,”

A surname Xie.

In Wen Changling’s mind, he must be the Mr. Xie who caused young girls to dream of him.

As their conversation faded into the distance, Jiahui managed to reclaim her soul that had been mesmerized by the man’s charm and couldn’t help but look back, blurting out two words, “Absolutely stunning.”

Wen Changling also thought of a poem in a somewhat vulgar manner: Graceful young noble, beauty unparalleled, with an outstanding presence, he is indeed from a lineage with history.

*****

Old Mr. Gu might not survive these next few days. The Gu family and their relatives from Pi City had all gathered. Wealthy families lived with great attention to detail and would have a Fragrance Master specifically appointed to burn incense for visiting guests.

Wen Changling stood on the second floor, captivated by the delicate incense burner on the table downstairs.

“What’s taking you two so long?” Doctor Qiao had been waiting for a while.

Jiahui could never admit that she had been tripped up by a handsome man: “The house is too big; we took a wrong turn.”

“Mr. Gu is in this room. After you finish the infusion, don’t wander around. Your temporary resting place is at the very end of the corridor.”

Doctor Qiao continued his instructions, reminding them that the Gu family had rules to follow and things to be mindful of. Wen Changling was somewhat distracted; initially, his attention had been on the incense burner, but then Mr. Xie entered.

“Let me do it,”

The Fragrance Master who was initially preparing the incense stepped aside.

Mr. Xie handed his coat to the housekeeper and, bending slightly, began to light the incense charcoal. From Wen Changling’s angle, he could see the white nape of Mr. Xie’s neck beneath his white shirt.

After spreading the incense ash, he selected a small piece of incense from the Incense Box, softly smelling it before placing it into the burner through a thin mica sheet, his movements slow and deliberate.

Many guests had arrived today, but he did not engage in conversation with any of them, immersing himself in lighting incense for the guests, elegant and comfortable, much like the well-read and knowledgeable young noblemen of erudite families of the olden days who oversaw fragrances and scriptures. Yet, this noble young master had dyed platinum blonde hair, and many glances in the living room discreetly swept over him.

In such a setting, his hair color seemed out of place, yet amidst the gentle wafts of incense smoke, he stood there as if he belonged, as if he should be there, exuding a silent presence in the noisy room, like a serene and subtly inked painting.