Little Pink Starfish

Encounter with the Junior Master in the Imperial Palace

Master Chengguan tried several times to help Gu Xingnuo up from the floor, but the eldest young master remained kneeling, unmoved. Finally, the monk said, “You know I left Yongsheng Temple many years ago.”

“You came to see Xinglang,” Gu Xingnuo said quietly, “you must have learned something.”

“I heard the Prince Consort had a sudden headache last night and was abducted by assassins. I came to check on him,” Chengguan said in a low voice. “I examined his head and found no injuries.”

“Is that good or bad?” Gu Xingnuo asked.

“It’s good,” said Master Chengguan.

“So it means Mo Wen didn’t open up my brother’s skull?” Gu Xingnuo remained kneeling, eyes fixed on the monk.

“As long as the Prince Consort is fine, you mustn’t panic,” Chengguan said, seeing Gu Xingnuo had calmed down a bit. He then firmly lifted the young man to his feet.

“But Wuhuan—”

“We’ll deal with things as they come,” Chengguan waved a hand. “I know you like to plan ahead, but since Xinglang has already been to Yongsheng Temple, what’s done is done. You’ll have to respond step by step now.”

Gu Xingnuo stood silent for a long time. Then he looked up and asked, “Will my brother become like those… creatures in the underground caves?”

The monk’s expression darkened slightly — clearly, Gu Xingnuo’s question triggered unpleasant memories.

Gu Xingnuo waited anxiously. In the depths of Yongsheng Temple’s rear mountain, the wails never stopped. He wasn’t even sure if those things were still human — or just human-shaped monsters.

“No,” Chengguan finally said softly after a long pause.

Gu Xingnuo gave the monk a long look, then cupped his hands in thanks and walked out.

Only after he had gone did Master Chengguan collapse into a chair, as if all his strength had drained from him. He couldn’t be sure of anything. All he could do now was trust that Gu Xinglang and the princess were a good match — a couple that could grow old together.

Back in the room, Gu Xingnuo found his younger brother clumsily trying to comfort a crying Yu Ziyi. He stepped in, scooped the baby into his arms, and instantly soothed him. As a father of two, his skill far surpassed that of the bachelor Gu Xinglang.

Seeing Yu Ziyi calm down in their brother’s arms, Gu Xinglang relaxed.

“Why hasn’t the princess come back yet?” Gu Xingnuo asked. Was she planning to eat in the imperial kitchen all day?

“Let’s wait a bit longer,” Gu Xinglang said, lowering his head slightly, looking a little guilty.

Gu Xingnuo narrowed his eyes. He had raised this brother himself. Just by the way Gu Xinglang twitched, he could tell something was off. “What’s going on?” he sat down on the bed, lifted Gu Xinglang’s chin with a finger, and asked, “What good mischief did you and the princess get up to this time?”

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei were squatting atop a giant flower terrace in the imperial palace. It wasn’t until now, actively searching, that the princess truly realized the scale of the imperial compound. Just walking from one end to the other without using qinggong could take them two days — not including time spent searching.

“Princess,” Xiao Wei said, “we need to get someone to help us search.”

“Let’s just wait until Xiaozhuang gets caught, then go rescue him,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied.

“That’s… probably not a good idea,” Xiao Wei said weakly.

“What direction are we even supposed to go?” Yu Xiaoxiao pointed out. “We don’t even have a lead.”

Xiao Wei wasn’t so determined to keep searching anymore either. After running around the entire palace with the princess, his heart was pounding nonstop. No matter where they went, he felt like someone was watching them. “We have to think of something…” he mumbled to himself.

Yu Xiaoxiao was relieved that Xiao Wei was thinking — that meant she didn’t have to. She squatted, leisurely cracking open sunflower seeds.

Xiao Wei glanced at her, lips twitching. “Princess, where did you get those seeds?”

“Oh, from that fragrance hall we passed earlier,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied, spitting out a shell.

Xiao Wei wiped his face. That was Xiangyun Hall — belonging to Consort Hua. His princess had stolen seeds from a concubine.

Yu Xiaoxiao handed him the cloth bag of seeds. “Want some?”

Xiao Wei weighed the bag in his hand. It was small but surprisingly heavy.

“Honestly, once we find Xiaozhuang and the others,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, “the real challenge is getting them out. If I take Xiongxiong and his true love out of the palace during the day, we’ll definitely be seen.”

Xiao Wei cracked open a seed and muttered listlessly, “Let’s at least find Xiaozhuang first.”

Just then, Yu Xiaoxiao turned her head to the left — and her eyes lit up with murderous intent. “Did I see that right? Is that Wen Fenglin?”

Xiao Wei looked in the same direction. The man being carried on a soft sedan chair, surrounded by attendants — wasn’t that Wen Fenglin?

“He delivered himself to our doorstep!” Yu Xiaoxiao stuffed her seeds into her pocket, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to jump down. This kind of scum should be eliminated on sight!

“Wait, no!” Xiao Wei lunged and grabbed her. “Princess, what are you trying to do?”

“Kill him,” Yu Xiaoxiao said simply.

Xiao Wei was near tears. If the princess killed the Junior Master of Yongsheng Temple in the middle of the imperial palace, Fengtian would definitely be destroyed. “No!” he yelled.

Yu Xiaoxiao paused. She didn’t want to hurt Xiao Wei, so she asked, “Why not?”

“It’s daytime!” Xiao Wei said. “There are people everywhere — you can’t just kill someone in broad daylight! Murder is a capital offense! Even royalty must obey the law!”

Yu Xiaoxiao stared wide-eyed at Xiao Wei.

Clutching her sleeve, Xiao Wei swore inwardly: if she wanted to kill Wen Fenglin, she’d have to walk over his dead body first!

“What are you two doing?!”

A furious shout came from the right. Yu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei turned their heads — Emperor Xianzong was glaring at them.

Behind the emperor, Li Yuanle didn’t know where to look. The princess, in broad daylight, was tangling limbs with a handsome young guard. Was his brother Gu Xinglang still okay?

Xianzong saw them just staring at him and roared again, “Xiao Wei!”

Xiao Wei turned and looked at himself and the princess. Then he realized he was basically climbing onto her. “Dear heavens!” he yelped and let go — and immediately tumbled headfirst off the flower platform.

Xianzong shouted at Yu Xiaoxiao, “Get over here!”

Yu Xiaoxiao glanced toward the approaching Wen Fenglin.

“LINGLONG!” the emperor roared, seeing his daughter focus back on that man. He broke into a run toward her, screaming in his mind:
No! Don’t do it! Don’t do it! AHHHHH!