Chapter 10 Tale of Two Phoenixes

 FlamingoBees 

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Tale of Two Phoenixes 

 Chapter 10: 

In the Snowy Garden, clusters of emerald bamboo and Chinese parasol trees created a serene atmosphere. The ground was littered with decaying leaves and branches, soft underfoot, while the air was moist and refreshing.

According to Chu Yu's speculation, Rong Zhi, along with the two individuals and perhaps others who had arrived earlier, would likely gather in a dimly lit room. Rong Zhi would sit at the center as the leader, surrounded by others, plotting some nefarious scheme.

A said: "Hehehe."

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B said: "Exactly, hehehe."

C said: "With this plan, our scheme will succeed, hahaha."

...The above was purely Chu Yu's exaggerated and whimsical imagination.

However, reality turned out to be far different from her expectations. Sneaking into the courtyard like a thief, Chu Yu was astonished to find the supposed axis of evil sitting leisurely on a stone platform beneath a Chinese parasol tree, reading a bamboo scroll. As he noticed Chu Yu's presence, he raised his head, his expression calm.

Amidst the cascading green mountains and clouds, Rong Zhi, dressed impeccably, had features as sharp as freshly fallen snow. Chu Yu stared at him, and he returned the gaze. His deep black eyes seemed bottomless, like the dark abyss that could devour everything in the universe, yet also reminiscent of the icy peaks that no one could ever ascend.

With a slight grimace, Chu Yu snapped out of her trance. She glanced around but saw no trace of the two individuals who had entered earlier, so she looked back at Rong Zhi.

Standing and sitting apart, separated by a distance of over ten feet, they attempted to communicate through their gazes, but perhaps due to insufficient conductivity between them, Chu Yu only felt a slight soreness in her eyes and nothing more.

Perhaps feeling that it wasn't polite to keep her waiting, Rong Zhi tucked the bamboo scroll into his sleeve.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Chu Yu grimaced again and turned to walk towards the loft behind the bamboo grove. Since the two individuals weren't in the surrounding woods, they must be inside the loft. Stepping out of the bamboo grove with quick strides, Chu Yu tiptoed towards the loft. This time, she wasn't disappointed; faint voices could be heard coming from two partially open windows ahead.

Behind, there came a faint sound. Glancing back, she noticed Rong Zhi had followed along. Chu Yu raised an eyebrow, wondering what he intended to do. Was he going to alert them? If Rong Zhi deliberately made a loud noise, it would be even better, as she would then have more reason to suspect the secrecy of their conversation.

Rong Zhi smiled slightly and quickly blinked his eyes, gesturing for Chu Yu to follow him.

She glanced back at Yue Jiefeng, who had been following not far behind the whole time. Chu Yu relaxed a bit, curious about Rong Zhi's intentions, and followed him to the window. By this time, the voices inside the pavilion were already quite clear.

Initially, Chu Yu was a little excited, thinking she might catch some juicy details. However, when she listened carefully to the conversation, she felt disappointed.

Inside, two pleasing male voices, one gentle and one subtly sharp, intertwined harmoniously. Peering through the window, Chu Yu saw two figures almost overlapping on the floor, with the owner of the shadow kneeling beside a table near the side window. They leaned against each other, looking down at the bamboo slips spread out on the table.

The slightly taller, handsome youth pointed at a spot on the bamboo slip and said to Jiang Yan, "I disagree with what you said earlier. Look at this section here..." This was followed by a discussion of the allusion.

Jiang Yan tilted his head, and sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a soft glow on his brows and the contours of his profile, softening the usually cold features. Although only a hint of spring light seeped into the room from outside, Jiang Yan now seemed completely immersed in the spring atmosphere, unlike his appearance in the apricot forest.

The two were debating an issue in literature, sometimes explaining their points of view to each other and occasionally smiling as they listened attentively. They nodded slightly, but for Chu Yu, who couldn't quite grasp what they were discussing, it felt as if a pink, dreamy mist floated around them.

The atmosphere was simply too suspicious.

In the 21st century of her previous life, there was a popular culture online called "danmei," which referred to stories about two beautiful men falling in love. Chu Yu was aware of it but not obsessed. However, she didn't expect to encounter a real-life "danmei" scenario in this era over a thousand years ago.

Chu Yu had originally intended to uncover secrets about Jiang Yan and the others, but what she discovered was not what she had expected. It was like a husband intending to catch his wife with another man, only to find two men tangled up in bed.

The disparity left Chu Yu feeling deeply disappointed.

The topics they were discussing in literature were too profound and specialized for Chu Yu's taste. As she listened, she became increasingly bewildered and disinterested. She realized that continuing like this was futile and decided to leave.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

With that thought in mind, Chu Yu casually glanced at Rong Zhi, who stood on the other side of the window, only to see him listening attentively. Naturally elegant in appearance, his focused expression was even more captivating. His deep, glossy eyes resembled the night sky dotted with stars, exuding a sense of tranquility, depth, and beauty.

After a while, the debate between the two inside intensified, waking Chu Yu from her reverie. Seeing Rong Zhi still listening, she reached out and tapped his shoulder, gesturing towards the woods, indicating that he should talk there.

Once in the woods, the two stood facing each other. Chu Yu looked at him but remained silent. After a moment, Rong Zhi spoke first, letting out a soft sigh before saying, "Since the princess has seen through it, I can no longer deceive. Huan Yuan is not actually ill. When I said he was bedridden, it was a lie."

He admitted it frankly, leaving Chu Yu momentarily stunned. She then connected the dots between the handsome young man with the splendid appearance and the name Huan Yuan, realizing that he was one of the two male attendants who claimed to be ill.

Chu Yu chuckled softly, "Quite the imposing demeanor." Her face remained calm and expressionless, leaving Rong Zhi unable to guess her thoughts for a moment. He sighed softly and said, "Huan Yuan possesses extraordinary talent, a once-in-a-century genius. It's inevitable for someone of his caliber to be a bit proud. Unfortunately, his troubled background has led to such behavior. Princess, please don't be too harsh on him."

His words were somewhat cryptic, leaving Chu Yu puzzled. Today was her first time seeing Huan Yuan, and she knew nothing about his background or character. Rong Zhi's attempt at mediation seemed to come from a place of understanding, based on his knowledge of the situation. Their differing perspectives led to a lack of mutual understanding.

Chu Yu naturally didn't delve deeper into the matter. She simply guessed that Rong Zhi was pleading for leniency towards Huan Yuan. She smiled faintly and replied, "Alright, I won't pursue it further. Consider this matter settled, but I hope not to discover such things in the future."

She had some rough guesses in her mind. In version one, it was likely that Huan Yuan was originally a handsome young man from a respectable family. While walking one day, the princess caught sight of him and, driven by desire, brought him back to the palace. Despite his exceptional talents and promising future, once the princess took an interest in him, his bright prospects were dashed on the rocks of her desires.

Version two might suggest that Huan Yuan and Jiang Yan were originally exemplary lovers, but their striking appearances led to their forced separation by Princess Shanyin. Now they were all at her beck and call, serving their former lover turned adversary. It would be strange if they didn't resent her.

In either case, Huan Yuan likely harbored a deep-seated resentment towards Princess Shanyin. However, he was powerless to act and could only find solace in discussing poetry and literature or secretly meeting with his old lover. He probably avoided attending her banquets as much as possible and feigned illness whenever he could to avoid her gatherings altogether.

But later she discovered that her guesses about Huan Yuan, while not entirely wrong, were pretty close to the mark.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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