At some point, a light rain began to fall. By November, there was already a bit of winter chill in the imperial capital air. Wrapped in an oil cloth rain cape, Feng Zhi Wei watched the luggage being loaded onto the boat. Then she pointed to a small skiff drifting freely not far away and said, “A boat like that, gliding through the rain, that’s what you call true elegance.” 

Behind her, Zong Chen laughed and said, “Alright, go talk to the boatman about riding it. Our big ship will just sail slowly and wait for you. You set out early enough anyway, so there’s no danger of missing your reporting date.” 

“Am I that bored?” Feng Zhi Wei smiled and boarded the boat. She found the cabin stuffy and spent most of her time at the bow watching the rippling water shimmer with the golden light of the setting sun. 

After they traveled for a while, she noticed the little skiff had remained close to their larger vessel the whole time, seemingly following the same route. 

A flicker of caution rose in her heart, causing her to pay closer attention to it. The boat looked ordinary, except for a piece of red cloth tied to the bow. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a handwoven towel embroidered with a plump fish in bright red and green thread. It had a fisherman’s rustic charm. The cloth was fluffed up by the wind, making it bright and very eye-catching. 

The boatman, dressed in a straw rain cape, seemed quite perceptive. He suddenly leaned his body and turned his head to look at her. Lifting a string of whitebait tied together, the boatman said, “Heading down to Jianhuai? There are our famous local whitefish. The flesh is delicate, with a delicious flavor. Care to try some, young master?” 

Without waiting for her answer, he casually tossed the fish abroad. Feng Zhi Wei caught them and thanked him. Out of habit, Zong Chen reached for a silver needle to test them for poison, but Feng Zhi Wei quickly stopped him. The boatman, however, seemed quite relaxed, splashing his bare feet in the water, stirring clusters of ripples. Seemingly in an excellent mood, he opened his mouth, preparing to sing. Feng Zhi Wei assumed he was about to launch into something like “When the water of the vast ocean is clear, I can splash my feet…” Instead, he belted out, “Cross the mighty river, over the white-capped waves— Out of those waves pops out a pretty girl…”

Feng Zhi Wei burst out laughing. The man struck her as innocent and unpretentious, free-spirited and utterly unconstrained, quite interesting. Having spent years navigating court politics, always measuring every word, every move, forever hiding her true thoughts behind careful calculations, she found herself harboring a deep longing for unrestrained and free-spirited people. Smiling, she leaned against the rail, listening to his singing. 

The man sang enthusiastically, rocking his body back and forth. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind swept across the river. The large ship swayed gently, sending ripples of movement in the surrounding water. The little skiff was sailing very close alongside it. As the wave rose, the tiny boat lurched unsteadily. At the same moment, the man had thrown himself into a rather dramatic backward lean as he sang. It was followed by a yelp of “Aiya!” In the blink of an eye, the man disappeared from the bow of the small boat. 

Feng Zhi Wei blinked before realizing what had happened. The guy had gotten so carried away with singing that he had fallen straight into the river. 

She couldn’t help but let out a smile. She wasn’t worried, though. What kind of boatman would drown after falling into the water? She fixed her eyes on the river, but there was no sign of the man. She waited a little longer. Still nothing. 

Now she was genuinely taken aback. What’s going on? Had his leg cramped up when he fell in? 

Zong Chen had been watching from the bow as well. At first he had been just as unconcerned as Feng Zhi Wei, but now he frowned in surprise. He waved a hand, and several subordinates who were expert swimmers immediately dove into the river. After searching for a bit, they resurfaced to report that they had searched in every direction but could not find him anywhere. 

Feng Zhi Wei said in dismay, “Could he really have gotten a cramp? It does happen– people who are expert with water can still die in it. All in all, he did fall overboard because of us. I should go down and take a look.” 

“Don’t go.” Zong Chen stopped her, “It could be a trap.” 

The two waited at the bow for a while longer as the men in the water continued searching, but the boatman was nowhere to be found. Now Feng Zhi Wei was starting to be a bit anxious. Just then, some hollering came from a distance. She turned and saw what appeared to be a woman on the far bank, a child by her side. The woman was waving at the little boat, seemingly urging it to return. Through the fine misting rain, she couldn’t see the woman’s face clearly or hear her voice. Only a red scarf on her head stood out clearly, looking remarkably similar to the red cloth tied to the bow of the skiff. 

“Oh, no!” Feng Zhi Wei said, “That’s probably his wife? I hope nothing bad has really happened to him.” 

Zong Chen glanced at her. After a long pause, he gave her a wry smile, “I can’t swim…but I can accompany you off the boat to take a look.” 

He wasn’t worried about Feng Zhi Wei’s safety. His subordinates were still in the surrounding waters. The boatman obviously knew no martial arts, and the little skiff was so simply built that it couldn’t conceal any hidden mechanism. With Feng Zhi Wei’s martial skills and cautious personality, there was simply no way someone could take advantage of her under these circumstances. 

Feng Zhi Wei smiled, “I am only learning today that you can’t swim. No need for you to go down. Stay here on the ship and keep watch for me. I’ll go take a look.” With that, she leaped down like a white bird, skimming over the waves, glided across the water, and landed on the bow of the little skiff. 

She had just steadied herself and bent down to peer into the water to consider whether she should dive in herself when a hand shot out from the previously empty boat cabin and yanked her inside! 

The instant Feng Zhi Wei was seized, she didn’t turn her head, but her hand immediately shot up like a knife and chopped mercilessly toward the attacker’s wrist!

Snow-white fingers ripped through the darkness, cutting through the layers of dark shadows. The strike was so swift that few people could have blocked it. Yet the other person’s wrist slipped away like a fish, gliding effortlessly out of her grasp. A low chuckle followed. 

When Feng Zhi Wei heard that laugh, her heart quivered. A complicated emotion flickered across her eyes before she pulled back her hand. 

By the time she turned around, her expression had already returned to normal, and she said with a reproachful laugh, “Your Highness had certainly gone to extraordinary lengths just to trick me into coming abroad. Was it worth it?” 

As silvers of sunlight filtered through the awning of the boat, Ning Yi smiled in the dappled dance of light and shadow, “It’s so difficult to have alone time with you, so whatever it takes is worth it.” 

“What’s so difficult about it?” Feng Zhi Wei sat down opposite him and leaned her body out to make a reassuring hand signal to those outside, indicating that everything was fine. She continued with a laugh, “If Your Highness comes, all you have to do is send a word, and I would certainly have come out personally to welcome you aboard the big ship. We could have enjoyed tea while admiring the scenery together. Why squeeze into this tiny boat and bother with all these elaborate tricks?” 

“It was precisely because I didn’t want all that false grand hospitality of yours. Everyone watching while you bow, I defer, and we both go through all the proper formalities.” Ning Yi answered lazily, “What I want is to be alone with you. Alone.” 

Feng Zhi Wei poked her head outside, glanced around, and asked, “What happened to the boatman? Surely, you didn’t actually take the poor man’s life just to lure me down here?” 

“Didn’t I?” Ning Yi said with a laugh, “I pushed him into the river.” 

Feng Zhi Wei shot him a sidelong glance, smiled, and turned her head to look at the rain outside. She was a little afraid to turn around, afraid that Ning Yi could read more things from her eyes. 

All text copyright @ www.Ninja-Reflection.com 

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