Chapter Fifty-Six: Senior Brother of the Qionglin Painting Society

Ye Hao had barely been gone for a moment when a loud bang echoed from the door behind him.

Yu Hang shouted, “I’m taking you with me!”

Before Ye Hao could react, he heard the splash of someone falling into the water. He turned, but it was already too late—there was no sign of either man on the surface. He hadn’t expected Yu Hang to push him into the pond.

Ye Hao dove in to search, but found no trace of them. As panic gripped him, a sound came from behind. He turned to see Yu Hualiang, soaked through.

Yu Hualiang called out, “Quick, give me a hand! He’s drowning!”

Together, they hauled Yu Hang out of the water. Yu Hualiang, imitating scenes from television, performed chest compressions while Ye Hao watched, frowning with concern.

“Are you all right, Master Yu?” Ye Hao asked anxiously.

“I’m fine, save him first! Hello! Is anyone there?” Yu Hualiang called out, growing desperate.

Surely there should be people nearby—the pond was surrounded by houses. Yet Ye Hao said, “At this time... they’re not here.”

“What? How do you know that? Never mind—go find Doctor Wang, quickly!”

Ye Hao, all the more worried seeing Yu Hualiang drenched, hesitated. Yu Hualiang grew anxious. “Go! Human life is at stake!”

Left with no choice, Ye Hao hurried off. Yu Hualiang continued chest compressions to no avail—he would have to try mouth-to-mouth. He laid Yu Hang flat, tilted his head back, but hesitated at the sight of his face.

“Oh, why now of all times?” he muttered in frustration, just as footsteps approached behind him. He thought perhaps Ye Hao had returned.

Delighted, he called, “So fast? Where’s Doctor Wang?”

The newcomer said nothing. Yu Hualiang sensed danger, but it was already too late.

When Ye Hao finally returned with Doctor Wang, only Yu Hang was lying on the ground; Yu Hualiang had vanished without a trace.

Doctor Wang hurried over, performed a couple of chest compressions, and Yu Hang coughed up water.

When Yu Hang was out of danger, curiosity turned to Yu Hualiang’s whereabouts. Ye Hao was even more anxious. He quickly searched all the houses, but Yu Hualiang was nowhere to be found.

Ji Yuzhe frowned, “This is strange. In just a short moment, where could Brother Yu have gone? No one saw him leave the pond house.”

Ji Yuyun gazed at the sky. “Unless he could fly away, he must have sunk into the pond.”

At these words, Ye Hao immediately leapt into the water. Ji Yuzhe called anxiously, “Come out, my brother was only guessing!”

Wang Ruosheng stopped him. “Let him be. Yu Hualiang’s disappearance is urgent; he’s more anxious than any of us. Let’s carry Yu Hang inside.”

Looking at the feeble Yu Hang, Ji Yuzhe was eager to help, but Ji Yuyun blocked his way.

With a cold face, Ji Yuyun single-handedly hauled Yu Hang up roughly, the treatment so harsh even Ji Yuyun himself winced. Fortunately, Yu Hang was unconscious—otherwise, those tugs were no less punishing than a beating from Chang Zihao.

Wang Ruosheng forced a laugh. Clearly, Ji Yuyun was venting his frustration on Yu Hang.

Ji Yuyun carried him into the house, with Wang Ruosheng following. Ji Yuzhe, seeing Ye Hao still searching in the pond, said, “You should stop. I’m sure Brother Yu just stepped out and will return shortly.”

Ye Hao ignored him, continuing his search. Ji Yuzhe left him be and went inside to help Wang Ruosheng.

As soon as Yu Hualiang turned, a man in black whisked him away.

He tried to struggle, but the man leaped with him over the rooftop. When they landed, Yu Hualiang finally saw who it was—Cao Zhiling.

“It’s you!” Yu Hualiang steadied himself.

Cao Zhiling pulled him behind a tree and whispered, “Shh, there’s a master near you.”

Yu Hualiang pondered, “You mean Ye Hao? Never mind him—why are you here? Where have you been all this time?”

Cao Zhiling sighed, “I’ll keep it brief. I’ve come to say goodbye. Tomorrow I’ll return to Fanhe.”

Yu Hualiang’s face showed sadness; after all, Cao Zhiling was half a mentor to him. “Take care on your journey.”

“Hey…” Cao Zhiling’s demeanor shifted, suddenly shy and hesitant, making Yu Hualiang uneasy.

“What is it?”

“Come with me to Fanhe... Leave the Seventh Prince.”

Yu Hualiang’s heart skipped a beat. “I can’t. Not now…”

“Why? Don’t you hate him too? Come with me!”

Yu Hualiang glanced back at the pond house and said quietly, “If I leave now... I’ll put another in danger.”

“The guard?” Cao Zhiling asked.

Yu Hualiang sighed, “You should go. Visit if you can.”

His words were polite, but both knew that once parted, it might be years before they met again.

Cao Zhiling looked at his retreating figure and murmured, “I won’t come back.”

Yu Hualiang didn’t look back, only raised his hand in farewell. He didn’t want to face such partings a second time.

If Cao Zhiling’s departure marked an ending, perhaps that was for the best. At least he was still alive. Yu Hualiang returned by circling around to the front gate, just in time to see Ye Hao, caked in mud, crawling out of the lotus pond.

Their eyes met, an awkward silence settling between them. Yu Hualiang asked, “Fishing for something?”

Ye Hao climbed out, joy written all over his face though he tried to hide it. “Where did you go, Master Yu?”

Yu Hualiang paused before answering, “I went to look for someone... but didn’t find them.”

“What were you doing?” Yu Hualiang eyed his soaked state.

“I thought you’d fallen into the pond.”

Yu Hualiang burst out laughing, “Sorry to worry you. I’m fine. Where’s Yu Hang?”

“He’s inside, with Doctor Wang.”

Yu Hualiang nodded and went in, calling over his shoulder, “Go change your clothes—and find a set for me while you’re at it.”

Inside, Ji Yuzhe eyed Yu Hualiang with curiosity. “Brother Yu, what happened to you?”

“Don’t ask. Where’s Yu Hang?” Yu Hualiang grumbled.

Wang Ruosheng was taking his pulse. “He’s fine, just weak from nearly drowning.”

Yu Hualiang was annoyed. “The moment you all left, he asked me to send Ye Hao away. I thought he wanted to talk, but he suddenly rushed at me and pushed us both into the pond!”

Ji Yuzhe asked, “And you?”

He clearly wanted to know why Yu Hualiang was unharmed.

“I can swim... Of course I wasn’t going to drown.”

This reminded Ji Yuzhe of Yu Hualiang’s earlier suicide by jumping into the river for a woman, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Then how did you try to end your life before?”

Yu Hualiang paused, then mused, “I probably knocked myself out on the ice.”

Wang Ruosheng burst out laughing, “Master Yu, you really are something.”

Yu Hualiang, aware he was being teased, retorted, “You should focus on your patient.”

Ji Yuzhe urged, “Brother Yu, go change your clothes before you catch a chill.”

Wang Ruosheng joked, “Perhaps Master Yu shouldn’t bother changing—at least I’d have some entertainment at Jian’an Hall.”

Yu Hualiang teased back, “Listen to this doctor’s schemes!”

Outside, Cao Zhiling listened quietly, then left. They were but fleeting travelers in each other’s lives—perhaps unforgettable, but the tides of fate were beyond their control.

Yu Hualiang would remember him forever, but why did he feel a pang of regret?

Cao Zhiling left the Qionglin Art Society behind. Deep in a quiet grove, he stopped, surrounded by utter silence. Images of Yu Hualiang’s face floated through his mind, driving him to strike down a tree. As it crashed, the weight in his chest seemed to lift a little.

Yu Hualiang laughed and chatted with the others, but the thought that he might never see Cao Zhiling again filled him with sorrow.

He and Ye Hao changed into fresh clothes—those of the Qionglin Art Society, easily recognizable among its members.

Yu Hualiang wasn’t picky, but as he put on the robe, he couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding. The robe was mostly white, with red plum blossoms embroidered at the cuffs and collar—elegant and refined.

However, the borrowed garments were somewhat worn. Ye Hao’s was a bit small—the sleeves too short and the chest strained tight. Yu Hualiang tried to help smooth it out, but when his hand brushed Ye Hao’s chest muscles, he muttered inwardly that he deserved to be squeezed into it. By contrast, he felt only his own bony frame—hard and uncomfortable.

He sighed, realizing he needed to strengthen his body. After dinner with Ji Yuzhe, the latter left, unable to stay overnight. Yu Hualiang saw him off, then wandered around the Qionglin Art Society.

That day at the Fourth Prince’s residence had left him stifled, and though the Qionglin’s scenery couldn’t compare to his family estate or the Prince’s, it was bustling at midday. Dressed in the society’s clothes, he blended in without drawing notice.

That day, however, a crowd had gathered at the gate. Drawn by curiosity, Yu Hualiang joined them. A carriage with lanterns bearing the character Zhou was parked at the entrance.

Yu Hualiang didn’t know who this was, but the society’s members were welcoming the arrival as if greeting royalty.

“Our senior brother is back!”

Yu Hualiang turned to a bright-eyed youth and asked, “What’s going on?”

The boy, seeing an unfamiliar face, replied, “You must be new. That’s our senior brother, Zhou Yibai.”

“Who? Zhou Yibai?”

The boy clicked his tongue. “You know Yu Hualiang from the Yu Family Art Society?”

Yu Hualiang grinned, “Him? Of course I do. What, is there a connection?”

The boy’s face darkened. “Didn’t that Yu Hualiang come here just to show off and throw his weight around?”

Yu Hualiang cringed. He hadn’t expected that was his reputation here. He forced a laugh, “He does go a bit far sometimes…”

“Exactly.” The youth grew indignant. Yu Hualiang dared not confess his own identity.

The boy continued, “Our senior brother is ten thousand times better than him. Zhou Yibai is a first-rank artist—didn’t that Yu Hualiang act all high and mighty? But our senior brother works in the palace!”

“Oh, impressive indeed,” Yu Hualiang echoed.

In the distance, a young gentleman alighted from the carriage, clad in flowing white robes, radiant and distinguished.