Chapter 52 Singer Ruxin

Wind and sand blocked my view. I couldn’t see the person but heard her beautiful singing, Clean and sweet like an oriole’s chirping. The delight I felt was as much as the sorrow I had. I wondered how many hearts were broken for love, Since it was always so hard to find a soulmate. I wished everything was nothing but a dream. I wished life could still be a beautiful song under the moonlight, When I woke up. A small city on the border of the Empire of Yun, Feng City, was a remote place where the emperor was far away, and the birds flew freely. Since any traveler going through the city had to cross a large desert against the persistent wind, the city became isolated. Even merchants from nearby regions rarely visited it, let alone outsiders. Although it belonged to the Empire of Yun, Feng City was more like a small country cut off from the rest of the world. Its endless desert and dry weather did cause some inconvenience. The resources produced locally were limited, barely enough for the residents to survive. However, thanks to their inadequate contact with the outside, the locals were kind and simple, unaffected by sheer cunning and falsehoods. Be it happiness or difficulty, they always shared what they had. People were honest about what they wanted. As a result, Feng City was always in peace and harmony. Compared with Huaiyang City, the capital, this small place did not have spring all year round, nor was it prosperous, but there was absolute hospitality and freedom. It was kept that way because its ruler was also a man of simplicity. Lord Yi was King Yun’s youngest brother, also the current emperor Yun Su’s youngest uncle. Owing to his carefree temperament, the uniqueness of Feng City was carefully maintained. Wind and sand were spinning outside the city. Recently, the weather had been quite weird. Though it looked cloudy, there was no rain. Everything seemed depressing and silent as if a storm was about to come. However, the weird weather condition did not affect people’s daily life. Inside the peaceful city, one could still see bright smiles and hear hearty laughter walking on the streets. Unlike Huaiyang City, where the streets were filled with various stores, restaurants, or tea houses, most buildings in Feng City were simply residential houses. Or to say, there were no decent shops in the entire city. People just lived in their houses while selling things for convenience. But lately, there was something new. A singer came to the hotel on the main street. An outsider was rare enough. On top of that, the singer was gorgeous. Her way of dressing also made her stand out among all the plain-looking locals. All people knew was that the singer was called Ruxin, an orphan who had fled here and made a living by singing. But her background was a total mystery. The new visitor looked as beautiful as a fairy in a painting or a lady in a book. On her delicate face, her eyes seemed both innocent and alluring. Ruxin always wore a white dress with a plain pearl hairpin on her simply tied bun. Although her outfit was nothing fancy, no one could look away from her. Different from the local girls whose skin was tanned due to the long-term exposure to the sunlight, Ruxin’s fair skin appeared especially bright and soft. In a city of generosity, her reserved manner and elegance drew the attention of both men and women. This was another good thing about Feng City - women tended to offer praises rather than show their jealousy. The singer’s voice was soft, like a lover whispering sweet words in the audiences’ ears. Over time, more and more people began to gather around her. Instead of making evil plans like what happened back in Huaiyang City, the audience spoke with admiration, but no one would disrupt her wonderful performance. They just looked at her in such a simple and lovely way. Wind and sand blocked my view. I couldn’t see the person but heard her beautiful singing, Clean and sweet like an oriole’s chirping. The delight I felt was as much as the sorrow I had. I wondered how many hearts were broken for love, Since it was always so hard to find a soulmate. I wished everything was nothing but a dream. I wished life could still be a beautiful song under the moonlight, When I woke up. In fact, Ruxin had learned many songs over the years, but this one remained her favorite. This piece was taught to her by the man she loved the most. Somehow, the lyrics were like a reflection of her life and her lost love, the extraordinary man called Yue. However, affected by the joy of this city, Ruxin’s voice sounded less painful and more relaxed. Many youngsters around wanted to learn singing from her. Following her lead, they sang line after line. Cheerful voices echoed across the entire street. The sky at night looked much more clear than it was during the day. Without all the dark clouds occupying the sky, stars were particularly shinning. Recently, Ruxin had been staying in a small hut of a kind old lady’s house. Watching her working hard every day, the old lady felt sorry for her and refused to charge her money. Ruxin didn’t insist, but she was grateful in her heart. As usual, Ruxin returned to the hut. As she closed the door, a handsome man dressed in black clothes with gold trim jumped in from the back window. It was Xuan Zhi. He looked at Ruxin with his gentle eyes, walked up naturally, and took her hand. Sitting on the ground beside the somewhat shabby table, he took out something wrapped in grease paper and put it in front of Ruxin. Opening the paper wrap, Ruxin saw some local snacks of Feng City. To be honest, it was really not as good as the food in the capital. But Ruxin had a much better appetite than when she was there. Watching Ruxin devouring the food he brought, Xuan Zhi reached to wipe the crumbs off her face. “Ruxin, you seem to like this place very much.” “Well, people here are all simple and straightforward.” “Yeah! Staying here makes you forget about all the troubles.” “Zhi, don’t you like it?” “I only like it if you like it.” “Come on.” “By the way, Ruxin. Lord Yi will go out at some time these days!” “Right, I’ll be able to meet him very soon.” “Yeah. You have been singing for almost five days. What’s your plan then?” “I haven’t figured it out yet. After all, I don’t know much about Lord Yi. I only heard that he likes to bring women who look pure back home. We have to keep showing up around the city. At least we need to meet him first!” “OK. Our scouts have reported that Lord Yi will be out of his mansion tomorrow.” “Right, got it. Zhi, I’m tired.” Ruxin stretched out her arms. Xuan Zhi carried her in his arms, walked to the bed, put her down, and lay beside her. Cuddling her in his arms, he could clearly feel her breath. Nothing else had happened between them except for sleeping on the same bed. Ruxin had got accustomed to sleeping in his warm embrace and couldn’t quit it. Fortunately, Xuan Zhi was gentle enough that he had never crossed the line. In Xuan Zhi’s warm and comfortable arms, Ruxin soon fell asleep. In her sleep, she would even unconsciously rub against his chest like a cute little cat. Perhaps this was the only time when she was purely innocent and harmless. For the first time in a few days, the sky was clear. It was neither hot nor cold, a good day for hiking. With the spring wind gently brushing their faces, people felt refreshed as if they had just woken up from their winter sleep. Singing here every day, Ruxin was waiting to meet Lord Yi purposefully. She knew he would definitely pass this street once he was out of his mansion. A new story was about to begin. Early in the morning, a carriage was driving on the road. But not long after it went out, it ran into a traffic jam, which was absolutely rare in Feng City! Blocked by the crowd in front of it, the carriage was unable to move. Sitting inside was a handsome man in his forties. Time obviously didn’t leave too many marks on his face, for he aged like fine wine. It was just that he didn’t look like his other royal family. Lord Yi seemed more like an acquaintance of Ruxin’s. The only difference was that he was more mature and sophisticated. From a distance, he heard her singing. For a moment, he was touched as if a clear spring had flown on the tip of his heart. But still, he didn’t pay much attention. After all, he was no longer a teenage boy. Yet suddenly, the carriage stopped going forward. He opened the curtains. The coachman came to report, “My lord, there seems to be a woman singing in the crowd.” “Alright. Don’t disrupt the crowd. I’ll get out and take a look.” The man walked out of the carriage and into the crowd as soon as he finished his words. He was indeed a good ruler, not pretentious at all towards his people. This was the first time he saw her, yet she immediately reminded him of someone else. She looked similar to her, but they exuded completely different auras. The person he knew was pure. Her eyes were always full of affection. Even when she was heartbroken, she still looked untainted. The singer in front of him also had stunning beauty, but she looked alluring, just like a seductive elf. Looking at her performance, Lord Yi, Yun Hai couldn’t hold it back, “Miss, your voice is beautiful and clear. May I have the honor to invite you to perform in my mansion?” She slowly raised her eyes and looked at the man. Ruxin did everything on purpose to impress the lord, but when she saw his face, she was stunned for a moment. He had a face similar to the one deep in her memory, and her heart could not help but pound. It was her deepest love and her deepest pain! Yet after the shock, she immediately calmed herself down and suppressed her feelings. Ruxin slowly lowered her head to curtsy. She avoided looking at him because that would make her lost in memories. “You must be Lord Yi, ruler of Feng City.” “Yes, I am.” “My name’s Ruxin. It’s my honor to perform for you, my lord. But I only know a few folk songs from my hometown. I’m afraid they are not up to your standard.” “You’re being too humble. I’ve just heard your singing from a distance. It’s definitely one of the best I’ve heard.” “Thank you, my lord.”