The Unseen Shadows of the Lake

Above the mirror-smooth surface of the lake, the azure sky and trailing wisps of clouds were perfectly reflected. A bird skimmed the water, its delicate touch sending ripples, like golden threads, spreading outward in concentric circles. Morning mist drifted across the lake, the ethereal fog weaving the scene into a dreamlike illusion.

Lost in reverie, Yuan Zhigong recalled a morning many years ago. A young man, gazing up at the sky through the hazy mist, then blowing gently at the falling peach blossoms. Those curved, peachy eyes were more captivating than the surrounding spring scenery itself.

“I, of course, want to be with you.” Back then, that man would have uttered those words, but now, such moments could only recur in fragmented dreams.

As Yuan Zhigong pondered these memories, his attendant recounted the disappearance of Yu Jiaren. Seeing his master’s lack of reaction, the attendant gradually ran out of words, simply standing by in silence with a bowed head.

That was until Yuan Zhigong suddenly hummed, then spoke, “Gone?”

“The night before last, her personal maid was found unconscious in the garden. Since then, Yu Jiaren has vanished without a trace.”

Yuan Zhigong’s gaze drifted, distant. “Is that so?”

A pang of regret struck him. He had believed this woman, so similar to himself, might help him forget him. Yet, it proved impossible. He waved a dismissive hand, signaling the attendant to leave.

Such matters had ceased to stir his emotions since that time.

Zhuyu carefully placed the fruit wine on the table, noting that the preserved fruits she had left yesterday were untouched, and the sliced fruit remained neatly arranged on the plate.

The bed curtains were still drawn, casting the room in a dim twilight despite the daytime. She looked around, observing that all the trinkets the Immortal Fairy usually played with remained in their accustomed places—even her embroidered shoes were neatly aligned.

Finally, she could no longer hold back. “Immortal Fairy, what troubles you?”

Ever since Yu Jiaren’s disappearance two days prior, Pei Jiaren seemed to have lost all her vitality, spending her days confined to bed. Yet, whenever Zhuyu suggested calling a physician, the mistress would vehemently object, displaying an irritation Zhuyu had never witnessed before. She felt her mistress had become somewhat unfamiliar, though she couldn’t pinpoint the source of this strangeness.

A familiar voice emanated from behind the bed curtains. “Has Yu Jiaren… not been found yet?”

Zhuyu, her voice laced with worry, said, “Mistress, what is wrong? Though you were close with Yu Jiaren, please do not ruin your health over this.”

Silence descended behind the bed curtains once more. As someone privy to the inner workings of the residence, Zhuyu was utterly perplexed by her master’s behavior. More than once, she felt the urge to pull back the curtains, but knowing her master’s temperament, she ultimately dared not.

Realizing she likely wouldn’t be able to coax her mistress out today, she bowed respectfully, preparing to leave.

However, Pei Nishang’s voice rang out again. “Where is Yu Jiaren’s maid, Lan Jun, now?”

For some inexplicable reason, hearing her master’s words intensified a growing unease in Zhuyu’s heart. She instinctively guessed that someone might soon arrive to challenge her trusted position. Nevertheless, she replied, “Currently, she should still be in Lin Yu Pavilion.” Lin Yu Pavilion was the residence of the now-missing Yu Anlin.

“Have her brought here.”

Upon hearing this, Zhuyu felt a sense of “just as I expected.” Suppressing her unease, she said nothing more and exited the room.

‘How did Lan Jun catch my mistress’s eye?’ she couldn’t help but wonder as she reached the doorway. ‘Perhaps in the future, my own standing will face some challenges.’

If Pei Nishang—who was currently staring blankly from the bed—knew Zhuyu’s thoughts, he would surely burst into laughter and tell her: ‘The reason you would lose to Lan Jun is because you are too normal.’

For ever since he became Pei Nishang, He Suosi was more certain than ever that there could only be one personal maid like Lan Jun in the entire world.

It was far too easy to expose himself in front of a personal maid who was constantly by his side. Having taken over Pei Nishang’s body, He Suosi pondered extensively and concluded there was only one solution: he needed a confidante. But finding someone he could trust was a problem. After much thought, he decided to try Lan Jun first. If even she couldn’t accept the change, He Suosi would simply have to live in constant trepidation.

Originally, he had expected an arduous struggle, even planning out how he would seek revenge after returning from the spatial rift. Yet, upon opening his eyes, he found himself already inhabiting his enemy’s body. Could this be considered heaven’s way of exacting revenge?

He Suosi flopped back onto the bed, deciding to put these questions aside for now. Regardless of how things changed, he was still Yuan Zhigong’s concubine.

This time, he truly fell asleep. When he awoke again, he saw a placid face staring expressionlessly at him from beneath the crimson bed curtains.

“Whoa!” He Suosi nearly leaped up in fright. Upon realizing the person was Lan Jun, he patted his chest and exclaimed, “Lan Jun, who are you trying to scare?”

The young woman, whose eyes had been dull moments before, suddenly brightened, her beautiful heterochromatic eyes shimmering. Her tone showed no fluctuation, yet for some reason, He Suosi felt she must be extremely happy.

“It’s you, Immortal Fairy!”

‘She accepted it surprisingly quickly,’ He Suosi thought with a sigh of relief. Though her loyalty came inexplicably, He Suosi always prioritized results. Since she was clearly on his side, there was no need to overthink it.

“You were gone for several days. I thought you had left for good.”

“Huh?”

He Suosi didn’t quite understand her words, but then Lan Jun continued, “The Immortal Monarch will likely return today to investigate Yu Jiaren’s matter.”

He Suosi was somewhat surprised. “How do you know this?”

Lan Jun replied naturally, “The Immortal Monarch’s subordinates informed me.”

He Suosi raised an eyebrow slightly. Pei Nishang’s maid, Zhuyu, hadn’t received any news. It seemed Lan Jun was indeed not as simple as she appeared.

By evening, Yuan Zhigong indeed returned. Everyone was summoned to the front hall. As soon as He Suosi arrived, he saw a hall filled with beauties, while Yuan Zhigong stood at the front, listening to one of his concubines speak.

He Suosi recognized the speaker; it was Wei Jiaren, the one who often spoke ill of Pei Nishang. At this moment, she was saying, “…She was never close with anyone before, but this time she suddenly spent so much time with Yu Jiaren. Who knows what she was thinking?”

He Suosi instantly knew she was slandering Pei Nishang again, but this time he couldn’t help but inwardly praise her shrewdness. ‘Why did I not notice this at all? Is this a woman’s intuition?’

Yu Anlin had indeed been harmed by Pei Nishang, but now that he was Pei Nishang, he had to conceal the matter. Thus, he feigned not hearing her words, coughed lightly, and delicately sat on a nearby chair.

Wei Jiaren showed no embarrassment. Instead, she spoke sarcastically, “Oh, look who it is. Isn’t this Lady Pei? How is it that as soon as Yu Jiaren disappears, you fall ill?”

He Suosi glanced at her, then directed his gaze toward Yuan Zhigong.

Yuan Zhigong’s brows were furrowed, his eyes unfocused. He Suosi had no idea what he was thinking, but upon reflection, the Monarch had indeed doted on Yu Anlin previously. Surely, his heart must have been impacted. At the thought of causing distress to his arch-nemesis, He Suosi inexplicably felt a surge of dark satisfaction.

The concubine, ignored, said no more, crossing her arms and watching him with a cold gaze. At that moment, Yuan Zhigong seemed to suddenly snap back to reality, turning and smiling at He Suosi. “Nishang, you’ve arrived.”

This certainly wasn’t due to a slow reaction time. He Suosi quickly deduced that Yuan Zhigong had likely been using a special method to investigate the cause of the disappearance.

He spoke with a worried expression, “Immortal Monarch, have you found anything?” ‘Please, don’t let there be any findings.’

Yuan Zhigong’s brows furrowed tightly. “The other party seems to have shielded the heavenly secrets. I saw nothing.”

“That is truly a pity,” He Suosi said, though he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Pei Nishang indeed possessed some cunning to dare commit such an act within the sect.

“You’re relieved, aren’t you!” Wei Jiaren suddenly voiced He Suosi’s inner thoughts, startling him.

Nevertheless, on the surface, he merely feigned an expression of shock and sorrow, as if deeply wronged. Beside them, another concubine, whether inherently righteous or seeking to curry favor, spoke up, “Lady Wei, you have no evidence. Why speak such nonsense?”

The situation seemed to have reached an impasse. Though everyone wore expressions of concern, they eventually dispersed.

As expected, after everyone returned to their quarters, Yuan Zhigong came to Pei Nishang’s residence. “Are you alright?” he asked with a worried tone as soon as he entered.

This tone was different from what He Suosi had experienced when he was Yu Anlin. If he had to pinpoint the difference, it was gentler. If Yuan Zhigong was a stoic man with Yu Anlin, then with Pei Nishang, he was like a kind older brother.

Because the situation exceeded his expectations, He Suosi was momentarily speechless. ‘No matter what I say, the chances of exposure are too high!’

So, he shuffled his feet and sat by the desk, gazing at the flickering candlelight in a sorrowful manner, remaining silent. Yuan Zhigong, not one for many words, also fell silent. The two sat in the dim room like wooden figures.

Yuan Zhigong eventually departed. Sitting alone in the darkness, He Suosi finally dropped his disguise. ‘So, it was indeed because of that cultivation technique. But what was the original reason I became Yu Anlin?’