Seven Colors of the Netherworld, Destined for Love and Hate

In the blink of an eye, another two years swept past.

Zi Qingyan personally accompanied Lin Lan to the ranks of scholars preparing to journey to the imperial capital for the ultimate examinations.

“Once you arrive there, remember to eat well and rest well. Do not mistreat yourself,” Zi Qingyan said, gently smoothing down the creases of his scholar’s robes.

“Mmh, I understand, Sister Zi,” Lin Lan complied softly.

At this moment, Zi Qingyan truly resembled a virtuous wife seeing her husband off on a long journey, her gaze brimming with a sliver of profound reluctance. Off to the side, the fierce young maid Bailu watched this display, gritting her teeth in absolute exasperation.

“To be completely honest, you really didn’t need to be so deeply moved,” Lin Lan said, tossing a rather uncharitable tease toward Bailu.

“Why don’t you just drop dead out there?!” Bailu bared her small fangs, glaring at Lin Lan with pure fury. “Right now, I wish nothing more than for you to perish in some distant land and never, ever return!”

Lin Lan merely chuckled. He had long since grown accustomed to Bailu’s prickly demeanor.

Lifting his book crate onto his shoulders, he turned and began to stride away into the distance under the collective gazes of Zi Qingyan and Bailu.

Suddenly, Lin Lan ground to a halt. He spun back around, facing Zi Qingyan who remained standing precisely where he had left her.

“Sister Zi!” Lin Lan bellowed at the top of his lungs. “Once I achieve success and renown, I shall absolutely return to take you as my wife!”

The moment the words left his mouth, before Zi Qingyan could even offer a response, he spun around and sprinted away as fast as his legs could carry him. By the time Zi Qingyan fully processed his declaration, Lin Lan’s silhouette had already vanished completely from sight.

An elderly scholar standing nearby witnessed the scene, unable to contain himself as he bellowed about the sheer decadence and moral ruin of the younger generation.

“Ah ah ah! That wretched Little Lin! To think he actually dared to take advantage of Sister Zi right before rolling out of here! He’s going to be the absolute death of me!” The fierce young maid stomped her feet in impotent rage.

“Alright, that is enough,” Zi Qingyan smiled softly, patting Bailu’s head. “Gather our belongings. It is time for us to depart as well.” With that, she turned back toward her residence.

“Sister…” Bailu scrambled to call after her, but as her sister turned her back, Bailu suddenly noticed that Zi Qingyan’s silhouette appeared remarkably, heartbreakingly solitary.

The smile on Zi Qingyan’s face gradually faded into nothingness.

Forgive me, Little Lin. Forgive my silent departure, and forgive me for breaking my faith with you once more. Though affection blossoms between us, we are ultimately destined for different paths. I refuse to cause you harm. Departing… is perhaps the absolute best choice left for us.

That autumn, Lin Lan successfully claimed the prestigious title of Gongshi Huivuan—securing the absolute first rank in the national examinations. When the imperial boards were posted, a vast multitude of high-ranking officials and influential nobles swarmed forward to curry favor with him.

This unexpected adulation left the newly prominent Lin Lan thoroughly disoriented. From lavish offerings of gold and exquisite gifts to influential figures directly presenting their beautiful daughters for his consideration, the sheer scale of the attention left him profoundly overwhelmed.

Yet, when all was said and done, Lin Lan flatly declined the benevolence of these powerful households.

At this exact moment, the solitary desire burning within his heart was to return home as quickly as possible, to share this magnificent triumph with his Sister Zi.

He purchased a swift steed from a merchant near the capital gates, vaulted into the saddle, and snapped the reins. He truly refused to delay for even a single breath, urging the horse to its absolute limits.

Yet, as the common folk often say, the world is entirely unpredictable.

When Lin Lan finally arrived back in the provincial capital, what greeted his eyes was a hollow, desolate Zui Xiang Brothel, and an equally barren courtyard residence.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

A sudden voice drifted from behind him. Lin Lan whipped around, beholding an elderly woman he had never seen before.

“Ah, so it is Young Master Lin.” The woman evidently recognized his features, hastily stepping backward as she offered a formal bow of respect. After all, Lin Lan was now a distinguished scholar of the realm; common citizens were required to offer formal greetings upon encountering an official.

“Grandmother, do you happen to know where the proprietress of this establishment has gone?” Lin Lan inquired frantically, bypassing all pleasantries in his desperation.

“Are you referring to Fairy Zi?” The woman cast a peculiar look at him. “Did Fairy Zi not journey to the imperial capital alongside you during the early summer months?”

Lin Lan froze in absolute shock. Zi Qingyan had certainly not departed alongside him. Yet, the early summer… was that not precisely the exact moment he had left for the imperial examinations?

Lin Lan took up residence within that vacant courtyard.

He possessed no knowledge of where Zi Qingyan had vanished, nor did he know if she would ever return. The realm was vast, and there was no corner of the world he could search with any certainty. Yet, only within this specific courtyard could he retain a fleeting shred of hope.

Winters faded into summers, and another full year slipped by. The elderly Master Lin paid another visit, and this time, Lin Lan accompanied him back to his ancestral home. It was meant to serve as a belated capping ceremony to mark his formal transition into adulthood.

Lin Lan still vividly recalled the expressions of his half-brothers when they beheld him; their jaws had practically dropped squarely onto the floorboards in sheer disbelief. This was a scene he had desperately dreamed of witnessing every single night during his youth. Yet now, he no longer possessed the leisurely inclination to derive any amusement from their profound humiliation.

He calmly offered formal greetings to each of his brothers—who still remained thoroughly worthless—causing them to lower their heads in deep, burning shame.

Lin Lan was twenty-five years old this year.

Master Lin gazed upon this son whom he had once neglected above all others, who had now transformed into the absolute pride of his lineage. While his heart swelled with immense joy, a sliver of regret still lingered within his mind.

“While it is natural for a man to prioritize official renown, he must still place the establishment of a household first. It is high time you sought a proper marriage match.” Master Lin let out a succession of raspy coughs; his health was clearly failing him.

“Your son has spoken his vows before. In this lifetime, I shall wed but one person. I would rather break faith with the entire world than fail to honor my promise to her,” Lin Lan respectfully yet unyieldingly declined his father’s proposition.

Master Lin’s face flushed with sudden anger, his expression twisting, yet in the end, it merely dissolved into a bitter, helpless smile. “You have reached full adulthood, and your scholarly wisdom far exceeds my own. Even if I could govern your choices for a brief moment, I cannot govern them for the rest of your days.” Master Lin leaned back slowly against his chair, releasing a heavy sigh. “Consider the matter yourself.”

“Your son thanks Father for his understanding.”

Lin Lan did not tarry within the ancestral estate for long; he promptly returned to the courtyard residence of his past.

As early winter descended, the imperial court issued a formal summons to the scholars of the realm. This was a grand occasion that every literary mind under heaven desperately dreamed of—receiving official titles, gaining noble ranks, and becoming direct disciples of the Son of Heaven himself.

Yet, Lin Lan constantly felt a profound emptiness hollow out his chest. Others exerted their absolute limits for the sake of this boundless glory, but what about him? What was the ultimate purpose driving his own endeavors?

It was all for that single, fleeting glimpse of a celestial being. It was for that solitary face capable of toppling kingdoms.

Very soon, the day to depart for the imperial capital approached. Lin Lan lay upon his bed, yet sleep entirely eluded him. He had resided within this courtyard for ten full years, yet this was the very first time he suffered from insomnia.

For some inexplicable reason, a persistent feeling clung to his mind—the sensation that the person he yearned for above all else had never truly departed from his side.

Suddenly, a sharp, frantic pounding on the door resonated within Lin Lan’s ears.

He vaulted out of bed and swung the door open, only to behold a familiar face—the fierce maid, Bailu.

Lin Lan’s mind went entirely blank. If Bailu was standing here, then… Zi Qingyan must be near.

Before Lin Lan could even open his mouth to question her, a ferocious, murderous glint suddenly erupted within Bailu’s eyes. A cold ray of steel slipped from her sleeve, and before Lin Lan could even compute the danger, she lunged directly toward his chest.

In a fleeting blur of movement, Lin Lan caught sight of a short dagger concealed beneath her silk sleeve.

Yet, Bailu abruptly ground to a halt a mere single pace away from him. Two streams of silent, crystalline tears cascaded down her cheeks. The short dagger did not plunge into his flesh as he had anticipated; instead, it slipped from her fingers, clattering loudly against the stone floor.

Bailu dropped to her knees. Under Lin Lan’s thoroughly bewildered gaze, she began to slam her forehead against the ground, kowtowing to him over and over again.

“Little Lin… I beg of you! I beg of you to save Sister Zi…!”