A Tale of Two Phoenixes

Who are you .

Who am I .

It was a question pondered by philosophers for thousands of years, yet when asked at this point in time, it held a clear, simple objective .

w.a.n.g Yizhi wanted to know all of Chu Yu’s cards .

Like two martial arts masters dropping their cautious interrogation to exchange deadly blows head-on .

Straightforward and sharp, w.a.n.g Yizhi’s question caught Chu Yu off guard . She had not thought of how to answer, when w.a.n.g Yizhi interjected .

“Your bodyguard is impressively skilled . I’ve seen many a swordsman, but few such as he . Although the n.o.bles in Jiankang City are known to hire swordsmen, those with his skills are rare to come by . And to think, such a swordsman has been sent to protect one young miss . ”

With a smile on the corners of his lips, w.a.n.g Yizhi gazed at Chu Yu, a constellation of sentiments in his eyes, his voice gentle and sincere . “You, who are you exactly?” His gaze was not unfathomable like Rong Zhi . Rather, it was frank in its allure, beholding neither judgment nor misgivings .

How troublesome .

Chu Yu coughed lightly twice and dejectedly tried to draw out the time as much as possible . Her gaze floated about the place, from ceiling to window, chest to cupboard and, after a long time, she finally realized something . Every bit of furniture in the house was made of the same deep mulberry-hued wood as w.a.n.g Yizhi’s clogs, its surface smoothly shining like fine brocade .

w.a.n.g Yizhi’s eyes were still steadily pinned on her . Knowing there was no way she could avoid any further, Chu Yu began by asking a seemingly extraneous question . “The clogs you’re wearing, what’re they made of?”

w.a.n.g Yizhi smiled in response . “Small Leafed Red Sandalwood . ”

Known for its rarity, Red Sandalwood could be grouped into Large Leaf and Small Leaf types, with the Small Leaf variation being more valuable . According to the old adage, an inch of sandalwood could be likened to an inch of gold . Based on this saying, the wood beneath w.a.n.g Yizhi’s feet might as well be worth its weight in gold .

Chu Yu could tell it wasn’t his intention to flaunt his wealth . If she hadn’t asked, he would not have told her the value of the wood under her toes . And since she had asked, he had replied without evasion, stating the name of the wood as though it were some common garden variety .

He did not care whether someone could tell he was wealthy or not . He did as he pleased, his way of living proud and carefree .

And now, what he wanted to know was Chu Yu’s ident.i.ty .

Chu Yu pursed her lips, her eyes steadily locked on w.a.n.g Yizhi . Their interchanging looks were inscrutable, both of them deeply contemplating within their hearts . Compared to w.a.n.g Yizhi, who might have an inkling of what was going on, Chu Yu was a little nervous .

A while later, Chu Yu smiled as she let out a sigh . In her mind floated an idea, and, feeling a bit mischievous, she declared each word clearly: “I . Am . Liu . Chu . Yu . ”

Liu Chu Yu, or Princess Shanyin Liu Chu Yu . Regardless of her admittance, the ident.i.ty had become inseparable from her own .

Done with her reply, Chu Yu waited for his expression to change . The best scenario would be to scare him into running . Either way, she had to reveal her cards and scaring off w.a.n.g Yizhi wasn’t a bad outcome .

Liu Chu Yu?

w.a.n.g Yizhi’s brows furrowed mildly as he searched for the familiar sounding name inside his head . Slowly, a look of shock began to materialize on his strikingly handsome features, his eyes widening slightly at her .

Chu Yu smiled back . Ah yes, do get more agitated . Do get more shocked . Hurry up and tremble and run away .

But what she expected did not happen . The next moment, w.a.n.g Yizhi had recovered his bearings, albeit retaining a hint of surprise and skepticism . “The royal princess from Kuaiji Commandery?” Princess Shanyin’s t.i.tle was originally derived from her fief, Shanyin County . However, in a bid to win her over, Liu Ziye had recently bestowed upon her Shanyin County’s Kuaiji Commandery . Hence, Chu Yu’s correct t.i.tle should be Kuaiji Royal Princess, but since she wasn’t used to the t.i.tle, she paused a while before realizing w.a.n.g Yizhi had meant herself .

Chu Yu smiled and nodded, shamelessly borrowing someone else’s phrase . “How many Liu Chu Yus are there in this world?”

w.a.n.g Yizhi stared back at her, a complicated expression in his eyes . But what made Chu Yu astonished was the lack of contempt or revulsion in them .

She did not believe he knew nothing of Princess Shanyin’s male concubines . Although this dynasty, unlike the later Song dynasty, had yet to harshly incarcerate her actions, it was still a challenge to the male society, and something the average person would look down upon .

Yet there was none of that in w.a.n.g Yizhi’s eyes . Instead, they appeared curious, contemplative, a little indecipherable, but devoid of hate .

She did not know how much time had pa.s.sed, when w.a.n.g Yizhi suddenly grinned . “Different from the rumors . ”

“What’s different from the rumors?” Chu Yu parroted back, wanting to know .

w.a.n.g Yizhi smiled and began to explain . “They say you look like a Yaksha[1], but I can see how different that is now…you’re actually very beautiful . ” His tone sounded teasing and while he spoke, he reached out and stroked a finger across her cheek . “Why hide your features with augmentation cosmetics? You look far better like this . ”

Chu Yu tilted her face slightly to the side, avoiding his touch . She glared at him . “You’re not afraid of me?”

“Afraid of what?” w.a.n.g Yizhi asked, sounding eagerly curious .

Chu Yu rolled her eyes . “That I’ll s.n.a.t.c.h you away as a male concubine . ” She was a little happy over his unexpected reaction towards her, though it left her also somewhat disappointed . This man before her seemed to completely disregard her heinous reputation .

w.a.n.g Yizhi tapped his chin, then grinned . “What I care about is how the lady looks . I find you very fetching to look at, which is enough . As for the rest, why should I care?” He carried on with a nonchalant shrug . “Should you really succeed in making me your concubine, I would willingly admit my defeat . And as for you keeping concubines…anyone well-off is bound to keep a few harems of courtesans . ”

Chu Yu scrutinized him, falling deep in thought . She sighed and opened her mouth to speak but found she could not .

Because there was nothing left to say .

Noting how laidback and comfortable w.a.n.g Yizhi looked lounging against the wall, Chu Yu copied his actions, leaning on the s.p.a.ce beside him .

The person beside her could speak ill or good of her however he wished, and it would not harm her, yet what unsettled her was how open-minded and accepting he was .

He did not view Princess Shanyin’s actions as anything to be concerned about . Neither was he fearful of her horrid reputation . He could even impishly tease her without a care .

It her first time meeting someone like this since coming to this world .

He was intelligent, knew how to have a good time, had gone through his fair tumble of worldly affairs, yet retained his candid nature .

It was as Pei Shu had said . Every item in w.a.n.g Yizhi’s home was invaluable . But to Chu Yu, the most invaluable thing was the owner of this home .

He was a priceless treasure .

[1] Yaksha: A type of spirit in Buddhism . w.a.n.g Yizhi is referring to the kind that devours travellers . Although, a Rakshasa would be more accurate, those are literally called man-eaters .