Distorted World

Refined interest

"Drinking in such heavy snow, Sir, you have quite the refined taste!" Xuerong wore a dark red short jacket with silver edges and a charcoal gray velvet skirt and trousers. Her face bloomed like a peach blossom, resembling a red plum in the quiet winter.

"Why don't you share a jar with me?" She stepped forward, laughing. For some reason, in front of this usually solemn and serious Minister of Works, she felt an urge to display a playful and lively side.

"Miss Xuerong, what a coincidence. I was just heading back. It's so cold; why are you out here?" Bai Changming's mind momentarily blanked, losing his usual observational and analytical habits, feeling uncomfortable with the casual conversation.

A high-ranking minister walking alone in the snow to buy wine was not a particularly dignified or appropriate thing to do.

As Xuerong walked beside him, he politely shifted the umbrella toward her. Only then did he notice her cloud-like bun adorned with a carnelian hairpin edged in silver, the red beads swaying with each step, sounding like cheerful bells.

With his keen hearing, he had missed noticing her hair ornament, a rare oversight.

It had been over a year since they last met, and the old mysteries remained unsolved. Occasionally, Bai Changming sent people to track Xuerong's movements, watching her defy her predetermined fate with remarkable success. On the other side, Xuerong frequently gathered information about Bai Changming from her father. Over the past year, she had seen the once unremarkable fortune-teller rise to prominence with an almost eerie speed, towering over thousands.

There were countless mysteries to unravel, but his opening question was clumsy and off-topic: "Do you like wearing hairpins?"

Despite his extensive experience in the bureaucracy and familiarity with countless beauties and courtesans, Bai Changming felt utterly lost and wanted to slap himself twice to regain composure.

"I don't really like them; most of them are to please my father. What about you, Sir? You seem to enjoy power quite a bit." Xuerong tilted her head back to ask. She was only as tall as Bai Changming's chest, but her eyes showed no fear or flattery.

"Just to make a living. Since I came to this world, I have to find something to do."

"You would harm yourself for power, so I thought you valued it greatly."

"Status can be obtained, but what I truly value lies elsewhere."

He slowed his pace, almost stopping in the snow. In a fleeting moment, Xuerong's dark red attire turned to maple red, and the sound of flowing water echoed from deep within his memory.

Xuerong looked into his eyes. In the drifting snow, his figure appeared tall yet fragile, his face pale, and his eyes seemed to fall into an endless starry river.

"Do you believe in fate?" Her voice broke his reverie.

"You've calculated the horoscopes of so many people. Do you believe in them yourself? I don't think that four pillars, eight characters, major influences, divine stars, or divination can confine you."

Bai Changming smiled, finding her earnest expression endearing. He couldn't help but laugh, realizing this might be the first genuine smile since his pursuit of fame and power.

"You know a lot. These concepts don't confine me. What about you? How do you see them?"

"That day I met you, I thought you were different from those half-trained street vendors. But after hearing you talk, it turns out you're just like them." Xuerong's expression relaxed, and she kicked the snow in front of her with her embroidered shoes.

"What kind of person?"

"A fortune-telling kind!" She kicked again, sending snow flying.

Feeling unsatisfied, she scooped up a handful of snow, raised it high, and took a few quick steps before turning to say:

"You calculate so many people's fates but don't believe in them yourself. This means there must be a higher truth beyond the predetermined fate. You must understand this; otherwise, you wouldn't have risen so quickly!"

Her voice carried with the snow, loud and melodious.

Bai Changming smiled and nodded, neither confirming nor denying.

Indeed, she's a clever girl, he thought.

"Then what about you? Who are you really?" He called out loudly to Xuerong.

"Guess!" She made a funny face and ran off, giggling.

"Minister, I have to turn here! Thank you for the umbrella, see you later!"

Bai Changming used his magic to subtly disperse half the snow and wind around her, and a bright red figure gradually disappeared into the white expanse.

Back at his mansion, the steward noticed his usual stern demeanor had softened, a slight blush on his fair face. Bai Changming turned to take off his long robe and warmed his hands by the fire. The steward bowed and handed him an envelope.

The seal was in red ink: Lin'an Temple.