Because Xun's behavior was too strange, Yuwen Jin had to speak up: "This is the niece of the South City Lord Nangong Xian, Lady Nangong Qin, whom we mentioned before..."

As he made the introduction, he observed Xun's expression. Seeing his tense cheeks relax and his eyes gradually become calm, after closing his eyes heavily, without looking at the puzzled beautiful Nangong lady again, he gripped his sword and turned to leave without hesitation. He quickly passed the screen and disappeared down the corridor.

Tang Li couldn't see, she could only hear from some subtle sounds that it seemed someone had come just now, but left quickly. She didn't understand, and sat in her original position with poise and composure.

Yuwen Jin was dumbfounded, feeling that today's Brother Xun was acting very strangely. But with a guest present, it was inappropriate for him to be too rude. He smiled and apologized: "Haha, that was a friend of mine just now. He has a strange temperament and doesn't like to interact with people. Please don't take offense, Lady Nangong."

Tang Li shook her head and smiled: "It's nothing."

Yuwen Jin was a person who liked both gold and beauties. Faced with a beauty, his attitude was very good. In no time, he forgot what Duan Ming had said before, feeling that Nangong Qin was gentle, understanding, and had no airs. She spoke frankly without affectation. Unconsciously, he started chatting with her, completely ignoring Duan Ming's eye-rolling.

In the end, Yuwen Jin cordially invited Tang Li to stay at the mansion, which Tang Li readily accepted. After she followed the maidservants to rest, Yuwen Jin turned his head and saw his good friend's half-smiling expression. Only then did he remember what he had said before, and slapped his forehead: "Oh no, I was careless."

"But, Ah Ming, are you sure you didn't see wrong? I think this Lady Qin doesn't seem like the kind of person you described."

Duan Ming said coolly: "To be able to win you over so quickly and change your opinion of her, I can only say that this Lady Nangong may be even better at disguising herself than before."

Yuwen Jin laughed, "Actually Ah Ming, you don't need to be like this. I'm keeping her here just to give South City face, and also..."

Duan Ming: "I know, you're curious why Brother Xun reacted so abnormally when he saw her. You, this curiosity will be the death of you one day."

Yuwen Jin was unconcerned, "Aren't you curious?"

Duan Ming suddenly opened his fan, revealing a meaningful smile, "Of course I'm curious. Although I haven't known Brother Xun for long, someone who can make him change his expression, I find very interesting too."

Tang Li was accompanied by two maidservants she brought from South City, and two maidservants sent by East City to serve her. The two led them all the way to the guest courtyard, introducing some matters about East City along the way.

Tang Li listened quietly, pondering in her heart how to make Yuwen Jin willing to give up the Honey Peach. From today's meeting, she could sense that Yuwen Jin was different from the scheming and inscrutable Nangong Xian. He had a frank side, so perhaps this matter wasn't as difficult as she previously thought.

And then there was the matter of how to send away the two original South City maidservants without arousing suspicion and inquire about news of Xun Nu. The East City maidservants probably didn't know about these jianghu secrets like those in South City.

But the East City Lord was very likely to know. From the conversation, one could tell he was a gossip lover.

As Tang Li pondered these things in her heart, she didn't know that on the nearby rooftop, the person gazing at her from afar was precisely the Xun Nu she missed so much.

The two, one unable to see, the other not recognizing.

"Lady Nangong, we've arrived. This guest courtyard is called 'Empty Emerald', tranquil and elegant. It also has a spacious courtyard planted with many fragrant bamboos and herbs unique to our East City. If you're interested, you can take a walk on the small bamboo path next to it." The maidservant introduced politely.

Tang Li sat on the soft cushion placed by the window, tilting her ear to listen to the birdsong outside, feeling the fresh breeze brushing past her side, and relaxed a little. The maidservants sat to one side. She waved her hand and said in a gentle voice, "No need to stay here, you can also go rest."

When only she was left, she finally slowly exhaled, revealing a tired expression, and began to massage her temples.

Xun lightly landed under a tree in the courtyard, half a courtyard away, quietly gazing at the person sitting by the window. Although he knew it was impossible for this to be Tang Li, he still couldn't help but follow. His body seemed to have a will of its own. By the time he came to his senses, he was already here.

In the sunlight, that person's face appeared hazy, like a real dream. For a moment, Xun doubted if this was another dream.

A few years ago, when she had just left, he often had such dreams. Turning his head, it seemed he saw her waving at him in the crowd; going to an unfamiliar place, suddenly hearing her voice, looking over to see a similar back, but upon closer inspection discovering it was just an illusion; even in the wind and sand of the far north, her figure had appeared.

She was always smiling, glancing at him before leaving, looking completely unattached.

Now five years had passed, he rarely thought of her anymore. Because with each passing year, he understood more clearly that the dead cannot be resurrected. With each day he walked alone in this world, her body in the yellow earth decayed a bit more. By now, it had probably turned into a skeleton, no longer the appearance in his memories.

The most beautiful things in one's life, like the morning dew, are always gone in the blink of an eye, too fast to chase.

It was a face extremely similar to Tang Li's, not only in appearance, but even more so in expression. Especially when she smiled, her brows and eyes were like Tang Li's down to the bones. This similarity made his whole body start to ache faintly.

Xun turned his face away, forcefully covering his forehead. His face was pale, his jet-black eyes filled with pain. This Nangong Qin who looked so much like Tang Li was like a sharp blade, cutting open his old wounds, tearing out his bloody entrails.

After standing for a while, Xun finally lowered his hand. He walked towards the person sitting alone there, leaping lightly like a leaf, standing on the railing outside the window. His movements were nimble, his breathing light and slow. Even this close, Tang Li still couldn't detect his presence.

There was a tree in the courtyard with unknown white flowers in bloom. It was probably nearing the end of the flowering period. The white petals had fallen all over the ground and also on Xun's shoulders, like snow. A small flower spun and fell from a branch.

Xun absentmindedly reached out and caught it, then let go after coming back to his senses, allowing it to continue drifting. It should have landed on the railing, but Tang Li, who was sitting by the window, perhaps sensing something, suddenly reached out and happened to catch the white flower.

She seemed surprised to have something land in her hand. After withdrawing her hand and feeling it, she discovered it was a flower. A faint smile appeared on her face as she held the flower to her nose and gently sniffed.

Watching her, Xun had an intense thought in his heart for a moment. He felt this was Tang Li. His heart, which had been silent for so long, suddenly stirred because of this slight smile. Only when he saw Tang Li smile like this in the past did he have this feeling.

But his gaze was only dazed for an instant before quickly becoming clear again. Xun suddenly felt unable to look directly at this face any longer. With a tap of his toes, he leaped into the flowering tree and immediately disappeared from sight.

Tang Li held the flower and leaned against the railing, her blank eyes gazing at the courtyard, completely unaware that someone had been standing beside her.

In the evening, Yuwen Jin, as the host, was to entertain guests from the South City. Tang Li naturally attended in formal attire. Even though relations between the East and South Cities were not good, etiquette still had to be observed for the sake of face.

When Tang Li entered, Yuwen Jin had already arrived. He said with a smile, "Tonight is a small banquet to entertain the guests from the South City. Everyone need not stand on ceremony and can feel at ease."

Besides Tang Li, there was also a trusted aide of Nangong Xian named Chou Tu, who accompanied Tang Li under the pretext of looking after her. At this time, he was also at the table exchanging pleasantries with Yuwen Jin. Seeing an empty seat beside Yuwen Jin, he asked as if unintentionally, "Why is there still an empty seat? This seat is so important, I wonder who it is reserved for by City Lord Yuwen?"

Yuwen Jin's tone was light and casual, "It's for a friend of mine. It's just that his personality is different from ordinary people. He doesn't like this kind of lively banquet. At this time, he still hasn't shown up. I suppose he doesn't want to come again this time."

Chou Tu also had a smile on his face, but the probing look in his eyes could not be concealed. "Speaking of which, I heard a rumor that the legendary swordsman Xun is on good terms with City Lord Yuwen and has recently appeared in the East City. Could it be that the friend City Lord Yuwen speaks of is this person?"

Before Yuwen Jin could speak, he heard the sound of porcelain shattering. He looked over in surprise and saw Nangong Qin, who was seated above Chou Tu, lose her composure and knock over a porcelain cup.

He thought Nangong Qin couldn't see and accidentally dropped the cup. Just as he was about to call someone to rearrange things for her, he suddenly heard her ask, "Xun? I wonder which Xun it is?"

Even though she had suppressed it, one could still see how agitated she was at this moment. Yuwen Jin was surprised. When he saw this Lady Nangong earlier, he had a deep impression of her calm and dignified demeanor. How could she behave like this now?

He couldn't help but recall Xun's unusual reaction upon seeing her before, and his heart stirred as the curiosity in his eyes grew.

Chou Tu was also puzzled by Nangong Qin's reaction. As far as he knew, Nangong Qin should have no connection with that Xun. But her current behavior didn't seem like it.

Both sides were at a loss. Only Tang Li was struggling to restrain herself. She didn't expect to suddenly hear Xun's name here. She originally thought it would take a long time to get news of him. Who knew he might be right beside her?

She waited for an answer, both anxious and nervous. Just then, a figure walked into the hall.

Seeing the person arrive, Yuwen Jin's eyes lit up as he called out, "Brother Xun, you've come at the right time. We were just talking about you."

Tang Li's breath caught and she turned her face towards the entrance, hating for the first time that she couldn't see.

"Is that so."

Just those simple words made Tang Li's eyes suddenly heat up. It was Xun Nu, this voice was Xun Nu! She couldn't help but stand up.

Because she was too eager, her long sleeves swept across the small table in front of her, knocking over more than half of the cups and saucers, making a clinking sound that drew the gaze of most people in the hall.

But Tang Li could no longer care about these things. She lifted her skirt and hurriedly circled around the small table in front of her, walking towards the sound.

"Xun Nu, is it Xun Nu?"

Everyone was a bit stunned, not knowing what was wrong with this Lady Nangong. They were even more surprised by how she addressed Xun. Xun Nu, yes, that was the name he used to go by when he was an assassin in the Refining Realm.

But later, he somehow withdrew from the Refining Realm and confronted the North City Lord Xiahou Xuanyu. The two fought a battle where both were badly injured. After that, no one dared to call him Xun Nu anymore, only referring to him as Xun.

Xun showed a hint of astonishment and stood in place, watching the person stagger towards him.

Chou Tu frowned and said loudly, "Lady, are you drunk? How can you be so rude?"

Tang Li paused, only now remembering Chou Tu's presence. She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath, barely steadying her emotions. She still said somewhat urgently, "Xun, I have an important matter to discuss with you. I wonder if I could request to meet with you privately later?"

She had to speak with Xun Nu alone about this matter. Otherwise, if others overheard, it would certainly cause big trouble. Chou Tu's side also had to be guarded against. Moreover, she was even more afraid Xun Nu would refuse.

Hearing Tang Li's words, Chou Tu's eyebrows twitched and Yuwen Jin nearly dropped his wine cup. Could it be that this Nangong beauty had some kind of plot? His first thought was of the honey trap. Instantly, his gaze towards the two people in the hall became a bit off.

Xun's face was expressionless, as if he couldn't see the face in front of him that was the same as Tang Li's. He said coldly, "No need. You and I are not acquainted. There's nothing for us to discuss."

Tang Li grew a bit desperate and grabbed his sleeve, following the sound of his voice. However, her hand was quickly brushed away. Xun's voice sounded again, "I'll take my leave first."

Having said that, he turned and left swiftly, not intending to attend the banquet any longer.

Tang Li heard his footsteps receding and no longer cared about anything else. She lifted her feet and chased after him. Unable to see, she accidentally kicked the small table in front of someone. Cups and plates shattered all over the ground.

She stepped on them, feeling a stabbing pain in her feet, but still gritted her teeth and continued forward, accidentally knocking over a folding screen.

Chou Tu couldn't bear to watch any longer and shouted at the two flustered maids, "The lady is so drunk, why aren't you hurrying to bring her back?!"

The two maids rushed over to support her but were pushed away by Tang Li. She was extremely anxious. Just thinking that Xun would leave and the two of them might never have a chance to meet again after this time, missing this opportunity, made her sad and afraid.

"Xun Nu, Xun Nu wait, it's me, it's Tang Li! I'm back!" She didn't know if Xun Nu had gone far, so she could only shout loudly. Suddenly, her foot slipped and her whole body lunged forward. There were steps in front of her, and she was about to fall forward after missing her footing.

Her waist tightened as she felt a powerful arm pull her up and into an embrace. She crashed into that chest, smelling a scent that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Eyes reddening, Tang Li didn't hesitate to put her arms around his neck and said softly, "Xun Nu, I'm Tang Li, do you still remember me?"

"You are... Tang Li?" That hoarse voice she had been longing for slowly sounded in her ear.

"Yes, I am." Tang Li nodded with a smile, tears continuously sliding down her cheeks.

Author's note:

Well, I think this 'one person can't see, one person can't recognize' plot is very bittersweet and romantic, without being tragic, sweet enough to soar.

Unlike other authors who write tragedies but insist they are sweet, when I say sweet, it's only because I sincerely feel it is sweet. (serious)