Chapter 13

The two of them made their way down the silent, winding ancient alley. Leading the way, Silver Scarlet moved with the ease of someone intimately familiar with the path, skillfully weaving through turns and corridors. They passed beneath layers of green vines and crimson blossoms adorning the blue-white stone alleyways, until they finally halted before a heavy, round-arched door of purple sandalwood.

“What is this place?” Lin Yu asked, curiosity lighting his gaze as he surveyed the mottled, timeworn stone walls. He could not fathom how, in such a grand and resplendent City Lord’s residence, a garden so dilapidated and ancient could still exist.

Standing before the door, Silver Scarlet brushed a crease from his sleeve, then turned languidly to face Lin Yu. An amused glint flickered in the man’s pale blue eyes, and he lifted a long finger to his lips. “Shh…”

Lin Yu glared at him, suspicion written across his face.

“Taking a shortcut,” the man murmured with a faint smile, his features—striking as polished jade—suddenly alive with vibrant color.

Yet, in the very next moment, Lin Yu was forcefully reminded that this bewitching man never took the ordinary path. With a swift movement, he was yanked into Silver Scarlet’s arms. Lin Yu barely had time to gasp before a flurry of fluid, breathtaking leaps and wall-runs left him dizzy and trembling with shock.

When they finally landed, Lin Yu had not yet recovered from the sensation of soaring through the air. The man at his side pinched his waist, lowering his voice to a teasing drawl, “Well, you’re heavier than you look.”

“...Heavier, my foot! Let me go! Do you think you were being gentle just now, you bastard?!” Lin Yu retorted, regaining his wits and immediately retaliating. He stomped on Silver Scarlet’s foot and jabbed his elbow mercilessly into the man’s side.

Xius froze for a split second, then reacted quickly, releasing Lin Yu and sidestepping the blow. He retreated several meters with agile swiftness.

“Damn, you really don’t hold back, do you…”

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, glancing askance at the man’s furrowed brow. An inexplicable satisfaction welled up within him. He dusted off his hands and replied coolly, “With your roguish ways, don’t expect you’ll ever get the chance.”

“Oh?” The silver-haired man’s lips, previously pressed in a line, suddenly curved into an obvious smile. “If you judge me, Xiu Qi, solely by what you see, your insight is truly lacking. Still, when you get swept away by that person someday… Well, never mind. For now, let’s take a good look at this so-called ‘ordinary’ garden of yours.”

At that, Silver Scarlet cut himself off, a teasing glint dancing on his lips.

Lin Yu turned away, intent on ignoring the man, but as his hurried gaze swept over the scene before him, instinct made his pupils contract—

Spreading out underfoot was a lush carpet of green: a vast expanse of carnivorous pitcher plants, their oval-shaped mouths exuding a honeyed scent irresistible to insects. Lin Yu picked his way carefully across the sticky grass, but his attention was drawn to the nearby clusters of enormous flowerbeds.

Encircling the outer rim were gaudy, venomous blood-red poppies, spider lilies, and poinsettias. Within, under a canopy of emerald leaves, snow-white Datura and alternating deep violet and pale blue Passionflowers grew in wild, overlapping profusion.

Lin Yu dropped his gaze, falling silent. He was well acquainted with many flower species, and it was clear to him that most of the poisonous blooms in this garden symbolized deceit, betrayal in love, and endless despair.

But who would purposefully cultivate such things?

At some point, Silver Scarlet had approached the flowerbeds. He raised a hand, pointing out the vibrant, highly poisonous double-petaled oleander blossoming along the garden wall.

“Can you still call this ‘ordinary’? Hasn’t the scent made you drowsy yet?” The man’s voice was soft, yet the sarcasm was unmistakable.

“And what exactly are you trying to say?” Lin Yu shook his head fiercely, unimpressed.

“You’re so impatient… Come on, let me show you what I just found.” With a roguish grin, the man gestured southwest with his foot, and—without any pretense—slid his arm around Lin Yu’s waist once more.

Swish, swish, swish—

Suddenly, the spot where they had just stood was riddled with poisonous darts, an instant pincushion of hidden traps.

Forced by the man’s grip, Lin Yu had no choice but to wrap his arms around his neck, mortified by the awkward princess carry. He flushed angrily, “Why did you have to mess with the traps?!”

“Well, wasn’t I bored? Don’t you want to know who owns this ruined garden?” the man replied, leaping nimbly from tile to tile, deliberately triggering more mechanisms as they went.

Infuriating!

Grinding his teeth, Lin Yu muttered, “Living in the City Lord’s estate, who else could the owner of this poison garden be?”

“That’s not certain. We’re here. Close your eyes and hold your breath—” The man’s warning was barely finished when Lin Yu complied, shutting his eyes and holding his breath.

Wind whipped past, robes rustling. They spun and tumbled through the air, and when they at last came to a halt, Lin Yu’s stomach lurched.

“You can open your eyes now.”

As he was set down safely, Lin Yu blinked—

What?!

He gaped, cat-like, at the bizarre sight before him, speechless, then turned to stare at Silver Scarlet.

“That… what is that?! Is there a—”

“Yes, that’s a specially crafted crystal coffin, priceless on the Yaxa Continent—and inside, I’d wager, is a woman’s corpse,” the man answered, amused.

Lin Yu blinked in disbelief, rubbing his cheeks to confirm he wasn’t dreaming. “We’re still in the same garden?”

“Yes,” Silver Scarlet affirmed.

With that reassurance, Lin Yu forced down his unease and studied the elevated crystal sarcophagus and its surroundings.

The four battered but solid blue-white stone walls enclosed them like a prison. There were no doors or windows; only the open, spacious roof offered any escape. A glance upward revealed the blue sky, wisps of drifting clouds, and the occasional free-flying bird.

For a moment, Lin Yu wondered if this peculiar structure had been built to confine some irredeemable criminal. But when he saw how crowded the floor was, he dismissed the thought.

At the room’s center, beside the crystal coffin, grew a locust tree so thick it would take three people to encircle it. Locust trees were infamous for attracting spirits. Twining around the tree and coffin were wisteria vines, their blue-white blooms cascading like dragon bones.

Wisteria—also called “cloud bean tree”—was another ornamental plant, beautiful but entirely poisonous. Knowing their meaning, Lin Yu could not suppress a shudder.

“To be born for love, to die for love.” The words slipped from his lips in a whisper.

“What was that?” Silver Scarlet asked, curious.

“Wisteria’s meaning,” Lin Yu replied heavily.

It was obvious: from the pink-white hydrangeas to the lush, double-petaled Lorimax roses signifying “remembrance of death,” all was meticulously tended. Someone was deliberately, secretly caring for this macabre yet stunning scene.

“Is the body in the coffin human? Or something else?”

Climbing up the wall for a better look, the man answered confidently, “Human, it seems.”

After a long, silent examination, Silver Scarlet suddenly looked to the top of the high wall, his brow furrowing.

“Let’s go—someone’s coming.”

With practiced ease, the silver-haired man swept Lin Yu into his arms again, feet tracing an elegant arc up the wall.

“Close your eyes and hold your breath.”

“Mm,” Lin Yu replied, following his instructions.

Once more, the world spun and turned. When he could finally breathe again, Lin Yu was filled with the faint, refined scent of the man carrying him.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to see who owns this garden?” Lin Yu glanced at the retreating, eerie garden, lips curling in a half-smile.

The man shook his head. After a pause, he replied blandly, “I’ve already seen them.”

“Huh? When?” Lin Yu frowned, puzzled.

“Last night. I only came today to confirm my suspicions,” Silver Scarlet replied with calm deliberation, pale blue eyes lowered.

“What the hell? So you were just messing with me this whole time?” Lin Yu finally caught on, bristling with indignation.

The man couldn’t help but laugh, hugging the squirming golden-haired youth closer. “No, I need you as a witness. Otherwise, that bastard won’t pay me for the deal.”

What?! So I was just here to play the stooge for the two of them?!