The guest courtyard where Bai Qingxue stayed was not large, but it featured a dedicated study. One wall was lined with bookshelves that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, packed with old records and archives belonging to the Nanhuai royalty.
There were bamboo slips, silk scrolls, and paper volumes of varying ages. Some had corners eaten away by insects, while others still bore labels from the royal library on their covers.
Bai Qingxue spent several days leafing through them, but she found very few records concerning the ruins; most were vague and fragmented rumors.
They spoke of things like “the abode of ancient immortals” or “heavenly ice descending upon this land.”
Nevertheless, Bai Qingxue would spend a portion of every afternoon in the study, flipping through the scrolls one by one. It served as a pleasant, leisurely diversion.
One afternoon, Xiao Nanyuan arrived.
However, she was not alone. A palace attendant walked ahead of her, carrying a tray with two plates of pastries and a pot of fresh tea.
Xiao Nanyuan followed behind with light steps, her hem dragging across the floor with the same faint rustling sound as before.
The attendant stopped at the door, placed the tray on the table, bowed, and withdrew.
Xiao Nanyuan did not leave.
She stood at the doorway, her gaze sweeping past Bai Qingxue’s shoulder to land on the bookshelves.
It was only for a fleeting moment.
Then she lowered her eyes, turned, and followed the attendant out.
Bai Qingxue did not look up, nor did she speak.
Five days later, Xiao Nanyuan returned.
This time, there was no attendant; she was alone.
Clutching a book to her chest, she walked to the study door and stopped. Bai Qingxue was currently going through a set of bamboo slips and looked up upon hearing the footsteps.
Xiao Nanyuan stood outside the threshold, holding the book up to her chest like a shield.
Was it the same book she had glimpsed on the shelf last time? Bai Qingxue wasn't sure.
She didn't ask.
Xiao Nanyuan didn't speak either. She simply stood there, holding the book with her head lowered.
Bai Qingxue gave her a brief glance before returning her attention to the bamboo slips.
Xiao Nanyuan waited for a few breaths.
Then she stepped over the threshold and entered.
She didn't return the book to the shelf immediately; instead, she placed it on the low table, as if waiting for Bai Qingxue to inspect it.
Afterward, she walked to the bookshelves and tilted her head back, her gaze scanning the rows of book spines.
Standing on her tiptoes, she selected a volume, pulled it out, and cradled it in her arms. She then moved to a chair in the corner and sat down.
The entire process was silent, save for the slight friction of the book being pulled from the shelf and the subtle rustle of her hem dragging across the floor.
Bai Qingxue did not watch her, nor did she drive her away.
That day, Xiao Nanyuan stayed for an hour.
She turned the pages very slowly, reading page by page, occasionally stopping to stare blankly at a particular leaf.
Bai Qingxue didn't know what she was reading. She had looked through those books herself; they were mostly local gazetteers, cultural records of Nanhuai, and some poetry collections from previous dynasties.
They didn't seem like things a child would be interested in. Yet Xiao Nanyuan read with such focus that it seemed as though she were performing a task of great importance.
An hour later, Xiao Nanyuan stood up and walked out of the study.
From then on, Xiao Nanyuan would come by every few days.
Sometimes it was every three days, sometimes five; there was no set pattern.
Every time she came, she would bring the book she had borrowed previously, place it on the low table, select a new one from the shelf, and sit in the corner chair to read.
When she was finished, she would return the new book to its place and leave with the old one.
Despite sharing the same room, the two of them almost never spoke.
Bai Qingxue would flip through fragmented scrolls at the desk while Xiao Nanyuan read in her corner chair.
The only sound in the study was the light rustling of pages, like autumn leaves falling to the ground, one by one.
Sometimes, Bai Qingxue would even forget there was another person in the room.
It wasn't that she didn't care; it was simply that Xiao Nanyuan was too quiet.
She sat there like a book that had been placed back on the shelf, making no sound at all.
Occasionally, when Bai Qingxue looked up, she would see that small figure huddled in the chair, holding a book with both hands, her chin resting on the spine and her eyes unblinking.
Bai Qingxue would withdraw her gaze and continue her research. She never asked Xiao Nanyuan why she came.
Nor did Bai Qingxue have any intention of sending her away; after all, what would be the point?
Whether there was one more person reading in the corner or one less made no difference to her.
The study was large and had plenty of chairs; she didn't need to compete for space.
Xiao Nanyuan did not disturb her, and she did not disturb Xiao Nanyuan.
The two of them were like parallel lines in the same room, extending in their own directions, never intersecting.
Another day, Xiao Nanyuan arrived later than usual.
Dusk was beginning to creep in, and the light in the study had dimmed considerably.
Bai Qingxue lit a lamp and continued her work. She had thought Xiao Nanyuan wasn't coming today.
Just as she was about to pack away the bamboo slips, the courtyard gate was pushed open gently.
Xiao Nanyuan walked in, carrying the book she had borrowed last time, and placed it on the low table.
She went to the shelf, pulled out a volume, and sat in her corner chair.
Bai Qingxue glanced at her. Xiao Nanyuan’s hair was messier than usual, her hem was stained with wet mud, and there seemed to be fresh scars on her arms.
Had she taken a fall before coming here? Or had someone pushed her?
If she was injured, why bother coming at all?
Bai Qingxue couldn't understand it.
Xiao Nanyuan opened her book and read for a while.
Her hands were trembling slightly, though whether from the cold or something else, she didn't say.
The study remained silent for a long time.
The twilight leaked through the window paper, casting their shadows onto the wall.
One tall, one short; one at the desk, one in the corner.
Both shadows were motionless, as if pinned to the wall.
Suddenly, Xiao Nanyuan closed her book and stood up. She returned the volume to the shelf, walked to the low table, and picked up the book she had brought with her. Then she stopped, standing beside Bai Qingxue’s desk.
Bai Qingxue looked up.
Xiao Nanyuan kept her head down, avoiding eye contact. Her fingers rubbed the cover of the book once, then again. It wasn't the anxious rubbing Lu Xueqing did with her teacup; it was a sign of hesitation.
“Can I… borrow one more?”
Her voice was tiny, as if it were traveling from a great distance. Bai Qingxue looked at her profile and spoke indifferently.
“Suit yourself.”
Xiao Nanyuan’s shoulders shifted slightly. She walked to the shelf, pulled out another book, and cradled it in her arms. Then she turned, walked to the door, and paused.
“Thank you.”
With that, Xiao Nanyuan walked out of the courtyard, her steps a little lighter than when she had arrived.
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