In the Jiangnan region, inside a private woodland garden, two men of extraordinary grace and beauty leisurely toyed with chess pieces, locked in silent battle on the board...
Soon, a black piece was placed; both men spoke at once: "You lost."
"You won."
The loser showed no frustration, nor did the winner display any pride. It was just a game of chess—he had won countless matches in his life, but lost the one that mattered most.
Without sparing the chessboard another glance, William Wang Jinling picked up his still-warm tea and took a slow sip. "Jiangnan really is the best," he drawled, relaxed as could be.
"Your disciple will arrive soon." So this peace wouldn't last much longer.
Master Owen Yuan doubted the Emperor would spare William Wang Jinling, one of the chief culprits.
"I don't know a thing," William Wang Jinling lied through his teeth. Owen Yuan didn't call him out—after all, it was none of his business. He and Eugene Yun were just here by coincidence, enjoying the show.
"Where do you plan to go next?" Master Owen Yuan subtly urged his guest to leave.
The drama was entertaining, but getting personally involved would hardly be worth it.
"The frontier scenery is like a painting. Back when I couldn't see, I used to dream of witnessing it myself." Later, when his sight returned, life was too busy to make time.
In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed. If he didn't go soon, he'd truly grow old—one day, he might not be able to make the journey at all.
"Doesn't all this wandering wear you out?" Master Owen Yuan saw the loneliness in William, and understood the solitude hidden beneath it. He didn't want William to end up like him—appearing carefree, but unable to let go, bound by emotion.
"Are you tired?" William replied with a question instead of an answer. Master Owen Yuan paused, then nodded. "Yes. My heart is tired."
"Even if you're tired, you still won't settle down, right?" William's gaze seemed to see through everything, leaving Master Owen Yuan speechless.
But he truly couldn't bear it—watching his most admired junior repeat his own mistakes. Master Owen Yuan sighed and tried once more to persuade him: "Jinling, find a woman and get married."
Parental orders have nothing to do with love, but once you have a family and responsibilities, everything gets better.
"Sir, you could still take a wife yourself." Do not impose on others what you do not desire for yourself.
"Marry? I've seriously considered it, but... none of them are as handsome as me, as talented as me, from as good a family as me. Not one matches me in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. So tell me, why should I bring home a woman who's inferior in every way?" Master Owen Yuan said, mocking himself.
"Sir, your standards are far too strict." William shook his head with a smile. He'd seen Master Owen Yuan's pride firsthand.
"My standards may be strict, but if I really wanted to, I could find someone. But you... do you think you'll ever find the one you're searching for?" Master Owen Yuan teased.
"Me? I will. When William Wang Jinling marries, it will have nothing to do with duty or obligation—only the heart. If I meet her, I will marry her." William didn't wait for Master Owen Yuan to send him off; he rose on his own. "I'm going to search for the woman who could make me willing to marry." Whether he found her or not was beyond his control.
"You're not waiting for your disciple?" Master Owen Yuan tried to persuade him to stay, thinking William was in Jiangnan to wait for Little Dumpling.
"If I take him along... I'm afraid the Emperor will cough up blood in rage." William had seen the Emperor's pettiness firsthand. "When Rory arrives, tell him: only when I'm gone will he truly be free."
The Emperor dared let Little Dumpling ascend the throne at ten only because he was sure William would never abandon him in trouble. But the Emperor forgot—they're not the same. William doesn't bear the burden of the realm; he can leave whenever he wants and disappear where no one will ever find him...
No one but Master Owen Yuan knew William had left. When Little Dumpling arrived in Jiangnan with Sweet Dumpling and their entourage, he discovered his teacher and adoptive father had already run off...
"Adoptive father is so sinister, leaving me here all alone." Little Dumpling was stunned.
He'd come to find his adoptive father just to drag someone along to face the Emperor's wrath with him. With William there, the Emperor's firepower would be aimed at William, and he'd only get a minor punishment. But now...
"Waaah, adoptive father is so mean! He left without taking me, abandoned me here—I'll be beaten to a cripple by the Emperor! Who'll take care of him in his old age then?" Little Dumpling wailed in Master Owen Yuan's private garden, crying with no dignity at all.
Master Owen Yuan couldn't help digging at his ear: the crying was so fake, he couldn't even think of anything to say to comfort him.
Little Dumpling was frustrated too—he'd cried so hard, yet Master Owen Yuan still wouldn't come over and tell him where his adoptive father had gone.
Only Sweet Dumpling stayed perfectly calm, glancing at one and then the other, before decisively making up her mind...
Sweet Dumpling walked over to Spring, tugged at her sleeve, and signaled for her to step aside—she had something to say.
"Spring, I miss Father and Mother. Could you have someone send me back?" Sweet Dumpling widened her eyes and shamelessly played cute, hoping Spring would believe her.
Sweet Dumpling's expression was so sincere that Spring really wanted to believe her—but reality wouldn't allow it.
The little princess knew perfectly well that the Emperor was furious—going back now would be pure madness.
"Princess, do you really want to return to the palace? I'll write to Her Majesty, and she’ll soon send someone to fetch you." Spring admitted she was scheming too, but...
She truly was out of options—these two little masters were getting trickier by the day. If she didn't stay sharp, they'd sell her off and she'd never know.
"Spring, please don't tell Father and Mother, okay? Lily wants to surprise them." Sweet Dumpling clung to Spring's hand, acting spoiled. "Spring, if you promise, I'll tell you whether that shadow guard you like actually likes you back."
Boom—Spring's face turned bright red. Weakly, she called out, "Princess..." Heaven help her, the princess was only seven, and already knew all this.
Sweet Dumpling kept up her innocent act, but her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Spring, will you help me or not? If you won't, I'll go ask Summer instead." She refused to believe she couldn't win one of them over.
With her adoptive uncle gone, she had no intention of staying and getting punished with her brother.
"I—I... I'll help." Spring, tears in her eyes, gave in and became an accomplice, arranging for Sweet Dumpling to leave that very night.
Officially, it was said she was returning to the capital, but everyone knew where Sweet Dumpling was really headed.
Sweet Dumpling waited until Little Dumpling was busy pestering Master Owen Yuan, then slipped away. By the time Little Dumpling noticed, it was too late...
"Heartless little brat! I went out of my way to buy you poisonous herbs, and you just ditch me. If not for buying that plant for you, I'd have caught up with my adoptive father!" Little Dumpling was in tears; just thinking of the Emperor's wrath made his small body tremble...
A bunch of faithless people—whenever trouble comes, they leave him behind. How could his little body withstand the Emperor's fury?
"Should I go hide out in Skyvault Palace for a while?" Little Dumpling seriously weighed the pros and cons of going to Skyvault Palace, and decisively made up his mind...
"Besides my adoptive father, only Uncle Sean can help share the Emperor's wrath—it's settled."
Little Dumpling set off cheerfully, while far away in Skyvault Palace, Sean suddenly shivered. Looking up at the bright sunshine outside, Sean was thoroughly confused.
Could it be... he caught a chill?