Zhao Huai was slightly entranced by the faint fragrance at the tip of his nose.
The folding screen of Picture of Cold Plums and Snowy Scenery hid the face of the beauty, but a vague outline of a beautiful figure could be seen, far exceeding Zhao Huai's expectations.
"The young master is here."
A gentle magnetic voice rang, as charming as the song of the oriole.
Hearing the voice, Zhao Huai came to his senses, pulled the door shut behind him, bowed his hands, and smiled:
"I am Zhao Huai, and I have seen the young lady."
"The little girl Qing Han has met the young master."
The voice responded like this, standing up and slightly bowing her body, but contrary to Zhao Huai's expectation, this woman did not shy away from people behind the folding screen.
Instead, she was very generous, standing straight up and walking out, even showing an inexplicable aura.
As the beautiful figure walked out directly, a pair of imposing slanted eyes stared directly at Zhao Huai at the door.
Even Zhao Huai had to admit that these eyes were indeed beautiful, with a strong aesthetic sense, radiant looks, and mesmerizing.
The only strange thing was that Zhao Huai felt an invisible sense of oppression from her eyes.
However, this did not affect her appearance; she was also very beautiful. The white long dress showed off her graceful figure, and her exquisite melon-seeded face was not elaborately made up, flawless like a piece of jade. She had lightly gathered cloud-like temples, delicate willow-like eyebrows, and cherry-like moist lips.
Pure, elegant, and ethereal, just like a fairy who walked out of the painting scroll.
Is she really my blind date?
What happened to the average-looking girl I was told about?
Zhao Huai's eyes were calm, but his heart was filled with doubt and surprise.
He felt that this woman was much prettier than what he had seen in the painting album, and she didn't look like what he had expected, so he wondered if he had gotten the wrong door?
"Young Master Zhao, don't stand there, sit down first."
The woman smiled faintly, seemingly seeing through Zhao Huai's thoughts, but still gestured with her hand, pouring a cup of hot tea for both of them.
"Let's introduce ourselves first. My name is Qing Han, and my last name is Yu."
"Yu Qinghan, Miss Yu?"
"Yes."
Yu Qinghan nodded her head lightly, and then a faint smile emerged at the corner of her mouth:
"The young master seems puzzled."
Zhao Huai shook his head: "I'm not puzzled. I just feel that the young lady looks different from what I saw in the painting album."
To him, who was sitting across from him didn't matter, because his purpose was just to spend a peaceful afternoon here.
"What's the difference?"
Curiosity appeared in Yu Qinghan's eyes.
Zhao Huai smiled: "Usually, when men and women meet each other, there are inevitably many ridiculous things happening. But the young lady looks much better than the painting album, which surprised me."
Upon hearing this, the laughter deepened at the corner of Yu Qinghan's mouth, and then she said:
"I also feel that the young master looks different from what I had imagined, not like the person the matchmaker described. I originally thought the young master would be thin and weak, but I didn't expect his complexion to be so good, and his spirit to be much better than normal people."
Her first impression of Zhao Huai was quite good, with a touch of goodwill.
Of course, she knew she was beautiful, and she had seen countless people before. Without exception, their performances were all terrible.
Normal men, when faced with her, either were frightened by her gaze or dared not look her in the eye, acting very coy, not like a man at all.
Or they were some vulgar people who didn't know about manners, saw her as just a mere woman, and relied on their family background to repeatedly offend her.
But the young master in front of her had clear eyes and could communicate and look at each other normally. Moreover, his conversation was quite extraordinary, and his appearance was not bad either. His sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes made him quite handsome and very much to her liking.
However, Yu Qinghan's words caught Zhao Huai's attention.
He was acutely aware of his own situation. As a cultivator who had reached the ninth stage of refining qi, his complexion, vigor, and spirit were nothing short of excellent.
At his current level, breaking boulders with his bare hands, scaling walls, and throwing punches weighing a thousand pounds were a piece of cake, as his physical body had already reached an initial saturation point.
However, the young lady's eyes were extraordinarily sharp, able to perceive such minor details, which implied that her own strength was not to be underestimated.
"I have some free time, so I practice some martial arts from the outer sect in the mornings to strengthen my body. That's why I'm in good shape," lied Zhao Huai, his face unfazed and his heart steady.
Concealing one's cultivation was a form of self-protection.
He didn't know the girl well and needed to be cautious in their first interactions.
"Oh? Young Master is also interested in the path of cultivation?" Yu Qinghan's eyes flashed with surprise, her smile taking on a touch of genuine interest.
Her smile now seemed more sincere than her previous, polite one, as if she had found a kindred spirit, much to her delight.
"Uh... Could it be that Miss also practices martial arts?" Zhao Huai asked back, attempting to sound polite yet not overly awkward.
"Yes, I've been cultivating and following my father in the army since I was young, over a decade now," Yu Qinghan revealed with a soft smile. "I forgot to mention, my father was an esteemed general back in the day. He's retired now due to a mistake he made, but my family is still considered of military background. Practicing martial arts has been a tradition for generations, and my elder brother is currently serving in the army."
After she finished speaking, there was a faint worry in the depths of her eyes. As Yu Qinghan had expected, upon hearing this, Zhao Huai's heart jumped and he inwardly cursed.
With a father who was a general and an elder brother actively serving, coming from a long line of martial artists, wasn't her family the epitome of a military family?
The girl was none other than a scion of a prestigious military family, no small matter indeed.
Would it be appropriate for someone with his background to interact with such a person? Zhao Huai wondered. Nonetheless, he joked, "With your background, Miss, it's hard to imagine you turning to a matchmaking agency."
"I snuck out," she confided, her gaze dimming.
"Snuck out?" Zhao Huai was slightly taken aback by her response.
"Were your family unkind to you?" In a world where the pursuit of immortality was paramount, nobles and gentry were still surrounded by luxury, wealth, and privilege. They certainly didn't lead a rough life.
"Not at all. I'm just tired of the life at home and all the competition," Yu Qinghan shook her head.
Zhao Huai gave a bitter smile but didn't respond.
Her eyelashes trembled as she brought up memories with a sigh, speaking as if to herself, "Young Master, do you know that I disliked practicing martial arts when I was younger? Just like other girls, I was fond of cosmetics like rouge and powder, I enjoyed fiddling with embroidery needles and threads, and I loved listening to storytellers narrate tales of growing old together and idyllic lives. Those were my fantasies."
"However, my father told me that being born into our family, I too had a responsibility to bear. Even as a girl, I should strive for greatness and follow in those footsteps. The ordinary lives of common people were not meant for me. From that day on, I began my martial arts cultivation."
"I initially disliked martial arts, for it was a bitter and tiring pursuit. I also hated killing. At night, I often had nightmares and struggled to sleep."
"Sometimes, I would think about how wonderful it'd be if I wasn't born into such a family. Every day, I would sleep until noon, spend my afternoons listening to music and strolling the streets, read books, watch interesting plays, and eat whatever I fancied. Simple dishes wouldn't bother me, and even if I were completely alone or poverty-stricken, it would be better than exhausting myself on the battlefield."
"As I grew older and eventually achieved the goals my father set for me, I realized that what he wanted was not what I desired. By that time, my hands had been stained with too much blood, and my martial arts cultivation had become inseparable from my life and habits."
"Now, I'm tired. All I want is to find someone to live a peaceful life with. So, I ran away," Yu Qinghan concluded, her voice getting smaller and the reminiscence in her eyes lingering for a long while.