Li Wei wandered through the bustling market, his gaze distant, though his steps remained steady. The night air was filled with the sweet scent of roasted chestnuts and vibrant spices, but his mind was lost in thought. He clutched the poetry book tightly in his
hands. The cryptic message inside it had disturbed him all day, and now he couldn't shake the feeling that it was leading him somewhere.
"The moon whispers where the phoenix fell."
Why did those words feel so familiar, as though they had been etched into his mind long before he ever read them?
His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden voice—light and teasing, like a breeze on a warm day.
"Well, well, if it isn't the quiet scholar on
a night like this. Lost in thought, or just lost altogether?"
Li Wei snapped his gaze upward to find a man standing just a few feet away, leaning casually against the edge of a silk stall. His face was adorned with a
playful, almost teasing smile, and there was an air of nonchalance about him that immediately set Li Wei on edge.
"I... I'm not lost," Li Wei said, quickly pulling his attention back to the book in his hands.
The man's lips curled into an even wider grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "No? Then you must be hiding something. Scholars are always hiding something."
Li Wei frowned, stepping back slightly. There was something about this man's confident demeanor that unsettled him He was used to people who kept their distance, not strangers who seemed to know everything without even trying.
The stranger took a slow step forward, his robes—elegant in their design—fluttering with his movement. "You're
holding that book like it's a precious treasure, but your eyes tell me you're searching for something far more elusive." His gaze flicked to the book before meeting Li Wei's eyes again. "A treasure hidden in plain sight."
Li Wei hesitated, clutching the book even tighter. He didn't know why, but something about the man's words made him feel exposed, as though this stranger could see into his very thoughts. "I don't—"
"Don't worry," the man interrupted smoothly. "I'm not here to judge. I'm simply here to help you find what you're looking for."
Li Wei raised an eyebrow. "How do you know I'm looking for something?"
The man smiled, an easy, confident smile. "Everyone is always looking for something. And if you're seeking answers, you'll need someone who isn't afraid to look where others won't." He reached out suddenly, his hand brushing against the book, and Li Wei felt a strange sense of unease as he reluctantly allowed the man to take it.
For a long moment, the man flipped through the pages with a casual air, though his eyes were intensely focused.
"This..." The man's voice softened, and
there was a flicker of something—something almost dangerous—in his gaze as he stopped at the page with the hidden note. "I've seen this before. This is no ordinary poetry, is it?"
Li Wei's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
The man's smile grew. "I mean it's a key. A key to something far more intriguing than you realize."
Li Wei opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the stranger's eyes locked onto his with a knowing look. "You've felt it, haven't you? The pull to uncover something hidden in the dark?"
Li Wei nodded, his breath shaky. The man didn't wait for a reply before returning the book to him with a soft chuckle.
And then the unknown person asked Li Wei's name in a soft voice
He called himself Li Wei. and your name? He smiled and said, my name is Feng Rui.
"I think we'll be seeing much more of each other soon, Li Wei. It's not every day I come across someone so... intriguing." He gave a slight bow, then turned to leave, his robes swirling behind him like a shadow in the moonlight.
Li Wei stood frozen for a moment, the strange weight of the encounter settling over him. Who was that man, and why did he feel like his entire world had just been shifted on its axis?