Chapter 35: Xia Jingshi's Dark Past
The lotus pond lay dotted with pink and pale yellow blossoms, creating a scene of ethereal beauty against vermillion walls and jade-green waters. The essence of summer hung thick and languid in the air, almost visible in the shimmering heat. Xia Jingshi stood motionless by the pond's edge, hands clasped behind his back, eyes half-closed in meditation. His expression remained unnaturally calm and solemn—that careful mask he'd perfected over years. For days now, he had maintained this silence, preserving his former composure in every measured movement. Yet when alone, truly alone, he grew increasingly prone to falling into deep reverie. Just as he was now—lost in memories he could neither escape nor fully embrace. In his mind's eye, there existed a cool palace surrounded ...