27 The Scroll

"Mistress must be tired from the long journey so the servants have prepared the water for your bath. If there is anything Mistress needs or there is anything not to your liking, please let this old servant know and I'll change it immediately," the old servant led the way to a large spacious room and turned to look at Bai Yu Yan.

"Does His Excellency come here often?" nodding her head, Bai Yu Yan inquired as her eyes took in the interior of the clean room which was obviously the main quarter with its size and appearance, not that she expected any less from one of the Prime Minister's estates.

The rosewood furnitures were exquisitely carved and neatly arranged with generous area to move around. Not a speck of dust could be found anywhere, be it on the floor or the corners of the fixtures, and the room was well ventilated with fresh air which made her believe that either the room was regularly cleaned or Lu Tong Xiao had informed the servants here in advance of their arrival.

The old servant touched her chin with her wrinkled fingers and shook her head after a moment, "Master used to come here to inspect the result when this courtyard was still being constructed. Whatever was not to his satisfaction, he would order it to be taken down and built again until it was to his liking. After the construction was completed, he came one last time and stayed a night here but later, he never came again," the servant patiently recounted from her memory.

Bai Yu Yan tilted her head, not understanding why he did not return here again after putting all his heart into making this enchanting place. She had noticed how quiet this place was unlike the estates of the nobles which were mostly filled with the servants to look after the place even in their master's absence. However, this place gave her a warm tranquil feeling as if she was very much familiar with it even though it was her first time coming here.

"Shall this servant ask the maids to serve Mistress in the bath?"

"Ah, there is no need for it. I can do that myself," replied Bai Yu Yan. Even though it had already been a while since she came to this world, she still couldn't bring herself to be served during the bath.

The old woman stood at the door and reminded once again, "If Mistress needs anything, please give a call and this servant will immediately come to the service. This servant will go and check in the kitchen if the meal has been prepared," after that, she gently pulled the door and closed it.

After Bai Yu Yan was left alone in the room, she pulled the string on her neck to untie the cape and dropped it in a nearby chair. It had been a long time since the maids had not surrounded her to serve at her beck and call so she found this rare moment of solitude quite relaxing.

Her feet padded on the thick carpet and walked to the inner side of the room. She then sat on a low chaise and softly hummed as her fingers took off the hairpins from her hair and set it aside. Although she was quite enjoying it, her mind couldn't help wondering why Lu Tong Xiao had brought her here at this time. He did not tell her anything beforehand and just quietly took her out of the capital under the covers of the night and brought her to this secluded place which could not be reached by anyone easily.

Was he trying to keep her locked in this place where no one can find her? She immediately shook her head to dispel the idea. There was no need for him to keep her locked as she was already his wife and there was no reason for him to do so.

From the open window beside the chaise, the rustling of the bamboo leaves sounded as the gentle breeze passed through them and tousled with Bai Yu Yan's long silky hair. With her mind wandering, she absentmindedly pulled a drawer to put her small pieces of jewellery and just as her fingers pushed the drawer to close it, her eyes fell on the scroll lying inside.

Tilting her head to the side, she looked inside to see if there was anything else. She wanted to pick her jewellery to place them on another drawer thinking Lu Tong Xiao had used this space to store his documents, however, her hand stopped above that scroll.

Was it an official document? Would he be angry if she opened it and looked inside?

Bai Yu Yan debated over pulling it out or leaving it inside as it is but, at last, her curiosity took charge and her hand picked the white scroll from the drawer. Had Lu Tong Xiao come to this place frequently, she would have thought that it was his official document and left it as it is. However, earlier, the old servant had told her that he had only come here once after the completion of the courtyard, so why would there be a document be left here if it was important?

She straightened her back, pushed the teapot at the edge of the low table that was standing before the chaise and placed the scroll on the table. Biting the bottom of her lips, her finger pinched the top of the paper and gently rolled the scroll with her other hand.

Before her eyes, a beautiful painting came into view. Under the dark night sky, a man-made lake glistened under the moonlight. The surrounding was filled with the beautiful plum blossom where the lanterns were hung on the branches. From the structures and its designs, she could tell that it was this very courtyard. But what was even more beautiful was the woman in red, sitting before the lake as her fingers gently plucked the guqin. Even though her back was faced to this side and her face could not be seen, Bai Yu Yan could see the meticulousness of the colour blend and the strokes with which it was painted.

There were faint ripples forming in her calm eyes. Bai Yu Yan's fingers holding the scroll unconsciously tightened at the edges as she felt her heart being clutched by the familiar pain.

Her hands hurriedly rolled the scroll and threw it inside the drawer at its original place as if she wanted that painting out of her sight.

Taking a few deep breaths, Bai Yu Yan closed her eyes to control her emotions which had once again gone out of her control. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes, stood up and strode towards the bathroom which was attached to the chamber.

The washing area was large with a huge wooden bathtub placed behind a white curtain. She could smell the fragrance of the flower petals floating on the water surface and the calming essential oil mixed with it. She pulled the strings of the clothes hanging on her body and it fell down with a few tugs.

Carelessly dropping them on the way inside, Bai Yu Yan entered the bath. As her body immersed in the warm water, some of it splashed outside the bathtub. The muscles in her body slowly eased under the warm temperature and she could feel her body relaxing.

Right now, she did not want to think about anything. Feeling comfortable, Bai Yu Yan closed her eyes and leaned her head against the smooth top of the wide tub. Since the temperature inside the room was warmer than the outside, the water in the tub would stay warm for a long time.

Drowsiness enveloped her and she had no energy to fight against it.

As a result, without having to wait much longer, her breathing became even and she unknowingly fell asleep.