Episode 3

Chapter 5: The Pendant’s Mystery

Lin Yue sought Old Master Wei, the village scholar, in his cluttered study. Scrolls spilled across his desk, their edges yellowed with age. She showed him the pendant, its lotus glinting in the lamplight. “This appeared by the Jade River,” she said, hesitating. “And a lotus petal in the grove. Are they… xian gifts?”

Master Wei’s eyes narrowed, peering over his spectacles. “Such jade is rare, tied to the celestial court,” he said, tracing the lotus. “The Shan Hai Jing speaks of xian marking mortals with lotus tokens. But beware, child—spirits give gifts with purpose, often perilous.”

Lin Yue nodded, her throat tight. “Perilous how?”

“They may seek your heart, or your soul,” he said, handing back the pendant. “Tread lightly, Lin Yue.”

At the Jade River that evening, she sat by a willow, clutching the pendant. “Who are you?” she whispered to the water. “Why me?” The river rippled, reflecting her face and, for a moment, golden eyes that vanished like a fish’s dart. Her heart raced, the pendant pulsing with warmth.

In her dreams, the man appeared again, standing by the river. “Who are you?” she asked, bolder now. “One who watches, yet cannot touch,” he replied, his voice heavy with longing. She stepped closer, but the mist swallowed him, leaving only the lotus petal’s scent. She woke clutching the pendant, its glow casting a soft light across her room. The grove, the river, the xian—they were calling her, and she could no longer hide.

Chapter 6: The Lantern Festival

The town glowed with the Lantern Festival’s warmth, paper lanterns painted with dragons and lotuses swaying in the breeze. Lin Yue, in a blue silk robe embroidered with clouds, wandered the crowded streets, her pendant hidden beneath her collar. Mei Ling had dragged her here, but now darted through stalls, leaving Lin Yue alone amid the music and laughter.

She paused at a tea stall, the scent of jasmine soothing her nerves. A figure approached, tall and graceful in a scholar’s robe, his jet-black hair tied with a jade pin. His golden eyes met hers, and the pendant burned against her skin. “Your eyes hold the moon’s light, lady,” he said, bowing. “Do you seek the stars?”

Lin Yue gripped her fan, blushing. “Only the ones I can reach… sir.”

He smiled, a flicker of warmth in his otherworldly gaze. “Call me Cai Shen. May I join you for tea?”

They sat under a lantern, sipping jasmine tea as the festival hummed around them. His words were poetic, describing mountains and rivers with a reverence that matched her own. “You speak like you’ve seen the world’s heart,” she said, emboldened.

“Perhaps I have,” he said, his eyes lingering on her. “But tonight, I see only yours.”

The pendant pulsed, as if recognizing him. As they parted, he pressed a lantern’s paper flower into her hand. “Until the stars call us again, Lin Yue,” he said, vanishing into the crowd. She stood breathless, the flower’s warmth echoing the pendant’s.

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