It really is venison.
“Something’s wrong! Fire, there’s a fire—!”
A night watchman banged his gong, running out in a panic. In his haste, he bumped straight into Su Ting, who had just turned out from an alley. Both were stunned from the impact, and the watchman’s gong slipped from his hand, screeching as it scraped across the ground.
Su Ting shook his head and, when he looked up, he saw the blazing fire not far off. He quickly scrambled to his feet.
The watchman, seeing Su Ting rushing towards the flames, grabbed his sleeve. “It’s a fire, young man! You don’t even have a bucket—are you trying to get yourself killed by charging in like that?”
Su Ting had no time to respond, only managing to say, “My savior is still inside,” as he yanked free from the watchman’s grasp.
The watchman watched his retreating figure, suddenly remembering the young man at the noodle shop who had given him a bag of yuanbao egg rolls months ago. He had even mentioned wanting to help out at the noodle shop someday. Recalling this, the watchman gathered his courage, picked up his gong, and banged it with all his strength, yelling from house to house, “Help! Help! The neighbor’s house is on fire!”
His call for help rallied people from all around, some still rubbing sleep from their eyes, but upon seeing the flames roaring from the noodle shop, they scrambled to bring water. It was truly a case of neighbors coming together in a crisis.
However, since the noodle shop was built in a square courtyard layout, though the fire in the front wasn’t too fierce yet, the neighbors’ efforts to douse the flames only managed to put out the fire at the entrance. Soon, the flames from the adjacent rooms sprang up again, growing fiercer. And it wasn’t just the noodle shop—nearby stores were also at risk of being engulfed, forcing everyone into a state of chaos. They were able to manage one side but not the other.
“Rescue the people… save them!”
“But the fire is so big, the inside must be burnt to ashes already, how can anyone go in—?”
In the midst of the commotion, a person staggered out of the smoke and flames… It was a young girl. As she reached the front hall, a door plank crashed down beside her. She was trembling, terrified by the impact, and when the sudden leap of flames licked at her, she fell to the ground in fear.
A woman rushed over and scooped up the sobbing girl, while another person cautiously attempted to enter to rescue others. The girl, Sui Sui, after recovering slightly from her fright, immediately grabbed the sleeve of a nearby strong man and cried out in panic, “Please, please go save them! Sister Qing Huan pushed me out, but she’s still inside, and so are Brother Xiao Nian and Mother… they’re all still in there…”
In this tightly connected row of shops, if one catches fire, the rest are at risk. Everyone wanted to save the trapped people, but each person had their own family to think of. The fire was so large, and whether anyone could be saved was uncertain. Besides, who would risk their own life to enter a raging inferno?
Seeing that no one dared to act, Sui Sui bit her lip and was about to rush back in, but the woman stopped her. “You’re just a young girl! What could you possibly do in there? Don’t throw your life away! You got out, you can still survive!”
Just as everyone was feeling helpless, a figure suddenly charged into the sea of flames. The fire in the front was raging, but the beams hadn’t collapsed yet. Fortunately, the noodle shop didn’t sell alcohol, so the flames were worst in the corner by the tables and counter. The person skillfully dodged and maneuvered past the flames. The neighbors, astonished by the brave soul, were about to shout a warning when two more people rushed in after him, one of them seemingly a scholar.
Su Ting, upon entering, instinctively looked for Yu Jinnian but turned to see someone in the courtyard, fishing a red cloak out of a water barrel. The cloak, now soaked and heavy, was tossed over the person’s shoulders.
“Young Master Ji! Why are you here?”
“To save people!” Ji Hong shot him a glance, saying no more, and kicked open the door to Aunt Xu’s room.
Strangely enough, in most food shops, fires usually start in the kitchen when leftover firewood is left unattended, making the kitchen the worst-hit area. Yet here, the worst flames were in the room Ji Hong had just kicked open. Su Ting was puzzled but had no time to dwell on it. Seeing Ji Hong heading towards that room, Su Ting soaked his own clothes and, hearing cries from another room, turned to kick open the door there.
Ji Hong, upon entering the outer room, almost stepped on Aunt Xu, lying on the floor. Surprised to find her there, he quickly understood that she had likely been thrown out of the room in a panic. But if Aunt Xu was here, where was Yu Jinnian? His heart raced, but just as he was about to continue, someone grabbed his arm.
He thought it was Yu Jinnian hiding somewhere, but turning around, he saw it was just Duan Ming, who had rushed in behind him.
Duan Ming, seeing the inner room consumed by flames, turned pale and said, “Your Highness, it’s too dangerous! If anyone’s still in there, they must be severely injured by now. Besides, the beams look like they’re about to collapse—please don’t go in!”
“Let go. Take Aunt Xu out first, Su Ting could use some help too. You’re skilled—you can save all three of them. Don’t waste time here with me.”
It wasn’t that Yu Jinnian had treated them especially well; it was simply that, as Ji Hong’s bodyguards, Duan Ming and the others were trained to prioritize their master’s safety. If they had to choose between their master and Yu Jinnian, they could only choose to protect their master. These bodyguards were orphans, deliberately chosen to ensure that they would never be swayed by personal relationships when it came to their duty to their master.
Duan Ming was no exception. He pleaded, “Your Highness! The fire is too intense. Even if there’s someone inside, they’d surely be gravely injured by now. Besides, the beams are about to collapse—please don’t go in! My duty is to protect Your Highness. I cannot allow you to risk your life…”
“Even if he’s dead, I need to bring him out. Do as I say. That’s an order.” Ji Hong finished, shaking off Duan Ming’s grip and darted into the inner room.
Duan Ming hesitated for a moment. They hadn’t been with Ji Hong long, so they didn’t fully understand his temperament. But one thing was clear: the Ji family was known for its stubbornness. Cursing under his breath, Duan Ming quickly bent down, lifted Aunt Xu onto his back, and ran out of the fire.
The inner room’s door had already collapsed on one side, and through the flames, Ji Hong saw a piece of blue fabric. He recognized the pattern—it was from his own clothes, not Yu Jinnian’s. He didn’t have time to wonder why the boy was wearing his clothes, nor did he dare kick the door open, fearing it would collapse on the boy. Instead, he crouched down and slipped inside.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much in Aunt Xu’s room, and some areas hadn’t yet caught fire. However, thick smoke filled the space, and as soon as Ji Hong entered, the smoke and flames stung his eyes. Covering his mouth and nose with his wet sleeve, he squinted and followed the trail of the blue fabric, finding Yu Jinnian unconscious on the ground, pinned beneath a wooden shelf.
The wooden display shelf was a relic left by the previous owner of the house. Aunt Xu, being frugal, never bought any porcelain or jade ornaments, so the shelf only held lightweight items like ledgers. For this reason, Yu Jinnian was merely knocked out by the falling shelf and managed to escape with his life. The other end of the shelf had already been scorched black by the encroaching flames. As Ji Hong lifted the shelf, he felt its burning heat and coughed a few times before pulling the boy out from underneath. It was then that he noticed some reflective water stains near the bed.
There was no time to investigate further, as rescuing people was the priority. Ji Hong removed his cloak, which had become soaked, and used it to extinguish the fire that had caught the hem of Yu Jinnian’s clothing. He then wrapped the boy in the wet cloak and hoisted him onto his shoulder.
Overhead, the beams groaned and crackled, raining down sparks as Ji Hong rushed out with Yu Jinnian. As they made their way out, the wooden bed collapsed with a loud crash, and the residual flames surged forward with a hot gust of wind. Ji Hong’s wet back was instantly dried by the heat, and even the ends of his hair were singed.
When he entered, he had been careful for the boy’s safety, but by the time he was leaving, the fire had grown so intense that nothing else mattered. Ji Hong kicked at the crooked door several times before finally managing to knock it open. Just then, Yu Jinnian stirred slightly under the cloak and weakly called out, “Aunt Xu, Aunt Xu…”
Ji Hong barely dodged a falling beam, his throat too choked with smoke to speak. However, hearing the boy’s voice, his heart eased a little, and he couldn’t help but respond, “Aunt Xu is fine, don’t worry.”
Yu Jinnian seemed to relax at this reassurance and soon lay still again on Ji Hong’s shoulder.
Ji Hong tore off the part of his clothing that had been scorched by the flames. Surrounded by fire, smoke, and falling debris, he couldn’t tell which way to go. A burning tile grazed his arm, but his mind was so focused on the boy that he barely felt any pain. The fire had completely consumed Aunt Xu’s room, and though Ji Hong had made it to the outer room, a sudden creak signaled that the ceiling beam was collapsing, blocking their path.
At that moment, Duan Ming, who had just saved Qing Huan—who had injured her leg—handed her to Su Ting before grabbing an axe from the side of the wall. After filling a bucket with water, he rushed to Ji Hong’s location and, with a swing of the axe, chopped through the weakened beam blocking their way. With the flames crackling loudly in his ears, Duan Ming shouted, “Forgive me, Your Highness!”
Then, with a loud splash, a bucket of cold water doused both Ji Hong and Yu Jinnian from head to toe. Duan Ming reached out, taking Yu Jinnian from Ji Hong, and pulled his master out of the burning building.
Outside, the crowd was still busily carrying water, dousing the flames. The sounds of crying, shouting, and the crackling fire mixed into a chaotic symphony, making it clear that this night would leave Xinan County’s western district forever unsettled. Ah Chun, aware of the gravity of the situation, had taken on the role of an adult. Despite being injured himself, he patiently soothed the wailing Sui Sui. Aunt Xu was taken to the Fang family inn, overseen by Min Xuefei, who immediately sent Min Mao to the clinic to fetch a doctor.
Su Ting was the first to emerge, having gone in and out twice. He was exhausted, his clothes torn and burned. After setting down Qing Huan, he collapsed to the ground, coughing violently.
Min Xuefei stood in front of the noodle shop, watching as half of the building had already collapsed. Suddenly, he lifted his foot to go inside, which caused Shi Qing and Hua Yi to fall to their knees in fright, each grabbing one of his legs and shouting, “Second Young Master, please, have mercy!” They had already been terrified when they heard that Third Young Master Ji had gone in, and now, seeing that their own master was about to risk his life, they clung to him desperately.
“But Shuluan, he—”
Min Xuefei was anxious, but Shi Qing and Hua Yi suddenly looked up and, with tears of joy, pointed inside. “Second Young Master, look, it’s the heir! They’ve made it out!”
Min Xuefei hurried forward just as Ji Hong and the others emerged from the inferno. As they escaped, the building behind them collapsed with a deafening roar. The noodle shop, already on the verge of collapse, was reduced to a smoldering ruin as the beams and walls crumbled under the weight of the fire. As the first light of dawn broke, the sky was not the pale blue of a new day but a blazing red, making the entire landscape look as if it were on fire.
Someone shouted, “We’re saved! The heavens are going to send rain!”
Ji Hong turned to glance back at the scene, seeing nothing but an expanse of orange-red. He couldn’t tell if the glow came from the distant morning light or the nearby fire. Digging through the layers of the wet cloak, he uncovered the unconscious face of the young boy. Ji Hong carefully examined his face, tracing his brow and cheekbones, and even though all he saw was soot and ash, he still wanted to reach out and touch him. His hand was halfway there when it finally brushed against the boy’s cheek and then suddenly dropped heavily.
Min Xuefei, startled, caught him at once. “Shuluan?”
——
Ji Hong dreamt of his second brother, Ji Yan, again—something he hadn’t done in a long time. Ever since he had been with Yu Jinnian, he rarely saw his second brother in his dreams anymore. This time, though, the setting was different. Instead of the endless void of darkness, he found himself in the snowy cave. Even though he had been blinded by the snow, he could clearly see the fire burning in front of him.
His second brother was roasting meat by the fire.
Ji Hong abruptly stood up and knocked the meat skewer out of his brother’s hand, sending it flying into the flames.
“Ah!” Ji Yan laughed and reached into the fire to retrieve the meat, peeling off the charred outer layer to reveal the sizzling, tender venison inside. “Don’t worry, it’s venison.”
He seemed like a deity, able to conjure things effortlessly. This time, he pulled a salt shaker from his sleeve, and from who knows where, he produced a broad green leaf. He placed the meat on the leaf, sprinkled salt over it, and smiled. “Ah Hong has grown up. You didn’t cry and beg to switch lives with Second Brother this time. Is this the first?”
Ji Hong took the leaf and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Second Brother.”
Over the years, Ji Hong had continued to grow, but Ji Yan remained frozen at the age when he died, still looking like a teenager. When they were together now, it seemed as if Ji Yan were the younger brother, and Ji Hong the older.
Ji Yan smiled warmly at him. “Not that long, just half a year.” He watched Ji Hong staring intently at the piece of roasted meat, as if trying to find some pattern in the meat fibers. Clicking his tongue, Ji Yan said, “It really is venison.”
Ji Hong remained silent, refusing to eat.
Ji Yan shifted, resting his chin in his hands, and asked, “Ah, our little Ah Hong has truly grown up. You don’t even want to talk to your brother anymore… Fine. What’s his name?”
“Hmm?” Ji Hong was momentarily slow to react, his hand stopping its inspection of the meat as he looked at Ji Yan in confusion. Before he could say anything, Ji Yan, as if reading his mind, nodded in satisfaction and said, “Jin, Nian—hmm, not bad. A good kid.”
Outside the cave, the wind howled, and snowflakes gathered at the entrance. Ji Hong didn’t respond to Ji Yan’s comment, instead asking, “Why are we in the snow cave this time?”
Ji Yan laughed at that, leaning back against the snowy ground as if it were a luxurious golden cushion. His red robe, as striking as ever, remained just as bright and captivating, no matter how many years had passed. Snow crept up the edges of his clothes, only to be casually brushed away. “It’s always been the snow cave. It’s just that you, Ah Hong, were too afraid to open your eyes and see it. It’s funny—you’re so afraid of the dark, but you chose to lock yourself inside the darkest part of the snow cave, trapping me here with you.”
The nightmare that had haunted Ji Hong for so long was brushed aside just like that. But thinking about it, this was exactly why Ji Yan was his second brother. Only Ji Yan would tease him like this.
Ji Yan dusted off his sleeves and stood up, his face still wearing that familiar bright smile. Even in his final moments, that smile had echoed in Ji Hong’s ears. He walked closer and curiously examined the jade hairpin nestled in Ji Hong’s hair. After taking a good look, he shrugged and circled the cave. “You’re afraid of the dark because you fear that my corpse is in the darkness. But as you can see, there’s nothing here. Ah Hong… are you still afraid?”
Ji Hong remained silent. Ji Yan waved his hand, and the campfire in the cave suddenly shot up, transforming the entire snow cave into a sea of fire. Within the flames, strange images began to appear—the broken beams, a toppled cabinet, blood seeping along the stone floor, a scarred hand reaching out from beneath a door plank, and a ringing bell that had rolled to Ji Hong’s feet.
Ji Hong instinctively took a step back.
Then everything plunged into darkness. It felt as if someone was moving around him. He quickly reached out, grabbing the figure and pulling them into his arms, calling out urgently, “Jinnian!”
When the figure was close enough to see, he realized it wasn’t Yu Jinnian. Ji Hong let go, his brows furrowing slightly. “Second Brother…”
Ji Yan smiled gently. “You see? You’re no longer afraid of me. I’m already dead, and he’s still alive… It’s fortunate that he’s still alive. You should’ve been worrying about the living long ago. At least worrying about him is worth something, instead of being trapped by me—your long-dead brother, who can’t give you anything anymore. Don’t you agree?”
Ji Hong stared at him for a long time before finally asking, “Are you leaving, Second Brother?”
Ji Yan extended a finger, lightly tapping Ji Hong’s chest, his expression amused. “How could I, as your elder brother, occupy this space forever? It’s time to make room.” He looked at Ji Hong seriously and said, “Fix it up nicely. It’s one thing to mistreat me, but don’t let anyone else live in this shabby snow cave.”
He began walking toward the cave entrance, his red robes sweeping over the white snow. Ji Hong called after him, “Second Brother. Stay a little longer. I want you to meet him. He’s really likable.”
“No need, I’ve already met him.” Ji Yan waved his hand dismissively. “Thank him for me. The crystal chrysanthemum cakes were delicious.”
Ji Hong: “…”
In the next breath, the snow turned into rain, falling softly between heaven and earth.
Ji Hong opened his eyes, realizing that the sound of rain wasn’t part of his dream. When he raised his hand, he saw that the wound on his arm had already been bandaged.
Min Xuefei entered, carrying a bowl of soup. Upon seeing Ji Hong sitting by the bed, coughing and putting on his clothes and boots, he hurried over and said, “Why are you suddenly up? The doctor said your lungs were scorched by the smoke, and you need to rest.”
Ji Hong replied, “Second Brother came by, and now he’s gone.”
Min Xuefei was startled, thinking Ji Hong was hallucinating again. After all, when Ji Hong had been rescued from the snowfields all those years ago, he’d had a high fever and talked nonsense for days. Even after his recovery, his personality had changed dramatically, sometimes blurring the line between reality and fantasy, often muttering that his second brother was still by his side. Min Xuefei had thought that Ji Hong had moved past it over the years, but now, suddenly, he was mentioning it again.
Seeing Min Xuefei’s shocked expression, Ji Hong added, “It was just a dream.”
Min Xuefei remained skeptical, but Ji Hong stood up anyway. “Where’s Jinnian?”
As he stepped out the door, he saw Dr. Luo emerging from a nearby room. Ji Hong rushed over in a few quick strides and peeked through the door, seeing the boy lying on the bed. A medical assistant was working by the bedside, blocking Ji Hong’s view. Frustrated, Ji Hong pulled Luo Qian aside and asked, “How is he? Is he hurt? What should I be careful of?”
He spoke quickly, his anxiety evident, and despite his efforts to hold back, he couldn’t stop coughing.
Dr. Luo raised a hand to steady Ji Hong and said, “Calm down, calm down. The boy was knocked unconscious by a falling shelf, but he’s lucky and should wake up after some rest. However, the sudden changes in temperature have given him a bit of a fever. As for the knife wound on his back, that will take time to heal properly. The others only have minor injuries, nothing serious. But as for the shopkeeper… alas, her condition is quite bad. My assistant is currently dressing the young man’s wounds. It would be best to wait a moment before going in to see him.”
“—Knife wound?” Ji Hong and Min Xuefei said in unison.
He was trapped in the fire—how did he end up with a knife wound? Min Xuefei immediately grew alert and called for Shi Qing and Hua Yi. He instructed them to find a worker who had been helping to put out the fire and asked, “Did you see how the fire started?”
The worker scratched his head in confusion and said, “I don’t know. Last night, I got up to relieve myself and heard a bunch of loud noises outside. I thought it was bandits, so I hid in the woodshed and didn’t dare come out. After a while, when things quieted down, I came out to check, and the noodle shop was already on fire! So I quickly called everyone to help put it out…”
Upon hearing this, Ji Hong scanned the area, his eyes searching for something. After a moment, he suddenly remembered. “Where is Shi Xing?!”