"Master!" A plump, round ball came running towards ShuFang with a panicked expression.

"What is it, Tao-Er?" ShuFang smiled warmly at the adorable bunbun. He lifted his hand and rubbed TaoBi's head to calm him down.

"The man you told me about arrived! He's outside waiting right now!" TaoBi's arms were flailing everywhere while trying to describe the situation.

"He told TaoBi that he's only a regular citizen wishing to view our plum blossom garden! But! But, TaoBi thinks he's lying! He has this huuuuuggggeee sedan decorated with expensive ornaments!" TaoBi widened his arms as much as he could to demonstrate how big the sedan was.

ShuFang's lips tightened and his previous smile vanished. His body froze, not with fear, but with rage, as he tried to restrain himself from killing that man right here, right now.

"Master?" TaoBi asked, his big, round eyes staring at ShuFang curiously. He was curious at his master's weird expression.

"Nothing." ShuFang eased his expression and gently pushed TaoBi towards the kitchen. "Go get yourself some breakfast, there's Huangqiao sesame cake served today." ShuFang flicked TaoBi's forehead and laughed lightly when he felt the round ball roll quickly towards the kitchen.

Huangqiao sesame cake:

As soon as TaoBi rolled out of sight, ShuFang walked towards the front entrance, where he was waiting.

------

In front of walls of the entrance stood a tall, lean man in red robes as he emitted a majestic aura. His gaze held confidence and ambiguity as he focused his eyes on the walking fairy before him. 'The reports were correct. A gentle, fairy-like man indeed...' His eyes shone with ambition. 'He'll be easy to manipulate..'

ShuFang felt the familiar sickening aura near him and held back his urge to scoff. 'I won't be fooled again.' He thought.

In his first life, when ShuFang first met that man, he was also emitting the same majestic aura. To the young and immature ShuFang at that time, he found that aura astounding and spectacular, and was drawn towards it. But now that ShuFang's matured, he now found that aura to be unsophisticated and pretentious.

It's basically announcing to the whole world that the man who has the aura is of nobility.

This man may be emitting an aura befitting of the king's, but that's all there is to it. A king piece is useless in chess. Being protected by everyone, yet being the most vulnerable. Only able to move for a restricted amount, yet having the ambition of taking over the other side using his pawns as sacrifice.

Meanwhile, the queen, although not in the highest position, is the most powerful of all chess pieces. Without the queen, the whole army will fall; yet, in the end, the queen, like others, will be sacrificed for a victory. Giving everything to the king, yet being discarded in the end.

ShuFang was the queen in his last life, but in this life, he won't be a pawn, nor a bishop, nor a queen. He will be the chess player. The one to observe quietly while everyone else is in disorder. The one who has the power to overturn everything. The one that even the king cannot touch. Because, if he isn't, then the events of his past life will reoccur.

ShuFang clenched the fists hidden within the sleeves of his robes. He controlled his expression and gave a light smile.

"Good morning sir, I'm ShuFang. You have asked to see me?" ShuFang decided that this man wasn't worth his time. His number one goal is this life was to give his parents a peaceful life. No matter how miserable this man treated him in his past life, he would let it go as long as the man wouldn't mess with him.

"Yes. Benwa-- I, have heard many beautiful descriptions of the plum blossom garden in your courtyard. I want to see them." The man smiled confidently. He was sure that ShuFang would comply. "My name is YiWang."

"Sir Wang, of course you may view the plum blossoms. I'll call for someone to escort you--" ShuFang was cut off by YiWang's snort.

"You shall be my escort." YiWang said, his voice forceful, as if what he just said what a fact and not a request.

ShuFang's heart was swelling with anger, but he didn't show it on the outside. Instead, he laughed softly and complied. "Right this way, sir."

'Fine. If you wish to play, then I'll play. Don't beg me when you lose.' ShuFang gritted his teeth. If YiWang showed the slightest intentions of manipulating him, then don't blame him for being ruthless.

------

Throughout the whole tour, YiWang had not looked at the plum blossoms even once. He only focused his eyes on ShuFang, and didn't bother to hide it since ShuFang couldn't see anyways. Little did he know, although ShuFang was blind, his sixth sense was impeccable. ShuFang felt the intense stare of greed on him the entire time.

"That's all there is to the plum blossom garden." ShuFang wanted to leave right now. He didn't want to spent another second with this man beside him.

"Oh." YiWang paused and thought about ways to keep visiting ShuFang. The closer they were, the easier it would be for him to grab ShuFang over to his side. "After seeing the true beauty of plum blossoms, I wish to raise my own plum blossom tree. However, I have no knowledge. Come over to my place and teach me."

The corner of ShuFang's mouth slightly twitched before he used the excuse of having to help his mother cook to evade YiWang.

-----

From afar, an injured man leaned against the doors as he stared at the ShuFang and YiWang. Although he was draped in bandages, it didn't diminish the robust frame of his body. Instead, it made him look more fierce.

He looked fixedly at the couple in deep thought. He was suspicious as to why his brother was walking with his saviour and new friend, ShuFang. But even more so than suspicious, he felt a minuscule tinge of displeasure. He knows his brother's true nature, and he believes his brother is just out to manipulate another poor soul. He's heard of the gentle Sightless Fairy, and he believes the fairy doesn't deserve such a fate.

He wanted to go out and shield ShuFang from the potential danger, but he also knows that if his brother sees him here, it'll cause more trouble. So, he could only hold himself back and prepare himself to rescue ShuFang if his brother showed any harmful intentions.

'ShuFang ah, you can't fall for his tricks...' Jun WeiXiang glanced worriedly at ShuFang.