Hua Hua You Long

Chapter 1: The Foolish Bandit Captures His Bride

June. A portrait of southern heaven.

The thriving East Lake of Hangzhou, a finely-crafted, Oriental, wood ferry sailed, the sound of slender bamboo dispersing with the gentle lake wind. The fragrance seeming to intoxicate each and every traveller.

But today, the softly swaying lilies and lotuses floating elegantly upon the lake surface failed to capture the attention of the passersby rushing to and fro. No, today, all attention was on the young, scholarly man, donned in robes of white, perched on the bow of the ferry.

There was a quality of indescribably romantic grace about his figure, the white, fine-spun Confucian robe* undulating against the breeze. His long, black hair, loose and unfastened, waterfalled down to his waist, billowing in the wind along with the white robe. It was a sort of careless magnificence beyond the capability of words, as if his entire person held on to an aura that descended from the heavens above. The commoners on the boat passing by stared, wide-eyed and dumbfounded.

But he had long since accustomed himself to being the centre of attention. And so he perched, not allowing the gazes of the crowd to faze his carefree yet polished poise. He only cared to mind the conversation he was holding with attendant standing behind.

"I must say, Xiao Yue*, the Swaying Step that Teacher* taught me is quite amazing. I've been standing on this boat's bow for an hour and I haven't wavered an inch!"

Seemingly satisfied, he turned around and fixed the attendant with a subtle smile...

For a moment, even the god-like beauty of East Lake was drained of its colour.

"Waah!!!" His smile might not have meant much, but a scream suddenly rang out from the adjacent boat...

As it turned out, a fat bloke had greedily delighted in too much beauty, and tumbled headfirst into the water, initiating ripples of commiserating laughter.

"As of today, I finally understand why the Emperor of Han* went so far as to present his male concubine with land and riches. So men whose beauty could corrupt cities and destroy states really do exist," a man dressed as a scholar sighed to his friend.

But an icy glare suddenly frightened him into silence.

"Insolence!" Before he could pinpoint where the voice came from, a shadow had already leapt into the air.

In a split second, the hair worn in a bun on top of the scholar's head was already gone. Whipping around, the man found his hair dangling in the hands of the fair, young guard named Xiao Yue.

"Ahhh~" the crowd exclaimed. They immediately shut up about seductive male beauty and whatnot.

The beautiful man waved his sleeve. "Xiao Yue, come back in the ferry—throw that repugnant thing away at once."

The moment he finished talking, Xiao Yue's silhouette was no longer on the bow, but, with a flash, back in front of the ferry's open cabin.

Flinging the hair into the water, Xiao Yue glowered threateningly all around him, until all had settled into absolute stillness. Only then did he turn away coldly and proceed into the cabin.

"Ah..." The crowd sighed in disappointment. There was no longer any male beauties to see. They could only watch helplessly as the ferry sailed away at a startling speed.

"Xiao Yue, what other fun, new things are there?"

Seeing that Xiao Yue had returned to the cabin, the beautiful man reclined lazily on the wooden couch* as he spoke. His voice was pure and piercing. It was as if the heavens had spoiled him with every detail of perfection.