Threads Chapter 57-Bao Qian 1

Landing outside the town’s walls, Ling Qi took a moment to smooth her gown then entered town, briskly moving through the outermost sections. It was a little ironic, Ling Qi could admit to herself, but she wasn’t doing it out of disdain, but rather because she did not want to hold on to her qi suppression so tightly for long. She soon reached the inner town where cultivators were in greater numbers. She took a moment to recall the location of her meeting and find her way to the right square. In the midst of the town’s bustle, Ling Qi saw them before she felt them.

She spied Li Suyin first, wearing that new gown of hers. The pale lilac and purple silk looked good on her, though the effect was somewhat lessened by the clawed chitin contraption she wore on her right hand. Ling Qi wondered how long it would take Xiulan to pester the other girl into adding some gemstone settings and filigree to the thing to brighten it up.

Beside Suyin, standing a little closer than Ling Qi would call polite, was a tall, thin boy. He had a handsome face and neatly kept hair bound in a top knot. That was probably this ‘Du Feng’ she had heard about from time to time. Another friend of Suyin’s.

Ling Qi found her eyes only briefly touching on him as her attention was drawn to the much louder figure standing nearby. The other young man was quite large, not quite as tall as her but very broad shouldered. He wore a robe of crimson and gold bound at the waist by a thick jeweled sash. His fingers glittered with rings of jade set with precious gems that gleamed mesmerizingly in the sun. Two bands of white jade encircled his upper arms, cinching his flowing robe around thick biceps.

The Bao scion had a broad face with pleasant, jovial features and dark brown hair bound in a simple top knot by another jeweled clasp. Really, he looked quite a lot like a more youthful version of the Bao lord she had met during the tournament at the end of last year, if one who indulged much less in food and drink. She really did wonder what had happened to Bao Qingling to differentiate herself so much from her family.

“Ah, and our last member has arrived. Welcome, Miss Ling, welcome.” LIng Qi was shaken from her thoughts as the young man turned from his conversation with Li Suyin and Du Feng to raise a jeweled hand and greet her. She met his eyes and found them sharp and appraising beneath the cheer. Bao Qian was at the formation stage of the green soul realm and was close to the next stage in spirit.

“My apologies for being late,” Ling Qi said politely as she approached, dipping her head in a small bow of contrition.

“You are nothing of the sort,” the Bao dismissed cheerfully. “I simply arrived early.”

“Yes, I had only happened to be in town, so I was early as well,” Li Suyin added politely. “Ah, Ling Qi, I do not think you have been introduced. This is Du Feng, my work partner.”

The boy sketched a polite bow as one would to a superior. “A pleasure, Miss Ling.”

“And if cousins Quan and Qingling have not deigned to share it, you may have my name as well. I am Bao Qian,” the Bao scion introduced himself with a minor bow as given between equals. “I have already heard much of you, and the tales Miss Li has told have only embellished on them.”

Ling Qi glanced at Li Suyin, who gave her a sheepish smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you both, but I have to admit, you have me at a disadvantage. The letter Bao Qingling gave to me was somewhat light on details.”

“No offense is taken,” Bao Qian replied with a smile. “We Bao are a competitive sort. The matter of who would take up the opportunity was still contested at that time.”

Ling Qi felt disconcerted at the idea that there was any competition for… whatever this was. This was not quite even a betrothal offer but just…

<Of course you’re worth it. Most talented musician in the South, luminous fairy of the winter moon, black left hand of the Cai, Best Big Sis! The name of Ling Qi rings from the mountaintops!> Sixiang announced grandly in her head.

It was a testament to her will and experience with Sixiang that her eyebrow did not so much as twitch nor did her polite smile falter. “I am flattered to be so well thought of among the Bao,” she said instead.

“There is no flattery to it, only honest praise,” he replied.

“Miss Ling is a great talent,” Du Feng agreed. “You often say such, do you not, Li Suyin?”

“She is. I could not have achieved what I have without her,” Li Suyin replied, toying with her sleeve nervously.

“I will have to accept your praise, I suppose,” Ling Qi said reluctantly. “But please, do not let me interrupt your conversation. You were speaking before I arrived, weren’t you?”

“It was only a small matter,” Li Suyin demurred.

“You are too humble, Miss Li. The joint work of you and Sir Du in refining and treating silk is a valuable enterprise. The capital is always eager for new strains. Helps them keep up the churn of fashionable one-upmanship,” Bao Qian said lightly.

“Oh, you’re working on silk now? I had not heard about that, Li Suyin,” Ling Qi said, happy to move herself out of the spotlight of attention.

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“It is as much Du Feng’s effort as mine,” Li Suyin deflected. “I only had some small insights to give on influencing the development of the worms. It is he who turned the resulting silk into something of value.”

“You are too kind, Li Suyin,” Du Feng said, “but I have never had the opportunity before to work with silk as naturally impermeable and light. I feel as if I am spinning strands of air at times.”