Chapter 181 Half a Year

Thinking of the children he had just seen, Chu Mingheng was afraid that Lan Wu would misunderstand, so he quickly explained: "Those are children selected from the imperial family to be taught in the palace. If nothing unexpected happens, the crown prince will also be selected from among them."

Seeing Lan Wu blow out a candle, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. But soon, he didn't want to talk to Lan Wu about the children anymore, and instead asked her, "A-Wu, you've always been by my side. Where were you when you weren't with me?"

Chu Mingheng had thought about these questions himself and had asked Huifan about them, but the old monk said nothing.

"Where is it? Can't you come?"

Lan Wu was somewhat troubled. According to Chu Mingheng's words, he was right; she really couldn't come.

So she blew out a candle.

Chu Mingheng's expression darkened further, and he asked Lan Wu, "Is someone preventing you from coming? Are you having a hard time?"

No, that's not true.

Lan Wu quickly blew out the two candles to deny the statement.

“I’m doing well…it’s not like anyone’s stopping you from coming…” Chu Mingheng stared blankly at the extinguished candle, seemingly somewhat dejected.

But he clearly didn't want to waste time talking to Lan Wu on his own emotions, so he quickly asked Lan Wu again: "A Wu, as long as you're doing well and happy, that's all that matters. So... do you sometimes think of me?"

When Chu Mingheng said this, he lowered his head, as if he dared not hear a negative answer from Lan Wu. Even when he looked up at the candles, he did so very slowly, staring intently at the burning candles.

He only smiled slightly when he saw one candle go out and no second one extinguished.

Lan Wu didn't know how long she would have this dream again, and she was afraid that one day when she dreamed of it again, it would be just like the last time, when several years had already passed.

She can stay at Changyong Mountain for another month, but what can she change in that month?

Lan Wu hoped to speak with Chu Mingheng in her dream again, not to say anything else, but just to make it clear that he shouldn't be sad because she was no longer by his side.

However, just as she had imagined, the time span she experienced after entering her dream began to increase.

I dreamt of members of the imperial family entering the palace yesterday, but today, when I dreamt of them again, half a year has passed.

Candles were still burning in the hall.

Lan Wu walked to the front and saw Chu Mingheng with a stack of memorials buried in front of him.

He seemed ill, coughing softly every now and then.

It was winter, and the window was slightly ajar to keep out the wind and snow. The hall was not very warm, though. Hot tea was still on the table, and wisps of steam rose from the lids of the cups.

Lan Wu only realized when she saw the heavy snow outside the window that at least half a year had passed since the scene she dreamed about yesterday.

For the past six months, every time Chu Mingheng lit a candle, he wondered if she would come today.

But if she doesn't come by the end of the day, will you wonder again—why hasn't she come yet?

After six months, he might have wondered—would she never come again?

Lan Wu couldn't help but tear up, wiping away her tears. As she was about to blow out the candle, she hesitated.

The feeling of waiting for her for half a year is not pleasant. But what if, after today, she enters his dream again, and another half a year passes for Chu Mingheng?

Or perhaps even longer...

Given that, wouldn't it be better to not let him know she existed in the first place?

Lan Wu straightened up slightly, but then heard the person beside her cough softly twice more.

Chu Mingheng is indeed ill.

His health had deteriorated significantly over the past few years. It was only because he was still young that the imperial physicians had advised him against it several times when they examined his pulse, but he never seemed to listen.

Even if Lan Wu didn't know, she could guess from his behavior.

After coughing, Chu Mingheng reached for the hot tea on the table and took two sips.

Just then, a breeze rose outside the hall, and a wisp of wind slipped into the hall through the small opening, just enough to extinguish a candle that had fallen onto the table.

Lan Wu was startled and subconsciously looked over, but quickly turned back to look at Chu Mingheng.

Chu Mingheng's reaction was not so agitated. He simply turned his gaze slightly away, following the extinguished candle to look at the small crack in the window, watching quietly without making a sound.

He knew the candle had been blown out by the wind.

Even if he didn't know it was the wind, he assumed it was the wind and didn't seem to consider any other possibilities.

Lan Wu saw that he had been looking out the window for a while, then got up and closed the window.

He sat back down at his desk, but instead of rushing to review the memorials, he kept his eyes on the few candles that were still burning.

Lan Wu pursed her lips and stepped forward to blow out one of the lamps.

Chu Mingheng was clearly stunned for a moment. He turned to look at the window, and only after confirming that he had closed it did he open his mouth, his voice low and hoarse.

"Is...A-Wu here?"

Lan Wu slowly exhaled and extinguished a candle.

It's her.

Chu Mingheng forced a bitter smile and said softly, "Awu is indeed hard to wait for; it's been half a year already."

"Several times I saw the candles go out and thought it was you, but when I asked you, there was no response. I knew it was the wind blowing them out," he said softly.

Lan Wu felt a pang of sadness, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Why did it take you so long, A-Wu? I missed you so much," Chu Mingheng said, then coughed again.

Lanwu blew out another candle.

"Does Awu mean that you also miss me?" Chu Mingheng asked her.

Lan Wu blew out another candle and replied, "Yes."

"Then Awu, come to see me earlier next time, okay?"

This was not something Lan Wu could decide. She even felt that she and Chu Mingheng were like a pair of star-crossed lovers in a storybook, separated early and causing people to worry about them.

Perhaps seeing that Lan Wu hadn't blown out the candles for a long time, Chu Mingheng understood something and changed his words: "It's okay if it's late, just don't come again."

He could wait six months or a year, as long as he knew Lan Wu would come to see him again.

"Awu, Huifan said we'll meet again in the next life. Do you believe it?"

This time, Lan Wu resolutely blew out a candle.

They did indeed have a next life, and they did indeed meet again; otherwise, she wouldn't have dreamt of her past life.

Chu Mingheng chuckled, looking gently towards the direction of the candle, then following the direction of the blown-out candle upwards, as if searching for Lan Wu's face.

"Since you believe, then I will not let you down."

"Awu, I await the day when we can meet again."

"I just hope I won't have to wait too long..."

After that, the dreams seemed to accelerate time suddenly, sometimes lasting for half a year, and sometimes a year had passed in the dream when I entered the dream again.

Meanwhile, the three-month deadline was drawing to a close, and Chu Mingheng's last letter arrived.

Unlike before, this time he sent only one letter.