Chapter 92 Illusions: If you're not close, you're not close.

In the third month of spring, it is the last day of the month.

The streets were bustling with people, and the peddler's stall was surrounded by crowds. Colorful bracelets, embroidered sachets, and shepherd's purse pies filled the air with their rich aromas, blending into the cheerful laughter and chatter of the street.

A group of students dressed in white robes walked among the crowd, chatting and laughing, as if they had just returned from a spring purification ritual in the suburbs, their clothes still carrying the cool scent of flowing water.

When they came to the front of a rather decent-looking inn, one of the thin young men stopped.

"I have arrived."

Yun Cheng turned around and gave his companions a gentle smile: "Farewell, everyone. See you in three days."

A student looked at the inn's plaque, then at Yun Cheng: "These three days are a holiday, and staying at an inn is quite expensive. Yun Cheng, why don't you come stay at my place for a few days? It'll be good for us to look after each other."

Another student nodded in agreement: "Yes, this inn doesn't look cheap. It's too much of a waste for you to stay here alone."

Upon hearing this, Yun Cheng's smile remained unchanged, still polite and gentle: "Thank you both for your kindness, but before I left, my uncle specifically instructed me to be frugal on the road. When you are away from home, you must not skimp on food, clothing, shelter, or transportation, lest you cause your family worry."

Upon hearing this, the two disciples looked on with envy: "Your uncle treats you really well; even your own parents couldn't be better."

Yun Cheng nodded slightly, said no more, and bid farewell to his classmates once again: "Take care, everyone."

He then turned around and walked calmly into the inn.

His classmates watched him leave, continuing to chat and laugh, until his figure merged into the bustling crowd.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Yun Cheng quietly emerged from the inn. He looked around warily, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he lowered his head and quickly turned into a narrow, dark alley next to the inn.

Deep in the alley, it was a completely different world from the bright and beautiful market in front. The air was filled with the damp and musty smell of the sun-dampened area, and the ground was covered with vegetable washing water and muddy.

He walked familiarly to a large courtyard, pushed open the creaking, dilapidated wooden door, looked around again to make sure no one was watching, then lowered his head and quickly slipped inside.

As soon as Yun Cheng stepped into the courtyard, a strong, pungent smell of rotting meat hit him.

"Hey, Yuncheng's back?" a neighbor greeted.

Yun Cheng didn't stop walking; he simply nodded hastily as a response.

In the simple kitchen, a woman poked her head out, holding a bowl of steaming pig offal, and warmly greeted, "Young man, would you like some? It smells delicious!"

The smell of pig offal was so strong that Yun Cheng felt a slight nausea in his stomach after just one glance. He shook his head and forced a polite tone: "Thank you, Auntie, but I've already eaten."

After saying that, he quickened his pace and walked towards the innermost low-ceilinged room.

However, before he even reached the door, his steps froze.

At the doorway, a middle-aged man lay sprawled on the ground, completely drunk and reeking of alcohol. He was muttering incoherently, "Just you wait, next round... I'll definitely win the next round..."

A strong sense of disgust instantly welled up in Yun Cheng's eyes. She held her breath and lifted her leg, trying to walk around the man.

"Brother is back."

A petite girl with a sallow complexion peeked out from the side room, chopping something. Her hands smelled strongly of pig offal. She wiped her hands and naturally reached out to take the bag from Yun Cheng's shoulder.

Yun Cheng instinctively flinched, but the other person had already skillfully taken the baggage. Due to a lack of dexterity in the movement, a soft "snap" was heard, and a scroll carefully tied with a thin rope slipped out of the baggage opening and fell onto the dirty ground.

Yun Cheng's expression changed drastically. He picked up the scroll and hurriedly wiped the mud stains off it repeatedly with his clean sleeve, his expression full of fear and heartache.

"This is borrowed from the academy; I have to return it in three days," he sighed helplessly.

The girl stood there helplessly, head down, not daring to look at him, and whispered, "Brother, I'm sorry..."

Yun Cheng gripped the scroll tightly, took several deep breaths to suppress his surging emotions, and said in a tired voice, "It was an accident. Be more careful next time."

"knew."

The two men's voices startled the drunken Zou Er. He groggily opened his cloudy eyes, and after seeing the people standing in front of him, he grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, hiccuped, and chuckled.

"Who do we have here? It's my good nephew back! My nephew is amazing. Other people's kids are just throwing money into their education, but my nephew earns money while studying! Hehe, come on, good nephew, your uncle is a bit short on cash. Give your uncle some more money to spend so he can make a profit."

The stench of alcohol hit her face, and Yun Cheng's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched quietly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

He had no expression on his face and spoke in a flat voice: "I failed to achieve Grade A in all of this month's academy assessments, so the subsidy did not come in full."

Zou Er's fawning smile instantly twisted into a grimace. He slammed his hand on the ground, his eyes bulging bloodshot: "Useless thing! Trash!"

"What did you tell me back then? Huh? You patted your chest and guaranteed that once you entered Luming Academy, you'd get at least two taels of silver a month as a stipend! Otherwise, I would have sold everything I owned to send you to this capital! And what happened? How many months has it been now? You're even stingy with a few copper coins! What use are you to me! I might as well raise a pig and slaughter it at the end of the year for meat!"

Zou Ya'er, who had been standing timidly to the side, suddenly rushed forward, spreading her thin arms like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and stood in front of Yun Cheng. Her voice was unusually sharp: "Why are you being so fierce! If it weren't for my brother copying books day and night to earn money all these years, this family would have fallen apart long ago! You would have been beaten to death by those debt collectors long ago! How dare you scold my brother!"

"You little whore! Who gave you the right to speak here!" Zou Er was furious. He grabbed a lump of mud from the ground and threw it at her. "You traitor! All you ever do is betray your own people! What am I keeping you for? I'd rather have a dog! At least a dog knows to wag its tail for its owner!"

The mud brushed past Zou Ya'er's clothes and landed on Yun Cheng.

A huge stain was stained on the pristine white shirt, which was particularly shocking to see.

Yun Cheng's chest heaved violently, and he abruptly closed his eyes.

He suddenly thought of Xiao Qiyu.

That person always stood tall and straight, dressed in fine clothes and jade belt. Every gesture he made exuded an innate nobility and composure. He was the focus of everyone's admiration in the academy, and even the headmaster had to treat him with respect.

He suddenly thought of Cui Ying again.

The girl rode on horseback, her smile as bright as the rising sun. She was beautiful, lively, and aloof, like the moon in the clouds. He felt it was a desecration to even look up at her, and all his scheming could only earn him a little bit of her sympathy.

As for him, he was just a pitiful creature struggling to survive in the mud, needing to scheme and plot to even get into Luming Academy.

But on what grounds...

Why should I?!

He and Xiao Qiyu clearly share the same blood!

He should have been born into a noble family, enjoying a life of luxury from a young age, receiving meticulous care, the best education, and the envy of countless people.

He should have been able to have a wife like Cui Ying!

Instead of standing in this dark, muddy place, enduring such humiliation and misery!

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white and trembled slightly.

When I opened my eyes again, a dark and stubborn flame ignited deep within my numb gaze.

He suppressed all his emotions, ignored the overwhelming arguing, turned around and went back to his room, spread out the scrolls, and forced himself to read every single word on them.

...

The sun rises in the east.

Morning light streamed through the half-open window, revealing the pale yellow forsythia in full bloom. The flowers swayed in the breeze, and the air was filled with the unique warmth of spring.

When Xiao Shu barged into Qiyun Pavilion, Cui Ying was fast asleep. In the mild weather, she had wrapped herself up comfortably in a cocoon shape, showing no sign of getting up.

Xiao Shu walked to the bedside in a few steps, reaching out to lift the quilt embroidered with lotus patterns. Her voice was clear and energetic: "Third Sister, don't sleep! Such beautiful spring weather is perfect for going outside the city for the purification ritual. If we stay any later, we'll miss the fun."

Disturbed by her, Cui Ying rolled around in the quilt a couple of times in annoyance, too lazy to even fully open her eyelids, and said in a muffled voice: "I can't go any further. I've been getting up before dawn for several days in a row, and my bones are about to fall apart. Right now, let alone the purification ritual, even if the sky falls, I'll have to wait until I've had enough sleep first."

Xiao Shu wouldn't have it, and tried to pull her out of the covers: "Something's wrong, something's wrong with you. You used to have so much energy from morning till night, you were always there for football and polo, what's wrong with you now? Who stole your spirit?"

Cui Ying tilted her head inward, leaving Xiao Shu with a view of the back of her head covered in thick, dark hair.

Seeing her cowardly appearance, where she was too lazy to even speak, Xiao Shu's heart sank. She asked softly, "Third Sister, did you and Seventh Brother have another fight?"

"It has nothing to do with him."

Cui Ying almost instinctively retorted, her eyes already open, her amber pupils still filled with lingering sleepiness.

Xiao Shu laughed instead, lightly tapping her forehead with her fingertip: "Judging from your reaction, it really is related to him."

She suppressed her smile, sat down on the edge of the bed, and her tone became more serious: "Third Sister, although I am not married yet and do not understand the intricacies of marriage, I think that the current stalemate between you and Seventh Brother, arguing every other day, is not a long-term solution."

“I didn’t argue with him.” Cui Ying turned her head and stared blankly at the intricate patterns on the top of the tent.

She thought of Xiao Qiyu's expressionless face and his polite, distant tone, as if he were talking to a stranger. For some reason, she felt a lump in her throat and thought it would be better to have a good argument.

"They haven't even started arguing yet?"

Xiao Shu clearly didn't believe it: "I've heard from the servants that you two haven't spoken for days. If this isn't an argument, what is? Let me tell you, Third Sister—"

"I won't listen to the monk chanting!" Cui Ying covered her ears and shrank back into the blanket.

Before Xiao Shu could speak again, Cui Ying kicked the blanket off, saying, "I'm not sleeping anymore! Let's go, let's go, let's go perform the purification ritual!"

Xiao Shu was both amused and exasperated, and quickly called for her maid.

...

As dusk settled, lights illuminated the Qiyun Pavilion.

Cui Ying had been out playing all day, but instead of relaxing, she felt tired. She lay listlessly on the couch, feeling as if her whole body was falling apart, and she was too lazy to even move her fingers.

She hummed incessantly, muttering habitually towards the empty room, "Xiao Qiyu, come over and give me a shoulder massage, you have a strong grip..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Cui Ying was stunned.

She sat up abruptly and shook her head violently, as if that would shake the image in her mind out of her head.

"No, I can't think about him anymore."

She had just made up her mind when she heard the door being pushed open.

Almost instinctively, Cui Ying looked up, her eyes shining like stars: "Xiao Qiyu!"

Cui Jin paused for a moment, then said cautiously, "Miss, it's me. I remember the window wasn't closed properly, and I was worried about the night breeze, so I came in to check."

Cui Jin walked to the bedside and saw the undisguised disappointment on Cui Ying's face. She hesitated for a moment and said softly, "The young master is also staying in the front study tonight. If you would like, Miss, I will send someone to invite him over immediately."

Cui Ying sat blankly on the bed, then slowly lay back down as if boneless, pulling the blanket up to cover half her face, her voice muffled: "Why should I invite him? Where he stays is none of my business."

Cui Jin didn't say much, only sighed in her heart.

For the next two days, whether Cui Ying was strolling under the corridor or admiring the flowers in the garden, his eyes would always inadvertently glance at that dark robe.

She told herself a thousand times that she didn't care, but she would always subconsciously look back to look for him, and each time she was met with disappointment.

Cui Ying was upset and tried hard to banish Xiao Qiyu's image from her mind, but the more she resisted, the clearer his image became. Even his unintentional glances in the past kept replaying in her mind.

That evening, the Qiyun Pavilion was quiet.

Cui Ying drank several cups of wine alone in the garden, her skirts stained with damp spring mud. Now, slightly tipsy, she returned to her room, her cheeks flushed with a faint peach color, and her eyes watery and hazy from the wine.

Her steps were unsteady, and her gaze swept casually across the room before suddenly freezing.

Behind the desk next to the antique shelf, a familiar figure was sitting upright.

Xiao Qiyu was dressed in dark-colored casual clothes, his hair tied up with a jade crown, and his profile was silhouetted against the lamplight.

He lowered his head slightly, his long, slender fingers holding a book, his expression focused, distant, and quiet.

Cui Ying blinked her slightly blurry, drunken eyes, raised her hand to rub her temples, and muttered under her breath, "Damn it, why are these hallucinations getting more and more real?"

She shook her head helplessly, assuming it was just another illusion, and walked towards the bed without giving it much thought.

She kicked off her embroidered shoes, lay down fully clothed, and, feeling both drunk and exhausted, quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Cui Ying was awakened by the dryness in her throat, not knowing how long she had slept.

Unable to make a sound, she groggily sat up, slipped on her shoes, and went to the table to pour water.

After finishing his water, Cui Ying glanced casually at the ground in the dim, yellowish light and suddenly froze.

On the long-empty ground, a makeshift bed had been laid out, and a person was lying on it.

The lamplight was dim, and the moonlight was like water.

Xiao Qiyu lay there peacefully with his eyes closed, seemingly also lying down fully clothed, with a thin blanket casually draped over his body. His breathing was even and deep, indicating that he was fast asleep.

Cui Ying was so shocked that she was wide awake. She stood there in a daze for a long time before she came to her senses in disbelief and muttered, "This hallucination can actually keep me up all night? They even made a makeshift bed on the floor? They're... quite thoughtful."

She blinked hard, even wondering if she was still dreaming.

The interplay of lamplight and moonlight outlined the boy's straight nose, tightly pursed thin lips, and defined chin.

Her usually deep and sharp phoenix eyes were now quietly closed, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them, softening her usual coldness and adding a rare touch of gentleness.

Looking at that face so close to his, Cui Ying's heart skipped a few beats for no apparent reason.

Is it an illusion, or a dream?

It doesn't matter anymore, it's all fake anyway.

She shook her head, trying to stop herself from thinking about it, and walked towards the bed.

As soon as Cui Ying reached the bedside, she realized a problem—this was all in her own dream, so wouldn't no one know what she was doing?

Uncontrollably, Cui Ying relived the kiss in the treasury room.

Their lips and tongues intertwined so deeply, noses touching, breaths mingling, bodies pressed together, deepening their already intense kiss...

Her slightly flushed cheeks burned even hotter.

Cui Ying didn't want to admit it, but in many moments afterward, she actually reminisced about that kiss.

Before the effects of the alcohol had completely worn off, a bold idea suddenly took hold of her mind.

Looking at that face, Cui Ying seemed bewitched, and as if possessed, she walked over, bent down, and slowly approached that face.

The two drew closer and closer, so close that she could feel his warm breath gently brushing against her skin.

It's all just a dream, all just an illusion.

Cui Ying lowered her head and kissed those beautifully shaped, thin lips deeply.

If you're not close, you're not close.

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Author's note: I'll finish the remaining 1500 tomorrow [crying emoji]