Chapter 36

"Madam, it's time to go home."

In December, Xie Huaijin took a boat to Jiangnan.

From November to December, the water surface of rivers is unstable. A reef or a wave can cause even the largest and most stable boat to be tossed around.

Xie Huaijin had never been on a boat before, so he didn't realize his reaction would be so severe.

After getting on the boat, Xie Huaijin started vomiting. He used one white handkerchief after another. In the end, his face and lips turned pale, and the feeling of nausea was carried into the wind with the waves.

Mo Yu handed over another cup of clean tea. The young man bowed to rinse his mouth. A soaked book lay on the table. This was probably one of the rare embarrassing moments in the young man's life, except for his childhood. He leaned on the railing and looked out at the turbulent river.

Mo Yu said the same thing as a few days ago: "Sir, the carriage for the land trip is ready. I have arranged for someone to meet you at the next dock."

But the young man just shook his head lightly and looked down at the river surface.

Mo Yu quietly retreated, looking for someone to buy some orange peels, tangerine peels, and hawthorns. This time, they weren't traveling on the Xie family's boat, but a large cargo ship at the dock. It wasn't just a cargo ship, it occasionally carried other passengers. Since it wasn't their own boat, many things weren't as easy as before.

When Mo Yu handed this little gadget, which he had begged for to stop his nausea, to the young man's desk, he only received a faint glance and a soft voice: "Take it away."

It means don’t want it.

Mo Yu was not surprised. He took things out the same way they had been brought in.

The footsteps behind him faded away, and Xie Huaijin returned to the inner room, knelt down, and folded up the book rules that were spilled by the tea. His snow-white sleeves hung down smoothly, and the young man looked outside. The salty, cold wind blew his beautiful eyes.

The pale color of his lips did not diminish his demeanor in the slightest, but only added a sense of fragility, like a willow swaying in the wind. But upon closer inspection, he was merely covered in a layer of coldness.

When we arrived in Jiangnan, it was December.

During this month, the frail scholar Li Ci, known under the pseudonym Li Sheng, gained widespread fame in Jiangnan with his twelve poems and essays, becoming a beloved favorite among almost all Jiangnan scholars. At the same time, Li Ci announced in his bookshop that he had compiled his observations and poems over the years into a book, to be published around the turn of the new year.

At the same time, manuscripts were circulated every now and then, and many readers stayed up all night to read the new manuscripts. Some people from other places saw Li Ci's poems and essays through some channels, admired his talent, and traveled thousands of miles to meet Li Ci.

This seems to have achieved the original purpose of Ciying and his group.

When Xie Huaijin arrived, the three poems containing the girl's emotions were very popular in Jiangnan. Although it was already December, the cold wave had not yet reached Jiangnan. The streets of Jiangnan were as prosperous and bustling as ever, even more lively than before.

The scholars gathered in groups of three or five, no longer having the aloofness and arrogance of the past, and recited Li Ci's new works at the top of their voices. They were so excited that December's neck turned red in the street.

Unlike the unanimous positive reviews in the past, this time the rumors were more polarized. Some people regarded it as a poem that had been unmatched for thousands of years, while some others thought it was too sad and mournful. The two groups quarreled, cursed, quoted classics, and almost came to blows.

The poems and essays that had caused such a stir among the students in the south of the Yangtze River finally lay quietly on the low desk.

The scattered manuscripts were light and fluttering. The young man stood up and closed the window. Under the candlelight, the pale-faced young man stared at the light and fluttering manuscripts, with a stormy look on his face. His slender fingers lightly stroked one or two of them, and the low-quality ink spread.

The candlelight flickered quietly. Xie Huaijin looked at it for a long time. For the first time, there was no emotion in those beautiful eyes.

Although the windows had been closed long ago, the wind was still blowing in from outside. The coldness crawled along the wind towards the swaying candlelight, and also crawled into the young man's indifferent eyes.

The low-quality ink stained the young man's fingers, but he didn't care. He just quietly looked at the poems on the desk. He imagined what it looked like when Ci Ying wrote these three poems.

In the afternoon, light crept into the house along the window lattice. The girl's body was warmed by the light. After stretching, she picked up the brush and dipped it in ink. A smile probably appeared on her lips when she thought of something. The brush paused on the paper, and a dot of ink was left, but soon, it was followed by fluent poetry.

She usually hunched over her desk, writing a few sentences and then stopping for a while. At dusk, she put down her pen, supported the manuscript with both hands, and let it dry in the afterglow of the sun, drying out the precious words between the lines.

......

As he lowered his eyes, he heard the sound of water dripping outside.

Xie Huaijin looked forward, but only saw a closed window.

After more than half a month of sunny days in Jiangnan, it finally turned to rain on the first day Xie Huaijin arrived in Jiangnan.

*

When Ciying woke up from her dream, it was raining outside.

She threw off the quilt and stood up, wanting to close the window, but for some reason she looked at the dark night sky.

As the rain fell, the moon in the sky disappeared, leaving only clumps of black, like ink pouring down from the sky. Ci Ying didn't understand where her sadness came from.

In the bustling daylight, she and Xie Ran went out to the streets to enjoy the excitement they had created. Xie Ran embraced her, and as they turned sideways, a carriage passed by them. When Xie Ran noticed her heartbeat, he asked her worriedly what was wrong. She covered her chest and said only, "The carriage was too fast, I was scared."

Xie Ran hurriedly touched Ci Ying's chest and said, "Don't worry, let's go buy some roasted chestnuts. They're hot, and bring some back for Mr. Li. Hahahaha, he's famous now, so it's hard for him to go out with us. By the way, Ci Ying, have you thought of a name for the rich lady?"

Li Ci was the name given by Li Sheng. It was said that the name was based on Li Sheng's appearance but contained Ci Ying's poems and essays. Ci Ying did not care about these things. Xie Ran said "it's a good name", and so the name was decided.

Ci Ying remembered what she had said to Xie Ran that day: "I've decided, call her Jiang Wei."

Xie Ran paused for a moment and understood what Ci Ying meant.

She held a bag of hot sugar-roasted chestnuts, opened one and passed it to Ciying. The moment Ciying took a bite, she said, "Second Miss is really a good person."

Just hearing this sentence, Ci Ying didn't know why she wanted to cry.

No one ever talked to her about the young lady like that again. She bit the chestnut in her mouth and replied, "Well, the young lady is the best person in the world."

Xie Ran teased her again, and she laughed, but tears still fell.

She has left many more footprints in the world, and even though there are many uncertainties in the future, she is still touching upon the freedom that they talked about when they were young, little by little.

But the person who led her into the world has forever stopped at her youth.

Before she knew it, she had grown much older than the young lady. She counted the days and realized how long it had been since she had gone back to see her.

In the drizzle, Ciying slowly shed tears.

Why...

The next day, when Li Sheng heard that Ci Ying's pseudonym was going to be "Jiang Wei," he was silent for a moment before praising her: "It's very suitable. There are several pieces of Second Young Lady's poems and essays interspersed among her poems and essays. It's most fitting that she has the Second Young Lady in her name."

Ci Ying was obviously a little depressed. Xie Ran and Li Sheng looked at each other and did not continue to disturb Ci Ying.

Mr. Li actually didn't know much about the second young lady, but he had heard her talk from Ci Ying a few times and knew that she was probably a very good person, even... too good.

Ci Ying will probably never forget this for the rest of his life.

Xie Ran knew a little about it. Seeing Li Sheng's thoughtful look, he picked out some things to tell Li Sheng about the academy, but he stopped after only two sentences.

When Ciying was not around, the two of them didn't talk much.

In the silence, the sound of rain can be heard.

In the inn, two dark figures were fighting. Half an hour later, the young woman placed her soft sword across the neck of a young man in black brocade clothes, her eyes burning with resentment: "You lose."

Mo Yu looked at the girl opposite him and recalled what happened that night.

When Zhu San was five years old, he taught her to hold her breath to avoid enemies. Zhu San learned this skill to perfection, and finally used it on himself.

That day, as the incense was burning in the stove, the girl jumped out from under his quilt with a smile on her face, hugged him like she did when they were children, and showed off her new earrings to him.

Pearl.

"When did you get your ears pierced?" he asked her.

The girl didn't answer, but moved closer to him and touched his face with the pearl. Perhaps it was too much like when they were young and depended on each other in the mountains. He didn't push her away, but only reminded her: "Apply medicine to the wound these few days, apply it frequently, and don't go on missions in the future..."

Before he could finish his words, the girl kissed him and looked at him with a smile.

Then......

He hit her.

The pearl fell to the ground, and the girl's eyes gradually turned red as she looked at him. Before he could say anything, she ran out.

Mo Yu didn't chase after him. He stood up and walked to the incense burner, extinguishing the contents with tea.

In fact, he felt that he had used too much force the moment he struck her. Blood flowed from the girl's ear, and the slap mark was left on her snow-white face. The eyes that always smiled at him were full of disbelief, but...

Now Mo Yu looked at the person in front of him. The girl was wearing the same black clothes as him. For some reason, the wound on her ear had never been treated and had turned into a faint scar.

At this moment, he looked at him proudly and unwillingly, with the sword across his neck but keeping it two fingers away for fear of hurting him.

Perhaps he knew the person in front of him too well. After all, he raised her and taught her, and she stood in his future, so Mo Yu only needed one glance to understand that she was waiting for him to coax her.

The rain got heavier, and Zhu Guang silently moved his sword away a little.

Except when on a mission, she had never been separated from her master for such a long time. She watched secretly, thinking she was being discreet, but Mo Yu saw it all clearly.

Mo Yu looked up at Zhu San's body and was relieved to see that there were no obvious injuries on his body. Perhaps it was more than just relief. He seemed to be unable to see the sword at his neck. His voice was emotionless: "Well, I lost."

Zhu San snorted and was about to say, "Then I forgive you."

Then Mo Yu said, "I can no longer defeat you, Zhu San. According to the rules of the Dark Guard Camp, I am no longer your master from now on."

Zhu San almost dropped the sword in her hand. She looked at Mo Yu and saw that Mo Yu was not joking at all. She immediately panicked and dropped her sword. She grabbed Mo Yu's sleeve and said hurriedly, "Master, I was joking. How could I beat you? You found me as soon as you arrived in Jiangnan."

Mo Yu shook his head. "You've already defeated me many times, Zhu San. We've been master and disciple for a while now. I asked the Master for a favor. You're no longer the Xie family's death warrior... No, you weren't originally one. I've always been worried about you over the years, but you're very powerful, much more powerful than I was back then. When I was your age, I could only take you into hiding."

Zhu San looked at Mo Yu blankly and said in disbelief, "You don't want me anymore? Master, Mo Yu, Mo Yu, please don't abandon me. I'm very useful, aren't I? I'm going to help the young master with the mission... I, I won't make any mistakes again, Mo Yu, please don't abandon me, don't, Master."

Tears welled up in Mo Yu's eyes, but he didn't raise his hand to wipe them away like he used to. Instead, he said calmly, "Zhu San, change your name. It won't be difficult for you to survive. Everything you did before was for the Xie family. The young master has already made arrangements with the aristocratic families, so no one in the family will bother you in the future."

Zhu San bit his lip and looked at Mo Yu. She stood in his eyes, not daring to move away.

She didn't understand why...

Mo Yu really wanted to touch her head like he did when they were little, but in the end he didn't raise his hand.

What is freedom?

Freedom is a little bird in Mo Yu's palm. When Mo Yu opens his hands, the little bird will chirp and fly into his palm.

Zhu Dada shouted: "Mo Yu, I hate you, I hate you, come back and beg me now, come back and beg me..."

The girl knelt down, the rain running down her cheeks, and uttered the last few words between her lips and teeth: "I will, I will go back with you..."

But the world was silent, with only the rain that wouldn't stop.

......

The next day.

When Zhu San pushed open the door and was about to run away with Ci Ying, the three people who were having dinner in the hall stopped and looked at the girl in black holding a sword with eyes as red and swollen as walnuts.

Several people looked at each other, and Ci Ying spoke first, hesitantly saying, "Zhu Guang?"

It’s not Ci Ying’s fault. Zhu San’s face is a mess now. He looks like he has been through something. His face is different from before. If Ci Ying didn’t know that Zhu Guang could change his appearance, she would probably have to guess for a while.

Xie Ran didn't know Zhu Guang and glanced at Li Sheng.

Li Sheng frowned. He knew it was Zhu Guang, also known as Zhu San. But the man in front of him was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say. His venomous words suddenly lost their effectiveness.

Ci Ying stepped forward to support Zhu San, raised her finger and touched his ear with a long scar: "Is it because of the ear piercing last time? Sorry..."

In fact, looking at the piercing wound, it was probably not the case, but Ci Ying still used this sentence to stop Zhu Guang's tears.

Zhu Guang shook her head, unable to explain anything. She didn't even know what else she could say to Ci Ying. She only said, "...The young master has come to Jiangnan. Ci Ying, don't be afraid. I will help you escape."

This sentence was like thunder, leaving everyone present except her stunned.

Ci Ying curled her fingers. Li Guang and Xie Ran looked at Ci Ying. Zhu Guang whispered, "I, I know you know my identity. I... I didn't mean it. What I'm saying now is true. The young master will come to find me in the next few days at the latest."

After she finished speaking, she raised her eyes and looked at Ci Ying: "Trust me, I will take you away."

Ci Ying was quiet for a moment, then she held Zhu Guang's hand and whispered, "I believe you."

"Then let's go now, it's too late." Zhu Guang wanted to get up, but he couldn't pull Ci Ying's hand. He also found that the other two people in the lobby didn't show any signs of moving.

Zhu Guang asked doubtfully, "Ci Ying?"

Ci Ying didn't say anything, just glanced at Xie Ran. Xie Ran immediately understood and hurried to the inner room to search. After a while, he took out a wooden box full of various medicines.

Zhu Guang remained silent, watching Ci Ying gently apply the medicine to her. He continued to explain, "I really can take you away. I, I'm the most powerful secret guard of the Xie family. If I take you away, the young master and the others won't be able to find you. Even if they do find you, I can... they can't beat me." Then he said in a very low voice, "Mo Yu can't beat me either."

Ci Ying finally finished applying the medicine. Under the worried gazes of Li Sheng and Xie Ran, she bent down and hugged Zhu Guang.

"Thank you... Zhu Guang." Ci Ying whispered, "But I'm sorry, I might let you down."

Under Zhu Guang's incredulous gaze, Xie Ran walked to Ci Ying and stood silently behind her. Li Sheng did not move, but he had the same intention.

Ci Ying whispered, "I have things I want to do, Zhu Guang. I can't escape forever."

As if speaking to Zhu Guang or herself, the girl's face was gentle yet resolute: "This is not the freedom I want."

Xie Ran held Ci Ying's hand: "I'll go with Ci Ying. The Xie family..." He probably wanted to belittle her, but Xie Ran was more or less a daughter of a branch of the Xie family, so she understood better than others. So he sighed: "It's still quite... a giant."

Li Sheng laughed behind him, waving the fan Ci Ying had just given him, and coughed, "Even Miss Xie isn't afraid, cough cough... I, a dying man, am not afraid either."

He didn't say that he wanted to stay with Ciying, but just looked at Ciying tenderly.

Zhu Guang's eyes trembled, and then he turned and left in a somewhat embarrassed manner. If even Ci Ying didn't need her, where else could she go in such a vast world...

But soon someone held Zhu Guang's hand, and when she turned around, she found it was Ci Ying.

The girl sighed, "Why are you leaving right after you got here? It's raining heavily outside. Go change clothes with me first and take care of the wound on your ear. It won't be too late to leave after it heals."

Zhu Guang's tears fell and he threw himself into Ci Ying's arms.

Ci Ying hugged the person and gently stroked his hair.

Xie Ran and Li Guang exchanged a glance and silently went to clean up Zhu Guang's room. They said they would leave after his injury healed, but no one understood that this meant that Zhu Guang was asked to stay.

There are always bridges built between people. Li Guang turned around and glanced at Ci Ying. Zhu Guang seemed to have noticed his gaze and subconsciously turned towards him. Li Guang held his forehead, wondering why he was so sharp towards him.

It's like going back to the old days.

He is so noisy that his nose is not a nose and his eyes are not eyes when he sees him.

There will probably be another quarrel in the future.

Let's quarrel...

It is much better than the silence of death.

......

It rained for two days, and on the sunny day, Ci Ying and others released the last poem.

The news from Zhu Guang did affect the progress of the group to some extent. Unable to wait to build more momentum, Ci Ying and others accelerated the plan. Fortunately, the momentum built before was already big enough, and even though it was a bit hasty, it still caused a big sensation.

Li Sheng began to move around in bookshops and teahouses as "Li Ci", spending money lavishly. He was born handsome, like the emerald green bamboos in the mountains, and his sickly aura was also given some dignity by his wealth and status. For a time, the legend about him spread far and wide among the people.

Even many rich girls openly proposed to him, and some girls from official families expressed their love implicitly. Mr. Li always came back with a scent of makeup on his body every day.

Xie Ran teased Li Sheng, and Li Sheng subconsciously looked at Ci Ying, but found that Ci Ying didn't care at all. She smiled and applied medicine on Zhu Guang's ear.

Li Sheng explained in a low voice: "Some people came up to me, and some scholars also used incense. Ahem... ahem, I didn't, of course I didn't."

Xie Ran smiled and said, "I know."

Ci Ying finished applying the medicine to Zhu Guang and walked over to hand Li Sheng a cup of tea, saying softly, "Thank you for your hard work. You're not in good health, and I shouldn't have put you through so much trouble."

Mr. Li took the tea and just shook his head.

Afterwards, Ci Ying explained the subsequent matters in detail to Li Sheng, Xie Ran occasionally added a word or two, and the few of them occasionally discussed other things.

Zhu Guang, who used to be noisy, became quiet instead and just watched them quietly from a distance.

Li Sheng once asked Ci Ying privately, "Could Zhu Guang have been sent by Master Xie?"

Ci Ying shook her head and just said "not like that".

As for why, Ciying did not say.

After that, Ci Ying often woke up from her dreams in the dead of night. After another nightmare, Ci Ying couldn't fall asleep for a long time. She looked at the half-open window. It hadn't rained in Jiangnan in the past few days.

It's December now, and the wind is getting colder, making people feel shiver and want to wrap themselves up completely. But it's not cold enough, not as cold as Chang'an or Lingnan. The unique gentleness of Jiangnan is even integrated into the December wind.

The moonlight poured coldly into the room, and something was whirring outside the window.

Ci Ying heard the chirping of cicadas in a trance, and she didn't know which summer in her memory she was transported back to.

She remembered the day when a carriage passed by carelessly on the street. The moment the curtain was blown up by the wind, she suddenly saw a person's profile. She threw herself into Xie Ran's arms, and her heartbeat gave her the answer. At the moment when pain spread, she looked back at the countless moments in her memory.

To her, there was no difference between heaven and earth.

Thinking of this, Ci Ying could no longer sleep. The wind made the wind chimes in the house whistle. She didn't plan to close the window, but just wanted to go out for a walk.

She stood up, opened the door, and met the young man's beautiful eyes directly.

Her hand trembled, her eyes fixed on the person in front of her. She took a step back, but there was no way back. The moonlight shone coldly on them. Ci Ying retreated step by step, and the young man walked towards her step by step.

The door was wide open, and the swing in the yard was still swinging in the wind, but everything around was dead silent, even the wind chimes had fallen silent.

No one knew why the eldest son of the Xie family, who was praised by the world for his virtue of self-discipline and adherence to propriety, was standing alone in this small courtyard in the south of the Yangtze River.

In the small room, with dim light, he slowly grasped his wife's trembling hands and said in a cold voice, "Madam, it's time to go home."

There were many things in Ciying's eyes, like the faint moonlight outside the window.

Gloom, silence, and the confusion and despair that spread unconsciously.