Chapter Thirty-One: Gazing at the River Moon, My Heart Yearns for Home
"Why didn't you tell us you were coming? We could have sent someone to receive you." The man wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief and stood before the crowd with a refined manner. The sharp general's aura that he had displayed on the stage was completely gone, replaced by boundless friendliness.
"You've become a general now, Chen Mo," Yang Xiao said with a smile, raising her chin at him before turning to Bai Ming to introduce him, "This man is named Chen Mo, the Pavilion Master's eldest disciple."
Before Bai Ming could even raise his hand in a fist salute, Yang Xiao called out loudly to Chen Mo, "This is Bai Ming, General Bai Zhaoqing. Do you remember him?"
"How could there not be?" Chen Mo smiled at Bai Ming, clasped his hands in a salute and said, "I am Chen Mo, greetings to my benefactor."
"It was nothing, no need to mention it." Bai Ming also greeted Chen Mo, saying, "I have long admired Mr. Chen's name, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Chen Mo nodded, stopped his attack, and looked at Cen Xun with earnest eyes, "Tongxi, in front of Lingyu and General Bai, please listen to me for a few words, okay?"
Cen Xun sighed softly, raised her eyes and looked calmly at Chen Mo, "Go ahead and speak, I'm listening."
“Although I am just an actor, and I am far from worthy of you in terms of status and knowledge, but…” He took a deep breath and looked up at Cen Xun, “Ever since I came here from the south, I have been in love with you.”
Upon hearing this, Cen Xun also looked up at Chen Mo, "Chen Mo, I have long understood your feelings, but as for me, I do not have feelings for you commensurate with them. If I were to accept this hastily, how could I be worthy of your sincerity? I am sure that what we both think is not like this."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Chen Mo's eyes, but he quickly brightened up again. He smiled and shook his head, "How could I be sorry? I expected this outcome. How could I force you to submit to me when it was just my wishful thinking?"
"It has nothing to do with your status, nor with your talent or character. Chen Mo, your talent is evident to all, but I have no affection for you whatsoever. If I were to agree to your request, it would undoubtedly be an insult to your feelings."
Cen Xun closed her eyes and sighed softly, then looked up at him again, "You are so outstanding, no less than anyone else in the court, so don't let me stifle you, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Mo gently shook his head again. "Perhaps, once you have someone you love, you will understand my feelings." He chuckled and sighed. "I am aware of your attitude, and I will not use this as an excuse to bother you in the future. Everyone," he looked apologetically at Yang Xiao and Bai Ming, "I apologize for your rudeness."
Seeing this, Yang Xiao sighed softly and patted his shoulder, "Finding a soulmate is difficult."
Upon hearing this, Bai Ming felt as if a string had snapped in his heart, and his fists, hidden at his sides, clenched involuntarily. A moment of panic flashed in his eyes, and he frowned slightly as he looked at Yang Xiao.
Cen Xun chuckled and put his arm around Yang Xiao's back. "How do you know how difficult it is if you haven't even gone to look for it?"
"Look at you, you still don't know?" Yang Xiao sighed with a smile, looking at the two people in front of her. "One is someone who longs for someone but cannot have them, and the other has never been moved and cannot bear to let them down."
"You have to try things yourself to know," Cen Xun said, gently tapping Yang Xiao's nose. "How can you draw conclusions so easily?"
Chen Mo showed no sign of discouragement, chuckling as he echoed Cen Xun, "That's right, Lingyu, we can't judge the outcome just by looking at me." He shook his head and stepped aside to make way, "Alright, everyone, let's not talk about this anymore. Master and Junior Sister are already waiting for you in the inner room. Please follow me."
"They're all here?" Yang Xiao suddenly became interested. When she saw Chen Mo nod in agreement, she couldn't help but turn around and smile at Bai Ming, just in time to meet his thoughtful gaze. She smiled and said, "Snap out of it, General Bai. The Pavilion Master is waiting for us in the inner room. Let's go quickly."
Bai Ming looked up at Yang Xiao, whose eyes were full of smiles, and couldn't help but forget his earlier hesitation. He nodded with a light laugh and followed Yang Xiao, who was waiting for him. "Okay, let's go."
-
Pavilion Master Zhao Ran has not appeared on stage for many years. She has concealed her brilliance and focused all her attention on managing the Lingyue Pavilion.
The group walked through the garden full of blossoms, following Chen Mo into the inner room. Just as they turned the corner, they saw Zhao Ran waiting by the door.
She stood gracefully, dressed in simple white robes and adorned with a wooden hairpin, exuding an air of understated elegance. Turning around, she saw the crowd approaching her and couldn't help but smile before walking slowly forward.
"Sect Leader!" Yang Xiao jogged forward to greet her, smiling and tilting her head at her. "Haven't seen you for half a year, have you missed me?"
"Of course I want to, how could I not?" Zhao Ran smiled and took Yang Xiao's hand. "I was talking about you with Chen Mo this morning, and we've been looking forward to your return." She pulled Yang Xiao along and turned to look at Bai Ming. "You must be General Zhao Qing, right?"
Seeing this, Bai Ming also clasped his hands in greeting to Zhao Ran, saying, "I am Bai Ming, greetings to the Pavilion Master."
"It is I who should thank you for your help back then, General." Zhao Ran stepped aside to make way for him. "Everyone, please follow me."
As the group continued on their way, Cen Xun and Chen Mo seemed to be separated by an invisible wall; although they walked side by side, they did not exchange a single word.
Yang Xiao, however, paid no attention to anything, bouncing around as if she had a deep feeling for every blade of grass and every tree in the area.
Bai Ming was the only one following behind Zhao Ran, unsure of where to go next.
Zhao Ran sensed the subtle tension, but was unaware that Cen Xun and Chen Mo had already discussed it.
In an attempt to ease the tension, she smiled and looked at Cen Xun beside her, "Ever since Lingyu went north, Miss Cen has come much less often. It just so happens that Chen Mo anticipated your return today and arranged for your favorite flower tea early in the morning."
"Is that so? Young Master Chen, you're very thoughtful." Cen Xun nodded with a light laugh, then turned to look at Chen Mo, who was nodding silently to the side. "However, how did you expect me to come today?"
Chen Mo chuckled and looked at Cen Xun with gentle eyes, "I didn't know when you would come, so I just prepared a cup of flower tea in the room every day."
Cen Xun was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then chuckled helplessly, "Thank you for your trouble."
Zhao Ran immediately sensed that the atmosphere between the two was not right. She turned her head slightly and happened to catch a glimpse of Bai Ming, who seemed to be at a loss for what to do.
“By the way, General Bai, do you know,” Zhao Ran said with a smile as she walked, looking at Bai Ming behind her, as if trying to change the subject, “ever since we met in Yuzhou, the entire opera troupe has been filled with a martial spirit.”
"Oh?" Bai Ming exchanged an interested glance with Yang Xiao upon hearing this. "There's more to this than that?"
Yang Xiao smiled and nodded at him, "It's true. Not to mention that I took your gun and thought about being on par with you every day, even my youngest junior sister saw how we fought the bandits and insisted on practicing martial arts when she came back. After meeting Tongxi in Jiangnan, she even learned two sword techniques from Tongxi."
“Yes,” Cen Xun echoed, “That little girl is lively and active, and she learns things quickly. In the time you were gone, she learned quite a few more moves.”
“And then there’s Chen Zixu,” Yang Xiao nodded to Chen Mo, “He already had a foundation in martial arts, and after so many years of training, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he could go to the battlefield.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Mo waved his hand lightly, "Compared to the two of you, my skills are simply like showing off my limited abilities before an expert."
“I think so,” Bai Ming said, looking back at Chen Mo. “The part where the young master appeared on stage could not have been done without years of hard work.”
"General, you flatter me," Chen Mo said with a smile, looking at Bai Ming. "With my meager martial arts skills, I'm far from being able to mount a horse and fight the enemy."
Yang Xiao nodded and pondered for a moment, then looked back at Chen Mo, "Nobody told you that you have to fight the enemy on horseback."
Chen Mo was also taken aback upon hearing this, "Lingyu, you mean..."
"Alright, kids, don't say anything yet." Zhao Ran turned to look at everyone and gestured for them to be quiet. "This place is chaotic, be careful of eavesdroppers."
Yang Xiao nodded, exchanged glances with the others, and walked towards the small house.
As soon as the curtain was lifted, the warmth of the room, along with the aroma of flower tea, wafted in. Zhao Ran greeted them with a warm smile and invited them to sit down. She then poured tea for them from the teapot.
Seeing this, Yang Xiao quickly got up to pour tea, and Chen Mo turned around to close the door before sitting back down at the table.
“The guests who came to watch the play just now came from all walks of life. I’m afraid some people with ulterior motives might have overheard what you were saying.” Zhao Ran frowned and looked at the crowd seriously. “Fortunately, this place is secluded and ordinary audience members can’t find it.”
“Okay,” Yang Xiao said, holding a cup of hot tea and nodding as she looked at Chen Mo. “Are you seasick?”
Chen Mo had just taken a sip of tea when he was taken aback by this seemingly random question. "I'm not dizzy, what's wrong?"
“You are in the South, not good at land warfare, and you don’t get seasick,” Yang Xiao put down his teacup. “If you want to help the world, why not consider training a navy? Besides, the forces in Jiangnan are so complicated, no one will care if you train a small force.”
Before Yang Xiao could finish speaking, everyone at the table smiled knowingly.
“Lingyu,” Cen Xun took a sip of tea and smiled at Yang Xiao, “Do you still remember the question you asked me earlier?”
Yang Xiao was taken aback by his words. "The question I asked you?"
"Could it be..." Bai Ming seemed to have thought of something, and looked at Yang Xiao inquiringly, "that Jiangnan might be a force secretly conspiring with us?"
"Tongxi, you mean..." Yang Xiao stood up abruptly, looking at Cen Xun and Zhao Ran with disbelief and joy, "Such power, is it really Lingyue Pavilion?"
The two exchanged a glance, then looked up at Yang Xiao. "It is indeed Lingyue Pavilion."
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