Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Why don’t we just hang out like this…

Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Why don’t we just hang out like this…

Before noon, Xia Fu rushed to Xiangshan Temple. The sky was already overcast with a layer of white clouds hanging over the sky. She didn't know if it would rain.

The Great Hall of the Buddha is located halfway up the mountain. Looking up from the mountain gate, one can only see the stacked stairs in front of him, which is daunting. Xia Fu came to the mountain gate in a plain dress. She had jumped off the cliff at the back of Xiangshan Temple that year. Coming back here again, it felt like a lifetime ago.

The 108 stone steps are still there, and the main hall is still majestic, but after years of erosion, it is covered with moss. Of course, there are changes, such as the construction of some rain shelter corridors on both sides, and the addition of many green plants, which are trimmed properly and look more delicate. For Xia Fu, who is reunited with old friends in the old place, naturally, those old buildings with traces of time resonate more with her.

After dying once, I realized that nothing in this world is more important than life and death.

Being alive is more important than anything else.

Xia Fu climbed up the stairs and it took her a full quarter of an hour to reach the main hall. The palace's guards and maids were the first to come forward to make arrangements. A monk came out to greet her and arranged a separate Buddhist room for her. Considering her noble status, the abbot personally recited sutras and chanted Buddhist scriptures for her, and also helped her to obtain a peace amulet.

Xia Fu also donated some money for incense. It was already late noon when she finished her work. The nanny prepared a vegetarian meal for her and asked her if she wanted to go back to the city after the meal.

Xia Fu suddenly thought of the cliff and had an idea.

"I want to go to the back hill to take a look."

There is a dense forest on the mountain behind Xiangshan Temple. Go out of the back door and walk southeast, there is a long ridge. Climbing up along the ridge, you will reach a high slope. This place is quite far from the temple. I haven't been here for 17 or 18 years, and the terrain is very different.

Xia Fu climbed up the hillside and was surprised to find that the grass-covered slope had been fenced off and a three-story observation building had been built. The surrounding walls were high and the cliffs were no longer visible. A monk who was sweeping the ground was guarding the area. When he saw Xia Fu looking down the cliff, he smiled and said,

"If you want to see the scenery at the bottom of the mountain, just go upstairs."

Xia Fu bowed to him and said, "Excuse me, Master, when was this observation tower built?" It looked like it was quite old.

The monk looked at the eaves, which had been in disrepair for a long time, and some of the red paint was about to peel off. "I'm afraid it's at least fifteen years old."

Xia Fu's mind moved, "Do you know who practiced this?"

The monk said truthfully, "A Mr. Cheng."

That is Cheng Mingyu.

"Many years ago, I heard that someone jumped off a cliff here. It seemed to be Mr. Cheng's wife. He searched the mountain for five months in the rain, but couldn't find his deceased wife, so he built a building here to mourn her."

Searching the mountain in May?

Didn’t An An tell her that she had only been searching for five days?

Cheng Mingyu obviously did not tell the truth to his daughter.

Xia Fu was stunned.

And when he said the word "Madam", his face looked a little embarrassed.

When the monk who was sweeping the ground said this, he suddenly raised his broom and said with disdain,

"But in my opinion, Mr. Cheng must have done something sinful, otherwise why would he force his wife to jump off a cliff? The person is dead, so what difference does it make to build a building? He is just comforting himself and showing his deep affection. Humph, I have seen many such sinful people..."

When Xia Fu saw that he had misunderstood Cheng Mingyu, she immediately felt embarrassed, "Master, we can't generalize. Maybe this Mr. Cheng has nothing to do with the woman who jumped off the cliff. They are not necessarily... husband and wife..." Xia Fu explained awkwardly.

The monk who sweeps the ground was not convinced. "It's even more wrong if they are not husband and wife. Every year on the seventh day of the third lunar month, he comes here and sits all night, playing the zither and chanting. It seems that he is deeply in love. If they are not husband and wife, then they are having an affair?"

Seeing that the more she explained, the worse it got, Xia Fu coughed lightly and said, "Master, it's not a good idea to talk about people's shortcomings in private."

The monk who was sweeping the ground was stunned when he heard this, then he laughed and said, "That's right, I took money from others to help them eliminate disasters. I made a mistake and was sent here by the abbot to work. Mr. Cheng also has to give an offering to the temple every month. We took the money from the Cheng family, so it's really hard to say anything bad about them."

As he spoke, he slowly swept the dead leaves from the corner to the wall.

Now that you are here, take a look.

Xia Fu took a break for a while after drinking some tea downstairs, then looked up at the attic and said, "You guys stay here, I'll go up alone."

The guard was worried, so he went upstairs to check first. After confirming that no one was there, he invited Xia Fu to go upstairs.

At this point, Xia Fu felt inexplicably uneasy. She climbed up the stairs step by step. The mountain wind was vast and the cool breeze was endless. The dark clouds in the sky seemed to be rolling over layer by layer. When she reached the second floor and stood at the fence, she could clearly see the vast mountains and forests of the past. The dense branches covered the ground like a green carpet. It was so high and so far away. Now her legs were weak at a glance. How could she have had the courage to jump down back then?

It's obvious that I'm confused.

Having said that, if she hadn't jumped off the cliff that year, what would she have done when Cheng Mingyou returned to Beijing?

By then, I'm afraid there will be a lot of dog blood, the whole house will be embarrassed, and life will become more and more difficult.

Will Cheng Mingyu take her and An An back to the main house?

Xia Fu didn't think further.

It's a bad feeling to have all your hopes pinned on men.

Even though I have suffered a lot now, at least I have been reborn and gained freedom.

Continue up to the third floor.

The view here is even wider. There are no fences, only an empty attic, about two meters square, with a piano stand placed in the middle.

There was a harp on the table... Xia Fu was an expert on harps, and this harp was extraordinary, it was a Luwei harp.

It is also a very famous guqin. Xia Fu has never seen a real Lu Wei. If this building was built by Cheng Mingyu, then this guqin should be a genuine Lu Wei.

It's rare to see it, so Xia Fu wants to try it out.

So she walked around to sit behind the piano, and started to play the piano. She realized that the sound quality of this piano was clearer than her imitation piano. It was clear and deep, and she was fascinated by it at the first sound. So Xia Fu continued to play the piano, her hands moving back and forth like playing the waves, and the sound of the piano came like waves. Xia Fu found it very interesting.

After finding the feel for it, Xia Fu began to play her favorite piece, "Xijiang Yue". After she started, she looked up and suddenly saw the cliff from that year. A hazy yet extremely clear picture flashed through her mind.

The high cliff is steep and majestic, as if there is a huge deep pit under your feet, with layers of green waves crawling underneath, and you can't see the bottom at a glance. It is obviously extremely frightening, but it also has a fatal attraction, as if as long as you jump down, you will float up and all your worries will disappear.

Xia Fu's breathing suddenly became rapid, her heart was pounding, and goose bumps appeared all over her body. The strings under her fingers became faster and faster, so fast that she could not control it. At this moment, a slender arm reached out and covered her trembling right hand, and took over her right hand to gently play the strings. The rapid melody immediately became slow and melodious.

Xia Fu's pounding heart seemed to be soothed by a cool breeze. The fire in her heart slowly died down. The rhythm of her left hand was also slowed down by him, and somehow she followed his melody.

Xia Fu turned her eyes away and saw Cheng Mingyu's cold and pale profile in front of her. He had a handsome face and noble appearance, a face that was pleasing to the eye at any time. On those nights, he sat beside her like this and taught her to play the zither.

Nineteen years have passed, and the years have faded the coldness in his features, adding a calm and open-minded aura to him.

Xia Fu couldn't deny that her heart was still beating fast when she saw him.

"Why is the master here?"

"It's raining, I'll pick you up."

The tone was exactly the same as it was back then, with an air of normalcy and normalcy.

Xia Fu didn't like his natural attitude. "I have informed the prince that he will come to pick me up."

"He can't come."

In response to this, Cheng Mingyu turned his head and met her gaze.

Just like before, gentle yet in control.

There was no obvious emotion in his eyes, but it was this kind of concentration that made people feel as if she was the only one in his eyes.

Xia Fu was very angry with herself. Why did she still fall for his tricks after so many years?

There is no doubt that his words "I can't come" were a trap for the King of Yunnan.

Xia Fu glared at him angrily.

Cheng Mingyu looked at Xia Fu's angry face and suddenly found it funny. He plucked the string heavily with his slender white fingers. The sound seemed to hit Xia Fu's heart. She trembled and brushed his hand away, not convinced, and plucked the string with both hands.

Xia Fu's melody is not as profound and open-minded as Cheng Mingyu's, but it is more graceful and light, and it is a different style of Xijiangyue.

"What do you think of my piano skills?"

Cheng Mingyu said truthfully, "I have improved a lot."

Xia Fu looked down at the cliff again. Her heart became calmer and she felt more at ease. She smiled and said,

"Well, I also think that I am getting better and better at playing, and the prince loves to listen to it."

Cheng Mingyu's wrist slid down from the strings, and he remained silent.

Seeing that he remained silent, Xia Fu felt relieved and played the piano more happily.

At this time, the raindrops came down and splashed on her cheek. Xia Fu was afraid of damaging the strings of the zither, so she quickly stood up, holding the zither, and retreated to the inner room.

Cheng Mingyu followed in.

Xia Fu walked into the room and took a look around. The room was not big. There was a simple long couch, a table, a chair, and a long table. Xia Fu placed Lu Wei on the table, took out a snow handkerchief from her sleeve, and carefully wiped the raindrops off the strings of the zither.

Cheng Mingyu looked at the side and said, "Do you like this piano? If you like it, I'll give it to you."

Xia Fu refused without even raising her head. "I have an imitation zither that the prince found for me. I like it very much because," she raised her eyes, clear and calm, "I won't feel bad if I break it."

After saying that, she smiled, and a few dimples appeared. It turned out that Cheng Yian's dimples were inherited from her mother.

Cheng Mingyu understood what she meant. Following King Yunnan, she felt free and at ease.

"If you don't like this real piano, I can make you a replica, a one-to-one replica, made by myself," he paused and emphasized, "I'll make another one even if it's broken."

Xia Fu blushed, coughed lightly, turned her back and looked out the window, "Hey, let me go down the mountain before the rain starts..."

Yan Bi walked around him and was about to go out.

Cheng Mingyu raised his hand to hold her.

Xia Fu looked at the arm stretched out in front of her, glanced at Cheng Mingyu, and said in a serious tone,

"Master, what exactly do you mean by being so entangled? I have already told you clearly that I will not go back to the Cheng family with you."

Cheng Mingyu glanced down,

"Xia Fu, have you ever thought about giving An An a home?"

Xia Fu's mind flickered. She wanted to do it of course, but unfortunately this complicated and tangled relationship had been controversial from the beginning. Even if Cheng Mingyou had not come back, she could have taken An An back to the eldest house with a legitimate reason based on the family tree. But Cheng Mingyou came back, and the Cheng family members' saliva would drown her. Even if Cheng Mingyu had the means to suppress it, there would still be people gossiping behind her back.

It would be different if she "died". At least An An was still a poor child in the eyes of others. Because of this sympathy and the protection of her ancestor Cheng Mingyu, no one would say she was not.

Xia Fu's eyes were filled with tears. "I don't want people to gossip about me, and I don't want people to gossip about An An either."

Cheng Mingyu had never expected this, and he took a step forward to approach her. "I will give you a new identity. Not many people in the tribe have seen you before, and they are just the elders of the older generation. They are so worried about us that they don't even have time to talk nonsense. Fu'er, believe me, I will do everything possible."

"I look forward to An An returning to her parents' home so that she can see her father and mother together. When she gives birth to a child, we can enjoy raising grandchildren together."

Xia Fu was forced to retreat by him. Behind her was the long collapsed bed. Her hind legs were tripped and she almost lost her balance.

Cheng Mingyu helped her up and held her slender wrist tightly.

Xia Fu felt overwhelmed when she thought of the bustling Cheng family. She had witnessed the grand scene of the Cheng family's Mid-Year Banquet. She had glimpsed Cheng Mingyu from a distance through the pearl curtain. Of course, she didn't see him clearly. She only saw him with his knees drooping, majestic and inviolable. The ancestor was surrounded by people, handling all the troublesome family affairs and those human relationships with ease...

Being his wife is a heavy responsibility.

"An An is doing well now. She once said that as long as we are doing well, she doesn't care about anything else. Moreover, she is married now and has her own family. Cheng Mingyu, she no longer needs us."

Cheng Mingyu felt a stinging pain in his eyes, and gave in, "Then you don't show up in front of people. I just want a marriage certificate, and An An will be registered in your name."

Xia Fu cried, "You can register her under my name right now. Isn't Xia Fu dead? Take my tablet to the Cheng Family Ancestral Hall."

She also took a step back.

She was alive and well, but he offered a tablet for her. Wasn't that a curse on her?

Cheng Mingyu's face became stiff, his eyes were red, and he looked at the impeccable Xia Fu, and suddenly said in a cold voice,

"I'm telling you straight out of the blue. The Prince of Yunnan will be leaving the capital soon, and the Emperor has arranged a marriage for Mu Xun. From today on, he will be the nephew-in-law of Empress Chen. He will have someone to rely on in the future, and you don't need to worry about the affairs of the Prince of Yunnan's mansion anymore."

When Xia Fu heard that Mu Xun was promised to Queen Chen's family, she was relieved. This made her burden much lighter, and Mu Xun also had a strong backer.

"Thank you for organizing this for him."

Cheng Mingyu replied expressionlessly, "Xia Fu, I can't let go, and it's impossible for me to let go."

Xia Fu's throat was blocked. The man in front of her was like an impenetrable wall, blocking her from doing anything.

He was unwilling to let go, and she still had feelings for him, so an idea took shape in her mind.

Xia Fu blurted out, "Why don't we just hang out like this?"

The moment she saw the cliff, she suddenly understood.

It is not easy to be alive, so every day from now on you should follow your heart.

The night is long, and with the remaining decades of my life left, it is better to be Cheng Mingyu than to be someone else.

As long as he agrees.

Cheng Mingyu looked at Xia Fu, who looked enlightened, and said with a dark face,

"What if I don't agree?"

Xia Fu blinked, "I can only look for King Yunnan..."

Before she could finish her words, that slender figure came over her, and a soft touch covered her red lips. Xia Fu's mind was stunned. His strength was really not gentle at all. He held the back of her head and covered her waist with his big hand. She was almost lifted up by him and pressed close to his chest. She had no strength to rely on. Subconsciously, she stretched out her hands to hold the wall behind her, but the bed was too wide and she couldn't reach it. Instead, her body fell backwards.

He followed her, their figures overlapping and they both fell on the bed. When she was about to fall, he used his arms to hold her back and caught her firmly. His elbow seemed to hit the bed, and Xia Fu heard a slight grin from between his lips.

Their lips touched, the long-lost touch made both of them shudder.

The long-brewing rainstorm came down, and this attic seemed to be the only quiet place in the storm.

The darkness looms.

They couldn't see each other's faces, only their intertwined breathing stirred their hearts.

Such a small space was very much like the bed in Chengjiabao back then, with the familiar breath and the familiar embrace. He had dragged her like this back then and given her countless pleasures. The memory of her body first broke through her rational consciousness and awakened, and Xia Fu's waist softened unexpectedly.

She was incredibly soft, as soft as a fragrant flower bud, making people unable to resist the urge to explore and indulge in her.

Cheng Mingyu didn't have time to think at all. He instinctively moved his lips and tongue forward to pry open her teeth. The moment their wet tongues collided, they were mixed with long-lost throbbing, like magnets, subconsciously attracting and entangled with each other.

This is the memory engraved in their bones, and this is the past they are determined to never forget.

They knew each other's bodies better than that man did.

The white and slender fingers covered his neck and overlapped behind his neck.

Her shoulders were hunched, as if she wanted to get closer to him.

He also pushed her knees apart with ease, just like he did back then, finding a position that was familiar and comfortable to both of them.

Have they kissed? No, the only few times they did were when they were in the heat of the moment and their consciousnesses collided and embraced each other, but after the reaction, they separated awkwardly and restrainedly.

That was the thing that Xia Fu regretted the most, as she woke up countless times in the middle of the night. She was trapped in the bed that they had once loved so much, tossing and turning in bed. The place had obviously been tidy up and a new set of pillows and mattresses had been replaced. There was no trace of him, but his figure was everywhere. When she opened her eyes, she would either see him hugging her and doing that kind of thing, or his white fingers plucking her strings.

I've been touched by him, been close to him, and the refreshing taste has always lingered on my lips, but I've never possessed it deeply.

If we had kissed deeply, we wouldn't have such regrets.

This regret lingered even when I was sitting in a wheelchair and trying hard to forget that person.

Now that he was in front of her, his lips approaching, she embraced him without hesitation.

The sound of rain hit Cheng Mingyu's ears like the sound of piano. Who knew that every quiet night when he was playing the piano in his piano room, his mind would not help but emerge with her misty and moist eyes and her soft and slippery body. He told himself again and again that he was a gentleman, he was the head of the Cheng family, reputation was the foundation of life, he should not have selfish thoughts, should not lose himself in the city of desire. She was his cousin's wife, he was just giving her an heir, he should not covet her, even if there was only a wall between them. Knowing that she was stroking her bulging belly and talking to his child in her belly, he restrained himself and forced himself to turn around.

This is a game where they make their own rules, but when they turn around, both souls are lost.

Nineteen years have passed, and the gears of fate have turned here again.

Cheng Mingyu indulged himself.

Suddenly a loud thunder broke the sky.

Both of them were stunned. When Xia Fu came to her senses and realized what she had done, her legs were already wrapped around his waist.

Xia Fu was extremely embarrassed, her cheeks were red and bleeding.

"Master...Master, this is still within the territory of Xiangshan Temple. We are being disrespectful to the Buddha by doing this..."

Cheng Mingyu actually knew it was wrong, but the more she rejected him, the more frustrated he became. He let her go and waited for her.

Go back and live with the King of Yunnan?

No way.

His eyes were filled with dark thoughts. He leaned forward and whispered, "The arrow is on the string and must be shot."

Xia Fu was extremely upset, and felt that his sharp gaze could hurt her. She lowered her eyes, powerless.

"You have endured it for so many years, you can't be unable to endure it this time..."

Cheng Mingyu was so angry that he laughed.

"Xia Fu, you are not resistant. Since you care about me, why don't you do what I want?"

Xia Fu closed her eyes in despair, and put her arms on his shoulders, wanting to slide down but unable to hold on. She whispered,

"Then did the Patriarch agree to my proposal just now?"

Cheng Mingyu pursed his lips tightly, not saying yes or no. That was his last choice. Before that, it would be best if he could get her to agree. What was the point of fooling around? After he presented his strategy to the emperor last night, the emperor had promised him to be the prime minister. How could a prime minister have a mistress?

Firstly, he was reluctant to see Xia Fu suffer any injustice, and secondly, he could not risk the reputation of the Cheng family.

Boiling a frog in warm water always works to get her to agree.

Cheng Mingyu blocked her lips again, rubbing the door from time to time.

Xia Fu hadn't had sex for so many years that her body couldn't stand being teased. She was trembling all the time. On the one hand, she was being seduced by him, but on the other hand, she was as rational as a lotus branch and tried to support herself. She turned her face to the side and let him kiss her cheek.

"Since we can't come to an agreement today, let's do it another day. I asked for a lucky charm for An An, and she's waiting for it. The child can't sleep well at night. As a father, don't you worry about it?"

Cheng Mingyu untied her buttons and pinned her hands to the bed, not allowing her to move.

"I brought the nanny here. Just now, the nanny took Rulan back to the Lu Mansion."

This scheming fox.

Xia Fu gritted her teeth in frustration. Women are always shy, and this is a forbidden place for Buddha. She felt that doing this would be unworthy of the care that Buddha had given her. "Master..." Chaos was trying to find an excuse to stop him, but suddenly he heard her deep voice.

"Change your name!"

Xia Fu actually liked to call him the master, but if he wanted to change it, then let him change it. At this time, if she coaxed him, maybe he would talk, so she changed her words and said,

"Mingyu..."

In response to the word "Ming Yu", Xia Fu felt that her empty heart was filled in an instant. The world suddenly became quiet and she took a breath of cool air.

No need to worry or struggle anymore...