Chapter 70 The Abyss - She Looks Just Like Her
Who does he look just like?
Guan Ye parted her lips slightly, the name on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't utter it. It was as if each word she squeezed out was a knife cutting into her heart. Most importantly, she was clearly dead, dead before her eyes, dead before everyone's eyes. How could she still be alive? Lou Cangyu had seen her too. If it was her, why wouldn't Lou Cangyu have mentioned it? It must be, it must be that she was seeing things. It's impossible, it absolutely can't be her.
But... Guan Ye closed her eyes, desperately searching for her shadow in her memory. That scene was etched in her heart, and she would never forget it until she died. How could someone who died in front of everyone reappear in Rongdu?
Guan Ye suddenly opened her eyes. She finally remembered that figure, which almost overlapped with the person in the inner quarters today, as if they were the same person—on Canglang Island, Pei Yuan thought that Cui Jin had brought people to massacre the island, so he summoned everyone to hide their weapons and go to the beach. When they passed the Pei family ancestral hall, a graceful woman accompanied Pei Yuan's young master. She was slender and composed, calmly watching the people hurrying by, without any fear of possibly dying.
—Jiang Muyun, it was Jiang Muyun. The person she saw looked exactly like Jiang Muyun.
"Who does that person look just like?" Ajiu pressed.
"Jiang Muyun." Guan Ye hurriedly uttered her name. On the Heavenly Furnace, Jiang Muyun, dressed in white, calmly leaped down, turning into a bloody pulp that merged with the meteorite. The eerie bloodstains on the meteorite blade, haunting and soul-stirring, were the last traces Jiang Muyun left in the world. She was clearly no longer alive, so how could she possibly reappear? Guan Ye uttered her name, yet she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Not being able to save Jiang Muyun filled her with regret, a lifelong regret for Young Master Pei.
“Absolutely impossible.” Ajiu said without hesitation, “Jiang Muyun sacrificed herself for the sword. We saw her jump into the Heavenly Furnace with our own eyes. She must be dead.” Seeing that Guan Ye’s forehead was wet with sweat, Ajiu picked up her sleeve and gently wiped it. She also checked Guan Ye’s forehead temperature and was slightly relieved when she saw that she did not have a fever. “The Meteor Sword is too evil. You forged this sword, and it is inevitable that you will be left with a demon in your heart. You must not think too much about it in the future, understand?”
Guan Ye's eyes flickered as she recalled Jiang Muyun's kindness, her voice choked with emotion, "Young Master Pei said... he would wait for Jiang Muyun, until Jiang Muyun returned to Canglang Island, back to his side..."
“He also said…” Guan Ye sobbed, her hand holding A Jiu’s trembling.
"What else did Pei Chu say?" Ajiu pressed her hand on the back of her hand.
"Jiang Muyun is watching us from outside the window..."
"Did you see her?"
Guan Ye closed her eyes—the night wind blew open the window, and Pei Chu stretched out her withered hand through the crack in the window. Looking in the direction Pei Chu was pointing, she saw Jiang Muyun smiling at her before turning into a gentle breeze and disappearing.
“Pei Chu can’t accept Jiang Muyun’s death; he’s gone mad.” Ajiu straightened Guan Ye’s shoulder. “The dead cannot be brought back to life. The deceased are gone, but the living must live well.”
Guan Ye snapped out of her daze and nodded emphatically to A Jiu, "I know it's not her, but... it does look somewhat like her. I promise you, I won't think about it anymore."
Ah Jiu was relieved, touched her forehead, got up and pulled Guan Ye away. Suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned swiftly towards the east wing. With a creak, the window closed, as if nothing had happened.
"I was so scared, so scared!" Ji Fangbai pressed his white hand to his chest. "Don't look at what you shouldn't look at, or you'll get a sty."
“We’re all brothers, it’s no big deal to take a look.” Feng Shisan chuckled as he climbed onto the bed. “They say good things shouldn’t go to outsiders, and Guan Ye is quite pretty, so at least she didn’t end up with anyone else.”
"You want to die." Ji Fang frowned. "You said Guan Ye is a trap. If A Jiu finds out, you'll be in big trouble."
Feng Shisan, too lazy to say anything more, puffed out his cheeks and blew out the candle in one breath, pulled the covers over himself, and fell asleep, soon snoring loudly. Lou Cangyu also had no interest in other people's affairs; his eyes were filled with Wushuang's image, that captivating face. On the Lingbo Terrace, just one glance felt like falling into an abyss, an unbridgeable chasm, and he was just the smallest grain of sand at the bottom. Yet even as a grain of sand, he existed in her eyes.
Lou Cangyu stretched out his hand from under the covers. The candlelight had gone out, leaving only the faint moonlight seeping through the window cracks. The moonlight tonight was exceptionally bright, or perhaps it was the light in his own eyes. Lou Cangyu opened his hand, and that green hue was still so clear. He gently covered it with his hand, and he could almost feel the tenderness of Wushuang's palm. Lou Cangyu pressed his hand lightly to his heart, feeling his rapid heartbeat. Lou Cangyu knew that after today, he was no longer the naive young man from Canglang Island.
On the south-facing bed, Xiao Ma had been staring at the roof beam for a long time. With each breath, he seemed to smell the sandalwood incense of the Mei family again. The fragrance was deep and ancient, and once you smelled it, you couldn't forget it. Xiao Ma then saw the image of the young master of the Mei family who had brushed past him in the carriage. He looked sickly, but he had an air of elegance that commanded respect. He wore the same jade pendant as Xiao Ma, but he had a completely different life.
His name was Mei Shiyu, the renowned young master of the Mei family, while he himself was a descendant of a refugee, whose name he had to keep hidden. Ma Lin, Little Ma, had almost forgotten he even had a name.
And then there was that girl with twin buns named Mei Xiaojing, dressed in pink, charming and adorable, looking like she had tasted all the sweetness and had never suffered any hardship... Thinking about it, Xiao Ma couldn't help but bury her head in the quilt and sigh deeply. Unlike herself, she had been longing for the fried cake for so long, and it was almost in her mouth but she still couldn't eat it.
Xiao Ma closed his eyes, then remembered that his family still had enough wealth to last ten lifetimes, and he laughed again.
Outside the Gongcheng Money Shop, Xiao Ma had some free time today. He went out of the shop alone and quietly went to the Gongcheng Money Shop. When he arrived at the door, he hesitated and dared not step in. He tugged at the jade safety buckle on his chest through his clothes, and almost took a step but then pulled back.
She had only brushed past Mei Shiyu that day, barely catching a glimpse of his face. Mei Shiyu, too, hadn't even noticed her, yet he had abruptly requested to see the young master of the Mei family… She hadn't even been born when her parents left Rongdu. The Mei family didn't even know if the Ma family's descendant was male or female. Could they really hand over all of the Ma family's wealth just because of a jade clasp? But the jade clasp pendant that Mei Shiyu always wore seemed to be guiding the Ma family's descendant to recognize him.
Little Ma mustered his courage, stood tall and proud, and just as he lifted his left foot, he saw someone coming out of the bank. He quickly stopped, turned around, leaned against the high wall, and pounded his forehead with his fist. Little Ma, Little Ma, that's your own stuff. Just take it back generously. Why do you act like it's something you can't see in the light of day? You're even showing off now.
Seeing that the people who came out were customers of the money exchange, Xiao Ma sighed and gathered his strength to turn around. Suddenly, another thought popped into his head—the entire Ma family had been exiled and could not return to the capital without pardon. He could not return to the capital… He was a refugee, standing on the land of Rongdu, and still bearing the name of a swordsman from Xingguo Ward…
Xiao Ma smacked his forehead again. "You must be obsessed with money. You don't know Mei Shiyu at all, let alone his character. If he just denies the Jade Buckle Alliance between the two families, you'll only lose some wealth. But if he... reports to the court that you, Ma Lin, returned to the capital without permission... not only that, but the smuggling of people in Xingguo Ward will be exposed to the world... then you'll lose your life."
How could he take such a big risk for his own selfish interests? Xiao Ma wanted to slap himself a few times, stomped his foot, and turned to leave.
--"pony?"
The crisp, bell-like sound stopped the little horse in its tracks; its feet seemed glued to the ground, and it couldn't take another step.
"Xiao Ma! Is it really you?" Mei Xiaojing bounced out, twirling a strand of her hair. "I was seeing a guest off, and from a distance it looked like you. Is it really you?" Mei Xiaojing jumped in front of Xiao Ma, her big, dark eyes blinking as she looked at Xiao Ma's downcast face. "Just you alone?"
"Mmm," Xiao Ma replied weakly.
Mei Xiaojing's cheeks flushed, and she spoke more cheerfully, "You're here to deposit silver?" Seeing that Xiao Ma's hands were empty, she winked and added, "So you're here to withdraw silver?"
Xiao Ma's palms were sweaty as he held the sword. He turned to leave, saying, "I'm just... passing by, just passing by."
“Lies don’t get out of here.” Mei Xiaojing blocked his way with her hands on her hips. “The Mei family occupies most of this street. You can’t even pass by my bank. If you’re not going anywhere else, why are you loitering around in front of the Mei family’s bank? If you don’t tell the truth, I’m going to call for help!”
"I..." Xiao Ma thought he was clever enough, but he never expected that this girl from the Mei family could talk so much like a string of beans, and he was speechless. There were hardly any shops on this street, and most of the people coming and going were wealthy Rongdu residents who deposited and withdrew money. He couldn't explain why he stood at their door for a while. What was most frightening was that he was carrying a sword!
"I understand." Mei Xiaoqing giggled, her hands behind her back as she looked at Xiao Ma's flushed face. "You came to see me, didn't you?"
Xiao Ma was taken aback. "Yes, yes, I came to find you."
"What do you want?" Mei Xiaojing's eyes lit up. "Is there a problem with the silver I exchanged for you at Xingguo Workshop last time?"
"How can she be this happy if there's a problem? This girl must be crazy." Xiao Ma's Adam's apple bobbed. "It's not really a problem..."
Halfway through her sentence, Mei Xiaojing suddenly heard a noise, pulled Xiao Ma to the door, put her finger to Xiao Ma's lips, and whispered "Shh," "Wait, my cousin is coming out."
—Meishi Island.
Xiao Ma held his breath, his heart pounding. He didn't know why he was panicking. He had expectations for this young master named Mei Shiyu, but also felt an inexplicable fear.
"Is my cousin going out again?" Mei Xiaojing nudged Xiao Ma's shoulder, her lips slightly parted to signal him to wait for her, and her petite figure darted out like a wild rabbit, appearing in front of Mei Shiyu.
Mei Shiyu responded in a low voice, then coughed a few times. Mei Xiaojing frowned, took the mink fur from the maid and was about to put it on him, but Mei Shiyu gently pushed it away and shook his head, saying, "It's only early autumn, and you're already wearing mink fur? Outsiders will think there's something wrong with my health."
"What do you care what others say? It's your own body." Mei Xiaojing glared at her. "The weather's getting colder, and if your old ailment flares up, you'll be the one suffering. Aren't you going to put this on?"
Mei Shiyu insisted on pushing her hand away, tightened the collar of his cloak and took a few steps. "There are many who covet the Mei family. Do you want to give them what they want? Just steam some more Eight Treasure Cakes. I'll eat them when I get back, and I guarantee my old ailment won't flare up again."
Mei Xiaojing looked aggrieved, but still obediently handed the mink fur back to the maid. "Where are you going today? To the Salt and Iron Bureau again?"
Mei Shiyu nodded slightly. “I have reported the matter of counterfeit copper coins twice, but the Salt and Iron Bureau only gave perfunctory answers. This matter is of great importance. I always feel that something is amiss. After thinking it over, I still need to go there again.”
The little horse, pressed against the door, couldn't help but peek inside slightly. It saw Mei Shiyu dressed in a moon-white satin robe with a faint lotus pattern printed on it. A bamboo hairpin held up his black hair. He had a delicate face, a slender figure, light eyebrows, and dark eyes. His gaze was noble yet elegant. A black brocade belt hung at his waist, with a delicate bone fan tucked in at an angle. A jade safety buckle hung lightly at his waist. There were no other embellishments on his body, yet he possessed an extraordinary aura that made people dare not look directly at him.
Xiao Ma lowered his head and looked at himself again. Apart from one person and one sword, there was nothing else. He gently smelled the sandalwood fragrance emanating from the money shop, leaned against the gate of the Mei family, but could not take a step in.
“Those bunch of good-for-nothings, you can’t expect anything from them!” Mei Xiaoqing said in a shrill voice. “The Salt and Iron Bureau is too cold; I won’t allow you to go there again.”
"This little girl," Xiao Ma couldn't help but laugh out loud. Those who knew her would think she was a distant cousin of Mei Shiyu, but those who didn't would think she was the eldest daughter of the Mei family and the manager of the money shop, judging from her demeanor.
Mei Shiyu shook his head helplessly. He was about to step out of the threshold when Mei Xiaojing darted ahead, spreading her arms to block him. She caught a glimpse of Xiao Ma staring straight at her and snorted loudly, "You're not allowed to go!"
"Get out of the way." Mei Shiyu's voice was soft, but it carried a subtle but powerful deterrent.
Mei Xiaoqing looked aggrieved and stubbornly refused to move, glancing at Xiao Ma with her big eyes, as if begging him to help. Xiao Ma, never seeing a little girl like this, steeled himself, turned to face the bank's entrance, drew his sword, clasped his hands, and bowed to Mei Shiyu, "Greetings... Young Master Mei."
"Who are you?" Mei Shiyu asked, his eyes filled with doubt. "Do I know you?"
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