Chapter 12 Regretful Thoughts While Enjoying the Moon "My wish has been fulfilled!"...
This token is made of fine copper, with a black dragon engraved on one side and a rough hammered pattern on the other.
Apart from the black dragon pattern, there are no words.
Chi Yanzhou knew that the fire at the Chi family's residence was a murder, that someone wanted the Chi family dead, and that the token he found was left behind by the murderer.
His eyes were filled with resentment. He knelt on the ground, his large hands gripping the token tightly. He bent his usually straight back and wept bitterly.
It is a lament for Chi's mother, who has suffered for so long and has not yet been able to enjoy her old age, and also a lament for his years of perseverance collapsing overnight.
Chi Yanzhou also resented that he was incapable of providing a good life for his mother while she was alive.
So, Chi Yanzhou used all the money he had left to give his mother a grand funeral.
He prepared the best coffin, several pairs of exquisitely made paper boys and girls, and burned gold and silver ingots, houses, paper clothes, etc. for three days in a row.
The burial site for Chi Mu was chosen in the western suburbs outside the city. It was a site that a feng shui master had specially chosen, and the feng shui was excellent.
Chi's mother's body lay in state at home for three days; today is the day of her burial.
In the past few days, Cui Fuyu has not contacted Chi Yanzhou, firstly because she wanted to give him some quiet space, and secondly because it would be inappropriate for her to appear.
However, she also received a letter from Chi Yanzhou. Inside the envelope was a rubbing of a black dragon. In addition to greetings, the letter specifically explained the origin of the image and asked her to help look it up.
Cui Fuyu thought for a moment and replied with a letter, promising to investigate thoroughly and asking about his recent situation.
After receiving the reply, Chi Yanzhou felt even more grateful to the young lady.
He owes the young lady another debt!
At the Chi family residence, a sudden sound of a tile breaking and a funeral procession began, accompanied by mournful music.
A large procession of mourners emerged from the Chi family home, carrying white banners and scattering paper money into the air.
Today, Chi Yanzhou was dressed in black, wearing mourning clothes, and walked ahead with a blank expression, holding his mother's memorial tablet, looking extremely distressed.
Following behind was the coffin of Chi's mother, carried by four strong men, including Shui Ge, who had saved Chi Yanzhou.
In the mountains and forests, the lush green trees are verdant and the misty clouds are swirling, making it both stuffy and humid.
There are several graves standing here in the cemetery. Mother Chi's grave is placed on the side, a small mound of earth with a stone tablet, and that's how her life ended.
Chi Yanzhou knelt before the tombstone, burning paper money into the fire. "Mother, don't worry, I will come to see you often, and you must often appear in my dreams."
Chi Yanzhou talked on and on for a while before finally leaving.
When he returned to the Chi family home, the house was deserted and filled with loneliness.
Chi Yanzhou snapped out of his reverie and stepped into the Chi family home, looking lost and dejected, when someone called out to him from behind.
"Brother Yanzhou."
It was the voices of Su Zhiyao and Liang Xiaoyun.
Chi Yanzhou turned to look at the two of them. Before he could reply, he was suddenly punched hard in the shoulder. He staggered back, a smile on his face that looked more like a grimace.
Liang Xiaoyun withdrew her hand and scolded him, "How could you not tell us about such a big thing that happened to your family?"
He said, "If Cui Fuyu hadn't sent the letter, we wouldn't have known."
Liang Xiaoyun looked at him with displeasure, wondering why he hadn't truly considered her a friend. It was Cui Fuyu who had sent the message for such a significant matter. He also blamed himself for his negligence; Chi Yanzhou hadn't been to the academy for three days, and neither of them had inquired about it.
I just thought this was his usual behavior!
Su Zhiyao felt both heartbroken and saddened. "Brother Yanzhou, please accept my condolences. Aunt Chi will be watching over you from heaven. There's still a long road ahead."
Chi Yanzhou's previously numb expression was shattered by Liang Xiaoyun's punch, and the deathly aura around him gradually disappeared.
He said, "This is my family matter, how can I make things difficult for you? Besides, I will be returning to the academy tomorrow."
With the comfort of close friends, Chi Yanzhou gradually emerged from the gloom of his mother's death.
But his words displeased the two men.
Su Zhiyao shook her head and sighed. That's just how Chi Yanzhou is. He'd rather suffer on his own than get involved in favors. He won't easily accept help from others, and he doesn't want to integrate into the circle of rich kids.
Liang Xiaoyun walked over to Chi Yanzhou and nudged him lightly with his shoulder, saying helplessly, "Brother Chi, you're getting stuck on this again."
Su Zhiyao remembered the people still waiting for them at the restaurant, "We booked a private room at Zuixianglou, and there are still people waiting for you."
"Yes, we're not leaving until we're completely drunk!"
The three walked in the shadows. Liang Xiaoyun talked enthusiastically about the academy's courses, discussing them with Chi Yanzhou, and occasionally Su Zhiyao would chime in with a comment.
Before they knew it, the three of them arrived at Zuixiang Tower. Chi Yanzhou's previously tense face was now lively, and he was in a better mood.
After entering the private room, Chi Yanzhou saw Cui Fuyu, who had been waiting for a long time. She was idly reading a collection of poems to pass the time.
Hearing the noise, Cui Fuyu put down his book, looked up and met Chi Yanzhou's gaze. Seeing the lighthearted expression on the other person's face, he figured that Chi Yanzhou's sadness had eased considerably.
Cui Fuyu smiled and called out, "Come over here quickly, we've been waiting for you. This young lady is so tempted by such delicious food."
A large table was covered with dishes, and two large jugs of wine were served!
Chi Yanzhou sat down next to Cui Fuyu. As soon as he sat down, he heard a voice in his ear: "Thinking that you haven't been eating properly these past few days, I decided to write to them and ask you to come out."
Xiao Ling has been busy at the Chi family's house these past few days, ordering all the meals herself, and the meal she sent to Chi Yanzhou was almost untouched.
Cui Fuyu listened to Xiaoling talk about Chi Yanzhou's affairs every day and couldn't help but feel sorry for him, so he asked Su and Liang to come out and comfort Chi Yanzhou.
The results look pretty good now.
Using the table as cover, Cui Fuyu, concealed by her wide sleeves, held Chi Yanzhou's hand tightly under the table.
Chi Yanzhou loosely grasped her delicate little hand and awkwardly mimicked her gesture in response.
After a few rounds of drinks, everyone's faces were flushed and their friendship had deepened.
Taking advantage of her drunken state, Cui Fuyu sized up Su and Liang and boldly said, "Su Zhiyao and Liang Xiaoyun, I thought you were as disciplined and boring as the rumors say. Who would have thought you were such carefree people?"
Cui Fuyu never expected that she would become close friends with these two.
They are clearly very different people, but at this moment they have gathered together for the same reason, drinking and chatting happily.
Even though she and these two people were on different sides, she felt much lighter when she was with them.
They may seem disciplined and rigid, but they are such vibrant people.
Su Zhiyao burst into laughter first, "There are always unpleasant things in a high-class family. Unlike Fu Yu, who is straightforward and passionate, she does what she wants and is loved by her parents. She is much more carefree than us."
Su Zhiyao actually envied Cui Fuyu's freedom, as she was always restricted at home.
Liang Xiaoyun poured wine and chimed in, "Outsiders see me as very steady and capable, but no one has ever asked me if I want these things."
He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, praising, "Good wine. I don't want to be confined to this small corner of the capital. I want to go to a wider place."
The secret hidden in Cui Fuyu's heart, and Chi Yanzhou's pain at losing his mother.
Su Zhiyao is confined to a high-class mansion, while Liang Xiaoyun is unwilling to submit to such a fate.
Everyone has their own unspeakable sorrows, and now they are drinking together under the moon.
Cui Fuyu took the lead, holding the wine pot in mid-air, waiting for them to clink pots. Her face was flushed, her eyes were glazed, and she drunkenly shouted, "May my family be safe and sound, and may the truth be revealed."
Su Zhiyao also picked up the wine pot and touched it first: "I want to live a carefree and unrestrained life."
Liang Xiaoyun lowered his wine pot and lightly clinked it with theirs: "Let's travel and enjoy the scenery, and see how vast the world is."
In his final gesture, Chi Yanzhou wished everyone, including himself, "May your wishes come true!"
After saying this, the four of them tilted their heads back and drank the wine in the pot with gusto, casting aside all their worries and living in the moment.
As the night deepened and all was quiet, Zuixianglou gradually fell silent, and there were few people on the street.
A crescent moon always hangs high in the sky.
After an unknown amount of time, everyone was drunk, except for Liang Xiaoyun, who was a regular drinker and remained relatively sober, as he had a high alcohol tolerance.
Su Zhiyao was already fast asleep, slumped over the table, mumbling incoherently.
Chi Yanzhou, who doesn't drink often, was completely drunk and couldn't be woken up no matter how much they called him. He hadn't been sleeping well for the past few days.
Cui Fuyu let him have his way.
Cui Fuyu rested his chin on his hand, staring at the double image of Liang Xiaoyun in front of him. "One person in charge of one?"
Her tone was casual, as if she were asking Liang Xiaoyun, but her hand was supporting Chi Yanzhou.
"Fine." Liang Xiaoyun shook her head. "Never mind him, Yao Yao is mine now!"
Cui Fuyu took a few deep breaths to calm the dizziness brought on by the wine. "Then I'll take my men and leave. Take care."
She called over a waiter, who helped her assist Chi Yanzhou downstairs and onto the carriage in one smooth motion.
After she entered the carriage, her consciousness gradually returned, and her previously dazed eyes were now clear.
At home, she and her brother often secretly drank her father's strong liquor, but this amount was not enough to make her completely drunk.
She slowly squatted down, hugging her knees, glanced at the soundly sleeping Chi Yanzhou, and shook her head in disgust: "Chi Lang, Chi Lang, if you fall into someone else's hands, you'll only be taken advantage of."
Cui Fuyu raised her hand and gently patted his face twice, then touched it again, her face full of tenderness and affection.
The carriage arrived at the Willow Leaf Lane Villa.
The butler came out to help Chi Yanzhou, who followed behind Cui Fuyu.
Cui Fuyu then had the steward strip him of his clothes, leaving him only in his snow-white undergarment. He covered him with a fur quilt because it was cool at night, and then the steward left.
Cui Fuyu took a bath with the help of her maids, and steam rose from the room.
Before long, Cui Fuyu returned to the room in her nightgown. Afraid of waking Chi Yanzhou on the bed, she slowed down and lay down to gently embrace him.
Just as Cui Fuyu was about to close her eyes, Chi Yanzhou moved.
He turned and hugged Cui Fuyu back, his unspoken words flowing into his beloved with boundless affection.
"What's wrong?"
Cui Fuyu's unintentional remark caused Chi Yanzhou's emotions to crumble instantly.
She heard Chi Yanzhou's sobs, each one filled with extreme sorrow yet a struggle to control himself.
Chi Yanzhou's body trembled slightly, and his sobs were particularly noticeable in the quiet room. He held Cui Fuyu tightly, as if using her as a support to rebuild his shattered heart.
He said, "Miss...you're all I have left."
Chi Yanzhou's words struck her heart like a heavy blow, as if expressing his feelings, or as if saying, "I can't live without you."
Cui Fuyu was moved and looked up to kiss his chin.
"good!"
She reached out from under the covers and groped to wipe away his tears.
The room was dimly lit, the windows were half-closed, and the moonlight could be seen through intermittently.
Their breaths mingled, creating a tender atmosphere.
After a long while, Chi Yanzhou closed his eyes: "Go to sleep!"
The two fell asleep side by side and slept soundly through the night.
——
The underground casinos in the capital were bustling with activity, filled with shouts and cries. The gamblers were so engrossed in their games that they had lost track of time and night.
In a slightly quieter corner, a group of thugs dressed in black surrounded them, each with a ferocious and serious expression.
Two masked people sat at the gambling table. One of them, wearing a mask with a blue face and fangs, was dressed in fine clothes and held a high position.
The two deliberately lowered their voices to talk, casually playing with the gambling cards in their hands.
"Young master, my men have received news that the Sage has sent Wang Fei of the Enforcement Division to secretly investigate the salt mines. Should we eliminate him and protect the salt mines?" The man wearing a white mask threw down a wooden plaque and asked, "Or we can have our men in the Enforcement Division."
The young master's voice instantly turned gloomy: "Send a few smart men to take him out, and at the same time spread the word to stir up trouble in the waters. Protect the salt mine as much as possible, and also prepare a backup plan. Destroy all evidence that is unfavorable to us. How are the weapons coming along?"
"The weapons are ready, we're just waiting for the Ministry of War." He said, "But the salt mine scapegoats...?"
The salt mine matter is easy to handle. Once the news is out, someone will make things difficult for Wang Fei, and then he can send assassins over. What makes him hesitate is that if the salt mine matter is exposed and involves a huge amount of money, who should bear the responsibility? He still needs the young master's approval.
The young master sneered: "Isn't there a perfect candidate right now? Let's do things cleanly and find out who leaked the information about the salt mine."
As soon as the young master mentioned it, he understood instantly.
The two chatted on and off for quite a while before ending their meeting. No one knows the content of their conversation...
A note from the author:
----------------------
Waaaaah~ Don't be fooled by the previous chapters, everyone. The original male and female leads, Su and Liang, are both very good people. It's just that many things are beyond their control, and many things will unfold slowly later.
Anyway, everyone here is a really nice person, I hope you like it! [Exaggerated praise]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com