As the past awakens, farewell is inevitable.
After returning from the Lin family's birthday banquet, the atmosphere at the Xie residence noticeably became more subtle. The servants still bowed respectfully to Mo Xiaoyu, but their respect now carried a hint of scrutiny and distance. Everyone knew that the young master had left the banquet on the spot for this woman of unknown origin, thus offending Lord Lin, and this matter would not end there.
That morning, just as dawn was breaking, Mo Xiaoyu was tending the medicine stove in the kitchen. The medicine pot bubbled and steamed, filling the air with a bitter, medicinal aroma. She carefully controlled the heat; this was the third dose of medicine for the day. Xie Yunzhi's cold kept recurring and wouldn't fully heal.
"Have you heard? Lord Lin personally visited Master and Madam yesterday." Two maids' hushed conversation drifted in from outside the window.
"But is it because of the young master's matter?" another voice asked.
"That's right, I heard Lord Lin offered incredibly generous benefits. If the young master is willing to marry Miss Lin, he will definitely pass next year's provincial examination..." I didn't hear the rest.
Before she could finish speaking, the two maids immediately fell silent upon seeing Mo Xiaoyu carrying a bowl of medicine out of the kitchen. They quickly curtsied and withdrew.
Mo Xiaoyu's hand trembled slightly as she held the bowl of medicine, nearly spilling the scalding liquid. She had known this day would come, but she hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly and so unexpectedly.
In the study, Xie Yunzhi was copying Wang Xizhi's "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion." Seeing her enter, he put down his brush and his gaze lingered on her face for a moment: "You don't look well."
"I'm fine." She gently placed the medicine bowl on the corner of the desk, carefully preventing the medicine from staining the spread-out Xuan paper. "Young master, it's time to take your medicine."
He didn't move, but simply looked at her silently, his gaze so deep it seemed to penetrate her very soul: "What Li Xiuyuan said yesterday at the Lin residence..."
"I didn't take it to heart," she interrupted him, her voice so calm it sounded unfamiliar even to herself. But only she knew that her heart was pounding wildly, as if trying to break free from the confines of her chest.
A profound silence fell over the study, broken only by the lingering scent of medicine mingling with the aroma of ink. Outside the window, a few sparrows chirped incessantly in the branches, making the stillness in the room almost suffocating.
"That jade pendant," he suddenly spoke, his voice soft yet booming like thunder in her ears, "you can keep it if you like it."
She looked up abruptly, meeting his deep gaze. In that instant, she suddenly understood that he knew everything. He knew the jade pendant was with her, knew her secrets, knew the insurmountable chasm between them. Yet he chose not to reveal it, just as he had a thousand years ago, always embracing everything about her with the gentlest of hearts.
"Young master..." Her voice choked with emotion.
"No need to say more." He picked up the medicine bowl and drank the bitter medicine in one gulp without even frowning. "I'm tired and want to rest for a while."
She silently packed up the medicine bowl and left the study. As she closed the door, she saw him standing by the window, the sunlight gilding his thin back with a golden edge, a figure so lonely it was heartbreaking.
In the afternoon, she was drying medicinal herbs in the courtyard when she suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats outside the door. Immediately afterward, Li Xiuyuan rushed in with several yamen runners, their footsteps chaotic and heavy.
"Miss Mo," Li Xiuyuan said with a forced smile, "someone has accused you of stealing the Xie family heirloom. Please come with us."
Mo Xiaoyu's heart sank. Looking at Li Xiuyuan's smug smile, she suddenly realized that this was all a scheme he had set up—from the difficult situation at the birthday banquet to the false accusation now, one thing led to another.
"What does Young Master Li mean by this?" Xie Yunzhi had appeared under the eaves at some point, his voice as cold as frost.
"Brother Xie," Li Xiuyuan said, cupping his hands in greeting, but his tone was utterly disrespectful, "someone witnessed Miss Mo stealing that family heirloom jade pendant. The evidence is overwhelming; please, Brother Xie, do not cover it up."
"A witness?" Xie Yunzhi sneered. "Who is it?"
"Yes, it was me." A maidservant stepped forward timidly, her head bowed low. "This servant saw Miss Mo playing with that jade pendant in the study the other day."
Mo Xiaoyu recognized her as the maid who had been gossiping in the courtyard the other day. It seemed that Li Xiuyuan had already bribed her.
"That jade pendant was a gift from me to Miss Mo," Xie Yunzhi said calmly, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.
Li Xiuyuan was clearly taken aback by his words, paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Brother Xie, why lie for a woman of unknown origin? That jade pendant is a family heirloom of the Xie family; how could we give it away so easily?"
"If Young Master Li doesn't believe me, he can always ask my parents." Xie Yunzhi's tone remained calm, but his eyes were sharp as knives. "As for Young Master Li, why are you so interested in my Xie family's heirloom? You've inquired about it time and time again, and now you've even come here in such a large group to interrogate me."
Li Xiuyuan's expression changed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead: "Brother Xie, what do you mean by this?"
"Young Master Li knows what I mean." Xie Yunzhi stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the constables. "Please leave, gentlemen. If you truly wish to investigate, let the magistrate come in person."
After Li Xiuyuan left dejectedly, only the two of them remained in the courtyard. As the sun set, the orange afterglow cast long, intertwined shadows, as if telling a story of an inseparable bond.
"I'm sorry," Mo Xiaoyu said softly, her voice trembling slightly in the evening breeze, "I've caused you trouble, young master."
He shook his head, his gaze falling on her waist, where a slight bulge shaped like a jade pendant: "That jade pendant...is it important to you?"
She instinctively clutched her waist, where the real jade pendant was hidden. The warmth in her arms reminded her that it contained the last wisp of Yunxi's soul, and also sealed all their memories. This jade pendant was the sole reason for her to live.
"Yes," she finally admitted, her voice so soft it seemed a breeze could carry it away, "It's very important."
He remained silent for a long time, the evening breeze ruffling his clothes, his blue robe gleaming softly in the setting sun. Suddenly, he spoke, "Tomorrow I'm going to the provincial capital to attend a literary gathering."
Her heart sank. Was going to the provincial capital at this time to avoid all this trouble, or...? She dared not think any further.
"How long will it take?" she heard herself ask, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.
"At least half a month, at most a month." His gaze was deep, as if trying to see into the depths of her soul. "Would you... like to come with me?"
The question came so suddenly that it caught her off guard. She looked at him, trying to find the answer in his eyes, but all she saw was calmness, a calmness that made her uneasy.
"This servant..."
"No need to answer now," he interrupted her, turning to look at the last rays of sunset on the horizon. "Just tell me before you set off tomorrow."
That night, Mo Xiaoyu didn't sleep a wink. She sat by the window, watching the moon slowly move from east to west, its cool light spilling across the courtyard and illuminating her tear-streaked face.
If she goes with him, it means she will continue this hopeless wait, facing him every day, yet never being able to acknowledge him. If she doesn't go, perhaps this will be their final farewell, and they will become strangers, never to meet again.
She took out two jade pendants and examined them closely in the moonlight. The genuine jade pendant gleamed with a warm luster, as if telling a story of longing over a thousand years; the imitation jade pendant was cold and delicate, just like their current relationship—seemingly similar, but actually separated by an insurmountable chasm.
Suddenly, the genuine jade pendant began to heat up, a warm current spreading from her palm throughout her body. A forgotten memory surged back like a tide, so vivid it seemed to have happened just yesterday—
Yunxi stood before the Reincarnation Platform, his white robes as pure as snow. He touched the jade pendant he wore close to his skin one last time, his fingertips trembling slightly. "If there is an afterlife," he whispered, his voice filled with endless longing and reluctance, "I would rather forget you forever than let you suffer for me."
The Old Man of the Moon stood behind him and sighed deeply: "Is it worth it? Is it worth giving up ten thousand years of cultivation for a fish?"
Yunxi glanced back at Yaochi, a gentle smile curving her lips: "For her, anything is worth it."
The memory ended abruptly. Mo Xiaoyu was already in tears, warm tears dripping onto the jade pendant, splashing up tiny droplets. She finally understood Yunxi's final choice—he would rather forget her and bear all the pain alone than let her live with guilt.
As dawn approached, the east began to lighten with the pale glow of dawn, and the morning light streamed through the window paper, casting a soft halo over the room. Mo Xiaoyu wiped away her tears and finally made her decision.
When she appeared in the study early in the morning with a simple bag on her back, Xie Yunzhi didn't seem surprised. He was packing his things and only glanced at the bundle on her shoulder when she came in.
"Is everything packed?" he asked, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather.
"Yes," she answered softly, her voice still a little hoarse.
The carriage slowly drove out of Qingshui Town, its wooden wheels making a rumbling sound on the bluestone road. Mo Xiaoyu looked back; the town gradually blurred in the morning mist and finally disappeared from sight. She didn't know when she would return, or what it would be like when she did.
Xie Yunzhi sat opposite her, resting with his eyes closed. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the carriage curtain, illuminating his face. His long eyelashes cast soft shadows beneath his eyes, making his handsome profile appear exceptionally gentle in the morning light.
At that moment, Mo Xiaoyu suddenly felt that perhaps this was for the best. She would stay by his side, who had lost his memory, through this life, completing her unfinished atonement. Whether he could remember or not was no longer important.
Most importantly, she still remembered. She remembered the god who gave everything for her, the deep affection that spanned a thousand years, and the words, "For her, anything is worth it."
The carriage bumped along, and the jade pendant in her arms felt warm to the touch, as if in response to her decision. She gently stroked the patterns on the pendant, as if caressing a past she could never forget.
The long night is about to end, but their journey is still long.
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