Chapter 60: Disappeared As soon as I walked out of the city gate, although there were still many people around...
As soon as he left the city gate, despite the many people walking around, Tang Suzi immediately spotted the red figure. He stood quietly under the ginkgo tree, like a frozen painting.
It was April now, and the ginkgo trees had quietly sprouted many tender leaves, appearing full of vitality under the bright midday sun.
The sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, sprinkling onto Ling An's face like fine gold, casting a shadow of light and dark.
He stood under the tree, his back against the trunk, one hand holding the sword, the other hand naturally clasped between his arms. The icy silk hanging from the sword tassel was entwined with his black hair, gleaming coldly in the light spots.
Ling An had his eyes slightly closed, as if he was dozing off. Perhaps he felt Tang Suzi's gaze, he slowly opened his eyes and looked in her direction with his deep eyes.
Tang Suzi walked towards him and called out, "Ling An."
Ling An lowered his arms, his face as calm as water, showing no emotion. He simply replied, "Let's go."
Tang Suzi hurried to catch up with him.
Along the way, she kept glancing sideways at him, observing his expression. He seemed to have returned to the way he was when Tang Suzi first met him—cold and icy, exuding an aura that kept people at a distance, making it difficult for anyone to approach.
Tang Suzi thought for a moment, and finally said: "Before I left, I went to see Lin Xiangli."
She thought that Ling An's expression would change somewhat when Lin Xiangli was mentioned, but she didn't expect that his expression remained unchanged.
As the shadows of the trees slanted, they happened to crush a few dead leaves. His response was even softer than the sound of falling leaves: "Oh.
"She asked me to tell you that she's sorry and she didn't mean to deceive you."
The old willow tree at the corner of the mountain path had sprouted new buds. When the slender branches brushed Ling An's shoulders, he raised his hand and brushed the branches gently and smoothly. He replied in a calm tone, "It's okay. It's none of her business. I recognized the wrong person."
He walked very fast. Tang Suzi bent down to go around the willow branches and caught up with him and asked, "Is that girl important to you?"
Ling An paused, then continued forward, albeit at a slower pace. His gaze seemed to penetrate the air ahead, lost in distant memories, before he slowly replied, "Very important."
He spoke very slowly, and every word seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight. His tone gradually became heavier without him noticing, and his face held an expression that Tang Suzi had never seen before.
Tang Suzi looked at him, and her heart was moved. "But, she just gave you a piece of steamed bun. Maybe she has forgotten about it a long time ago. You have been thinking about it for so many years. Is it worth it?"
"It's worth it." Ling An answered quickly, without hesitation. After a pause, he added, "Besides, it's not just a steamed bun."
Tang Suzi pursed her lips and lowered her head. She looked at the shadows of the two people walking on the road, hesitated for a moment, and finally mustered the courage to say, "If I say... I might be..."
However, her voice was so soft that Ling An didn't hear it. He continued to talk to himself, "However, Tanshan Temple receives so many prayers and wishes from the human world every year. If it was from her, I should be able to sense it. But in all these years, I haven't received any prayers from anyone who seems to be her. Maybe she is living happily in some corner of the human world..."
Hearing this, Tang Suzi's clenched fists slowly loosened.
She originally planned to confess to Ling An and confirm with him whether she was the person he was looking for.
But now, even if she was really the one he was looking for, she couldn't tell him. Not to mention that if she wasn't the one Ling An was looking for, Ling An would be disappointed again; and if she was really that little girl, she definitely didn't save him because she wanted him to repay her, and it was the same now. Just let it all go.
“Boom…”
Suddenly, the sound of a bell from the top of the mountain broke through the clouds, resounding between heaven and earth.
Tang Suzi paused. As far as his eyes could see, a grand and solemn temple stood quietly on a nearby mountain. It seemed to have grown from the very mountain itself, blending seamlessly with the white clouds and sky. Its golden glazed tiles, illuminated by the sunlight, resembled the golden light shed by the Buddha.
I didn’t expect to arrive at Tanshan Temple so soon…
Hearing the bell, Ling An also stopped. He looked at the Tanshan Temple not far away and said slowly, "There are too many pilgrims at the temple gate. We need to transform here." After that, he turned to look at Tang Suzi, "I will go find the master first, you follow me."
Hearing this, Tang Suzi turned around and saw that the people around her had disappeared. Then, she saw a flash of light before her eyes, and saw a blood unicorn leap into the air, like a brilliant red glow on the horizon, and quickly disappeared into the clouds.
Tang Suzi stood there for a long time without moving.
An indescribable feeling of reluctance welled up in her heart. Once she was gone, she would truly be leaving the human world. Zhou Tiao would truly be gone from this world.
In fact, she didn't need to use illusion to know that she was about to disappear, because along the way, she could feel her body getting lighter and lighter, which was a sign of disillusionment.
Tang Suzi couldn't help but look back at the end of the forest path. It was empty and quiet, with no one in sight.
She slowly turned her head, tears glistening in her eyes. Although she was extremely reluctant to leave, she also knew that she could not stay any longer and it was time to leave.
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves breaking through the wind broke the silence in the forest.
Tang Suzi turned around suddenly, she couldn't believe her eyes.
I saw a familiar figure dismounting from his horse, his ink-black cloak fluttering in the wind as he ran, forming a grand and spectacular arc, as if it could sweep away all the darkness and noise in the world, making the world quiet in an instant, with only his figure running towards me.
The next moment, Tang Suzi felt a flash before his eyes, and then he was pulled tightly into a warm embrace.
"Tiaotiao!"
"Tiaotiao."
"Tiaotiao..."
He held her and called her name three times.
The first call was rapid and frantic, like the cry of his deepest fear. The second, a little softer, as if finally relieved, having confirmed the reality of the person in his arms. The third, a gentle whisper, truly revealed his true feelings. That voice was filled with endless love, yet also tinged with bitterness and deep pity.
"Ayu, do you know?" Tang Suzi raised his head slightly, his eyes full of surprise and other complicated emotions.
Fang Buyu slowly let go of her, gently held her shoulders with both hands, looked into her eyes, and said seriously, "I know, you are Tiao Tiao."
As he spoke, he carefully groped inside his collar and quickly took out something, which was a dried leaf vein.
"Do you remember this? When you were bored, you always liked to tear the veins of leaves to pass the time. That night in the pavilion in the mansion, I found the leaf veins you left behind, and then I was truly sure that you were Tiao Tiao."
Tang Suzi didn't expect that he had made this mistake. He was careless and cautious in everything he did, not wanting to reveal his identity. He didn't expect that the habits he had formed since childhood could not be changed.
But no matter who she is, she shouldn't stay in the world anymore.
"No, A Yu and Zhou Tiao are already dead. I returned to the human world this time as Tang Suzi, with a mission. Now that the mission is completed, I must leave."
Upon hearing this, Fang Buyu almost couldn't breathe. "Where should I go after leaving you? Are you going to a place where I can't find you anymore?"
Tang Suzi didn't say anything. She lowered her head, not knowing how to explain. She knew that no matter what she said, she couldn't change the fact that she was about to leave, just like no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't change the arrangement of fate.
Fang Buyu hugged her again. He held her very tightly, as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he let go. But he was afraid of hurting her, so he loosened his grip a little.
He begged, "Tiaotiao, don't do this to me. I don't want to experience life without you again."
A drop of warm water fell on Tang Suzi's shoulder, penetrating through the clothes and into her skin. Tang Suzi felt as if her heart was soaked by this tear.
She also didn't want to part with him. During the ten years she kept the lamp, she felt that she was just a wisp of misty air in this world, dispensable. No one talked to her, no one cared about her, no one paid attention to her. Even if she suddenly disappeared, no one would remember her.
After returning to the human world, she experienced so many things and met many people. She felt love and pain, remembered who she was, and knew that there was someone outside the world who once loved her so much. She also knew that there was someone in the human world who was guarding her.
She has been guarding grandma for ten years, and Ayu has also been guarding her for ten years.
But the laws of nature have their own rules, and there are so many things in the world that are beyond her control. She can never go back to her grandmother or to A Yu.
Tang Suzi raised his hand and hugged Fang Buyu back, hugging him tighter and tighter, as if he wanted to freeze this moment forever.
Fang Buyu felt her movements and said happily, "Tiaotiao, you are willing to come back with me, right? That's great. From now on, we will never be separated!"
In his mind, he had already begun to sketch out a beautiful picture of their future, with a warm courtyard, flowers blooming all year round, and every day and night spent together.
But he didn't wait for the promise of the person in his arms, but a farewell: "Goodbye, A Yu."
Upon hearing this, Fang Buyu felt as if his heart had stopped beating, and the whole world seemed to collapse at this moment. His hands were still in the hugging position, but he could no longer feel the warmth of the person in his arms.
He hurriedly let go of Tang Suzi's hand, wanting to ask her what she was talking about. However, as soon as he let go, the person in his arms slowly disappeared into the air like quicksand, leaving only a faint, illusory shadow that gradually dissipated in the breeze.
“Tiaotiao!”…
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