Eternal Night - Chapter 131
"I only know that Jiguzhai is connected to Youligu, but it is very difficult to enter Jiguzhai. I was just worrying about it when I saw the princess. The princess has the ability to appreciate calligraphy and paintings, and she happens to be working at Jiguzhai. Therefore, the princess is the best candidate to find out the whereabouts of Youligu and save Princess Qiangwei."
Yongye sighed. She suddenly remembered Yuepo's reluctant expression when she left. He said he was afraid she wouldn't come back after leaving, that she would never show her face again after selling the fake painting and taking her revenge. Could Yuepo sense that she would be targeted by Feng Yangxi or Prince Yan?
She was born to be the mortal enemy of Youli Valley. Just a day ago, she was thinking of leaving the capital with Yuepo to live a carefree life. Just a day later, she could only hide in the darkness again to fight against Youli Valley.
However, she couldn't ignore Rose, she couldn't leave her unsaved.
“I stayed at Jiguzhai for more than half a month. It was just an ordinary antique and calligraphy shop.”
Feng Yangxi watched the changing expressions on Yongye's face, sometimes frowning with worry, sometimes filled with sadness and sighing. He couldn't help but ask himself, was it right to force her and drag her into this again? Perhaps he should let go and let her live her own life. As soon as this thought arose, Feng Yangxi felt a tightness in his chest, as if someone had punched him hard. How could he tolerate this…? Feng Yangxi tried his best to control his emotions and told Yongye as calmly as possible, "You'll definitely discover something if you stay here. If I knew how Jiguzhai and Youligu were connected, would I need to come to you?"
Yongye smiled and asked, "How can I contact you?"
"I've always been by your side." Feng Yangxi said, then turned and left.
Yongye was stunned. Feng Yangxi said he had been by her side the whole time? He knew she was with Yuepo? How did he find them? He must have seen her climb over the wall into the courtyard.
"I know a little bit of basic kung fu..." Yongye said carefully, watching Feng Yangxi's back as a three-inch-long needle slid out of her palm.
Feng Yangxi said without turning his head, "I know, it's just amateurish skill, he can only climb over walls."
"I kept it from you before because..." Yongye was trying to find a reasonable explanation.
Feng Yangxi's laughter rang out: "I know, you're afraid I won't protect you to Chen! Go back soon, that kid surnamed Yue has been waiting for you for a long time."
As his figure disappeared, Yongye was drenched in sweat with tension. If Feng Yangxi harbored even the slightest suspicion towards her, she would kill him without hesitation. She didn't need throwing knives; other concealed weapons were just as effective.
Questions arose in his mind once again. Yongye recalled Feng Yangxi insisting on carrying her out of the valley. Was he worried that her skills weren't good enough, or did he pity her for not having fully recovered her strength? How much had he actually seen and heard in the shadows? Yongye once again recalled the scene with Yuepo in the courtyard.
Feng Yangxi couldn't possibly be hiding on the roof; if he approached the courtyard, she would definitely notice him. In other words, even if he saw her climbing over the wall, he wouldn't know she was Xinghun.
Yongye thought and thought, finally letting out a sigh of relief. Thinking of Yuepo waiting for her return, thinking of the end of her peaceful life, Yongye sighed softly. Was this her fate? She quickly calmed herself again; how could she abandon Qiangwei? Perhaps, she truly couldn't escape it; as long as Youli Valley remained, she would never find peace. But Yuepo, would he understand?
Passively revealing the secret
"You're back?"
Yongye scaled the back wall to enter. To avoid being seen, she always went out through the back wall, and returned after dark. The people in the alley only knew that Uncle Zhao stayed home weaving straw sandals to care for his seriously ill Aunt Zhao, and rarely went out. Yongye couldn't possibly come and go so openly.
There was a grape trellis in the courtyard, and Yuepo sat under the trellis, smiling as she waited for her to eat.
Yongye bought two roast chickens and forced a smile, saying, "I pawned them for a thousand taels of silver." He then handed the silver notes to Yuepo.
On the table sat a roast chicken, several stir-fried side dishes, and a soup of old pumpkin and mung beans. Yuepo sighed and said, "I bought another piglet, and I named it Naozhu. Once it's fattened up, we should be able to leave."
Yongye gave an "oh," tore off a chicken leg, and handed it to Yuepo. She then took a chicken leg and started gnawing on it. She suddenly realized that gnawing on a chicken leg had another advantage: she didn't have to say much.
Should she tell Yuepo that she has met Feng Yangxi?
"Xinghun, let's leave the capital and find a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and kind-hearted people, okay? I want to see you dressed as a woman, just like any other girl. Once we're settled, will you marry me?"
"I..." Yongye hesitated for a moment, remembering Feng Yangxi saying that he had always been by her side. For some reason, the thought of Feng Yangxi watching Yuepo when they were together made her feel uncomfortable. How many times had Yuepo mentioned marrying him? Yongye's mind was in turmoil.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Yuepo stared at her, the roast chicken in her hand suddenly losing its flavor.
"I can't abandon Qiangwei. Can we wait until we find her? Feng Yangxi promised not to tell Prince Yan and won't take me back to marry him!" Yongye told Yuepo about her encounter with Feng Yangxi with her head down. She didn't mention that Feng Yangxi had been following her, for fear that Yuepo would feel uneasy.
Yuepo was stunned. She took a sip of porridge and forced a smile: "Yes, if we don't save Qiangwei, you'll never feel at peace for the rest of your life."
Yongye stirred the porridge with her chopsticks and said softly, "After we save Qiangwei, we'll...we'll go find that place." Her face flushed, and she buried her head in her porridge, taking big gulps.
She still couldn't bring herself to say the word "marry." Yongye looked into Yuepo's eyes with some confusion. She had always wanted to live a peaceful and quiet life with Yuepo. What was wrong with marrying him? Why did she always feel that something was off?
"We will definitely rescue Rose." Yuepo reached out and wiped the oil off her face, saying gently, "You've always been a little silly and kind. How can we live our lives in peace if we don't save Rose?"
Yongye smiled and said, "You're wrong. I'm not stupid or kind. If I hadn't met Feng Yangxi, I would have preferred to continue living like this, regardless of Qiangwei, really. I'm very selfish. Maybe it's because I've always had things to do and have been on edge all the time that I yearn for that kind of life."
After saying those words, Yongye saw Yuepo's hand tremble. She was also taken aback. Was she yearning for this peaceful and tranquil life because she liked Yuepo? No, no, Yongye told herself that it couldn't be. Yuepo had been good to her since childhood, and the days she spent with Yuepo always felt warm and cozy. How could she not like him?
"Don't I know you? You seem ruthless, but you're soft-hearted. Stop talking and eat. Finish the chicken leg; there's still one left!" Yuepo lowered her eyes to hide the panic in them and busied herself serving food to Yongye.
His face was so close to hers, yet Yongye felt a sense of powerlessness, a feeling that one day he would be very, very far away from her. Why did she feel that life in the mountains was fleeting, and even after coming to the capital, seeing the peaceful medical clinic of her dreams, and living the tranquil life she had always dreamed of with Yuepo, did it still feel fleeting?
This feeling made Yongye uneasy, though she couldn't explain why. Suddenly, she threw down the chicken leg and hugged Yuepo. She closed her eyes and murmured, "Let's go, let's go now! Aren't you familiar with the capital? Can't we find a secluded section of the city wall to climb over? I'm good at light footwork, I'll take you out! Let's forget about Rose, forget about Youli Valley, and forget about the relationship between Chaji Guzhai and Youli Valley, let's go!"
"Fool!" Yuepo gently patted her back. The capital was different from other cities. The city walls were eight zhang high and made entirely of large bluestones. Was it so easy to climb over the city walls? Besides... now that Feng Yangxi had her eyes on him, how could he leave? He gently stroked her back, the bright moon reflected in his eyes, a serene coolness that seemed to hide endless sorrow.
In the courtyard on a summer night, moonlight shone through the grape trellis, casting the shadows of the vines and leaves upon the two people who were tightly embracing. Patches of shadow enveloped the moon and the eternal night.
At dawn, the thin twilight on the horizon changes from blue to orange, gradually ushering in a clear day.
Yongye lay listlessly on the bamboo mat, seemingly devoid of energy. If only she could sleep like this, without thinking about anything. She sighed, and a question surfaced in her mind: Where was Qiangwei?
"Lazy pig, get up! That lazy pig is up early! I've already fed it."
Yongye turned her head to the side, and Yuepo leaned against the doorway, smiling at her. Sunlight cast a golden glow on him, his handsome face and the smile on his lips made him appear ethereal, like a banished immortal, even in coarse clothes.
"Is it like me? All it knows is to eat and sleep, sleep and eat."
"Who ate and then went to sleep last night?" Yuepo couldn't help but laugh again. Yongye clung to him all night, and actually fell asleep not long after.
Yongye sprang up with a somersault, stretched, and walked out of the room without looking to the side: "If it gets fat, it will be slaughtered. I got fat because I ate its meat! How can they be the same?"
Yuepo chuckled as she watched Yongye finish a large bowl of porridge. Then she took out her disguise: "These are specially made for you, just like the original. They won't come off without the medicine. Be careful. Your voice is clear and bright, lacking any feminine softness. It's normal that you're petite and have a small Adam's apple. Just add a scar patch, and it won't fall off." Yuepo chattered on as she worked.
Seeing that he was done, Yongye looked in the mirror and saw only a dark-skinned boy, not afraid to show his white teeth. Just as he was about to leave, Yuepo took out a knife case: "I had it custom-made. Just like yours."
When was this done?