Luzhou Moon - Chapter 44
"What do you think?" Yue Ruzheng asked calmly, without getting angry.
Tang Yanchu remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised her head, looked at her with clear eyes, smiled faintly, and said, "I don't think so."
"Little Tang." Yue Ruzheng looked into his eyes, her heart softened, she leaned against his chest, hugged his waist, and whispered his name.
"Hmm." He lowered his head and gazed at her in the dim light.
Yue Ruzheng raised her head and gently stroked his face. His eyes were still bright and clear in the darkness. She gazed at those eyes, which were as clear as mountain spring water, and suddenly remembered the promise she had made to her master before she came.
Her heart pounded, her mind a complete mess. A voice echoed in her mind: Yue Ruzheng, what are you doing? What did you just do?!
Her body stiffened, and she slowly released her hands, sitting up. Tang Yanchu stared at her in astonishment, then sat up straight as well, asking, "Ruzheng, what's wrong?"
She was still lost in thought, still wondering if what she had just witnessed, that intimacy with Tang Yanchu, was what her senior uncle had said—that she had used every means to get close to him and gain his trust? Had she unknowingly done such a thing?
Yue Ruzheng was in a state of utter confusion, her head throbbing with pain. She lowered herself down, hugging her knees, and remained silent.
Tang Yanchu had no idea why she had suddenly become like this. He moved a few times on his knees, then leaned on her shoulder and asked anxiously, "Ruzheng, is the place where you bumped yourself still very painful? Can I take a look?"
Yue Ruzheng looked up, gazing sadly at his earnest and tense face, and said in a hoarse voice, "Little Tang..."
"Huh? What's wrong with you?" he asked, looking at her.
She suddenly threw herself at him, hugged him tightly, breathed heavily, and held back her tears.
Tang Yanchu rested his chin on her shoulder, close to her face, and said, "Ruzheng, if you feel unwell, just say so. Don't hold it in."
Yue Ruzheng hugged him tightly, shaking her head and saying, "No, no. Xiao Tang, I like you! I like you!"
Tang Yanchu was startled, then smiled and said softly, "I like you too, Ruzheng."
Chapter Thirty-One: Now that you have returned, let us support each other.
That night was one of the most unforgettable moments for Yue Ruzheng. She discovered that speaking aloud the words that had been building up in her heart brought her such joy, tinged with a touch of bittersweetness. It was precisely this subtle feeling that she would remember for the rest of her life.
She held Tang Yanchu tightly, unwilling to let go for a long time. Only when she suddenly realized that he still had a fever did she feel a little guilty and help him lean against the headboard. She even went to cook porridge for him, although she didn't cook it long enough, Tang Yanchu obediently finished it without even frowning.
Looking at his calm eyes, Yue Ruzheng suddenly longed for a home. A home that could forever hold her and him, a home untouched by storms.
The soft moonlight streamed into the small house, accompanied by the fragrance of pear blossoms carried by the breeze outside the window. Yue Ruzheng pressed her face close to his chest, hearing his heart pounding rapidly. Yue Ruzheng closed her eyes, silently counting his heartbeats, feeling so close to him, as if they could stay together forever.
Tang Yanchu kept his eyes lowered and quietly looked at her. After a while, Yue Ruzheng raised her head, met his gaze, and hugged his shoulders.
Tang Yanchu nudged her cheek and whispered, "Ruzheng, why did you come back?"
Yue Ruzheng trembled violently, her gaze, which had been fixed on him, unconsciously lowered. Tang Yanchu stared at her, slightly dazed, and seeing her suddenly become lost and melancholy again, he quickly said, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it." He bent down again, looked into Yue Ruzheng's eyes, and whispered, "Actually, I just thought you would never come back..."
Yue Ruzheng's already flustered heart ached again. She sat down in front of him with her head down and said weakly, "I'm sorry..."
Tang Yanchu paused for a moment, then smiled and leaned down, gently pressing his cheek against the back of her hand resting on her knee, saying, "You didn't do anything wrong." He hesitated, then murmured to himself, "Ruzheng, do you know? Seeing you back made me so happy, so very happy. Really..."
Yue Ruzheng almost burst into tears. She suppressed her sorrow and reached out to stroke his face. A faint smile remained on his face; Yue Ruzheng had never seen Tang Yanchu with such joy in his eyes. She slowly reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, helping him sit up straight. Despite his rapid breathing and sweat beading on his forehead, Tang Yanchu still gazed at her gently.
Unable to resist his clear, watery gaze, Yue Ruzheng gently kissed his face, saying with a touch of bitterness, "Little Tang, I miss you so much."
Tang Yanchu tried her best to move closer to her and said softly, "Me too."
Actually, when Tang Yanchu said those words, he really wanted to ask Yue Ruzheng if she would leave again after returning this time. But he hesitated for a long time and still didn't say it. He really couldn't bear to destroy the warmth of this moment, even if it was just a fleeting moment of happiness. He just wanted to carefully treasure it and keep it deep in his heart.
Yue Ruzheng sensed that he seemed lost in thought and assumed he was tired, so she said softly, "Xiao Tang, it's getting late, go to sleep."
Tang Yanchu nodded, and Yue Ruzheng got up, carrying the basin of water towards the door. The moment she turned around, Tang Yanchu really wanted to reach out and pull her back, but he could only silently watch her figure disappear behind the door.
The next morning, when Tang Yanchu woke up, sunlight already filled the small house. He opened his eyes somewhat groggily, staring blankly at the tightly closed door. Apart from the chirping of birds, there was no other sound outside. The scene of Yue Ruzheng appearing before him under the bright moonlight the previous night was still vivid in his mind. As Tang Yanchu thought about this, he suddenly sat up abruptly, and without even putting on his coat, stumbled out of the room.
He forcefully pushed open the door to the opposite room, but no one was inside. He stood there, stunned, feeling a chill run through his body. Yue Ruzheng's embrace, Yue Ruzheng's kiss, felt both real and unreal, beautiful and tender like a dream.
He was breathing heavily, leaning weakly against the doorframe, when he heard a familiar voice behind him: "Xiao Tang."
Tang Yanchu was startled and slowly turned around. In the sunlight, Yue Ruzheng, dressed in a light green dress, was standing at the entrance of the main house, holding a bundle of firewood.
"What's wrong with you..." Yue Ruzheng frowned, about to speak, when Tang Yanchu practically rushed over, knocking aside the firewood with his body and slamming into her. Yue Ruzheng was jolted back a step by his sudden burst of strength, quickly reaching out to hug his waist, and exclaimed in surprise, "What's wrong with you?"
Tang Yanchu said nothing, only leaned close to her. Yue Ruzheng's face was pressed against his neck. He stood there for a long time before turning his head and gently touching her. Yue Ruzheng looked up at him, and Tang Yanchu looked at her, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, his eyes full of joy and peace.
"You're back, Ruzheng." He said softly, as if waking from a dream.
It was only then that Tang Yanchu confirmed that his Ruzheng had truly and undeniably returned to Nan Yandang, to this quiet little courtyard, and to his side once again. Although he still didn't understand why Ruzheng had suddenly returned, her appearance was like a gentle moonlight, softly illuminating this desolate world and soothing the pain that had plunged him into despair.
He stopped stubbornly insisting on being strong and instead quietly lay in bed to recuperate. Two days later, when Yue Ruzheng brought a basin of water to his room again, he told her that he was already better.
"Really?" Yue Ruzheng touched his cheek, and sure enough, it was no longer hot.
Tang Yanchu turned her head and carefully licked her fingertips. Yue Ruzheng did not withdraw his hand, a faint smile on his lips. He boldly and slowly kissed each of her fingers, then smiled, his eyes sparkling.
Yue Ruzheng wrung out a towel to wipe his face, but he stepped back and said, "Ruzheng, I'm cured. You don't need to take care of me in every way."
"But you are still very weak..." Yue Ruzheng sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him with concern.
"I'll recover soon." He smiled, took the towel from her hand, placed it on his other knee, and bent down to wipe his face. Yue Ruzheng watched quietly. After he finished washing his face, he put the towel in the basin, then sat up straight and said, "See, I'm really fine."
Yue Ruzheng smiled, put her lips together, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and nestled against his chest.
Tang Yanchu noticed that Yue Ruzheng had become gentler than before after returning this time, but also more silent. She would often hold him like this for a long time without saying a word, just quietly snuggling close to him.
As the pear blossoms were about to fade, Tang Yanchu sat with her in the courtyard, watching the snow-white petals twirl in the wind before finally falling to the ground. Yue Ruzheng sat behind him, resting her head on his shoulder, gazing at the fallen flowers.
"Ruzheng." Tang Yanchu, with her back to her, hesitated for a long time before speaking, "Why do you seem so preoccupied and unhappy?"