Luzhou Moon - Chapter 52
As a guest, she dared not be too conspicuous. Seven Star Island was extremely secluded, with few people walking around even during the day. But she could tell that the more secluded it was, the more countless eyes were watching everything from the shadows. She wondered if the Youth-Preserving Pearl, Lian Haichao's beloved possession, was hidden in his residence, or perhaps in the Forget-Love Pavilion, a symbol of the Lian family's power.
She couldn't help but think about these questions, just as she couldn't help but worry about Yinxi Xiaozhu.
Thinking of this, Yue Ruzheng felt as if she were tightly bound by tangled threads, unable to break free. She then thought of Tang Yanchu, whom she hadn't seen for two days, and mustered her courage to walk towards his residence. She hadn't gone far when she saw a tall figure dart into the small courtyard with its paulownia trees. Yue Ruzheng recognized Lian Junqiu and slowed her pace, waiting under the shade of a tree by the roadside.
Not long after, the door opened, and then the sound of Lian Junqiu and Tang Yanchu arguing came from inside. Although Yue Ruzheng couldn't understand their words, she could sense the anger in Tang Yanchu's tone. After hesitating for a while, she still walked to the courtyard gate.
Lian Junqiu grabbed his sleeve, her expression different from her usual icy demeanor; now, her eyes held a hint of sorrow. Tang Yanchu shook off her pull and walked to the side, only to look up and see Yue Ruzheng. A melancholy expression crossed his brow as he slowly approached her and whispered, "Why are you here?"
Before Yue Ruzheng could answer, Lian Junqiu had already arrived. Her expression had returned to calm, as if nothing unpleasant had ever happened.
"Miss Yue, there are sentries everywhere on the island. You'd better not wander around unnecessarily to avoid any misunderstandings." Her tone was calm and her attitude gentle.
Yue Ruzheng glanced at her and calmly said, "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Lian. I just came to see Xiao Tang."
Lian Junqiu glanced at Tang Yanchu and nodded silently.
Just then, the same bell that rang out in the distance as the one that had rang out when they landed that day, its faint sound drifting in the wind.
As the bell rang, the island, which had seemed deserted, suddenly began to fill with voices. From where Yue Ruzheng stood, she could see people running quickly toward the beach from various courtyards.
Lian Junqiu nudged Tang Yanchu and said, "Come with me." With that, she braced herself against his waist and forcibly pushed him out of the courtyard. Yue Ruzheng, seeing this, understood most of the situation and slowly followed behind them.
Lian Junqiu walked with Tang Yanchu under the shade of the trees, whispering to him from time to time. He simply kept his head down and walked silently. Yue Ruzheng followed a little distance away. For some reason, ever since leaving Nan Yandang, she always felt that the distance between Tang and her seemed to be growing. Or perhaps it was because she had her own worries, and ultimately, a layer of separation had formed between them.
Lost in thought, Yue Ruzheng heard the sound of footsteps ahead. Looking up, she saw a group of people approaching from the edge of the high cliff. Although the swordsmen were all imposing, they couldn't conceal the presence of the man in the center. He wore a long robe with a dark black base, the lapels embroidered with dark brown thread, and a brocade belt around his waist. His face was stern, his temples slightly gray, and he moved with swift steps, so fast that his young subordinates on either side had to exert themselves to keep up.
Behind this person was Lian Junxin, who had been to Nan Yandang before. She was still lightly made up and had a pretty face, but when she saw Tang Yanchu coming towards her, she curled her lips and let out a cold laugh.
The man in black robes slowly stopped, scrutinizing Tang Yanchu with an extremely complex gaze. Those around him dared not utter a sound, standing solemnly to the side. Tang Yanchu never looked directly at him, her gaze fixed on the distant sea, her expression indifferent, her lips tightly pressed together.
"Father..." Lian Junqiu called softly to the man, but her hand remained on Tang Yanchu's back, exerting force to prevent him from retreating.
Lian Haichao nodded, but did not look away, still staring at Tang Yanchu. His eyes were also very deep, but they were sharper than Tang Yanchu's, carrying an arrogant and domineering aura.
"You still have to come back here as I said." He finally spoke, his voice low but carrying a condescending tone.
Tang Yanchu gazed at the surging sea, a cold smile appearing on his lips. This smile was full of disdain, an expression Yue Ruzheng had never seen before since she met him.
"It's just a transaction, each getting what they want," he said with a hint of sarcasm, then fell silent.
Lian Haichao raised an eyebrow and snorted coldly, "Very good." After saying that, he stopped looking at Tang Yanchu and strode forward with Lian Junxin, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines. But after taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Yue Ruzheng. His gaze seemed to pierce through Yue Ruzheng's heart and nail her to the spot.
"Who is this person?"
Lian Junqiu hurriedly replied, "It's my younger brother's friend, Yue Ruzheng, a disciple of Yinxi Xiaozhu."
"Yinxi Xiaozhu?" Lian Haichao raised his voice and glanced at Yue Ruzheng.
"Isn't she only with Tang Yanchu because of his status?" Lian Junxin glanced at Yue Ruzheng, then looked at Tang Yanchu mockingly. "You're really deceiving yourself!"
Tang Yanchu didn't even glance at her, turned around, broke free from Lian Junqiu, and quickly headed back the way she came. Yue Ruzheng was slightly taken aback, then hurriedly chased after her. At the same time, Lian Haichao also led his men away down another road.
Yue Ruzheng never expected that their first meeting after ten years would be so cold and filled with hidden resistance. She had always thought that Xiao Tang had his arms cut off simply because he was Lian Haichao's son, so as a father, Lian Haichao should feel guilty towards his only son and dote on him.
But she never expected that even in front of Tang Yanchu, Lian Haichao would maintain his usual arrogance and self-importance, trying his best to suppress his stubborn son.
Yue Ruzheng suddenly realized that the situation was worse than she had anticipated. She had originally planned to wait for Lian Haichao to return and then tell Xiao Tang what had happened at Yinxi Xiaozhu, asking him to ask Lian Haichao to return the Time-Stabilizing Pearl. But now, judging from their attitudes, it was simply a pipe dream.
Lian Haichao would only use this as leverage to force Tang Yanchu to submit and admit defeat, but Tang Yanchu would absolutely not bow down easily.
Her steps grew slower and heavier, her mind filled with a jumble of thoughts, and she didn't even notice Tang Yanchu walking back to her side.
"Ruzheng." He called her softly, and she looked up at him as if waking from a dream.
Tang Yanchu's usually clear and cool eyes showed some weariness. Yue Ruzheng raised her hand to brush away the strands of hair from his forehead and asked, "Were you like this with him before?"
Tang Yanchu paused, then asked, "Yes, what's wrong?"
Yue Ruzheng gave a wry smile: "I don't think you two are like father and son at all."
"I haven't even said more than a few words to him." Tang Yanchu was silent for a moment, then continued walking forward. Yue Ruzheng followed behind him. The two passed through a pavilion and came to a fork in the road. One path led to their courtyard, while the other was a deserted path with only ancient trees reaching the sky.
"Little Tang, where does that road lead?" Yue Ruzheng asked casually.
Tang Yanchu suddenly stopped in his tracks. His shoulders tensed, and without turning his head, he said in a hoarse voice, "Don't go that way, understand?"
"...Okay." Yue Ruzheng hesitated before answering. Tang Yanchu, hearing her agreement, walked silently toward her own courtyard.
Yue Ruzheng stood there, stunned, wondering what she had done wrong with her question. She stared at the secluded path, her heart filled with doubt. Even after returning to her room, she was still puzzled and pondered to herself.
As night deepened, she finally couldn't contain herself any longer and quietly slipped out of the courtyard. Seeing that no one was around, she slipped away and headed down the path. The trees here were dense, and the ground was covered with neat blue bricks. The swaying shadows of the trees were like lurking wild beasts, and occasionally seabirds would be startled and flutter past, making Yue Ruzheng break out in a cold sweat.
She walked along the blue brick path for a long time, and gradually a clearing appeared before her. Further ahead lay a desolate beach. Yue Ruzheng saw no buildings around her and was quite disappointed. But as she turned around, she suddenly noticed, on the hill at the end of the clearing, mounds of earth of varying heights. She hesitated for a few steps, and only then, by the faint moonlight, did she realize that those mounds were actually graves.
Yue Ruzheng felt a chill run through her body and hurriedly backed away, only to bump into someone. Startled, she couldn't help but cry out.
What are you doing here so late?!
Only then did Yue Ruzheng realize that it was Tang Yanchu standing behind her. However, in the dim moonlight, his white clothes made him appear even more lonely and desolate.
"I...I was just wandering around, I didn't know this place..." She tried her best to hide her panic as she spoke and moved closer to him.
"I told you not to come, why didn't you listen?" Tang Yanchu said angrily, which was unusual for her.
Yue Ruzheng's face paled slightly. She lowered her voice and said, "I'm sorry, Xiao Tang, I didn't mean to lie to you..."
"You clearly agreed, yet you say you didn't lie to me?" Tang Yanchu took a step back, stared at her for a long time, then suddenly turned and quickly left.