Luzhou Moon - Chapter 91
Lian Junchu didn't respond. He lowered his head, bit his sleeve, and struggled a few times before finally managing to take off his robe. It was because of this that Yue Ruzheng saw for the first time the iron object attached to the end of his upper arm. At this time, night was falling and the light inside the carriage was dim. She could only vaguely see the two bronze-colored objects that were forcibly "grown" on his arm, with countless sharp spikes baring their claws on his shoulders.
Yue Ruzheng had never known what was hidden in his sleeves, enabling him to flick out two swords and even launch concealed weapons. Seeing his strange appearance now, and recalling Lian Junqiu's words earlier, she was overcome with sorrow. She struggled to sit up, swaying as she tried.
Lian Junchu was tugging at the robe with her foot when she saw her stand up and asked anxiously, "What are you trying to do now?"
Yue Ruzheng, holding onto the carriage wall, moved closer to him, her face pale, staring blankly at his arms. Lian Junchu leaned back slightly, seemingly trying to avoid the gaze, and said, "Don't look."
Yue Ruzheng acted as if she hadn't heard him, her gaze still fixed on him.
"Go back quickly!" He became a little impatient, tugging at the robe beside him with his foot. "This can be spread out on the seat."
Yue Ruzheng pursed her lips and looked down, then suddenly said, "Your knees are all scraped up, why are you still putting in this effort?"
He paused, then turned his face away and said, "If not with my feet, what else can I do?"
"I didn't mean that..." Yue Ruzheng didn't know how to explain herself clearly. At this moment, the chilling internal energy surged within her again, making her feel icy cold in her hands and feet, yet her face burned like fire. She couldn't hold on any longer and swayed precariously. Seeing her furrowed brows, Lian Junchu quickly said, "Sit down."
Yue Ruzheng sat listlessly in the corner. As the carriage wound its way through the mountains, the slightest jolt made her feel as if she had fallen into a whirlpool. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over her, and she clung tightly to the carriage wall, too uncomfortable to speak. Just then, she felt something touching her lower back. She glanced back and saw Lian Junchu sitting sideways, holding a dark blue robe to her side with her right foot.
Yue Ruzheng wasn't actually afraid of the cold, but after hesitating for a moment, she still reached out and pulled his coat over her shoulders.
The wheels rolled on, but the carriage remained silent. The night grew deeper, a few cold stars twinkling in the sky, seemingly echoing each other from afar. A few voices came from outside, then Yinglong knocked on the carriage wall and said, "Young Master, we've prepared some food. Would you like us to bring it to you?"
Lian Junchu glanced at Yue Ruzheng, who was leaning against the side, and said, "Bring it in."
Yinglong then leaned over and brought him a bag of snacks, placed it beside his seat, and quietly turned and left.
Lian Junchu thought for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Want to eat?"
"I can't eat." Yue Ruzheng's back was to him, her voice trembling slightly.
"What's wrong now?" He frowned, looking somewhat dejected.
Yue Ruzheng wondered if he thought she was just being stubborn again. Thinking this, she forced herself to sit up, turned around, and said, "I'm feeling unwell, that's why I can't eat."
Lian Junchu looked up at her, but in the dim light, he couldn't see her face clearly. He only noticed her tired and weak voice. He said in a muffled voice, "You haven't eaten anything all day."
Yue Ruzheng hesitated for a moment, then moved a little closer to the table, picked up a pastry, and took a small bite.
"Want some?" Although she was facing away from Lian Junchu, her eyes glanced in his direction.
"I've already eaten lunch," he replied somewhat seriously.
"It's already dark!" Yue Ruzheng lowered her head, picked up the pastries, and handed them to him. She hadn't finished her own food yet, and was biting very slowly, her left hand remaining in that position the whole time. Because she had her back to him, she didn't know what Lian Junchu's expression was, and in the quiet carriage, no other sounds could be heard.
Her shoulders ached terribly, but she still refused to pull her hand away. After a long while, she felt a faint breath above her fingertips. Yue Ruzheng subconsciously raised her hand a little higher, only to touch his cheek.
She turned around in a bit of a panic. In the darkness, he was looking at her, his eyes hazy and calm, like water droplets at the bottom of a deep pool.
"Why are your hands still so cold?" he asked after a moment's hesitation.
Yue Ruzheng's arm felt so heavy she could barely hold on. Unable to speak, she struggled to hand the snacks to him. Lian Junchu lowered his head, his breath light and warm, brushing against Yue Ruzheng's cool fingertips.
So he carefully took a bite of his dry rations, as if afraid of touching her hand. He never looked up at Yue Ruzheng while eating, his eyelashes casting a faint shadow, his already deep eyes seeming to deliberately hide, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
The clear moonlight streamed through the window into the carriage, as if draping the two of them in a thin, translucent white veil.
As night deepened, Yinglong parked the carriage by the roadside. Lian Junchu got up and went out to give Bi Fang some instructions. Then, Bi Fang, along with two attendants, immediately mounted their horses and rode off into the distance.
Through the window, Yue Ruzheng saw Ying Long light a campfire. Lian Junchu stood beside the flickering flames, his features clear and sharp, though the two dark iron spikes attached to his arms seemed incongruous with his appearance. The night wind across the plains was quite cold; he was only wearing a light-colored jacket. Yue Ruzheng watched his clothes flutter in the wind and, without thinking, slipped the dark blue robe he had left in the carriage through the window sill, whispering, "Here you go."
Upon hearing the voice, Lian Jun turned around and shook her head with a solemn expression.
Seeing that he refused to accept her kindness or return to seek shelter, Yue Ruzheng endured for a while before calling him softly again, "Lian Junchu."
Sitting beside him, Ying Long also heard her voice. He had long suspected that this female disciple of Yinxi Xiaozhu and the young master weren't strangers, but he was quite surprised to hear her call him by his name directly. Lian Junchu, seeing Ying Long's surprised yet undisguised expression, quickly returned to the carriage, frowning at Yue Ruzheng, and said, "You're freezing cold, don't you want this cotton robe?"
Yue Ruzheng clutched her clothes, stubbornly saying, "I'm feeling cold because of internal injuries, not because I'm not wearing enough clothes."
"You know you're injured?" Lian Junchu sat back down opposite her. "I'll send you back to Luzhou now; what happens after that is none of my business."
Yue Ruzheng felt a tightness in her chest. Seeing that she was still very weak, Lian Junchu said nothing more. The two of them sat on opposite sides, leaning against the carriage wall in silence.
She didn't know how much time had passed when Lian Junchu, who was already feeling sleepy, suddenly heard the sound of tossing and turning coming from across the room. She opened her eyes and saw Yue Ruzheng lying on her side in her seat, her knees curled up and pressed against her chest, as if she was enduring great pain.
He stood up in the dark night, walked to her, and squatted down with some difficulty.
Yue Ruzheng kept her eyes tightly closed, her breathing heavy. Lian Junchu felt a chill in her heart and moved closer. By the moonlight, she could see that Yue Ruzheng's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked in a low voice.
Yue Ruzheng took a few heavy breaths, barely opening her eyes, her voice hoarse: "I can't explain it... It seems like it happens every now and then..." Before she could finish speaking, another sharp, needle-like pain shot through her spine. She gritted her teeth, trying desperately to curl up, as if that would ease the pain. But as soon as she bent over, her spine cracked as if it were about to break. Yue Ruzheng, who had endured this pain until now, could no longer bear the piercing pain and fear, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Lian Junchu sat down sideways, leaning her shoulder against the seat where the other woman was lying, and looked at her, saying, "Can you bear with it for a little while? I've already sent people to search for Mo Li's whereabouts."
"Why are you looking for..." Yue Ruzheng said in a barely audible voice, cold energy coursing through her meridians, making her wrap herself tightly in Lian Junchu's long robe.
"I suspect he injured you..." Lian Junchu said half a sentence, but seeing that she closed her eyes again and did not speak again, he felt anxious, so he lowered his head and whispered her name in front of her.
At that moment, Yue Ruzheng felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. A sharp pain shot through her back. In her dazed state, she reached out and touched the dense, sharp spikes on Lian Junchu's shoulder. Lian Junchu quickly lowered his shoulder. Yue Ruzheng gasped for breath, then released her grip, murmuring, "Why did you do this to yourself… I'm so sad, Xiao Tang…"
Lian Junchu kept her head down, suppressing her voice, and said, "Don't say anything more."
I miss you so much…
After Yue Ruzheng uttered those words in a trembling voice, she bit her lower lip, held her breath, and stared straight at Lian Junchu, who was so close to her. He seemed to tremble as well, slowly raising his eyes to look at her with a melancholy expression.
Yue Ruzheng reached out again, trembling, and gently touched the iron spikes on his shoulder. She gave a weary smile and said, "You're covered in thorns, are you trying to make it impossible for me to get close to you anymore?"