Luzhou Moon - Chapter 116
She stubbornly continued to call him by his old name. For Yue Ruzheng, perhaps what brought her warmth was the young Tang who lived in seclusion in the mountains, the boy who wouldn't let her suffer so much harm... But hadn't everything changed?
He sat in Merlin all night.
It wasn't until the biting cold wind brought him back to reality from his daze.
As he walked away, plum blossoms quietly bloomed on both sides, their fragrance, whether strong or faint, floating in the clear moonlight. The wind blew past his sleeves, but he felt neither the cold of the night wind nor the path beneath his feet.
No one in Yinxi Xiaozhu dared to mention Lian Junchu's visit and departure to Yue Ruzheng. Qian'er was sent by Jiang Shuying to the north of the city to serve Yu Hezhi with her husband. Although Yue Ruzheng found this strange, Jiang Shuying simply said that Yu Hezhi, to avoid gossip, couldn't stay at Yinxi Xiaozhu for long and had moved to the north of the city. Thus, Yue Ruzheng was left alone with the green plum tree, growing ever more lonely.
Three days later, Wei Heng's voice rang out from the long-quiet building. Yue Ruzheng opened the window and saw him looking up at her with his hands behind his back, grinning.
"Would you like to come down and sit for a while?" He rarely invited her, so Yue Ruzheng hesitated for a moment before going down the stairs.
"It seems like you've almost recovered?" Wei Heng walked over when he saw her sitting on the swing.
Yue Ruzheng nodded, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the plum branches not far away, and said, "It's just that staying here all the time is getting suffocating. I used to have Qian'er to talk to, but now even she's not here."
Wei Heng placed his hands on the stone table, leaned slightly forward, and said, "She asked me to pass on a message to you."
"Qian'er?" Yue Ruzheng was taken aback, looking up and saying, "Isn't she serving my master in the northern suburbs of the city? Why didn't she come back to find me herself?"
Wei Heng turned around and looked outside the courtyard gate. Seeing that no one was around, he whispered, "You don't need to worry about these things for now. She just asked me to tell you that Lian Junchu came to Yinxi Xiaozhu, but was turned away by Senior Jiang."
Upon hearing this, Yue Ruzheng's heart pounded wildly. She suddenly stood up, intending to walk out of the courtyard. Wei Heng grabbed her arm, urgently asking, "What are you doing?"
"I need to ask my master," Yue Ruzheng said hastily.
Wei Heng stamped his foot and said, "Yue Ruzheng, how can you still be so clueless? Qian'er risked her life to reveal the information to me. By asking this question, aren't you putting her in an unjust position?"
Yue Ruzheng finally understood, but her heart was still heavy with unresolved questions. "Where has he gone now?"
"How should I know?" Wei Heng spread his hands, helplessly saying, "I'm being bossed around by you all. Do you expect me to go around asking around about his whereabouts?"
Yue Ruzheng's tone softened, and she said gently, "Thank you for coming all this way to tell me."
"The fact that you can still say that makes my trip worthwhile." Wei Heng turned to face her with his hands behind his back. "Qian'er is worried that you're too sorrowful all the time, which might harm your health. However, we truly don't know where Lian Junchu went after leaving here."
Yue Ruzheng stood silently for a while, then whispered, "Xiao Wei, I want to go find him."
Wei Heng watched her silently, then suddenly smiled and sighed, "You really are still relentlessly pursuing him. But I don't understand, if he's truly persistent, why did he leave silently after only being reprimanded by Senior Jiang?"
Yue Ruzheng frowned as she gazed at the blooming plum blossoms on the branches. "So I want to ask Master what he said to him..." She paused for a moment, then turned back and said, "Perhaps in your eyes, he's never been decisive enough, but I know it's because he thinks too much."
Wei Heng hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Aren't you tired of being with someone like that?"
"There were complaints," Yue Ruzheng smiled faintly, "but more than anything, I liked it."
The next morning, Wei Heng, under the pretense of taking Yue Ruzheng out for a walk, led her out of Yinxi Xiaozhu. When she said goodbye to Jiang Shuying, Yue Ruzheng didn't say anything. But as she stepped out of the gate of Yinxi Xiaozhu, she looked at the distant mountains and suddenly felt a sense of relief.
At the crossroads of the official road, she reined in her horse and paused. Seeing her wistful expression, Wei Heng couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about?"
Yue Ruzheng looked back in the direction she had come from, and after a long while said, "Wei Heng, I don't know what the outcome will be after I leave this time."
Wei Heng paused slightly, then said, "Why don't we just obediently go back?"
Yue Ruzheng smiled slightly, but did not answer; she simply shook her head.
"Let's go, I'll see you off!" Seeing that she was still unwilling to give up, Wei Heng spurred his horse and rode off into the distance with Yue Ruzheng.
That evening, Jiang Shuying waited a long time for their return, but they didn't return. A growing sense of unease rose in her heart. She hurriedly sent servants out to search for them. After a long while, someone reported back that they had seen Wei Heng and Yue Ruzheng leave Luzhou that morning, heading south. Jiang Shuying was shocked and murmured, "Wei Heng, Wei Heng, don't you know that this might ruin her life?!"
Chapter Seventy-Four
Because Yue Ruzheng was recovering from serious injuries, Wei Heng escorted her all the way. After leaving Luzhou, the two headed straight for Seven Star Island. Along the way, rumors circulated that Mo Li of Bliss Valley had died without leaving a will specifying who would succeed him. Su Muchen, eager to succeed him, was accused by his subordinates of usurping power. After several struggles, Su Muchen not only failed to become the valley master but also fled in panic. The once renowned Bliss Valley disintegrated within a month, its treasures looted by its subordinates. Wei Heng sighed, "I never imagined Bliss Valley would end up like this. The cause of Mo Li's death remains unknown; will this matter become an unsolved mystery?"
Yue Ruzheng had heard him mention reuniting with Mo Li with Lian Junchu, but now that they were both dead, no one knew the real reason. Moreover, at this moment, she was only focused on finding Lian Junchu and hadn't fully taken the matter of Bliss Valley to heart.
Several days later, they had entered Zhejiang province, and the further south they went, the colder and more humid the climate became. By the time they reached the shores of the East China Sea, the year was almost over. The vast sea stretched to the horizon, and Yue Ruzheng stood on the shore, gazing at the magnificent ocean, silent. Wei Heng had searched far and wide for boatmen, finally finding someone willing to go out to sea after paying a high price. Seeing Yue Ruzheng still lost in thought, he stepped forward and said, "Didn't you always want to find him and get some answers? Why are you still so worried?"
Yue Ruzheng gazed at the sea and said, "That's why I'm worried..."
"Afraid he won't see you either?" Wei Heng seemed to be asking this intentionally, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.
Yue Ruzheng forced a smile and said, "Really?"
"If he refuses to see you because of your master's words, I will tell him that since that's the case, I will take Yue Ruzheng back and never come looking for you again in this lifetime." Wei Heng said with his hands behind his back, very seriously.
Yue Ruzheng paused for a moment, then a smile gradually appeared on her lips.
After the ship set sail, Yue Ruzheng remained seated in the cabin, gazing out the window at the distant waves. This was only the second time she had been so close to the sea. She reached out and gently touched the area around her neck where she wore her necklace. Through her clothing, she could vaguely feel the shape of the pearls.
The sound of waves crashing on the sea was incessant, and the distant calls of seabirds echoed and circled. As the ship gradually sailed towards the island, Yue Ruzheng's initially panicked heart gradually calmed down.
As they approached the island, the boatman stopped. It was said that anyone who trespassed would be captured by Seven Star Island. Wei Heng frowned, gazing at the distant land, and asked, "How do we get there?"
Yue Ruzheng also went up to the deck and gazed across the water. At that moment, a deep, resonant bell rang out in the sea breeze. Her heart tightened, and she whispered, "That's a message from Seven Star Island."
As they spoke, a figure moved along the shore of Seven Star Island, shouting from afar, "No unauthorized personnel are allowed to come any closer!"
The boatman frantically grabbed Wei Heng, saying, "Young master, if you're not familiar with them, don't force your way in, or you'll lose your life!"
Wei Heng raised an eyebrow and said, "What are you afraid of? I won't implicate you!" Then, he raised his voice and called out to the shore, "Go tell your master that Wei Heng of Tingyu Manor requests an audience!"
The people on the shore remained silent, but someone seemed to run towards the center of the island. After a moment, a shout came from the island: "Come on!"
Wei Heng told the boatman to set sail. When they reached the shore, they saw a line of guards waiting there. Among them were Yinglong, Chongming, and others whom he had seen before.
Wei Heng told Yue Ruzheng to wait at the bow of the boat, then lifted the hem of his robe and leaped ashore. Ying Long, seeing him, quickly clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and said, "Master Wei, what brings you here so suddenly?"