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Capítulo 50

"You!" Lian Junqiu's face showed a hint of displeasure as she looked at Yue Ruzheng, who had remained silent, and said coldly, "Junchu, I seem to remember that when you went out to find Miss Yue, you were wearing the clothes I gave you before. Now that I'm telling you to dress more presentably when you return to the island, you're so unwilling."

Tang Yanchu was speechless after being rebuked by her. Yue Ruzheng walked to his side with her head down and whispered, "Little Tang, don't be stubborn. Just change it, don't overthink it."

Tang Yanchu pursed his lips and turned his face away. Seeing that he no longer strongly objected, Yue Ruzheng said, "I'll go in with you to change, okay?"

"No." Tang Yanchu suddenly and quickly refused her. Lian Junqiu smiled faintly, stepped forward, put her arm around his waist, and said to Yue Ruzheng, "I've always been the one helping him change his clothes."

Tang Yanchu did not resist, nor did he look at Yue Ruzheng. His gaze remained fixed on the ground as he entered the bedroom accompanied by Lian Junqiu. With a creak, the door was tightly closed, leaving Yue Ruzheng standing there in a daze.

Yue Ruzheng sat silently on the steps. The newly planted February orchids stretched out their emerald green stems and leaves, and their pink and purple petals trembled gently in the breeze, their delicate fragrance wafting through the courtyard.

As she gazed absently at the delicate flower branches, she heard footsteps inside and stood up. Lian Junqiu came out, followed by Tang Yanchu, who had changed his clothes. He wore a white robe with dark patterns and a light blue brocade belt. Although he had worn similar clothes when he went to Luzhou before, Yue Ruzheng still felt a sense of unfamiliarity with them.

Lian Junqiu walked up to the old man, whispered a few words to him, then turned to Tang Yanchu and said, "Junchu, you should say goodbye to Miss Yue now. We'll set off immediately."

Tang Yanchu quietly walked to Yue Ruzheng's side and stood beside her, saying to Lian Junqiu, "Eldest sister, she will come back with me."

A hint of surprise flashed across Lian Junqiu's eyes as she stared at Yue Ruzheng for a long time. Yue Ruzheng, feeling her sharp gaze, unconsciously looked away.

"Let's go down the mountain first." After a moment, Lian Junqiu said slowly and walked out of the courtyard.

After leaving Nan Yandang, a carriage was already waiting by the roadside. After getting in, Yue Ruzheng originally wanted to sit with Tang Yanchu, but when she saw Lian Junqiu's all-knowing gaze, she couldn't help but switch to sitting opposite him. Throughout the journey, she kept her eyes downcast and sat silently in the corner.

The atmosphere was extremely awkward and cold. Lian Junqiu gently lifted the bamboo curtain and looked out alone. Yue Ruzheng then raised her head and looked at Tang Yanchu diagonally opposite her, only to see him looking at her with a slight smile.

"Ruzheng, listen." He suddenly spoke, his eyes warm and gentle.

Not far away, the sound of waves surging, sometimes near, sometimes far, came one after another, constantly impacting her mind. Yue Ruzheng was stunned. To her, the sound seemed to come from the extremely distant heavens, yet it gradually surrounded her, enveloping her tightly.

She unconsciously lifted the bamboo curtain beside her.

Beneath the azure sky, a long, boundless curve stretches towards the horizon. Vast expanses of water, as blue and boundless as the sky, rise and fall, crashing against the rocks on the shore and creating enormous sprays.

The dazzling sunlight shone on the blue waves, reflecting extremely bright spots.

This is the mark of the sea.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Vast Ocean, Faint Starlight

Seven Star Island is located in the sea at the border of Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, some distance from Nan Yandang Mountain. After boarding the ship, Tang Yanchu told Yue Ruzheng that they would be spending the night on the ship.

As night fell, Yue Ruzheng lay there for a long time, feeling dazed and restless. She then went to the stern of the ship alone and sat on the deck.

The sea appeared increasingly deep and boundless, merging seamlessly with the sky, its dark blue fading into a vast expanse of black. The waves rose and fell, causing the ship to rock incessantly. She leaned wearily against the gunwale, closing her eyes. A short while later, she heard footsteps behind her. Opening her eyes, she saw Tang Yanchu sitting beside her.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling dizzy?" he asked, frowning.

Yue Ruzheng hesitated before nodding. She had never been to sea before, but this dizzying and oppressive feeling seemed familiar, perhaps from a dark dream...

"Want to go back and lie down for a while?" Tang Yanchu said softly. Yue Ruzheng shook her head, turned around, and leaned on his shoulder. Lian Junqiu should have been resting long ago, which was why she dared to be so close to him. She lowered her eyes and gently traced his body with her fingertips. His white clothes fit him very well. She suddenly looked up at him and whispered, "Little Tang, why don't you want me to change your clothes?"

He paused slightly, his smile fading. "I don't want to..." He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Ruzheng, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it if you see this... Your older sister is used to it, don't overthink it."

"But when I came back that time, didn't I already see it..." Yue Ruzheng hesitated and looked into his eyes.

He lowered his eyes and said, "That's at night, it's different."

Yue Ruzheng felt a pang of sadness in her heart and stopped speaking. She simply nestled against his chest and gently hugged his shoulders.

Tang Yanchu bent her legs, leaned against the hull, and looked up at the dazzling stars, saying, "Ruzheng, look at the stars in the sky, maybe you won't feel dizzy anymore."

Yue Ruzheng also looked up. The quiet sky was dotted with stars, carrying a translucent chill. They gazed at each other from afar.

The next morning, the ship sailed south again. Yue Ruzheng sat in the cabin, listening to the sound of waves and the cries of seabirds. Tang Yanchu stayed by her side, but remained silent, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. Around noon, Lian Junqiu lifted the curtain and entered, saying, "Junchu, Seven Star Island is just ahead."

Tang Yanchu nodded silently, then stood up and asked again, "Aren't they on the island?"

Lian Junqiu was about to leave when she heard this and paused, then understood and said, "He's not here, don't worry."

Tang Yanchu then turned to Yue Ruzheng and said, "Ruzheng, let's go ashore."

On the dark blue sea, there is a verdant island, like a beautiful woman living apart from the world, standing eternally between the sea and the sky, with the ebb and flow of the tide.

As the ship drew ever closer to Seven Star Island, Yue Ruzheng's heart pounded with anxiety, feeling utterly lost. The salty sea breeze tousled her long hair, and the first step onto the beach felt both easy and agonizing.

Several people were already waiting on the shore. At the same time, a deep bell rang out from the top of the rocky cliff facing the beach, its sound echoing far and wide on the wind. Soon after, two more lines of subordinates rushed over, all dressed in blue robes and black shirts, carrying two long swords on their shoulders. Led by these two lines of swordsmen, Lian Junqiu walked at the front, and they proceeded along the white stone path behind the cliff towards the island.

Throughout the journey, Yue Ruzheng followed closely behind Tang Yanchu, never raising his head, just as he had done in the small town at the foot of the mountain, silently moving forward. The island was a tapestry of blooming flowers, with pavilions and towers, vermilion eaves and green tiles, nestled among the layered mountains. At each stop, even in seemingly secluded spots, people would lean out to bow to Lian Junqiu, and then kneel before Tang Yanchu. Lian Junqiu must have given these instructions before leaving, so no one seemed surprised by Tang Yanchu's arrival; however, their deliberately lowered gazes betrayed their inner unease.

Passing through several courtyards, a pavilion perched atop a high cliff came into view. The dark, gilded plaque bore the three characters "Pavilion of Forgetfulness," written in a vigorous and powerful style, exuding an arrogant air that seemed to devour the heavens and earth. Lian Junqiu spoke a few words to the swordsmen before her, and seeing everyone retreat, she turned to Tang Yanchu and said, "Junchu, Father instructed me to take you inside to pay your respects first..."

"You know I won't go in." Tang Yanchu spoke before she could finish, without even glancing at the Forgetful Pavilion.

Lian Junqiu seemed to have anticipated his answer, and said calmly, "Then what will you do when you worship your ancestors on the day of the grand banquet?"

Tang Yanchu shifted her gaze to the distant horizon and said, "That's your business, it has nothing to do with me. I only promised to come back and stay for a few days, and I'll leave immediately after the banquet."

Lian Junqiu frowned and said, "When the time comes, representatives from all the major sects will be there. Aren't you deliberately going against Father?"

Tang Yanchu's brows furrowed with a hint of frost, her gaze sharpening as she looked at her and said, "I will not appear in front of those people at all. You can hold your banquet; I'll stay in my room and not go anywhere! I won't embarrass you!"

"Junchu! You should know that Father was actually very happy to hear that you were willing to return to the island; he just didn't want to tell you!" Lian Junqiu's voice rose slightly, her eyes serious. "Why did you make things so unpleasant for everyone?"

"I don't know what's there to be happy about," he said coldly, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He then said in a low voice, "Big sister, I don't want to argue with you about these things. Ruzheng is very tired; I need to take her to rest."

Lian Junqiu pursed her thin lips, turned around without a word, took a few steps, and then said, "Come with me."

Lian Junqiu led the two to a quiet courtyard and stood at the entrance, saying, "The courtyard has been cleaned; Miss Yue will be staying here." She then looked up at a corner of the courtyard wall not far away and said, "Junchu, you should still remember where you stayed back then."