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Capítulo 140

He turned to look at her and whispered, "Don't be afraid."

"Mmm." Yue Ruzheng nestled beside him, as if she had found a long-lost sense of comfort.

Along the way, Yue Ruzheng nearly fell several times, and Lian Junchu could only let her walk on the inner side, protecting her with his own body. When they reached the top of the mountain, it was completely dark all around, and there was no scenery to be seen. Exhausted, Yue Ruzheng stood on the mountain peak, silent for a long time, letting the strong wind blow and ruffle her clothes.

Lian Junchu slowly walked behind her. Before he could speak, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. She had already turned around quickly and was resting her head on his shoulder.

"Ruzheng..." He felt a pang of sadness and didn't know what to say.

He stood there for a long time, and suddenly felt Yue Ruzheng's body trembling slightly. He lowered his head and touched her cheek, and sure enough, her face was wet.

"Don't cry." Lian Junchu gently touched her face with his own, but even as he said this, his voice trembled slightly.

Yue Ruzheng didn't say anything, but hugged him very tightly, as if she wanted to keep him by her side forever.

Lian Junchu slowly raised her head. Although she couldn't see the scenery in the mountains clearly, the vast night sky was filled with countless stars that shone brightly, gazing at each other from afar, constantly twinkling with their faint light.

He gazed at the vast starry sky for a long time, then whispered, "Ruzheng, look up."

Yue Ruzheng hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at the sky. The stars, like pearls in the deep sea, shone faintly against the dark blue backdrop.

"Is it pretty?" He turned to Yue Ruzheng and asked, facing the wind.

Yue Ruzheng's face was still streaked with tears, but a faint smile appeared on her lips. "Beautiful."

"Ru Zheng," Lian Junchu said, standing under the starry sky, her face slightly raised, "have you ever regretted knowing me?"

Yue Ruzheng's breathing quickened. She gently leaned against his shoulder, wrapped her arms around him, and said, "No."

His gaze softened deeply, and then he slowly raised his arms, pressing them tightly against hers. Yue Ruzheng's heart skipped a beat; even through their clothes, she could almost feel his warmth.

"I have never regretted it." Lian Junchu had never held her like this before, but now, he only wanted to use this incomplete way to hold onto everything in front of him.

Seven Star Island had liaison offices in various locations, and many subordinates were hidden in towns. Lian Junchu mobilized a large number of people to search for Mingyu's whereabouts, but to no avail. However, through repeated inquiries, she finally learned that Mingyu had been abducted as a child. Lian Haichao had rescued this girl who was about to be sold into a brothel during an outing, and she had followed Lian Haichao back to Seven Star Island ever since. Lian Haichao was always a loner and disliked being surrounded by many beautiful women, but Mingyu was elegant and quiet, which won Lian Haichao's favor. Therefore, for a long time, she was responsible for taking care of his food and daily life, and even gained the right to enter and leave Lian Haichao's study.

However, all of this changed when Madam Lian married into Seven Star Island. Madam Lian's family was extremely wealthy in Yangzhou; her father, in addition to his business dealings, also enjoyed martial arts and became acquainted with Lian Haichao through business dealings with Seven Star Island. Madam Lian was delicate and beautiful, and initially, she was deeply favored by Lian Haichao. However, not long after their marriage, she became dissatisfied with Mingyu's constant presence by Lian Haichao's side. Out of love for his new wife, Lian Haichao gradually distanced himself from Mingyu, and Madam Lian became the one who frequented his study.

In less than half a year, Mingyu, the island owner's favorite, gradually lost her luster, but she remained quiet and focused on taking care of the trivial matters for the couple without any complaints...

However, it remains unknown how she later leaked the news of Lian Haichao's affair with Tang Yunlan. As for whether she lived or died after being expelled from Seven Star Island, that is even more unverifiable.

After learning about these past events from Lian Junchu, Yue Ruzheng fell even more silent. They had been traveling all over the world since leaving Huangshan. Now it was springtime, and the birds outside the inn were chirping and hopping around happily, but to Yue Ruzheng, they only sounded irritating.

She got up and closed the window, then sat at the table, propping her chin up with her hand, lost in thought. Lian Junchu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What are you thinking about?"

After a long pause, Yue Ruzheng turned to look at him and said, "Do you think that Mingyu might be my aunt?"

Lian Junchu was taken aback, then sat down silently beside her.

"She's probably the only one on the island who could have contact with Yingluo..." Yue Ruzheng said listlessly. "I think perhaps your father gave Yingluo to her again, or perhaps she took it herself..." She rubbed her forehead hard, as if trying her best to think and remember. "In my memory, my aunt always took me to move around. Now it seems that it was probably to avoid being hunted down by Seven Star Island."

When Lian Jun first saw Ru Zheng's furrowed brows, she worried that Ru Zheng's headache had flared up again due to overthinking, so she said, "Ru Zheng, if you can't remember right now, don't force yourself."

"But I'll go crazy if this continues..." Yue Ruzheng muttered to herself, seemingly not having heard him, then suddenly looked up and said, "Xiao Tang, what should we do if we really can't find Mingyu?"

Lian Junchu stared blankly at the ground, then whispered, "If we really can't find her, and you can't remember anything from the past... then we'll go back to Nan Yandang."

Yue Ruzheng forced a smile. "And then?"

"And then..." Lian Junchu seemed unsure how to face her in the future. He forced a smile and said, "Ruzheng, can't we gather herbs together like before?"

Yue Ruzheng felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. Although he was smiling, deep sadness was hidden in his eyes.

She understood that if she couldn't prove that she wasn't related to him by blood, even if Xiao Tang took her back to the mountains of Nan Yandang, he would never truly live with her for the rest of his life.

Chapter 86

After searching for many days and in various places, she found nothing. Yue Ruzheng felt very tired.

She didn't understand why there were so many obstacles and troubles when she just wanted to be with Xiao Tang. At first, she even secretly observed him while he was sleeping, thinking that she didn't look like him at all. But as time went by, she became more and more frustrated. Sometimes, when she looked at Lian Junchu's face, she would vaguely feel that he looked a little like her.

Thinking this, I couldn't help but shiver.

Lian Junchu was unaware of the situation; seeing her tired expression, he assumed it was due to excessive tension and exhaustion. At this moment, they were at a crossroads on the main road, facing a fork in the road, unsure of which way to go.

He thought for a moment, then made up his mind and said, "Ruzheng, let's go back to the mountain."

"Back to the mountain?" Yue Ruzheng, pulling on the reins, was taken aback. "You're not planning to search anymore?"

"We've searched for so long, what's meant to come will come eventually." Lian Junchu couldn't bear to see her suffer any longer, his tone resolute. He looked up at the long road ahead and said, "With Lian Junxin managing things on the island, there shouldn't be any major problems... Besides, she is the eldest daughter of the Lian family, and it's only right that she takes charge of affairs..."

Yue Ruzheng walked to his side and said softly, "Aren't you worried about my background?"

Lian Junchu turned her head to look at her drooping eyelashes and whispered, "In my heart, you will always be Ruzheng."

Yue Ruzheng hugged him happily. This gesture would have seemed ordinary before, but she hadn't been close to him for a long time these past few days.

She had a smile on her face, but Lian Junchu didn't see the bitterness that inadvertently showed in her eyes after she leaned on his shoulder.

How could she not know that Lian Junchu had only chosen the path back to the mountain out of desperation? Once upon a time, she had longed to embark on that journey back with him, but now this choice was undoubtedly nothing more than an escape.

But what could Yue Ruzheng say to Xiao Tang like this? Even if they couldn't truly become husband and wife, she couldn't abandon him and leave alone.

Once other distractions were cleared from their minds, the journey back became less arduous. It was early February, new buds were sprouting on the branches, and the sky was a pure blue, occasionally dotted with wisps of clouds, like soft veils. Yue Ruzheng liked to ride with him on horseback; he sat in front, and she would wrap her arms around him, holding the reins for him, as they slowly moved forward.

"Little Tang, look, there are many boats over there."

"Yes, this is now Jiangnan, so naturally there are more boats."