Лучшая актриса - Глава 121
He frowned and strained, but Yue Ruzheng clung to the peach tree roots, refusing to let go. Lian Junchu was somewhat annoyed, but couldn't bring himself to actually use force, so he could only grit his teeth, "Yue Ruzheng! What do you want? Do you want us both to freeze to death here?"
"If you want to leave, you might as well die here!" She was unreasonable; she simply held him down, preventing him from moving.
Lian Junchu held on for a moment, then finally gave up, lay down on the ground, and, gazing at the falling snowflakes, said, "Let me get up first."
"What if you get up and then want to leave again?" she said unmoved.
He was furious: "If I really wanted to leave, you couldn't stop me right now!"
Yue Ruzheng kicked him angrily. He winced in pain, then straightened up, staring at her intently, and said, "You're always acting crazy!"
Yue Ruzheng pursed her lips, still refusing to stand up. Lian Junchu nudged her with his body and said, "Go back."
"Go back where?" She paused, taken aback.
"Where else can we go in the yard?" he asked, somewhat frustrated.
Yue Ruzheng stood up, seemingly uneasy, her eyes filled with uncertainty, and followed Lian Junchu closely.
Back in the courtyard, Lian Junchu stood for a moment, then turned around and said, "You go inside first, I'll go fetch some water."
"What do you need water for?" she asked, staring at him intently, not daring to relax for a moment.
He said helplessly, "Your hands still have snow on them, don't you need to wash them?"
"No need." Yue Ruzheng answered decisively, then took another step forward, biting her lip as she looked at him.
Lian Junchu's gaze wavered slightly. He turned to the side and said in a low voice, "Then let's go inside."
The two entered the small house one after the other. The door to the room where Yue Ruzheng used to live was tightly closed. She stared at it blankly for a while, then walked over and slowly pushed the door open.
It was already dark, and the room was dark; only the outlines of the tables and chairs were vaguely visible in the darkness. The desk under the window was empty; all the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones that used to be there were nowhere to be found. The wicker bookshelf beside the desk, which used to be filled with poetry scrolls, was now all gone, leaving only a thick layer of dust. Even the ink plum blossom painting with the poem "Jiang Mei Yin" on it above the bed was gone.
She recalled the emotions she felt when she first read "Jiang Mei Yin." He had also once asked her if she believed in fate. At that time, both of them, young and naive, said they didn't believe in such things.
Parting in this world is often fleeting. Seeing plum blossoms, I suddenly feel longing. Several times by the small window, in dreams we held hands. Tonight, in my dreams, I cannot find them, so I wander aimlessly. The cold seeps into my quilt, but I am unaware.
The ink, damp with sorrow, barely covers the seal. The zither lies empty, no geese fly. A carefree wanderer strolls through the alleys, finding only ancient trees bathed in the slanting sunlight. The old promise of a small boat remains, but the heart's desires have vanished. The song of "Ode to the Spring Grasses of Huainan" has ended, and the grasses grow lush and green again. A wandering traveler, tears soaking his clothes.
She, who didn't like reading literature, read all of Jiang Kui's poems during the nearly four years she spent alone in Merlin.
"He once fell in love with a woman from Huainan, but they could not stay together for life, and each drifted apart to different places. The name 'Huainan' became a lifelong source of pain for him."
At that time, Xiao Tang had said these words to her. Later, Yue Ruzheng thought with a heavy heart whether he had vaguely sensed something when he said those words, or whether it was just a casual remark that eventually became a prophecy.
Her recently calmed emotions were suddenly stirred up by the old furnishings in the room. She turned around, looked at Lian Junchu standing quietly in the doorway, and tears streamed down her face.
"Don't stay here." Lian Junchu slowly stepped forward, suppressing her voice.
Yue Ruzheng sobbed on his shoulder. Because she was still wearing the weapon covered in iron spikes, Lian Junchu dared not get too close to her. He lowered his head and watched her cry for a while, then said, "Come to me."
Yue Ruzheng nodded with teary eyes and followed him into the small room he used to live in. The window was slightly open, indicating that he had already been inside when he returned, so the air inside was fresher.
There were no bedding on the bed, and the bed board was covered in dust.
Seeing the disappointment on her face, Lian Jun hesitated for a moment before saying, "No one lives here; it was put away a long time ago."
"Are there any candles left?" Yue Ruzheng turned around and looked at the table.
"We have... but we don't have the ignition source."
Yue Ruzheng stared at him blankly, then whispered, "Don't you come back twice a year? Why are you treating yourself like this?"
Lian Junchu was startled and frowned, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about?" Without waiting for Yue Ruzheng's reply, he quickly turned around and said, "Wait a moment."
"Where are you going?" Yue Ruzheng couldn't help but get anxious again, tugging at his sleeve and refusing to let go.
"Fetch water. Don't worry, I won't run away." Lian Junchu gently tugged at her shoulder and took a step back, and Yue Ruzheng then let go of her hand.
The sound of a winch turning echoed in the courtyard. Yue Ruzheng sat on the bed and, seeing the bamboo box still there, instinctively opened the lid. His old clothes were still inside. She picked up the light gray shirt and touched the stitches she had sewn back then—fine, tightly bound, as if piercing her heart.
When Lian Jun first returned, he was barefoot and had a wet towel in his mouth. Seeing Yue Ruzheng holding the shirt, he was taken aback for a moment, then lowered his eyes and bent down to place the towel on the bedside table.
"I sewed it for you." Yue Ruzheng held the clothes and looked up at him.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly sat down beside her, only humming in response, and said nothing more.
Yue Ruzheng bent down, tugged at the hem of his robe, and said, "Why are you barefoot? Go and put your boots on."
"I got my boots all wet while fetching water," he replied simply, seemingly still reeling from his previous bout of madness and dizziness.
After saying that, he glanced at the handkerchief on the small cabinet and said, "Wipe your wound."
Yue Ruzheng reached out her left hand and took it. The towel was soaked with well water and still felt cold in her palm. She opened her right hand and saw a long scratch on her palm, still covered in sand, so she wiped it with the towel. The moment she touched it, the cold and painful sensation made her frown and dare not touch it again.
Upon seeing this, Lian Jun bent down, bit the handkerchief, tidied it on her lap, and said, "I'll do it."
Yue Ruzheng was slightly taken aback, then opened her right hand. He then bit the handkerchief again, lowered his head, and carefully wiped the blood from her palm. When she touched the wound, Yue Ruzheng couldn't help but make a soft sound, and Lian Junchu would look up at her, then touch the skin next to her even more carefully.
Then he went out and got a rag, sat on the edge of the bed, and wiped the dusty areas.
The bed was clean, but it wasn't dry yet, so she could only sit next to him. He turned and leaned against the bed rail, curling his legs up. Yue Ruzheng kicked off her shoes, stretched out her foot to touch the back of his foot, and frowned, saying, "So cold."
So she shifted slightly, unfolding her long silk dress and draping it over his feet. Lian Junchu lowered his eyes, sitting with her in the darkness. Under the cover of the dress, Yue Ruzheng quietly stretched out her feet and lightly stroked him with her toes. Lian Junchu looked up, seemingly watching her. Yue Ruzheng boldly stepped on the back of his foot, and he lowered his head again. Emboldened, she moved even closer, sitting beside him.
"Where are the old quilts?" Yue Ruzheng asked softly.
He turned to look at the wooden cabinet leaning against the wall and said, "It hasn't been used for years, so it can't be covered."