The scorching sun blazed down in the 2nd week of June.
The food vendors along the street were listless, with little business and even less energy, idly fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans to drive off the heat.
But at a street corner stood a little stall selling cold snacks. Its wooden sign bore two characters written in a crooked script: Yin Bing (Iced Drinks).
The stall was packed with customers seeking refuge from the heat, but one man and woman stood out the most.
The man wore white robes and an ear-feather ornament, silently eating a bowl of cold yuanzi dumplings. The woman was dressed in a goose-yellow ruqun dress, her sleeves rolled up practically to reveal a section of pale arm.
The atmosphere between the two was strange. Anyone could tell they were a couple, yet the fact they weren’t exchanging a single word was truly odd.
Many curious customers kept glancing their way, hoping to overhear some inside story.
The woman put down her porcelain spoon and let out a long sigh.
The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.
“Ebyv’p oasdt okvb usw? R vbkdj usw’hl clld ynvkdt hlau pvaydtl zyvlzu.”
“Lsvbkdt’p oasdt. Rv’zz cl shla pssd.”
Mbl xyd nsdvkdwle lyvkdt, y qykdv pxkzl sd bkp zkrp. Tkp xshlxldvp blze dsvbkdt wdalypsdyczl, ulv vblal oyp yd kdelpnakcyczl seedlpp ycswv vblx.
Mbl osxyd pllxle y ckv ekprzlyple vss. Fbl rknjle wr vbl skz-ryrla wxcalzzy clpkel bla yde tsv wr qasx bla plyv.
“R’x tskdt vs cwu psxl svbla vbkdtp. Eykv qsa xl blal.”
Gqvla qkdkpbkdt vbl zypv nsze uwydgk, vbl xyd ynnwayvlzu nywtbv bla oakpv, bkp qkdtlavkrp vaynkdt kv zktbvzu yp bl rwzzle bla cynj.
“Rv’zz cl shla pssd.”
Tl xwaxwale vbkp rbaypl, eayokdt bla kdvs bkp lxcaynl, tldvzu pvasjkdt vbl ldep sq bla byka okvb sdl byde obkzl rwzzkdt swv bkp pzldela posae okvb vbl svbla.
The sword was covered in cracks, fracturing the man’s smile into countless pieces, making it look extremely eerie.
The woman seemed to realize something and began to struggle, but it was useless.
The surrounding customers screamed and scrambled away. Some prepared to report to the authorities, others watched fearfully yet curiously, but no one stepped forward to intervene.
The man opened his eyes. They were unfocused, turbid and dark like a swamp.
His right hand moved from her hair to her trembling eyelids, slowly pressing down, covering her frightened eyes.
“It’ll be over soon. I won’t let it hurt.”
As the cold blade touched her neck, he suddenly stopped, then let out a somewhat helpless laugh.
“I forgot. You don’t like it when I kill people with this.”
He tossed the sword aside and drew the dagger he always carried.
The tip of the blade slowly trailed down her thigh, like an intimate caress, like a soothing gesture. The icy sensation made her shudder for a moment before it finally stopped over her heart.
The woman gasped, grabbing his hand, terrified he would strike in the next instant.
“Why? Tell me! I think I can still be saved!”
“I don’t like this pain. I know you don’t either.” The man patted her forehead in a comforting manner. “But it’ll be over soon.”
“Why do you always choose others?”
“I will free us both.”
Hearing this, the woman’s eyes widened in apparent understanding.
“Wait, people need to communicate. You never said anything before, how was I supposed to know? Give me a chanceā”
There was no chance. The blade tip pierced her heart. In that instant, she could even feel the contrast between the cold steel and the burning heat of her own heart.
Screams erupted around them. Some fled, some covered their eyes. The clamor filled her ears.
The man placed the dagger in her hand and, without hesitation, guided it towards himself, driving it slowly, deeply into his own heart.
He leaned down, his forehead touching hers, their fingers intertwined.
“I think I understand now why Liang and Zhu turned into butterflies.”
A smile touched his lips, a smile like that of a Buddhist disciple who has seen through cause and effect and attained enlightenment.
ā¦
Li Ruoshui sat bolt upright, her face covered in cold sweat, her silk ruqun already soaked through. The night breeze blew in, carrying a chill.
The icy sensation over her heart still felt real. She immediately touched the spot, letting out a long sigh of relief upon feeling the steady beat.
“Fuck!”
It was a dream.
No, a nightmare! This wasn’t a prophetic dream, was it?!
“System, is this a hint from you?!”
“Come out and answer me! Help! Help!”
Her heart pounding violently, Li Ruoshui’s words started tumbling out in repetitive phrases, uncontrollable in her panic.
ćPlease get some proper rest, Host. Don’t scare yourself. Have faith and don’t overthink things.ć
After this message, the System went offline again, disappearing as quickly as it had come.
Easy for you to say ‘don’t overthink’ when you’re not the one getting killed!
Li Ruoshui took deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down, and began recalling the fragments of the dream.
What did he mean by ‘always choosing others’? She was constantly mindful of the mission to romance him; she couldn’t possibly be choosing anyone else.
And he clearly didn’t understand why Liang and Zhu turned into butterflies at all!
Li Ruoshui thought of yesterday again. She was feeling some regret now. Why hadn’t she followed him immediately back then?
This dream looked for all the world like achieving a Bad Ending.
Unable to figure out the reason, and plagued by this strange, terrifying dream, Li Ruoshui had a terrible night’s sleep and felt somewhat dazed when she woke the next morning.
Not daring to linger in bed, Li Ruoshui hurried to wash up.
The tasks of catching the poisoner and dealing with the letter were all pushed aside. She had to go to the inn and get some answers.
With someone whose thought processes were this abnormal, leaving them to their own imagination would only lead things further and further astray.
When Zheng Yanqing saw Li Ruoshui, he quickly picked up the newly written travelogue guide from the table.
“Ruoshui, this is the ‘Four Seasons’ volume I wrote earlier. I’m on the second scroll now.”
Li Ruoshui offered an apologetic smile and spoke hurriedly. “I have something urgent to attend to right now. I’ll read it when I get back.”
With that, she rushed out.
Zheng Yanqing was silent for a moment, then put the book away, a somewhat lonely smile on his lips.
She was probably going to find Master Lu.
It made sense. In just a few days, she would be leaving this place. They were the ones who walked the same path.
<hr class=”wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity”/>
“Customer, are you looking for a room or a meal?”
The waiter had watched this customer pacing back and forth outside the door for a long timeāso long it was almost lunchtime. Seeing her still sighing and pacing, he couldn’t help but go out to ask.
Li Ruoshui glanced at him, then shook her head, clutching her chest as she continued her anxious pacing.
She had arrived long ago but truly didn’t dare go in, terrified that pushing open his door would result in a knife to the heart.
The System was useless now. She had to rely on herself.
“Is the blind gentleman staying upstairs here?”
“Ah, I see.” The waiter understood. “So the young lady is also here to see that gentleman.”
Li Ruoshui was taken aback, curious. “Are there others who come to see him?”
“Of course.” The waiter spoke as if it were commonplace. “Although the gentleman isn’t often at the inn, many young ladies nearby know of him. They often wait outside the inn hoping to catch a glimpse.”
Li Ruoshui nodded. Upon reflection, it wasn’t strange. With his looks, it was normal to attract attention. Who didn’t appreciate a handsome face?
“He usually goes out very early, but today’s your lucky day. He’s been upstairs all morning and hasn’t come down. You’ve hit the jackpot, young lady.”
Li Ruoshui frowned, even the hand over her chest dropping.
“He doesn’t eat breakfast?”
“Don’t know. He’s never eaten it here, at least.”
It was almost noon. He couldn’t skip lunch too, could he?
“Bring lunch to his room later,” Li Ruoshui decided internally. Just before heading upstairs, she suddenly remembered something. “Don’t casually share guests’ information with strangers.”
Waiter: ā¦ ???
Under the waiter’s odd gaze, she took a deep breath, ducked her head, charged into the inn, ran straight up to the second floor, and knocked on his door.
But the door wasn’t locked. It opened a crack with just a light knock.
With a creak, the door opened a gap. Through it, she could see a section of white robe, but there was no movement.
“ā¦ I’m coming in?”
After announcing herself, Li Ruoshui gently pushed the door open and saw Lu Zhiyao lying on the bed.
Only now did she realize that since coming to Cangzhou, she had rarely sought him out. Most of the time, he was the one who came to the Zheng residence.
“Lu Zhiyao?”
Li Ruoshui walked slowly to the bedside and called his name softly.
As if waking from a nightmare, Lu Zhiyao’s whole body shuddered slightly. Then his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, his fingers curled slightlyāhe seemed to be waking up.
He wasn’t pretending to be asleep?
Li Ruoshui was stunned.
Lu Zhiyao’s sleep was always very light. The slightest sound usually woke him. After being together this long, she had never once seen him truly asleep.
Li Ruoshui covered her chest, leaned over him, and touched his forehead.
“Are you sick?”
The temperature under her palm wasn’t feverish. Probably not a fever. But before she could properly gauge it, Lu Zhiyao brushed her hand away.
“Why are you here?”
He sat up. His robes were disheveled, revealing the area down to his collarbones.
Li Ruoshui suddenly recalled the scene from her dreamāthe spot where he guided her hand to stab was his left chest.
She averted her gaze, first putting her hands behind her back, then flusteredly moving them to cover her own heart.
“I came to have lunch with you.”
Actually, she wanted to ask directly what was wrong, but her intuition told her it was better not to.
Lu Zhiyao’s eyes curved. He stood up and walked to the table, deftly pouring himself a cup of tea.
“I thought you’d be having lunch with Zheng Yanqing right now.” He turned his head and smiled. “After all, you are husband and wife.”
???
What did he mean?
Why was he suddenly bringing up the ‘husband and wife’ matter?
“But it’s a sham marriage. You know that. You even took quite a few of my wedding candies back then.”
Li Ruoshui sat down beside him, feeling she vaguely understood something, yet unable to grasp what that subtle sensation truly was.
“I heard a story at the teahouse in the past. It ‘s called Legend of the White Snake.”
“And then?”
Li Ruoshui really wanted to know what strange epiphany he had drawn from this story.
“Aren’t you going back to the Zheng residence?” Lu Zhiyao skipped the topic, asking with a smile.
Li Ruoshui’s eyes widened. She clenched her fists, unable to believe he had learned how to cut off at the crucial point.
“I came to have lunch with you.”
For the sake of her life, she absolutely would not leave now. She had to get to the bottom of this strangeness.
Perfectly timed, a firm knock sounded at the door.
“Honored guest, may I come in?”
“Please come in.” Li Ruoshui answered before he could, standing up to receive the lunch.
The waiter looked at her, his expression growing even more peculiar.
As she closed the door, she could still hear his muttering: “They know each other, yet she was loitering suspiciously outside the inn earlierā¦”
Li Ruoshui: ā¦
“Time to eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Rejected instantly, Li Ruoshui wasn’t discouraged. Just a minor problem to her…
“You don’t seem to be in a very good mood.” Li Ruoshui pulled his hand and placed it on her head. “You can pat it.”
Lu Zhiyao unhurriedly withdrew his hand, his smile gentle. “You must be hungry. Aren’t you going to eat?”
Li Ruoshui touched her own head and immediately felt this was not a minor problem.
But she had been standing outside all morning and was indeed hungry.
Li Ruoshui picked up her bowl, thinking of solutions while she ate.
Lu Zhiyao drank his tea, his expression unchanged, not looking like there was a problem at all. But refusing to pat her head? That was wrong.
“I tripped on my way to find you this morning. I think I scraped my hand, but I can’t apply medicine myself. Can you help me?”
Touching her wounds was one of his favorite things. If even this didn’t workā¦
“No.”
“ā¦”
Li Ruoshui’s chopsticks clattered to the floor.
She moved closer to Lu Zhiyao, genuinely concerned now, her tone softening considerably. “What’s really wrong? Can’t you tell me?”
“I’m thinking about some things.” Lu Zhiyao smiled slightly, his smile still gentle. “I’ll probably tell you once I’ve figured them out.”
Li Ruoshui let out a deep sigh.
She was afraid he’d never figure them out.
Lu Zhiyao said nothing more. Li Ruoshui didn’t ask again either. After finishing her meal, she left dejectedly.
After she left, Lu Zhiyao sat at the table, took out the carved little wooden figure from his sleeve, and made it hop again with soft ta-ta sounds.
Yesterday, Li Ruoshui had asked him a question.
ā”What do you want me to do?”
If Lu Feiyue or Jiang Nian had asked this question, he would have answered “Nothing,” because he had never done anything for them.
If Zheng Yanqing had asked, he would have answered “Die.” No reason. It was simply the answer his heart gave.
No matter who asked him, he could voice the answer in his heart. But only with Li Ruoshui did his mind draw a complete blank.
Her defense of Zheng Yanqing’s words and actions yesterday felt utterly boring to him. It was just a sham marriage, yet it seemed more intimate than the time she spent with him.
Li Ruoshui was clearly on his side. She should be on his side.
He didn’t know what he wanted Li Ruoshui to do, yet he truly did want her to do something.
For exampleā¦
For example, what?
Lu Zhiyao sank into contemplation, lost in some inexplicable, unsettling emotions.
The little wooden figure was clutched in his hand. Unconsciously, he applied pressure. The puppet’s limbs emitted faint crack-crack sounds, like pained moans.
<hr class=”wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity”/>
Outside the window, the sky gradually turned grey. The setting sun was swallowed by dark clouds. A fierce wind began to blow outside, whipping through the room and throwing things into disarray.
Zheng Yanqing hurriedly gathered the fluttering papers, squinting as he closed the creaking doors and windows, then let out a sigh of relief.
“The weather today is truly strange, changing in an instant. It’s only early evening and it’s already dark out with pouring rain.”
Li Ruoshui sat on the daybed, lost in thought, her brow furrowed with worry. She seemed so absorbed in her thoughts that she showed no reaction to the storm raging outside.
Zheng Yanqing looked at her and sighed, then lowered his head to continue writing.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the wooden door. Several firm knocks, mixed with the wind and rain outside, made Zheng Yanqing jump.
He put down his brush and went to open the door. “Whoā¦”
As the door opened, a wave of dampness and chill hit him. Staring at the person before him, he was momentarily stunned before turning to call Li Ruoshui.
“ā¦ Master Lu is here.”
Li Ruoshui looked up in surprise, hurried to the door, and couldn’t help but become startled at the sight before her.
Lu Zhiyao was drenched from head to toe. His black hair dripped wetly, droplets clinging to his eyelashes. His originally rosy lips were paler. He looked like he had just been fished out of water.
“Want to go sit on the swing?”
The corners of his lips lifted in a smile, his eyes curved, asking as if it were a sunny day.
Zheng Yanqing looked at him in astonishment, murmuring, “It’s raining heavily now. Perhaps it’s better to stay insideā¦”
“Alright.”
Li Ruoshui fetched an umbrella from inside, opened it, and led him to the swing in the courtyard.
They both sat down. The swing swayed slowly in the wind and rain. Raindrops hit the umbrella canopy and scattered, sprinkling around them. The leaves of the tree opposite were beaten into a rustling chorus.
Li Ruoshui looked at him, a smile in her eyes, wiping the water droplets from his temples. “Have you figured it out?”
Lu Zhiyao smiled, like the only warm color in this stormy scene.
“I know what I want. I want you to leave the Zheng residence with me today.”
Li Ruoshui hadn’t expected this request. Hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke.
“I need to help him find the culprit first. Just a few more days, that’s all. Really, just a few days.”
Lu Zhiyao’s smile faded. His eyelashes trembled slightly, the raindrops on them falling like tears sliding from the corners of his eyes.
The rain beat wildly against the umbrella, making Li Ruoshui’s hand tremble as she held it. The tree opposite had its branches bowed by the weight of the rain, seeming to creak as well.
Amidst the noisy clamor of the rain, she heard his voice.
“Why wait? You asked what I wanted you to do. I’ve thought of it.”
“You asked me.”
<hr class=”wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity”/>
EDN: My heart is breaking for them.. huhu.
Second Life Translations' Comment Policy
1. Be kind and respectful. Comments with curses will be put under moderation.
2. No links to other websites or asking for links.
3. No spoilers!