Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

The silver moonlight slowly flows into the room, sprinkling over the glorious young man’s slender body. His side profile is facing me as he looks out the window, thin lips slightly pursed, a cold light glimmering in his long and fine eyes.

I lift my blankets and get out of bed, setting foot on the marble floor. The ice-cold temperature of the marble spreads throughout my entire body, but this cold cannot be compared to the feeling of distant coldness the handsome male by the window gives others. I just quietly watch him sit by the window like this, until he quietly calls out my name.

“Ah-Lan.” Yuwen Rui’s eyelashes gently flutters, the words coming out of his mouth is just like that of a cloud floating in the sky.

I continue to keep my mouth shut, just gazing at him. On this day, every year, he would always come into my room like this, quietly looking at that withered osmanthus tree outside the window, until sunrise.

He lightly sighs, then says: “Come here.”

Just like every other year on this day, I walk up to his side, leaving him to pull me into his arms, quietly sitting there, not saying a word. I thought he would only sit through the night in silence just like every other year, but did not think he would actually speak up.

“Ah-Lan, today is my mother’s death anniversary.” Yuwen Rui says, his lowered eyes looking a little empty.

I suddenly get a bad feeling, please don’t tell me he wants to tell me some sort of secret……

He rubs his warm face against my forehead, lowly sounding a chuckle, speaking with slight satire, “Ah-Lan, did you know? I like your mother, more so than my own mother.”

This I already know, my mother empress who died at childbirth was said to have extremely doted on a pretty, intelligent, and understanding nephew.

“Ah-Lan……” His warm breath against my neck, feels a little ticklish, a little moist, “In fact, you know everything, right?”

My nerves immediately tenses, know? Know what? No, I don’t know, I really don’t know that you’re not actually your mother’s and Eldest Uncle’s son.

“Hoho……” He deeply sounds a laugh, causing his chest to gently shake, “Look how afraid you are, what, afraid I’ll silence you (by killing)?”

I decline to comment, who knows, not like it’ll be your first time wanting to get rid of me.

“Ah-Lan, believe me, I will never harm you again, definitely wouldn’t.” His voice is so strong and committed, but vaguely gives me a slightly bleak feeling.

Yuwen Rui, why must you guarantee this to me, guarantee is such a futile thing.

He raises my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye, his voice clear and cold but carries warmth, “That’s why, don’t fear me anymore.”

In this type of quiet and harmonious atmosphere, I was actually thinking: ah, the skies are dark, let us all go home and sleep now. -_-|||

“Ah-Rui.” I hear myself speak, “Should there come a day, this no longer fears you, then, I will no longer fear you either.”

‘This’, is referring to my heart.

Yuwen Rui reaches out to cover the hand I have at my chest, a broken smile flashing in his brown eyes, “Ah-Lan, remember, here, only I can enter.”

I just rest my head against his chest, not saying a thing, here, perhaps even I have not yet entered.

Yuwen Rui does not speak anymore, the time quietly flows by, with no one speaking again, in fear of breaking this quiet scene.

I suddenly become aware that what I said just now, is not something a fool should be saying. A short phrase that contains, not just meaning expressed on the surface. I faintly smile, trying to recall why I had become a fool.

Just like many other time travelling female leads, I wake up to find myself in a different time, an unfamiliar environment, unfamiliar people, unfamiliar self. My mind goes back to the confusion of being stuck between the difficulty of freeing myself from the pain of my memory of the past, and the absurdity of a new life. The body that I have possessed all over again, was unable to respond to my command for a very long period of time, and so I became one who thinks, one who exercises brainpower.

I started to think through day and night, thinking about why I would time travel. But this truly is such a difficult question, after countless days and nights of being unable to think of an answer to this, I start to recall my memories, recalling the life I once had, what I once owned, and lost. Everything that ceased to exist yet I cannot let go of. Just that recalling all this has brought me so much negativity, and so I chose to use my imagination, imagining myself a destined woman, ending my former blurred life, then coming to the otherworld to become their saviour, then ooxx, and ooxx back again, completing the life mission, embracing n number of pretty boys, happy ending.

After awakening from the storyline of classic time travelling novels, I am very surprised to find I am already three years old, the people in the palace are all looking at me with a type of strange contempt or pity in their eyes, I think I know why this is, because ever since I was born, I have not spoken a single word, and at the same time, my adorable twin, Imperial Sister, is already able to use her soft and sweet child voice to call our father “Father Emperor”.

After a long period of silence, I have lost interest in speaking, I was too lazy to move my mouth, too lazy to utter a sound, too lazy to make expressions, I am so lazy, that towards the big and small secrets I come to know of over the long period of time of growing up, I become even more lazy to bother with them.

The imperial palace is just like a top level scaled down version of society, gathering the most dazzling luxuries and the darkest of rottenness. I silently watch the people and matters around me, keeping all emotions and feelings in my heart, mulling over them myself.

As the only silent and harmless person in the palace, to a certain degree I have gotten an advantage, people’s wariness of me have reached the history’s lowest percentage, and they are also happy to confide in me. Yuwen Rui, Yuwen Xiu and Imperial Sister are the three people closest to me.

A lot of the times, after recalling situations, I would always find that I like to abruptly speak rashly, then continue to stay silent, not looking at the other person’s expression or reaction.

I’m a fool, I’m not a fool.

They know I’m a fool, they know I’m not a fool.

Why does it matter……?

Who cares.

I close my eyes, faintly smiling, thinking, at least, I don’t care.

Waking up the next day, I was settled in bed, by my ear is the sound of Xi Xi’s usual chattering. The desk by the window clean and tidy, nor is there that tall figure on the chair, the warm sunlight casts shadows inside the room, everything that happened last night feels like just a dream. I rub my eyes, getting up to leave Xi Xi to dress me, heart at ease, completely calm.

This is my lifestyle, a slight ripple may form in the water but it will always return to calmness. And I, only live within my own lifestyle. Everything, has nothing to do with me.

The days passes in a blink of an eye, just like that, the day of Yuwen Rui and Meng Shao Jue’s appointed meeting, the Dragon Boat Festival, has come. Early in the morning, Yuwen Rui had already came into the palace and dragged me out of my comfortable bed, after getting dressed ‘commoner style’, we leave the palace, along the way we had even run into Imperial Sister, Imperial Sister was originally feeling down due to not being able to find Seventh Brother, but understandingly smiles upon seeing our outfits, then, the amount of people leaving the palace increases by one.

When we arrive at the meet up spot, Meng Shao Jue and Ying Lu were already there, Meng Shao Jue’s eyes deepens upon seeing Imperial Sister, a handsome smile and graceful bearing, even if it is Imperial Sister who has seen all sorts of different charming men, she too, could not hold back the blush on her cheeks as she lowers her eyes. Ying Lu secretly nudges me, silently mouthing the words: “Number-one-beauty princess?”

I blink once, signalling that she is correct, she shows a look of understanding, a harsh and helpless look showing in her eyes. I think she is lamenting why her older brother is such a loose-principled, strong sparks generator.

As we were walking, Meng Shao Jue and Imperial Sister walks side by side at the front, Ying Lu and I walking hand in hand at the back, and Yuwen Rui is stood on my other side, walking in line with us. My attention is slowly attracted by Ying Lu’s vivid narration, then looking left again, Yuwen Rui was already in front, slowly increasing the distance between us. I think that the length of strides between men and women sure are different, should one person not cooperate, then it is not possible to walk side by side.

I turn my head to continue listening to the interesting matters Ying Lu is speaking of, suddenly my left hand tightens, the calloused big hand holds mine. I look over to be meet with Yuwen Rui’s handsome and indifferent side profile, long fox eyes looking in front, eyelashes sitting still, looking so casual as though nothing had happened.

I feel a slight impulse to laugh, Yuwen Rui is such a mensao individual, and I have long grown used to his mensao ways.

The Dragon Boat Festival is a very popular competition amongst the commoners, originally, it was just a competition, simply to gather people to join in on the liveliness, the evolution of it to date has also made it so much more interesting and fun, with several teams – each team representing a merchant – participating in a dragon boat race, in the shadows, there are even more so, countless people placing bets on who will win and lose. The Dragon Boat Festival takes place on the Capital’s largest Chang Hui River, with countless commoners gathered at the shores, waving flags and cheering, on the spacious river, there are also many docked pleasure boats for people to watch from a closer distance.

Meng Shao Jue’s pleasure boat is not as flamboyant as his character, not small but not exactly big either, practical but not extravagant. Very much in accordance to his words “coming out for leisure, it is better to keep a low profile”. Hearing this, Ying Lu and I look at each other with tacit understanding, unanimously deciding to ignore this phrase.

We sit at the front of the pleasure boat, watching the competing teams work hard, when I happen to spot a very big, and very showy pleasure boat not far from us, thinking to myself, which family has come out to show off?

Deafening cheers sounds from both shores, the few people at the edge of the boat are also absorbed in watching, Ying Lu holds a teacup in hand, spilling quite a bit of the tea. I am slightly lacking interest, towards these sort of matters, I really cannot bring out that much interest in it. Of course, if the competition right now is China against Japan, I would not mind using my throat to offer support for my countrymen, nor would I mind throwing my middle finger at the Japanese team.

I am an extremely small-minded person, what should be remembered should never be forgotten.

The winner is clear after two hours of competing, the red belted strong men excitedly gets up and cheers, the sound of the crowd on-shore blending in, some of praising, some of cursing. The few of us turn around and enter the inner room, after closing the doors, the noisiness from outside significantly quietens. Yuwen Rui holds a teacup and elegantly takes a sip, saying to Meng Shao Jue: “Which side did Gentleman Meng bet on today?”

Meng Shao Jue’s phoenix eyes slightly wavers, “Unfortunate to say, today I had betted on the black team.”

“How upsetting.” Yuwen Rui indifferently says: “Coincidentally, I just happened to have betted on the red team.”

“Gentleman Yuwen is always on the winning side, right?” Meng Shao Jue lowly laughs, the originally certain sentence sounding a little strange, “I have heard that Gentleman’s chess skills are superb, will you be willing to play a game with me today?”

Yuwen Rui half narrows his fox eyes, “Why not?”

The chessboard is very quickly brought in, Yuwen Rui and Meng Shao Jue very quickly starts playing, Imperial Sister sits beside Yuwen Rui, absorbed in the game, seeing her occasionally let out those gasps and tense expressions, one is able to know that the match between those two is spectacular, just that the two men of graceful bearings remains light-hearted throughout it, unable to see any trace of abnormality.

Tut tut, experts indeed.

Ying Lu and I sit at a table not far from them, she plays with a grape, saying: “Ah-Lan, is playing chess fun?”

I shake my head, “I don’t think so.”

“Then why are they so into it?” Ying Lu is very puzzled.

“Who knows.” I look at the plate of juicy grapes in front of her and suddenly come up with an idea, “Ying Lu.”

“En?”

“Let’s have a competition.”

“What competition?” Ying Lu instantly widens her eyes with liveliness.

I slowly spit out the words, “Grape eating.”

Ying Lu heavily nods, “Alright.”

……

When Ying Lu and I raised our heads from the empty plate, we are met with Yuwen Rui, Meng Shao Jue, and Imperial Sister’s three sets of fixed gazes, Ying Lu hiccups, feeling a little embarrassed as she says: “What, you finished?”

Imperial Sister shakes her head.

“Eh, then you continue ah.” Ying Lu waves her hand as she says this.

Meng Shao Jue’s line of sight constantly travels back and forth between the two of us, finally settling on my face, his long and narrow phoenix eyes filled with struggles in trying to hold back his laughter, “I suddenly find that playing chess isn’t that interesting.”

At this time, Yuwen Rui also gets up and comes to my side, his long and slender finger wiping away the grape juice on my lips, cold and clear voice suppressing his laughter, “Such a mess.”

I hold the grape in hand out to him, “Here.”

Yuwen Rui stares at the grape in my hand for a few seconds, finally hooking up his thin lips and eats it, “Just this once, never again.”

Chi~, even the end of the world cannot rid me of my passion for grapes.

I turn my face away, unintentionally meeting Meng Shao Jue thoughtful eyes, his expression is that of a seeming smile, but completely unfathomable.

Suddenly, the noise outside grows louder, vaguely hearing “pu-tong” as though something has fallen into the water, followed by cries for help, Yuwen Rui’s handsome brows knits together, he and Meng Shao Jue opens the doors and goes out, the rest of us also follow along like clueless children.

Only to see the originally jubilant Chang Hui River is now a scene of chaos, the prideful red belted strong men from before have now all fallen into the middle of the river, the long boat overturned, a group of people splashing around in the water, not jubilant at all. And stopped beside them is the big pleasure boat I saw before. At the front of the pleasure boat, stands two familiar figures, just leisurely watching the people in the waters.

“Who told you all to block our path? You sure don’t know what’s good for yourselves!” The young man amongst them laughingly says, his tone so detestable, “Aren’t you all oh so formidable? You have the chance to show it now, everyone swim back to the shore. Should anyone dare to interfere, heng, then you shall all go down with them!”

Upon hearing this, the middle aged man beside the young man, looks around at the retreating boats in satisfaction, whilst the young man gets even more arrogant as he raises his chin up high.

Yuwen Rui suddenly lets a chuckle slip out, unable to see happiness or anger within his long and fine eyes, “Interference means going down…….as well?”

A bright and clear smile spreads across Meng Shao Jue’s handsome face, the purple jade fan lightly opens, “Gentleman Yuwen, commoners cannot suppress officials, officials cannot suppress evil officials, this is the truth.”

Yuwen Rui indifferently sits on the chair at the side, lazily narrowing his eyes as he says: “Mu Yi, bring some people to save them, Mu Er, go notify Lord Yin, Official I, would like to meet him.”

Just after the words were spoken, Mu Yi and Mu Er disappears without a trace, Meng Shao Jue also sits on a chair, ready to watch a good show, Imperial Sister follows them in sitting down, confused, whilst Ying Lu and I secretly make eye contact, seeing excitement in one another’s eyes: now this time, there’s a good show to watch.

Those two arrogant people on that pleasure boat is none other than the head of the Ministry of Punishment – Lord Yin, and one who I have not seen in a long time, Guan Yue – Gentleman Guan.