Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 113: Chapter 105: Whose Zhong Ziqi

After chatting for a while, Chu Yu sent Wang Yizhi away and walked alone slowly, ending up at the bamboo forest directly opposite the entrance.

By this time, night had fallen deeply, and the bright moon hung above the ink-blue sky, sprinkling bits of clear radiance that cast a silver glow over the bamboo forest dyed with the color of night.

A smile on Chu Yu’s face turned into a faint sense of helplessness. The phrase she had earlier told Wang Yizhi, “Smiling on the face, crying in the heart,” was adapted from a line in a comic. However, when she casually uttered it, she remembered with a sense of loss that no one in this world would understand that sentence and smile knowingly at her.

Wang Yizhi didn’t understand, nor would Rong Zhi.

In an instant, although there were two people by her side at that moment, Chu Yu still felt an immense loneliness. It seemed as if, despite there being millions of people in the world, she was still all alone, abandoned in a desolate corner at the end of the world.

Even though she had understood this long ago and told herself not to mind, when actually faced with this reality, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat uncontrollably despondent.

If it was uncontrollable, then there was no need to restrain it. Chu Yu let her thoughts wander freely, moving slowly through the bamboo forest.

All the ice that could be used had run out, and the air was gradually invaded by the heat from outside. A slight breeze blew, carrying the warm air over Chu Yu’s face and dispersing quickly.

From the quiet bamboo forest suddenly came the sounds of a zither, soft and intermittent, as if the player would play for a while and then stop, pondering something.

It was then that Chu Yu remembered that Xiao Bie was still in the bamboo forest and casually walked over.

Chu Yu had arranged for Rong Zhi and Xiao Bie to sing and play the zither in the bamboo forest. Unlike Rong Zhi, who was a last-minute addition due to the lack of available singers, Xiao Bie was someone she had thought of from the start.

Although Shan Yin’s Princess had criticized Xiao Bie harshly, it was only in terms of higher levels and realms—something others could hardly achieve. At least within Jiankang City, a better qin master than him would be hard to find.

Thus, Chu Yu looked for Xiao Bie, who came to Chu Garden every two or three days, told him her intentions, and asked him to help accompany her in the bamboo forest. Xiao Bie agreed without a second word, so promptly that Chu Yu felt somewhat guilty.

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After the performance, Xiao Bie stayed in the bamboo forest, not knowing what he was doing.

As she approached, Chu Yu’s gaze passed through the sparse branches and leaves and saw Xiao Bie sitting on his knees in front of the ancient zither. To prevent his clothes and the zither from getting wet and dirty, he had a thick blanket placed beneath him. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, his expression solemn and focused as if pondering something.

After thinking for a while, he lifted his hand to pluck the zither strings. The music was hesitant and indecisive. After several repetitions, his eyebrows relaxed, and he smoothly played a tranquil and distant melody. After he finished playing, the corners of his mouth turned up in a subtle arc that was hardly noticeable, as if he had smiled.

Chu Yu cleared her throat and walked out, not wanting to spy any longer. Feeling somewhat embarrassed upon seeing Xiao Bie, she had spoken harshly at first, but in the end, he was still willing to help, which made her feel guilty, “Why are you still here?”

Xiao Bie looked up at her and said, “I just came up with a new piece of music and decided to practice it here for a while…” His words were not finished when suddenly he looked around somewhat bewildered and out of sorts before realizing it had already gotten dark. He had been so immersed in his playing that he hadn’t even noticed the change in the daylight.

Lost in thought for a moment, Xiao Bie lowered his eyelids and said softly, “It turns out, it is already so late.” A fleeting color of loneliness and desolation crossed his face. He picked up the zither and stood up, nodding slightly to Chu Yu, “Princess, it is late, I should be going.”

Feeling as if she were almost intentionally sending him away, Chu Yu felt somewhat apologetic and walked beside him, saying, “I owe you my thanks today, and you should not take my words from before to heart.”

Xiao Bie stopped in his tracks, looking at Chu Yu with some surprise, “Why do you say that, Princess?”

Chu Yu smiled faintly and said, “When I said you were playing the zither for fame, was I really being truly aloof and elegant? If this tea party today weren’t for gaining famous repute, why would I have worked so hard on it? My criticism that day was merely the pot calling the kettle black.”

She carefully exhaled, turned to face Xiao Bie directly, and sincerely said, “I actually have no right to lecture you, and I hope you can let this matter go.”

If Xiao Bie had been as confrontational as when they first met, Chu Yu would not have been afraid; she could have just countered with the same tactics. But now, his attitude towards others was still cold, yet he was obliging towards her alone and occasionally came to visit, asking her to listen to his music… Faced with this Xiao Bie, Chu Yu did not know what to do.

Chu Yu regretted a little: If only she had not been so harsh to him back then.

Xiao Bie remained silent, his gaze fixed on Chu Yu, his eyes deep and enigmatic in the night, his handsome brows and eyes seeming frosted over, yet beneath the ice, a warm expression vaguely discernible. After an indeterminate time, he spoke softly, “Princess, you are truly forthright, you openly admit your desires, you actively seek them, and you candidly acknowledge your pursuit of fame and profit. This is what I truly admire about you. My respect is not because of the words you spoke, but because you can understand the music of my zither.”

He shifted his posture, cradling the zither, his voice though still cold, brimmed with emotion, “The zither voices the heart’s sentiments, Princess, that you can understand my heart’s voice is enough.”

Chu Yu was completely stunned on the spot, watching as Xiao Bie slightly bowed to her then slowly turned and left. He walked slowly, yet steadily, but until he had left through the gate, Chu Yu couldn’t bring herself to stop him.

She was speechless.

So it was that Shan Yin’s Princess, had left such a deep mark in this world, deeply engraved in that person’s heart, never to fade.

Chu Yu couldn’t help but sigh, how could she tell that person, that the one who truly understood his heart’s voice, was no longer around?

How was she to tell the qin master, Yu Boya, that his Zhong Ziqi had died? Now standing before him was merely a soul from another era, occupying the “Zhong Ziqi” shell, who knew nothing of music?

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Though she had managed to make a name for herself among the nobility, Chu Yu’s activities the next day were no different from before, still entering the palace to tell stories, and returning to her residence to teach English.

Her pursuit of fame was not for boasting or showing off, but to make future actions in the guise of Yu Zichu easier.

In a room with a square table, the two sat opposite one another. Chu Yu watched Tian Rujing finish the test paper, checked it, and with a vermillion brush marked a few errors before returning it. Though she intentionally made the questions challenging, Tian Rujing, relying on his strong memory and learning ability, improved gradually, making fewer mistakes day by day.

Looking at Tian Rujing’s serene and indifferent demeanor, Chu Yu pressed the exam paper on the table, leaned closely toward him and whispered by his ear, “Do you know what I did yesterday?”

Without waiting for Tian Rujing to speak, Chu Yu continued, “I invited a monk.” Along with her name “Yu Zichu”, and Huan Yuan’s “Yu Ziyuan”, Jiran’s name, who was with Huan Yuan, would also not remain unknown, spreading quickly through the circles of nobility, alerting everyone to the presence of this young monk proficient in the Buddhist teachings.

Besides the considerable expense on ice, another of Chu Yu’s major expenditures was on Jiran, she donated a significant sum to Jianchusi, allowing the monks to lend Jiran’s services for half a month, to prepare for that tea party scene with Huan Yuan.

Jiran was naturally talented and handsome, with a memorable zhu sha mark between his brows. Beyond these, he held a significant place in Jianchusi, being cultivated as the next abbot, thus Chu Yu winning him over was a mutually beneficial transaction.

As a member of the imperial family, she provided funding and influence to Jianchusi, while the monastery in return dispatched Jiran to help her achieve her aims.

The inclusion of a monk in her script was a last-minute decision driven by circumstances; she was cultivating another religion, aiming to let this belief grow, to an extent that it would completely overshadow the Daoist faith Tiān Rùjìng belonged to.

To put it plainly, she aimed to position Jiran beside the little Emperor Liu Ziyue, replacing Tian Rujing’s place.

Stepping back a little, staring at him, Chu Yu spoke slowly and resolutely, “I will succeed.”

Tian Rujing understood Chu Yu’s intent, wanted to say he knew, he didn’t care, but at that moment, Chu Yu was so close, close enough to feel each other’s breaths. The youth’s gaze steadily met the young girl’s elegantly arched brows and eyes, her clear eyes sparkled with a resolution and stubbornness starkly different from her delicate appearance, a brilliance unlike anyone he had ever seen, nearly captivating his soul.

She wasn’t afraid of him, after witnessing his capabilities, she never regarded him as divine, viewing him just as a normal person. She would argue with him, smile at him, coax and cajole him, even slam the table to emphasize a point or quiz him, scolding him if he answered incorrectly.

His nose picking up a laid-back relaxing fragrance, Tian Rujing found his thoughts slightly blurred, he didn’t even know why, but he was inexplicably unable to shift his gaze.

Gradually, his face grew hot as if on fire, not really knowing what emotion it was, it carried a strange flavor growing in his chest, sprawling unchecked like verdant, lush weeds of spring.

That was a freshness he had never experienced before.