Chapter One Hundred and Two: The Coming Separation

One afternoon, Lian Yue was again devoting herself to the feast in her hands. When she woke this morning, she had felt unusually refreshed, as if she had slept for days.

Especially this morning, Dark Abyss had taken her to a nearby stream and, in a shy and careful way, helped her wash herself thoroughly in the water. Now she felt exceptionally comfortable.

“When are we setting out again?” Lian Yue asked as she dealt with the food before her.

Yu Wen Ling Xi concealed the indulgence and loss in his eyes and said, “A little later?” By his reckoning, the people searching for her should already be close.

Five days. For the first time, Yu Wen Ling Xi felt that five days was far too short. Since Lian Yue woke, he had been watching her every word and deed, and now he could finally let go of his worry. She truly had not remembered anything; she only thought she had merely slept.

The time until they must part was drawing nearer and nearer. To hand her over to those people, he would have to make a trip home; he would need to give his father an account, no matter what.

Lian Yue felt that something was odd. Since waking this morning, she had felt as though she had gone hungry for several days. Half of the antelope roasting over the fire before her was already gone, and yet she was only about seventy percent full.

In distress, she tore off another large piece of meat and continued eating.

Then, suddenly, a strange feeling rose in her heart. “Yue'er, can you hear me? Yue'er, can you hear me?”

Lian Yue, with a bite of lamb still in her mouth, froze at once. Listening to the voice in her heart, her gaze changed from doubt to disbelief, then to delight. It was Second Brother. Second Brother had finally found her.

“Second Brother, I’m here, I’m here!” Lian Yue answered eagerly in her heart.

Yu Wen Ling Xi took in every movement of hers, puzzled and uneasy. Had she recalled something? “Yue'er, what’s wrong?”

Lian Yue, who had been so excited she almost wanted to dance, only then remembered there was someone beside her. Just as well—she desperately needed someone to share her joy with.

“Brother Ming, Second Brother is here. Second Brother is here…”

Seeing that she had not remembered the events of days ago, Yu Wen Ling Xi finally relaxed a little. Yet he was still deeply puzzled. How did she know?

Lian Yue, still excited, met his probing gaze and her heart gave a jolt. Why had she blurted it out so carelessly? Mother would not let her tell others at random. If he asked how she knew, what would she say? Lie to him?

She dismissed that thought at once. To avoid that situation, she said first, “Don’t ask me why I know. I just do. Do you believe me?”

Under her hopeful gaze, Yu Wen Ling Xi nodded and simply said, “I believe you.” It was only two words, but enough to make Lian Yue happy for a very long time.

“Yue'er, Yue'er, why aren’t you answering? Has something happened?”

Dream Morning’s voice, tinged with excitement, sounded in Lian Yue’s heart. She hurriedly replied, “Second Brother, I’m here, I’m here!”

“Who are you with? Are you with that murderer? Are you safe now? Tell me how to find you,” Dream Morning’s voice came again at once.

Only after Dream Morning’s reminder did Lian Yue remember Dark Abyss’s identity. With the temper her eldest and second brothers had, they would certainly not let him go. Panic seized her at once. Forgetting to continue speaking to Dream Morning, she instead looked anxiously at Dark Abyss beside her and urged, “Hurry and leave. My eldest and second brothers are about to arrive, and they must have brought many people. If they get here, you won’t be able to get away.”

Yu Wen Ling Xi, though he did not know how she knew so clearly, saw the alarm on her face and felt the concern in her words; the warmth in his heart spread a little farther.

“It’s fine. I’ll leave when they arrive.”

Hearing this, Lian Yue grew even more anxious. The voice of her second brother in her heart was getting clearer and closer. “If they come, you won’t be able to leave. Besides, you’re still injured. Leave now; I’ll be fine by myself.”

“You’re worried about me?”

“Of course I’m worried about you,” Lian Yue blurted out, then froze herself. Yes—since when had she become so concerned about this person before her? But that hesitation passed in an instant, and the ever-growing voice in her heart made her flustered. “Please, I’m begging you—leave first, all right?”

Yu Wen Ling Xi could not help stepping forward and drawing Lian Yue tightly into his arms.

Lian Yue fell silent at once. Her mind told her to push him away, but her hands would not rise.

Thump... thump... thump...

Two hearts that had not been beating in the same rhythm slowly merged into one. And as if Dream Morning sensed something, he no longer sent any voice at all.

Listening to the strong heartbeat beside her ear and feeling the firm chest against her cheek, Lian Yue heard the sound of flowers blooming in her heart.

“How is it?” Yue Ling Jun asked Dream Morning anxiously.

Just now they had been walking along well enough when Dream Morning suddenly tugged at his sleeve, his eyes filled with an excitement that could not be concealed.

Yue Ling Jun immediately understood what he meant, and he too became excited.

The two deliberately quickened their pace and soon slipped away from the crowd. Only then did Yue Ling Jun ask, unable to restrain himself.

Yao Yao, who had vowed never to leave Dream Morning’s side by even half a step, reacted a little late and cried out, “Senior Brother Morning, did you sen—” The rest of her words were covered by Dream Morning’s hand.

Yao Yao nodded quickly, and only then did Dream Morning let go.

At once, Yao Yao hurried on in a hushed voice, “Did you sense Sister Yue'er?”

Dream Morning nodded, and Yao Yao’s eyes brightened even more. She was just about to cry out again when Dream Morning and Yue Ling Jun gave her warning looks, and she lowered her voice. “Then where is Sister Yue'er? Has she been mistreated? Is she badly hurt?”

Yue Ling Jun cared especially about those things too, and looked at Dream Morning expectantly. Yet Dream Morning only shook his head. “She only answered twice, and then there was no more. Still, I can feel that she is well.”

“Who is well? Little Sister Yue'er?” Qiao Zhi’s voice suddenly sounded behind them. “What are you all talking about? Why are you being so secretive?”

Yao Yao covered her mouth and exclaimed, “When did you get here? You’re like a ghost—no sound at all when you walk.”

“You...” Qiao Zhi pointed at her with his folding fan, seething. “Have you ever seen such a handsome ghost?”

“You’re such a strange person. I’ve never seen a ghost before, so how would I know whether they’re handsome or not? Boring.” Yao Yao gave him a disdainful look.

Qiao Zhi’s expression shifted several times in anger. He very nearly struck her a few times with his jade fan, but under Dream Morning’s gaze he ultimately held back, drew a breath, and returned to the topic from before. “Who were you saying was well?”

Yue Ling Jun and Dream Morning, having just received news of Lian Yue, had been too excited to notice him approaching. Naturally they would not tell the truth now. Yue Ling Jun said, “Oh, I was only asking after my father’s recent condition. It’s nothing. Let’s hurry on.”

Qiao Zhi looked at the three of them suspiciously and still felt something was off. He leaned toward Yu Wen Ling Xiao, who had come up beside them, and said mysteriously, “Yu Wen, I think they’re definitely hiding something from us.”

Yu Wen Ling Xiao sneered inwardly, shook Qiao Zhi off, and said to Yue Ling Jun and Dream Morning, “I suggest making some noise. If Miss Yue hears it, she can at least have a way to respond.”

Yue Ling Jun glanced casually at Dream Morning and, seeing him nod, agreed. “Just do as Brother Yu Wen says.”

“Wouldn’t that be alerting the enemy?” Qiao Zhi objected, but both sides simply ignored him.

Yu Wen Ling Xiao thought with amusement: That is exactly what I want—alerting the enemy. Otherwise, how would my eldest brother retreat?

Yue Ling Jun also thought with amusement: Since Second Brother has nodded, it must be fine. So be it—alert them if you must.

Yao Yao, meanwhile, cast a disdainful glance at Qiao Zhi, took a deep breath, and shouted toward the forest ahead, “Sister Yue'er... Sister Yue'er...”

She felt quite pleased with herself. Let’s see what else you can say now. If there were any snakes, my cry would have startled them all away.

As if to answer Yao Yao, Dream Morning and Yue Ling Jun also called out in turn.

At once, the forest rang with many voices.

“Little Sister... Little Sister...” that was Yue Ling Jun.

“Yue'er... Yue'er...” that was Dream Morning.

“Little Sister Yue'er... Little Sister Yue'er...” that, of course, was the ignored Qiao Zhi.

“Miss Yue... Miss Yue...” in truth, what Yu Wen Ling Xiao wanted to cry was, “Eldest Brother... Eldest Brother... retreat quickly...”

“Miss... Miss...” naturally, those were the voices of Qing Feng and the others.

And the rest were, of course, the attendants of the prince and the young master.