Bai Li’s Dream – Chapter 110

Chapter 110: Her Name

Zhou Jingyun lifted a corner of the bed curtains, letting the light from the night lamp flow in, diluting the darkness.

“Ah Li, Ah Li.” He called softly a few times, leaning over to look at the person beside him, “What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”

Zhuang Li lay on the pillow with her eyes closed, her nose twitching slightly, but she didn’t wake up.

Zhou Jingyun raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek, feeling a slight dampness.

Nightmares cause terror, not tears.

This was a dream of sorrow.

Perhaps she saw her family.

Zhou Jingyun fell silent for a moment. He had never seen her cry during the day. She was either calm or smiling.

Could she only grieve in her dreams?

Then let her cry freely.

If he woke her up, she would not only have to hide her sadness but also find excuses to comfort him.

Zhou Jingyun sighed softly. Looking at Zhuang Li, who had unconsciously snuggled closer, almost sharing the same pillow with him, he didn’t call her again. He stretched out his hand and gently patted her.

Sleep, sleep well.

Perhaps comforted, perhaps the sadness in her dream had faded, Zhuang Li stopped sobbing and lay still.

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In Sanqu Lane, the sound of the guqin on the small building became even softer.

Shen Qing looked at the butterfly in the bamboo cage, his eyes filled with sorrow.

The butterfly in the bamboo cage remained motionless, like a sculpture.

The closed door was gently pulled open, and a middle-aged, beautiful woman walked in.

Though her face was flushed with drunkenness, her eyes were bright and alert.

Madam Huang of Liuxiang Courtyard in Sanqu Lane, a woman who navigated the world of dignitaries with ease, now looked nervous.

She asked anxiously, “Master Shen, will our guest really come tonight?”

Shen Qing glanced at her and said, “You’re mistaken. It’s not a guest. It should be said, a reunion after a long separation, awakening from a long dream.”

He then lowered his head and looked at the guqin.

“Ah Die, you’ve been dreaming for too long.” He said softly, “Do you remember when you flew down from Lingyan Pavilion? Do you remember what you dreamed of after you flew down?”

His fingers brushed the strings, plucking them, but the sound suddenly disappeared. The room seemed to become a void, and a voice echoed within it.

“You dreamed you were a pitiful little girl.”

“You were born under an unlucky star, and your family suffered disaster.”

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Zhuang Li looked at the distant starlight, as if hearing a voice whispering in her ear.

Go there, and you will know who you are.

She suddenly felt amused. Of course, she knew who she was.

She was the one who sold herself to Master Zhuang and Madam Zhuang…

Zhuang Li opened her mouth, as if some thought was about to surface, but it was suddenly erased.

She was… a bird flying past the academy.

The bird flew over the forest, heading west.

Zhuang Li’s vision suddenly became blurred, and beneath her feet were no longer solid bluestones, but undulating mountains and earth.

Even birds get tired. She flew lower and lower, plopping into a river, then leaping up abruptly.

She was… a river fish.

The river fish swam westward with all its might, through winding rivers and streams, until it bumped into the dream of a fisherman sleeping on his boat.

The fisherman rowed his boat to a dock, watching countless people rush to buy his catch, laughing with joy as he gave basket after basket of fish to the people, exchanging them for basket after basket of money.

She was… a fast horse carrying a courier.

The fast horse galloped towards the city ahead, faster and faster. The city drew closer, and she could see the throngs of soldiers at the city gate.

“…By imperial decree, Bai Xun colluded with the Jiang clan to cause chaos. He is to be beheaded immediately and displayed to the public—”

The courier’s shout rang in her ears.

Zhuang Li gasped sharply. She was Bai Xun’s—

But at that moment, the shouts in her ears vanished, replaced by a woman’s panting.

Was it… her panting?

Zhuang Li pressed her hand to her chest, her heart beating rapidly, as if she had two hearts.

How could one person have two hearts?

A voice shouted in her ear.

“Your Majesty, wake up! This is a dream.”

Your Majesty? Dream?

Zhuang Li felt her vision spinning. The city was gone, and she was in the city, surrounded by soldiers, eunuchs, palace maids, chaos, cries and shouts everywhere, smoke and fire billowing around her.

Where was this? Who was she?

“Your Majesty, you must leave—”

Someone rushed in front of her, urging her, trying to pull her away.

Leave?

She wouldn’t leave.

She stood her ground, straightening her back, looking down at the scene before her.

She could see the tall city walls, the people running around like ants, and she could see her own magnificent clothes fluttering in the wind, revealing her bare, white feet.

A string of rubies was tied around her ankle.

Dazzling and brilliant.

“Jiang Mian’er—where are you going?”

A voice came from behind.

Jiang Mian’er?

Was that her name?

She couldn’t help but turn her head to look, as if countless memories were gushing like a tide, waiting to engulf her the moment she turned around.

But at that moment, another shout reached her ears.

“Bai Li!”

At the same time, someone grabbed her foot.

Icy cold, then scorching hot.

Zhuang Li shattered like a porcelain vase, then reformed in the next instant. The noise vanished from her ears, and the city with its smoke, fire, and clamor was gone from her sight.

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She was still standing on the street, the dream fading, silent and still. She looked down and saw her plain nightgown and embroidered soft shoes on her feet.

There were no rubies on her ankle, but there was a pale, slender hand.

The hand stretched out from the darkness, gripping her foot tightly.

A real hand, gripping her foot in the illusory dream.

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A snap.

The hand sprang back from the strings, and the plucked guqin fell silent, still and soundless.

Shen Qing looked stunned.

“Master Shen—” Madam Huang’s exclamation rang out, “The butterfly, the butterfly isn’t moving—”

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Bai Li couldn’t move.

The hand held her foot tightly.

It wasn’t a particularly strong grip, but it was a real hand gripping her illusory foot, like a pair of tongs.

Bai Li felt as if her whole being was about to be set ablaze.

She had never encountered such a situation before.

In the past, it was always she who touched reality; reality could never see her.

How did this person do it?

And more importantly, this person called out, Bai Li.

Bai Li.

The only person in the entire capital who knew her name was Bai Li was Zhou Jingyun.

And Zhou Jingyun never called her that.

She had almost forgotten that name herself.

Who could possibly recognize her?

It was impossible.

No one could recognize her appearance.

Zhuang Li looked down, following the hand to a figure lying prostrate on the ground, a wide cloak concealing their form. She bent down and tilted her head, seeing a pale face.

Although the face was pale, the features were still handsome, making her pause in surprise.

Of course, it wasn’t because of his looks, but because she recognized him.

Shangguan Yue.

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Shangguan Yue didn’t know when he had fallen.

When the young musician raised his hand, he knew the man had a backup plan. He let go of Ruibo, who had died to save him, and ran forward with all his might.

He wasn’t being reckless or cowardly; he couldn’t let these people who had protected him die in vain.

But in the end, he couldn’t escape.

He heard the sound of himself hitting the ground, his vision blurring.

The world fell silent, and all he could hear was his own heartbeat, slowing down with each beat.

Ah, so he was finally going to die.

That young musician had said he had family, so he had no choice but to kill him.

And he, he had no family left; he really should die.

Shangguan Yue’s vision was filled with darkness. Perhaps after death, one would live in such darkness. That’s why people always said they encountered ghosts in the night.

He used to be afraid of the dark when he was a child. Ruibo was initially chosen to keep him company at night.

He wouldn’t sleep if the person beside him didn’t sleep; otherwise, he would cry and make a fuss.

Ruibo would kneel by his bedside, night after night, accompanying him.

Ah, he was such a spoiled and hateful child.

Who would have thought that a child afraid of the dark would grow up to live a life of reversed day and night? He would wander in the night, looking at the dark river and the sprawling city.

Actually, thinking about it this way, there wasn’t much difference between life and death. Besides, in death, he could reunite with his father and mother.

But what if there were no ghosts in the world?

He wouldn’t be able to see his father and mother even after death.

He was truly unwilling to die.

He really didn’t want to die.

Why should he die?

He couldn’t help but try to crawl forward, but even though he used all his strength, he only managed to stretch out his hand, his body not moving an inch.

His strength ebbed away again.

Forget it, this was his fate. He should have died long ago, in the fire with his father and mother. It was his mother who had sent him out, and it was the Imperial Consort’s Husband who had taken him in, allowing him to live.

Was this person who lived on really him? It seemed not; it was Shangguan Yue.

He had forgotten his own name.

He traced it slowly on the ground with his outstretched hand.

Suddenly, he smelled a fragrance, a familiar fragrance he had once thought was a hallucination.

At the same time, a figure appeared in his vision; someone was walking past him.

Shangguan Yue, his head pressed to the ground, looked up. In the dim night, a young woman, although he couldn’t see her face clearly from this angle, he recognized her at once.

The one who had pinched his face in the dream, the daughter of Bai Xun, who had been executed, as shown on the wanted poster sent by the Censorate.

Shangguan Yue abruptly reached out and grabbed her foot.

“Bai Li!” he shouted.