Chapter 247: Night Falls

Zhou Jingyun stood in the courtyard, hearing Li Yu’s roars outside.

The young man’s voice was heart-wrenching.

He was clearly furious.

He could understand. He could see Bai Li now and was also driven to distraction with worry, let alone Li Yu, who hadn’t seen her. How could he not be anxious?

But there was nothing to be done. Ah Li couldn’t be disturbed right now, and given the strangeness of Ah Li’s constitution, he wouldn’t tell anyone without her permission.

He had to be the bad guy and stop Li Yu.

“Marquis Zhou’s Heir, what’s wrong?” Mama Xu rushed out from the inner quarters, her face tense.

While she didn’t interfere with Marquis Zhou’s Heir’s affairs, such a big incident with the Prince of Chu arriving had been immediately reported to her. Because there were women and children living in Marquis Zhou’s Heir’s courtyard, Mama Xu no longer believed the rumors. But after thinking about it, she still couldn’t help but come over, intending to take a quiet look. Unexpectedly, halfway there, she heard that Marquis Zhou’s Heir had thrown the Prince of Chu out.

Really thrown out.

Jiang Yun, twisting the Prince of Chu’s arm, had dragged him from the study and tossed him out the main gate.

Mama Xu, rushing over, also heard the roars outside. Each cry of “Zhou Jingyun” truly made her heart tremble.

This, this, this… Could it be that Marquis Zhou’s Heir was now regretting his decision, but the Prince of Chu couldn’t let go?

“Marquis Zhou’s Heir, talk to the Prince of Chu properly—” Mama Xu stammered, clutching her chest.

Of course, she wasn’t trying to persuade Marquis Zhou’s Heir to reconcile with the Prince of Chu. It was because if he continued shouting like this, rumors would spread throughout the capital again.

Zhou Jingyun lowered his eyes and said, “Don’t mind him. He… will leave.” He turned and went back inside.

Mama Xu stood there, somewhat at a loss. But just as Zhou Jingyun had said, the shouting outside stopped. The Prince of Chu had indeed left.

“The Prince of Chu is very angry, isn’t he?”

Madam Zhuang said worriedly, watching Zhou Jingyun walk in and sit down in the hall.

“Actually, we could have let him take a look at the doorway, to prove we weren’t lying to him.”

Zhou Jingyun shook his head: “He wouldn’t just look.”

Li Yu had said he had a way to wake Zhuang Li. If he came in, he definitely wouldn’t just watch; he would definitely take action.

Compared to Li Yu, he trusted Madam Zhuang more, so he couldn’t take the risk.

Having said that, he looked towards the inner chamber. The woman on the bed lay on her back, asleep, her arm wrapped in bandages outside the thin quilt.

Last night, he had held Bai Li and rushed back in the carriage. On the way, he discovered that shaking and jostling her hadn’t woken her up. He then used the dagger he had chosen for her in advance, placed in his sash, to prick her arm, but Bai Li still didn’t wake up.

She had been prepared for a more serious situation, yet it still didn’t work? Zhou Jingyun cruelly cut a deep wound on that pale, slender arm. Blood gushed out, still to no avail.

He didn’t dare to cut any deeper.

Madam Zhuang, woken up in the middle of the night, looked at Bai Li with a grim expression.

“She might be lost in an illusion again,” she said, “just like when the Bai family was condemned and executed.”

Madam Zhuang lit a burner of incense.

“This is guiding incense. Hopefully, it will wake her.”

Zhou Jingyun looked at the incense burner beside the bed. Although he couldn’t smell anything, the smoke diffused, making the landscape screen seem to appear and disappear, his vision blurring, as if real and unreal at the same time.

Madam Zhuang had said that no one should step inside, otherwise it would disturb the fragrance of the soul-guiding incense.

“What else can we do?” he turned his head and asked Madam Zhuang in a low voice.

Besides incense, they actually needed a person. Madam Zhuang looked at Bai Li on the bed. That time she was immersed in the illusion, her father had reminded her, making her come back.

At that time, Bai Xun was still alive, a real person.

But now, all of Bai Li’s family were just figments of her imagination.

If she didn’t want to, who else could remind her?

Madam Zhuang looked at Zhou Jingyun: “If she still hasn’t woken up after tonight, I will personally go and find her.”

Li Yu stormed into the Prince of Chu’s Residence. The eunuchs and palace maids walking along the way couldn’t dodge in time and were kicked aside, falling to their knees in panic.

“Your Highness!” Cai Songnian finally caught up, supporting and holding onto Li Yu, “Slow down!”

Li Yu ignored him and continued to stride forward.

“Your Highness, what did you say to Zhou Jingyun?” Cai Songnian asked, his expression angry, “How dare he be so rude!”

Although the gatekeeper of the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence had directly invited Li Yu in, he hadn’t been allowed past the entrance. Not long after, His Highness had actually been thrown out by Zhou Jingyun’s guards.

At that time, His Highness’s eyes were red, his face pale. He pounded fiercely on the main gate of the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence, shouting Zhou Jingyun’s name, his hoarse voice as if it would break.

Cai Songnian almost mobilized the surrounding hidden guards to rush into the Marquis of Dongyang’s Residence, but His Highness suddenly stopped, leaning motionless against the main gate. If he hadn’t been supporting him with his own hands, feeling his body temperature, seeing him still breathing with his eyes open, he would have thought he had fainted.

“I still have a way, yes, I have a way to save her, let’s go back.”

His Highness suddenly murmured, then pushed him away and started to run wildly. He hurriedly pulled him back and put him in the carriage, speeding back to the Prince of Chu’s Residence amidst the prying eyes around them.

It was conceivable what strange rumors would spread next.

He knew there wasn’t any deep affection between His Highness and Zhou Jingyun. The connection between them was that Young Lady Bai.

That Young Lady Bai was first Zhou Jingyun’s wife, then came to His Highness’s side, and now returned to Zhou Jingyun’s side. So, in the end, this had driven His Highness mad?

Cai Songnian couldn’t say what he felt, both angry and heartbroken. Watching Li Yu walk inside without a word, his eyes deep and lost, he couldn’t help but advise, “Your Highness, there are plenty of beautiful women in the world.”

Before he could finish, Li Yu pushed him away, stepped into the room, and slammed the door shut.

“I’m going to sleep.”

Sleep? Cai Songnian had believed it when Li Yu had said that before, but he didn’t believe it now. How could His Highness look like he was going to sleep? He looked broken, but also like boiling water.

Shut out, Cai Songnian anxiously asked, “Your Highness, let the physician take a look. At least have a bowl of calming soup.”

“No! Don’t disturb me!”

“I’m going to sleep, don’t disturb me.”

Li Yu rushed to the bedside. He really was going to sleep.

That idiot Zhou Jingyun, he knew nothing. The last time Zhou Jingyun was by Ah Li’s side, he didn’t even know the person beside him had changed. It was he who had rushed over and driven away Empress Jiang’s ghost, allowing Ah Li to return.

He couldn’t tell Zhou Jingyun about the strange things happening to Ah Li. It was too bizarre. Who knew what Zhou Jingyun would do? If he harmed Ah Li, it would be disastrous.

Zhou Jingyun wouldn’t let him in, so he couldn’t shake Bai Li awake. However, there was another way he could help Ah Li.

He had been too panicked earlier, only thinking about seeing Ah Li immediately, and had forgotten the previous method.

His dreams.

Bai Li had asked him for help several times before by sleeping.

The thought flashed through his mind. Li Yu pounded the bed hard. This time, Bai Li hadn’t said anything, and he hadn’t taken the initiative to sleep, and as a result, something had indeed gone wrong.

Bai Li must have been possessed by Empress Jiang’s ghost.

Li Yu raised his head and looked around.

“Ah Li!” he called, “Ah Li, are you here?”

It had been like this before. Ah Li came to him when she was in danger. Ah Li had also said that he couldn’t see her, but he could help her.

There was no response in the quiet room, and he couldn’t see anything.

“Ah Li, don’t be afraid.” Li Yu softened his voice. Ah Li must be very anxious now. He couldn’t panic, “I’ll go to sleep right away. I’m here.”

But now, his mind was in turmoil. It wasn’t as if he could just fall asleep.

Li Yu rummaged through the bedside, taking out a small box from a hidden compartment under his pillow. This was the only thing he had brought with him when he moved into the Prince of Chu’s Residence.

The Princess’ Residence was opulent, the pleasure boat luxurious, the Shangguan Residence extravagant, and he himself lived a life of luxury, but he had nothing of his own, except for a box of incense given to him by Bai Li.

After the incident with the two moons in the imperial palace, he hadn’t been able to sleep well, so Bai Li had personally made incense for him to help him sleep.

There were only two sticks left in the box.

It was a good thing there were two left.

Li Yu took a deep breath, turned and went into the washroom to freshen up, changed into soft nightclothes, drank some warm tea, and lowered the bed curtains in the room. The sunlight was blocked out, leaving the bedroom in darkness.

The incense was lit, and white smoke slowly rose in the dim light.

Li Yu lay on the bed and closed his eyes.

✿✿✿

She really fell asleep.

Cai Songnian pressed himself close to the door. At first, he could still hear movements—walking, washing up, drinking tea—then there was silence.

His Highness’s state from last night until now was truly frightening. Cai Songnian couldn’t help but quietly push the door open.

His Highness mustn’t do anything rash.

But upon entering, he saw the person in bed was indeed asleep. Although his face was still pale, it lacked the panic from when he was awake. However, his breathing was uneven, his brows furrowed from time to time, and his sleep was restless.

Li Yu tried hard to open his eyes.

He vaguely remembered Ah Li saying that when he was sleeping in a dream, he couldn’t see her.

He was really worried. How was she now? Was she injured? He wanted to see her with his own eyes.

His eyes stung. He couldn’t help but curl up, covering his eyes with his hands. The next moment, he thought of something: his hands could move? Then, he opened his fingers and little by little pried open his eyelids.

It hurt so much, like a knife cutting flesh.

But along with the pain, light shone through, brighter and brighter, until he abruptly opened his eyes.

Before his eyes, all was white and empty.

Li Yu slowly sat up. Was this his dreamscape? Wasn’t it said that dreamscapes are bizarre and fantastical? His dreamscape had nothing.

“Ah Li!” he shouted loudly.

The sound faded away into the vastness, then echoed back again and again.

No one answered.

Li Yu stood up and ran in no particular direction. The dreamscape was boundless and identical, as if he were just spinning in place.

No Ah Li.

Where was Ah Li? Hadn’t she come yet? Could she have been scattered and destroyed? The thought flashed through his mind, and Li Yu immediately dismissed it. No, that couldn’t be. Ah Li was very capable.

Ah Li must still be here. She had said he couldn’t see her. Yes, every time he woke up, he couldn’t remember seeing her either.

How could he see her? Li Yu stood there, thinking anxiously. He needed to see her, to see her clearly.

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Li Yu felt his vision blur, and then a dressing table appeared before him with a mirror studded with jewels.

A mirror?

A distant, hazy memory with a hint of familiarity surfaced. Li Yu walked over. He remembered. This was his mother’s dressing mirror. When he was little, he often sat in his mother’s lap and watched her apply her makeup.

Li Yu sat down and looked at the mirror in front of him. It reflected the face of a child.

A child.

Li Yu was surprised and saw the child also show a surprised expression.

He raised his hand and touched his face, and the child in the mirror also touched his face.

Was this him? Him as a child?

Yes, Ah Li had said that she had seen him as a child. That was why Ah Li, when she first met him as Shangguan Yue, directly called him by the name Li Yu.

Li Yu couldn’t help but smile, feeling a slight relief. That’s right, he was cute and pretty as a child. Ah Li must have liked him very much.

“Li Yu.”

A woman’s voice called out.

Ah Li’s voice! Overjoyed, Li Yu quickly turned around, but behind him was empty. Looking around, there was no sign of Bai Li.

“—What does your mother look like?”

The voice beside his ear continued.

Li Yu withdrew his gaze and looked into the mirror. He saw the little boy in the mirror still turning his head back. Then, someone walked over and sat down.

“—Does she have a beautiful smile?”

A face suddenly appeared before his eyes—a slender eyebrow, a round eye with a black pupil, half of a slightly upturned corner of the mouth, and then a distant mountain-like eyebrow, an autumn-water eye, and half of a cherry-like mouth.

She looked at Li Yu and smiled slightly.

Li Yu felt the world spin. This face and the mirror instantly shattered.

He abruptly collapsed by the bedside, gasping for breath.

A nightmare? Was he awake? What had he seen? Why did Ah Li in the dream…

“Ah Li—”

A shout rang out beside his ear.

This was his voice. Li Yu, lying on the bed, slowly raised his head. He saw a dim yellow light, the surroundings were empty. It wasn’t his bedroom. Moreover, there was a dressing table mirror placed in front of him.

The sound came from the mirror.

“Ah Li, I’m staying on the pleasure boat tonight—”

Li Yu looked at the mirror. The surface rippled. Amidst the bright lights, the door of the pleasure boat opened, and he saw himself standing at the entrance.

This time it wasn’t a child, but his adult self, dressed in fine clothes, his face full of smiles, his eyebrows animated, his eyes sparkling as he looked over.

“—and gathering with everyone again for one last night. I can’t just abandon this pleasure boat without a word after having it built.”

As he said this, his expression became somewhat worried, and he stepped forward.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Li Yu saw someone in front of the mirror turn and sit. She shook her head: “Nothing. I didn’t expect you to come back tonight. You go ahead. I’ll bathe and change my clothes, then I’ll come over.”

Li Yu in the mirror smiled: “Okay. I have a lot to tell you today.”

After saying that, he backed out, and the door closed. Only one person remained in the mirror. She slowly turned, facing the mirror and combing her hair—a slender eyebrow, a distant mountain-like eyebrow, a round eye with a black pupil, an autumn-water eye, half of a slightly upturned corner of the mouth, and half of a cherry-like mouth curved into a slight smile.

“The emperor’s grandson is much better looking than his useless crown prince father.”

Li Yu felt as if knives were cutting into his eyes. In an instant, the mirror shattered, and the world spun again. He floated in a boundless chaos, seemingly unaware, with blood and tears trickling from his tightly closed eyes.

Zhou Jingyun suddenly woke up, his eyes met with the deep darkness of night.

He was lying by the door of his bedroom, on the floor outside. Though the distance to the east side room wasn’t far, he still wanted to be closer to Bai Li, so that he could be there immediately if anything happened.

Now…

He looked at the landscape gauze curtain in front of him. In the dim light of the night lamp, the landscape gently swayed.

Swayed? The doors and windows were closed; there was no wind. How could it sway?

Zhou Jingyun subconsciously looked at the door. The door was wide open. He abruptly got up and at the same time looked at the bed. The bed was empty.

Ah Li!

He lifted his foot to rush over, but abruptly stopped himself, pulling a dagger from his waist and without hesitation, slashing it across the back of his hand. Blood instantly welled up, and the pain spread throughout his body.

It was real. It wasn’t a dream, not an illusion. Only then did Zhou Jingyun lift the curtain and rush into the room. The night lamp illuminated the room. The bed and the room were empty. Zhou Jingyun turned and grabbed the night lamp, running outside.

The night was quiet. The entire marquis residence was sound asleep. Zhou Jingyun seemed to be able to see the traces of someone walking—light footsteps, swaying shadows. He followed, but he couldn’t catch up.

Carrying the night lamp, he passed through the courtyard gate, walked along the corridor, and arrived at…

Zhou Jingyun raised his head and saw that this was his study.

Lights flickered on in the study.

Zhou Jingyun took a deep breath and walked in. The brightly lit study was empty, but there was a sound coming from behind the bookshelves, from the hidden study.

“Ah Li?”

Zhou Jingyun called out, raising the night lamp and walking in.

The hidden study wasn’t lit. With rows upon rows of bookshelves, the light from the night lamp shone in, and shadows seemed to sway everywhere.

A slender shadow stood in the deepest part of the room.

“Ah Li?” Zhou Jingyun asked, raising the night lamp higher. “Are you awake?”

The shadow turned around. The light from the night lamp fell on her white nightclothes, gently fluttering. Zhou Jingyun’s gaze followed the light and landed on her face.

A fair and bright face looked back at him, smiling slightly.

“Zhou Jingyun,” she said, “why did you draw me so ugly?”

She unfurled the scroll in her hand. The woman on it was smiling. The lamplight flickered, and the smile merged with the person holding the painting.

Zhou Jingyun felt a chill run down his spine. His hand loosened, and the night lamp fell, the scattered sparks instantly swallowed by the darkness.

Thank you all for your company for another month. I hope you have a pleasant holiday and have fun!

If all goes well, I should be able to finish writing in another month. Hehe.