Untouchable Lovers-Chapter 188 - 170: Autumn Wind Sighs over the Painted Fan
Chapter 188 -170: Autumn Wind Sighs over the Painted Fan
Seeing her enthusiasm, Chu Yu could not bear to disappoint her, and considering there was nothing pressing to do at the moment, she nodded in agreement and set out with her.
Although Yu Wen had not shown any hostility, for safety’s sake, Chu Yu still had Yue Jiefei follow closely behind them when they left the house to be prepared for any unforeseen events.
And since they were all going out, it wouldn’t be fair to leave Amman alone at home, so the four of them went together. Amman’s striking appearance attracted many glances as they walked down the street.
Even though they attracted attention, no one dared to come up and start trouble. Kunlun slaves, being treasured servants because of their rarity, were generally owned by families with considerable wealth. Even the spoiled young masters in Jiangling City had some discernment and were not foolish.
Having decided to go out, they resolved to cast aside their worries and fully enjoy themselves. Jiangling, also known as Jingzhou, was once a prominent place during the Three Kingdoms era and thus was home to many legendary sites. Chu Yu and Liu Sang strolled through the city, buying and enjoying a variety of snacks.
They continued until noon before finally leaving the city through the east gate.
As they crossed the bridge over the moat, Chu Yu, engaged in pleasant conversation with Liu Sang, noticed a carriage passing by her side and coming to a stop ahead of them. The carriage was elegant, fashioned from fine wood, and adorned with beautiful cloud designs along its edges. Its blue curtains were somewhat plain. Such grandeur was not particularly remarkable in a place like Jiangling City, but Chu Yu felt a peculiar hunch.
She had an odd feeling but did not dwell on it, sparing a few more glances at the carriage while it was still in sight. She saw a slender, pale hand extend from behind the curtain and then withdraw moments later.
Once the carriage was far away, Chu Yu dismissed her doubts.
After the carriage moved on, a cold snort emanated from within, followed by the same indifferent voice saying, “Why would she be here?”
Before the sentence was completed, a low note from a zither played, carrying a silken, prolonged sense of solitude, softly spreading out and taking a long time before returning to silence. Then, an almost imperceptible murmur came from inside the carriage, “No matter, she and I are no longer connected. Why should I care what she is doing here?”
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Unaware that she had just missed crossing paths with an old acquaintance on the bridge, Chu Yu left the east city gate and headed eastward. It wasn’t long before they arrived at Huashan Peak to the east of the city. Chu Yu had inquired about the local scenery while they were strolling through the streets and learned that Huashan Peak was one of them. However, contrary to what she had envisioned as a lofty and steep range, Huashan Peak turned out to be nothing more than a hill.
The “Jingzhou Records” noted: A peak stands tall, casting shadows of the setting sun to the west. From a distance, it resembles a painted fan.
Since it was not evening, Chu Yu could not witness the sunset, and as it was autumn, the grass had begun to wither, failing to showcase its beauty, which made Chu Yu feel somewhat that reality did not live up to her expectations.
Circling around Huashan Mountain, they saw a small lake. Liu Sang, full of excitement, pulled Chu Yu along, skirting the lake and happily venturing into the large bamboo forest beyond it.
Within the bamboo forest lay a stream about three meters wide, its waters crystal clear. Liu Sang led Chu Yu along the stream, moving against the current. They didn’t walk fast, occasionally stopping when Liu Sang reached out to catch the tiny fish and shrimp, only to release them back into the water.
They continued at this leisurely pace for about an hour until Liu Sang pointed to the bend in the stream ahead and said, “My… My Lord, just passed that turn ahead.”
Chu Yu smiled. Along the way, they were surrounded by bamboo, a different scene from the elegant and tranquil bamboo of Rong Zhi’s courtyard. This wilderness had its own charm and made for a pleasant place to visit.
Following the stream around a bend, with fewer trees to obscure the view, Chu Yu looked ahead and was taken aback.
There sat someone wearing mourning clothes atop a half-man-high rock about seven or eight meters away. The garments indicated the highest level of mourning attire, the kind worn for three years of bereavement. The person also wore a coarse linen cloak that covered much of their face, and from Chu Yu’s angle, it was impossible to see any of it, letting her discern only that it was a man by his build.
He held a fishing rod, angling by the stream.
But what surprised Chu Yu was not the person in mourning attire but the young man in blue standing behind him.
“Xiao Bie?” Why would he be here?
Behind Xiao Bie followed a man dressed as a bodyguard, who appeared to be his protector.
Liu Sang also exclaimed in surprise, “How come there is someone on the stone now?”
As Chu Yu was overwhelmed with surprise, Xiao Bie, upon seeing Chu Yu, also felt a mix of emotions and was even more taken aback by her presence, unsure of how to react.
After a moment of astonishment, Chu Yu gave Xiao Bie a slight nod and apologized, “I didn’t realize you were both here, please forgive my intrusion.” With that, she took Liu Sang’s hand and was about to walk back.
However, Liu Sang stood still, his eyes fixed on the stone beneath the mourning man, looking quite reluctant to leave, when the man in mourning spoke, “Young Master Xiao, please return. I am in mourning for my father, and the period of filial mourning is not complete for another month. It is inconvenient for me to leave this place.”
Not bad at all.
Maybe because she had seen Huan Yuan and others dressing her in mourning clothes earlier, Chu Yu immediately liked this man in mourning. After all, observing filial mourning for one’s father was always a commendable act.
Xiao Bie gave a cold laugh, no longer caring about Chu Yu’s presence, and said, “How do I remember, sir, that you said the same thing three months ago? Could it be that I misremembered?”
He said this with the intention of mocking the man for being inconsistent, and even Chu Yu caught the implication, but unexpectedly, the man retorted smoothly, “Indeed, it must be that Young Master Xiao, being an important person, has confused the dates.”
Such thick… skin.
Chu Yu couldn’t help but smile at the exchange, but Xiao Bie’s face turned frosty. With Chu Yu watching by his side, and with many inconveniences restraining him from lashing out, he could only bow angrily and sweep away in a huff.
After Xiao Bie left, faced with a stranger whose identity she did not know, Chu Yu lost interest and turned to leave, but Liu Sang slipped out of her grasp and ran forward, saying, “It’s this stone, My Lord. When I was playing here yesterday with someone, this stone was making noises on its own… Why isn’t it making noises now?”
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Liu Sang didn’t mind whether someone was seated on the stone or not, and started to feel around the edges of it.
The man in mourning stated indifferently, “There is no wind at this time.”
Upon hearing the man speak, Chu Yu immediately realized what this was. With her broad experiences from her previous life, she knew it was just some tiny holes in the stone that made noise as the wind blew through them, like air being blown through a flute. Liu Sang, who had never seen such a thing before, found it novel, while Chu Yu was not as fascinated and stepped forward, smiling, “Alright, if it is silent, let’s return.”
Suddenly, the man in mourning spoke again, “This is no difficult matter.” He took off his cloak and whipped it through the air with lightning speed, then draped it back over himself. His movements were so swift that one could hardly catch a glimpse of his face.
At the same time, Chu Yu felt a gust of wind arise. Even standing five or six meters away from the man, she felt a breeze brush her face, and the stone beneath the man issued a mournful wail.
In the next instant, Chu Yu’s vision blurred as Yue Jiefei moved to stand protectively in front of her, saying gravely, “Danger!”
A chill ran through Chu Yu’s heart. That gust of wind was caused by the man’s motion with the cloak, a mere casual flick, and yet she could feel its force. How terrifyingly powerful must he be?
