Untouchable Lovers-Chapter 207 - 187 The Wasteland of the Storm (1)
Chapter 207 -187: The Wasteland of the Storm (1)
Chapter 207 -187: The Wasteland of the Storm (1)
Rong Zhi had returned.
Rong Zhi had returned.
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…had returned.
In her heart, there seemed to be an invisible wall of echoes, undulating over and over with these words, layer upon layer, making Chu Yu’s heartbeat quicken and then slow.
Catching a glimpse of someone approaching, she didn’t think much and instinctively retreated into the shadows of the nearby trees. Only when that person passed did she suddenly realize that this was her Princess Mansion; there was absolutely no need for her to act guilty.
What had she just been avoiding?
Everyone in the mansion knew that the Princess was especially fond of Rong Zhi. Hearing of his return, it wouldn’t be strange for her to come to see him personally. What was she doing to be so afraid of being seen by others?
Was she avoiding the eyes of others, or was it…
Clearing her mind of distractions, Chu Yu walked out slowly. The shadows cast by the trees were colder and darker than elsewhere, so as she stepped into the sunlight, Chu Yu felt the light overhead was blinding enough to make one dizzy.
Even though she felt an instinctual timidity, Chu Yu’s footsteps did not pause for a moment, step by step, she forced herself to cover every inch, every foot of distance. As she neared Muxue Garden ever closer before her eyes, beneath her expressionless face was a heart beating as intensely as a drum, yet she did not stop.
She did not know what she would say when Rong Zhi returned, nor did she know what kind of face to present him with, but all these hesitations and doubts could not outweigh her desire to see him.
Yes, she wanted to see him, even though she knew his mind was inscrutable, even though she knew he was not a good person, even though she knew that his thoughts might forever be out of her sight, she still wanted to catch a glimpse of his serene and elegant brows, his unfathomable eyes.
Just one glance would be enough.
Then, it would be time to lay everything out on the table.
The secrets she hid in her heart, and those he kept hidden, they would all be spoken, candidly revealed under the light of day, just like she was now.
As Chu Yu approached Muxue Garden, the servant in charge of the Princess Mansion who was waiting outside the gate saw her coming and voluntarily cleared a path for her. They silently stepped back, and those lined up to enter hurriedly made way. The visitor was the Princess; they had no choice but to let her cut in line.
Chu Yu entered the garden; although it looked somewhat desolate and dull due to the season, the serene essence of the bamboo grove had not diminished by the slightest.
The familiar figure was once again seated on the green stone platform, which had been quiet for many days.
It was still the young man in his snow-white attire and black hair, his beautiful eyes humbly cast down, exhibiting such a pure and composed demeanor, such an unhurried posture. Upon catching sight of him, Chu Yu’s eyes warmed slightly.
At this moment, when she saw him with her own eyes, the restlessness in her heart suddenly settled, and the voice that had echoed in her heart finally took on substance.
He had returned.
Rong Zhi composed himself with closed eyes for a moment before slowly opening them. Seeing Chu Yu gazing at him, he smiled unsurprisingly, “Princess, I trust you’ve been well.”
Chu Yu looked at him intently. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss, but upon closer inspection, she noticed that he had alarmingly grown thinner. The line of his jaw, once beautifully soft, now seemed as if it had been sharpened, sharp enough to wound. His complexion, which used to have a hint of life, now resembled completely pale ice and snow, making his dark eyes seem deeper and more profound.
Although she knew that if Rong Zhi were to return, it must have been with great difficulty, actually seeing his emaciation pained her heart.
Without speaking, Rong Zhi was not in a hurry either; he sat in leisurely silence, his gaze serene and gentle.
What should she say?
Chu Yu thought confusedly, should she ask him about the past, question why he chose this moment to return, ask how he had managed to escape, or should she talk first about her decision, or perhaps…
There was so much she wanted to say that she didn’t know where to begin. Confused for a moment, Chu Yu sighed, walked forward, and sat beside Rong Zhi, with a distance of two feet between them.
Then, she gazed at the ground and whispered softly, “You’ve come back.”
Even with so many conflicting interests and entwined grievances, the thing she most wanted to say was still just that sentence.
After that, there was a long silence again, with nothing but the faint rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves reaching her ears, sounding like the desolate music of a very lonely emptiness piercing through the wasteland of her heart.
Rong Zhi seemed to be in a daze, his expression slightly bewildered. It took him a while before he turned his head and asked, “What did the Princess just say?”
Chu Yu smiled and said, “Nothing.”
If he hadn’t heard, then so be it.
It wasn’t anything important after all.
Having both returned from a perilous adventure, there seemed to be a considerable distance between them. Outside, they were merely the simple Chu Yu and Rong Zhi, where in the face of life and death, they did not need to consider the future or the past, nor did they need to consider each other’s identities and positions—just one person and another, which allowed for natural expressions, looking into his eyes, observing his motions, and responding with either joy or a leisurely smile.
But now it was different.
Back here, everything attached to him and her was forcibly reverted to its original form, with no way to conceal or forget it.
In times of danger, he had shown her through his actions what it meant to be composed, but even though the decision had been made, the resolution set, she still couldn’t quite maintain her composure in front of him.
Perhaps sensing Chu Yu’s mood, the usually smooth Rong Zhi was also silent, maintaining that awkward quiet.
But some people, some things, had to be faced eventually.
Chu Yu forcefully pinched the palm of her hand with her fingernail and opened her mouth to say, “Rong…”
But to her surprise, Rong Zhi was quicker, speaking almost at the same time, only half a second faster, “Princess, why is Yue Jiefei not here?”
Rong Zhi had spoken first, so Chu Yu momentarily suppressed her own words, before even speaking, she let out a cold laugh, “Him?”
Before any cracks appeared, Yue Jiefei had always been her personal protector. Wherever she went, he was nearby, following along. Seeing his figure made her feel safer and more secure, but now, this name only made her laugh coldly.
How could she have been so foolish, so used to his protection that she overlooked the fact he was never truly on her side, that he wouldn’t hesitate nor hold back in betraying her, and might even turn his blade on her if necessary?
He was always drawing his sword and standing before her, striving to block all the sharp edges directed at her. The self-absorbed narcissism that occasionally made him fascinating had unwittingly made her forget that he was Tian Rujing’s senior brother, a member of the Imperial Family’s forces.
Because she had unwittingly let down her guard with him, seeing him as someone she could trust, the sting of betrayal was all the more infuriating when it came.
Although Tian Rujing and Yue Jiefei were conspirators, in some sense Chu Yu’s displeasure with Yue Jiefei vastly exceeded that with Tian Rujing.
She knew this was unreasonable, but she couldn’t control her own feelings, just as with Rong Zhi.
So, after meeting Liu Ziyue that day and being escorted back to the Princess Mansion by He Ji, the first thing Chu Yu did was to send Yue Jiefei to deliver a message to Tian Rujing and then have him expelled from the Inner Garden.
He could do whatever he liked, continue serving Liu Ziyue or continue caring for his Junior Brother Jing, just as long as he stayed out of her sight.
Rong Zhi was slightly surprised, but soon a knowing smile appeared on his face: “I see.” Combining the inquiries he had made with the servant in charge earlier, along with Chu Yu’s attitude towards Yue Jiefei, he had managed to piece together most of the cause and effect of the entire affair.
Chu Yu felt a coolness on the back of her hand, for Rong Zhi had placed his hand upon hers. His hand was cold as snow, so cold it scarcely seemed alive.
Facing Chu Yu’s puzzled gaze, Rong Zhi calmly held up three fingers, “Given the current situation, I have three strategies—the best, the mediocre, and the worst. Which one would you like to hear?”
