Untouchable Lovers-Chapter 266 - 243 Unaware of My Whereabouts
Chapter 266: Chapter 243: Unaware of My Whereabouts
Chapter 266: Chapter 243: Unaware of My Whereabouts
At last, a ripple of disturbance flickered between Huan Yuan’s brows as he looked at Moxiang and motioned for him to continue.
Undeniably, the mention of Tian Rujing had triggered his caution and vigilance. Tian Rujing was not only Rong Zhi’s enemy but had also once secretly harmed Chu Yu and been harmed by her in turn. From this perspective, Rong Zhi and Chu Yu were rather in the same boat.
Seeing that he had finally caught Huan Yuan’s attention, Moxiang breathed a sigh of relief and continued to explain. Moxiang initially assisted Empress Dowager Feng in her regency, but after Tian Rujing appeared at Tuoba Hong’s side, somehow, he tipped the scales in favor of Tuoba Hong.
Chu Yu was aware of the ins and outs of the bracelet and Tian Rujing. Rong Zhi held himself in high esteem, adopting a condescending attitude towards everything; thus, both of them dismissed Tian Rujing’s identity as a Heavenly Master. However, Moxiang was different—he neither knew the truth nor possessed Rong Zhi’s state of mind. Upon seeing Tian Rujing appear with the little emperor, Tuoba Hong, his position was thrown into disorder immediately.
Without Rong Zhi’s guidance, he didn’t know how to deal with the situation.
After hesitating for a while, Moxiang stated his purpose. “I hope that Young Master Huan would agree to Tuoba Hong’s request,” he said. Claiming that Rong Zhi only contacted him unilaterally was, of course, a lie. He knew Rong Zhi’s whereabouts. His trip to Luoyang was partly to find Huan Yuan, but more importantly, to find Rong Zhi.
He just wasn’t sure if Tian Rujing would once again be able to restrain Rong Zhi with some miraculous method, so he had to try to increase his chances of success as much as possible.
He hoped that Huan Yuan would act as his insider, going to Tian Rujing’s side under the pretense of assisting Tuoba Hong, but in reality, to probe Tian Rujing’s strengths and weaknesses.
With sincerity in his gaze, Moxiang looked at Huan Yuan. “Although we really cannot be considered friends, Young Master Huan, and this suggestion of mine may put you in a difficult position, Tian Rujing’s arrival in Northern Wei has left us clueless about his intentions. Perhaps he has come for my master, or perhaps for the Princess. I won’t conceal that I am concerned for my master, worried that Tian Rujing, like his mentor, might harm him again. But, it’s not entirely impossible that Tian Rujing could once again pose a threat to the Princess…”
He paused there, looking at Huan Yuan with full expectation.
Both were intelligent men. Moxiang knew that Huan Yuan should fully understand his meaning. Tian Rujing had once been both Rong Zhi and Chu Yu’s enemy, and his coming to Northern Wei might be aimed at Rong Zhi, but it was also possible that he would plot against Chu Yu again. Knowing that he couldn’t hide his purpose from Huan Yuan’s discerning mind, he laid all his cards on the table to let Huan Yuan weigh and decide.
According to his speculation, it must have been Tian Rujing who told Tuoba Hong the whereabouts of Huan Yuan and Chu Yu. Setting aside Tian Rujing’s objectives, as long as Tuoba Hong harbored expectations for Huan Yuan, it represented an opportunity for Huan Yuan.
If Huan Yuan could agree to Tuoba Hong’s request and thereby gain his favor and trust, perhaps he could seize the initiative and glimpse Tian Rujing’s intentions.
This would be advantageous for both Rong Zhi and Chu Yu. Naturally, Moxiang admitted that the benefits for Rong Zhi would be greater, but it wasn’t entirely useless for Chu Yu either. It depended on whether Huan Yuan was willing to humble himself and serve for that slight benefit.
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Given Huan Yuan’s demeanor just now, he seemed quite resistant to the idea of taking an official position in Northern Wei. Whether he would agree or not depended on how much he valued Chu Yu. Thus, when Moxiang intercepted Huan Yuan, he was not very confident he could persuade him; he was simply trying his luck.
Huan Yuan remained silent, turned around, and retraced his steps along the original path.
Moxiang stood quietly in place, waiting until Huan Yuan disappeared from his sight and estimated the time for a while before he started moving again, embarking on his real journey.
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In the end, Huan Yuan left.
When there was only Amman left by her side, Chu Yu could no longer remain indifferent. A terrifying sense of loneliness surrounded her, incessant and suffocating. Not even seeking out Guan Canghai could erase this feeling.
Whether it was Liu Sang or Huan Yuan, they were irreplaceable. Guan Canghai was just a friend, but what Chu Yu had lost were her family members.
Fortunately, there was still Amman. Although his mind wasn’t sharp and he could occasionally be clumsy, he was the only one who remained by her side. It was because of Amman’s presence that she didn’t lose her last bit of comfort.
If Amman also left for some reason, she didn’t know what she would do.
Thus, several days passed, and Chu Yu and Amman, along with Guan Canghai, wandered the market—a trip that she had proposed. Amman followed her commands, and Guan Canghai was indifferent, so it was decided.
Saying that they were browsing the market, Chu Yu actually just wanted to get some fresh air. Guan Canghai knew she was troubled in her mind, so he let the carriage roll slowly, with the three of them sitting inside as it made its way leisurely through half of Luoyang City. Chu Yu leaned against the carriage’s edge, with the curtains and the small window next to her open, allowing her to get a clear view of her surroundings.
After passing Qingyang Gate and approaching Piyong Imperial College, Chu Yu suddenly called out to stop the carriage. Not waiting for the carriage to come to a complete stop, she jumped down and ran to the stone stele in front of the Imperial College before halting.
The stone stele looked almost identical to how it had appeared when she had visited a year earlier, the surface marred by the marks of wind, frost, and warfare. However, the person who had accompanied her to read the stele’s inscriptions was no longer there.
Chu Yu gazed blankly at the stone stele. She didn’t even know what she was feeling, but one thought was exceptionally clear—Huan Yuan had truly gone.
Just now, she had almost imagined an illusion, as if Huan Yuan were standing within this stone stele, his clothes fluttering elegantly in the breeze, waiting right here for her to call him home.
The man who had a bit of a scholar’s temperament had run out many times to see these stone steles. Sometimes she would even get a little bit impatient with him, but now she wished Huan Yuan’s departure was just to look at the steles. If she would come out and look for him, he’d follow her back.
Chu Yu stood in the middle of the stone stele, lost in thought for a while until she heard footsteps approaching. Turning her head, she saw a worried Amman and reassured him with a smile, “I’m fine; I just came to have a look.”
About to return to the carriage, Chu Yu saw a peddler selling sundries not far away. She told Amman to wait there and ran over to the peddler. She bought two delicate clay dolls and ran back, handing one to Amman, “Here, take it.” How could she go shopping and return empty-handed?
Amman took the doll and immediately forgot his previous concern. They returned to the carriage, and Amman examined the doll for a while before he remembered the other doll in Chu Yu’s hand. Glancing over, he saw that Chu Yu was looking at her own hand with a bitter smile.
Chu Yu was smiling wryly: in the past, when she bought things for Liu Sang, she would habitually buy them in pairs to avoid showing any favoritism. She never anticipated that after Liu Sang left, she would still keep this habit.
Seeing Amman looking at her, Chu Yu casually handed the other doll over as well, “You can have both.” After all, Liu Sang was no longer here.
Amman took the doll, but instead of playing with it as with the other, he carefully put it away. Looking up seriously at Chu Yu, he explained, “I’ll give it to Liu Sang when he comes back.”
For a moment, Chu Yu had a strange expression on her face. She wanted to say that Liu Sang may never come back, but the words just wouldn’t come out. She forced a difficult smile, turned her face to the side, and pretended to look at the scenery outside the carriage.
The carriage continued southward, all the way to the outskirts of Luoyang City, beside the Luoshui River.
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Tears running down my face… within three chapters… Rong will definitely make a true appearance within three chapters!
