A Tale of Two Phoenixes / Feng Qiu Huang (Untouchable Lovers) 凤囚凰 by 天衣有风 Tian Yi You Feng (HE)

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• Ok, posted this book also for HuiEr:) Xiaoyuer, hope you don't mind I am using your intro as I find it kind of hard to translate the book's intro:( Anyway, I gave u full credit:P Hey lidge, have u read this book? I didn't bother to listen to the audiobook after reading xiaoyuer's very good & detailed summary & some scene translations. The audiobook has only 1 voice & too long for my liking:(

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN3lRsJt908&feature=player_embedded That is the best MV I come across which is also on xiaoyuer's tumblr. I feel Who Gets the World has better fan-maded MVs:P Heehee, I may be bias bcos as of now WGTW is my fav Chinese novel.

• Woo... thanks. I'll start on this after Heavy Sweetness Ash Like Frost, which will be attacked with great vigour after i finish sobbing through Dong Gong. lol

• Peanuts is evil^^
  She corrupted me by throwing tons of books at me so I wouldn't sleep. Now she's trying to move onto HuiEr^^

  Peanuts:
  Hey lidge, have u read this book?

  Don't think so. Modern books are more popular than ancient books so I rarely read ancient b/c they aren't often translated. I'm starting on Marriage. It's been off and on regarding this, and this time, I've made up my mind to finish it.

  HuiEr:
  Woo… thanks. I’ll start on this after Heavy Sweetness Ash Like Frost, which will be attacked with great vigour after i finish sobbing through Dong Gong. lol

  Heavy Sweetness is def a good story to help get over Eastern Palace. When I finished Eastern Palace, I needed several days to just get my feelings in control again.

• And after this... I'm looking at Man Man Qing Luo.... Hahaha... I heard its another HEA.

  Peanuts -you're right... i'm not getting into I have an Urgency

• Bcos decembi requested and for those who can't access xiaoyuer's blog, I am reposting her stuff here. Since she is a patron of the bar, I think she won't mind:P

  Summary

  Note to self: never ever read another Chinese novel with nearly three hundred chapters. While I was reading Feng Qiu Huang (literally Phoenix Imprisoning Phoenix, but that title sounds strange so I’ll stick to its Chinese name) by Tian Yi You Feng, my reaction to the first part of the book was, who’s the male lead? and to the second part, OMG how can Rong Zhi be so awesome? Honestly, I thought the book was way too long, there were too many unnecessary scenes and too many men (not necessarily a bad thing but I cannot even remember some of their names). But the second half of the book completely made up for my complaints about the first half. It was so sweepingly romantic, with such an epically satisfying ending that it will be forever ingrained in my memory.

  The story starts out with a modern day woman, Chu Yu, waking up and seeing five scantily clad young men in her bed. She does what any girl would do, and starts screaming, she wakes up the men and kicks them out of her room. She then realizes that her spirit had traveled back in time and taken over the body of a young princess of the Liu Song Dynasty, the Princess Shanyin, Liu Chu Yu. This Princess Shanyin was notorious for telling her brother, Liu Zi Ye, the Emperor Qianfei of Southern Qi, that they were born of the same father, yet just because they were of different genders, Liu Zi Ye could have many lady consorts while she could only have one Prince Consort. Liu Zi Ye loved his sister deeply and immediately gifted her with thirty mianshou, or male concubines.

  After Chu Yu realizes who and where she was, she locks herself in her room for several days until one of her mianshou, named Rong Zhi approaches her and convinces her that shutting herself in her soon wasn’t healthy. She quickly settles into life at the Princess’s Estate but discovers that some of her unhappy mianshou were scheming against her. She looks into each mianshou's background and arranges for most of them to be sent out of the estate to take positions in court. Only six mianshou were left, Liu Sang, who was only twelve and too young to be placed anywhere, Liu Se and Mo Xiang, who did not want to leave the estate, Hua Cuo, whose life depended on the medicine in her estate, Heng Yuan, whose family started a failed rebellion years ago, and Rong Zhi, who mysteriously did not have a written background. Chu Yu, dressed as a man, sneaks out of the estate with her bodyguard, Yue Jue Fei and meets other young men from the city, including Xiao Bie, who seems to have a grudge against her and Wang Yi Zhi, with whom she becomes platonic soul mates. On one of these outings, the whole party is attacked and she saves Heng Yuan from falling off a cliff to his death. Heng Yuan previously resented her for breaking apart his scheme, began to see her differently. He agrees to work for her for three years and after that, she will let him leave the estate. Chu Yu begins to transfer all the responsibilities of the estate from Rong Zhi, who she still does not trust, to Heng Yuan.

  Chu Yu meets her Prince Consort, He Ji and realizes that the man hates her (she was cheating on him with thirty mianshou after all). He tells her that the emperor has been wanting her to visit him and she finally enters the palace to meet her young brother, Liu Zi Ye. Liu Zi Ye is a violent young man with a penchant for killing and physically abusing the people around him. Chu Yu knows that he reign was a short one year and tries her best to change his tendencies, to instruct him on how to become a better emperor. She does this by telling him stories about Emperor Kang Xi, but changes his reigning time to thousands of years before the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

  Liu Zi Ye retells her stories which a young official, Tian Ru Jing, hears. He also knows history, Kang Xi is actually a thousand years into the future and he confronts her about it. Shocked, Chu Yu finds out that his bracelet is magical and contains the entire written history of the world. They make a deal, if he shows her the uses of his bracelet, then she’ll teach him English (the Tian Shu also contains English history). However, he is entrusted with ensuring that events actually happen according to written history and refuses to tell her how and when she’ll die, or any of the events leading to a rebellion against Liu Zi Ye. Tian Ru Jing falls in love with Chu Yu, but Chu Yu finds herself attracted to the mysterious Rong Zhi, whom Tian Ru Jing’s teacher had tried to destroy, as Rong Zhi has the ability to change history.

  She makes escape plans for herself and the people in her estate because she knows the Liu Zi Ye’s fall is approaching. However, she is abducted by Hua Cuo’s friend-turned-nemisis and Rong Zhi saves her but injures his leg. They pretend to jump off a cliff to avoid the man who abducted her but actually hid in a cave below the edge of the cliff. They follow a merchant caravan to return to Southern Qi but are abducted by horse thieves during the return journey. The horse thieves keep Rong Zhi to teach their children and ransom Chu Yu to one of Rong Zhi’s subordinates after a month of captivity. Rong Zhi instructs her to find Guan Cang Hai if he does not return after two months. However, she goes to Guan Cang Hai soon after her release and asks him to save Rong Zhi. Guan Cang Hai tells her that they are actually enemies and the only reason Rong Zhi would ask someone to come find him is if Rong Zhi died.

  Liu Zi Ye sends He Ji to compel Chu Yu to return to her estate. Liu Zi Ye has found out that she had been secretly preparing to flee, hurt, he puts her under house arrest. She finds out that Yue Jue Fei had given the deeds of the land she had been buying to Tian Ru Jing, who informed the emperor to prevent her from escaping history. Betrayed, she schemes to steal Tian Ru Jing’s bracelet, she drugs him and takes the bracelet but cannot return home without Tian Ru Jing’s help. At that time, Rong Zhi has already returned but his illness takes a turn for the worse. Chu Yu begs Tian Ru Jing to save Rong Zhi, Tian Ru Jing finally agrees when Chu Yu kneels in front of him. His heart aches because the woman he loves is begging him to save another man. Tian Ru Jing gives Rong Zhi the antidote to the poison that his master had used on Rong Zhi many years ago.

  Chu Yu continues to prepare to flee, but on February 27th, two days before Liu Zi Ye is suppose to be overthrown, he calls her into the palace. He tries to make up to her but she still leaves without telling him about the rebellion because she remembers how he had ordered the killings of children and Mo Xiang, one of her remaining mianshou.

  She escapes with Liu Sang, Heng Yuan, Hua Cuo, A’Man and Rong Zhi but Rong Zhi goes his separate way after he heals. He tells Hua Cuo that he no longer has any use for him. Enraged, Hua Cuo attacks Rong Zhi but Rong Zhi has recovered his previous martial arts and is now nearly unbeatable. Before rushing off, Hua Cuo curses Rong Zhi, telling him that one day he will realize what losing something important feels like, Hua Cuo tells Chu Yu to break off her feelings for Rong Zhi because he is heartless. Chu Yu tells Rong Zhi that she likes him and asks him if he likes her. He replies that he has never liked her. Grieved but strong, she walks away. He asks, you are just going to walk away like that? She replies, it’s my choice whether to like someone or not, and now she also chooses to forget him. Chu Yu tries to lop off some of her hair and throw it away in front of Rong Zhi, as a parting gesture, but the blade she used got caught in her hair. Rong Zhi helps her untangle her hair and cut it. She leaves him to head to Luo Yang in Northern Wei.

  Here, she meets Guan Cang Hai, who has coincidentally moved in next to her, and the Empress Dowager of the Northern Wei, Feng Ting. She finds out that Feng Ting is actually Rong Zhi’s sister but continues to pass her days talking with Guan Cang Hai. A year later, Liu Sang leaves after he is reunited with his sister and Heng Yuan is called to become a government official to the Emperor of the Northern Wei, Tuoba Hong. The Northern Wei has a custom of putting the mother of the Crown Prince to death, so Tuoba Hong, now fourteen, was given to Feng Ting to raise. However, the power hungry Feng Ting wants to control Tuoba Hong, who is beginning to have his own ideas. Wang Yi Zhi comes to Luo Yang and invites her to leave everything and journey with him. Rong Zhi, who has been masquerading as Guan Cang Hai this whole year, stops her and kisses her silly. Angry, she asks him what he wanted to use her for now? She should not be of any use to him because she is no longer a princess. She runs to Da Tong to find Heng Yuan.

  Even though she moves again, Rong Zhi still finds her and makes an agreement with her. She’ll tell him about Tian Ru Jing’s bracelet and when the power struggle between Tuoba Hong and Feng Ting comes, he’ll let her and Heng Yuan leave. She remains in Da Tong with Rong Zhi for three years, raising the baby Tuoba Hong (same sound but different character), the son of Tuoba Hong, and Rong Zhi’s grand-nephew. When the power struggle comes to a head, young Tuoba, now four, is taken into the palace by Feng Ting. Chu Yu returns to Luo Yang but Feng Ting, Hua Cuo and Tian Ru Jing scheme to strip Rong Zhi of all his power and use Chu Yu as bait. Rong Zhi gives up everything to save Chu Yu, but also nearly kills himself when using the bracelet to transport himself to Luo Yang. Rong Zhi pretends to blow himself up to prevent himself from dying a slow death in front of Chu Yu. Chu Yu mourns and searches for his body for several months before Guan Cang Hai shows her Rong Zhi’s bones.

  Rong Zhi has not actually died but the space travel has caused his body to destroy and heal itself simultaneously, to give Chu Yu a clean break, he falsified his own death. During her mourning, Liu Sang returns to her, fully grown, and Tian Ru Jing visits her with Yue Jue Fei, he passes the bracelet on to her and commits suicide in front of her, apologizing for all the pain he has caused her. She discovers that she can return to the 21st century by using the bracelet and leaves Guan Cang Hai, Heng Yuan, Liu Sang and A’Man to travel around feudal China, revisiting all the places she had been to with Rong Zhi before she returns to the modern world. Her last stop was her estate in Southern Qi, where she met and fell in love with Rong Zhi but when she visits Rong Zhi’s bamboo forest, she sees a man dressed in white, playing the flute. It’s Rong Zhi! Both angry and happy, she goes to him. He has scars all over his body, she bites and kisses him and the two finally spend some much deserved time together. After Chu Yu falls asleep, Rong Zhi walks through the estate and meets with Guan Cang Hai, who admonishes him for doing that kind of thing so openly. He tells Rong Zhi that its a curse to be loved by Rong Zhi because he set his death and this recovery time up, just so Chu Yu would never be able to forget him. Rong Zhi smiles.

  The story is so long and complex that my summary doesn’t do it justice, I’m missing too many scenes and explanations. Rong Zhi is a man who will do anything for his love, but he is also way to hard-hearted to be considered a good man. I’ll leave you with a translation of the scene where he realizes that Feng Ting, Tian Ru Jing and Hua Cuo have used Chu Yu to entrap him.

• For some unknown reason, my mind flashed back to this scene from the delightful Feng Qiu Huang earlier today. I almost feel like I’m translating the novel backwards, because this scene occurs relatively early on in the book, before the desire for power and the Dragon Throne caused all that strife. By this time, Tian Ru Jing had realized his feelings for Chu Yu and the turbulence in his heart caused the bracelet to stop responding to his commands. He runs away in a frenzy, forcing a worried Chu Yu and Yue Jue Fei to look for him in the midst of a huge rainstorm. Tian Ru Jing faints on the top of a mountain, where Wang Yi Zhi finds him. Chu Yu, Rong Zhi, Yue Jue Fei and Xiao Bie, whom they rescued from the rainstorm, are then invited to stay at Wang Yi Zhi’s mountain estate.

  Revisiting this scene after finishing the entire novel made me both cry and laugh. It was so sweet, so touching, how these six people could gather together over a steaming hot pot and become friends. They could actually spend their entire lives happily far away from the palaces of Northern Wei and Southern Qi - enjoying the scenery, writing poetry and playing music to reflect upon the life as a normal citizen. However, Rong Zhi’s desire for power and Tian Ru Jing’s commitment to the duty his teacher entrusted him with are too strong. Also, this is the only scene where we see Rong Zhi playfully teasing side. :D

  Bring In the Wine, or 将进酒, is one of Li Bai’s famous Tang poems. Since I am completely poetry illiterate, I used Ying Sun’s translations when Chu Yu recites the poem to her companions.

  Scene Translation: Bring In the Wine

  At this moment, Chu Yu finally woke up, but her head was still muddled. When she heard the shout, she didn’t think too much and walked in the direction from where the noise was coming from. After walking past a row of rooms, her eyes suddenly brightened because the people she couldn’t find earlier were all gathered near a spring in the forest - Wang Yi Zhi, Rong Zhi, Xiao Bie, Tian Ru Jing, and even Yue Jue Fei was there!

  She paused, looked around and saw that next to the spring was a clay stove, on top of the stove was a large metal pot, and some kind of soup was boiling in the metal pot. The color of the soup was dark and a fragrant scent puffed out while Wang Yi Zhi and Rong Zhi were adding something into the pot.

  Xiao Bie and Tian Ru Jing were standing to the side, one was holding his zither, the other had his hands tucked in his sleeves. Both had bewildered expressions, stiffly standing there, giving off the feeling that they had been forcibly dragged here.

  After a little while, a boy carrying a tray walked over, and without looking to either side, he walked past Chu Yu. Chu Yu recognized that boy as the servant who was often by Wang Yi Zhi’s side. During the second that the servant had walked past Chu Yu, she clearly saw what he was carrying. On that two inch thick tray was four, glossy, porcelain plates, and slices of very thin meat were orderly piled on those plates. There was fish, lamb, pork, beef and rabbit, many different colors and textures of sliced meat were glistening on the green porcelain plate, everything seemed fresh and tender.

  This seems like…. Hot pot?

  The first person to notice Chu Yu was Xiao Bie. Wang Yi Zhi and Rong Zhi were still seasoning that large pot of soup, but he did not know how to cook. He did not know what he should be doing at this time, so he could only look left and right uncomfortably. Unwittingly, he caught a glimpse of Chu Yu standing by the row of rooms, and his gaze paused slightly.

  Since she had already been seen, Chu Yu did not stay where she was, but walked directly over and raised her fists to greet Wang Yi Zhi. Smiling, she said: “Brother Yi Zhi, thank you for sheltering us.”

  Two tables were set up behind the hot pot, one of which held the sliced meat that the servant had just carried in and many different kinds of exquisitely ordered fresh greens, all neatly piled in a row, or actually, in a circle. The freshly washed leaves shimmered under the light from fire, seemingly jade green in color, and the other table was full of white porcelain bowls the size of a palm, a different seasoning in each one. Because the light was dim on this side, Chu Yu could not see them clearly.

  The spring waters followed the rocks and flowed down lively, it was early fall, so the flowers and plants were resting, and the air was chilly but spritely. Wang Yi Zhi went and obtained an empty porcelain bowl and took a small amount of seasoning from each bowl and mixed it in his bowl. He then used his bamboo chopsticks to place a slice of meat into the pot and swished it under the boiling soup. Within a few seconds, the thinly sliced meat had already changed color, he dipped the boiled meat into the seasoning and placed it in his mouth: “It’s about ready. Everyone, stop idling. There aren’t that many servants here so you should help yourself. Come here, Brother Zi Chu [1].”

  After catching sight of Chu Yu, Wang Yi Zhi was not surprised, he only greeted her with a smile.

  Chu Yu did not stand on ceremony, and seeing that there was space between Wang Yi Zhi and Rong Zhi, she walked over, sat down, and picked up a pair of chopsticks from the table. She often ate hot pot in modern times, but after she came here, she never thought to make it and no one in her estate made it. Seeing this situation, she thought of the times before she came, a thousand years later, when she would gather around a table with her whole family to eat hot pot.

  Expertly, she boiled a slice of meat, Wang Yi Zhi had already given her a bowl of seasoning, Chu Yu dipped the meat in the seasoning and placed it in her mouth. The fresh, sliced meat had curled up in the boiling hot soup, and a small layer of seasoning covered the top. When she placed it in her mouth and chewed, she bit open the tender meat, the delicious flavor of the meat scattered over her tongue. A slight spiciness accompanied the flavor of the seasoning, and there was also a little sweetness and sourness from the fragrant vinegar.

  Chu Yu ate one piece of meat, and just as she was about to use her chopsticks again, she suddenly saw that Wang Yi Zhi was mixing a bowl of seasoning for Rong Zhi, so she quickly reached out her hand to take the bowl. She rose and forcefully thrusted the bowl into Tian Ru Jing’s hands, several steps away: “Tian Ru Jing, this bowl is for you. Come and eat with us.”

  Contrary to what Chu Yu expected, she had thought that she would have to invite him several times, but after she finished speaking, she saw Tian Ru Jing sit at another empty spot at the hot pot table. Once Tian Ru Jing sat down, Yue Jue Fei inched to his side, and Xiao Bie could not stand by himself any longer so he also sat in front of the table.

  Chu Yu gave an empty bowl to Rong Zhi: “Help yourself.”

  Even though no one else knew, Chu Yu still remembered that day in the bamboo forest when Rong Zhi told her about his strange taste. At this moment, she thought it was too troublesome to explain and she was too lazy to explain about it in detail.

  Accepting the bowl, Rong Zhi paused briefly in surprise, but the corners of his mouth immediately showed a hint of a smile.

  Eating hot pot is a lively event, and even though there weren’t many people there, and the mood was still a bit chilly, the atmosphere slowly thawed as Rong Zhi, Wang Yi Zhi and Yue Jue Fei talked about their experiences in other parts of the country.

  After a little while, the servant brought in some wine, Chu Yu and the others began drinking with the hot pot. Chu Yu did not know how much she drank, the alcohol seemed to evaporate with the steam from the hot pot, her blood began to boil and flow rapidly, and she began to have some unbridled and fearless impulses.

  Xiao Bie was the first to leave the hot pot table, he ate very little, and seeing Rong Zhi on Chu Yu’s left and Wang Yi Zhi on her right, he wasn’t very happy so he walked a few steps away and sat down cross-legged. He took out his zither from its case, raised his head to gaze at the starry sky and began to play.

  Hearing the faint music of the zither, Wang Yi Zhi took advantage of his tipsiness by tapping his chopsticks against his bowl and began to sing along with the sounds of the zither: “Can’t you see…” He had just begun when Chu Yu continued to sing by his side: “Can’t you see the Yellow River coming from heaven, running to the sea with no return!”

  Wang Yi Zhi paused in surprise, he turned his head and saw two spots of color on Chu Yu’s elegant face, just like coral on white jade, more beautiful than he could take in. Her eyes sparkled like starlight, and not noticing Wang Yi Zhi’s astonishment, she continued to sing: “Can’t you see the mirror, high and bright, weeping over black hair at dawn, but white by night!”

  Rong Zhi also could not help but turn his head around, and at this moment, Chu Yu grabbed his hand with a smile, continuing to sing loudly: “Enjoy life when there is prosperity, never tip a gold cup to the moon, empty. Heaven has given me a gift and it’s my turn, all my fortune is squandered, but it will return. Let’s have fun – a fest with veal and beef, empty three hundred drinks before we leave!”

  She sang carelessly with the sound of the zither, and even though it was not in tune, there was an overtone of carefreeness. The singing provoked her excitement and Chu Yu conveniently grabbed her chopsticks and copied Wang Yi Zhi by tapping them against her bowl: “Bring in the wine and I’ll keep pouring for you! And I’ll sing you a song, please listen and hum along.”

  Since Chu Yu arrived here, she was always careful about imbibing alcohol, she had never become drunk before and was always cautious, but today, she was drunk.

  Perhaps it was because the night scenery was too beautiful, perhaps it was because she suddenly felt carefree, perhaps it was because eating hot pot was too lively, she became a little drunk. Not only was she drunk, but she also forgot to be cautious and sang the poem that was supposed to appear a few hundred years later.

  Even though the poem appeared during the golden age of Chinese literature, this《Bring in the Wine 》was always bright and dazzling, even if it was released a few hundred years earlier, it would still give off a bold and unrestrained charm.

  Chu Yu sang it once and still did not think it was enough, so she started singing it again, and this time, Wang Yi Zhi also sang with her. Following Chu Yu’s tune, they sang together: “Can’t you see the Chang Jiang coming from heaven…”

  “Can’t you see the mirror, high and bright…” Rong Zhi began to sing along gently: “Weeping over black hair at dawn, but white…”

  Yue Jue Fei unsheathed his sword and waved it around, singing at the top of his lungs: “Enjoy life when there is prosperity, never tip a gold cup to the moon, empty. Heaven has given me a gift and it’s my turn, all my fortune is squandered, but it will return…”

  Chu Yu smiled and sang: “Bring in the wine and I’ll keep pouring for you.” She pointed the chopsticks in her hand at Tian Ru Jing, her eyes were slightly glossy with drunkenness, and under the firelight, they seemed to overflow with something bright and beautiful. Tian Ru Jing’s heartbeat quickened, and he could not help but down the wine he was holding in his hand.

  Yes! Just like this! Drink today while drink you may.

  Chu Yu’s heart was full of joy and she forgot all the misgiving she had before, without caution, she grabbed Rong Zhi’s hand, bowed her head and sang: “Bring in the wine and I’ll keep pouring for you! And I’ll sing you a song, please listen and hum along… All the sages in history were solitary, except those drinkers who left their glory… Take my spotted stallion and fancy fur. Ask the lad to trade for the wine I prefer, drink away the eternal sorrow we suffer!”

  “Aha! Drink away the eternal sorrow we suffer!”

  She repeated this last phrase again, one chopstick drummed down, and with a clear and crisp sound, the porcelain bowl cracked open.

  Chu Yu did not even glance at it, but she conveniently discarded her chopsticks. She raised her head and gazed at the sky.

  The dark blue backdrop to the stars glittered beautifully, Chu Yu watched in a daze, and suddenly, she reached out her hand toward the sky and asked: “Hey, did you know that this starlight in front of me is already a few hundred million years old?”

  According to the astronomy of long ago, a human life is short, so short that it seemed as insignificant as a speck of dust. Following the direction she was pointing to, everyone raised their heads. A billion stars, extraordinarily beautiful and profound met their eyes, like a countless number of sparkling gemstones, their glittering radiance was moving.

  Perhaps they will part, quarrel, hate and die after today, but this moment was like a gem in their memories. Even if it was buried in dust, they will never be able to forget it.
  ………………………………………………

  “What, what happened afterwards?” Chu Yu heard her voice tremble, “After I sang 《Bring in the Wine 》, what else did I do?” When she woke up this morning, Chu Yu still hungover and could only dimly think of what had happened last night. After she thought it over, she regretted it immensely, secretly hating herself for using a poem from the future.

  Chu Yu liked poems, especially Li Bai’s poems, which is why she heinously sang 《Bring in the Wine 》after she became drunk, but the companions she liked and respected would seize someone else’s poem a few hundred years ahead of time, so Chu Yu felt apologetic from the depths of her heart.

  But this was all secondary. Her memory only went as far as them singing together, and she could not remember anything after that. Lest she did something she shouldn’t have again, Chu Yu drank the hangover-curing soup that Rong Zhi brought over while carefully questioning him.

  Rong Zhi gazed at her with a smile, and leisurely replied: “Princess, do you not remember? After you finished singing, you hugged Brother Yi Zhi and told him that you wanted him to be your Prince Consort…”

  Chu Yu’s expression changed drastically, and the hangover-curing soup spurted out of her mouth. Rong Zhi continued to say: “Then, Princess pushed me to the floor and sat astride on my waist.”

  Chu Yu’s face was as white as snow, her body was rigid, unable to move.

  “Yue Jue Fei wanted to pull you away but Princess turned around and tore open his clothes…”

  So, so beastly.

  “After Princess released me, you also kissed Tian Ru Jing and Xiao Bie…”

  His every sentence pushed Chu Yu down another level of hell, but Chu Yu continued to listen with a pale face, simply wanted to find a hole in the ground to delve into: how did her ability to hold her liquor become this bad? It seemed as if Princess Shanyin had possessed her.

  “And then…” Rong Zhi paused for a second.

  Chu Yu sighed: “What else happened? Tell me everything!” She could bear it.

  Rong Zhi smiled slightly: “And then, Princess, I was deceiving you. Everything I just said was false.” He took the bowl of soup from Chu Yu’s hands, and smiled faintly very detestably: “Princess looks very funny when she’s being tricked.”

  Damn him!

  Chu Yu fiercely glared at him and pounded his shoulder, half angry, half smiling. But at the same time, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
  _________________________________
  [1] Chu Yu is dressed as a man in this scene and the name she invented for herself is Zi Chu.
  [2] Chinese: 《将进酒》, this poem was written by a famous Tang poet, Li Bai.

• Scene Translation: A Cunning Scheme

  Hua Cuo was the sword. Tian Ru Jing was the shield and the person pulling the strings was Feng Ting.

  Rong Zhi exhaled lightly, he revealed a superficial smile, without the slightest hint of anger: “A’Ting, I underestimated you.” He asked lightly: “How is the situation in Luo Yang? Has Hua Cuo already made his move?”

  Feng Ting also gave a similar smile and replied: “Yes.” Rong Zhi calmly said: “I’ll give you whatever you want, but how will you assure me of Chu Yu’s safety after I give you what you want?” Deep down, he knew that Feng Ting would not kill Chu Yu, otherwise she would lose the upper hand in the negotiations, but Feng Ting would also not give him the time and opportunity to save Chu Yu. It seemed that they had already made their move in Luo Yang, and Chu Yu’s life cannot wait for him to rush two thousand miles and rescue her.

  Feng Ting did not answer his question. When she heard the phrase “I’ll give you whatever you want”, her eyes lit up and she asked: “You are willing to give up everything?”

  Without waiting for her response, Rong Zhi already knew the answer because he saw Tian Ru Jing’s expression change slightly, from what he could see now, the key was in Tian Ru Jing’s hands, his task was not only to protect Feng Ting, he must also have some emergency measure that could change the situation in Luo Yang in a instant.

  In this situation, as if everything was hanging on by just a thread, if he had to risk it, he must risk it all on Chu Yu alone; if he deserted Chu Yu, he could take the upper hand in the whole situation, no one could harm him, no one could control him.

  But…

  Rong Zhi reached into his other sleeve and touched a brocade bag, he had been carrying that bag on his person since a few years ago, the only thing in the bag was a lock of black hair.

  The hair that she had cut off that day in the snow, he had kept it.

  The thing that she had abandoned, he had picked it up.

  He was caught in his own trap.

  He did not want to break free.

  She was once was an unimportant chess piece but when had she become the master of his soul?

  Rong Zhi bowed his head, he could not help but laugh at himself.

  He thought he could control everything, he thought he could imprison her, but who knew that the person who was really imprisoned, was himself?

  His body and heart were no longer his own, and the scary thing was he was still happy under these circumstances.

  Rong Zhi raised his head again and continued to smile. He usually considered everything thoroughly, but he could not differentiate the happiness and rage in his heart, at that moment, he began to smile sincerely.

  The relaxedness and calmness, his resolution to give it all up, that was an extraordinarily beautiful gem that he did not know existed, before everything was shattered, that was the incomparable beauty of blooming flowers.

  Even though Feng Ting was used to seeing this face, she also hated this face the most, upon seeing his smile, she could not help but panic a bit, followed closely but a guardedness, Rong Zhi was acing so strangely, did he want to destroy them all?

  Rong Zhi smiled and shook his head, he said: “You don’t need to be on guard like this, since I made this gamble, I can admit that I lost, the victorious will become sovereign, no matter what method you used, the fact that you won is undisputable, I can afford to lose this.”

  He turned around and called someone forward, after naming a few people, he ordered him to send a message, the status of these people were similar to Mo Xiang’s, they were his direct subordinates, of these, some were court officials, some controlled the military and finances, and had a large portion of nongovernmental wealth, still some secretly supervised the spies. Rong Zhi now wanted to hand over these people to Feng Ting.

  It’s not that he couldn’t keep some people to make a comeback, even though Rong Zhi often schemed cunningly, he never cheated his wins or losses, losing is just losing, he never went back on his word, especially for mere scraps. His knew that he was defeated.

  Feng Ting won, he gave her everything she wanted, as for whether or not his subordinates would fully obey Feng Ting, that would depend on her own ability.

  He quickly finalized the transition of authority, and even though his subordinates were not very willing, under the heavy pressure of Rong Zhi’s rarely seen forcible orders, they could not disobey. After the accounts were taken care of, Rong Zhi turned around. Without turning his head, he walked to a room in the back of the palace, Tian Ru Jing was waiting for him inside that room. He came straight to the point: “What do I have to do?”

  He did not even want to waste a moment, as each instant was a matter of life and death for Chu Yu.

  But Tian Ru Jing only stared at him silently, without speaking. Rong Zhi actually smiled and said: “All right. Chu Yu said before that there will never be a free meal in this world, but right now, I am alone and destitute, I can only beg you.” He quietly lifted up his robe and lowered his body, bending his knee to kneel in front of Tian Ru Jing.

  Shocked, Tian Ru Jing stepped back, and as if he was struck by lightning, his body trembled violently.

  Several years ago, Chu Yu was also like this, to save Rong Zhi, she kneeled in front of him. And right now, Rong Zhi did the same thing to save Chu Yu.

  At this moment, he finally felt a deep hopelessness. They were kindred spirits, a match made in heaven, and even though they were born in two different worlds, they were both willing to bend their knees in front of him for each other. Between these two people, there wasn’t even an opening for someone else to put their foot in, they were like a perfect circle.

  With difficulty, Tian Ru Jing opened his mouth to say: “I have a way that would allow you to cross over a distance of two thousand miles in an instant, it will allow you to reach Luo Yang.” He breathed in and his words evened out a bit. Lifting up his wrist, he allowed Rong Zhi see the bracelet on his wrist: “Even though I am the owner of the bracelet, if I permit, you can use one of the magical powers the bracelet has, through this magical power, you will be able to return to Luo Yang in time to save Chu Yu.”

  His tricky words translate into: he can release a portion of the bracelet’s power for someone else to use, it can allow Rong Zhi to travel through space and go directly to Luo Yang in an instant.

  Rong Zhi exhaled slightly, he stood up, calmly smiled and said: “Since it’s like this, then let us begin.” Before the sound of his voice had disappeared, another voice behind him interrupted them: “Rong Zhi, be careful, this is a trick.”

  The person who spoke was Guan Cang Hai, when Rong Zhi and Tian Ru Jing were speaking, he walked to the doorway because he was worried about Rong Zhi, and even though Tian Ru Jing did not reveal anything in his explanation, Guan Cang Hai had keen senses, there must be some kind of harm to Rong Zhi in all this.

  After being called out by Guan Cang Hai, a slight uneasiness surfaced on Tian Ru Jing’s face, he unconsciously gazed at Rong Zhi, but saw that Rong Zhi was still calm and smiling like before, as if he had already known the whole truth.

  Tian Ru Jing’s heart trembled violently: no, he really had already known the whole truth.

  He knew that he wanted to harm him.

  Tian Ru Jing and Feng Ting had planned to do this, first to force Rong Zhi to hand over his power, then using the reason of saving Chu Yu to make Rong Zhi use the bracelet’s ability to leap through space of his own accord, the risk in using this ability was very large, one must have already spent a period of time recuperating, making sure the body’s condition is at it’s best before beginning, because when one uses this, one needs to buffer at the original place for more than three hours to allow the body to adjust to the surrounding when entering twisted space, after that, one can start folding in space.

  After eating the wrong medicine a few years ago, some potential dangers were hidden in Rong Zhi’s body, with the condition his body was in right now, immediately entering a shift in space, the force of twisting space would bring out the potential dangers from the depths of his body and the condition would erupt in the most abominable way, destroying his health and his life.

  Tian Ru Jing carefully estimated before, after saving Chu Yu, Rong Zhi could not live more than three days.

  He thought that Rong Zhi did not know these things, but he did not expect that after living with Chu Yu for these years, Rong Zhi’s understanding of the bracelet was not any less than Chu Yu’s, and even though she has not researched the physics of space, according to the descriptions in some science fiction novels, Rong Zhi could also guess the dangers of this.

  He already knew that Feng Ting and Tian Ru Jing would not give him what he wanted so easily, but even knowing that there was an abyss in front of him, he still had to walk over to it because Chu Yu was at the edge of it.

  Almost at the same time, from Rong Zhi’s silence, Guan Cang Hai also understood his thoughts, a kind of insuppressable ache grasped onto his heart, he raised his hand to Rong Zhi’s shoulder and said quietly: “Rong Zhi shidi [1], acting as a hero will harm you, there’s still time.”

  Rong Zhi lost his power and influence, but he did not care much, he never valued these material things, but knowing that Rong Zhi was about to use his life in exchange to save Chu Yu, he could no longer watch with such indifference.

  Death was not frightening, but what Guan Cang Hai could not bear was that Rong Zhi was willing to walk toward his own death like this.

  He would not die in the battlefield, rather, he would die in the midst of a cunning scheme, he was not overthrown fairly, but for one person, he had no choice but to give up an easily obtainable victory.

  Guan Cang Hai added some pressure with his hand, and lowered his voice to say: “Listen Rong Zhi, I will not allow you to seek your own death, even if it’s to save Chu Yu, this is not the only way. If that bracelet can let you instantly go to Luo Yang, then let someone else go. It’s the same, why do you need personally take this risk?”

  Rong Zhi bowed his head and smiled.

  Since he had made his decision in the antechamber, his smile had become gentle and calm, as if he wasn’t forced at all, as if he hadn’t just lost everything, he looked toward death with a smile, he was still so calm.
  …………………………………………………………..

  Rong Zhi moved slightly and smiled again, he countered Guan Cang Hai’s hand that was pressed down on his shoulder and said quietly: “Shixiong [2], you don’t understand, you can chop off my wrist, but how can you tell me to cut open my own heart? In this life, I’ve only been truly happy a few times, only when we were young and I fought with you, free from all other cares, and during these past few years with Chu Yu, I’ve finally felt like I am a real person.” His voice was gentle and soft, he words extraordinarily uninhibited, as if he were a solitary traveller, walking on a very long road, without an end and without a companion, quietly singing an elegy of farewell. “Shixiong [2], this is my last request, your shidi [1] is always so willful and reckless, just indulge me one more time.”

  Guan Cang Hai listened blankly, suddenly, he began to weep, and the force in his hand slowly began to relax.

  It’s true that he could stop Rong Zhi by force, but if he did that, would he really be saving Rong Zhi? The startlingly talented and uniquely beautiful shidi [1], his life was actually this rough, his parents forced and tormented him, his shifu [3] deceived and used him, and when he was still young, his original appearance was wrenched away by a despot, he finally met someone who could let him give up his ambition, but now, he was hit by such a menacing blow, he had peerless talent, but was opposed by a force that was not of this world, it strangled him for many years and now wanted to take away his life.

  But, since he had known Rong Zhi, he had never heard such a gentle tone and at this moment, he was so happy, how could he bear to stop him?
  …………………………………………………………..

  Rong Zhi was thinking gently.

  The earlier he reached Luo Yang, the earlier he could save Chu Yu.

  Actually, there were other ways, like he could have someone else go for him, but Chu Yu’s life depended on this, he could not be at ease and use those chances to take such risks.

  He also knew that Tian Ru Jing was worrying about Chu Yu’s safety at this moment, if he delayed some more, perhaps Tian Ru Jing would not be able to hold himself back and go to save Chu Yu.

  But he could not take this risk.

  He did not want Chu Yu to suffer any danger, he could not gamble with Chu Yu’s safety, and on this point alone, he has thoroughly lost.

  Rong Zhi smiled slightly, this turn of events was ridiculous, earlier this morning, he was neither worried nor rushed and the whole situation was within his grasp. But now, everything has changed, and he has been reduced to a mere chess piece on the game board.

  The hand that was fiddling with him, was not anything else, but the fate that Chu Yu had talked about.

  He could resist fate, but if Chu Yu’s life was involved, he would rather have his hands tied and give in.

  The world was a game of chess to him, he wanted to be the one to control the pieces, but for Chu Yu, he had been reduced to a wandering chess piece.

  Smiling slightly, Rong Zhi began to meditate silently, an expanse of blackness seemed to have appeared in front of his eyes and space opened up. Nothing could prevent the force from pulling him in.

  Before his body disappeared, Rong Zhi left a few words: “Shixiong [2], do not kill Tian Ru Jing.”

  The last sentence was for Tian Ru Jing, but because he was already beginning to disappear, his voice seemed to be coming from a place far away and sounded a little distorted: “Tian Ru Jing, I lost. If we compete in heartlessness, I cannot compare to you.” Tian Ru Jing could use the person he loved as a mere tool, but he could not.

  Before the sound of his voice had disappeared, Rong Zhi had completely faded away.

• Scene Translation: Hua Cuo’s Revenge

  Now, he was about to use the swordsmanship that Rong Zhi taught him to take Chu Yu’s life.

  When he thought of Rong Zhi bitterly regretting and suffering, satisfaction swept through his heart.

  He could not wait any longer, he wanted Rong Zhi to suffer and weep, he wanted his heart and body to be hurt beyond repair, he wanted to see Rong Zhi grieved and hopeless with his own eyes, that way, he could finally take revenge for being deceived and used all those years ago, and resolve his resentment and hatred of these past years.

  Even though he worked with Feng Ting and Tian Ru Jing, the three of them were not alike, Feng Ting wanted the power in Rong Zhi’s hands, Tian Ru Jing wanted to kill Rong Zhi, but he only wanted to see Rong Zhi suffer.

  He wanted that person to grieve, he wanted him to suffer and weep.

  That thought burned incessantly.

  Killing Rong Zhi would not force him to suffer, actually, it’s better to let him live and kill the person he loved, that was the best revenge. Hua Cuo heard of another race, their love and hate was like a raging fire, the best way to retaliate against their enemies was to kill everyone their enemy cared about, his family, his friends, his father, mother, wife and children, only leaving their enemy alive.

  Even though this practice was cruel and savage, it was just to Hua Cuo’s liking.

  He looked at Chu Yu’s eyes, which held neither happiness nor rage. Hua Cuo’s heart suddenly trembled, and some remorse surfaced. But in a flash, he hardened his heart and suppressed the feeling, he said: “If you want to blame someone, blame Rong Zhi.”

  He said this, not knowing who he was trying to convince, and determined, he used the sword in his hand to pierce at Chu Yu’s throat.

  Chu Yu calmly closed her eyes.

  Struggling was useless, shirking was useless, weeping bitterly was useless, pleading piteously was useless.

  She was a pawn, an insignificant pawn, so insignificant that she was not even worth mentioning, she could not resist death, she could only wait for it.

  Death was already this close, she had already lost all hope.

  But why did her heart still have a indistinct thread of faith, hoping that someone would come to save her?

  Blood splattered, scattering as if from blurred vision, and landed on the snow, one drop after another, exactly like grains of red beans.

  But the person who was bleeding was not Chu Yu, it was Hua Cuo.

  Hua Cuo’s arm had been pierced by an arrow, the arrow had penetrated his arm with a lot of force, and with a pained gasp, he let go of the sword hilt, his sword landed in the snow, which was covered with his own blood this time.

  Shocked and enraged, Hua Cuo looked forward and saw, on the slope of the mountain, Rong Zhi’s white robes fluttering in the wind, a long bow in his hands, he notched an arrow on the string and drew the bow, the arrow trained on Hua Cuo, and suddenly shot at him.

  Hua Cuo quickly pulled out his sword and dodged to the side, but was still inadvertently hit, and at that moment, Rong Zhi had already notched a third arrow.

  One arrow after another, almost without a pause, Rong Zhi was expressionless, and continued to shoot at Hua Cuo without hesitation. At the same time, he ingeniously forced Huo Cuo to move away from Chu Yu, step by step.

  He wanted to prevent Chu Yu from getting hurt, and he could not let Hua Cuo think of using Chu Yu to shield the arrows, so there were many areas where he could not shoot.

  Rong Zhi calmly and carefully calculated, and as he wanted, he slowly forced Hua Cuo away.

  Hua Cuo did not even think about using Chu Yu as a shield, and after Rong Zhi appeared, his intent to kill Chu Yu completely vanished. Actually, he even felt a thread of happiness, as if he were happy that Rong Zhi was able to come in time to prevent him from killing Chu Yu.

  By the time Rong Zhi’s quiver was almost empty and the last arrow was released, Hua Cuo’s entire body was covered in wounds, none of the injuries were severe, but all of them added together were both considerable and fearsome.

  The bloodstains on the snow-covered ground left a crooked trail, from in front of Chu Yu to Hua Cuo’s feet, three or four zhang [1] away. He used his sword to block the arrows, but cracks began appearing on the surface of his sword, his countenance was full of pain, his eyes glistened with alarm.

  The sickly sweet scent of blood mingled with icy fragrance of the white snow, and in an instant, it was swept away by the bone chillingly cold wind. Without mercy, Rong Zhi released the bowstring and the last arrow flew off.

  Hua Cuo raised his hand to block it but was still shot. His hand covered the pit of his stomach, fresh blood seeped out between his fingers, landing on the same blood red robes, running off onto the snow.

  His face was deathly pale, but his expression was very calm.

  As if he was waiting for this moment during these past years. Waiting for… Rong Zhi to kill him.

  The so-called love and hate will never have an end, how can one cut it off? The hand holding the sword did not understand.

  Living in hatred did not feel very good, he did not have any way to extricate himself from it, he tortured himself every day but he could not be like Chu Yu and let go of it in such a carefree way… The earth and sky were icily cold, it’s better to go back.

  Hua Cuo smiled slightly and suddenly toppled over.

  At this moment, Rong Zhi’s expressionless face finally wavered slightly, he released his grip and the bow landed on the rocky terrain, followed by his quiver and he walked towards Chu Yu.

  [1] unit of length equal to about 3.3 meters or 10 Chinese feet

• Scene Translation: See You Again

  Chu Yu raised her hand. Covering her lips forcefully, she choked back the sobs that were about to escape, her eyes did not blink as she gazed at the refined, otherworldly Rong Zhi standing in the midst of the wind and snow, it was like watching a easily dissipated illusion. If she blinked, he would disappear.

  Rong Zhi did not speak, he did not even say anything to console her, he only stood there, watching her for a long time. He slowly stretched out his exquisitely slender hand, extending his arms in front of Chu Yu.

  Chu Yu hesitated for a moment, but she still placed her own hand in his palm.

  The two hands were icily cold, frozen by the winter chill. Just as they touched, each hand trembled slightly, but after that, among the icy cold that made all other things of the world wither, a thread of endless warmth entered their hands.

  Rong Zhi smiled slightly and forcefully held her icily cold hand, dragging her into his embrace, his arms twining around her. His long, white sleeves were like butterfly wings, pressing against her black cloak.

  “I finally can see you,” Rong Zhi lightly and leisurely said: “I wanted just a glimpse of you, so I came over from Ping Cheng.” He raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushed against the rim of her ear, gracefully combing strands of her messy hair.

  [Chu Yu takes Rong Zhi back up the mountain to look for Heng Yuan, A’Man, and You Lan]
  …………………………………………

  Rong Zhi lightly swept over Heng Yuan and You Lan, then, to Chu Yu and Heng Yuan’s surprise, he stepped forward and stretched out his hand to grab You Lan. His fingers were as icy cold as snow, so cold that You Lan shivered, but the next second, the cold turned into a feeling of dread. You Lan opened her eyes, brimming full of tears, startled and frightened, she gazed at Rong Zhi, not knowing what he was about to do.

  Rong Zhi stretched the corners of his mouth into a gentle and refined smile, but the movement of his hands was calm and firm. He held You Lan’s collar with one hand and used the other to tear open her clothes. A small purse fell out of her bosom and landed on the floor, while ten bright and glossy grains of red beans rolled out.

  Rong Zhi did not ask much, he only said: “What do you have to say for yourself?”

  Watching this scene unfold, Chu Yu immediately understood, so the reason Hua Cuo was able to follow them was because You Lan left a trail of red beans. She left the red beans at crucial places, more or less to give Hua Cuo trail markers.

  [Shocked, Chu Yu asked You Lan why she did this, did she mistreat her? You Lan tells Rong Zhi that she’s loved him since she met him at the Princess’ Estate and Feng Ting had promised to arrange for You Lan to stay by his side if she accomplished this one task.]
  …………………………………………

  Chu Yu unconsciously looked towards Rong Zhi, after all, most of the damage was to Rong Zhi’s subordinates during this journey. Rong Zhi was also the cause of all this, it is reasonable that he had the authority to punish You Lan.

  The smile on Rong Zhi face did not change at all. The determination in his eyes did not waver at all, and applying some pressure with his hand, a cracking sound came from You Lan’s neck and her head hung to one side lifelessly.

  Since Rong Zhi had arrived, he first killed Hua Cuo, and then he killed You Lan. Even though they both were a danger to her life and there were reasons to kill them, few people could kill them as cleanly and mercilessly as Rong Zhi did.

  Chu Yu knew that she was unnecessarily fighting with herself, they were already dead and Rong Zhi did this for her, but…

  Seeing him carelessly push You Lan’s still warm corpse aside, Chu Yu caught a glimpse of the fearsome look in his eyes. Rong Zhi smiled slightly and grabbed Chu Yu’s hand: “I have something I want to say to you.”

  Chu Yu was still in a state of confusion and until Rong Zhi pulled her far away, where the two could spend some time alone, her mind suddenly cleared: “What is it?” She dimly realized that Rong Zhi was slightly different.

  Since Rong Zhi had appeared back there, he had been tender and warm, different from his usually cool demeanor, keeping everyone at arms length. He seemed to be bridging the gap between them of his own accord, trying to make something clear to her.

  But at this moment, Chu Yu could not help but step back. What surprised Chu Yu was that Rong Zhi did not say anything, he only lifted Chu Yu’s hand and lowered his head to look at it closely, examining each crease on her palm, as if a gorgeous flower was about to burst from her skin.

  [Rong Zhi slips the bracelet onto her wrist and tells her to hold on to it, because Tian Ru Jing will come to ask for it.]
  …………………………………………

  Chu Yu thought that Rong Zhi had found out about Empress Dowager Feng’s plot beforehand so he came from Ping Cheng to Luo Yang, and acquired the bracelet on the way. She also acted as if Rong Zhi used a cunning scheme, she never thought that Rong Zhi had suffered a crushing defeat in Ping Cheng.

  Chu Yu waited on the other road, Rong Zhi and Chu Yu walked side by side, the two of them held each other’s hands, as if they did not want to leave each other ever again. However, when they reached the bottom of the mountain, Chu Yu halted, withdrew her hand and said to Rong Zhi with a smile: “When will you return to Ping Cheng?”

  Rong Zhi also slowly retracted his hand, his gaze as gentle as water, he watched her with a smile: “Will you return with me?” His eyes revealed his gentleness and vulnerablility, only waiting for her answer.

  Looking at him, Chu Yu almost said yes, but she still could not abandon her misgivings – the people who had just died, the people who had died before, Rong Zhi’s underhanded methods… All of this was lying between them and she could not ignore these barriers.

  So she only bowed her head, finally refusing him with a “no”.

  The icy wind was like a knife, the bone-chilling cold passed through.

  There was no point in discussing when they follow different paths [1].
  …………………………………………

  “Although you may escort a guest a thousand miles, finally, we must part [2],” Chu Yu said quietly, standing on the banks of the coursing river.

  The water was very turbulent, often sweeping away the snow and ice from the river banks, drifting back and forth on the surface of the river waters, then dispersing like the froth from the waves.

  Rong Zhi had already escorted her here, where the river waters slowed to a lull. A vessel was anchored here, the sailors and guards were ready, all of which Rong Zhi had prepared for Chu Yu’s journey.

  After they part ways this time, Rong Zhi will return to Ping Cheng while she would travel in the opposite direction.

  This winter seemed very long, so long that it gave her the impression that spring would never arrive.

  Deep down, Chu Yu was grieved, she knew that her heart could not forget Rong Zhi, but she also could never walk down the path he choose. She gazed at Rong Zhi’s elegant and peerless appearance, which was still as calm as before, as if her leaving would not affect him the slightest. She was secretly a bit angry: can’t he say something sweet to make her stay?

  As this willful thought appeared, Chu Yu could not help but laugh at herself: what is she actually waiting for? Since he knew that the outcome could not be changed, Rong Zhi would not waste that excess energy.

  He was always this kind of person.

  Rong Zhi gazed at Chu Yu, his inky black eyes hid the feelings that no one else could understand, her loving gaze was the only warmth in this icy sky and snow-covered land. He smiled slightly, he was content and at peace. He lifted his hand to brush back the strands of her hair that have blown awry by the wind. His fingers were so white that they almost seemed transparent, but his movement was gentle and soft, as if he was touching a snowflake that would shatter if he used the slightest bit of force.

  After he fixed her hair, his fingers glided down, the tips of his fingers gently touched her icy cold cheeks, lingering as if he could not bear to part with her, intimately caressing her over and over again.

  After being touched again and again like this by him, Chu Yu’s sorrows quickly vanished, turning into a feeling of embarrassment and the place he was caressing began to burn feverishly. She quickly glanced to the side and raised her hand to prevent Rong Zhi from stroking her any further. She lowered her voice and said with a blush: “There are a lot of people watching.”

  Rong Zhi listened to her and stopped, but his warm gaze still lingered on her face, as if he wanted to ingrain her appearance deeply into his memory, he said quietly: “Let me look at you a while longer. Perhaps I won’t be able to see you again after today.”

  After hearing his lowered voice, Chu Yu’s heart softened a bit, she hesitated for a moment and replied: “You… You can still come to visit me. Anyways, the people by my side are all your men so you should be able to find out where I am. Occasionally seeing each other is fine.”

  Rong Zhi did not reply, but only gave an inaudible laugh and said: “I wish the Princess a safe journey.”

  Chu Yu remained silent for a moment. Then, she nodded her head and said: “See you again.” She clenched her teeth, hardened her heart, and walked towards the ship, where Heng Yuan was already waiting.

  All the men that Rong Zhi had brought walked on board with Chu Yu, and the ship began to move. Chu Yu looked back and saw Rong Zhi standing by himself on the river bank, he bent down, grasped a pile of snow and pressed it against his face. When he looked up again, his expression was still elegant like snow, still unsurpassed and merciless on that icy cold land. He always evoked both feelings of love and hate from her, causing her incessant worry and incessant anger.

  Chu Yu stood too far away at the wrong angle so she did not see that the snow falling between Rong Zhi’s fingers was stained with a disturbing red color.

  The ship became increasingly distant, about to glide away with the current, and the corners of Rong Zhi’s pale mouth showed a hint of a smile. It was like trying to cage mist or sand, like flying snow or smoke, this dream was beautiful, as if this entire world was an illusion, but in the blink of an eye, it was immediately swallowed by the earth.

  He stood there for a while longer and then turned to leave, unable to watch the tiny shadow of the ship any longer, he walked with a light and leisurely pace, blindly walking to wherever he wanted to.

  Snowflakes drifted downwards thickly.

  The frightening force within his body was already completely shattering his control, he could feel it, as if there was an invisible sword piercing his bones and muscles again and again, the sharp blades were too numerous to count. His entire body, from his heart to his fingertips, was in pain every minute, every second, as if he was getting dismembered. Even though he was good at enduring pain, at this moment, he was unable to hold back and he showed an almost unnoticeable pained expression.

  He still appeared elegant, his cold gaze held back his pain, giving him an unearthly yet desolate beauty, but at that moment, there was only a vast expanse of snow to accompany him.

  Each inch of his skin and bones were in extreme pain, he only walked a few steps but Rong Zhi already felt like he was being torn to shreds, and then pieced together, only to undergo that violent pain again, that kind of incontrollable force was ravaging his entire body, unrestrainable and inexorable, his heart felt as if it was wrapped by a sharp edged metal net, but a small piece of his heart was actually still so warm, nothing could obliterate that.

  ——“One day, you will feel the great pain and grief, the feeling of having your heart broken and wishing for death! The heavens will never let you act so freely, you will definitely understand that pain some day!”

  ——“You will toss and turn in sleeplessness because you are unable to obtain something, but after you obtain it, you will be terrified of losing it every day and every night.”

  ——“One day, you will be sincere but you will be abandoned and walked on by someone, you will lose love, unable to beg and not knowing what to do, you will go mad, your heart and body will be riddled with gaping wounds.”

  I will not.

  Rong Zhi said quietly to himself.

  My life and death, my love and hate, all of it was my own choice, I don’t regret this, I will not suffer.

  This is the path I chose, I don’t need pity, and I won’t waver.

  This life is mine and this death is also mine.

  I rejoice in victory and strength but am calm even in defeat.

  Rong Zhi smiled slightly and continued to walk slowly. He thought of the regretful “see you again” that Chu Yu had said before and he could not help but smile.

  See you again?

  No, we’ll never see each other again.

• Thank you thank you thank you!

  I'm recovering from another bout of flu and fever (Hong Kong's winters aren't good for my health at all haha) and this is just the dose of good ol chicken soup for the soul! Yay.