Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 62: Chapter 62 When the Light is Dimly Yellow

Shen Qingzhi, the war deity of the Southern Dynasty Song.

In these days, Chu Yu had also heard some rumors about this Shen Qingzhi.

He was the guardian deity of the Southern Dynasty, and it was because of him that Shan Yin’s Princess’s father became the Emperor and Liu Ziyue secured his imperial throne. He was extremely adept in warfare, winning nearly every battle. Although he was over eighty years old, his vigor was no less than in his youth.

These were all idle talks that Chu Yu had heard, but now she truly witnessed Shen Qingzhi’s heroic spirit. That single glance from him almost completely overpowered her; it was an aura honed from long years on the battlefield, a presence hard to match for those without similar experiences.

At least, in her past and present lives, Chu Yu had never met anyone like him.

The first ones to leave Chu Yu’s Mansion were the repeatedly deceitful Shen Guangzuo and the recently accepted Shen Shen, both distant relatives of Shen Qingzhi. Unfortunately, their kinship was so distant it was practically nonexistent; otherwise, she might have been able to make use of that, perhaps to pull some strings.

Shen Qingzhi and the young officer leading the small troop walked to the end of the street, and their silhouettes finally disappeared from view. Only then did Chu Yu withdraw her gaze and remember what the young officer had mentioned about the curfew, “I heard just now that there has been a curfew recently, what’s that about?”

A curfew means that during certain hours of the night, going outside is prohibited. It is often enforced alongside martial law, a security measure taken during special periods or conditions.

Yue Jiefei slightly bowed and said, “A few days ago, the Princess was subject to an assassination attempt. I have informed the government to conduct a thorough investigation, hence the martial law at night. Recently, there have been unexplained deaths in the city, so soldiers are patrolling everywhere.”

Only then did Chu Yu realize the curfew was provoked by her own incident. Thinking it over, she expressed no objections. After all, martial law during the night didn’t greatly affect the lives of ordinary people; in the pitch darkness of night, everyone was honestly lying in bed, procreating, with no inclination to wander around.

Chu Yu herself had been returning to her mansion before evening these days, and only learned about the current curfew today.

“How much longer will this curfew last?” Chu Yu, recalling Wang Yizhi’s leisurely, casual gait, couldn’t help but imitate it from memory. However, after walking a few steps, she realized she was not wearing the wooden clogs he wore, which did not feel right, so she resumed her normal demeanor.

Yue Jiefei looked at Chu Yu’s feet curiously and said, “I’m not very sure myself, as this is now a matter for the government. According to past practice, it might last for about half a month more.”

“Oh, keep me company for a bit longer, I haven’t walked like this for a long time.”

When the two returned to the Princess Mansion, the night was deep and ink-like. Apart from the night watch, most people had already gone to sleep, and the surroundings were silent. Chu Yu slowly walked towards her own quarters, reaching the junction between the East Upper Pavilion and the West Upper Pavilion, but she noticed a figure.

Huan Yuan was still dressed in his majestic attire, standing alone at the entrance of the West Upper Pavilion, his demeanor somewhat desolate. He held a lantern in his hand, the dim yellow light filtering through the thin paper, casting a gentle glow on his handsome features—half illuminated, half buried in shadow.

His brows revealed his worries, his expression appeared lost, but much of it was obscured by the night, making it hard for Chu Yu to see clearly.

Chu Yu walked up to Huan Yuan’s side and seeing that he had yet to react, realized he was lost in thought, and couldn’t help but smile as she patted him, “Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”

She hadn’t meant to startle him, but upon being patted, Huan Yuan’s reaction was vehement. He abruptly turned, swinging his hand to knock away her touch, and after stepping back, he recognized the person was Chu Yu and his expression turned to astonishment.

Chu Yu flicked her wrist nonchalantly, the back of her hand burning with a raw soreness; she estimated it had turned red by now. She did her best not to show it on her face and just looked at Huan Yuan with a smile, “Why are you still not asleep at such a late hour?” Although the time, translated to the modern era, was only around ten at night—which for many night owls is still quite early—in ancient times, it was already past the standard bedtime since ancient people didn’t have as many nighttime activities.

It was just a casual question from her, but upon asking, she saw Huan Yuan’s expression turn bewildered. It took him a while before he finally lowered his gaze and said indifferently, “I was a bit tired from dealing with affairs today, so I took a walk around. It just so happened that I encountered the Princess. Why is the Princess returning so late?”

Chu Yu smiled and brushed it off, saying she had lost track of time at a newly acquainted friend’s place, but didn’t specify who the friend was.

Having not rested all day and walked back to the Princess Mansion on foot, the weariness in Chu Yu’s body gradually returned. She yawned lazily and patted Huan Yuan’s arm casually, “You should rest early too; sleeping too late isn’t good for your health.” Huan Yuan was much taller than her, making it awkward to reach for his shoulder, so Chu Yu opted to pat his arm instead.

The early summer night wasn’t cold, and standing wouldn’t cause one to catch a chill, but a living person standing there was still quite an attraction for mosquitoes.

The young girl dressed in men’s clothing slowly strolled into the East Upper Pavilion, while Huan Yuan stood still, his mind drifting uncertainly, just like the lantern he held, flickering between light and dark.

The night breeze was gently warm, but the night air carried a slight coldness.

After standing dazed for a while, Huan Yuan finally turned around and walked toward the West Upper Pavilion. He was very puzzled in his heart: Why had he just stood there for so long?

It felt as if his seven orifices were blocked, he couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he tried.

*******************

When Chu Yu woke the next day, she gave herself a day off and had You Lan deliver a message to Rong Zhi, saying she had lost her incense bag and asked him to prepare a few more for her.

After sending You Lan away with instructions not to let anyone else disturb her, Chu Yu happily rolled around in bed and then snuggled back under the covers, ready for a sweet nap.

She didn’t know how long she had slept, but the daylight was already bright outside; it must have been almost noon when Chu Yu finally got up lazily, washed, dressed, and waited for lunch.

Brought along with the midday meal was a gift, laid within a beautifully embroidered box, accompanied by a short note with handwritten strokes bold and unrestrained, “A modest gift for Brother Zichu, please accept with a smile.”@@novelbin@@

It was signed by Wang Yizhi.

Chu Yu opened it with curiosity and saw a pair of black and purple wooden clogs, their color smooth and shiny, placed neatly inside the box.

In their conversation the day before, Chu Yu had happened to ask Wang Yizhi which craftsman had made his red sandalwood slippers and had forgotten about it afterward; unexpectedly, Wang Yizhi had remembered.

Chu Yu took off her shoes and stockings, slipping her feet into the wooden clogs. The curve of the sole fit her foot perfectly, and the cool, moist feel of them slowly seeped up from the sole.