Chapter 532 – Returning the Umbrella and Asking for the Way Out (1/2)
Chapter 532 - Returning the Umbrella and Asking for the Way Out
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Zhexiu was by the window, a model of loneliness, longing for some person. Upon hearing Tang Thirty-Six's question, he fell in a daze, very naturally thinking about many things—at the Grand Examination, in that bitter battle in the Tower of Purging Dust, the anger and bashfulness revealed on his opponent's face when his hand attacked their chest. Later on, they had lived together under the same roof in the Mausoleum of Books, letting him vaguely guess at something but not dare voice his suspicions. Later still, they met once more in the Grand Examination and he carried her on his back and ran towards the setting sun.
As he thought about these things, the corners of his lips turned up and he revealed a warm smile.
Tang Thirty-Six was completely unable to expect that this wolf youth famed for being unfeeling and ruthless would show such an emotion on his face. For a moment, he was dumbstruck. Holding his forehead, he thought, just what's gone wrong with this world? Xu Yourong is actually dating Chen Changsheng while Zhexiu is yearning for love!
……
……
”Tang Tang is very similar to a person.”
”Senior Su Li.”
Chen Changsheng very naturally gave out the correct answer, then exchanged glances with Xu Yourong and laughed.
At this point, they had already left the Orthodox Academy and come to the Hundred Flowers Lane outside it. Snow was falling from the sky and under the Yellow Paper Umbrella, it was very difficult for them to be seen by others.
In fact, from the moment they met at Fortune Peace Road yesterday, Chen Changsheng desperately wanted to ask why the Yellow Paper Umbrella was in her possession. After all, this umbrella was his. However, regardless of how ignorant he was of worldly affairs, given that he had just made a mistake a moment ago, he knew that he could not ask the question this way, so he could only endure it for now.
Holding up the umbrella, they walked through the wind and snow along the eastern bank of the Luo River. After crossing Eight Willows Lane, they arrived at the Bridge of Helplessness. It was only natural that they began to think about yesterday's battle.
”If at that time, I knew you were my opponent, would the result be different?”
Standing on the center of the snowy bridge, Chen Changsheng whispered as he gazed in the direction she had come from yesterday.
Xu Yourong replied, ”From the very beginning, you never had any intentions of winning.”
After a moment of silence, Chen Changsheng said, ”Because of the matter of annulling the engagement, I always felt that I was being somewhat unfair to you.”
Xu Yourong faintly smiled but said nothing.
”Your cultivation level is above mine, so it was always difficult for me to win, and also…I don't like acting according to the plans of others.”
Chen Changsheng turned to gaze through the snow at the distant Li Palace.
On that spring day almost two years ago, he left, humiliated, from the Divine General of the East's state. On another, smaller bridge, he had once sighed with similar emotion.
He cultivated the Dao of following his heart. His fate was not good, so he wished even more to grasp it in his hands.
”No one likes the feeling of being part of fate's plans.” Xu Yourong turned in the other direction towards the Imperial Palace. ”But yesterday, I really did want to fight with you, because I wanted to know what level your sword had reached. Moreover, I wanted to win in a fair and upright fashion. I don't like the feeling of losing.”
Yesterday, in the beef rib restaurant on Fortune Peace Road, she had said something similar, but today, she spoke more seriously and openly, her words unvarnished.
The two descended from the snowy bridge. As it was snowing, there weren't many people walking on the bridge. Only a stall selling tanghulu on the side was surrounded by people and seemed rather lively. The majority of this crowd were idlers with nothing to do. They were currently discussing yesterday's battle and chatting about all sorts of gossip.
Like the engagement, like showing mercy, like being in love, like being merciless, and there were even a few quite shocking jeers.
Those idlers were clueless to the fact that the two subjects of their conversation were standing by their side.
Xu Yourong's head was slightly lowered, Chen Changsheng's slightly raised. Once more, they walked across the bridge, but this time they were not enemies, so what were they?
The snow was falling faster, and although it could not be described as fierce, it was enough to gradually confuse the eyes. The pedestrians on the street grew fewer and fewer, the eaves on the roof and brims of the wells being layered thicker and thicker with snow. The streets and alleys of the capital were transformed into an expanse of white. The original colors of the building peeking out from the snow were like clean lines on a white sheet of paper, very pleasing to the eye.
The snow on the stone pillars of the Li Palace was like white hats on top of slender stone men.
The Mausoleum of Books was still verdant and lush, except that the Divine Path, burdened with snow, seemed like a frozen waterfall.
No person came to disturb the small courtyard of the Plum Garden Inn. It was very serene, the snow-covered ground like a piece of felt. They couldn't bear to step on it, so they stood under the porch, gazing at the tree in the very center of the courtyard while they chatted about the excitement he felt two years ago when he first saw the rubbings of the Heavenly Tome Monoliths as well as the bamboo dragonfly.
Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong used the entire day to walk the entire capital, going to many places and speaking about many things.
For the majority of the time, he who was unskilled with words was speaking, introducing the places they visited: the loneliness of the Lingyan Pavilion, the Night Pearls of the Dew Platform. He very seriously carried out the role of tour guide, wishing for her tour to be all the happier.
From beginning to end, Xu Yourong listened quietly at his side, a smile on her lips.
These were all places she had played until she was bored in as a child, even the Mausoleum of Books and the Imperial Palace. She had even treated the stone pillars of the Li Palace as slides.
There was no way she required a youth who had lived his childhood in Xining Village to explain it to her.
Chen Changsheng had originally known about these things, but he forgot.
She knew that he must have forgotten, but she didn't want to remind him.
At dusk, they finally returned to Hundred Flowers Lane. At the back wall of the Orthodox Academy, Chen Changsheng wanted to return the Yellow Paper Umbrella to her, but she shook her head.
”Martial Uncle Su wanted me to give this umbrella to you.”