105 Reunion of Old Friends

The man in black who had just disappeared returned abruptly. With a single leap, he landed before Chen Yage and Du Juan, shielding them behind him. Chen Yage felt an inexplicable sense of security upon seeing him. Du Juan called out in a trembling voice, “Young Master.”

The man in black paused. Chen Yage looked at Du Juan in surprise, then at the man himself. His figure was strikingly similar to Ziye’s. “Is it really you?” Chen Yage whispered softly. She dared not be certain; she found it hard to believe that the man before her could be Ziye, yet she longed for him to be alive. After all, she had buried Ziye with her own hands. How could it be possible…

The man in black ignored both Chen Yage and Du Juan. He pulled something from his sleeve and threw it onto the ground. Instantly, a cloud of white smoke billowed up.

Chen Yage and Du Juan felt themselves lifted off the ground, their feet no longer touching solid earth. Both clung tightly to the man in black, but they could clearly sense the stiffness in his body.

“Ziye… is it really you?” The difference between standing on firm ground and being suspended in midair was profound; where there was solid footing, the heart felt steadier. Chen Yage grasped the hem of the man’s cloak with unwavering grip.

Du Juan, bolder, reached to pull the black cloth covering the man’s face, only to have her hand caught. The man turned coldly and said, “I saved you because I was ordered to, not because I am someone you know.”

“Who gave the order? Can you at least tell us your name? I will never forget this life-saving grace and will repay it someday,” Chen Yage bowed sincerely, her voice earnest.

“No need. They are coming.” With those words, the man vanished into the darkness with a swift leap. Du Juan, still unwilling to give up, called out, “Young Master… Young Master…”

“Quick, hide.” Chen Yage pulled Du Juan into the nearby bushes where they crouched low. She didn’t understand who the man had meant by “they.” If it was the same group from before, why had they abandoned the two of them? And why had they saved them in the first place?

“You Huan.”

“Brother Bai.”

Chen Yage and Du Juan both exclaimed simultaneously, for the figures before them were none other than the ones they had longed to see day and night. Du Juan threw herself at You Huan, and the two embraced tightly.

Chen Yage, however, approached Li Bai slowly. She wanted to smile, yet tears threatened to fall. At half a meter’s distance, she stopped. Under the moonlight, Li Bai’s robes fluttered gracefully.

Li Bai gently stroked Chen Yage’s face. “You have suffered. I’m sorry.”

Unable to contain the yearning in her heart any longer, Chen Yage threw herself into Li Bai’s arms. For the first time, tears streamed down like a flowing brook. Her tears wet her face and soaked Li Bai’s chest.

“Brother Bai, do you know the man in black?” After a long moment, Chen Yage released Li Bai, wiping the tears from her cheeks, lowering her head shyly.

“What man in black?” Li Bai looked at her in confusion.

“Could it not have been on your orders? Then who else?” Chen Yage murmured to herself. Could it really have been Ziye? But she had buried him with her own hands. How was that possible? Was there really someone so strikingly similar?

Li Bai said, “Where were you that day? Why didn’t you stay in your room waiting for me to return? After the princess and I brought You Huan back to the temple, we couldn’t find you anywhere. Do you know how worried I was?”

“That day, there were people from An Lushan’s faction in the princess’s room. They took Du Juan away, so I chased after them. But I was captured too. Luckily, the man in black saved me.”

“Brother Bai, I saw Young Master. Though he didn’t admit it, I am certain it was him. He carried the same familiar scent as Young Master.” Du Juan’s excitement was difficult to contain when Chen Yage and Li Bai mentioned the man in black.

Seeing You Huan’s slight jealousy, Du Juan took his hand and said, “Between Young Master and me, it’s only brother and sister affection. Though I once loved him, now my heart belongs to only one person.”

You Huan smiled calmly. “I understand. As long as you are well, even if the one you love is not me, I…”

You Huan’s words were cut off as Du Juan pressed her lips to his. Chen Yage never expected Du Juan to take such initiative, especially in public view. Yet, ever discreet, she stepped aside with Li Bai.

“Is it really Ziye?” Li Bai asked doubtfully.

“I can’t be sure, but he certainly looked like him. But Ziye was buried by you and me. How could it be…” Chen Yage suddenly recalled the man in black’s words:

“The peach blossoms and human face reflect each other’s redness, fallen petals scatter as the water flows east. The sunset hides beyond the western hills, no longer asking how many layers the human world holds.”

“Peach blossoms… fallen petals.” Li Bai pondered these words deeply. Suddenly, he turned, and Chen Yage stumbled into his embrace. “I understand now. He is Ziye. He truly is alive. The peach blossoms and fallen petals are scenery from Taoyuan. The sunset hiding beyond the western hills means he no longer wishes to concern himself with worldly affairs, wanting only to live out his days in peace.”

“Really?” The news that Ziye was alive brought Chen Yage unprecedented relief. If Ziye lived, her guilt would lessen greatly. If the mother and child Shui Niu and the father and daughter Chao Yun could also be brought back to life, she would be truly free—free from all guilt.

“But why does he deny it? Why does he avoid us? And why does he always appear to save us when we’re in danger?”

“Perhaps Ziye truly cares for you, which is why he protects you from the shadows. He follows you because he fears you might get hurt. He won’t admit it because he doesn’t want you to know he’s alive, so you won’t be torn in your feelings,” Li Bai said thoughtfully. Chen Yage was speechless. Li Bai held her close. “Don’t overthink it. After the princess’s matter is settled, everything will be fine. I will always be by your side, guarding you, so you will never be alone, scared, or hurt again.”

At the mention of the princess, Chen Yage suddenly remembered what An Lushan had said inside the tent. Though she did not know what grudge existed between them, Yu Zhen had saved their lives multiple times. “Brother Bai, where is the princess?”

“I am here,” came the voice just as Chen Yage finished speaking. Yu Zhen stepped out from a cluster of bushes.

She was still dressed in plain clothes, her hair simply pinned up, no makeup on, her complexion fair and clear. She looked ethereal and refined, like an orchid quietly blooming in a secluded valley, faintly exuding fragrance.

Behind her followed Sister Jikong and other nuns from the Xu Wu An temple, along with a small number of men in black.

Seeing the men in black, Chen Yage instinctively grew wary. Yu Zhen chuckled softly. “No need to worry. They are all my people, responsible for protecting my safety.”

Chen Yage approached Yu Zhen earnestly. “Princess, please be cautious of An Lushan. The fire at Xu Wu An temple was not set by Lord Yang but by An Lushan’s men.”