Chapter 39: Together in the Moonlight at Qianchan Lane

Chen Yage and Li Bai gazed at each other for a long time. Only when the rest of the crowd had dispersed did Chen Yage silently step out of the house, with Li Bai following closely behind. Watching their figures disappear from view, Ziyu turned to Ziye and asked, “Brother, aren’t you worried at all?”

Ziye let out a cold laugh. “Worried? Rest assured, everything is under my control. Your beloved won’t escape the palm of your hand!”

“But aren’t you afraid they might refuse, no matter what?” Ziyu asked anxiously.

“If it were just one of them, perhaps they would resist to the death. But now, with both their lives at stake, neither will let the other die.”

“I’m still afraid,” Ziyu persisted. “Maybe we should postpone things. If we rush, we might ruin everything. I fear that if we push them too hard, it will backfire and we’ll lose more than we gain.”

Ziye walked over to her, patting her shoulder. “You worry too much. Just focus on being a good bride. Unless, of course, you no longer wish to marry Li Bai. If that’s the case, I’ll call off your wedding and have Li Bai executed—so your future sister-in-law can give up hope as well!”

“No!” Ziyu blurted out. Nervously, she explained, “Chen Yage loves Li Bai deeply. If you kill him, I fear she’ll follow him in death…”

Ziye chuckled softly. “You’re not worried about her—you care for Li Bai, don’t you? According to Taoyuan’s rules, any stranger who enters is to be killed without exception. Yet not only did you spare him, you also saved him from the river, and even used the Ice Bed to heal his wounds. Haven’t you fallen for him?”

“And didn’t you save Chen Yage as well?” Ziyu retorted. “By our rules, she deserves to die even more!”

“Enough,” Ziye said. “I’ll marry whom I’m meant to, and you’ll marry yours. Now go prepare yourself—dress up and spend more time with your future husband. And while you’re at it, keep an eye on those two!” With that, Ziye filled his cup and drained it with relish.

The lake shimmered in the clear sunlight, the mountains cloaked in misty rain—a rare beauty. At dusk, the weather shifted; rain began to fall, shrouding Moon Lake in a haze of mist.

Chen Yage and Li Bai stood quietly by the water’s edge, each sheltering beneath an oil-paper umbrella, gazing at the emerald lake with tranquil hearts.

After a while, Li Bai finally spoke. “I never imagined things would come to this…”

“The sun rises in the east, rain falls in the west—life is ever unpredictable. Fate toys with us, and we are but victims,” Chen Yage replied.

“Yage, let’s escape! I don’t want you to spend your life unhappily, forced to marry someone because of me.”

Chen Yage gave a bitter laugh. “Escape? Can we truly get out? You know Taoyuan’s terrain as well as I do. This place is like a world apart, impossible to leave once you enter. Do you really think they’ll let us go so easily?”

“There’s something strange about this place everywhere you look. Do you really want to stay here forever?” Li Bai’s voice trembled. The Chen Yage he knew was not one to give up easily, but now she seemed a different person, and his emotions were in turmoil.

Chen Yage knew Li Bai could never stay here forever. He was a wanderer with a poet’s soul, still longing for Chang’an, for the imperial court, for a thousand other dreams yet unfulfilled. He could not remain trapped here, and the only thing she could do was help him escape, no matter how deeply she cared for him. At this moment, she had to let go.

“Brother Bai, go. I need to be alone for a while,” Chen Yage said quietly. Her heart was in chaos, and seeing Li Bai only made it harder to find peace.

Li Bai gazed at her for a long moment, then sighed deeply and left.

“When will the bright moon appear? Raising my cup, I ask the sky. I do not know, in the palace above, what year this night will be. I long to ride the wind and return, yet fear the jade towers’ cold heights. Dancing with my shadow, how unlike the mortal world! Turning round the red pavilion, lowering to the latticed window, shining on the sleepless. Should not bear resentment—why is the moon always full at times of parting? People experience sorrow and joy, partings and reunions; the moon waxes and wanes, is bright and dim. This has been so since ancient times. May we live long and share the moon’s beauty, though a thousand miles apart.” Unconsciously, Chen Yage began to sing Su Shi’s “Prelude to the Water Melody,” soon lost in its melancholy.

Suddenly, Ziye appeared behind her, applauding softly as he approached. He paused at her side and said, “What a phrase—sorrow and joy, partings and reunions, the moon waxing and waning. You are wise. Trust in your choice.”

Chen Yage managed a faint, forced smile. “Yet there are things I still don’t understand—why do you want to marry me? Why would you be interested in a wild, ugly, ill-mannered girl like me?”

“There are many things you need not understand,” Ziye replied. “To live out your days as my wife in blissful ignorance is far happier than to stumble clear-eyed through a life of thorns.”

“But I don’t want my life controlled by others, I don’t wish to be manipulated. Even if my path is thorny, as long as it’s my choice, I’ll walk it—even if on my knees!” Chen Yage glared at Ziye in anger. Ziye’s own temper began to rise; he flicked his wide black sleeve and said, “You will marry whether you wish to or not—unless you care nothing for Li Bai’s fate! Don’t forget: here, I am the island master. My command is law. If I decree someone will die tonight, they will not live to see the sunrise! Hmph!”

Ziye stormed off in fury. Chen Yage watched his figure disappear into the mist and rain, then stumbled back a few steps. Suddenly, a flash of red swept before her eyes, and she grew alert. Raising her voice, she called, “Who’s there? Come out! I know you’re human, not a ghost—stop playing tricks!”

Silence hung in the air; there was no reply. She shouted several more times, but still no answer. Frustrated, she tossed aside her umbrella. Suddenly, a red-clad figure flitted to the opposite shore. Without hesitation, Chen Yage plunged into the lake, swimming toward the cliff on the far side. As she neared the rock face, she saw a purple-flowered parasol swaying in the rain. She bent to sniff it, and a delicate fragrance filled her senses, making her feel instantly refreshed.

Once more, she climbed the cliff and walked toward the cave entrance. Suddenly, a thick white smoke rolled toward her. Chen Yage inhaled it all before she could react; her vision went black, and she fainted.

When Chen Yage awoke, it was already mid-morning. Li Bai was at her bedside, overjoyed to see her awake. Chen Yage sat up abruptly, grabbed Li Bai’s hand, and said excitedly, “Brother Bai, I saw the person in red—by the lake! But then, a white smoke appeared. I must have inhaled it by accident and passed out. That cave is strange; the person in red must live there. Brother Bai, let’s go catch them, quickly!”

As she spoke, she hurriedly slipped on her shoes. Li Bai stopped her. “You’ve exhausted yourself these days. Rest a while. All else can wait.”

Fated in the Great Tang: Immortal Poet, Please Stay! Chapter 39—Fated in the Great Tang: Immortal Poet, Please Stay! Full free reading, Chapter 39—The Moon’s Beauty Across a Thousand Miles, now updated!