The Splendor Fades

"But why didn't you kill me?" Chen Yage recalled the times she had been knocked unconscious at the cliff of the Purple Flower Umbrella, and that person could only have been Lady Yue. Chaoyun had been murdered because she knew her secret; so why was she herself spared? What hidden reason lay behind this?

Lady Yue let out a bitter laugh, her figure wavering, blood constantly seeping from her abdomen, making her resemble a seductive, mysterious flower blooming on the other side of the river. She was enigmatic and alluring.

"If not for the Young Lord taking a fancy to you, how could you be so audacious, breaking Taoyuan's rules time and again?"

"Midnight..." Chen Yage whispered, her voice like an endless sigh.

Unable to endure the pain, Lady Yue finally collapsed to the ground. Yet the resentment and helplessness remained etched on her face.

Master Xu slowly walked to Lady Yue, gathering her into his arms. Lady Yue looked at him in surprise, emotions stirring inexplicably within her. She neither pushed him away nor spoke; the two simply gazed at each other in silence.

Then Lady Yue began to cough up blood, mouthful after mouthful. Her trembling hand reached toward Master Xu's face. "Did you truly never love me?"

Master Xu hesitated for a moment. The only woman he truly loved was Lady Qin, though he had once been moved by Lady Yue; after all, what man could resist being stirred by a woman weeping like pear blossoms in the rain?

But his feelings for Lady Qin ran deep. He could never let her go.

Having waited in vain for an answer, Lady Yue's hand slid slowly to the ground. Her mouth remained open, but the answer she longed for would never reach her ears. Master Xu held her hand tightly, choking back words he could not utter.

"Young Master, what shall we do with her?" The guard beside him watched the unconscious Ziyu and asked Xu Jin.

"Take her back." Xu Jin's tone had lost its earlier edge, weariness showing on his face.

"Please, let Ziyu go," Chen Yage pleaded. In the end, she owed Midnight a debt; helping Ziyu would be a way to repay that affection.

"Please, let Sister Ziyu go," Dujuan echoed, seeing Chen Yage plead for Ziyu. She hurriedly tugged at Master Xu's sleeve, tears streaming down her face. Master Xu came to himself and, after a long pause, finally nodded.

Chen Yage, Li Bai, and Ziyu remained behind to bury Midnight, Lady Yue, and Water Buffalo in Taoyuan. Dujuan returned with Master Xu to her true home, becoming the third Miss of the Xu family. No longer would she suffer Lady Yue's reproach; she could live a life of happiness and luxury. Yet Dujuan was not happy. Her heart felt empty, and so, at the moment of parting, she said nothing, merely embraced Chen Yage and Ziyu before leaving.

"Ziyu, what are your plans for the future?" After the burial, Ziyu was left alone in the world; Chen Yage asked with concern.

Ziyu smiled faintly, a smile tinged with reluctance and resignation. "I was never a girl raised in the depths of a noble house, never loved embroidery, only fighting and adventure. But now I'm weary of it all. So I've decided to wander the world, to see how vast it truly is. And you, what will you do?"

"Wander the world?" Li Bai laughed. "Though you are a woman, I would be honored to call you my friend—if you are willing. My greatest wish is to travel every mountain and stream, to embrace every river. Our interests align; may we one day raise our cups and sing together again!"

"Yes," Chen Yage agreed. "I hope we will meet again someday!"

"Of course we will," Ziyu nodded. "Allow me to call you Brother Bai. Take care of Yage, and I wish you both happiness!"

As Ziyu finished speaking, color flooded Chen Yage's cheeks. The bold, fearless Chen Yage of old had faded since meeting Li Bai.

Ziyu departed. Chen Yage and Li Bai stood quietly, watching her figure recede into the distance, shrinking to a dot before vanishing altogether.

Li Bai and Chen Yage spent another night beside Moon Lake. Chen Yage leaned against Li Bai's shoulder, feeling a sense of belonging she had never known.

Under the gentle moonlight, Moon Lake seemed as mysterious as a veiled maiden, shrouded in beauty and allure.

"Brother Bai, where shall we go after we leave here?" Chen Yage asked softly, secretly vowing to follow Li Bai wherever he went, even unto death.

"We?" Li Bai frowned. Since leaving Shu, he had wandered for ten years, never knowing where his journey would end—or if it ever would.

"Of course," Chen Yage said sweetly, threading her arm through his. Happiness was simply leaning on the shoulder of one's beloved, gazing at the bright moon and the myriad stars.

"Brother Bai, what was the place you once lived like?" Chen Yage asked, though she already knew the answer. Li Bai had grown up in Shu, as had she; she knew well what that land was like.

"A monk from Shu cradles his green qin, descending westward from the peak of Emei. With a single wave of his hand, it is as if the pines of a thousand valleys sing. The heart of the traveler is cleansed by flowing water; echoes linger in the frost-lit bell. Unaware, the jade-green mountains grow dim as evening falls, autumn clouds deepen layer upon layer."

Chen Yage listened to Li Bai's verse in silence. He was not without troubles or worries; he was an ordinary man, with passions and desires, family and friends—how could he be free of sorrow? To the world, he seemed carefree and unrestrained, but who had truly understood him, who had ever sought to know him deeply?

Chen Yage reached out to brush Li Bai's brows. He seized her hand and turned away. Chen Yage asked softly, "Brother Bai, what's wrong?"

"Yage, we are not suited for each other. Leave me; don't follow me."

"Why?" Chen Yage's breath tightened at that moment. She had never imagined Li Bai would say such words. She had always believed he cared for her. When he said nothing, she asked again, "Is it because I'm ugly? Or did I do something to anger you?"

"No, you did nothing wrong. It's me, my problem. If you follow me, you'll have no home, forever wandering. Find a good family to marry into, live a peaceful life," Li Bai said softly, unable to meet her gaze.

"I don't care about any of that, Brother Bai. As long as I can be with you, any life is enough. I can bear hardship, I am not afraid. Please believe me; please don't send me away," Chen Yage pleaded.

For a moment, Li Bai wavered, but only for a moment. He suddenly stood, turned his back, and sighed. "Find a stable home. Take care of yourself." With that, Li Bai leapt into the lake. Chen Yage had no time to say a word, only watched as Li Bai swam toward the opposite shore, sitting there in a daze, forgetting to think, forgetting what to do next.