Shan He Zhen – Chapter 70

After that “I understand,” both fell into a long silence.

Even though Chu Yu was slow to catch on, she sensed something had changed. Without a word, she took the roasted rabbit off the fire and handed it to Wei Yun, saying, “Eat.”

Wei Yun softly replied, “Thank you,” taking the rabbit and holding it up to let it cool.

Seeing him holding the rabbit like that, Chu Yu couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Wei Yun looked up at her, slightly furrowing his brow in confusion.

Chu Yu moved closer to him, tearing off a rabbit leg, and asked curiously, “Xiao Qi, tell me how you conquered the Northern Di royal court. Looking at you, I can’t imagine how you managed it.”

Hearing this, Wei Yun felt a surge of irritation for reasons he couldn’t explain.

He calmly and dispassionately recounted how he crossed the snowy mountains, how he conquered the royal court, and how he manipulated Su Can and Su Cha to escape. As he spoke, Chu Yu kept exaggeratedly exclaiming:

“Impressive!”

“You’re so clever!”

“You’re truly brilliant!”

Wei Yun knew Chu Yu was trying to make him feel good, but somehow, hearing her say these things unconsciously dispersed the bitterness and sadness in his heart. He calmly tore off a piece of rabbit meat, and Chu Yu nudged his arm, smiling, “Why were you angry just now? Tell me.”

Wei Yun’s movements stiffened, and he looked up at Chu Yu. His cat-like eyes gazed at her quietly for a long time. Then he turned his head, looking at the flickering flames, and said, “I wasn’t angry.”

“I’m not stupid,” Chu Yu promptly exposed his pretense. “You were angry earlier. Did you think I was reckless to hand it over to Gu Chusheng?”

“I…”

“If you’re going to lie to me, don’t say anything.”

Chu Yu cut him off before Wei Yun could lie. Wei Yun pressed his lips together, looking at the smiling eyes of the person in front of him, and suddenly deflated. He lowered his head, looking at the ground, and said somewhat self-deprecatingly, “Am I important, or is Gu Chusheng important?”

“Huh?”

Chu Yu was taken aback. She had expected many reasons, but she never thought Wei Yun would ask this question.

This question sounded exactly like when Chu Yu’s close friends would quarrel in her boudoir as children, pulling at her and asking, “Am I important, or is she important?”

She stared blankly at Wei Yun. He had his head lowered, lips tightly pressed, gripping the stick with the roasted rabbit so hard that his knuckles were turning white.

The teasing words Chu Yu had intended to say suddenly stopped in her mouth. She suddenly realized that what she thought was childish and joking might be very important in the heart of fifteen-year-old Wei Yun.

This made her panic for a moment. She began to ponder why he would ask this question.

She stammered a bit as she spoke, “Why… why are you asking this?”

Wei Yun didn’t answer, lowering his head and sullenly taking a bite of rabbit meat, mumbling, “Forget it, don’t say anything.”

“Xiao Qi,” Chu Yu didn’t know why, but her heart started beating faster. She looked at him, somewhat expectantly, “Do you think I’m very important?”

Wei Yun paused his actions. He didn’t want to answer this question, but seeing her expectant gaze, he looked at the firelight in front of him, the bright moon in the sky, the roads and hills so different from Da Chu. In this completely unfamiliar place, he suddenly felt a bit of relaxation.

It was as if no one could see them, as if only he and Chu Yu were left in this world.

Here, they had no past and didn’t question the future.

Just this once…

He pondered. Just this once, he wanted to have a proper, private conversation with Chu Yu.

Even though he knew his unworthy thoughts, even though he knew it wasn’t right, could he have this moment? Even if it was just something to remember in the future?

So he didn’t deny it, nor did he admit it. Instead, under her expectant gaze, he softly responded, “Mm.”

“When I said I’d be willing to risk my life for you, it wasn’t for my brother, nor duty. I wasn’t deceiving you with those words.”

Wei Yun spoke calmly and steadily, but after finishing, he felt he had somewhat overstepped. He became a bit nervous, afraid Chu Yu might hear something in his words.

However, hearing this, Chu Yu looked at the young man’s seemingly shy face and said somewhat embarrassedly, “Xiao Qi, tell me, where do I rank in your heart?”

Wei Yun hadn’t expected Chu Yu to ask this question. He thought seriously for a moment, then said, “My father and brothers are gone. Now, you and my mother are the most important to me.”

Hearing this, Chu Yu couldn’t help but smile. She looked at the person in front of her, his calm and determined young face bathed in a warm glow from the firelight. She said slowly, “Xiao Qi, although you’ll grow up and meet people who are truly important to you in the future, I’m very happy that you hold me in your heart now.”

“To be cherished by someone like this,” Chu Yu leaned against the hillside, putting her hands behind her head, looking at the stars in the sky, and said with a smile, “It makes me very happy.”

Wei Yun didn’t speak. He just turned his head to look at her, somewhat curious about why Chu Yu was so happy. However, Chu Yu had her eyes closed, saying nothing.

With her eyes closed, he could look at her unrestrained. As long as she didn’t open her eyes, he wouldn’t look away.

The young woman was truly beautiful in the moonlight.

She had lost a lot of weight, making the contours of her face more distinct, and her features more defined. Her eyebrows were standard willow-leaf shaped, her eyes slightly upturned, always seeming to smile. Her nose was high and straight, her lips thin and long. Though she was a young woman, her carefree demeanor gave her a touch of heroic spirit.

He gazed at her quietly, seeing that she still hadn’t opened her eyes. He quietly moved a bit to the side, then slowly lay down beside her.

He looked at her sideways, hearing her laugh and say, “Xiao Qi, you asked me who’s more important, you or Gu Chusheng.”

“Mm.”

Wei Yun looked at her, making a nasal sound.

However, at this moment, he felt that perhaps the answer wasn’t so important after all.

With her by his side, he felt that whatever the answer, it would be alright.

He gazed at her profile, listening to Chu Yu’s voice filled with laughter.

“He… is a very good official, a very good ally, a very good superior, a very good subordinate. But if you ask who’s more important to me, between him and you, Xiao Qi…”

Chu Yu turned over to face Wei Yun, sighing with a smile, “You think too little of yourself.”

“In my heart, you’re also someone I’d risk my life to protect.”

As she spoke, Chu Yu opened her eyes with a smile, and then she saw Wei Yun opposite her.

Wei Yun seemed not to have expected her to open her eyes, or perhaps he hadn’t expected her to say such things. He just stared at her with wide eyes, dumbfounded.

His eyes were like glass, filled with starlight, reflecting her.

They were too close, so close that in that instant, Chu Yu could feel his breath intertwining with hers, like two silk threads, entangling and intertwining, climbing upwards together.

Chu Yu looked at Wei Yun opposite her, completely stunned.

She felt his warmth, the distance close enough to see every imperfection on his face. It seemed that if she moved just a tiny bit closer, she could touch his soft lips.

The image of pulling him out of the water rushed into Chu Yu’s mind. Staring at his lips, Chu Yu strangely recalled that moment.

That cold, soft, slightly sweet feeling rushed into her mind, shocking Chu Yu so much that she didn’t dare move.

The fire crackled beside them. Wei Yun’s throat moved slightly, and Chu Yu suddenly came to her senses.

But she didn’t dare move. She just withdrew her gaze, restraining those strange thoughts.

Bastard.

Chu Yu wanted to slap herself.

What are you thinking, you bastard?

Wei Yun also didn’t dare move. At that moment just now, he had noticed some strange changes in himself. He didn’t dare look at Chu Yu’s lips at all. He could only stare at her eyes, becoming clear-headed as her expression became lucid.

All his steps were led by her. If she wanted to sink, he sank. If she wanted to be clear-headed, he was clear-headed.

He had no power to fight back, could only throw down his armor and weapons, defeated like a collapsing mountain.

Wei Yun closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice to Chu Yu, “Sister-in-law, it’s late. I’ll sleep for a while, and I’ll take the watch in the second half of the night.”

“Mm.”

Chu Yu sat up, shook her head to drive away those inexplicable emotions, and said with a smile, “Alright, you sleep then.”

Wei Yun responded, hearing her turn away to stoke the fire. Only then did he open his eyes.

He raised his hand to touch his lips, showing a hint of bewilderment. A moment later, he closed his eyes in pain.

He felt as if he were sailing on a bitter sea, with no way forward and no way to turn back.

He couldn’t control the direction, could only let the waves come as they pleased.

He knew too clearly what he wanted to do.

At that moment just now, when her eyes intertwined with his, for the first time in his life, he had such a thought—

He wanted to kiss her.