Chapter 55 A Beautiful Song Under the Moonlight

“Whatever she likes. If she wants it, she can have it.” “My lord, what if she wants your life?” “Say no more. I know what I am doing.” “But it’s my duty to protect...” “You can leave now.” “Yes.” Yun Hai sighed helplessly. Maybe it was his predestined fate to meet her. ... Melodious flute sound rang in the mansion. The flute sounded soft and sad. It seemed to be telling a story of people who couldn’t be together with their loved ones. However, now it was nighttime, and everyone had to sleep. This man was playing the flute in the middle of the night - what’s going on? Wasn’t he disturbing others on purpose? Several maids and servants, including the princess consort’s servants, were woken up in the middle of the night to search for the source of the flute sound. Following the sound of the flute, they rushed to the courtyard where the lord lived. These people were dumbfounded when they were told not to disturb the lord playing the flute. After so many years, they finally knew their lord was proficient in music. Besides, he even had the spirit of staying up late to play the flute! No one dared to interrupt the flute player, so the flute sound continued. However, it did not disturb Ruxin, who was drunk and sleeping. On the contrary, the sound seemed to be comforting her in her dream. Well, the beautiful music of the flute was better than silence, which could make her feel more at ease. Xuan Zhi didn’t say anything but frowned. He always felt that the target this time was not that simple, who even had a face similar to Kong Yue. Xuan Zhi was afraid that the woman in his arms could not handle it well. Xuan Zhi touched the face of the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms. She was burdened too much, but the only thing he could do was to accompany her in this way. Thinking of it, he hugged her tighter. Xuan Zhi still remembered the helpless little girl he met for the first time when he was a child. Many years later, he met this girl who became solitary. As time went by, she started to grow trust in him, open her heart and show him her pure self. Then, she was finally willing to talk to him about everything she thought. However, she experienced the dark nightmare again. Now she loved to stay in his arms so much. But he wanted her to be an innocent child who would never grow up and didn’t have to go through too much. As long as she felt happy, Xuan Zhi would feel satisfied even if she ignored him and only loved Kong Yue. In the princess consort’s bedroom not far away, she heard the report from her servant girl. She asked her to get out immediately. Princess Consort felt much more hateful than helpless. She was a daughter of a noble family, and she disdained to play little tricks to earn her husband’s attention. However, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t read the situation. Everyone thought she was the luckiest woman because she got the chance to marry Yun Hai. However, few people knew the distress in her heart. For years, they raised children together. He was indifferent to her, but he had never married a concubine. At that time, she could still lie to herself that it was his nature. However, he met Princess Xi. His eyes showed the affection she had always wanted. Fortunately, they came to Feng City later. Sometimes he would bring some girls back. He only spent a few days with them, but he would never care about any girls. Therefore, she thought they would live such a kind of life forever. However, why did he treat Ruxin so differently? He even took her to his bedroom and played the flute for her. Princess Consort had no idea what would happen next. The princess consort’s worry didn’t come out of nowhere. Lord Yi played the flute in the middle of the night just to impress Ruxin. He had always been calm and mature. Yun Hai was no longer young, but he was now as impulsive as a teenager. In the entire forty years of his life, he dropped all the scruples for the first time. ... Lord Yi always had a lot of spare time. The people of Feng City were simple, and specialized personnel would take care of trivial matters for him. Therefore, Yun Hai had nothing to worry about. Now he had plenty of time to focus on Ruxin. Yun Hai, the master in this mansion, appeared in the kitchen early in the morning. He cooked for Ruxin in this place which he had never stepped into. He hadn’t slept all night, but he was still so energetic. Lord Yi seemed to be more than ten years younger. His behaviors frightened all servants, but no one dared to ask him about it. With breakfast in his hands, Yun Hai sat in the courtyard in front of his bedroom door. He was waiting for Ruxin to get up. Yun Hai was afraid that the food would get cold, so he asked someone to bring him a small stove to warm it up. He didn’t want to disturb her sweet sleep, so he waited outside for her to wake up naturally. The news that the lord could cook was not the most shocking thing. Compared to Ruxin’s lover Kong Yue, the lord was much better at cooking. The food he made was a perfect combination of aroma, taste, and appearance. He was almost a qualified imperial cook! After Ruxin came to Feng City, she couldn’t get used to the simple food here. Ruxin hadn’t tasted such delicious food for a long time. That day, Yun Hai watched Ruxin eating up the food he made. He felt so satisfied and was as happy as a child. After this day, he prepared three meals for her every day. Ruxin came to this mansion as a singer. However, Yun Hai hadn’t asked her to perform except for the first night. Instead, he tried his best to entertain her, making people wonder who was the real performer here. Every morning, Yun Hai would bring breakfast and watch her eating after she woke up. Just as Yue, he kept staring at her. Sometimes, she had food crumbs scattered on her mouth by accident. Kong Yue, who had always spoiled her, would help her wipe them away. When Yun Hai saw them, he smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe them off for her, which made Ruxin almost cry. She raised her head immediately to keep her tears from falling. After a meal, they went to see the flowers together. Yun Hai did his best to make her happy by telling crappy jokes. Kong Yue also once accompanied her to see flowers. In the Imperial Garden that year, Kong Yue looked at her while she was standing in the middle of flowers. His mature and sharp eyes were filled with tenderness. Ruxin picked a flower. At that time, she already knew Kong Yue was a man. She put the flower on his head purposefully. Kong Yue couldn’t do anything to her, letting her act like a naughty girl and hugging her tight. Ruxin was crying. Yun Hai was anxious and wanted to comfort her. However, he could feel that she didn’t want him to touch her. Therefore, he didn’t cross the line. After thinking about it, he decided to take out the flute to play a lyrical piece for her. Hearing the music, Ruxin said softly with tears on her face, “Hai, I want to sing.” “Okay, you can sing. I’ll listen.” “Can you accompany me on the flute?” “Okay, you sing first.” “Wind and sand blocked my view. I couldn’t see the person but heard her beautiful singing, Clean and sweet like an oriole’s chirping. The delight...I felt was as much...as the sorrow I had. I wondered...how many hearts...were broken...for love, Since...it was always so hard...to find a...soulmate. I wished...everything was nothing...but a dream. I wished life...could still be a beautiful...song under...the moonlight, When...I...woke...up...” At first, Ruxin sang slowly. The singing flowing out of her mouth was as pleasant as a long, running river, and it was more touching than before. Her tears slowly merged into her singing, wetting the white clothes on her body. Later, she sobbed. Her singing became intermittent, and her sadness could touch people’s hearts. Ruxin continued to sing. Tears could not express the unspeakable pain in her heart. It was biting pain, and it was great sadness. Yun Hai’s flute sound accompanied her singing slowly. While Ruxin choked with sobs, Yun Hai’s flute did not stop. He knew the pain in her heart, so he comforted her with the sound of the flute until she stopped crying. Her voice was hoarse, but she continued to sing. “Wind and sand blocked my view. I couldn’t see the person but heard her beautiful singing, Clean and sweet like an oriole’s chirping. The delight I felt was as much as the sorrow I had. I wondered how many hearts were broken for love, Since it was always so hard to find a soulmate. I wished everything was nothing but a dream. I wished life could still be a beautiful song under the moonlight, When I woke up.” Ruxin now sang and didn’t choke so much. However, her singing still revealed deep sadness. Ruxin’s trembling, crying voice was not as soft as her normal voice. Now people could only hear her desperation and sadness. These two repeated this special song until they were exhausted. The man standing in front of Ruxin was Yun Hai, but she started to see him as Kong Yue. She was overwhelmed by the sorrow, and she missed Kong Yue so much. Tears blurred her vision. Ruxin’s hands trembled unconsciously. She touched his face and whispered, “Yue, Yue, you are back. You are back to see me. I miss you. Yue... don’t leave me again, okay?” The desperation in her voice made her lose the enchanting charm completely. This woman in white, as beautiful as a fairy, was now pitiful and humble. Yun Hai did not wake her up from her imagination, and he did not want to wake her up. He stood there and let her touch and hug him in tears. Yun Hai watched her venting desperately and calling “Yue” repeatedly... when she wanted to kiss “Yue”, a branch fell in front of her from the tree. The sound was not loud, but it shattered all her illusions. Xuan Zhi dropped the branch on purpose. Ruxin had lost her mind, but she gradually calmed down. She returned back to reality and pushed Yun Hai away immediately. Ruxin ran back to her bedroom helplessly. She had almost reached her limit. She kept recalling the scene that Kong Yue was shot to death by arrows in front of her. He left her in this way. Back then, Kong Yue kept shaking his head, not allowing her to come closer. She now urgently needed the warmth she had been used to - Xuan Zhi’s hugging. Even if it meant she was selfish, she would not allow herself to collapse again. Ruxin pushed the door open, and Xuan Zhi was waiting for her in the room. She jumped into his arms, crying desperately and feeling helpless as a child. Xuan Zhi didn’t say anything, hugging her tightly and letting her vent. He knew the most difficult task for her this time was to overcome her complex feelings. Yun Hai watched Ruxin leaving, and he followed her. He saw her jumping into the arms of another man. However, he could only hide in a place out of their sight and stared at these two people hugging. Yun Hai felt complicated, but he could only sigh. He didn’t walk into his bedroom. Yun Hai didn’t disturb them, only staring at them in this way. Since she was here, he had always slept in the study room but not in his bedroom every night. He almost couldn’t remember what his room looked like. But he knew that he owed her all this. ... A month passed by quickly. Ruxin didn’t know what to do next. Yun Hai had always been with her. He tried his best to do everything for her himself and didn’t allow anyone else to get closer to her. How could she take action? She didn’t want to do it herself. Besides, she also felt she was softhearted facing Yun Hai. But after all, Yun Hai was not Yue, and Ruxin knew it. Now Yun Hai had spoiled her. It would annoy Princess Consort sooner or later. This might be the only thing she could take advantage of. Princess Consort hadn’t appeared recently, which must have been arranged by Yun Hai deliberately. However, Ruxin did not believe a jealous woman could always be so tolerant.