Chapter 288 - Parting Pain
Chapter 288 Parting Pain
“I am aware, but my departure is for her good.”
The corner of Qinghu’s mouth curled up in a helpless smile. He did not expect that at this juncture of his life, there would still be things that were out of his control.
“Will you be able to return?”
While Yunzhu brought a blanket over to Lin Mengya, Qinghu simply carried her in his arms to the bed in the room.
“I’ve no idea. Perhaps I won’t return, or perhaps I will be able to see her once again,” said Qinghu softly as he put her down.
“Take care, Hall Master, we wait for your return.”
Finally, Qinghu gave Lin Mengya a deep look and eventually reluctantly tore his eyes away from her. Why did this lass, who always worried him, not appear earlier in his life?
Yunzhu watched Qinghu disappear from her sight, turned to look at Lin Mengya, who had fallen into deep sleep, and shook her head.
Qinghu’s temperament and character had not changed for more than a decade. He was ready to sacrifice his life for the things close to his heart.
Yunzhu took out a small porcelain bottle, which contained the pill that neutralized the effect of alcohol, turned to help Lin Mengya up into a sitting position, and put a pill into her mouth. If she had not made Lin Mengya drunk, Qinghu might not even have a chance to bid farewell to Hall Master.
The Hall Master might appear to be an ignorant lass, but Yunzhu could see that she was very protective of her followers.
When Lin Mengya awoke from her drunken state, she was plagued with a terrible headache.
She massaged her temples with her small hands to ease the pain. Eh? She clearly remembered that Qinghu was there. Every time she awoke, Qinghu would come up to her to tease her about her capacity for liquor.
How was it that this time when she awoke, the room was so empty?
“You’ve woken up, Hall Master? This is the soup that will neutralize the effect of alcohol. Please take a sip, it’s very effective for easing headaches.”
Yunzhu had personally brought the bowl of soup. In fact, Lin Mengya never had someone to help do anything on her behalf in Sanjue Hall.
For this reason, many thought that Yunzhu and Hall Master ought to share an intimate relationship.
“Where’s that fox? Why do I not see him? Tell him to come here. What has he been tied down with? Doesn’t he know to come home since the New Year is approaching?”
Lin Mengya’s words sounded as if Qinghu was her family.
At Lin Mengya’s questions, Yunzhu’s moving hand stopped midair. She quickly handed the bowl of soup to Lin Mengya and smiled awkwardly.
“He won’t be coming back.”
“What? That’s impossible. This is his home, and we are his family. Who would not want to return to his family? Please be honest with me. Has he done something wrong against me, so he’s hiding from me? Where is he hiding?”
Yunzhu lifted the curtains to let in the warm and gentle sunlight. However, Lin Mengya still felt the chill all the way to her fingertips.
“He’s truly gone, Hall Master. Please stop asking why. He did so to ensure that you’re safe, so that Sanjue Hall will have a future. From now on, please just take it that he had not existed in the first place, Hall Master.”
Qinghu had left? Lin Mengya’s mind had been numbed by the alcohol and was unable to digest this piece of information. What did it mean that Qinghu had left and not coming back?
Had he found something he wanted to spend his life with?
Lin Mengya cocked her head as she looked at Yunzhu with questioning eyes.
Nevertheless, Yunzhu continued to be silent. Qinghu had instructed her not to breathe a word about some things.
“Oh, I get it. You may excuse yourself now. I need some time to be alone.”
Yunzhu was surprised that Lin Mengya only reacted by saying that she got it.
For a moment, Yunzhu was stunned. However, she eventually left Lin Mengya alone.
Somehow, the warm bowl of soup in her hands tasted so bitter that she could barely gulp it down.
Nevertheless, she drank in bit by bit.
Although her stomach had been warmed by the soup, her heart was cold.
She would have never imagined that Qinghu, who was always so attentive, gentle and sweet towards her, had left her.
What more, he had even left without saying goodbye.
Lin Mengya froze in a posture of drinking the soup even after she had finished the entire bowl of soup. Qinghu had left. Qinghu had really left.
The thought kept going around in her mind like a bomb that had destroyed her brain.
Why did he leave? Did he not say that he would remain by her side for the rest of his life? She had not been able to produce the antidote for the poison in Qinghu’s body. Silly boy, why could he not wait for it?
She felt so empty in her heart that she felt like breaking down to cry, but even her tears betrayed her.
Lin Mengya was like a puppet devoid of soul. She felt so helpless that she was even unable to cry. She had always treated Qinghu as one of the most important members of her family. Apart from her own brother ,Lin Nansheng, Qinghu was the only other person whom she felt very comfortable with, just like family.
Why? Why did he have to leave?
Yunzhu ought to know the reason, she ought to know!
“Yunzhu! Yunzhi!”
She called out Yunzhu’s name quickly. Yunzhu seemed to have known that Lin Mengya would ask her the question, so she refused to appear before Lin Mengya, but sighed to herself.
“Why did he leave? Tell me why he left?”
Lin Mengya shouted her questions in the courtyard. Although Yunzhu did not show herself, Lin Mengya’s words had gently drifted down.
“He must have his reasons. I’m sorry, Hall Master, this piece of vague information was all that I’ve got. Therefore, stop pressing me. I’ve promised Qinghu some things, so I can’t go back to my words.”
Lin Mengya leaned against the doorpost, and finally, tears started rolling down her cheeks silently.
Elder Sister Yue Ting had left. Now that Qinghu had left. Those people who were kind to her seemed to leave her one by one. It had been a while since she last experienced such excruciating heartache.
Why? Why did these people not remain by her side?
“Hall Master, I believe he will come back alive one day.” “Ten years ago, he and I had gone out together to perform a mission. He had been attacked by the sword at a number of places on his body, but he was still worried about something, so he returned from Hades. Believe me, you are an even more important concern to him, so I believe he will be back.”
Yunzhu, who, at this moment, was sitting on the roof, recollected what had happened one night 10 years ago.
He would definitely come back because he was Qinghu. He was the master of Peach Blossom, whom many people feared upon hearing his name. How could he just die in the hands of that man?
They had all come back from Hades, had they not?
Sob— Sob—
Lin Mengya burst out in tears and cried loudly. She had totally lost her image of being the master of Sanjue hall. In fact, she was more like a naive little child, crying so hard, yet not trying to camouflage herself.
“Let it all out. Sometimes, I’m really envious of you. The person who is to cry is much more blessed than he who has no more tears.”
Yunzhu took out the flute that she carried with her wherever she went. The gentle melody from the flute went around to Lin Mengya’s ears, and it made Lin Mengya stop crying.
Yunzhu was right. Qinghu would definitely come back. He who left his home would eventually return to his family.
Before this moment, what Lin Mengya had done was to wait quietly.
After being ‘locked up’ in the courtyards for any day, Lin Mengya finally exited the gates of the Liuxin Courtyard.
Despite missing Qinghu desperately, Lin Mengya was aware that she should not continue to feel that she had lost all hope
Her romantic love had died prematurely, but there was still someone else she missed from far away.
Therefore, she had to quickly come out from Prince Yu’s Mansion, which she thought was like a swamp. She had made a calculated plan. She was to ask to leave the palace right after she cured the Emperor’s illness.
She was going to then concentrate on managing Sanjue Hall well and wait for the day Qinghu returned.
“Elder Sister, you’re finally out. I was so worried about you.”
It was Xiaoyu in the courtyard. He was wearing a jade-colored fur cloak and smiling at Lin Mengya tenderly.
Lin Mengya nodded and instructed the servant to bring the snacks she had quickly but carefully prepared, and handed it to Wanyan Lie, who was beside Xiaoyu.
“I know you’ve come to bid farewell today. It’s going to be a long journey, so take good care. If the going gets tough, do write and get someone to deliver your letter to me. Oh yes, remember to keep Goldie safe, understand?”
Parting seemed to be a norm for Lin Mengya nowadays.
Her mind had become stronger after Qinghu’s departure, so she was able to take Xiaoyu’s departure with calm.
Perhaps, in life, people matured through many instances of meetings and partings.
Despite feeling reluctant, she had to learn to let go. She had to allow them to disappear from before her temporarily.
“I’m sorry, Elder Sister. I had wanted to leave only after the New Year, however, Uncle Lie—”
There was a look of helplessness in Xiaoyu’s eyes. Lin Mengya got up and walked up to him, reached out her delicate hands, and straightened Xiaoyu’s collars.
The lad had grown up without her realizing it. From the way Xiaoyu was able to give and take and endure hardships for the sake of accomplishing what he needed to do, Lin Mengya could see that he had indeed matured.
“Let’s go, you have what you need to do. We will see each other again, won’t we?”
Lin Mengya broke into a brilliant smile on her face, but no one sensed the sorrow and helplessness behind her jovial facade.
Xiaoyu nodded his head vigorously. He would definitely meet his elder sister again!
“Goodbye, Elder Sister. Take care.”
Xiaoyu bowed to Lin Mengya. Although Xiaoyu was extremely reluctant, he had no other choice but to set out to return to the land he was born.
“Yes, be careful.”
Lin Mengya waved her hand as the smile on her face froze a little.
She ought not to cry! Xiaoyu loved her smiley face most. He would be concerned if she were to break down in tears. She may be of help in any other way, but at least she could prevent him from being distracted.
Lin Mengya walked him all the way to the gates and watched as Xiaoyu and Wanyan Lie boarded the horse carriage and left. Soon, her vision was blurred by the tears welling up in her eyes.
“Let’s go back.”
Lin Mengya lifted her head to the sky, not wishing anyone would see her cry.
As the saying went, “All good things must come to an end.” She could not be so selfish as to keep everyone bound to her.
“Are you alright, Master? You must be feeling miserable that Childe Yu left, but at least you still have all of us by your side.”
Baizhi whispered words of comfort into Lin Mengya’s years. Lin Mengya gazed at the four maidservants, who had surrounded her, and smiled.
“It’s time to start thinking about your marriage.”