Chapter 181: The Moon Is Beautiful, but She Is More Beautiful
Chapter 181: Chapter 181: The Moon Is Beautiful, but She Is More Beautiful
Sun Haoran listened and smiled faintly. "It’s August now. I plan to administer the drug to Elder Gu in October. He’ll start to look a bit tired and weak. Then, two months in, he’ll faint once or twice and have an occasional fever to show that his condition is worsening. By the end of the year, three or four months after the poisoning begins, his condition will deteriorate again. He’ll be exhausted and fainting every few days, with a persistent high fever."
Hua Yusen listened, thought it over for a moment, then checked the timeline and nodded. "This arrangement is indeed quite reasonable. That way, when Wang Yuan goes home for the New Year, she can report the situation to Guo Dongmei. I’m sure that once they verify it, we’ll probably be able to leave this place and return to Jincheng City after the New Year."
"Yes, that was my thinking as well," Sun Haoran said in a low voice. "Right now, I’m giving Elder Gu therapeutic massages every day to strengthen his constitution. It won’t be hard for him to live to be a hundred in the future."
Elder Gu was moved when he heard this. ’If I can really live to be a hundred, I’ll have more than thirty years left!’
’If I really have that much time, I’ll definitely right so many of my wrongs.’
"Thank you all. We will forge our future together," Elder Gu said with a hearty laugh, full of hope for what was to come for him, and for all of them.
Their ancient people had suffered many disasters, but no matter how difficult things became, they would always endure, learn from their mistakes, and then flourish.
After the meeting, they all went their separate ways. Zhao Nuanyue’s heart was pounding with excitement. She felt success was getting closer and closer.
Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuanyue returned to the front courtyard, one after the other. He smiled and said, "Nuanyue, success is in sight. Are you happy?"
"Shhh..." Zhao Nuanyue gestured for Hua Yusen not to get carried away. Wang Yuan might have woken up by now. If she heard their conversation, it would surely cause a huge uproar and would also make Guo Dongmei change her plans.
Hua Yusen fell silent and covered his mouth. He reached out with his other hand and patted Zhao Nuanyue’s head. ’I really got carried away today. I forgot that this is the most critical moment. We can’t be careless for a second, and there can’t be any slip-ups.’
"It’s getting late. You should get some rest. Good night," Zhao Nuanyue said softly. "I hope everything goes smoothly from now on, and that you stay safe and healthy."
"The moon is perfect tonight. Let’s stay and watch it for a bit," Hua Yusen said with a nod. ’One moon in the sky, and a Nuanyue on the ground.’ It was an incredibly beautiful scene.
Zhao Nuanyue had been about to refuse, but when she saw Hua Yusen’s mesmerizing eyes, she nodded.
They sat on the bench in the courtyard, their heads tilted back as they gazed at the moon—so bright, so clear.
"Chang’e on the moon must not be lonely," Zhao Nuanyue said out of the blue. Her expression wasn’t joking, however; it was solemn and full of yearning.
Hua Yusen nodded and said, "Yeah, at least she has the Jade Rabbit!"
Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue turned to look at Hua Yusen, pouting slightly. "Do men only ever see the surface of things?"
"Huh?" Hua Yusen froze, not expecting to have made a mistake just by agreeing with her. "Was I wrong? Did you mean because of Wu Gang?"
"Hmph!" Zhao Nuanyue glared at Hua Yusen. "That’s even worse! That Wu Gang is nothing special. Chopping a cassia tree while singing with such sordid intentions... He’s not a good man."
Hua Yusen’s face grew warm. He said in a small voice, "Actually, I don’t think Wu Gang was wrong. He liked to sing, and the person he liked was right in front of him. Shouldn’t he be allowed to express himself?"
"Chang’e is Hou Yi’s wife. If she hadn’t been trying to protect the Immortal Pill, she never would have put it in her mouth, unwittingly becoming an immortal and being separated from her husband forever," Zhao Nuanyue said. Her solemn expression made Hua Yusen feel deeply unsettled.
Hua Yusen thought hard. ’What is Zhao Nuanyue trying to say? Why would Chang’e still be happy even though she was separated from her husband?’
"I’m a little confused. I don’t understand what you mean." After thinking carefully, Hua Yusen felt that anything he said would be risky. On such a beautiful night, he decided it was best to say nothing. No words, no mistakes.
Zhao Nuanyue turned her head and continued to gaze at the bright moon, murmuring softly, "Even though they were separated, Chang’e and Hou Yi did love each other. Isn’t that a kind of happiness in itself? If she didn’t have that past love, then living alone in the Moon Palace would be true loneliness, without even a single beautiful memory."
Hua Yusen froze when he heard her words.
He vaguely understood what she meant. She wasn’t optimistic about the future of their love, and that’s why she was feeling this way. She was alluding to the idea that even if they couldn’t be together, just having loved each other was a kind of happiness.
’His Nuanyue... her standards were so low, her hopes so easily satisfied.’
Hua Yusen reached out and clasped Zhao Nuanyue’s hand. "Nuanyue, I will never fail you!"
Zhao Nuanyue didn’t turn her head. She continued to look at the bright moon, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, glistening under the hazy moonlight.
"Who knows what the future holds," Zhao Nuanyue sighed softly. "Just being able to see you every day now makes me very happy. Before, when I didn’t know the truth about Guo Dongmei, even though I liked you, I was tormented deep down. I felt like I was a terrible person for ruining your relationship with her. But now that I know she framed you, I’m actually very happy, because it means I can enjoy this love with a clear conscience. That’s very selfish of me, isn’t it?"
Hearing this, Hua Yusen gently put his arm around Zhao Nuanyue’s shoulders and whispered in her ear, "If anyone should be blamed for our relationship, it’s me. It was never you. There’s no longer any possibility between Guo Dongmei and me, so don’t weigh yourself down with these groundless accusations. You won’t grow any taller if you worry so much."
Hua Yusen’s words warmed Zhao Nuanyue’s heart. She finally turned her head and said, "Thank you. I feel so much lighter now."
"I should be the one thanking you," Hua Yusen said softly, kissing her ear. "Whether in work or in life, I wouldn’t be doing this well without you. I was so lucky that the organization arranged for me to work here. Meeting you has been the greatest happiness of my life."
"Me too," Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. ’To meet the best version of him in the best years of my life.’
Perhaps they would face difficulties and encounter setbacks, but these weren’t obstacles between them. On the contrary, they were catalysts for their love, allowing them to understand and cherish each other even more.
Quietly, they admired the moon, and each other.
The moon in the sky was beautiful, but the lovely woman on the ground was even more so.