Meeting Is Hard, Parting Harder Still

In the inner courtyard of Du'an Pharmacy, after bustling about for half the day, Ning Chen looked at the bathtub filled with hot water, then at Mu Chengxue on the bed. His head swelled to twice its size. Should he undress her or not?

"My conscience won't allow it."

Ning Chen touched his heart and found that he still felt guilty. That proved he was not utterly heartless, but circumstances had forced his hand—could he perhaps dispense with minor proprieties?

Ning Chen tried to persuade himself. He reached out, only to pull his hand back again. He suddenly remembered that women in this era were rather conservative. Even if circumstances had forced his hand, what he was doing still seemed a little inappropriate.

Shopkeeper, you've gotten me killed, Ning Chen grumbled inwardly. He stared at Mu Chengxue for a moment before finally sighing softly and making up his mind.

"If I do not enter hell, who will?"

Ning Chen gritted his teeth and carefully walked to the bedside. He examined Mu Chengxue again and saw that she truly did not look as though she would wake anytime soon. Only then did he dare reach out to undo her clothes.

"Mm."

Suddenly, Mu Chengxue let out a soft moan and her delicate body moved. Ning Chen shuddered in fright, instantly withdrawing his outstretched hand.

"This is way too terrifying."

Ning Chen wore a mournful expression. This young lady was a ruthless person who had even dared to assassinate the Xia Emperor. If she woke up and discovered anything, he would probably really end up in the palace as a eunuch.

With a ripping sound, Ning Chen tore a strip of cloth from his clothes and immediately blindfolded himself. He could not help sighing inwardly. I truly am a gentleman.

Once his eyes were covered, he indeed could not see a thing. Even as Ning Chen sighed, he also felt a faint twinge of regret. Just as the saying went: men—your other name is beast.

Ning Chen did not know whether he counted as understanding and considerate, but he certainly understood how to remove clothes. Besides, Mu Chengxue's garments were not that difficult to take off. In three strokes and two cuts, he was done.

As for whether there had been any accidental physical contact during the process, that depended entirely on his conscience. Of course, even if there had been, he would never admit it.

A moment later, Ning Chen carefully carried Mu Chengxue into the bathtub. Only then did he untie the cloth over his eyes. Then he looked at his hands and grinned foolishly. He would not wash them for the next two days.

The rest was much easier. Ning Chen kept watch beside the bathtub, adding some hot water every quarter hour. The rest of the time, he simply sat there foolishly, waiting for time to pass.

"Urgh."

Suddenly, Mu Chengxue let out a long, agonized groan from within the bathtub. Immediately afterward, she spat out a mouthful of blood, dyeing the clear water before her red in an instant.

"Mu Chengxue!"

Ning Chen hurried forward, only to be stopped by Mu Chengxue, who was half-awake.

"Don't."

That single word was followed by an even more agonized groan. Water splashed all around Mu Chengxue, her long hair flying upward as the true qi in her body burst outward with a bang. Tables and chairs nearby flew through the air, shattered wood scattered everywhere, and even Ning Chen, standing some distance away, was caught in the blast and sent flying.

With a bang, Ning Chen slammed into the wall and fell to the ground. He immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood, clearly having suffered serious internal injuries.

"Really, if you don't court death, you won't die."

Ning Chen struggled to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and hurried over to check on Mu Chengxue.

"..."

Half-conscious, Mu Chengxue looked at Ning Chen before her. Before she could say anything, she fainted again.

Ning Chen jumped in fright and reached for the pulse at her neck. When he sensed that her heartbeat remained, he immediately let out a breath of relief.

Only after examining her carefully did Ning Chen realize that Mu Chengxue's complexion had improved greatly. Compared with before, she was obviously much better.

"That damned shopkeeper! Why didn't he warn me earlier? It hurts like hell!" Seeing that Mu Chengxue was all right, Ning Chen finally recovered from the shock. Pain wracked his entire body until he bared his teeth, and he muttered complaints under his breath.

In only a few days, the blood he had shed and coughed up was almost enough to match half a lifetime from his previous life. If this continued, even if Changsun did not catch him and have him beheaded, he would bleed to death.

Though he grumbled, Ning Chen once again blindfolded himself and lifted Mu Chengxue from the water. After drying her body, he carried her back to the bed and tucked her beneath the covers. Only then did he remove the cloth from his eyes.

Looking at the curves rising and falling beneath the blanket, Ning Chen sighed inwardly. He had indeed guessed correctly when they first met. How could any woman possibly be that flat?

Drip.

Just then, Ning Chen suddenly felt warmth beneath his nose. Drops of fresh blood flowed out, sliding down his clothes and falling onto his chest, glaringly conspicuous.

Ning Chen's face flushed red for once. After thinking for a moment, he decided he should still have the shopkeeper take a look. He could not possibly be this pathetic; it had to be an internal injury from being blasted away earlier.

A moment later.

In the shopkeeper's room, Ning Chen nervously watched as the shopkeeper took his pulse, terrified that the man would say something like his internal organs had been damaged beyond cure.

"It is nothing serious. Take two doses of medicine and you will be fine," the shopkeeper said calmly as he withdrew his hand.

"Phew." Ning Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Still, recalling how he had gotten a nosebleed for no reason earlier, he anxiously asked, "Is it really nothing? I even had a nosebleed just now."

Hearing this, the shopkeeper calmly glanced at Ning Chen. "Young men have excessive liver fire. It is perfectly normal. If you care about it, I can prescribe another dose to reduce your liver fire."

"Cough, cough, no, no need." Feeling awkward, Ning Chen hurriedly coughed twice to cover it up and refused.

"Brother Ning, hadn't you already returned to the palace with the Empress Dowager? Why are you..." The shopkeeper paused slightly. He did not know whether he should say these things. After all, it concerned matters within the palace, and it was not his place to ask too much.

"Hehe."

Ning Chen smiled helplessly. He did not want to lie, but he could not reveal the truth either, so he could only laugh foolishly and gloss it over.

Seeing Ning Chen's difficulty, the shopkeeper did not press him. "Since Brother Ning is unwilling to say more, I cannot force you into doing what you find difficult. Stay here without worry for the next few days. It will not be too late to leave once that young lady's injuries have improved."

"Thank you, Shopkeeper." Ning Chen clasped his hands in gratitude.

Even so, he really had to consider where to go afterward. This could not be a long-term solution. Changsun was so clever—if she thought to search here, he would be dead for certain.

He did not dare guarantee that Changsun would spare him. Leaving the palace without permission was no joking matter, and he had even used Changsun's name to get out.

It could be said that if he were caught and brought back, whether he lived or died would depend entirely on Changsun's mood. Though Changsun was renowned as a virtuous empress, anyone who believed she was softhearted after she had stood firm in the intrigue-ridden Summer Palace for so long must have had their head kicked by a donkey.

Scratching his head, Ning Chen walked toward his own room. No money—that was the biggest problem now.

To leave the palace today, he had not dared bring anything valuable with him. Other than Changsun's jade pendant, of course, but he would not dare sell that even if beaten to death.

With a creak, Ning Chen pushed open the door. He walked to the bedside, dragged over a stool, and sat down. He stared blankly at Mu Chengxue on the bed. This ancestor would most likely leave once she woke up. Should he swallow his pride and beg her to take him with her?

"Uh."

At that thought, Ning Chen froze. He suddenly realized that aside from Mu Chengxue's name, he knew absolutely nothing about her. What was more, even whether that name was real remained unknown.

Ning Chen instantly felt foolish. For a woman neither related to him nor known to him, a woman of unknown origins, he had nearly thrown away his life. And whether that life could be preserved in the future was still anyone's guess.

"Possessed by ghosts and bewitched by devils."

Ning Chen sighed softly. Men really could not make promises too easily. They truly could get people killed.

Ning Chen spent half the night lost in wild thoughts. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep leaning against the bed. The shopkeeper had gone to work in the front hall early in the morning and did not come to disturb him.

Only when the dawn light had become somewhat glaring did Ning Chen wake groggily. As soon as he opened his eyes, he found a pair of bright eyes staring at him. Before he could react, he raised a hand in greeting. "Morning."

Before the word had fully left his mouth, Ning Chen shot to his feet. Cold sweat poured down his back as he unconsciously retreated two steps and forced out a dry laugh. "Y-you're awake."

Mu Chengxue's expression did not change. She nodded and said calmly, "Could you step out for a moment? I need to change."

"Of course..."

Ning Chen turned and left at once, unease churning in his heart. Though he had been saving her, what he had done was ultimately somewhat improper. This era was far too harsh on women; in a sense, his actions had already ruined her chastity.

Mu Chengxue's calmness made him faintly uneasy. Or perhaps he was simply overthinking things.

He had only been in this world for a few short days, yet he had experienced so much. Thinking carefully on it, it still felt dreamlike, far too unreal. That illusory sense of unreality had always made him feel as though this was nothing more than a grand dream.

He was afraid that when the Mirror Flower, Water Moon finally shattered, no one would remember that he had ever existed.

The door opened softly, and Mu Chengxue stepped out. Her face was somewhat pale, yet it could not conceal her moving, pristine beauty.

"Thank you."

Those words of thanks swept away everything that had happened yesterday. Mu Chengxue spoke calmly, yet Ning Chen felt a heavy weight settle in his heart.

In the silent atmosphere, neither of them knew what to say. Each harbored their own thoughts, standing quietly and unable to speak.

"I'm leaving," Mu Chengxue said softly after a long while.

"So soon?" Ning Chen's heart jolted. He raised his head to look at her lovely face and blurted out.

"I have been away for a long time. It is time to return." Mu Chengxue looked deeply at Ning Chen, but her tone was firm, without the slightest room for negotiation.

"Today?"

As the words fell, an inexplicable irritation surged through Ning Chen's heart, impossible to suppress, as though he were about to lose something very important.

"Yes."

Mu Chengxue nodded. Her expression and tone remained as calm as ever, betraying not the slightest ripple.

"Heh, then I wish you a safe journey. If fate allows, we'll meet again." Ning Chen smiled and spoke with feigned nonchalance.

Mu Chengxue sighed inwardly. She too wanted to say, "If fate allows, we'll meet again." Her lips parted, but in the end, she could not say the words. With a turn of her slender hand, a Golden Page appeared. She handed it to Ning Chen and instructed, "This is for you. Do not let anyone else know."

"What is it for?" Ning Chen took the page and looked curiously at the densely packed tiny words upon it.

"A Cultivation Technique," Mu Chengxue said softly.

"For strengthening the body?" Ning Chen recalled their conversation that night and smiled.

"Yes." A faint smile also appeared on Mu Chengxue's beautiful face as she nodded.

"Take good care of yourself, and do not do anything foolish again." With parting at hand, Ning Chen could not help worrying for her and repeatedly urged her.

"Yes." Mu Chengxue obediently nodded, and her expression softened as well.

"You're leaving anyway. How about a hug?" Not wanting the atmosphere to become too heavy, Ning Chen opened his arms and joked.

Mu Chengxue was slightly startled, but she did not avoid him. She let Ning Chen pull her into his embrace.

"You must be well."

Feeling the soft jade and warm fragrance in his arms, Ning Chen's arms unconsciously tightened again, as though he wanted to preserve that feeling in his heart forever...

Mu Chengxue still left. The last warmth in his arms vanished without a trace with the gentle breeze. Ning Chen's heart ached so badly that he could not make a sound.

The Golden Page in his hand still bore faint traces of blood. Ning Chen was not foolish; naturally, he knew where this Cultivation Technique had come from. For an offhand joke, Mu Chengxue had actually risked her life to sneak into the Xia Emperor's Imperial Study at night. Such foolishness truly made one's heart ache.

Even until the end, he still knew nothing about her. Just like their extraordinary encounter, their unwilling acquaintance, their unwilling trust.

"Urgh." The suppressed turmoil in his heart brought forth a streak of crimson. Ning Chen swayed on his feet, nearly unable to stand.

"Alas."

Not far away, the shopkeeper sighed softly but did not step forward, leaving the wounded-hearted man alone to lick his wounds...