A Female Monkey's Turf
A waning moon hangs on one side of Mount Lu, as if one could reach out and embrace it.
From the River West to the River East, the city beneath our feet is divided by the long river, and the scattered lights mark the prosperity that the city's night scene cannot conceal.
Liu Chang'an and Qin Yanan stood on the edge of the top of the Baolong Center, with a helicopter platform, sky garden, and swimming pool behind them.
Reality is even more incredible than the dreams of a hundred years ago.
Qin Yanan's tears were wiped away on his shoulder by his pajamas. Liu Chang'an released her shoulder. Although he said she was Ye Sijin tonight, who she really was was ultimately up to her to decide.
Liu Chang'an wouldn't force her to accept that he was actually Ye Sijin, because Qin Yanan had no memory of Ye Sijin, no memory of those Jiangnan girls growing up nestled in their brother's arms in the Ye Family.
She didn't know that those scenes had the touching charm of old photographs; she didn't know the pattering rain in the Ye Family and the laughter of the girl with lotus leaves on her head; she didn't know that the serious-looking boy in a long robe holding a ruler; she also didn't know who held whose hand from Jiangnan to the old capital in those years, from the rainy alley girl of Jinling College to the resolute rose on the battlefield.
"No matter who you think you are, if you call me 'brother,' I'll respond and be happy." Liu Chang'an looked into the distance and slowly blinked. "By now, you should understand that Qin Peng sent you to my side because he knew I would take good care of you... I feel guilty."
Qin Yanan released his back. She knew this man was not the kind who would cry and faint in her arms, weak and needing comfort. But the empathetic sorrow she felt finally made her understand why seeing his back that time had reminded her of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony. True loneliness is hard to express; it is the composure and calmness that comes after rebuilding one's heart by accumulating too many emotions, like a calm sea concealing undercurrents of storms... Once you can truly feel it, even her detached perspective will be torn open.
"Before the complete victory of the war, I went to Japan. I shouldn't have gone. If only I had stayed... There are no ifs..." Liu Chang'an, with his back to Qin Yanan, extended his palm. "A stroke of luck amidst misfortune, perhaps."
Perhaps it was just a habit of his? Qin Yanan showed no affectation or shyness, naturally placing her hand in his palm and feeling him grasp it.
There was no flirtation between the sexes, only a gentle, natural warmth, as if this was how it should be, as if things had been returned to their original place.
Qin Yanan felt that Ye Sijin still had an influence on her, but she no longer resisted it.
That's fine, it's nothing.
Qin Yanan was also curious about many things, but she felt that now was not the time to press him. She figured he would answer her questions properly in the future.
He insisted on the distinction between history and memory, probably because of Ye Sijin. He didn't want Ye Sijin to be just a name in history. He refused to let Ye Sijin truly become history. He felt that as long as his memories remained, Ye Sijin would be like someone he hadn't seen for a period of time, rather than someone whose living person had been stripped of their traces and depicted only as ink.
But you can't just revisit his memories; once you do, they'll only bring back painful scars.
"I said, you can call me whatever you want... but if you'd like to call me 'brother' in the future, I can accept that... As for the others, we'll treat each other differently."
"Okay." Qin Yanan was a little shy at this point, and didn't immediately shout out excitedly or encouragingly.
Liu Chang'an nodded slightly.
The darkness had not yet completely faded, and a faint glimmer of dawn was already appearing in the east.
As dawn approaches, a few rays of light will drift across the sycamore trees in front of Liu Chang'an's house, then climb to the top of Mount Lu, and fall into the empty bedroom and guest room.
This was certainly not the time to go back for a nap. Liu Chang'an didn't realize how long he and Qin Yanan had been standing there.
Qin Yanan remembered that at dawn, servants would come to the rooftop to tidy the garden and maintain the swimming pool, and she would see herself and Liu Chang'an then.
"Last night... last night... that Zhu Juntang knew about my plan," Qin Yanan said somewhat vaguely.
Liu Chang'an released Qin Yanan's hand, turned his gaze away from the portrait of the great man on Juzhou, and gently shook his head. "Zhu Juntang is too annoying."
Qin Yanan had no choice but to nod.
"I like people who either have a mindset and breadth of vision that surpasses ordinary people, or they are simply very interesting... I would befriend such people." Liu Chang'an pointed downstairs, "Zhu Juntang is a female monkey."
Despite the lingering sadness and melancholy in her heart, Qin Yanan couldn't help but laugh out loud upon hearing Liu Chang'an's comments about Zhu Juntang.
Liu Chang'an didn't say much. As for how Qin Yanan would deal with Zhu Juntang, she should be able to handle it herself.
"Let's go." Liu Chang'an opened his arms.
Qin Yanan consciously moved closer to him and nestled in his arms, then noticed Liu Chang'an looking at her with some surprise.
"What?" Qin Yanan took a deep breath, slightly nervous. "I was quite scared last night, but I got used to it later... It was a bit like bungee jumping, but much more intense."
"Are you asking me to jump off the roof this early in the morning, all the way back to the top of Mount Lu, to give the early risers of Junsha a surprise?" Liu Chang'an spread his arms wide and then raised them again. "I'm just stretching my muscles, not trying to hug you."
"Oh, right." Qin Yanan, her face expressionless, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Liu Chang'an stretched his limbs and muscles, then pointed downstairs, "Will Zhu Juntang find out?"
"Definitely, she's been installing cameras all over this building lately..." Qin Yanan looked around, recalling the distribution of surveillance footage when Zhu Juntang reviewed it last time. "There are no cameras from our uphill angle, but we'll be spotted when we reach the helipad..." "But it doesn't really matter. Unless she's assassinated or kidnapped, no one else will see the footage."
Let's go.
Qin Yanan led Liu Chang'an down the elevator from the rooftop, only to find that the elevator was locked at this time. Qin Yanan tried the password, but it was different from the password for the elevator going upstairs.
"I'll call Zhu Juntang," Qin Yanan said helplessly to Liu Chang'an.
Liu Chang'an nodded indifferently. It didn't matter that Zhu Juntang had discovered him and Qin Yanan on the rooftop. He could just ignore Zhu Juntang explain how the two of them were there. It wasn't his business... Did fairy monkeys even exist in biological history? Liu Chang'an thought about it carefully.
Thank you, my parents, for your greatness that gave me life, thank you, my parents, for your wisdom that shaped my soul, and most of all, thank you, my parents, for making me a second-generation rich kid... A different kind of second-generation rich kid, but I really am. The latest masterpiece from veteran urban fiction author Bright Mid-Autumn Moon, <I Really Am a Second-Generation Rich Kid>, is now available! PS: A pair of wealthy, dramatic parents, raising their son in various ways of "poor but rich" – witness the extraordinary life of this privileged young master.