Airs of Chen: Moonrise
Liu Chang'an stood on the balcony, looking at the waterside pavilions and terraces, their lights twinkling, the strange rocks and pavilions hidden in the darkness, and a quiet and elegant fragrance gradually filling the air.
Before the beauty even arrived, the fragrance had already begun to waft through the air.
Qin Yanan was changing clothes in the bedroom. Her shadow fell on the curtains, as light and delicate as a paper-cut figure in a shadow play. She was carefully tying her long hair into a bun.
Her hand rested on her collar, and she began to unbutton her shirt one button at a time. Liu Chang'an turned his head away, no longer looking at her shadow, and continued to gaze into the boundless darkness.
To live like an ordinary person, one cannot forget emotions. Ordinary people are mundane beings full of life's joys and sorrows, experiencing life and death, joy and sorrow. What is most heart-wrenching is longing.
Liu Chang'an always felt that he had a mortal heart and had never truly transcended the mundane. He was quite satisfied with this state of mind, as it was exactly what he had been pursuing.
This mortal heart is much harder than that of ordinary people; it cannot be steamed, boiled, crushed, or fried. Like a copper pea, upon close inspection, it is incredibly smooth, without the slightest flaw.
However, most smooth, mirror-like surfaces in this world are the result of countless rounds of polishing and cutting.
Ye Sijin, he misses her.
He thought of her as a child, skipping and hopping behind him, occasionally running a few steps to tug at his little finger.
When he turned to look at her, she tilted her head back, a happy smile on her round face.
He thought of her stubbornness in waiting for him, even though she had promised to come home at night, she would sit at the door waiting from dusk till dawn.
He imagined her in his arms, holding her hand, teaching her to write her name, the three crooked characters "Ye Sijin".
He imagined her growing up, wearing the little jacket and skirt of a girls' school, her long hair flowing, looking like a young girl, with a slightly shy gentleness in her eyes that always blossomed the moment she saw him.
"Elder brother."
The curtains and door were drawn back, and a soft call rang out.
"Jin'er has come to see you."
Liu Chang'an turned around and saw Ye Sijin, who had traveled through time and amazed the night. The girl who was once bright and cheerful but with a touch of sadness and melancholy stood under the lamplight, gazing at him with shy tenderness.
Her eyes were like a bright moon, shining through the ages, reflecting him a hundred years ago, and also holding him a hundred years later.
She wore a light green silk blouse with a silver sheen, the sleeves and hem embroidered with intricate lace, silver floral patterns scattered across her chest, blooming profusely with the rise and fall of her bust. Her fair arms emerged from the loose sleeves, her hands clasped together in front of her lower abdomen, her delicate, white fingers twisting slightly with a hint of tension or unease.
The skirt was slightly shorter than what people usually see in Republican-era TV dramas, just touching the knees. The fact that you can still find posters from clothing companies during the Republican era shows that the fashion at that time was not very conservative.
She was wearing short socks made of a soft material, perfect for a delicate woman's skin, exuding a warmth that made you want to hold them in your hands and feel their temperature.
She walked barefoot on the floor, silently, as if time itself had slipped away from her, leaving no trace of her quiet beauty.
"Brother, Jin'er is back by your side."
Her voice carried a natural coquettishness, the kind of sweet coquettishness that only a woman would reveal in a private setting, in front of her closest, most beloved, and most reassuring person.
Liu Chang'an walked in, slowly drew the curtain closed, and pulled her tightly into his arms.
She let out a soft breath, leaning against him, her chin slightly raised, her lips parted as she caught her breath, her eyes glazed over, and she turned her head to rest her cheek against his.
His embrace caused her to lean forward, her toes involuntarily rising to her feet, her waist pressing against his lower abdomen. The feeling of being embraced so forcefully made her feel the blood rushing through her heart and brain, impacting every part of her body, making her feel somewhat dizzy.
"Jin'er... Brother, I'm sorry."
Liu Chang'an rarely felt that he had wronged anyone. Sometimes he didn't care, sometimes he forgot, but sometimes he couldn't help but care and couldn't forget.
She was originally Ye Sijin; she didn't need to try so hard to pretend to be Ye Sijin in order to make him feel her presence.
"Brother, it's alright, Jin'er is fine."
Her voice, carried by the whispers of the wind, rang in his ears. Liu Chang'an released his embrace, grasped her rounded shoulders, and carefully looked at her face, which was lightly made up. There was no longer any restraint or pretense, no deliberate indifference or nonchalance. The shyness and admiration in her eyes finally became the image of Ye Sijin that he had once held in his heart.
Normally, Qin Yanan is always a bit reserved and proud. Sometimes she seems to want to cling to him, sometimes she gently pushes him away a little, and sometimes she will secretly test the waters by revealing her little thoughts to observe his reaction.
When she regained her identity as Ye Sijin, she became what she is now, no longer the person he seemed to have rekindled his relationship with, but his clingy and adorable younger sister.
"It's good that you're doing well. I'll take you with me wherever I go from now on." Liu Chang'an took her hand and sat down, carefully looking her over.
Qin Yanan's eyes trembled slightly. His gaze made her heart race and her breathing quicken. If only he would look at her like that normally, if only he would look at Qin Yanan like that... No, she was Ye Sijin, and she remembered many, many things. It just took some time for her memories and emotional details to fully recover.
He held his own hand in his own. Qin Yanan turned her hand over and intertwined her fingers with his. There was no moonlight outside the window, but looking into his eyes, which shone like the moon, Qin Yanan thought of the poem "Chen Feng: The Moon Rises".
This is the world's oldest poem about the moon and a beautiful woman. Countless scholars and writers began to associate the moon with longing, and it was from this poem that the connection began.
The moon rises bright, and the beautiful one is there.
How graceful and alluring she is, yet how troubled and anxious I am!
The moon rises bright and clear, and the beautiful one is captivating.
I feel relieved and distressed, yet my heart is filled with torment!
The moon rises and shines, a beautiful woman is radiant.
How joyous and carefree I am, yet my heart is filled with toil and sorrow!
Just looking up at the moon awakens her longing, just as the sight of his eyes on her awakens Ye Sijin.
"Brother, we will never be apart." Qin Yanan leaned on Liu Chang'an's shoulder and said softly. Now it was no longer the time of national subjugation and extinction a hundred years ago. Although this crisis had never been truly resolved and there might be a time in the future when she would need to step forward, he said that he would take her with him wherever he went.
She would always be by his side; now she was holding his hand, carrying his child in her womb—how could they possibly be apart?
She didn't think about anything else, just about not being apart. She wasn't one of those jealous little girls. More than a hundred years had passed, and the things that many little girls cared about were just trivial matters. Companionship was the most important thing.
Didn't Su Mei go all the way to Antarctica? Maybe she'll marry a penguin.
In the end, isn't he himself the victor? He's still by his side.
There are side stories here, which will likely be updated within a week. There is a high probability that Bai Hui 6 and Professor Liu will be updated within the same week.