Liu Bei POV
At this time, everyone looked about at each other, unsure what they ought to do and stood apart from Yuan Zhi to give her some space as she opened the letter and read closely.
…
She did not say anything and merely continued to stare at the letter. Based on the number of lines, she should have finished reading long ago but she continued to stare at it in silence. After about half a minute, I began to feel like something was not right and the cheer from before was completely gone and began to feel a fearful awkwardness.
“Yuan Zhi? Is there anything wrong?”
“… Un.” Yuan Zhi took some time to reply but she nodded in the end, “It was a letter from my aged mother.”
“How is she? Is she doing well?” I asked, feeling concern when I remembered what Yuan Zhi told me before in the market.
“Un…” Yuan Zhi grunted and looked down, not at me or anyone else with empty eyes.
“Yuan Zhi?”
“No, it’s nothing.” Yuan Zhi said and turned away.
That’s not a face you have when nothing has happened… Could it be that her mother has died?
“If there’s nothing wrong, then finish your sugar water first.” Zi Long said as she picked up Yuan Zhi’s cup and passed it to her, “We can discuss the contents of the letter later.”
Yuan Zhi looked up slightly at the cup and lifelessly took it as she brought it to her mouth and stopped. Her fringe fell into the liquor but she did not react at all to this. I could not see her face but she seemed like she had lost her soul. I wanted to ask her what had happened but this would be the third time now.
“…”
*Ding* *Dang*!
“Uwaa!”
Just then, Yuan Zhi’s hands loosened and fell lifelessly by her side and the cup fell to the ground, giving us all a shock.
“Lord Xu Shu, this is…”
*Wang* *Wang* *Wang*!
All of us did not know what was going on and the atmosphere sank to the bottom. I looked at Yuan Zhi and saw that her head was still lowered. I could not see her face but I did see Yuan Zhi acting like this before in the aftermath of the second battle. Because of the deep impression that battle gave me, I was beginning to have an ominous premonition.
“Sorry.” Yuan Zhi said quietly and ran out of the room but because the room was silent, everyone heard what she said. This scene was almost exactly the same as that in the aftermath of the second battle but it felt like it was much worse this time.
“Lord Xu Shu, this is…”
“Ah, it’s nothing, it’s nothing.” I replied Feng Xian very unnaturally as I smiled stiffly and slowly stepped out of the room, “I’ll go and see her. She might be… Feeling unwell.”
When I finished, I ignored the mutterings and worries of everyone else and immediately sprinted out after Yuan Zhi. This ominous premonition is the worst I have felt in a long while.
“Yuan Zhi, Yuan Zhi~ Where are you?” I called out as I entered the first courtyard but could not find any sign of her. Afraid that I would wake the little girl up, I continued into the second courtyard, “Yuan Zhi~”
…
There was still no reply and no sign of Yuan Zhi either. Yet I could not just give up and go back like this after all. Could she have left the mansion already? But… Why? Why did a letter from her mother make Yuan Zhi like this?
Hai…
Un? Was that sigh mine? No, that is not… I do sigh a lot but I am sure that was not mine.
“Yuan Zhi? Yuan Zhi, are you there?” I asked as I looked about but still could not find her. Let me think, if it is Yuan Zhi, she would definitely not be in an ordinary place.
Could it be… I looked up and indeed, there Yuan Zhi was, high up on top of the building.
Hai… She sighed again.
“Yuan Zhi, why did you run there?” I asked but she remained silent as she stared at the moon. Under the moonlight, I could see her face clearly and saw that though she was calm, there was a clear sign of sorrow.
The atmosphere was beyond awkward and low so I had to try to find a topic and decided to just go with the flow, “But really, we always meet like this huh? Remember the last banquet we had?”
“Yes~” I thought I would not get a reply but she did, “I’m afraid though that this will be the last time that we will be meeting like this.”
Eh? What do you mean by that? Why do you seem so serious?
“Yuan Zhi, what happened? You always say things which are incomprehensible.” I asked once more and thought of going up but I was not able to and merely sat down on the stone steps.
“I–”
“Don’t tell me you’re fine.” I interrupted her even though I was not sure that was what she was going to say, “You don’t look fine at all.”
“Un… To be honest, something big has happened. I did indeed act up just now but it was because I really had no idea how I ought to tell everyone about this.”
“So what happened? Is your mother feeling unwell?”
“No, my mother is fine. No need to worry about that.” Yuan Zhi denied this and paused before she continued, “What happened is that my mother has been transferred from the border to Xuchang.”
“To Xuchang huh… Isn’t that a good–”
Ah. I responded reflexively and only realised halfway through that what I was about to say was not right at all. Why was Yuan Zhi’s mother being brought to Xuchang? And who did that? The answer was obvious even to someone like me.
“Yes.” Yuan Zhi guessed that I had arrived at the answer and continued, “Cao Cao transferred my mother in. Of course, this isn’t because of altruism.”
“Then it’s to–”
“Bring me over.”
“Bring you over.”
The both of us said the same thing at the same time.
“And this letter was not written by someone else but by my mother.” Yuan Zhi said calmly, “Xuan De, did you know? My mother wishes for me to go to Xuchang and work for Cao Cao.”
“…”
“My mother has a very strong personality and will yet she is saying such things.” Yuan Zhi said in frustration and helplessness. It’s not strange for a mother to hope that their child can live peacefully and happily.
“I don’t blame mother. She has never lived comfortably and thanks to me, has been suffering for a long time now. She probably doesn’t want me to go around and cause trouble anymore.”
“… What does Yuan Zhi think then?”
From my, no our, perspective, we definitely do not want Yuan Zhi to leave. Though she did have some help from history, it was clear that we only had a preview of what Yuan Zhi was really capable of.
This is not the first time I am parting ways with a companion. Unlike before, there was always the small but steady hope that we would eventually reunite. This time, it does not feel like we will ever reunite if Yuan Zhi leaves.
Liu Bei POV
At this time, everyone looked about at each other, unsure what they ought to do and stood apart from Yuan Zhi to give her some space as she opened the letter and read closely.
…
She did not say anything and merely continued to stare at the letter. Based on the number of lines, she should have finished reading long ago but she continued to stare at it in silence. After about half a minute, I began to feel like something was not right and the cheer from before was completely gone and began to feel a fearful awkwardness.
“Yuan Zhi? Is there anything wrong?”
“… Un.” Yuan Zhi took some time to reply but she nodded in the end, “It was a letter from my aged mother.”
“How is she? Is she doing well?” I asked, feeling concern when I remembered what Yuan Zhi told me before in the market.
“Un…” Yuan Zhi grunted and looked down, not at me or anyone else with empty eyes.
“Yuan Zhi?”
“No, it’s nothing.” Yuan Zhi said and turned away.
That’s not a face you have when nothing has happened… Could it be that her mother has died?
“If there’s nothing wrong, then finish your sugar water first.” Zi Long said as she picked up Yuan Zhi’s cup and passed it to her, “We can discuss the contents of the letter later.”
Yuan Zhi looked up slightly at the cup and lifelessly took it as she brought it to her mouth and stopped. Her fringe fell into the liquor but she did not react at all to this. I could not see her face but she seemed like she had lost her soul. I wanted to ask her what had happened but this would be the third time now.
“…”
*Ding* *Dang*!
“Uwaa!”
Just then, Yuan Zhi’s hands loosened and fell lifelessly by her side and the cup fell to the ground, giving us all a shock.
“Lord Xu Shu, this is…”
*Wang* *Wang* *Wang*!
All of us did not know what was going on and the atmosphere sank to the bottom. I looked at Yuan Zhi and saw that her head was still lowered. I could not see her face but I did see Yuan Zhi acting like this before in the aftermath of the second battle. Because of the deep impression that battle gave me, I was beginning to have an ominous premonition.
“Sorry.” Yuan Zhi said quietly and ran out of the room but because the room was silent, everyone heard what she said. This scene was almost exactly the same as that in the aftermath of the second battle but it felt like it was much worse this time.
“Lord Xu Shu, this is…”
“Ah, it’s nothing, it’s nothing.” I replied Feng Xian very unnaturally as I smiled stiffly and slowly stepped out of the room, “I’ll go and see her. She might be… Feeling unwell.”
When I finished, I ignored the mutterings and worries of everyone else and immediately sprinted out after Yuan Zhi. This ominous premonition is the worst I have felt in a long while.
“Yuan Zhi, Yuan Zhi~ Where are you?” I called out as I entered the first courtyard but could not find any sign of her. Afraid that I would wake the little girl up, I continued into the second courtyard, “Yuan Zhi~”
…
There was still no reply and no sign of Yuan Zhi either. Yet I could not just give up and go back like this after all. Could she have left the mansion already? But… Why? Why did a letter from her mother make Yuan Zhi like this?
Hai…
Un? Was that sigh mine? No, that is not… I do sigh a lot but I am sure that was not mine.
“Yuan Zhi? Yuan Zhi, are you there?” I asked as I looked about but still could not find her. Let me think, if it is Yuan Zhi, she would definitely not be in an ordinary place.
Could it be… I looked up and indeed, there Yuan Zhi was, high up on top of the building.
Hai… She sighed again.
“Yuan Zhi, why did you run there?” I asked but she remained silent as she stared at the moon. Under the moonlight, I could see her face clearly and saw that though she was calm, there was a clear sign of sorrow.
The atmosphere was beyond awkward and low so I had to try to find a topic and decided to just go with the flow, “But really, we always meet like this huh? Remember the last banquet we had?”
“Yes~” I thought I would not get a reply but she did, “I’m afraid though that this will be the last time that we will be meeting like this.”
Eh? What do you mean by that? Why do you seem so serious?
“Yuan Zhi, what happened? You always say things which are incomprehensible.” I asked once more and thought of going up but I was not able to and merely sat down on the stone steps.
“I–”
“Don’t tell me you’re fine.” I interrupted her even though I was not sure that was what she was going to say, “You don’t look fine at all.”
“Un… To be honest, something big has happened. I did indeed act up just now but it was because I really had no idea how I ought to tell everyone about this.”
“So what happened? Is your mother feeling unwell?”
“No, my mother is fine. No need to worry about that.” Yuan Zhi denied this and paused before she continued, “What happened is that my mother has been transferred from the border to Xuchang.”
“To Xuchang huh… Isn’t that a good–”
Ah. I responded reflexively and only realised halfway through that what I was about to say was not right at all. Why was Yuan Zhi’s mother being brought to Xuchang? And who did that? The answer was obvious even to someone like me.
“Yes.” Yuan Zhi guessed that I had arrived at the answer and continued, “Cao Cao transferred my mother in. Of course, this isn’t because of altruism.”
“Then it’s to–”
“Bring me over.”
“Bring you over.”
The both of us said the same thing at the same time.
“And this letter was not written by someone else but by my mother.” Yuan Zhi said calmly, “Xuan De, did you know? My mother wishes for me to go to Xuchang and work for Cao Cao.”
“…”
“My mother has a very strong personality and will yet she is saying such things.” Yuan Zhi said in frustration and helplessness. It’s not strange for a mother to hope that their child can live peacefully and happily.
“I don’t blame mother. She has never lived comfortably and thanks to me, has been suffering for a long time now. She probably doesn’t want me to go around and cause trouble anymore.”
“… What does Yuan Zhi think then?”
From my, no our, perspective, we definitely do not want Yuan Zhi to leave. Though she did have some help from history, it was clear that we only had a preview of what Yuan Zhi was really capable of.
This is not the first time I am parting ways with a companion. Unlike before, there was always the small but steady hope that we would eventually reunite. This time, it does not feel like we will ever reunite if Yuan Zhi leaves.
