Yun Chang POV
Amidst the sound of the rainfall, a dull thud rang out as Chen Gong flew out past the corridor and landed in the muddy ground, losing one of her shoes in the process. During this entire ordeal, she did not utter a single whimper or complaint.
“Our lord is not dead yet! Yet here you are thinking about such things! Do you know that you are trying to mislead others here?!” Wen Yuan howled in a cold voice. I do not know what she was doing in Lu Bu’s room but it seems like she’s lost her cool.
*Ta*…
Chen Gong slowly turned and finally landed her feet on the ground before she slowly got up, her rather pretty clothing by now caked in mud.
“I’m not trying to mislead anyone here. I just don’t want to wait here any longer…” Chen Gong’s voice was low and listless. I wonder how much damage did she sustain physically and mentally.
“Yes, yes.” Wen Yuan nodded and gave a ferocious smile, “I know. You want to be a high ranking official, don’t you? Now that there is no news with our lord, you’re getting impatient right?! You can’t wait to be someone eh?!”
“Lord Zhang Liao!” Chen Gong could no longer hold back and yelled out as she looked right at Wen Yuan. From where I stood, I could only see her back, and not her face, as she stood unevenly, “Lord Zhang Liao! I too wish that Xuan De is still alive! But if we just stop here and wait, as time passes, we will only face total dispersal in the end?! Our enemies have already begun gathering in the south. If they decide to attack Xinye, they will definitely try to recruit us to their cause before they do so. When the time comes, I’m not sure I can keep myself in check and not be lured by their proposals.”
“That is why I have chosen to take a stand now. If possible, I would like to act with the one I have acknowledged as worthy to forge our own destiny. That one was supposed to be Xuan De.” Chen Gong lowered her head as she said so, but she then raised her head immediately, “Instead of waiting for the worst possible ending, I’d rather choose to part ways on my own terms now!”
“Chen Gong.”
Eh?
Just then, a low voice came from behind Wen Yuan. Though I had already guessed who it was, I still got a surprise when I saw Lu Bu as I squinted and looked over.
“My lord!?”
“… Lord Lu Bu.”
When they saw Lu Bu walk out of the room, they both greeted her. Lu Bu, who was in thin inner clothing with a blanket draped around her, looked at Chen Gong, then at me and shifted her gaze back to Chen Gong.
“Chen Gong, I heard everything that you just said.” Lu Bu said as she stroked Red Hare who was still nested in her chest, “I’m very interested in what you said.”
Eh?
“Ah, Lord Lu Bu.”
“My lord…”
All 3 of us had very different reactions but the emotion we all felt was the same – Surprise. Chen Gong’s surprise however contained joy in it.
“Lord Lu Bu! Did you understand my intent?”
“I did.” Lu Bu said with her signature gleam in her eyes. But she then closed her eyes and continued slowly in a weak and soft voice that was not how she usually spoke.
— I am sure I would have been willing to listen to you if I had heard those words before I met Xuan De.
“Eh?”
“Yes, if it’s now, I’m afraid I won’t go out alone.” Lu Bu calmly nodded as she continued to caress Red Hare, “My path is here, and here alone.”
Compared to sometime ago, it seems like Red Hare has grown a fair bit, probably thanks to Lu Bu’s care.
“But Xuan De is–”
“I know. And I was a bit too anxious a few days ago and gave everyone a lot of trouble.” Lu Bu nodded as she pointed at her wound, “But I was able to calm down and think carefully about a lot of things after that and I found that this place is a lot more important than I ever thought.”
“So, I wish to continue praying for Xuan De’s return like everyone else. Be it 3 or 5 years, I will wait however long it takes. Until my will turns to dust.” Lu Bu said and then turned to look away. It felt like she had become a lot more stable and mature than before.
Her words were what I should have said. Even though I was very pessimistic a while ago, I now feel revitalised after hearing what she said.
“I see…” Chen Gong said softly with her back to me. She seemed melancholic and helpless but after a moment of thought, she took a deep breath and spat it back out.
“Hai… Even though it was a good opportunity too.” Chen Gong shrugged, seeming a lot more relaxed than before, “Alright, I got it. Until I have been lured by the promises of high officialdom, I will wait here as well.”
“I hope you can last as long as possible then!” Wen Yuan exclaimed with a smile, as though what happened before never took place.
“Hmph~ I’ll do my best.” Chen Gong did not say much else nor did she seem angry and merely shuffled back to her room toward the back in the rain.
“Haa~~~” Just then, the door to the room near the back opened with a creak and a black haired girl stepped out. She was half naked and yawned as she stretched her back while making her way out. If I never saw this myself, I would never have believed that such a beautiful girl would act like a middle-aged man.
Of course, amongst the people I know, the only one who could act so crudely is just Zhou Cang. Even the silly Guan Ping has enough sense to wear some inner clothing.
“Ah, hello Lord Guan Yu.” Zhou Cang seemed to have caught sight of me and began waving. At the same time, other parts of her body began to sway as well. Though I am also a woman, I still feel awkward with her acting like this and could only muster a weak wave back.
She is probably only a little older than me, but it’s clear that her figure is much better. If she was not such a crude fellow, she would have many suitors by now.
“You’re really enjoying life huh? Sleeping during a rainy day?” Chen Gong said sarcastically as she passed by Zhou Cang.
“What else would I do? Play in the mud like you?” Zhou Cang did not get angry from this and merely squinted at Chen Gong. Looks like she’s still tired.
When she finished, Zhou Cang scratched her head and looked about before facing Wen Yuan and Lu Bu, “Ah, has our lord returned?”
“… No.” Wen Yuan replied and bowed to Lu Bu before walking off.
“Huh… He’s still not back huh~” Zhou Cang yawned again as she said so, “Shouldn’t he be coming back soon? Or has he gone to buy souvenirs…”
Zhou Cang continued to mutter under her breath as she tucked her hands behind her head and returned to her room. Compared to the others, I am really curious about Zhou Cang’s mental state right now. It’s not like there’s a problem with her right now but I really do not know whether to laugh or cry when I see how she is.
*Sasasasa*…
The rain continued to pour down and Chen Gong’s footsteps grew distant until a door shut and it stopped. I looked over at Lu Bu and saw that she had not returned to her room. She had placed Red Hare on the railing of the corridor and was staring at it as she continually caressed it. She did not look over and merely lowered her head.
“Yun Chang, were you standing here the whole time?” As I looked at the rain, a voice from the side. I smiled because I knew that she had come to see me.
“Are you alright, Wen Yuan?”
“How could there be anything wrong with me?” Wen Yuan replied as she came over and patted my shoulders before leaning against the railing and looking at the rain.
Wen Yuan did something rather uncharacteristic of her before but I have no intention of asking her why she did it. She has her own considerations after all. Or perhaps she is just venting pent up emotions. Asking her now at this point might only agitate her.
“Wen Yuan, what are you looking at?” I felt awkward and decided to ask what came to mind first.
Yun Chang POV
Amidst the sound of the rainfall, a dull thud rang out as Chen Gong flew out past the corridor and landed in the muddy ground, losing one of her shoes in the process. During this entire ordeal, she did not utter a single whimper or complaint.
“Our lord is not dead yet! Yet here you are thinking about such things! Do you know that you are trying to mislead others here?!” Wen Yuan howled in a cold voice. I do not know what she was doing in Lu Bu’s room but it seems like she’s lost her cool.
*Ta*…
Chen Gong slowly turned and finally landed her feet on the ground before she slowly got up, her rather pretty clothing by now caked in mud.
“I’m not trying to mislead anyone here. I just don’t want to wait here any longer…” Chen Gong’s voice was low and listless. I wonder how much damage did she sustain physically and mentally.
“Yes, yes.” Wen Yuan nodded and gave a ferocious smile, “I know. You want to be a high ranking official, don’t you? Now that there is no news with our lord, you’re getting impatient right?! You can’t wait to be someone eh?!”
“Lord Zhang Liao!” Chen Gong could no longer hold back and yelled out as she looked right at Wen Yuan. From where I stood, I could only see her back, and not her face, as she stood unevenly, “Lord Zhang Liao! I too wish that Xuan De is still alive! But if we just stop here and wait, as time passes, we will only face total dispersal in the end?! Our enemies have already begun gathering in the south. If they decide to attack Xinye, they will definitely try to recruit us to their cause before they do so. When the time comes, I’m not sure I can keep myself in check and not be lured by their proposals.”
“That is why I have chosen to take a stand now. If possible, I would like to act with the one I have acknowledged as worthy to forge our own destiny. That one was supposed to be Xuan De.” Chen Gong lowered her head as she said so, but she then raised her head immediately, “Instead of waiting for the worst possible ending, I’d rather choose to part ways on my own terms now!”
“Chen Gong.”
Eh?
Just then, a low voice came from behind Wen Yuan. Though I had already guessed who it was, I still got a surprise when I saw Lu Bu as I squinted and looked over.
“My lord!?”
“… Lord Lu Bu.”
When they saw Lu Bu walk out of the room, they both greeted her. Lu Bu, who was in thin inner clothing with a blanket draped around her, looked at Chen Gong, then at me and shifted her gaze back to Chen Gong.
“Chen Gong, I heard everything that you just said.” Lu Bu said as she stroked Red Hare who was still nested in her chest, “I’m very interested in what you said.”
Eh?
“Ah, Lord Lu Bu.”
“My lord…”
All 3 of us had very different reactions but the emotion we all felt was the same – Surprise. Chen Gong’s surprise however contained joy in it.
“Lord Lu Bu! Did you understand my intent?”
“I did.” Lu Bu said with her signature gleam in her eyes. But she then closed her eyes and continued slowly in a weak and soft voice that was not how she usually spoke.
— I am sure I would have been willing to listen to you if I had heard those words before I met Xuan De.
“Eh?”
“Yes, if it’s now, I’m afraid I won’t go out alone.” Lu Bu calmly nodded as she continued to caress Red Hare, “My path is here, and here alone.”
Compared to sometime ago, it seems like Red Hare has grown a fair bit, probably thanks to Lu Bu’s care.
“But Xuan De is–”
“I know. And I was a bit too anxious a few days ago and gave everyone a lot of trouble.” Lu Bu nodded as she pointed at her wound, “But I was able to calm down and think carefully about a lot of things after that and I found that this place is a lot more important than I ever thought.”
“So, I wish to continue praying for Xuan De’s return like everyone else. Be it 3 or 5 years, I will wait however long it takes. Until my will turns to dust.” Lu Bu said and then turned to look away. It felt like she had become a lot more stable and mature than before.
Her words were what I should have said. Even though I was very pessimistic a while ago, I now feel revitalised after hearing what she said.
“I see…” Chen Gong said softly with her back to me. She seemed melancholic and helpless but after a moment of thought, she took a deep breath and spat it back out.
“Hai… Even though it was a good opportunity too.” Chen Gong shrugged, seeming a lot more relaxed than before, “Alright, I got it. Until I have been lured by the promises of high officialdom, I will wait here as well.”
“I hope you can last as long as possible then!” Wen Yuan exclaimed with a smile, as though what happened before never took place.
“Hmph~ I’ll do my best.” Chen Gong did not say much else nor did she seem angry and merely shuffled back to her room toward the back in the rain.
“Haa~~~” Just then, the door to the room near the back opened with a creak and a black haired girl stepped out. She was half naked and yawned as she stretched her back while making her way out. If I never saw this myself, I would never have believed that such a beautiful girl would act like a middle-aged man.
Of course, amongst the people I know, the only one who could act so crudely is just Zhou Cang. Even the silly Guan Ping has enough sense to wear some inner clothing.
“Ah, hello Lord Guan Yu.” Zhou Cang seemed to have caught sight of me and began waving. At the same time, other parts of her body began to sway as well. Though I am also a woman, I still feel awkward with her acting like this and could only muster a weak wave back.
She is probably only a little older than me, but it’s clear that her figure is much better. If she was not such a crude fellow, she would have many suitors by now.
“You’re really enjoying life huh? Sleeping during a rainy day?” Chen Gong said sarcastically as she passed by Zhou Cang.
“What else would I do? Play in the mud like you?” Zhou Cang did not get angry from this and merely squinted at Chen Gong. Looks like she’s still tired.
When she finished, Zhou Cang scratched her head and looked about before facing Wen Yuan and Lu Bu, “Ah, has our lord returned?”
“… No.” Wen Yuan replied and bowed to Lu Bu before walking off.
“Huh… He’s still not back huh~” Zhou Cang yawned again as she said so, “Shouldn’t he be coming back soon? Or has he gone to buy souvenirs…”
Zhou Cang continued to mutter under her breath as she tucked her hands behind her head and returned to her room. Compared to the others, I am really curious about Zhou Cang’s mental state right now. It’s not like there’s a problem with her right now but I really do not know whether to laugh or cry when I see how she is.
*Sasasasa*…
The rain continued to pour down and Chen Gong’s footsteps grew distant until a door shut and it stopped. I looked over at Lu Bu and saw that she had not returned to her room. She had placed Red Hare on the railing of the corridor and was staring at it as she continually caressed it. She did not look over and merely lowered her head.
“Yun Chang, were you standing here the whole time?” As I looked at the rain, a voice from the side. I smiled because I knew that she had come to see me.
“Are you alright, Wen Yuan?”
“How could there be anything wrong with me?” Wen Yuan replied as she came over and patted my shoulders before leaning against the railing and looking at the rain.
Wen Yuan did something rather uncharacteristic of her before but I have no intention of asking her why she did it. She has her own considerations after all. Or perhaps she is just venting pent up emotions. Asking her now at this point might only agitate her.
“Wen Yuan, what are you looking at?” I felt awkward and decided to ask what came to mind first.
