Mei Gongqing

Chapter 189

Chapter 189: The Tale of Two Lifetimes

As he watched the carriage rush off, one of the staff members leaned towards a nearby guard and whispered to him: “His lordship shows no tolerance for a mere slight against this nun . ”

The guard spared him a glance and whispered back, “Go see the world, then everything won’t seem so shocking anymore . ”

His reply drew a sheepish smile from the staff member . Yet after some time, he still couldn’t help from muttering: “His lordship has shown ill restraint when it comes to women . No wonder his clan is angry . ”

His words were lost in the wind, receiving no other reply .

The carriage slowly drove through the busy streets of Jiankang, making its way to Wang Hong’s home .

Before long, a lush courtyard appeared before Chen Rong’s eyes . Wang Hong dismounted as soon as the vehicle came to a stop, and then offered his hand to Chen Rong: “Come down . ”

He stood with a smile, holding her hand as his white robe fluttered in the wind . The servants bowed and accorded them ceremony along the way, quietly lifting their heads from time to time, nevertheless, to steal a glance at Chen Rong .

Chen Rong was also glancing around the exquisite courtyard .

“Who will be my clan’s next chief?” Wang Hong suddenly asked .

“Sir Wang Yan . ”

These words had no sooner left her lips than Chen Rong froze in place, cold sweat seeping from her waistcoat . Wang Hong stopped and slowly turned to look at her .

They stood on a shaded path, one bowing her head while the other beheld her . From the side, they had looked to be sharing an intimate moment . Upon this sight, the servants hurriedly retreated and left the two of them alone .

Wang Hong fixedly stared at her .

“Wang Yan?” his throat moved at length .

“Aye . ”

“Wang Yan?” He raised his head to look at the idle sky . With his hands clasped behind his back, he softly told her, “He’s five years older than me . An honest and prudent man . Not very talented, but I suppose he is kind and has sound judgment of character . ”

He stood against the wind, his dark hair fluttering, looking rather lonely in his unearthly way .

He stood like this for a long time, making no movement other than a slight frown between his brows .

Catching sight of the setting sun, Chen Rong opened her mouth to speak .

At the same time, Wang Hong’s voice sounded: “And me? Where will I be?”

Chen Rong paused, then answered him, “You were lost to us when Murong Ke besieged Mo’yang . ”

Wang Hong turned around to look at her .

“You don’t have to think twice about this answer?” his throat undulated in a croak . He knew how much she loved him . It was hard to believe that she would make up his early death just to win his trust .

Chen Rong pressed her lips together . Why should she have to think twice about something that had truly happened?

Looking at her, Wang Hong’s voice became even hoarser, and he chuckled: “Is everything really a butterfly dream?”

“Aye . ”

“And who did you marry?”

Startled by his question, Chen Rong shook her head and quietly replied, “I was a nun then, too . ”

“Also a nun?” Wang Hong chuckled . “But why?”

“My clan wanted to send me to the Prince of Nan’yang . I refused and retreated to a monastery in the mountains . ”

“Is that so?”

“Aye . ” Chen Rong’s answer was brisk and light . She raised her head to look at Wang Hong as she spoke, her eyes completely candid .

She knew there were things that could be said, and things she must never say . Wang Hong was a proud man; he would not like to hear that there had been other men in her life… Even if it was in the past, even if it was in another lifetime, or even if it was a mere thought .

“How old were you when you passed away?”

“Twenty nine . ”

Wang Hong lapsed into silence .

He tilted his head to look at the lake on his left, the wind blowing his hair in an endless entanglement .

At length, he quietly remarked, “Ah Rong, your words and actions are so incongruous that perhaps only Zhuangzi’s dream can explain them after all . ”

He looked at her again after standing there for a long while . At this time, clarity and placidity had returned to his eyes .

A smile slowly formed on his lips . “Did you rush to Mo’yang that time because you knew the city would fall and you wanted to save me and Sun Yan?”

Chen Rong nodded .

He reached for her hands, smiling: “Then that’s to say, it was you who afforded me my life?”

Chen Rong did not give him an answer . His smile brightened . “Then that’s to say you know everything that’s happening in Jiankang and the world at large, which means I can also know them in advance?” He laughed . “This alone is enough to dominate the world and be Emperor Gaozu of Han . ”

That was indeed true . Chen Rong’s ability could violate divinity during warring times as these . If it fell into the wrong hands, it could completely turn the world upside down . Take the most powerful shamans in history, for example . They had been placed on altars by ambitious rulers and honored for life just because they had accurately prophesied an event or two .

Chen Rong should have been alarmed to hear such dangerous remarks, but she only stood there quietly, at peace and with full trust in him .

Wang Hong lazily said to her, “It seems the old chief was right . Although I’m a man of great talents, I only have the ambition of the fairer sex . Unless I am forced to, or until I experience suffering, I would only be an idler my whole life . ” He rubbed his chin and chuckled . “The old chief had liked me right away, the very first time we met . It would take ten or twenty years in other clans to confirm an heir; I was just ten when they put me on that pyre . Haha, if the chief knew what’s happening he would surely turn in his grave . ”

He held Chen Rong’s hand and walked on .

“Do you believe me?” she asked as she followed him .

Her question was redundant, but she had to ask .

Wang Hong nodded . “I guess I do . ”

You guess you do? What kind of an answer is this? Chen Rong didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry .

“I would’ve been a short-lived person after all, had I not met Ah Rong . ” He tightened his hold on her hand .

Chen Rong tilted her head to look at him .

She may have been hallucinating it, but his entire body seemed to relax after she recounted her stories to him . His temperament had always been as airy as a celestial being . Now it was even more weightless, as if he wasn’t of this world .

At the steps, Wang Hong appointed two girls to serve Chen Rong . She took a good wash with their help, then fell asleep to the delicate incense .

At the time she awoke, light was still shining through the screened window, and there were voices in the wind — a peaceful and beautiful feeling .

Chen Rong lifted the quilt . Just as she was slipping on her wooden clogs, a maid called in from the door: “Your Excellency, there is someone waiting outside to see you . Will you receive him?”

“Was it your master who let them in?”

“Aye . ”

“Then of course I want to see them . Come in to help me get dressed . ”

“Aye . ”

Chen Rong again wore her hair up like a married woman, then walked to the guest hall .

As soon as she arrived outside, she heard a young and familiar voice: “Why isn’t she here yet? Go and wake her up . ”

“Sun Yan?” Chen Rong happily called upon hearing his voice .

The door opened with a squeak, and Sun Yan, who was still beautiful but had grown much taller, dashed out to meet her . As soon as he saw her, he gave her a good look until the smile on his face receded . “Why are you wearing your hair up like a married woman?” he said in dissatisfaction . “Has that brat Wang Hong snatched you for himself? Don’t tell me you’re dead set on being with him?”

He blurted his questions one after another without any pretense of politeness, but Chen Rong was happy to hear him speak .

As soon as he finished, she unceremoniously glared at him and replied, “It’s just a hairstyle, why do you care so much?”

“Just a hairstyle?”

“Of course . ”

Sun Yan let out a sigh and strode to Chen Rong .

Holding her shoulders, he looked at her from head to toe again, and hoarsely asked, “Are y-you well?” He continued with difficulty: “I heard you fell into the Hu’s hands, are you alright now?”

Chen Rong knew what he was worried about, so she rolled her eyes again and said to him, “Of course I’m alright . ”

Sun Yan lit up at this, repeatedly saying: “That’s good, that’s good, I’m glad . ”

While he was overcome with joy, he glanced at several figures who were looking at them from the distance . He seemingly thought of something, took a step forward, and pulled Chen Rong into a hug .

His embrace was so tight that Chen Rong struggled to free herself from the discomfort . Confused, she asked, “Why are you being so emotional?” She thought they had already gotten the sentimental part out of the way . Didn’t he already ask what he wanted to ask? Why was he hugging her now?

Sun Yan tightened his hug and trapped a struggling Chen Rong in his arms . He leaned into her ear and whispered, “Wang Hong’s servants were giving me a warning just now . ”

Chen Rong calmed down and curiously listened at the mention of Wang Hong .

Sun Yan scoffed . “He said you’re his . That bastard, I’m smart enough to know he was reminding me to keep a certain distance from you . Screw him, as if I’m going to do what he wants . ”

So this was the reason .

Chen Rong felt slightly exasperated .

Sun Yan shook his head, his voice still triumphant: “That arrogance of his is really annoying . Don’t let me near you? Fuck that, I’ll keep giving you hugs, great big ones!”

Chen Rong was worried upon hearing this for apparently no reason . “Qilang has a lot of tricks up his sleeves,” she whispered to him .

Sun Yan glared at her in reply . “Your grandpa Sun has more tricks up my sleeves . ”

Chen Rong shot him a look . “I’m serious . He’s really not a gentleman . ”

Sun Yan hesitantly considered her words . Slowly letting go of her, he whispered back, “How many tricks exactly?”

“You’ll be surprised . ”

Sun Yan thoughtfully rubbed his chin, then all of a sudden slapped his thigh and cried out, “Fuck, why are we talking about these useless things? I haven’t said any of the things I need to tell you . ”

“Ah Rong, your brother is with me,” he began solemnly . “His witless wife wanted to use their son to threaten him, but because the monastery is guarded so well, she colluded with thugs to commit kidnapping . Unexpectedly, the thug was instructed by someone else to kill your brother’s son . He is overcome with grief, you have to go comfort him . In addition, I’ve found the person who used Wang Qilang’s name in Nan’yang to invite you out and put you in danger . ”

OMG I’m so sorry for the how late this update is *kowtows* TBH I’ve lost much of my motivation, and not just for translation but also in other aspects of my life . There’s just been a lot going on, and also the pandemic has kinda sucked ya know . Hopefully it’ll get better but I’m in such a funk that it’s hard to promise anything at the moment . With that said I feel horrible for leaving any of my readers (maybe just 1 left now?) who has followed this story for so long without some type of closure . So I’m going to try translating the last couple of chapters so that you’ll at least get an ending . Crossing my fingers that’s gonna happen by December or January . *so sorry, more kowtows*