“Rumeng.” The name that had been swirling in his mind escaped his lips, and an image of a blooming plum blossom appeared, strong and vibrant, as if he could smell the fragrance. His eyes were filled with joy; she still remembered him, truly. Tears fell, streaming down his cheeks in happiness.
Once, they had sat together in long talks, as sisters, she was her right-hand, her master, and her closest friend. Now, even a shred of memory seemed like a luxury.
“Rumeng, Liu Rumeng, the plum blossom, the blood-red plum.” Looking at this familiar face, memories flashed through his mind.
“I know you, don’t I?” It wasn’t a question but a statement. He was sure he knew this elegant, poised woman, and their relationship seemed profound.
“Does it matter if you know me? What matters is that you remember ‘Liu Rumeng’.” She smiled, a radiant smile like the winter sun, blood-red petals swirling around her robe, captivating all who watched.
She walked to the vanity, opened a small drawer, not filled with ornate jewelry but a yellowed booklet. “Lingying, this is yours; I’m returning it to its rightful owner.” The booklet had no title on its cover, just a golden cherry blossom in the corner, now faded.
Receiving the book, Xiaotu was puzzled. It was just an ordinary booklet, one that could easily be forgotten in a corner. Why did she treasure it so? Handing it over seemed like fulfilling a great duty.
She opened a page, blank, no words, no pictures, just clean paper…
“Do as you wish, follow your heart.” Eight simple words. Rumeng, looking out the window, said with a smile, a gentle breeze… The wind blew, lifting up the three thousand strands of sorrow, the tousled hair framing a clear, stunning face, a smile lingering at the corners of her lips… Through the window, there stood a tall sycamore tree, its leaves falling into her hair, creating a unique beauty.
Chapter 29: Lesson
“Timisula, go fetch me a basin of water,” she said, holding a yellowed booklet in her hand. She flipped through it from left to right, having already counted the pages, just short of dissecting the book entirely, yet she couldn’t find any text.
“Miss, here’s the water,” Timisula replied, bringing over a copper basin full of clear water. Reflected in the water was her smug little face, with crumbs of snacks at the corner of her mouth, her hair disheveled, clearly not well-groomed. For three days now, Xiaotu had shut herself in her room, claiming she was going into seclusion to cultivate.
With determination in her sparkling eyes, Xiaotu decisively placed the booklet into the water. “Miss, what if the book dissolves?” Timisula could only watch anxiously.
“Don’t worry, watch me,” Xiaotu said with a slight smile, a smile that sent chills down Timisula’s spine. Rolling up her sleeves, she pressed the booklet deeper into the water, then pulled it out. “Hehe, Timisula, look, it didn’t dissolve.” She held the booklet high with pride; indeed, it was intact, dry as if it hadn’t been affected by the water at all, even cleaner than before, as if it had been washed.
“Miss, it really didn’t dissolve, that’s amazing!” Timisula stared in awe, completely convinced.
“Hehe, finally, I’ve cracked it.” Xiaotu flipped through the book with joy, only to be disappointed again; there were still no words, no images.
“Peach Tart, bring me a candle and a brazier,” she said through gritted teeth, her brain cells nearly exhausted over this book. If you were close, you could almost hear the grinding of her teeth. Her messy hair fell over her shoulders, hiding her delicate features, her once pristine silver robe now dirty with various stains and crumbs. If before, Xiaotu stood out in a crowd as the most outstanding, now she would still be recognizable, but for being the most “special” one.
Her once radiant face now showed less cheer as she was determined to unravel the book’s secrets. Seeing her mistress looking like she could kill, Peach Tart shivered and quickly fetched a brazier and a candle.
“Oh, I forgot, I have magic, I don’t need it.” With her face scrunched up, she tapped her head with her grimy hand, looking pitiful with eyes wide as if on the brink of a flood.
“It’s okay, Miss, save your magic, hehe.” Save magic?
“Right, Miss, save your strength.” Save strength? Timisula and Peach Tart tried to console her, seeing Xiaotu on the verge of a breakdown.
“I just don’t believe I can’t deal with it,” Xiaotu, almost crazed, threw the booklet into the roaring flames. An evil glint flashed in her eyes. With a surge of her powers, “Boom!” The flames leaped up like a fire dragon, startling Xiaotu, who quickly set up a barrier and ran out. Timisula and Peach Tart also erected barriers, and all three dashed towards the door.
The fire grew fiercer, and even with the barriers, the heat was unbearable, beads of sweat soaking their clothes. The fierce fire made it feel like they were in a sea of flames, with smoke and red flames obscuring the path, making it impossible to see the door. They ran towards where they thought the exit was, struggling to breathe, feeling as if they were being roasted, summoned by death itself.
Seeing smoke billowing from the garden, everyone rushed to Xiaotu’s secluded courtyard, where thick smoke and rolling flames filled their vision, creating a sea of fire… They all used their powers to summon water to fight the blazing fire, like two giants in combat, neither yielding.
“Urgency doesn’t help when eating hot tofu, now you’ve got yourself in trouble, the backlash isn’t small,” remarked Liu Rumeng, who was leisurely eating melon seeds, leaning against the wall, oblivious to the murderous looks from others.
For some unknown reason, the fire suddenly diminished and then extinguished… leaving only a charred ruin, black soot… The three girls, soaked in sweat, stood there. The silver-clad girl, Xiaotu, frowned with a pout, looking displeased. Her once beautiful white hair was now a mess, showing signs of being singed, her face blackened, her once elegant silver robe now in tatters, making her look like she had just come from a beggar’s den.
“Girl…” Baihua’s serious face softened, her worry dissipating…
“Xiaotu…” Even gentle Shui Shui looked serious, deeply concerned…
“Lingying, you’ve really outdone yourself this time, burning yourself in the process.” Only she remained as relaxed as ever, still munching on seeds, seemingly detached.
“Uh… it was an accident, really,” Xiaotu admitted, regretfully lowering her head.
“Quite an accident indeed,” someone remarked, their voice filled with deep helplessness and bitterness.
“…” Shui Shui fell silent, a self-mocking glint in her eye. She couldn’t protect her, time and again, letting her hover on the edge of life and death, that endless fear could drive someone mad. If she could just keep her by her side, perhaps she would feel at ease. Baihua was stunned at her own thoughts…
The onlooker sees clearly while the participant is blind. Liu Rumeng watched the trio with amusement. Emotions, unwittingly, had captured hearts, unintentionally controlling someone…
What are emotions? Losing one’s mind, losing oneself…
“Let’s go, clean up, you look like a little wild pig,” Rumeng broke the dead silence, pulling Xiaotu by her sooty hands. The yellow booklet remained untouched…
“Baihua, I’m hungry.” Here is the English of the provided Chinese text:
