Chapter 93: A Strange Autumn Rain
The next moment, Chen Changsheng’s tension eased slightly, because he saw the cascade of black hair spread out like a waterfall—not because it belonged to a woman. If it were an assassin, they wouldn’t reveal themselves so easily, nor would they sleep in someone else’s bed.
Remnant rain fell against the window, making a faint pattering sound. The figure turned over but didn’t wake. He could vaguely see the softest Suzhou silk stuffed in her ears. Her brows and eyes were as delicate as usual, but perhaps because she was asleep with her eyes closed, there was none of that commanding presence or coldness.
Looking at that beautiful face, Chen Changsheng was deeply shocked. He never imagined this person would be Mo Yu. As the person the Holy Maiden of the Great Zhou Dynasty trusted most, she should be extremely busy. How could she appear in the small building of the National Academy, sleeping soundly on his bed?
Mo Yu was genuinely asleep. For some reason, she slept very sweetly. Perhaps in her dreams, she didn’t need to scheme or plot, so she seemed very relaxed, emitting soft snores, occasionally extending her slightly moist tongue to lick the corner of her lips. It wasn’t meant to seduce anyone, just as innocent as a child.
Chen Changsheng frowned. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand this situation. Looking at the traces of residual makeup between Mo Yu’s brows, he was also surprised that this beautiful woman with a heart as venomous as a snake could still have such an innocent and weary side.
He sheathed his short sword. If Mo Yu had come to kill him, even holding the Frost Remnant Divine Spear would be meaningless. He reached out and gently pushed Mo Yu’s body through the blanket. Even through the thick cotton quilt, the sensation transmitted back through his fingertips was very clear—it was called springy tenderness.
The moment his fingers seemed to touch the blanket, Mo Yu opened her eyes.
She hadn’t slept long this morning, but she had slept very well—much better than in the palace or the Little Orange Garden. This made her feel quite satisfied. Her eyes were half-closed like willow leaves by the lake, brimming with smiles.
Then she saw Chen Changsheng, remembered where she was, what she had come to do, and why she had fallen asleep. Her pupils turned cold, and the smiles vanished like the reflection of willow leaves in a lake shattered by a mischievous child’s thrown stone, leaving no trace.
Her expression became very serious. The charm in her phoenix eyes completely disappeared, replaced by utter coldness.
She blinked and was fully awake, calm as usual—not smiling, not cold, not alluring—just calm.
In a very short time, she transformed from an innocent child into a cold, important figure, then into an ordinary woman, all very smoothly. Watching this scene, Chen Changsheng felt a pang of emotion, thinking: living with so many masks, in the end, can one still remember what one’s true self looks like?
“What time is it?” Mo Yu asked.
Chen Changsheng told her.
Mo Yu looked out the window at the slightly yellowed leaves wet by the autumn rain, listening to the pattering sound, and said, “Autumn rain tapping at the window—truly good for sleeping.”
After saying this, she stood up, walked to the bronze mirror by the window, sat down, took a wooden comb from her sleeve, and began to arrange her hair. Her movements were very natural, without any awkwardness or tension, as if this were not the National Academy but her own bedchamber in the Little Orange Garden.
Chen Changsheng’s gaze shifted from the beautiful sash around her palace dress to her face in the bronze mirror. Looking at the residual makeup between her brows and the weariness that couldn’t be erased, he said, “You seem very tired.”
Only someone truly exhausted in body and mind would sleep as sweetly and relaxedly as she had. He was certain.
Mo Yu’s hand holding the comb stiffened slightly, then continued smoothly through her black hair. She said with a hint of mockery, “What does a child know?”
In her eyes, Chen Changsheng was just a child.
Chen Changsheng said, “Even a child wouldn’t go sleep in someone else’s house.”
Mo Yu’s hand holding the comb stiffened again.
“I heard there was some excitement at the National Academy today, so I came to take a look. I didn’t expect it to be so boring that I fell asleep.”
She spoke calmly, though she was inevitably a bit embarrassed. She just couldn’t let Chen Changsheng know she was embarrassed—that would be even more embarrassing. Just like when she woke up earlier, she immediately attributed the reason for sleeping so sweetly to this pattering autumn rain.
In truth, she herself didn’t understand why she had fallen asleep, especially on Chen Changsheng’s bed. She could only think that Chen Changsheng was a child and had no entanglements with court affairs, so she could easily relax. And the smell of the blanket… it really was quite pleasant.
It was like the smell of sunshine, but not harsh; like the smell of autumn rain, but not damp; like the smell of fruit, but not cloying. In short, it was very pleasant.
Mo Yu snapped back to reality, realizing she was thinking too much. She frowned slightly, puzzled. Looking at her own face in the bronze mirror, she felt a bit displeased and said, “I didn’t expect a young man like you to have such a large bronze mirror in your room. Seeing that you don’t usually apply powder or makeup, you don’t seem like someone so concerned with appearances.”
“A bronze mirror can straighten one’s attire and straighten one’s mind,” Chen Changsheng explained.
“Reasonable.” Mo Yu paused, then continued combing her hair.
After a moment, her black hair was as smooth as before. She extended her index finger toward the window. Even though there was a distance, a droplet of water condensed at her fingertip.
This scene was beautiful. If ordinary people who didn’t understand cultivation saw it, they would find it even more miraculous.
Chen Changsheng knew this was the powerful control a Star Gathering Realm expert had over their surroundings, but he didn’t understand why she was doing it.
Mo Yu gently pressed her fingertip to her brow and slowly rubbed. The residual makeup fell away with the water, like countless powder fragments shaken from a flowering tree.
Only then did Chen Changsheng realize that she had displayed such a powerful realm and such precise, perfect control just to wash off her makeup… He found women truly hard to understand. He had a very different opinion on this but, after thinking it over, held back from saying it.
“Do you know what Her Majesty said?” Mo Yu asked as she removed the leftover makeup from the previous night.
Chen Changsheng was silent. Earlier, he had told Tang Thirty-Six that he wanted to know the Holy Maiden’s attitude. Now, her attitude was about to appear, but he suddenly didn’t want to know.
“Her Majesty said, ‘Children just like to mess around.’”
Mo Yu didn’t turn around. She continued, “You’re also a child, but of course, Her Majesty wasn’t referring to you.”
Chen Changsheng understood. The Holy Maiden probably didn’t even know of his existence until today. The “child” she referred to was naturally Luo Luo.
“The White Emperor and Empress entrusted Princess Luo Luo to Her Majesty. Her Majesty is an elder. If she wants to discipline her, Princess Luo Luo must obey. Earlier, when the princess was studying at the National Academy and taking you as her teacher, it could all be seen as a child’s mischief. Her Majesty wouldn’t interfere. But at the Green Vine Banquet, your mischief went too far.”
Mo Yu looked at the young man in the mirror and said, “Her Majesty doesn’t want the princess to continue messing around with you.”
Chen Changsheng looked down at the floor and remained silent.
“Don’t think you can really borrow Princess Luo Luo’s influence. With just one word, you’ll have nothing. You need to clearly understand this.”
“I had nothing in the capital to begin with, so I have nothing to lose.”
“What about your life? The fact that you can still appear before me now is somewhat surprising. It seems Tianhai Shengxue is much more cautious and careful now than when he was in the capital back then… Oh, you don’t know that guy. Don’t let his normal appearance fool you. If he really goes crazy, Tianhai Ya’er wouldn’t even be qualified to carry his shoes. If he hadn’t spent these years tempering himself at Yongxue Pass, with his old temper, you would definitely have died at the gates of the National Academy this morning.”
Chen Changsheng looked up at her reflection in the mirror and said, “General Tianhai’s temper is still very bad. This morning, he really wanted to kill someone. The reason I’m standing here isn’t because he showed mercy or pity, but because he couldn’t kill me…”
He continued, “Just like the night before last, when I appeared in Weiyang Palace with the marriage contract, it wasn’t because of your sympathy, but because you couldn’t trap me.”
Mo Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, displeased.
“I forgot to tell you, Chief Historian Jin is now the gatekeeper of the National Academy… Tianhai Shengxue will never have another chance to set foot in the National Academy. If you still want to do something, you might need to come in person, rather than just showing up afterward to exchange a few words.”
Mo Yu’s frown deepened.
“You don’t usually talk this much.”
“I find it strange too. Whether in front of Weiyang Palace, in the abandoned garden, or now—whenever I see you, I end up talking a lot.”
Mo Yu turned around and quietly looked at Chen Changsheng. For some reason, she shook her head.
She didn’t understand. This young man was clearly very ordinary, yet why did Princess Luo Luo value him so highly? Even Xu Yourong had specifically written to her about him. Even though Chen Changsheng’s performance at the Green Vine Banquet was outstanding, she still couldn’t figure it out.
What she couldn’t figure out most, and what she cared about most, was still that matter.
“How exactly did you walk out of the Tong Palace?”
Chen Changsheng didn’t answer. He just looked at her.
By now, Mo Yu had washed off all her residual makeup. Her skin was as fair and tender as new snow, her brows clear and eyes bright, making her look more like a girl of sixteen.
But she was not an ignorant young girl. She was the deeply calculating First Female Official of the Great Zhou.
From Luo Luo leaving the National Academy to attend the Li Palace Affiliated School, to the Tianhai family’s morning attack—her shadow could be seen behind all these events.
She was the mastermind behind the scenes and now the National Academy’s greatest enemy.
“Some people think the National Academy and you represent something, but you and I both know it’s just a misunderstanding.”
She looked at Chen Changsheng and said, “Xu Shiji came begging to me at the time, and then his daughter sent a letter. I thought it over and didn’t know how to handle it, so I threw you into the National Academy, planning to let you fend for yourself. I never expected you to meet Princess Luo Luo here and crawl back out of this graveyard.”
Chen Changsheng said, “Yes, that’s how it is.”
Mo Yu’s expression gradually turned cold. “I casually did one thing, and it stirred up all this trouble. But what does it amount to? Whether the National Academy continues to exist or not, I don’t care. I only care that my intention wasn’t realized.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “What do you want to do?”
“The development of all things often returns to the beginning. This matter is no different… Starting from that marriage contract, let it end with that marriage contract. Take out the contract, dissolve the engagement yourself, and start over. That is your best choice.”
“Xu Yourong has already acknowledged this engagement.”
“Then have you considered why she acknowledged it? Do you really think she likes you? Do you believe a woman like her would marry a stranger based on a matchmaker’s words and her parents’ command? Or do you think she cares that much about promises?”
Mo Yu looked at him and said, “You were able to debate with Gou Hanshi, so you’re clearly intelligent. When you saw the letter brought by the white crane the night before last, you should have already guessed her intention. Why pretend you don’t know? Being used as a memorial arch—don’t you find that shameful?”
(Last night, I forced myself through sleepiness to write a thousand words. Today on the train, I glared angrily and wrote two thousand words. See? When I get diligent, even I’m scared of myself. Tomorrow, I’ll resume two updates. Bowing to you all. Please, everyone, cast more votes to cheer me on. Recommendation votes and monthly votes—please check if you have any. Thank you.)