Behind the Mask - Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Unresolved Feelings
After that night, Meng Zhu began to visit the old house often.
Chu Ye knew Meng Zhu wanted to see Chu Lan. Meng Zhu wasn't from Xizhou; she had stayed in Xizhou back then only because of Chu Lan.
But every time Meng Zhu came to the old house, she wouldn't speak to Chu Lan, or even spare her a second glance. She would just stay in the courtyard for a while before quickly leaving again.
For three straight months, Meng Zhu continued this way.
And ever since seeing Meng Zhu, Chu Lan had become heavy-hearted. She no longer smiled; she couldn't even force one.
Chu Ye didn't know what had happened between Chu Lan and Meng Zhu. She worried about her elder sister's anxious state, afraid that her eyes would worsen again.
"Elder Sister, what on earth happened between you and Sister Meng Zhu?" one evening, Chu Ye took the initiative to ask Chu Lan.
Chu Lan kept her lips tightly sealed, unwilling to say a single word.
Bai Ning comforted Chu Ye, saying that the knot between Chu Lan and Meng Zhu could only be untangled by themselves, and that it was useless for her to worry.
Chu Ye felt Bai Ning was right. It seemed now that Chu Lan's unresolved issue was undoubtedly Meng Zhu. And Meng Zhu's uncharacteristic behavior looked... as if she intended to pursue the matter with Chu Lan to the very end.
Autumn arrived in Xizhou.
Once autumn began, it would soon start to snow.
In the early morning, Chu Lan woke very early. She sat dazedly in her room. Meng Zhu's appearance had disrupted her life, leaving her distracted and restless, yet Meng Zhu insisted on coming every few days.
There were footsteps in the courtyard again.
Chu Lan's eyelashes trembled. She thought it must be Meng Zhu again. But when the door was pushed open, she sensed a wave of sword energy coming at her—
Despite being blind, her ability to locate things by sound was extremely strong. She quickly rolled over, grabbed the bamboo staff beside her, and blocked the opponent's sword move with lightning speed.
From that one move alone, Chu Lan knew the person was Meng Zhu. She was too familiar with Meng Zhu's aura, even though they hadn't seen each other in four years.
Perhaps the scent of their past, desperate passion was something she would never forget in this lifetime...
Chu Lan wanted to withdraw her bamboo staff, but Meng Zhu thrust her sword at her again. She dodged out of instinct, using her staff to dismantle Meng Zhu's sword moves one by one.
But she was blind and using a bamboo staff, so naturally, she was no match for Meng Zhu.
They exchanged blows for more than ten rounds until the bamboo staff in Chu Lan's hand was split apart by the sharp blade. Only then did they stop.
"What are you trying to do?" Chu Lan asked. Her hand holding the broken half of the staff dropped to her side. She could still feel the edge of Meng Zhu's sword, extremely close to her neck.
Meng Zhu looked at her and spoke coldly, "Finally willing to talk to me?"
Chu Lan stood rigidly.
Meng Zhu asked again, "Did you leave back then because of your eyes?"
"No," Chu Lan denied. "I was injured after that."
"You're lying," Meng Zhu retorted. She didn't believe in such a coincidence—that Chu Lan's blindness and her departure had happened in the same year.
Chu Lan's chest trembled slightly, but her tone was calm. "I'm not lying."
A complex anger rose in Meng Zhu. She raised her sword. "Why?"
Chu Lan felt the tip of the sword press against her chin, forcing her face up. She couldn't see the expression on Meng Zhu's face at that moment, but she could imagine it.
"I left you a note."
After four years apart, Meng Zhu stared intently at this familiar face again. The rims of her eyes were red, and the hand holding the sword was trembling. Back then, Chu Lan had just disappeared, leaving her only a note. The note said that there would be no future for them.
That was all.
"What was that supposed to be?" Meng Zhu sneered. "Chu Lan, you were the one who came on to me first, and you were also the one who dumped me without a word. Am I, Meng Zhu, someone who can be trifled with so easily?"
Chu Lan gritted her teeth. "What do you want?"
"I'm going to kill you, of course!" Meng Zhu's tone turned vicious. "You were the one who promised me you would only be with me in this life. Now you're the one who broke your word first. If I can't have you, no one else can either."
It was still the same familiar tone. This Lady Meng Zhu was famous in the martial world for being ruthless and cruel. A sting came to Chu Lan's nose, and she gave a small smile. She tilted her neck up. "Then kill me."
Meng Zhu pressed the tip of her sword against her neck. With a little force, a bead of blood seeped from her snow-white skin. Her wrist froze.
Chu Lan didn't flinch at all.
The next moment, the sword was thrown fiercely to the ground.
"I've changed my mind. I don't want your life," Meng Zhu said with a laugh. "From today on, I want you to follow me everywhere, take care of me, and make up for what you owe me, until I forgive you."
Chu Lan was stunned for a long time. Her lips trembled. "You can see it. I'm just a useless blind person now. I can't take care of you. You might as well just run me through with your sword. It would be a cleaner end."
"Chu Lan!" Meng Zhu was furious. She hatefully grabbed Chu Lan's neck. "You always know how to get to me! You did before, and you still do now!"
When she heard the commotion outside, Chu Ye was still asleep, holding Bai Ning in her arms. She was woken by the disturbance, a sound coming from Chu Lan's room.
She quickly picked up the messy clothes by the bed, anxious to go out and see. Bai Ning, not knowing what was happening, also got dressed and followed her out...
Chu Lan bit her lip. The hand on her neck was slowly tightening. She didn't resist. She knew Meng Zhu was right in front of her, but she couldn't see her face, not even a little bit. The feeling made her despair and suffocate. Tears she had suppressed for so long silently streamed from her eyes.
"Did you think I wouldn't want you just because you're blind? What kind of person do you take me for?" Meng Zhu's eyes were red, and her voice began to tremble uncontrollably. "I looked for you for four years. I went to Jingzhou to find you. Why did you have to hide from me? I just wanted to see you."
Chu Lan heard Meng Zhu crying. She couldn't imagine what Meng Zhu looked like when she cried; she had never seen her cry before, and she couldn't see her now either. She only felt a heart-piercing pain, an agony that left her breathless. "I..."
The hand on her neck loosened. Chu Lan gasped for air, but in an instant, her lips were sealed shut.
A searing heat spread through her. She couldn't catch her breath. Every wisp of air she drew into her mouth carried a taste that was both strange and familiar.
Meng Zhu bit at her lips, kissing her urgently, giving Chu Lan no chance to speak.
A fiery heat spread between their lips and tongues. Chu Lan gradually felt the world spin. She panted, "Zhu'er..."
Meng Zhu's heart warmed. She hugged the person before her tightly. "You still remember my name? You were the one who didn't want me back then. Are you going to make me chase you now? Chu Lan, don't push it."
Listening to the soft whispers next to her ear, Chu Lan didn't want to let go.
It was as if they had returned to the past. She couldn't see, everything had changed, but some things, it seemed, were still the same.
"Zhu'er," Chu Lan called out again, breaking down. She reached out to touch Meng Zhu's face, her sobbing voice filled with longing. "I can't see you anymore..."
Meng Zhu held Chu Lan's hand. Looking at Chu Lan's vacant eyes, tears streamed down her face. When she lowered her lips again, the biting that had been a release of emotion turned into a gentle suction.
Gentle, and bitter.
Chu Lan closed her eyes. She couldn't struggle free. In her world of complete darkness, the unforgettable scent swept over her like a monstrous flood. The darkness amplified everything—this was the comfort she craved most.
She fumbled for Meng Zhu's neck and couldn't help but hug her tightly. She parted her lips, greedily kissing back, their lips and tongues clinging to each other as she took the initiative.
The long-awaited embrace and response made Meng Zhu lose control. A mix of emotions washed over her. After a long moment, she cupped Chu Lan's face and said in a low voice, "But you can still hear me, still touch me... Since you were bold enough to provoke me, don't even think about getting rid of me in this lifetime."
Chu Ye and Bai Ning had been watching from outside the door through the window. She had been startled when she saw Meng Zhu grabbing Chu Lan's neck and had wanted to rush in, but then she saw her elder sister and Meng Zhu kissing...
In a situation like that, it really wasn't a good time for them to be disturbed.
Chu Ye turned to glance at Bai Ning and snickered. She thought that the knot in her elder sister's heart could finally be untangled.
Bai Ning smiled, pinched her nose, and quietly pulled her away.
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