Moonlit Reunion

Chapter 50

Although Wu Zhen had only been turned into a child for less than a day, Mei Zhuyu had already gained a profound understanding of just what a peculiar, unpredictable, and willful little troublemaker his wife had been in her youth.

For such a fearless little girl to suddenly shrink in terror like this left Mei Zhuyu utterly astonished. Holding her securely with one arm to prevent her from squirming and falling off the horse, he looked up in the direction she had been staring.

By the roadside ahead stood two tall trees, likely a resting spot for travelers. Beneath them were several smooth-worn stones, and under the scorching sun, their shade appeared inviting.

But Mei Zhuyu’s gaze fixed on the space between the trees. There, a black web stretched between the branches like a giant spider’s silk, its center occupied by a dark, indistinct mass—a massive spider, sprawled right across their path like a hunter lying in wait.

This was a type of Monster known as a Spider Matron. Though terrifying in appearance, it was harmless to humans. In fact, it preyed only on wandering miasmas and tiny insect Monsters that caused illness.

Looking down at the trembling girl in his arms—her face buried, too afraid to even glance at the creature—Mei Zhuyu noticed she shook harder the closer they got. Yet despite her terror, she didn’t cry or make a sound. Instead, she instinctively held her breath, trying to make herself as small and unnoticed as possible.

She was truly petrified. In that moment, Mei Zhuyu suddenly understood something: Had Wu Zhen been able to see these things since childhood? Her reaction told him this was how she had always been when encountering them—silent and shaking.

The realization stunned him. She was the Cat Official. From the moment he first met her, he had never seen her afraid of anything. Could she feel fear too? This slippery little girl, who pretended to be scared or sad by rubbing her eyes and putting on a pitiful act—when genuinely terrified, she neither cried nor whined.

A pang of heartache struck Mei Zhuyu so sharply that he tightened his grip and reined the horse to a stop. Taking a deep breath, he gently pulled the girl from where she had burrowed into his chest and said, "Don’t be afraid. Look up—the Spider Matron is gone."

After a long pause, the girl finally tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "We can’t talk! It’ll come closer… and grab my feet."

Mei Zhuyu inhaled deeply again. The thought of young Wu Zhen being frightened like this so often made him soften his voice further than he ever had in his life. If his master, senior brothers, or disciples heard him speak like this, half of them would drop dead from shock.

"Really, it won’t come. Look."

As he spoke, he swiftly traced a spirit sigil in the air. A glow enveloped the Spider Matron and its web, making them vanish from sight—though they remained physically present.

Perhaps because Mei Zhuyu’s presence felt so reassuring, the girl finally dared a cautious glance backward. This time, she saw only empty air, bright and clear, with no trace of the terrifying black web or giant spider.The little girl was like a small fox cautiously peeking out after sensing danger had passed. Holding onto Mei Zhuyu's arm, she looked around carefully. Seeing no trace of the giant spider, she let out a long sigh of relief and settled back into Mei Zhuyu's embrace.

Mei Zhuyu was about to comfort her further when the little girl quickly regained her earlier liveliness, kicking up her feet and chattering away again.

Mei Zhuyu: "..."

After some thought, he decided to explain to her that the spider woman wouldn't harm people. They had already moved away from the vicinity of those two trees. When he finished speaking, the little girl tilted her head and asked, "You can see them too?"

Mei Zhuyu nodded. As soon as he did, the little girl looked at him with a hint of sympathy, stood up, and patted his forehead reassuringly. "Don't be scared, don't be scared."

Mei Zhuyu: "..." No, I think you were the one who was scared.

But the little girl clearly didn't want to dwell on it. Her attention had already been captured by the fruit trees along the road. Excitedly tugging at his sleeve, she pointed at them. "Bayberries! There are bayberries! Let's go pick some!"

Mei Zhuyu recalled the time they had picked cherries together when they visited Linjing Temple. It seemed that even as an adult, Wu Zhen shared some similarities with her younger self.

By late afternoon, they arrived at Xuti Temple at the foot of South Mountain. The weary birds were returning to their nests, and the temple's bell tolled, echoing through the woods. In the fading sunlight, wisps of white smoke rose from the temple—whether from incense in the front courtyard or firewood in the back was unclear.

Mei Zhuyu dismounted and then lifted the little girl down. She was still clutching a large bayberry, staring curiously at the glimpse of the temple through the trees and its indistinct main gate.

"Is my dad in there?"

"Yes," Mei Zhuyu bent down to speak to her. "When you see your father later, try not to get too excited, okay?"

He had only brought Wu Zhen to see Duke Yu, not intending for Duke Yu to see her in this state. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain, and Wu Zhen would have more to deal with once she returned to normal.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as he had planned.

Holding the little girl's hand, he entered the temple to request an audience with his father-in-law, Duke Yu, who was practicing asceticism there. The little girl obediently held his hand the whole way, and none of the monks they passed noticed her. But the moment she saw Duke Yu, her eyes widened, and she began struggling to rush toward him.

Duke Yu Wu Chundao was puzzled by his usually taciturn son-in-law's sudden, solitary visit at this hour. What struck him as even stranger was how Mei Zhuyu seemed to be tightly gripping something invisible, his sleeve swaying slightly. Duke Yu couldn't help but stare at his son-in-law's seemingly empty hand, feeling unsettled.

For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something there.

Setting aside his curiosity, Duke Yu warmly asked his son-in-law about the purpose of his visit, inquired how Wu Zhen was doing, and offered him some vegetarian meals for the journey.

Mei Zhuyu answered each question respectfully and took a seat before Duke Yu. Meanwhile, with a deft motion, he pulled back the little girl, who was flailing wildly in an attempt to reach Duke Yu.It was just that she couldn't be seen or heard, but if Wu Zhen were to pounce now, Duke Wu would definitely sense it. To prevent his father-in-law from being startled by such a sudden situation, Mei Zhuyu was doing his best to restrain the little girl. However, the little girl was extraordinarily strong-willed and determined. Suddenly, she turned her head and bit the back of Mei Zhuyu's hand.

Startled, Mei Zhuyu felt the soft little white teeth sink into his hand. It didn’t hurt, but the wet, ticklish sensation made his hand tremble, and he instinctively loosened his grip.

The next moment, the little girl's figure materialized in midair.

Duke Wu was in the middle of asking his daughter Wu Zhen if she had still been frequenting music houses recently when his vision blurred. A little girl appeared out of nowhere, pouncing toward him, grabbing his bald head, and gleefully rubbing it while laughing, "Bald head!"

Duke Wu: "...I think I just saw my younger daughter as a child, and she called me 'bald head.'"

Mei Zhuyu quickly leaned forward, dragged the little girl back, and firmly held onto her again before sitting back down as if nothing had happened. He even picked up his teacup with his other hand and took a sip, completely unperturbed.

Duke Wu: ...

He glanced at his expressionless, upright son-in-law, then looked around the empty surroundings. After a long pause, he said, "Just now, I think I saw a little girl."

Mei Zhuyu: "No, you didn’t."

Duke Wu: "Was I seeing things?"

Mei Zhuyu hesitated for a moment, then lied against his conscience, "Probably."

Duke Wu looked down and picked up a large bayberry from his lap, silently placing it on the low table between them. It was the bayberry the little girl had been holding earlier—she had tossed it aside when she pounced at him to rub his head.

Duke Wu suddenly sighed and said, "Whatever’s going on, don’t hide it from me. Did something happen in Chang'an’s Demon Market?"

Hearing him mention the Demon Market, Mei Zhuyu realized Duke Wu knew about his wife’s identity and finally released his grip. Thus, Duke Wu saw the giggling little girl again. She truly resembled his daughter as a child—that same mischievous, carefree look, climbing onto his crossed legs like a little monkey and clumsily patting his head.

With the little monkey perched on him, Duke Wu asked his son-in-law with a complicated expression, "What’s going on here?"

Before Mei Zhuyu could answer, the little girl clapped her hands on his bald head and laughed, "Daddy has no hair, hahaha!"

Hearing that sweet, warbling voice like a little oriole, Duke Wu felt a long-lost sense of suffocation. The complicated emotions of being both exasperated and helpless toward his younger daughter resurfaced in his heart. After finally raising her into a proper adult, how had she turned small again!

Mei Zhuyu glanced at his wife, who was now climbing onto her father’s back to sit, and also sighed softly before explaining the whole story.

By the time he finished, it was already time to light the lamps. The Xuti Temple was humble, and though Duke Wu held a distinguished status, he was devout in his Buddhist practice. The furnishings in the room were simple, with just one lamp placed beside the low table, casting a small circle of light that outlined their silhouettes on the window.

The lively little monkey had fallen asleep by now. Clutching the large bayberry Mei Zhuyu had picked for her, she curled up in her father’s arms, sleeping peacefully and sweetly, occasionally smacking her lips or murmuring in her dreams.

Because she was asleep, the two men lowered their voices as they spoke."She truly has been able to see those things since childhood. I have two daughters, but only she can see them—my eldest cannot. Neither my wife nor I can see them either, but according to my wife, her own mother could also see such things, so Zhen'er's ability must have been inherited from her mother's side."

"Perhaps because she was born with eyes different from ordinary people, this child's temperament is also unlike other children. She was mischievous as a little girl, giving us quite a headache. The fact that she could see those non-human entities worried me even more."

As the Duke of Wu spoke, he gently stroked his youngest daughter's hair. Seeing the clumsily tied twin buns on her head, he suddenly smiled, his eyes filled with nostalgia and hidden sorrow.

"When she saw those things and got frightened, she would sneak into our bedroom to sleep and would only fall asleep if my wife held her. My wife's health was poor, and after being disturbed all night, she would wake up late in the morning. So every day, I would carry the child out quietly and personally comb her hair."

"I wasn't very good at it. After she ran around wildly outside, her hair would come completely undone, and she'd come back with it all disheveled, looking like a cheerful little madcap."