Chapter 36: Moonlight Illuminates the Homeland (1)
Every little thing he did was gradually permeating her life.
Whether in past lives or the present, Zhou Shengchen had never changed—never speaking of love or affection, yet making her feel his care for her in every way.
In the following days, Zhou Shengchen remained as busy as ever. On the eve of Grandma's ninetieth birthday, he found a rare moment of leisure and returned to their courtyard. Before he could even change his clothes, Shi Yi suddenly asked, "Are you tired?"
"Not particularly."
"Shall we go to the library?"
"The library?"
"Yes," Shi Yi stood up from the sofa. "And... could you have someone prepare some ink and brushes? Not the kind that needs grinding—just a large bucket of ready-made ink."
Amused, Zhou Shengchen quickly arranged for the items to be prepared.
After changing clothes, the two made their way to the library. Normally deserted, the space now held only them. The requested materials had already been placed beside the bookshelves. Shi Yi walked forward, resting her hand on the carved wooden railing at the top of the stairs. Through the gaps between the three-meter-high bookshelves, she studied the wall adorned with calligraphy and paintings, seemingly deep in thought.
Zhou Shengchen didn't disturb her. Instead, he casually picked up a book from the nearest shelf and began flipping through it, blending seamlessly into the surroundings.
Shi Yi's gaze shifted from the wall and towering bookshelves to him—dressed in sky-blue trousers and a white shirt, wearing silver-framed glasses, with his suit jacket casually draped over the wooden ladder by the shelves.
Dusk approached, and the library's lamps and candles had already been lit early.
The fading sunset outside the window, the bright candlelight, and him—in her eyes, they formed an ink-wash painting. The background faint, the figure emerging, brushstrokes transitioning from light to bold... Shi Yi walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her cheek against him.
He covered her hand with his. "Decided what to write?"
"Mhm."
"This library has stood for over a century," he chuckled. "You'd be the first person to leave calligraphy on its walls."
"How did you know I wanted to write on the wall?"
He didn't confirm or deny.
Fine—her intentions were obvious.
The wall was indeed spotless; even after removing the hanging scrolls, no lasting marks remained. Shi Yi selected a brush from the prepared stand and climbed the three-tiered wooden ladder. Stroke by stroke, she began writing the Rhapsody of Shanglin Forest , its verses long committed to memory. A small bucket of ink hung from the ladder's edge, swaying slightly with her occasional adjustments.
She wrote with focused determination while Zhou Shengchen quietly kept her company.
Line after line flowed effortlessly until she abruptly stopped at a particular phrase.
"Forgotten?" Zhou Shengchen asked with gentle amusement.
Pursing her lips, she turned to look at him.
He smiled. "The second half reads: 'Entranced by beauty, enchanted by spirit, the heart delights at her side.' "
For a fleeting moment, her expression wavered—something overlapped, merged, making it impossible to continue writing calmly. She hopped down from the ladder and placed the brush back on its stand.
"Why stop?" Zhou Shengchen leaned against the window, gazing at the night outside.
Unnoticed, darkness had fully descended. From here, most of the ancestral compound was visible, brightly lit and already buzzing with preparations for the grand celebration of the matriarch's ninetieth birthday. The Zhou family took such occasions seriously—gambling tables and traditional opera performances would run all night long.
Three days and nights of festivities, with the birthday banquet tomorrow.
Though the library stood in a secluded corner, faint echoes of the revelry still reached them.He was contemplating whether to have someone bring food first when Shi Yi quietly extinguished all the candles and approached. Her hands slid from his waist to his chest, pausing at the second button of his shirt.
Her palms were warm, her body feverish as she pressed against him.
Her lips brushed his skin.
She wanted him.
"Shi Yi?"
"Mmm." She gently nipped at his collarbone, the light pressure akin to a kitten's playful lick.
Zhou Shengchen casually closed the window, encircling her and guiding her to lean against it. "It's a bit cold here."
"Mmm." She tugged his shirt free, slipping her hands beneath the fabric.
Indeed, it was cold—her hands were icy, while his body radiated heat.
The surroundings were silent and pitch black.
With the window shut, only the outline of his eyes and face remained visible.
They kissed, then parted.
"Life is fleeting like a dream—how much joy can one find?" His voice murmured by her ear. "Only Shi Yi is what I seek..."
Memories of bygone days were sealed away stroke by stroke beneath her pen.
Once they straightened their clothes, they descended the stairs. Zhou Shengchen draped his wrinkled shirt over his arm, composed as if he had merely been reading upstairs all along... But with the lights out for so long, those downstairs surely knew what they had been doing. Yet, like him, they remained unflappable.
Only Shi Yi's eyes glistened, her gaze slightly evasive.
He took her to a private casino that never slept. The entrance corridor was adorned with flamboyant poetry, much of which Shi Yi recognized as the kind of "risqué verses" he favored, prompting a stifled laugh.
Zhou Shengchen, well aware she knew exactly what they were, lightly flicked her forehead.
They ventured deeper inside.
The space was divided by cascading beaded curtains, sectioning off gambling tables one after another. Shouts, betting calls, and the clatter of dice tumbling in blue-and-white porcelain dishes filled the air.
Behind the beaded curtains, shadowy figures moved.
Outside, only a few dozen hostesses weaved through the crowd, carrying drinks and incense.
Guests—both family and friends—had come to celebrate the birthday festivities. Word had spread in recent days that this eldest young master would soon take over the Zhou family, so their greetings were laced with deference. As he passed through, Shi Yi followed closely, taking in the unfamiliar spectacle.
No wonder Zhou Wenchuan coveted this position. As the second son of the Zhou family, what he lacked was never wealth—but this kind of prestige, this status.
Zhou Shengchen made only a brief appearance before returning with her to their courtyard.
Exhausted, she sprawled on the daybed by the window, lazily watching him change. His profile revealed faint marks on his waist from her earlier grip, making Shi Yi blush and turn toward the window.
Her cheek pressed against the soft fox fur, eyelids growing heavy.
Drowsiness crept in.
A warm hand encircled her waist as he leaned over her. "Sleepy?"
"Mmm."
Amid their closeness, she suddenly remembered the unfinished calligraphy on the wall—left abruptly at that very line—and felt inexplicably unsettled. Sensing this, Zhou Shengchen coaxed the reason from her. Unfazed, he said, "Tomorrow evening, I'll take you there again."
"Okay..."
"Shi Yi?" He paused thoughtfully. "Do you want a child?""I do." Having a child with him—she imagined she wouldn't want to put the baby down all day.
He pondered for a moment. "How many?"
"Huh?" This...
"Would you prefer a boy or a girl?" he continued.
"Can we even choose that...?"
"We can. If you have specific requests," Zhou Shengchen chuckled, "like twins, triplets? The gender distribution among them? All of that can be arranged."
"Really?"
He laughed softly, neither confirming nor denying.
"Science is truly amazing..." She could barely keep her eyes open.
He helped her out of her dress and covered her with a blanket.
Drowsy yet stirred by his teasing, she shifted slightly. "So sleepy..."
"Go to sleep."
"...With you like this, I can't."
By midnight, rain began to fall.
It was heavy, drumming against the windows.
The noise woke her, and she realized they only had a thin blanket, leaving them slightly chilled. She reached back to touch his back and found he had casually draped some clothing over himself. Before falling asleep, he must have worried she'd catch cold, using most of the blanket to wrap her up while he, too exhausted to move to the bed, simply threw on some clothes to cover himself.
Most of the time, he really wasn't one to fuss over details—he was quite laid-back.
His body was so cold—how could he not feel it?
Shi Yi gently warmed his waist with her hands and softly called his name.
Groggily, he responded, then seemed to rouse himself slightly before asking in a husky voice, "Cold?"
"Mhm."
"I didn’t want to wake you earlier when you were asleep." He got out of bed naked, carrying her and the blanket to the bed. After pulling the quilt over them both, he held her close and quickly fell back into deep sleep.
She pressed her warm palms against his cool lower back, gently rubbing.
Slowly, she drifted off as well.
On the evening of the birthday banquet, Grandma was brought to the old estate.
The elderly loved opera, so the long-unused theater in the estate was opened.
The lights flickered.
By the time they arrived, the theater was already full. The ground floor had round tables seating three, scattered across thirty or forty tables. Looking up, one could see the beaded curtains on the second and third floors, behind which shadowy figures moved indistinctly.
The scene was reminiscent of the old Republic era.
Without exception, all the men present, young and old, wore traditional Chinese attire, while the women were dressed in cheongsams. Most on the first floor were of a younger generation than Zhou Shengchen, and they rose to their feet as he passed. He merely smiled and nodded without pausing.
To her surprise, Shi Yi spotted Du Feng sitting in a corner of the hall with two other men.
Zhou Shengchen noticed her reaction and glanced over. "They need to keep Zhou Wenchuan under constant surveillance."
Hesitantly, she asked, "Did you already know Du Feng’s true identity?"
He nodded. "I knew from the moment he appeared near your friend."
"Zhou Wenchuan..." She wanted to ask what he planned to do.
Understanding, he answered simply, "Before formal charges are brought, I’ll arrange a place for him. He just won’t be able to leave—otherwise, no one can protect him. This is the best outcome for him and everyone else."
They had already reached the second floor along the staircase.
This level was mostly occupied by elders, so he and she paused briefly, halting their quiet conversation to greet each one. These elders had been briefly introduced during her first visit to the estate, though the circumstances now were entirely different.
The ground floor was lively, making the third floor seem all the quieter.In the open space, apart from the girls serving tea, there were only a handful of people, all of Zhou Shengchen's peers.
Even for such an important occasion, Zhou Shengchen's uncle did not make an appearance.
The Zhou family was quietly transitioning all its businesses, with the previous generation stepping back at an unexpectedly rapid pace.
Shi Yi didn't know how Zhou Shengchen had managed to take over the Zhou family from his uncle, who had held power for many years, amidst such intricate relationships... But she thought, since he had been born with the Zhou surname and reached thirty without suffering any "accidental deaths," it was enough to prove he was a qualified heir.
Grandma had already taken her seat behind the beaded curtain, waiting to enjoy the performance.
Accompanying the elderly lady were Zhou Shengchen's mother and Tong Jiaren, both chatting and laughing softly with her. The harmonious atmosphere gave no hint that Tong Jiaren and Zhou Wenchuan were no longer together.
At first glance, Tong Jiaren seemed more like the most virtuous and understanding granddaughter-in-law, deeply cherished by the old lady.
When they arrived, the girls serving tea all greeted him as "Young Master."
Hearing this, Grandma naturally turned around and beckoned to Shi Yi from behind the beaded curtain, "Shi Yi, come here."
Zhou Shengchen smiled, signaling for her to go over.
Shi Yi hurried through the curtain and knelt before the elderly lady.
"You can sit here," Tong Jiaren said softly, holding her protruding belly. "The air here isn't very good. I think I'll take a walk outside." As she spoke, she stood up with a smile.
Though she didn't say much, everyone understood that after today, Tong Jiaren would have no further ties to the Zhou family.
Behind the beaded curtain, Shi Yi only saw Tong Jiaren being helped away by a young maid, passing Zhou Wenchuan without even exchanging glances...
Every movement and expression behind the beaded curtain seemed like a meticulously rehearsed play. Harmony and warmth, as if there had never been any scheming or life-and-death struggles; as if Wen Xing had truly just gone abroad for recuperation and couldn't make it back for the birthday celebration; as if Tong Jiaren and Zhou Wenchuan were still happily married...
The only exception was that Zhou Wenchuan was accompanied by two men, seemingly just attendants to the second young master, clearly there to restrict his movements. To ensure Grandma noticed nothing amiss, Zhou Wenchuan had to appear—perhaps this was also the last time he would show up out of necessity.
Shi Yi was momentarily distracted, watching Zhou Shengchen take a seat across from Xiao Ren.
Casually, he picked up a white chess piece between his fingers. Xiao Ren softly called him "Big Brother," and he smiled.
"Sit down, Shi Yi."
Grandma gently took her hand, pulling her attention back.
She shook her head. "No need, Grandma. This is fine." Kneeling like this was just right for talking to the elderly lady, who smiled faintly. "You're just like Wen Xing, always kneeling in front of me to talk," she said, lightly patting her knee. "When she was little, she loved to lean here..."
Shi Yi smiled and nodded.
Downstairs, the noise gradually quieted as the performance began.
Shi Yi didn't understand much of it but found it fresh, enjoying the clear, melodious accompaniment and the graceful singing. Grandma, however, was in high spirits, praising the exquisite vocal techniques at the highlights.
Shi Yi responded occasionally, stealing glances at Zhou Shengchen behind the beaded curtain.
He would smile from time to time, offering Xiao Ren guidance.
The feeling was somewhat familiar.Just like the doting he once showed Wen Xing.
As the play ended, Grandma couldn’t stop praising it.
Shi Yi exhaled softly, realizing her legs had gone slightly numb.
"You’re always looking outside," Grandma said with a quiet chuckle. "It must have been hard for you to sit through the whole play with an old woman like me. Go out and get some fresh air." The elderly woman patted her hand gently, her gaze lingering on the eighteen-bead prayer bracelet. After a brief moment of distraction, she sighed softly. "The rightful heir of the Zhou family—you are the true eldest daughter-in-law. Thankfully… thankfully…"
Grandma seemed lost in her own thoughts.
Her words were ones Shi Yi couldn’t quite grasp.
Hearing them vaguely, Shi Yi was about to ponder further when Zhou Shengchen’s mother placed a hand on hers. "Shi Yi, Grandma needs to rest now."
Her tone was indifferent, even cold.
Shi Yi nodded. "Alright."
She stood up, pausing behind the beaded curtain for a few seconds as her legs were still numb.
"Mother," Zhou Wenchuan’s voice came from outside the curtain, hushed. "I’d like to speak with Grandma for a moment."
Zhou Shengchen’s mother seemed unbothered, responding with a faint acknowledgment.
The space here was small, meant for watching performances.
Only four wooden chairs could fit inside. When the second young master lifted the beaded curtain to enter, the two men accompanying him naturally had no room to follow, waiting just outside the curtain—truly never leaving his side…
Wanting to avoid Zhou Wenchuan, Shi Yi moved to lift the curtain and leave.
In that instant, her wrist was seized.
Zhou Shengchen abruptly stood but froze mid-motion.
He could see it—a gleaming knife pressed against Shi Yi’s back.
Zhou Wenchuan had already been disarmed. How had he gotten hold of this blade? There was no time to think about it now.
Zhou Wenchuan chuckled softly, whispering like a secret, "Eldest sister-in-law."
Shi Yi stiffened.
The two were close.
She could hear her own heartbeat suddenly racing, along with Zhou Wenchuan’s slightly erratic breathing…
Zhou’s mother, who had her back to them, quickly sensed something amiss and turned. Seeing the knife, she gasped, "Xiao Chuan—"
But Zhou Wenchuan was faster, mouthing silently to his mother: Now, I am your only son.
(End of Chapter)
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