Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 142: Giving You a Bouquet of Flowers

Night fell.

Countless stars twinkled in the sky, stretching across the vast firmament, making one's heart feel expansive along with it.

Yun Chu sat in the courtyard, moonlight spilling over her shoulders.

At this moment, her mood was serene, with no need to think about anything—no schemes, no calculations, no darkness. Simply enjoying the moon and stars in peace was enough.

Outside the small courtyard, Chu Hongyu and Chu Changsheng were whispering to each other. The two little ones, taking advantage of the moonlight, stepped into the flower beds.

The old nanny was at her wits' end: "Oh, my little ancestors, don't run so deep into the flowers. There might be snakes at night—be careful..."

Chu Hongyu paid no heed. He pulled his sister along and picked many, many flowers of various colors, then had the old nanny tie them together with a string.

Clutching the bundled bouquet, he slipped into the courtyard where Chu Yi resided.

This courtyard was adjacent to Yun Chu's, separated only by a high wall that divided the two spaces.

"Father!"

Chu Yi, who had been reviewing official documents, looked up to see his son and daughter running in.

He set down his brush, picked up the little girl, and placed her on his lap. "Changsheng, call me 'Father.'"

Chu Changsheng didn't call him. Instead, she forcefully shoved the large bouquet into his arms and said in a soft, milky voice, "For... for... Mother..."

Chu Yi didn't understand what she meant.

"Father, Aunt Yun really likes flowers," Chu Hongyu said with a grin. "Why don't you take these flowers and give them to Aunt Yun?"

Chu Yi frowned. "Nonsense."

"Father, just give them to her, please!" Chu Hongyu shook his arm. "Aunt Yun taught Sister to call you 'Father.' Shouldn't you thank her?"

Chu Yi: "..."

He should thank her, but what kind of gratitude was giving flowers?

In the adult world, interests came first. A bouquet of flowers was far too trivial.

Seeing Chu Yi remain silent, the little boy instantly turned hostile. "Father, you're too much! You won't even grant such a small request. Hmph! From now on, Changsheng will never call you 'Father' again! Changsheng, let's go!"

"Wait." Chu Yi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Leave the flowers here."

Chu Hongyu snorted disdainfully. "I don't want you to give them anymore. I'll ask Uncle Cheng Xu instead!"

Cheng Xu was the son of Cheng Zhuangzhu and also Chu Yi's most capable guard. Just twenty years old, he was in the prime of his youth and strength.

Chu Yi stood up directly, took the bouquet from Chu Hongyu's hands, and strode out. He soon arrived at the entrance of Yun Chu's courtyard.

But there, his steps halted.

Because of her, Changsheng had begun to learn how to speak. He had originally planned to give her estates, shops, gold, silver, jade... but he had never once considered giving flowers.

Under the glow of the moonlight and starlight, this bouquet of nameless flowers was dazzling and beautiful, yet it still couldn't compare to her countenance.

He didn't know how to present this bouquet to her.

"Father, if you don't want to give it, then don't!" Chu Hongyu said, hands on his hips. "I'll have Uncle Cheng Xu deliver it—it's the same!"

Cheng Xu, standing in the night shadows: "..."

What did this have to do with him? Couldn't he just quietly remain invisible?

Yun Chu, sitting in the courtyard, heard Chu Hongyu's voice and called out, "Yu Ge'er, what are you doing at the door? Come in with Changsheng."

She found it strange that the two little ones hadn't come to pester her.

"Aunt Yun, I have something to do. I'll come back later!"

Chu Hongyu gave his father a hard shove, then grabbed his sister's hand and ran off.Chu Yi finally stepped past the courtyard gate, rounded a wall, and entered. Ting Shuang and Jiu'er stood guard there, bowing respectfully: "Greetings, Your Highness."

Yun Chu had been lounging casually on a rattan chair, but upon hearing the maids' greetings, she immediately rose and gave a slight curtsy: "Your Highness."

She lifted her gaze to see the man before her holding a large bouquet of flowers.

The flowers looked familiar—they seemed to be from the flower bushes near the courtyard entrance. Had Prince Pingxi been picking flowers late at night?

"Yu Ge'er said you like flowers," Chu Yi spoke with some difficulty.

Once he started speaking, the words that followed seemed less awkward to utter.

"Thank you for being willing to stay at the estate for the sake of the two children, and for patiently teaching them. Meeting you is the greatest blessing in their lives. This bouquet is for you, Madam Xie, wishing you all the best in everything."

Yun Chu reached out and accepted the flowers. The refreshing floral scent filled her nostrils, making the night seem even more beautiful.

A smile touched the corners of her eyes: "I also wish Your Highness smooth sailing in all matters."

Chu Yi looked into her crescent-shaped eyes, where clear reflections of moonlight and starlight made his heartbeat inexplicably skip.

The seed that had sprouted in his heart, having just grown two tender leaves, seemed to rapidly grow into a towering tree under her gaze—so lush it nearly burst through his chest.

Just then, countless fireflies rose into the night sky.

Among the trees, in the grass, and around their shoulders, the fireflies drifted with their glowing lanterns.

"How beautiful," Yun Chu couldn't help but sigh. "The last time I saw fireflies was when I was a child, accompanying my father fishing in the suburbs. My father couldn't catch a single fish, and before we knew it, night had fallen. When we tried to return, we got lost. I was so frightened I started crying... To comfort me, my father caught many fireflies."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but laugh.

That night, accompanied by fireflies, she and her father wandered across half the mountain but still couldn't find their way down. Eventually, her eldest brother came to bring them home.

The fatigue and panic of that night had long faded from memory, but those fireflies grew brighter over time, becoming increasingly precious.

It had been a unique night.

She saw Yu Ge'er and Changsheng in the distance chasing fireflies... This, too, was a unique night.

Chu Yi turned to look at her and unconsciously said: "The last time I saw fireflies was about five years ago, when I was returning to the capital with your father after a campaign. Just before reaching the capital, we saw some. Your father said he wanted to catch them to give to you as additional dowry. But it was early spring, and there were too few fireflies, so nothing came of it... The day your father and I arrived in the capital was your wedding day. Instead of reporting to the palace first, your father brought me back to your Yun residence. I was fortunate enough to drink a cup of your wedding wine."

At the mention of her wedding day, the smile vanished from Yun Chu's face.

Her life had been completely shattered from that night onward...

Sensing her sudden change in mood, Chu Yi quickly changed the subject: "Madam Xie gave longevity locks to Yu Ge'er and Changsheng. I've also prepared a modest gift in return for you, Madam Xie. I hope you won't refuse it."Yun Chu was contemplating how to decline when Cheng Xu, an attendant by Chu Yi's side, approached with a tray bearing a piece of raw jade the size of an adult's palm.

It was an uncut gemstone, the red stone emitting a translucent glow under the moonlight.

"This is nothing particularly remarkable," Chu Yi began. "Like a common stone by the roadside or a wildflower in the forest, it merely represents my gratitude toward Lady Xie. Please accept it."

"Aunt Yun, you should take it!"

Chu Hongyu and Chu Changsheng appeared out of nowhere, together lifting the red stone and pressing it into Yun Chu's arms.

Seeing how things stood, Yun Chu knew that further refusal would seem affected. She smiled and said, "How about I use this jade to make a pendant for each of you—one for Yu Ge'er and one for Changsheng?"

Chu Hongyu pouted. "No, that won't do! This is a gift Father gave to you. How can you give it to me and my sister?"

Chu Yi felt a swell of pride—for once, the boy was showing some sense.

"We should make three pendants!" Chu Hongyu declared, flashing a bright, toothy grin. "One for me, one for my sister, and one for Aunt Yun! If there's any left over, we can make one for Father too."

Chu Yi: "..."

How thoughtful of the boy—leaving him with the scraps.