- Moonblossom -
Chapter 3 – Part 2 of 2
“Miss?”
“Hmm?” She did not turn back.
“The people of Cloud Manor has prepared a change of
clothing. Do you wish to change?”
“No.” She is used to her
own clothing. It feels more natural and
safer.
“Do you wish me to comb your hair?”
“That will be good.” And she sat on a big rock. She stroked the jade flute that she always
had with her. Her eyes landed on a small
creek and she started to contemplate at the reflection of the crescent moon on
the waters.
He Zai deftly removed her hair ring and gently combed her long
hair.
“What is Miss thinking of?”
She said rather listlessly: “I am thinking if someone would fall
for a beauty’s temptation and done the deed in a moment of folly.”
“Is Miss referring to Protector Che and Gong Sun Yun?”
Who else could there be?
Once night has fallen, she has hastily grabbed some food and led He Zai
away from base camp. She would not peep,
would not eavesdrop. Even if the images were
guaranteed to be stimulating, she would remain calm as water and would not let
her imagination run wild.
Although she was still curious what expression would cross the
face of Gentleman Xian Yun? Would his
iceberg façade finally slip? If it did,
what could one find underneath?
She mumbled more to herself.
“I did not notice in the past but have she ever missed when she goes
hunting?”
“Miss was young and would not have noticed. What Protector Che wants, she would
definitely find a way to get it.” He has
completed tying her hair. “Would Miss
like to touch up your make-up?”
She thought about it and nodded. “What will be good.” Seemed like Gong Sun Yun would not be able to
escape tonight.
He Zai turned to face her and applied her make-up with expert
strokes under the dim light. She looked
at him and asked suddenly: “He Zai, you are from the Central Plains too so you
should understand Gong Sun Yun better in some aspects. People from the Central Plains are usually
more restrained so most would not be able to withstand the onslaught of a
hot-blooded young woman, is that right?”
“For someone who came to a high post when young, the person must
have a strong will. Oherwise there is no way he could have held on to the
position for long.” He could only reply
as such.
She did not quite buy his words. “It would depend on what is at
stake. No one is perfect, and Gong Sun
Yun is bound to have some weakness.
Furthermore, the beauty trap is one trap which most heroes would find
difficult to resist… "
“He Zai, there is still time if you turn back now. Even if you have the Sky Slave mark, He Rong
Hua would not abandon you.”
He Zai was silent. After
a while he answered: “I will follow Miss.”
She did not ask for his reason. In any case, she believed he
would regret it in the end. Whatever
moving or touching words that she is hearing now cannot be trusted.
“Do you think Sect Leader would let me off if I return with a
head of white hair?”
“Unless Miss is dead, Sect Leader would never let you off.”
“There is no need for you to sound so sure.” She is already disheartened as it is; he
do not need to punch her to the ground.
“Miss would have guessed that Sect Leader would bring us back if
you let me return for my father’s funeral, but you still permitted my
trip. Why?”
Her face remained expressionless as she stroked her precious
jade flute. She closed her eyes to enjoy
the night breeze. “Because… I respect
the elderly.”
He Zai gazed at her face. “That is not how this phrase is used.”
She laughed. “That is the
only way I know how to talk. If He Zai
wants to follow me, you must learn to be accustomed to the way I speak.”
He Zai nodded. “Miss is
correct. Since I have decided to be with
Miss, it is only right I get used to the way you speak.”
Her face was still expressionless but the hand that was touching
the flute trembled.
“Go take a look at Che Yan Yan and see if she has succeeded. If
both of them are still lovey-dovey, go figure where Gong Sun Zhi and the rest
of the Sky Slaves are, and we will stick with them tonight to prevent any mishaps.”
He Zai left silently.
The breezy summer night contained a hint of humidity. Looks like there will be a thunderstorm
tomorrow. She started to pace to and fro
but when she realized that her fingers were still trembling, she gave a wan
laugh. So He Rong Hua was not diseased-stricken,
he was merely overwhelmed by his brother’s return.
There was little semblance between today’s He Zai and his
younger self. The fact that He Rong Hua
could recognize him instantly, especially in his heavy make-up, indicated
that he has been planning this reunion for quite some time. She looked at her own shaking fingers and realized
that she has quite a number of weaknesses to overcome since she was behaving like
He Zai’s brother when excited.
Follow her?
Although He Zai did not say so explicitly, she knew that the
word “follow” encompasses one lifetime.
She also knew this was easier said than done. Although He Rong Hua has hoped that his
brother could stay in Tian He Manor, she knew He Zai has chosen to follow her
because it was not just his looks that has changed. Whoever he is inside has also changed. He is no longer suited to live in the Central
Plains so his only choice was to be with her.
And she is very happy to have him.
The warm breeze blew her thoughts back to the present. They will be out of the Central Plains in
another two days. Sect Leader will
definitely do something. She will stake
her life that Che Yan Yan’s appearance cannot be simply to bring her back. What will happen? He will pass his master’s seat to his
successor within the year, what will he do to force her hand?
She was pondering on this when she felt a chill at her back. There was little light in the woods, but she
could see the slender outline of a man about ten paces away. If not for the gentle movement of his
clothing in the wind, she could almost believe there was no one.
“Miss Yun.”
The voice was clear as a stream flowing down the mountains.
“Gentleman Xian Yun. It
is late….” So one of the lovebirds have flown.
She wondered how he managed to escape.
“Precisely because it is late, Miss should return to the camp
and rest.” His voice contained his
customary aloofness but when he stepped out from the shadows into the
moonlight, she saw that he was smiling.
She eyes rounded in surprise while he brushed past her to sit on
a rock. “If you are wondering how I
managed to find you, it is because of the bell you are wearing.” When she did not reply, he continued smiling:
“Or are you mesmerized by my smile?”
“…surely you jest, Gentleman Xian Yun.” She has to shake herself out of her reverie
with god-almighty effort but her voice still sounded a trifle hoarse. She took a step a forward and studied him.
What did she just see? When he smiled…. she dazed off again.
“… slim throat and curving neck, the pale flesh lies open to
view …red lips that shed their light abroad, pearl-like teeth gleaming within….
Bright eyes skilled at glances, ….” [Sidenote:
this is a verse from the poetic essay on Luo Shen, the Water Fairy. The next verse is “a dimple to round off the
base of the cheek”]
“Miss Yun?”
“Please ignore me. Recently I seem to have an affinity with Luo
Shen… Do you have dimples, Gentleman Xian Yun?”
He gave a start and appeared to be
smiling again. “Miss Yun must be paying close attention to have found out.”
She recovered from her daze and
coughed. So Gentleman Xian Yun has
dimples. Would it benefit her in any way
if she spread the news?
He turned serious. “There are
some things that is inconvenient for me to say during the day. Now that there are only two of us, I shall be
frank. If you wish to leave Bai Ming Sect, Cloud Manor could offer you
assistance.”
They stared at each other for a
long time before she broke the silence.
“Cloud Manor is a neutral entity and I have heard pugilists recounting
the adventures of its Gentlemen over their cup of afternoon tea. However, I do not recall hearing any stories that
the Manor or its disciples are life-saving bodhisattvas.
“That is because I am not on
close terms with them.”
“If you are making an exception
for me because I saved you before, your sums do not seem to add up. To be frank, you are not the only prominent pugilist
I rescued in the last few years…”
His gaze sharpened and he sounded
strange. “Did all of them came from Tian Bi cliff?”
“Of course not. You are the only
one who came from Tian Bi Cliff. What I
am trying to say that is that my help is simple and is no different from
lifting a hand. But what you are offering is as good as pitting yourself
against Bai Ming Sect. If I accepted
your offer, would I not end up owing you big time?”
“Is it important who owes
who? Why don’t you give it some
thought? If you say the word, I would be
very glad to help.”
No, it is not really important
who owes who. Besides, defaulting on
payment is not unusual. The question is
- what is Gong Sun Yun really after?
Ding dang, ding dang… someone was
approaching. He got up from the rock and
folded his sleeves. “Different sects
from Central Plains have been sending people to follow us ever since we left
Tian He Manor. I have already told them
to back off, as well as gotten other Gentleman to persuade them to drop the
trail. Although Miss is innocent, your
identity makes you an easy target.” He looked at a point behind her shoulder. “I will do my utmost to protect Miss and not
let anyone have a chance to strike.”
“Thank you Gentleman. With your
promise, I feel more at ease now.”
“Then let us return to camp.”
She smiled and followed his footsteps. If Che Yan Yan was unsuccessful tonight, she
should not blame it on her. If anything,
she could only blame deity-from-nine-heavens for his will power. Or maybe he was
simply not the kind who would fall for beauty traps?
He Zai has followed behind her and she asked him in low tones.
“Are there people trailing us?”
“Yes. They are some young men who started trailing us since Tian
He Manor.”
She sighed and replied in the same low tone. “Our Sky Slaves have
always been a sore point with pugilists from Central Plains. I think they will wait until Gong Sun Yun
leaves before they strike. But if Gong
Sun Yun is persuading them to leave, I think they would respect his request. My only worry now is Sect Leader…” It was such a headache. It was not difficult
to second-guess a normal person. But to predict the actions of a mad man was
sheer torture. How could she guess what
he thinks when she is not a whacko? The
only thing she could be sure is that something will definitely happen because
Sect Leader would never have passed up such an opportunity!
When they returned, she saw Gong Sun Yun resting together with
Gong Sun Zhi, while Che Yan Yan was resting in another corner with her Sky
Slaves. She was sitting
very straight and her eyes were
blazing with anger while her face was flushed.
“What happened to her?”
He Zai: “Someone has immobilized
her.”
She couldn’t help looking at Gong
Sun Yun. Is this man straight? Che Yan Yan is like a fresh bloom and instead
of plucking it, he actually planted her back to the soil? He felt her gaze on him and returned her look,
his eyes calm as water.
Her heart skipped a beat and she
looked away. She sat down and He Zai put
a blanket over her knees. “You can sleep
behind me.”
“Yes.”
He Zai proceeded to sit crossed
legged behind her, his back to her back.
From afar, they looked like they were garnering warmth from each other,
but it was also a position for watching each other’s back. She was very accustomed to this arrangement but
someone was apparently not used to their habit.
Gong Sun Yun looked at her, his
normally expressionless eyes rippling like water. She closed her eyes to shut him out. Recently, verses from the Luo Shen poem has wandered
unbidden into her mind when she least expects them to, and she has no intention to continue
her recollection of the poetic essay on the Water Fairy.
She felt very happy tonight. For
one, she received a promise from He Zai - an easier-said-then-done promise is
still a promise. At the same time, another
man has smiled at her.
A parent to everyone… the people
of Cloud Manor must have seen him like this frequently. If his martial arts were as good as reported,
she was likely his only savior which was why he would treat her like family and
care for her like one.
His smile was not mesmerizing because
it lit up his features, but because of its warmth. She took it as much as the woods would
welcome a spring breeze and the feeling was like having received a precious
gift. No wonder he was always expressionless; he
probably reserved his expressions only for his family. It was a pity she did not have a family, so
she will not dwell on it or harbor any regrets.
She closed her eyes. She felt very safe leaning on He Zai, and she
quickly fell asleep thinking of smiles like warm spring breezes. She knew
such smiles are like drugs and cannot be indulged. Even in sleep, she resisted their pull while her
sub-consciousness continued to ponder on her future path with He Zai.
Chapter links:
Wang Yun just can't get Gong Sun Yun out of her mind, can she? She keeps thinking whether Che Yan Yan succeed in her beauty trap.. Besides over-thinking this, I do wonder if she has started to develop feelings for him without realising it herself.
ReplyDelete"Gong Sun Yun looked at her, his normally expressionless eyes rippling like water."
Obviously someone is jealous here of Wang Yun and He Zai closeness.
"when reading,we don't fall in love with the character's appearance. We fall in love with their words,their thought, and their hearts. We fall in love with their soul"
ReplyDeleteI totally agree :)
Deletethank you ms. moonblossom it was another great reading..
ReplyDelete—“To be frank, you are not the only prominent pugilist I rescued in the last few years…”
ReplyDelete—His gaze sharpened and he sounded strange. “Did all of them came from Tian Bi cliff?”
Haha, I can just imagine Gong Sun Yun's thoughts— 'so who else was spying on you at the hot springs besides me?' The so-called deity's rather funny when he's jealous. He Zai was quite sweet this chapter.
LOL. oh my, i never knew the hidden meaning behind that sentence XD
Deletewang yun must be extra careful after she saved xian yun from Tian Be Cliff :p
another speedy translation. thank you so much moonblossom :)
ReplyDeletei like he zai devotion but i can't imagine he can move one step closer to wang yun. has he ever show any interest other than master-slave relationship to wang yun?
and for xian yun, i like that he feels jealous. he should tell her directly that he want her to stay in central plains.
this novel make me love and hate both the male leads. There is no perfect male lead here.
I had a dream last night that there will be a new chapter of Gentlemen Free Floating Cloud and lo and behold I get a surprise chapter in the morning.
ReplyDeleteHe Zai is so devoted to Wang Yun, if only she knew why.
I'm loving Xian Yun more with every chapter. Wang Yun doesn't realise it yet but she has started to have feeling for me. she kept thinking about Che Yan Yan and seemed so dazed when Xian Yun smiled at her.
Speaking of that, I think he did that on purpose. Wang Yun had mentioned to 5th Gentleman about Xian Yun smiling at Che Yan Yan, so obviously this news went straight to Xian Yun and now how could he resist smiling at her now.
Xian Yun jealous is making me squeal like a girl.
I was thinking he is trying to charm her into staying. Afterall, they only have 2 more days before they part for good. To quote her words in a past chapter, what is the use of looks if you don't used it to your advantage? Ha.ha.
DeleteYou are right. He is using his beauty to charm Wang Yun. And its even working. She is slain by his pretty.... Lol
DeleteA sweet offer of XY to pragmatic and cautious WY *swoon* she's starting to notice him wt physical attraction...he is very brave to offer her a way out... The thing is, XY def wants WY. . .how will she handle him and the sect leader ? Its the.same in real life situations....how will we get or handle.all the things we want *sigh*
Deleteso nice!!! i like both main males :) looking forward to next chapter. thank you for your hard work
ReplyDeletei am relatively new to reading translated chinese novels in general, but this is a really interesting chinese novel...
ReplyDeletei have a few questions though...
1. the left and right protectors of the bai ming sect are both females right now, and huang fu yun inherited the position from her mother... so both the protectors being females, is that always the case? or can males have said position?
2. it is said the sect leader is chosen from either left or right protector... but the sect leader right now is male, isn't it? was he the previous right protector who later gained the position? since huang fu yun's mother who was the previous left protector died.
based on the prologue and first three chapters i have read so far, i have a theory that both the left and right protectors are females, and that whomever is later chosen - said female's husband/partner will be the one to assume the sect leader position.
so when huang fu yun was chosen when she was fifteen, it was not just because of her but also because of her one sky slave he zai? meaning the sect leader chose both huang fu yun and he zai...
Hahah I think you have put more thought into the sect background then the author did. I remember saying her mother was the previous protector but it could have been her father too, I'm not sure if it is stated specifically at the middle part of the novel, perhaps Moonblossom noticed it.
DeleteIt's never stated if the sect leader was the previous left or right protector, though it would seem more like he was the right protector since Huang Fu Yun's parents died.
Nope, the cool thing about the sect leader and the unorthodox sect is that woman can be leaders in their own right (which is so kick ass). Plus, being a sky slave is a very demeaning thing in the sect and the Central Plains so he definitely did not choose Huang Fu Yun because of He Zai, and only because Huang Fu Yun is as smart as him (though he is probably still more sly because he is heartless).
choosing huang fu yun because of he zai may not be the sole reason for choosing huang fu yun but it could be one of the factors, couldn't it? it has been reiterated a few times that he zai and huang fu yun are always inseparable.
Deletehuang fu yun would be an awesome sect leader in her own right... but she does not want it, and instead wants a different life entirely.
so excited for the rest of the story!
I do not recall reading that she inherited the position from her mom in the earlier chapters. All chinese families follow the same surname as the father, so I actually thought her dad was the Left Protector.
DeleteThe author says the Sect Leader is 'usually' chosen among the 2 Protectors so it is not a hard and fast rule. Whoever has the highest skills and schemes will always get the master seat or royal throne in such stories.
Hope the above clarifies.