One Life, One Incarnation, Beautiful Bones

47

Chapter 15.1 – To Leave Painted Only Half of One’s Face (1)

Zhousheng, with the single character given name, Chen.

Zhousheng, Chen.

Zhousheng Chen.

So many years have passed since being separated by life and death, yet never did your soul enter my dreams.[1]

Outside the boat, the rain came down in a fine, continuous drizzle. There was no wind.

Inside the boat, the light and shadows cast on the bamboo curtain seemed as if they had been infinitely stretched out as they fluttered slightly. The young couple in the adjoining space did not want to disturb them either and were not speaking loudly. And hence, she could only hear him, and he could only hear her.

She exhaled softly, and then said in a low voice, “Noble young master’s name… is one this lowly girl has heard before.”

His eyes were bright and clear. “From where was it heard?”

She seemed to grow serious. “Noble young master’s name is renowned through the land. Naturally, then, it would have been from the mouths of the common man.”

“Oh?” He smiled, “And what is it that is said?”

Her voice light and her eyes gazing straight into his, Shi Yi said, “ ‘Drunken he lays upon a stretch of white bones, uninhibited and free in song. A jug of wine, a single horse; in this world, how many are true rulers?’ ”

Zhousheng Chen fell silent for a moment, carefully absorbing her words.

He believed he could guess whom she was referring to. “You really like that Xiao Nanchen Prince?”

“You know about him?”

“Yes,” he told her. “He is in the Zhousheng family geneaology records. My name was taken from his.”

“Right…” She remembered, “Xiao Ren mentioned that to me. Would what’s written about him in your family’s geneaology records have more information than what’s commonly available?”

“There are only a few sentences.”

“What about that crown princess?”

“The Cui family’s daughter?”

It was rare to find a woman’s name documented in historical records. To have something such as “Cui family’s daughter” recorded was already considered a special treatment and was only because of her high and esteemed status.

“Mm-hmm. Is there anything?”

Zhousheng Chen thought back in his mind for a little while, but then shook his head and said, “No.”

So many years have passed since being separated by life and death. Apart from her, truly, no one would remember anymore.

For one brief moment, she stared out blankly in despondency.

The boat was swaying slightly. The boatman said that the rain seemed as if it would be coming down for the entire night and advised that it would be best if they returned to shore as soon as possible to allow the guests to be able to return home. Their boat pulled out from under the canopy created by the old trees and followed back along the same way they had come. After leaving the protection of the tree covering, quite a bit of rain would splatter in. With rain coming in on both sides of the boat, there was no place to hide from it. Zhousheng Chen pulled off his coat and covered Shi Yi’s legs with it.

Very shortly, his own trousers were soaked..

Prior to tonight, there had still been the remnants of summer heat in the air, but this rain really left behind the feeling of autumn.