Chapter Eighteen: Can You Read Minds?

Update time: 2013-05-18

Although the order had been given to keep Yue Lianyue’s disappearance from spreading, it was impossible to keep everything under wraps in such a large household. Whispers inevitably leaked, as always, some rejoiced while others fretted. Yet of all that transpired within the Yue residence, Lianyue herself was surely oblivious at this moment.

Thirty li east of Lingyang City, deep within Phoenix Ridge, a girl of twelve or thirteen lay quietly asleep upon a warm jade bed, five feet square. Her porcelain cheeks and rosy, pursed lips gave her the innocence of a child. At her bedside sat a man clad in a black brocade robe. With two slender fingers, he traced, across the air, the delicate brows and features of the girl. A bronze mask covered his entire face, but the eyes exposed behind it brimmed with puzzlement. Why did this little one feel so familiar, so dear?

Suddenly, the girl's eyelids fluttered. The man in black swiftly withdrew his hand, rising to stand with his hands behind his back.

As Yue Lianyue slowly awoke, her mind was clouded and foggy. When did I fall asleep? The bed is so comfortable and warm! How strange. But shouldn't I be in the plum grove? Her brows knit. Suddenly, her body tensed. The plum grove! The man in black! Ziling! Little Tiger! Panic seized her, and she instinctively cried out, "Ah—help!"

Her scream startled the man in black, but seeing her eyes still tightly shut, arms and legs flailing, he gave a sudden laugh and teased, "There's only you and me here. Who do you expect to save you?"

Lianyue’s heart lurched. That voice—it was exactly like the man in black from the plum grove. Miserably, she thought, Why did I give myself away? Wouldn't it have been better to keep pretending to sleep? Never mind, better not open my eyes at all. Let's just treat this as a nightmare.

Strangely, it seemed that the man in black could sense her thoughts. His tone grew even more playful, "So, you plan to keep pretending to sleep?"

Inwardly, Yue Lianyue chanted, "No matter what, I won’t make a sound. I’m asleep, asleep, asleep..."

"You think I can’t hear what you’re thinking in your heart?"

She froze. She was sure she hadn’t spoken aloud. Realizing she could hide no longer, she reluctantly opened her eyes. Everything before her was unfamiliar, and the last shred of hope in her heart vanished. She silently lamented: It’s over, I’m finished, my luck has run out.

After her silent lament, she finally looked at the dark figure by the bed. The moment she noticed the bronze mask, an inexplicable sense of familiarity surged within her, even an urge to reach out and remove it. Before she could move, the man in black stepped back. Lianyue was slightly surprised, recalling his words just now, and asked, "How did you know what I was thinking? Can you read minds?"

The man in black was just as perplexed. "I don’t know why I know. But ever since I saw you, there’s been a voice in my mind telling me your thoughts."

As soon as he spoke, he paused, irritated with himself. Why did he feel compelled to answer whenever she questioned him? Today was truly odd. Ever since he saw her in the plum garden, a voice in his mind had urged him to investigate what the white-robed man was doing there. He had gone, only to have his presence discovered. When she wished no harm would come to those in the garden, he had deliberately thrown his flying knives wide, merely immobilizing the maid and the child. When she feared her family would worry, he had promised they could come to Phoenix Ridge in three days to fetch her. After bringing her here, that voice had insisted he place her on his own warm jade bed, and only then did he feel at ease. Why was this happening... He, too, wished to know.

"Why are you troubled?" Lianyue blurted out. Both of them stared at each other in surprise.

"You know what I’m thinking too?"

"I don’t even know how I know."

"What else do you know?"

"Whatever you want to know, it seems I want to know too!"

Shocked, Lianyue covered her mouth with a tiny fist. My goodness, neither of us actually spoke aloud! The man in black was equally astonished, his eyes wide.

"Stay here, and don’t go anywhere," he said, then hurried from the room, leaving Yue Lianyue alone. She sat quietly, feeling that foreign sense of panic and confusion in her heart until, suddenly, the sensation vanished and her mind cleared.

Gurgle~~ The sound came from her stomach. Lianyue’s cheeks flushed bright red. Fortunately, there was no one else in the room, or she’d have died of embarrassment. Well, so what if I’ve been kidnapped? The man in black doesn’t actually seem like a bad person. Time to accept my fate.

So hungry... Lianyue quickly scanned the room, her gaze settling on the pastries on the round table to her left. Swallowing hungrily, she got out of bed, pulled the silver hairpin from her hair, and poked it into a pastry to test for poison. When it didn’t change color, she swiftly picked up a piece and popped it in her mouth, chewing as she thought: Good thing I wore a silver hairpin today; otherwise, I wouldn’t dare eat anything. Even if he seems like a good person, Sister Lan always said, better safe than sorry.

Lianyue was truly famished. Even after finishing the pastries, she wasn’t full. She grumbled inwardly, Why didn’t they put out more food? So stingy!

She poured herself a cup of tea from the teapot, finally taking in her surroundings. The room was simply but neatly furnished, all sandalwood furniture, lacking in elaborate ornamentation. Apart from the comfortable warm jade bed, only a scholar’s desk stood on the right, equipped with ink, brush, paper, and inkstone.

Lianyue stared at the tightly closed door, struggling within herself before finally deciding to heed the man in black’s words and stay put. That warm jade bed was just too comfortable. She’d go sit for a while longer—hee hee.