Chapter Thirty-One: The Return of Memories

Update time: 2013-05-31

Lian Yue stared blankly at the scene before her, at the crisscrossed scars both new and old, and at the beads of fresh blood dripping down. Her heart ached as if it were being cut by a knife.

“It’s nothing, I’ll be fine soon. I’m already used to it,” Chu Chen said, feigning strength, though his lips grew paler with each word.

Lian Yue gazed at him, her heart wrung with pain. “How much more… how much do you need?”

“Elder Sister Yue, don’t ask Senior Brother, I’ll tell you. For a cup this size, we need three in total. And Aunt Lan said it must be Senior Brother’s blood; otherwise, I’d have done it for him already,” Yao Yao replied, her voice choked with tears.

Three cups—still three more cups. That was so much. Lian Yue looked at Chu Chen, who already looked faint from blood loss, and suddenly a thought flashed through her mind. If it had to be his blood, but we’re twins—my blood should work as well. Anxiously, she called out, “Yao Yao, stop his bleeding!”

“But—”

“No!”

“There’s no reason for it not to work! Chu Chen and I are twins; if his blood works, so does mine. He’s already so weak—any more and he could die!” Lian Yue rolled up her sleeve, reaching to snatch the sword from Chu Chen’s hand.

Everyone in the hall had been watching them, and at her words, questioning gazes fell upon them. Lian Yu spoke up directly, “Yue, what did you say? What do you mean, twins?”

Failing to seize the sword from Chu Chen, Lian Yue looked for another. “Elder Sister, I’ll explain later. In short, Chu Chen is also Father and Mother’s child. Qingfeng, lend me your sword.”

If anyone had looked into Yu Wen Lingxi’s eyes then, they would have been blinded by the dazzling light shining there.

Lian Yu eyed Chu Chen with suspicion, trying to digest the revelation. Meanwhile, Yue Lingjun responded quickly, “If what you say is true, could my blood work as well?”

Meng Lan glanced at the siblings, then at Meng Yanran in Yue Zhanpeng’s arms, and urged anxiously, “Don’t argue, any one of you four will do. The important thing is to hurry!”

Just as Lian Yue snatched the sword from Qingfeng, Yue Lingjun had already, without hesitation, drawn his sword and slashed his own wrist, catching the blood in a teacup. “Yue, let your elder brother do this. Qingfeng, take your sword back.”

Lian Yue looked at her brother and then at Chu Chen, her eyes misting over again. Yue Lingjun’s cut was deep, much deeper than Chu Chen’s, who had just been wounded and lost blood. While Chu Chen’s cup was still not full, Yue Lingjun had already filled two, which Qingfeng and Qingqiu carefully carried to Meng Lan.

Yue Lingjun glanced at Chu Chen, then walked over, pushed aside Chu Chen’s arm, and without a word reopened the stopped wound so his blood, too, dripped into the cup. Chu Chen stared dazedly at the mingling drops, a warmth rising in his heart he’d never felt before, letting a disciple bandage his wound.

When this cup was finally filled, Yue Lingjun’s face had gone pale. Lan Shui took the medicine and gauze from a disciple and carefully bandaged him. All eyes in the hall were fixed on the unconscious Meng Yanran.

Meng Lan took the cup from Yao Yao and carefully fed the blood to Meng Yanran, then checked her pulse, finally breathing a sigh of relief. She looked around and said, “Hold her steady; she cannot be moved even the slightest bit right now.”

Yue Zhanpeng nodded busily, holding Meng Yanran even more carefully, his gaze as gentle as honey.

Lian Yue watched her father, a bittersweet ache filling her heart. She edged closer into Lan Shui’s arms, finding them as warm as a mother’s embrace.

Gradually, the medicine took effect. Meng Yanran’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little. She rubbed her temples gently with her middle finger and slowly opened her eyes, her gaze locking with Yue Zhanpeng’s and never moving away.

“Senior Sister, could you remove the needles from my head?” Meng Yanran finally tore her eyes away, struggling to sit up several times but unable to break free from that strong embrace. She gave up and spoke unhurriedly.

Meng Lan’s eyes widened in shock. “How did you know?”

Meng Yanran smiled bitterly. “Senior Sister, I know my own body. After all these years, I could guess even if you didn’t say. It didn’t seem important before, but now I really want to know what happened to me.”

“No.”

“Absolutely not.”

Meng Lan and Yue Zhanpeng spoke at once, firm and unyielding.

Meng Lan glanced at Yue Zhanpeng in surprise, not expecting his refusal.

“If you’ve guessed, I won’t hide it. I put the needles there, but it’s for your own good. If you still see me as your senior sister, don’t ask me to remove them.” Meng Lan helped her up from Yue Zhanpeng’s arms, her face stern, taking on the air of a senior.

“Senior Sister…”

“Enough, I won’t agree.”

The two women stared at each other, neither willing to yield.

Lian Yue watched their standoff, unsure whom to support. On the one hand, she desperately wished her mother would remember them, remember her father—this feeling of meeting yet not being recognized was deeply suffocating. On the other, she feared for her mother’s health. She’d just witnessed how much it cost—three brothers’ worth of blood—to maintain this fragile peace. If removing the needles would make things worse, she would rather her mother remain as she was.

In the end, it was Meng Yanran who looked away first, and Meng Lan sighed in relief, only to be stopped short by Meng Yanran’s next words.

“Yao Yao, you do it.”

“Ah… Me?” Yao Yao’s face fell, her eyes pleading, Why? Why is it always me? There are so many people here! Her big eyes blinked helplessly. “Master, I don’t think I can…”

Meng Yanran gave Yao Yao a dazzling smile, feigning confusion. “Yao Yao, you don’t want to help your master?”

Oh heavens, she’s gone mad! Master, how can you be so beautiful? Yao Yao loved it, what to do? No, I must resist… Can’t hold on… Master is smiling again, even more beautiful… I can’t resist at all…

Defeated, Yao Yao nodded weakly and shuffled over to Meng Yanran, who obligingly bent her head.

Lian Yue watched the exchange in astonishment, her mouth agape in admiration. Yao Yao was truly… she had to admit defeat. But Mother was formidable—she could win over even Yao Yao. Then she realized what Yao Yao had agreed to. Indeed, the young one was already parting her mother’s hair. Lian Yue hesitated, wondering if she should intervene, but the others, not knowing the full situation, did not move.

But Yao Yao’s actions lit a fuse in one person—the Elder Meng Lan. She was furious, shouting, “Yao Yao, do you want to kill your master?”

Yao Yao shrank back, hastily withdrawing her hands, and pleaded, “No, no, how could I… But Aunt Lan, how could I refuse when Master asked me like that…”

“Senior Sister, I’ve made up my mind. Don’t frighten Yao Yao,” Meng Yanran’s voice, tinged with dissatisfaction, sounded again. “Yao Yao, let’s continue.”

Yao Yao twisted her hands in distress, her gaze seeking help from everyone present, whether she knew them or not.

“Junior Sister, since you know your own condition, you should understand what unlocking your memory means. If anything goes wrong, you could lose your mind and your life!” Meng Lan’s words struck the hall like lightning, sobering everyone.

Yue Zhanpeng also hurried to stop her. “You can’t risk this—I won’t allow it.”

“Fourth Sister, no—Sect Leader Meng, I, Zhou Man, also think the needle must not be removed.”

“Master, please reconsider. I think we should wait,” Chu Chen added.

Everyone who could speak up tried to dissuade her, except for Lian Yue, Lan Shui, and the other three, who truly did not know what to say.

Meng Yanran smiled faintly, her gaze passing over everyone. “Please, do not try to dissuade me. If you know me, you know my temperament. I truly want to unlock those memories, to know if I am the Yue’er you speak of, to understand what kind of person your ‘Fourth Sister’ was.” Her gaze lingered on the three family heads, then finally settled on Lian Yue and Chu Chen. “I also want to know what my relationship is with these children.”

“Senior Sister, I fear if I don’t remember now, I may never have another chance. Please, help me?”

Meng Lan’s heart softened under her sister’s pleading eyes, but she could not bring herself to do it. She stiffened her face, flung her sleeves, and strode out of the hall. “Do as you wish, but don’t come seeking my help if you regret it.”

Meng Yanran watched her sister leave with deep regret in her eyes. She knew only too well that her sister was acting for her sake. Without her, she would not have survived until now. But if she missed this chance, she might never have another in her lifetime. She put away her regret and turned to the helpless Yao Yao. “Yao Yao, begin.”

Yao Yao knitted her brow but nodded. Her small hands parted Meng Yanran’s hair, deftly finding the tip of the needle. Glancing around at the tense faces, she suddenly felt calm herself. “Master, bear with it. I’m taking out the needle now.” With a skillful flick, she pulled out a slender silver needle.