CHAPTER 68: Painting
She conjured a small, clear fish from water, placed the sealed note into its round belly, and then opened the window to let it go.
Lan Wu stood by the window, watching until the fish disappeared into the thick, dark clouds. She finally returned to her senses, glancing up at the moon, now almost completely obscured by the cloud cover.
It seemed rain would fall tonight.
She closed the window, put away her paper and brush, and carefully returned the box to its original place. A casual glance caught a thick Compendium of Demons prominently displayed on the bookshelf.
How surprising that Ji Lingyue would read such a thing.
Curious, she pulled the book out. The cover was old and worn, its edges crumpled, as if it had been read often. Lan Wu lowered her gaze, skimming through descriptions of various demons until she reached the page about merfolk.
On the yellowed page, besides a brief introduction, half a page of annotations had been written. She recognized Ji Lingyue’s handwriting, much neater and more elegant than the messy scrawls she remembered from years ago.
After reading a few lines, she couldn’t help but read them aloud:
“Merfolk cannot endure intense heat or severe cold, abstain from meat, and avoid oily or spicy foods. They possess striking beauty with distinctively colored eyes that shine like moonlight. Even in human form, they drink water frequently and prefer humid, fresh environments where spring seems eternal. Though generally gentle-natured and rarely hostile, they may employ sweet words and deception in their dealings with humans, thus cannot be fully trusted…”
Her voice grew progressively quieter as curiosity gave way to guilt. She paused, then turned another page, but her movement stopped abruptly.
It, too, was filled with dense writing, but the handwriting was not as neat as before. It was messy and chaotic, each stroke digging deep into the paper, as if imbued with intense emotion.
Lan Wu, Lan Wu, Lan Wu, Lan Wu…
She stared at the page filled with her name, her long lashes trembled as she hurriedly closed the book. A folded white paper fluttered out, landing on the floor. Lan Wu bent to pick it up, but just one glance at its contents filled her with remorse.
It was a portrait of her.
In the portrait, she wore the snow-white robes of Haochen Mountain, but her silver hair and blue eyes were unmistakably those of a demon. She was smiling, her gaze directed at the viewer.
Ji Lingyue hadn’t been skilled at painting back then, but the portrait was incredibly lifelike, as if each strand of hair was visible. She must have practiced hundreds of times, memorizing her features, to have created such a realistic likeness.
It seems she had still underestimated Ah Yue’s feelings for her…
Lan Wu studied the portrait for a long time before carefully putting it away and leaving the study.
“Ah Yue?”
A moment later, Lan Wu pushed open the door to the bedroom, only to find it locked from the inside. She frowned in confusion, wondering what she’d done to upset Ji Lingyue this time. After knocking twice with no response, she wandered out to the deck, sitting down and resting her cheek on her hand while watching the passing clouds.
Plip…
At some point, the first raindrop fell from the clouds, followed by a torrent of rain. The barrier surrounding the flying ship kept the water out, leaving only the soft patter of rainfall in their ears.
Lan Wu blinked, her view of the rain streaming down the barrier growing blurry. In a flash, the scene changed to a closed door, with night pearls casting a soft light throughout the small room.
She raised an eyebrow in understanding, stood up, and smoothed her clothes before turning to the woman who had summoned her inside, “Not angry anymore?”
“Why would I be angry?” Ji Lingyue retorted, her pretty face still set in a pout. Lan Wu smiled, walking towards her. Standing before her, she asked softly, “But I really don’t know what you’re angry about. Can you tell me?”
Ji Lingyue was silent for a moment before reaching out and clutching her sleeve. “It’s like… you always have other things to worry about. But I want you to look at me, just like I… always look at you.”
Lan Wu couldn’t help but laugh. “Doesn’t that sound a little creepy?”
Ji Lingyue glared at her. “You know what I mean.”
Lan Wu hummed. “If that’s the case, why didn’t you call me earlier?”
“It’s not like I can’t tell what’s important,” Ji Lingyue mumbled. “I really wanted to call you, but I can… can compromise a little.”
Lan Wu blinked, her smile slowly fading as she sighed. “But you can’t revolve entirely around me, Ah Yue. Your life can’t always be about me. You need to have your own interests, your own… things that you care about…”
Ji Lingyue looked up, her expression matter-of-fact. “The only thing I care about is you.”
Lan Wu found herself momentarily speechless. After a while, she suddenly frowned and asked, “If I hadn’t left back then, would you still feel this way about me?”
The woman blinked, looking at her with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I…” Lan Wu’s frown deepened, but looking into her clear eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to speak the words. “Never mind. We’ll discuss these things slowly, later.” She brushed a strand of hair from Ji Lingyue’s brow. “For now, let’s get some rest.”
