Chapter 19 Chapter 19

Chapter 19

1

She had no idea how long she'd been outside.

Lin Chenxin leaned against the wall and stood up, clenching her jaw as she forced herself to walk away.

Her eyes blazed, burning especially bright in the darkness.

She didn’t encounter anyone else along the way and smoothly returned to Junzi Courtyard.

Standing at the entrance, she abruptly halted her steps.

The place she had finally grown accustomed to suddenly seemed eerie and terrifying.

The shadow of the withered tree on the ground looked like a monstrous creature with outstretched claws. The empty courtyard was eerily desolate, and even the wind welcoming summer carried an unusual chill.

Lin Chenxin shuddered, feeling a coldness seep through her pores.

She turned to look at the tightly closed study door ahead, her eyes flickering with complex emotions.

Then she took a deep breath and inched step by step toward the bedroom hung with red lanterns.

Her pace quickened until she finally rushed inside in one go and closed the door.

Soon after, the sound of a heavy object being moved echoed as a thick wardrobe blocked the broken window facing the backyard.

Outside, the wind rustled the tassels on the red lanterns, setting them swaying on the ground.

The night was quiet.

As if nothing was different from usual.

—

Lin Chenxin fell ill.

She said she was sick.

She didn’t go to serve tea or pay respects, nor did she step out of her room.

Ms. Liang didn’t ask for a reason or send anyone to check on her.

Only a procession of servants brought in various precious medicinal herbs before quietly leaving.

Whether she went to serve tea didn’t matter at all, and whether she was truly ill didn’t matter either.

Everything had returned to its original state.

The remote Junzi Courtyard became secluded and desolate once more. No one enthusiastically knocked on the study door in the morning, no one bustled in and out of the courtyard, and no one tirelessly chanted the spell for the seeds to sprout every day.

Summer was approaching.

But the sunlight wasn’t as brilliant as it had been in spring.

A thick haze, like dark clouds, loomed over Junzi Courtyard, blocking out the sun’s rays.

Lin Chenxin sat on the bed, covering her ears pretending she couldn't hear the sounds outside.

Yet the clanking of moving chains still echoed from the backyard.

The more she tried not to listen, the clearer it became.

Besides the chains, she could also hear the sound of water being poured.

Not too much, not too little—exactly the amount she had earnestly instructed every day before leaving.

Chen Gujun remembered.

Lin Chenxin lowered her head, feeling a surge of anger.

She was angry at herself for making a promise too soon yesterday, only to hide away today, turning her confident declaration of “not being afraid” into an absurd joke.

But she couldn’t control the inner turmoil.

The words she had overheard last night lingered in her ears like a curse.

She was just an ordinary person, after all.

At some point, the sound of chains stopped.

She lowered her hands from her ears and stared blankly ahead.

After a while, she checked her phone. There was still no news about her sister’s kidney donor, but her sister was being well cared for at the hospital.

The doctor said she had a strong will to live, actively cooperating with treatment every day. With such unwavering determination, she was bound to achieve a good outcome.

Meanwhile, her once-thin little brother had filled out.

His small face was rosy and plump, having developed soft baby fat.

The principal said her brother was very well-behaved and sensible. Even when missing her, he would only hide under the covers and cry silently, not letting anyone notice.

Lin Chenxin’s heart tightened painfully.

She lowered her head and covered her eyes.

What should she do?

For the first time, she felt at a loss.

Should she run away?

The moment this thought arose, a feather fell on the other side of the scale.

Chen Gujun’s weight was far less than what rested on the other side, yet his presence was so strong it was impossible to ignore.

She curled her body into a ball, burying her face in her knees, her fingers gripping her pant legs tightly.

She didn’t want to be a coward.

Nor did she want to betray the visible kindness Chen Gujun had shown her these past days.

But she also didn’t know if she would die!

After an unknown amount of time, she opened her eyes, glistening with moisture.

Soon after, she closed them again, her hands on her knees clenching and unclenching.

She told herself.

Just wait a little longer.

Even if she wanted to flee, escaping wouldn't be easy.

This excuse lodged itself in her mind, adding a little more weight to that feather.

——

For the next two days, Lin Chenxin never left her room.

Starting yesterday, the servants stopped delivering her three daily meals on time.

Lin Chenxin hadn't eaten for a day and a night. The prolonged mental strain had left her utterly exhausted. Leaning against the headboard, she drifted in and out of consciousness before finally succumbing to it.

Meanwhile, the vast Chen residence was eerily quiet inside and out.

This silence was different from before, thick with a dead stillness.

It felt as if the entire estate was preparing for something.

Suddenly, Lin Chenxin jolted awake from a dream, opening her eyes to find it was already dark.

She snapped to full alertness instantly, her heart pounding violently.

Clank.

Clank.

Clank-clank...

Wave after wave of clanking chains rang out not far away, unnervingly eerie in the quiet night.

She knew something was wrong almost immediately.

Chen Gujun didn't walk like that.

After startling her initially, Chen Gujun had deliberately controlled the shackles on his legs, never dragging them to produce such a terrifying noise.

Yet now, from the study two rooms away, the sounds grew increasingly violent, each clank of the chains sinister, as if striking directly at one's heart.

Suddenly, with a "bang," the study door swung open.

The heavy sound of chains drew closer, reaching the bedroom door almost instantly.

Under the clear moonlight, a tall, thin silhouette was thrown onto the door.

Lin Chenxin's breath hitched, her pupils trembling uncontrollably.

Intense oppression brought on uncontrollable fear.

Her hands and feet turned icy cold, her face pale and bloodless.

The person outside the door remained motionless, staring straight at her through the thin wooden door as if hunting prey, exuding a chilling, oppressive aura.

She didn't know what Chen Gujun had become, but through the tall, thin shadow on the door, she could still feel the overwhelming coldness and danger.

She inched backward, not daring to look away for even a moment.

A heavy vase was placed right beside her hand, ready to be shattered at any moment.

In the utter silence, the two sides confronted each other across the door in the pitch-black night.

Suddenly, the person outside moved.

Lin Chenxin's heart clenched, and she immediately seized the vase beside her.

But she saw the person outside turn and leave—*clang*—breaking the lock next door.

Then came the sound of a door being pushed open, creaking from disrepair, along with stumbling collisions and the muffled, agonizing sounds of chains.

A chair toppled over. Porcelain shattered.

The chaotic clatter of chains grew even more piercing.

Lin Chenxin's face turned deathly pale. She covered her ears tightly, feeling almost breathless.

Those sounds unsettled her, making her tense, as if an invisible hand were squeezing her heart.

Gritting her teeth, she lowered her head and curled her body into a ball.

She didn't know how much time had passed when the chain sounds suddenly stopped.

Lin Chenxin opened her eyes and slowly released her hands. All around was a deathly silence.

But she seemed to hear suppressed, painful panting, like that of a trapped beast.

—"He's a monster, a man-eating monster."

—"I am a monster, a man-eating monster."

Two different voices echoed in her ears.

The Second Young Miss's eyes held fear, and the resentment that grew from that fear, like a poison that could tear through one's guts.

And Chen Gujun's gaze...

She hadn't seen the look in Chen Gujun's eyes when he said those words.

Why hadn't she looked into his eyes then?

Just a thin wall away, it was Chen Gujun's final effort.

Lin Chenxin pressed her lips tightly together.

Gradually, she set aside her fear, her gaze clear and bright as she looked ahead.

Another voice rose firmly within her heart.

Chen Gujun was not a man-eating monster.

——

She sat quietly until dawn, only moving to get out of bed when bright light pierced through the crack under the door.

The moment her feet touched the floor, her legs gave way, and she knelt down on the ground.

With great effort, she straightened up, only to be hit by another wave of dizziness.

Her face was pale, with pronounced dark circles under her eyes.

Yet her gaze remained sharp as she stared forward and pulled the door open.

The sun, clearing the high wall, cast dazzling golden light upon Lin Chenxin.

Bathed in the sunlight, she let out a soft sigh.

A moment later, she turned to look at the broken door next door—the shattered lock lay in fragments on the ground, and the splintered door panels bore stark witness to the violence of the previous night.

She closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and then walked over.

Sunlight always seemed to bring an extraordinary kind of courage.

As she drew closer, she could feel a nameless chill and sense of oppression emanating from within.

It was as if the sunlight could not penetrate this room, stopping right at the threshold.

Standing at the doorway, Lin Chenxin caught her breath at the sight inside.

Overturned furniture, along with shattered porcelain fragments, lay scattered across the floor.

A figure leaned against the shadows in the corner, long hair spread out, covering half of his body.

That hair had visibly turned white, spilling in a long, loose cascade across the floor.

His bare feet, pale skin exposed, rested on the ground, shackled with heavy chains—vivid red symbols and bruises, dark purple to the point of black, stood out starkly.

From a distance, it looked like a tortured, aged prisoner on the brink of death.

Lin Chenxin’s fingers clenched and then relaxed.

She stared straight at Chen Gujun, who seemed to merge with the shadows, and walked in with determined steps.

It was only when she drew near that she saw the bright red silk tied tightly around his wrists, so tight it seemed ready to snap the bones.

Overnight, his grayish-white hair had turned snow-white, spilling long across the floor, and his black nails had grown sharp and long, tapered to dangerous points.

This appearance, so far from human, was filled with a supernatural horror, yet the emaciated frame and self-restraining posture evoked only pity and wretchedness.

Holding her breath, she crouched down and gently brushed aside Chen Gujun’s hair, her eyes shining with a clear, soft light.

When she saw the cloth tied over his mouth soaked through with deep red bloodstains, her heart clenched into a tight knot.

At this moment, every last bit of fear had vanished.

2

Trembling, she continued to push aside Chen Gujun’s disheveled hair, an indescribable emotion turning into a sour lump in her throat.

Chen Gujun had aged dramatically.

Both his eyebrows and eyelashes had turned completely white.

It was as if what little vitality he had left had been drained overnight.

For a long time, she made no sound, as if speaking would release the sourness lodged in her throat.

Warm sunlight slowly crept in from beyond the threshold, gently covering Lin Chenxin’s back.

Softening her voice, she opened her mouth and called, “Chen Gujun.”

Golden light dispelled the shadows in the corner, falling upon Chen Gujun’s bare feet.

He opened his eyes, his lashes trembling. Under the glaring light, a drop of bright red blood fell from his dark, abyssal eyes.

A figure suddenly appeared before him, shielding him from the sunlight that unintentionally harmed him.

Lin Chenxin stared wide-eyed, panic written across her face.

“Chen Gujun, you…”

At a loss, Lin Chenxin reached out, carefully touching the blood droplet sliding down his face.

But Chen Gujun seemed not to hear her voice. He stared fixedly at the shock in Lin Chenxin’s eyes—her face filled with fluster and tension, lips slightly parted, silently forming words.

The dazzling sunlight now enveloped Lin Chenxin entirely, casting a brilliant golden glow upon her.

Those clear amber eyes resembled beautiful luminous orbs gazing into his face.

Then, the cloth over his mouth loosened. The approaching light seemed to undo his bindings, bringing with it a warm, sunlit fragrance.

He stared unblinkingly at this face so close to his, and his hollow heart suddenly felt an overwhelming, uncomfortable fullness.

“Chen Gujun, Chen Gujun!”

Lin Chenxin frowned, watching Chen Gujun’s dazed expression.

A pair of warm hands pressed against Chen Gujun’s cheeks, then quickly withdrew. Chen Gujun snapped back to awareness, his white lashes fluttering lightly, his heart tightening abruptly before sinking into emptiness.

He gazed at Lin Chenxin for a long time, then shifted his gaze away and hauled himself up from the wall, standing alone.

That snow-white hair hung down to his ankles, spilling onto the floor.

Chen Gujun made no move, but Lin Chenxin had already scooped up the hair.

“It’s too dirty,” she said.

Chen Gujun remained silent, stepping wordlessly out of the room.

Seeing the fragments on the floor, Lin Chenxin wanted to say something, but then watched as Chen Gujun walked barefoot over them—no bloodstains were left on the ground, and no wounds appeared on his feet.

She held her breath, then steadied herself, cradling the snow-white hair as she followed him out.

Chen Gujun seemed highly unaccustomed to the overly bright sunlight outside. His legs, which had stepped into the light, retreated back into the shadows.

He stood beneath the eaves of the corridor, silent and motionless.

Watching Chen Gujun’s quiet back, Lin Chenxin said nothing.

In the silent stillness, a cold glint flashed.

Lin Chenxin stared in shock at the hair Chen Gujun had severed with his nails.

The long hair she held was white as snow, but once separated from Chen Gujun’s body, it rapidly turned to ash before her eyes, vanishing completely.

Wide-eyed in astonishment, she clenched her empty hands, stunned.

A moment later, she swallowed hard and lifted her gaze to look at Chen Gujun’s figure.

The severed hair lengthened again before her eyes, but this time it only reached his lower back before stopping, yet it was an exceptionally stark white.

Chen Gujun stood with his back to her, not moving, as if waiting for her to speak.

Lin Chenxin stared fixedly at Chen Gujun's back, her heart churning uncontrollably.

She indeed had many things she wanted to say.

But what came out was: "That day, it was you who let me walk smoothly to Shufangzhai, right?"

Chen Gujun said nothing. His silence was confirmation.

Her eyes glinted. She walked up to Chen Gujun and said, "You wanted me to hear those words. You wanted me to run away on my own."

Chen Gujun shifted his gaze, slowly looking at Lin Chenxin.

"Yes," he uttered in a hoarse, low voice.

Looking into Chen Gujun's eyes, they still seemed to hold a lingering trace of bright red blood.

Those pitch-black eyes looked at her and asked, "Why didn't you leave?"

If she wanted to leave, Chen Gujun could let her go.

Getting this answer, Lin Chenxin felt a weight lift, yet something soft and heavy settled in her heart.

The light in her eyes was as bright as day.

"Because you are not a monster, so I couldn't run away like a coward just because I was afraid."

Her voice was clear and resonant.

From the very beginning, Chen Gujun had clearly wanted her to leave.

The intimidation at their first meeting, the later aloofness and avoidance.

These were all attitudes Chen Gujun had adopted.

But it was also Chen Gujun who lit the lamp outside for her, patiently watered her flowers, and sent a flurry of peach blossoms to her when she was alone and despondent.

Aside from the initial fright he gave her, after she moved into the bedroom, Chen Gujun never set foot in that room again.

He was a silent, reserved person.

His gentleness was equally quiet and wordless.

Chen Gujun's pupils trembled slightly, his heart unable to stop its shaking.

The numb, rigid shell was pierced by golden filaments, forming even larger cracks.

He averted his gaze, flustered, no longer looking into those bright eyes.

But the calm, unrippled lake of his heart was still instantly struck by a boulder, sending out turbulent ripples.

"What about you?" Lin Chenxin suddenly asked.

"Why didn't you leave?" She stared intently at Chen Gujun.

He could leave anytime he wanted.

Chen Gujun's fingertips at his sides suddenly clenched tightly.

He raised his eyes to look at the high wall ahead.

"I can't get out."

After saying this, he dragged the shackles on his feet step by step back to the study.

Lin Chenxin watched Chen Gujun's retreating back unblinkingly from behind, a fiercely burning fire suddenly surging in her chest.

"Is it that you cannot get out, or that you are utterly despondent, feeling it's meaningless whether you can get out or not!"

Chen Gujun's footsteps halted.

His tall, slender back was covered by white hair, the wrists and ankles exposed were gaunt and bony.

His backbone carried the noble bearing of the clear breeze and bright moon.

Yet his hunched back exuded a thick aura of decay and lifelessness.

He couldn't say it.

Even opening his mouth felt like it would require all his strength.

In the end, he just dragged the shackles on his feet, stepped over the study's threshold, and said without looking back.

"Don't do dangerous things anymore."

The study door slammed shut forcefully, carrying an aloofness that kept others at a distance, yet the dilapidated door panel was no longer as impenetrable as before.

Lin Chenxin stared fixedly at the study door, a blazing firelight flickering in her eyes.

She would definitely find a way to uncover the truth of the matter.

—

In the elegant central courtyard, the sound of hurried footsteps rushed towards the study, disturbing the tranquility of the garden.

Inside the study, Mr. Chen had just finished a bold, sweeping stroke of his brush when the door was suddenly pushed open. The misaligned brushstroke instantly ruined the artistic conception of the entire calligraphy piece.

Frowning, he was about to erupt in anger when he saw the middle-aged man, his face pale, saying, "Master, something terrible has happened."