Chapter 61: The Night Beneath The Raven Moon
In the Wo Long Temple in the mountains, it was the time in the evening when the skies were getting dark and a light drizzle fell. The rain came with a chill wind, thus Gu Yu closed the window before saying to Shen Miao, “Young Lady must be cautious and not catch a cold.”
Jing Zhe wrapped Shen Miao with a cloak and spoke worriedly, “The mountain roads are not easy to walk. If the rain falls for the entire night, not sure if one could leave after tomorrow morning prayers. One may need to stay one more day else the road would be muddy.”
“One more day to rest then one will rest one more day.” Gu Yu smiled, “The scenery of this place is very good and the environment is also quiet and secluded. It is still better than…” She swallowed the rest of the words back to her stomach as she wanted to say that it was better when comparing to those snakes in the Shen residence.
Shen Miao sat at the table moving the chess pieces. The current her now loves to play chess but unfortunately the few girls by her side did not know how to play, she had to play by herself. Occasionally Gu Yu and Jing Zhe would feel strange when their Young Lady played by herself, as there would be times when she portrayed some odd expressions which would make one’s heart cold.
The doors were pushed open and Gui Momo came in with smiles on her face. In her hands carried some food, she smiled while saying, “Young Lady, this is the vegetarian cuisine of the temple. Even though it is vegetarian, Wo Long Temple’s cuisine is rather good. This old servant specially requested for a bowl of crystal Osmanthus broth. Eldest Young Lady and Second Young Lady had already tried it and said that it was good.”
“Oh. Place it there.” Shen Miao said plainly.
“It would be best that Young Lady eat it while it is still hot. It would not be delicious if it cools down.” Gui Momo warmly brought the bowl over to hand it over to Shen Miao.
“Why is Momo anxious?” Jing Zhe took the porcelain bowl smoothly from Gui Momo and smiled, “Young Lady had said to place it down. Just now she felt some discomfort and would take it after a while.”
Gui Momo felt annoyed in her heart but when she saw Shen Miao being indifferent to Jing Zhe’s words, she could only clench her teeth. Previously Shen Miao would always treat Gui Momo’s words as the most important and if Gui Momo had some dispute with the maids, she would definitely punish the maids first. She did not know from when onwards Jing Zhe, Gu Yu and those two girls were appreciated by Shen Miao.
Just as she was contemplating, she heard Shen Miao suddenly said, “Momo has already accompanied me for fourteen years.”
Gui Momo’s heart jumped a beat as she looked at Shen Miao. Just at the same time, Shen Miao also looked over. A pair of clear eyes that had a childlike innocence which also put Gui Momo in a trance.
Without one noticing, that baby that was crying piteously for food had become little girl and grew up to a gracefully slim young female in front of her. Gui Momo’s heart sighed, in the beginning when Shen Xin and his wife left for the battlefield, they requested her to take good care of Shen Miao and in a blink of an eye, fourteen years had passed.
“Momo all the while is close to me.” Shen Miao said softly, “One remembered there was a time where I was running a fever and it was raining outside, like it is now. The physician that the residence invited did not arrive for a long time, so Momo got worried and ran out to search for one. At the end, Momo slipped and broke your head but still instead to search for another physician to come over.”
Gui Momo was surprised and her expressions could not help but soften down, “Young Lady still remember these things.”
“Naturally one would remember. Momo has been with me for more than a decade and even Father and Mother would not have accompanied me more than Momo. I see Momo as a loved one.”
“This old servant doesn’t deserve the fortune of Young Lady.” Gui Momo lamented in her heart. She did not expect that in this moment Shen Miao, who had been treated her coldly, would suddenly be so intimate. A wave of feelings rose in her heart after all one was not like this from the beginning. In the beginning Shen Xin and his wife made her be Shen Miao’s Momo, her son had yet to take a wife and she did not have any grandchildren so she treated Shen Miao as her own granddaughter. There was also a period where she treated her with real feelings, but… Every man for oneself else heaven and earth would destroy one. Shen Miao was after all not her real granddaughter and if Second household deliver its promise, when the matter was successful, her son’s entire family would be able to reap the benefits.
Money came from danger, moreover Shen Miao would not be able to bring her anything. Gui Momo’s expression changed a number of times but at the end she smiled and said, “Young Lady, the weather is cold and the night is dark, it would be good to rest after having one’s meal. When it’s time to rest, light the incense and have a good night sleep then it would be good to pray for Master and Furen early tomorrow morning.”
“Many thanks for Momo’s concern.” Shen Miao also smiled but her smile seemed to contain some unknown things. She said, “Momo withdraw first, I will have the meal myself.”
Gui Momo would like to stay a while more but seeing Shen Miao putting on a look of chasing her out, she could only withdraw. When she exited the room, she did not walk far and moved to the window so that she would be able to listen to the movements inside.
After a moment in the room, Gu Yu’s voice sounded, “Young Lady, the dishes are getting cold.”
“Set the table then.”
Afterwards there were sounds of chopsticks clinking, seemingly someone had sat down on the table to eat. Jing Zhe asked, “Does Young Lady find that this Osmanthus broth good?”
“Not bad.” Shen Miao voice rang out, “It’s to one’s taste.”
“Then do eat more.” Gu Yu said with a smile.
After listening for a while, Shen Miao seemed to have finished and the sounds of the cutlery being cleared sounded before Gu Yu walked out, carrying the food basket. One could only hear Jing Zhe saying, “Young Lady still want to read a while?”
“Feeling somewhat tired, will read for a moment more. Go and light the incense.” Shen Miao’s voice was rather wan.
Gui Momo straightened up her body and gave a big sigh of relief before looking back at the window again. She walked out of the courtyard and only when she exited the courtyard, she then could not help but mumble, “Young Lady must not blame this old servant for being vicious, Second Furen wants to deal with you and no one can stop it.”
When Gui Momo left, she did not see a male figure appearing behind her. He saw the back view of Gui Momo leaving and a somewhat furious expression appear on his face.
In the room, Jing Zhe looked at Shen Miao worriedly, “Young Lady, Gu Yu had already gone out. This servant still does not understand what exactly Young Lady wants to do?”
She did not know why but Jing Zhe’s heart felt somewhat uneasy, as if in this deep and quiet mountain, something would happen. She asked, “Young Lady acted the show to deceive Gui Momo just now, was it because Gui Momo is up to a scheme?” And the words that Shen Miao said in an amiable manner to Gui Momo made Jing Zhe nervous, she fears that Shen Miao would be like before where she would listen to Gui Momo words.
Shen Miao looked at the flouncing flame of the candlewick. The small sparks that the flame formed had a crackling sound, which was a sharp contrast compared to the rhythm of the rain outside.
Pretending to eat and pretending to light the incense, were just temporary measures. As for the reason to say such words to Gui Momo, it was not because her heart was soft.
In the road of revenge, no one could turn around. It did not mean that if there was kindness in the past, there would be a reason to why mistakes could be made in the future. The wicked were never worthy of any mercy and the winners would always speak the last words to the losers before their heads fell.
She closed her eyes lightly.
“Young Lady, what can be done now?” Seeing Shen Miao not answering her, Jing Zhe can only change the question.
“Wait.”
“Waiting for what?”
The eyelashes of the young female slightly fluttered as her lips slightly hooked up.
“Wait for the night beneath the raven moon when it is time to kill and rob.”