It hurts so much…
The pain from back then swept across the river of time and struck him once more.
Mo Han’s vision darkened in waves. His complexion turned a near-transparent white, and his ghostly form trembled visibly, as if it might dissolve into a wisp of mist at any second.
Ahead of him, however, Bai Ziyan and Duan Cang were playing and appreciating the music respectively, sharing an absolute synchronization. That moving melody lingered, refusing to fade, yet in Mo Han’s ears, it turned into the wails of ghosts, every single note dripping with blood.
The agony of losing Xiao Hei, the torment of having his love and dignity trampled upon, alongside the agony of that day when all ten fingers were severed, rushed over him simultaneously. Unable to endure the consecutive shocks of these past few days any longer, Mo Han finally lost consciousness.
“Hmm?”
Bai Ziyan paused his hand, cutting off the music. Duan Cang also snapped out of his memories and asked, “What is it, Ziyan?”
Lowering his gaze to his left wrist, Bai Ziyan rolled up his sleeve hem and said, “I just felt my wrist suddenly turn cold.”
He rolled up his sleeve to check his wrist, but found nothing unusual.
Duan Cang’s gaze was drawn over.
Wearing a bright red braided cord bracelet on his wrist, Bai Ziyan possessed fair skin that radiated a warm, jade-like luster under the sunlight. Though this red cord bracelet was not luxurious, it suited him to perfection.
“When did you start wearing a bracelet?” Duan Cang asked with a frown.
The bracelet was braided in three strands, secured at the ends with a white jade button, forming a Sansheng (Three Lifetimes) cord bracelet.
Mo Han excelled at handicrafts; both cord weaving and straw plaiting were skills he mastered completely. After all, having spent seven years together, Duan Cang was quite familiar with some of the more common braided cord bracelets.
The implication of a Sansheng cord bracelet was a pledge for three lifetimes and a vow to grow old together without parting. Why would Bai Ziyan be wearing such a bracelet on his wrist?
Lowering his head to check his wrist, Bai Ziyan failed to notice the shift in Duan Cang’s expression. After examining his wrist and finding no abnormalities, he felt it was rather strange, figuring that a draft must have slipped into his sleeve earlier, causing that sudden burst of chilliness.
Hearing Duan Cang’s inquiry, he raised his head and noticed Duan Cang’s lips pressed into a flat line, clearly showing a bad mood. Realizing the reason immediately, Bai Ziyan smiled and generously displayed the bracelet to Duan Cang, saying, “I bought this before going abroad. If I calculate carefully, it has been ten years.”
Bai Ziyan was very fond of traditional handicrafts, keeping an entire wall at home dedicated to little trinkets collected from all over.
This red cord was also one of his many collectibles.
When he went mountaineering as a youth, he encountered a young vendor selling straw and cord crafts at the peak. The straw animals sold by this young vendor were so lifelike that they were practically works of art, so passing tourists never minded buying one.
Deeply fond of them and in a rush, Bai Ziyan squeezed his way through, only to find the straw crafts had already sold out.
And tomorrow, he would be leaving this familiar land for abroad; perhaps missing out this time meant missing out for a lifetime.
Perhaps finding his appearance truly pitiful, the young vendor hesitated and produced a braided cord bracelet.
“There is one left, but it’s a Sansheng cord bracelet.”
A Sansheng cord bracelet symbolized a lifelong pledge. At that time, Bai Ziyan was only around ten years old, and judging by his solitary visit to Mount Tai, buying this bracelet meant he likely had no one to give it to, while wearing it himself would ward off prospective romantic prospects.
Bai Ziyan, however, did not mind at all. “I’ll take this one. Little boss, I’ll transfer the money to you.”
With that, he had already nimbly pulled out his phone.
After settling the payment, Bai Ziyan stared at the bracelet, finding it more delightful the more he looked. This diamond-knot Sansheng cord bracelet was braided tightly and evenly, surpassing all beauty. Though simple, it still showcased the artisan’s exceptional skill.
He never cared about the superstition of warding off romance; because he liked it in his heart, he had worn it ever since.
Pulling his hand back, Bai Ziyan’s eyes and brows carried a hint of regret. “Back then, I originally wanted to go mountaineering with you.”
Unfortunately, ever since the banquet until Bai Ziyan went abroad, they never saw each other again.
A tremor ran through Duan Cang’s heart. Recalling the decade they were forced apart, his gaze deepened.
Could it be that Bai Ziyan bought this bracelet and wore it continuously all this time to commemorate him?
Wearing a Sansheng cord bracelet naturally warded off some romantic advances, yet he had worn it all these years could he have been waiting for him?
This thought stirred an indescribable joy deep within Duan Cang. Staring at Bai Ziyan’s wrist and noticing the piece of jade pendant attached to the red cord, he said, “I have a piece of white jade I just bid on; the water clarity is excellent. I’ll have someone send it over to you.”
Stroke his wrist, Bai Ziyan smiled and said, “I’ve worn it for so long, I’ve grown attached to it.”
This was a polite refusal.
As a young master of the Bai family, he was not lacking in jewelry. The white jade was secondary; what he loved was this braided cord bracelet.
Duan Cang frowned. He did not like this bracelet; it seemed to constantly remind him of the sincere words from Bai Ziyan that he had missed, the decade when they lost contact, and—
Mo Han.
Thinking of Mo Han, a surge of irritation rose in Duan Cang’s heart once more. With a hint of dominance, he said, “This white jade is too inferior and doesn’t match you. I’ll have someone turn that piece of jade into a pendant and send it to you later.”
Bai Ziyan’s smile faded slightly, but as he was never one to make things awkward for others, he simply smiled and said, “All right, once it’s made into a pendant, I’ll keep it close to me.”
“However, since this cord is broken, it cannot be reconnected, so there’s really no need to change the jade.”
Though still somewhat unsatisfied, Duan Cang could tell from Bai Ziyan’s response that he truly cherished the bracelet and had no intention of replacing it. Seeing that Bai Ziyan had accepted the white jade pendant, he chose not to pursue the topic any further.
Fairly speaking, after a decade of close wear against Bai Ziyan’s skin, the inferior white jade on the bracelet had been nurtured to develop an extra layer of translucent gloss, making it look at a glance like a rather decent jade variety. The red cord had also been preserved with meticulous care, devoid of any fraying strands or stains, complementing Bai Ziyan exceptionally well.
Yet, Duan Cang simply found this bracelet disagreeable.
Such inferior materials always reminded him of Mo Han.
That inferior impostor raised in the wilderness.
Ever since he threw away that equally inferior black cat, the previously clingy Mo Han had, much like the black cat, returned into the blinding rainstorm.
How ridiculous and base. He kept proclaiming his love, yet threw a tantrum over a mutt of a cat in the end. Thinking carefully, it had actually been two months since he last heard any news of him.
Good riddance that he left; it also saved him the trouble of explaining things to Ziyan.
Bai Ziyan’s voice interrupted his contemplation. “Where are we going?”
Pulling his thoughts back, Duan Cang looked at the smiling Bai Ziyan before him, thinking to himself that Ziyan was the person he had yearned for and waited ten years to see—why on earth should he think about that impostor when he was with Ziyan? Gathering his thoughts, he spoke up, “We’re going to…”
He had originally wanted to mention the bar he frequently visited during brotherhood gatherings, but looking at Bai Ziyan’s pure and ethereal demeanor, he always felt the bar’s atmosphere was too foul, fearing it might taint him. Thus, the word “bar” made a quick turn on the tip of his tongue and transformed into “teahouse.”
“We’re going to a teahouse. I want to take you to meet my brothers.”
The teahouse was quiet and elegant, featuring trickling bamboo waters. The moment Duan Cang pushed open the door, someone shouted loudly, “Cangzi, why did you come to a teahouse this time? This tea…”
Another person pulled him hard by the arm, forcing him to swallow the remaining half-sentence: “tastes like nothing.”
As Duan Cang entered the room, the few individuals inside caught sight of Bai Ziyan trailing behind him and collectively froze. The previous person, always quick-tongued, blurted out, “Cang Ge, why did you bring him here?”
Sensing a trace of anomaly, Bai Ziyan noticed the subtle attitude the few people before him held toward him carrying a sort of lofty condescension and familiarity, discussing him without any restraint, as if mentioning a toy.
Frowning, Duan Cang glared at the man. “This is Ziyan, the Second Young Master of the Bai family.”
When Bai Ziyan stepped out from the shadows, exposing his face to the sunlight, the rest finally realized how different he was from Mo Han, instantly turning somewhat embarrassed.
Several of them quickly stood up to greet him.
The one who had spoken first scratched his head and apologized, “I’m sorry, Bai Ge. My eyes failed me and I mistook you for someone else. I’ll punish myself with three cups.”
As he reached out his hand, he suddenly remembered this was a teahouse. Fortunately, the person beside him pulled him back. “Yuanzi, stop making a fool of yourself. Are you planning to punish yourself with three cups of Tieguanyin or Dahongpao?”
The young man addressed as Yuanzi scratched his head in awkwardness. “My name is Xie Yuan; Bai Ge can just call me Yuanzi.”
The young man beside Xie Yuan wore gold-rimmed glasses, sporting the look of a refined scoundrel. “Bai Ge, I’m Qing Cheng.”
The remaining young men stood up one by one to introduce themselves, and Bai Ziyan greeted them with a smile, though a question arose in his mind.
Who was the “he” they had referred to earlier?
How intelligent Bai Ziyan was; almost instantly, he recalled a person Duan Cang had once mentioned.
Mo Han.
Duan Cang had said that Mo Han was an illegitimate son of the Mo family who somehow found out that his face bore a striking resemblance to Bai Ziyan’s, and thus used his face to find ways to approach Duan Cang, tangling with him until Duan Cang was driven to distraction.
Such incidents were hardly rare. Bai Ziyan simply noticed that the impatience in Duan Cang’s eyes was on the verge of overflowing, making his heart ache for the harassment Duan Cang had suffered, and didn’t dwell on it further. Yet, observing the reactions of these few people today, he felt there might be more to the matter than he knew.
It was merely a fleeting thought, and Bai Ziyan set the matter aside. If two people in love could not even trust each other, then there was no point in continuing this romance.
Smiling, Qing Cheng said to Duan Cang, “Congratulations, Cang Ge. The clouds have parted to reveal the bright moon.”
Seeing that Bai Ziyan had not paid attention to their earlier words, Duan Cang inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Xie Yuan hurriedly attempted to make amends. “Bai Ge, I heard Duan Ge mention you many times before. Duan Ge has finally waited for you after all these years.”
That finally sounded like a human sentence.
Duan Cang glared at him.
Xie Yuan was somewhat younger, and the Xie family was a newcomer to the circle, meaning he hadn’t met Bai Ziyan previously and couldn’t be blamed for mistaking him. He could only seize the chance to look a few more times to avoid making the same mistake again.
This meeting could be described as enjoyable for both host and guests. If initial conversations were carried out out of courtesy to the Bai family and Duan Cang, later discussions turned into genuine admiration. This Second Young Master of the Bai family had been sent abroad by the Bai family to take charge of overseas enterprises even before reaching adulthood, showcasing remarkable capability. Today, the standing of the Bai family was inseparable from him.
Beyond that, he was well-read and well-versed in numerous fields, holding a prominent place in the art world. No matter the topic raised, he could converse with ease, winning these people over in no time at all.
Once Bai Ziyan and Duan Cang had left, someone shook their head with a bitter smile. “People really can’t be compared. With a figure like this, no wonder Duan Ge has missed him for so long.”
“Before Bai Ziyan went abroad, he was already an outstanding talent in the circle. Who would have thought that after returning from abroad, he’d become even more… difficult to catch up with.”
When Bai Ziyan went abroad to shoulder the heavy burdens of the Bai family’s overseas operations, this group of peers hadn’t even officially taken over their own family businesses yet.
Remaining silent all the while, Xie Yuan suddenly asked, “So now that Cang Ge and Bai Ge are together, what about Mo Han?”
At the mention of Mo Han, the group fell silent. Qing Cheng said with a cold face, “Don’t mention that name in front of Bai Shao.”
Xie Yuan scratched his head. “Isn’t he not here right now?”
“Mo Han chased after Cang Ge for so long, how could he just vanish without a trace?”
Someone let out a laugh. “He’s just an unloved illegitimate son; Cang Ge can handle him however he pleases. Can he actually flip the sky over?”
Xie Yuan muttered under his breath, “Wonder where he went.”
Frowning, Qing Cheng glanced at him and remained silent.
Following a whim, Xie Yuan received no answer, so he shifted topics with great enthusiasm. “Hey, speaking of which, if Duan Ge and Bai Ge are together, um… who’s on top and who’s below?”