A Shocking Dream

Chapter 184

The night is as dark as ink, splashing across the streets and alleys. Some people are sleeping soundly on their warm couches, with a smile from the day still hanging on the corners of their lips; some people are tossing and turning on their couches, entangled in their worries, like moths trapped in spider silk.

Xie Yuan was the one stuck in the mire. He lay supine on the carved bed, the brocade quilt piled messily beside him, his eyes fixed on the intricate embroidery on the bed curtains, his mind drifting away, completely devoid of the carefreeness he had in his daytime immersion in the world of cosmetics.

His brief encounter with Lin Wunian that day had been like a spell, etched firmly on his mind. Ever since that encounter, his youthful affection for the mechanical master, Wunian, had grown like spring grass in the rain, spreading wildly and overwhelmingly, dominating his thoughts.

At that time, the Wunian Mechanical Master made a stunning appearance in a show of exquisite mechanical arts. His body was as nimble as the wind, and with a light tap of his fingertips, he could make those cold iron tools flexibly combine and move in the wind, as if giving dead objects a living soul.

The young boy Xie Yuan hid in the crowd, gazing up at the radiant figure on the high platform, his heart lost. For many days and nights thereafter, the majestic appearance of the mechanical engineer controlling the mechanical beast became a frequent visitor in his dreams, a secret and ardent yearning of his youth.

But now, the Lin Wunian before him was just a doctor, with a gentle face and a quiet temperament, completely different from the unrestrained and mechanical figure in his memory. But the strange thing was that the more he warned himself not to confuse him, the more the doctor's eyebrows and smile kept overlapping with the old image in his mind.

The delicate girl in his arms, who was originally warm and soft, now rubbed against him with a moan, but Xie Yuan was struck by lightning and pushed her away suddenly. The girl's confused eyes seemed full of disgust to him, and the rich fragrance became pungent and nauseating.

He stood up, his bare feet treading the cold floor. He paced to the window and flung it open. A chill wind blew in, sweeping away the sweat on his forehead but failing to dispel the turmoil in his heart. "Why? Why did she have to evoke these fatal feelings..." Xie Yuan muttered to himself, filled with regret.

Outside the window, the night was dark, and occasionally the sound of the night watchman's beating could be heard. Each sound was like a heavy hammer, striking at his disordered heartstrings.

The night, like thick ink, weighed heavily upon the silent city. In the utter stillness, Xie Yuan was far from the only soul tossing and turning in bed. Inside Zhou Junze's mansion, the flickering candlelight cast his slender, lonely figure against the window lattice, swaying unsteadily, much like the turmoil of his current state of mind.

His encounter with Lin Wunian during the day was like a sudden ray of light, piercing his ordinary life. Amidst the bustling crowd, his gaze captured that figure with unerring precision. With a single glance, the surrounding clamor faded into insignificant background noise.

Lin Wunian stood there quietly, dressed in plain clothes, with lowered eyebrows, as gentle as the spring breeze. The quiet temperament emanating from his body was like the orchid in the deep valley, captivating people in silence.

When they approached to talk, her soft, cold words, a twinkle in her eye, the cleverness and agility of her words completely captivated Zhou Junze. Even at the moment of parting, his steps seemed drawn to her by a magnet, and he kept looking back, his heart filled with reluctance. He felt as if he wanted to imprint every flutter of her clothes, every tremble of her eyelashes, into his memory to ease his longing.

Upon returning home, Zhou Junze headed straight for his study, where brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were already prepared. As if he knew the master's feelings, eager to express them. He took a deep breath and picked up his brush. His fingertips trembled slightly, and the calm and confident control he usually possessed when painting seemed to have escaped him. He dipped his brush lightly in ink and placed his strokes on the rice paper. Initially, the brushstrokes seemed stagnant, but as Lin Wunian's features gradually emerged, memories flooded through his mind, and the lines became increasingly fluid.

The portrait gradually took shape, the candlelight illuminating the woman on the paper, making her appear lifelike. Her black hair seemed to flutter in the wind, her eyes seemed to be filled with affection, and her smile was as gentle as a newly opened pear blossom. But Zhou Junze studied it for a long moment before sighing deeply, putting down his brush and slumping in his chair. Even if the person in the painting bore a 70% resemblance to Lin Wunian, it would never be even a fraction as good as she was.

How could a static portrait capture the living presence of the real person standing before him, the subtle medicinal fragrance that lingered around him, the warm touch of his gentle whispers brushing against his ears? Like the bright moon and the finger pointing at it, the portrait was but a finger. The real Lin Wunian was the blazing moon, hanging high in the sky, its radiant light filling the world. He gazed upon it, yearned for it, yet could never obtain it. In this long night, he clung to his longing, trapped in a prison of love constructed from a thin sheet of paper and endless reverie, wondering when he would finally be able to break free and embrace his beloved.

situation

It was late at night, and all was quiet. Only the dim candlelight in Zhou Junze's study still shone, its flickering flame illuminating his slightly obsessed face. His slender fingers slowly stroked the outline of Lin Wunian on the drawing paper. Her eyebrows, her lips, seemed to carry a trace of warmth that burned straight into his heart.

"She is so beautiful! How can there be such a perfect woman in this world who is so pure and otherworldly and has such superb medical skills?" Zhou Junze murmured to himself, his voice tender and full of intoxication.

When they first met in the daytime, she was dressed in a plain white dress and looked like an immortal. Zhou Junze couldn't help but imagine the scene of her being focused and determined when giving acupuncture and using medicine, and being so compassionate and gentle towards the poor and suffering people. Her pair of bare hands seemed to be able to turn the tide and save all living beings from illness and suffering.

Her presence was like a stone dropped into the lake of Zhou Junze's heart, sending ripples that would never subside. As he caressed the portrait, his emotions intensified, and a burning thought suddenly flashed through his mind: he must keep Lin Wunian in Yingzhou, keep this fairy-like figure by his side, day and night, protecting her, admiring her grace, and accompanying her in saving the world.

As soon as this thought came to mind, it was like a spark that spread across Zhou Junze's body. But in a moment, reason poured over him like a bucket of ice water, barely extinguishing the fire.

He abruptly withdrew his hand and took a step back, nearly dropping the portrait. Yingzhou might appear prosperous, but in reality, it was a turbulent undercurrent, with various forces intertwined and entwined. His own family was caught in the center of a vortex of power struggles, and the slightest misstep could lead to destruction.

Lin Wunian was like a clear mountain stream, flowing freely among the green hills and lush valleys. How could she be dragged into this filthy mire? Furthermore, forcing her to stay would be no different from the evildoer who abducted a beautiful woman. With all his heart, how could he bear to use his power to imprison her wings of freedom?

Zhou Junze sighed deeply, raising his hand to gently stroke his brow, his face filled with fatigue and melancholy. Outside the window, the night deepened, dark clouds quietly covering the stars and moon, just like the fading thoughts in his heart.

He carefully put the portrait away, hiding it deep in the cabinet, as if hiding a love that had been shattered by frost before it could even begin to sprout. "Never mind, just knowing she's well from afar is enough," his whispers echoed in the empty study, but the loneliness he couldn't hide still lingered in the air. He wondered when he would finally be able to let go of this heart-stirring encounter, to watch her depart for the distant horizon, and to keep only the memory of that fleeting moment.