Till the End of the Moon- Novel Ending Part IX

Despite what Bai Ziqian said, Liu Dong Yan was still not willing to give up on him easily.

For her, Bai Ziqian had been like the bright moon in the sky before his family had fallen on hard times. Now that the moon had fallen to the ground, then it belongs to whoever picked it up. 

This is a young man with outstanding looks and talent, not to mention Bai family must have left him some last hidden fortune no matter how small. How can nobleman Lee, someone who already has one foot in the coffin be a match to a young man like that?

Liu Dong Yan gritted her teeth and is determined to hold on but she didn’t dare to go cause trouble for Su Su either. 

Liu Dong Yan figured that she will wait until the fall exam passed before making any plans. 

If Bai Ziqian passed the exam, she will spread the engagement news for all to know. Bai Ziqian is already at fault for letting Li Zu Zu and Ah Mi live at his house anyway. (Scholars have to be extra careful with their reputations so this would’ve been a good plan to force a newly minted scholar to marry her…if the said scholar was anyone else other than Tantai Jin…) 

If he didn’t pass the exam, then there is no reason for Liu Dong Yan to provoke such a person and cause trouble for herself for nothing. She can let that little vixen have the useless man. 

The provincial exam had passed but the results are not out yet. Things were quite happy and harmonious in Tantai Jin’s courtyard. (Not sure if this was a mistake or on purpose but the author didn’t refer to our hero as Bai Ziqian here.) 

The wedding is scheduled for October. Su Su and Ah Mi are living in his home and he has always been very “gentlemanly and polite”, never overstepping the bounds of propriety. 

One time Su Su was pretending to be asleep in the front courtyard. Bai Ziqian traced her eyebrows with his hand for a long time, leaning his lips close to her brows, she even heard the sound of him swallowing but after waiting for a long moment, he still didn’t touch her. 

After he left, Su Su carefully opened one eye.

The pomegranate tree Mama Bai had planted bore many plump fruits. After Ah Mi went to bed, Su Su brought out paper and pen to go find Bai Ziqian. With a smile, she asked, “Can you teach me how to draw?”

Bai Ziqian naturally agreed.

“Draw what?”

“The pomegranate tree.”

“Alright.”

With a hand propped under her chin, Su Su watched as a vivid picture began to come together under his hand on the scroll. 

She was a bit lost in thought. Tantai Jin remembered everything he saw. (Like photographic memory) If he wasn’t born with the demon bone, he must’ve been someone who can bring peace with the power of his pen, and calm conflicts with his might on horseback. He had been extremely intelligent when she had taught him how to draw the world talisman. 

The pomegranate tree still needed the last few leaves. 

Bai Ziqian handed her the pen, “You do it.”

Su Su didn’t try to dodge the request, “Alright.”

She took the pen, and with a wave, a few somewhat irregular leaves appeared on the scroll. Su Su wanted to see Bai Ziqian’s reaction but his expression was quite calm as if he did not see the damage caused by her “ghostly brush.” (Ghostly brush is a play on words to laugh at Su Su’s lack of drawing skills since the actual saying is “God’s brush” to describe when someone writes or draw something through a sudden inspiration that is exceptionally good.) 

Su Su asked, “Does it look good?”

Without pausing at all, Bai Ziqian replied, “It looks good.”

Su Su couldn’t hold back a grin and looked at him, “Do you know, I am not good at drawing, I can’t sew, I can’t write poetry, and I can’t dance.”

Bai Ziqian was very surprised because Su Su’s appearance was too deceptive. With an appearance that would shake the very foundations of empires, it seemed that such a person would be born with those skills. 

“I don’t know anything, will you think less of me?” 

Bai Ziqian said, “No.”

“Well, actually, I can do one thing.” Su Su picked up the pen, “I’ll teach you.” 

She took out a piece of paper, dip the pen into the ink, and started moving the pen over the paper swiftly. 

She doesn’t know many things, but she also knows many things. She knows how to use weapons, how to draw spells to catch demons, and to heal injuries. 

“Do you know what amazing things will happen once this drawing is done?”

Bai Ziqian looked at the weird brushstrokes and felt a little nervous deep inside. 

Is she going to tell him where she really came from?

He had already made up his mind that he wouldn’t let her go no matter what she was. 

Therefore, he pretended to be calm and asked, “What will happen?”

He waited for flowers to bloom on the paper or some living thing to emerge, all after, it is bound to be some strange thing. 

But these things are not scary to him. He was born with a cold personality, with barrenness in his heart, without any fear of ghosts and gods. 

The ink on the paper smudged, and for all his waiting, a very light kiss was placed on the corner of his lips. 

The woman’s soft lips fell on the corner of his lips, carrying with it a fragrance of blooming flowers.

His body froze but Su Su had already backed away. 

She said solemnly, “It will turn into a kiss, have you learned it?”

The man in front of her had eyes as black as ink, and after swallowing hard a few times, he whispered, “Hmm.” 

Su Su had done it with the hope that he would be happy but now that her eyes are meeting his, the only thing she can feel was her own burning cheeks. 

She was about to stand up when she felt a hand on the back of her head. 

Under the blossoming pomegranate tree, his lips were burning hot, and the autumn days became longer.  

Su Su didn’t know, from that moment on, he started to wait impatiently day by day for the arrival of their October wedding. 

She likes him, he felt that. 

This world is so gentle. 

Before the fall provincial exam results were released, Liu Dong Yan was very nervous. 

This will determine if she will marry Bai Ziqian or Nobleman Lee. She didn’t really take into consideration if Bai Ziqian would be willing or not. After all, Changle’s customs are a mighty hammer. Once the rumors spread too much, if Bai Ziqian doesn’t marry her then he would not be able to show his face in Changle. 

What came faster than the exam results was the news that Bai Ziqian had been seriously injured. 

Her close friend gave her a nudge, “Dong Yan, I heard that Bai Ziqian’s arm was bitten by a tiger while hunting and is now laid up in bed, aren’t you going to go visit him?”

“What!” Liu Dong Yan was extremely surprised. How can such a thing happen to someone with Bai Ziqian’s skills? She and Mama Liu immediately rushed to Bai Ziqian’s house only to see a physician walking out and shaking his hands. 

Liu Dong Yan walked forward, “Doctor, how is Ziqian Gege?”

The physician said, “The right arm is seriously injured without any hope of recovery. I wasted my time. He can’t even pay for the basic physician fee so why did he ask for one to come!” 

“No money? How can that be?” Mama Liu’s ear only heard those words. It would only be a few pieces of silver. Mama Liu knows that Bai Ziqian must have some hidden money. 

The crowd that have gathered was whispering among themselves. 

“All of Bai Ziqian’s money was scammed by that pretty woman that was living in his house. He is in a pitiful state now. With his right arm injured, he won’t be able to shoot a bow or write. He won’t be able to support himself financially anymore, let alone become a government official.” 

Liu Dong Yan’s expression changed a few times, but in the end, she did not step into the house after all. 

Mama Liu’s expression didn’t look good either. Even though she had always talked about breaking off the engagement but it was only to scare Bai Ziqian in hopes of getting things from him. 

That Nobleman Lee is over fifty years old. If Liu Dong Yan breaks off the engagement first and go marry a widower, then the one who will be gossiped about will be themselves. 

Bai Ziqian’s injury this time had caught them off guard. 

“Mother, I want to break off the engagement.”

“Dong Yan…but then everyone will gossip about us.”

“In your heart is your own daughter not matter more than those few ugly words of gossip?” Liu Dong Yan said, “I want to break off the engagement!” 

Within two days, the Liu family received a letter that was written on behalf of Bai Ziqian saying that he is willing to tie the knot with Liu Dong Yan. Liu Dong Yan was terrified and promptly made up her mind. By that night, Liu Dong Yan was carried to Nobleman Lee’s home in a small palanquin. (Interesting side note: She was supposed to be the nobleman’s second wife, but the manner she got married was more like the treatment for a concubine.) 

The day Liu Dong Yan returned home (a new bride is supposed to go visit her family with her groom on the third day) was also the day the provincial exam results were released. 

Liu Dong Yan sat in the palanquin and listen to the people outside discussing with great enthusiasm concerning the scholar who took first place. 

“Master Bai is not only brilliant but has an extraordinary appearance.”

“What are you all talking about!” Liu Dong Yan finally couldn’t hold back, got down from the palanquin, and took hold of a person, “Isn’t he crippled?”

The man gave her a puzzled look, “What nonsense are you talking about? Cursing people to be crippled.” 

Liu Dong Yan forcefully steadied herself, “I heard it with my own ears, he was bitten by a tiger on the arm!”

“How can you take the rumors seriously? Scholar Bai’s arm was not seriously injured.” 

Liu Dong Yan was no longer in the mood to go back home. After some inquiring, she fainted on the spot. Not only was Bai Ziqian fine, but his fortune was also intact, and now, he has even become the scholar with the best exam score. Unfortunately, she was busy avoiding him. Not only was she unwilling to go into his house to visit him but had also married Nobleman Lee in a hurry. 

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