Fortune Across the World

Chapter 185: Heartache Under the Starlit Night

Ding Qiyu, not wanting to stray far, found herself sitting by the window on one side of the house. She leaned her head against the wooden wall, gazing up at the shifting stars, lost in thought. Unconsciously, she had chosen the spot closest to the bed inside, though she wasn’t aware of it. Two people, two hearts—one inside, one outside the wall.

She placed a hand over her heart, acknowledging the undeniable truth of her feelings for Zhuyi—affection that couldn’t be dismissed by any excuse. Memories of Qing’er’s affectionate gaze surfaced, along with long-buried recollections of Xingcheng, overwhelming her. Qing’er had entrusted her pure heart and soul to Ding Qiyu; how could she betray that? How could one heart be divided among different people? Invisible threads bound her heart to several women, each burning and tightening, leaving her breathless. Caught between deep-seated beliefs and indelible emotions, Ding Qiyu was at a loss.

The next day brought an unexpected calm. Neither of them mentioned the previous night. They pursued their routines—Zhuyi learning medicine, Ding Qiyu working on mechanisms. Contrary to Ding Qiyu’s expectations, Zhuyi continued to call her "little carpenter" and helped the elders with chores as usual, not avoiding their interaction. There wasn’t even a hint of awkwardness, and the elders noticed no change between them.

Yet both knew something had shifted. Even the small gestures of holding hands or hugging vanished. That afternoon, Ding Qiyu watched Zhuyi, laughing with Mistress Jade, walk into the medicine hut. Wasn’t this what she wanted? Ding Qiyu smiled bitterly and turned back to her work.

Meanwhile, in Xingcheng, Lu Weixi had returned from Yinzou half a month ago. The emperor’s urgent summons was suspicious. Despite General Lu's loyalty to the emperor and Daqian, his sensitive position, with his family and the lives of countless Lu army soldiers at stake, left no room for error. Over the past fortnight, Lu Weixi had bottled up her frustration and longing, strategizing with the general and ensuring meticulous preparations and contingency plans before setting off for Yuanjing today.

Lu Weixi left a letter detailing her thoughts and questions with the guards at the general's residence. Though the owner of Qingliu Garden, Miss Fu, was closely connected to Qiyu, Lu Weixi felt an inexplicable reluctance to send her heart's confessions there. If Qiyu received the letter from Yinzou and still cared, she would return to Xingcheng, to the general’s residence, and retrieve this letter.

As they prepared to leave, several luxurious carriages awaited at the general’s residence, surrounded by orderly Lu army riders, filling the street.

Lian’er and Aunt He, hearing the commotion early in the morning, knew it was time for the general’s family to depart for the capital. Once the departure date was set, Lu Weixi personally visited, politely informing Aunt He of their imperial summons.

With Ah Yu gone for so long and now the general’s family leaving, the sense of longing for Ah Yu was unexpectedly stirred. It had been ages since Ah Yu wrote, though money arrived frequently, her letters were absent. In contrast, Miss Fu from Yinzou had sent greetings several times. Was Ah Yu too consumed by her successful ventures in Jiangnan to write home?

Little did they know, Ding Qiyu had completely lost contact, and the money they received was actually sent by Fu Ruqing on her behalf.

...

At dusk, emerging from her work, Ding Qiyu wondered if Zhuyi would be waiting by the waterfall pool. The sound of a bamboo flute floated over, natural and carefree, devoid of the previous melancholy. Sighing, Ding Qiyu hesitated, then decided not to fetch her flute and headed directly to the pool.