NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Echoes of the Past
Chapter 6: Echoes of the Past
The next morning, the air was unusually still in Jingyang Village. The fog from the nearby forest hadn't yet lifted, and the sky wore a pale silver hue. Birds chirped softly, but their songs felt quieter, subdued—as if the world was holding its breath.
In the courtyard, Yu Zhen swept fallen petals into a neat pile. The sound of the broom brushing against the stone was rhythmic, meditative.
From the kitchen window, Lan Yueran watched him for a while before returning to her tea. Her cheek still tingled faintly from the kiss she had given him the night before.
What was I thinking…?
She wasn't sure. It had felt right in the moment. Still did, if she was being honest with herself.
Before she could gather her thoughts, a knock echoed from the front gate.
"Zhen! There's a carriage outside!"
It was Yu Lian, calling from the yard.
Yu Zhen set aside the broom and walked toward the gate. The rest of the family peered out from windows and doors—curious, surprised. Visitors were rare in Jingyang, and even rarer in a proper jade-trimmed carriage pulled by spirit horses.
Yu Zhen opened the gate slowly.
Standing before him was a young man in a finely embroidered robe, his hair tied with a golden pin. His eyes were sharp, and behind him stood a servant holding a lacquered box.
He bowed slightly. "I am Qin Yuxian, sent by the Lan family of Southern Jade Province. I've come to see Lady Lan Yueran."
Yu Zhen's eyes narrowed.
---
Lan Yueran appeared moments later, walking briskly, her expression unreadable.
"Yuxian?"
He smiled. "It has been a long time, Lady Yueran. You look… well."
"I didn't expect to see you here."
"I was sent by your father. He's been concerned. It's unlike you to stay in a remote village for so long without word."
Yu Zhen stood a step behind her, arms crossed, silent.
Qin Yuxian glanced at him briefly.
"I see you've made friends."
"We're engaged," Yueran said, too quickly.
Yu Zhen blinked.
Qin Yuxian's smile thinned slightly. "Is that so?"
She nodded. "Is there something urgent, Yuxian?"
"Only a message. Your return is requested before the Spring Summit. The family wants you to present yourself—and your intended, if you truly are engaged."
The air grew heavier.
---
After Qin Yuxian left, promising to return in three days for an answer, silence hung in the Yu household.
Yu Zhen sat on the veranda, deep in thought. Lan Yueran stood nearby, arms folded, staring at the garden.
"You didn't have to say we were engaged," Yu Zhen said finally.
"I know," she muttered. "I just didn't want to deal with… complications."
"Is he someone important to you?"
She hesitated. "We trained together in the capital once. He was always polite. Too polite."
Yu Zhen tilted his head. "But?"
"I think… he always expected I would return to the noble life. Be someone's proper wife. Host banquets. Manage the family name."
"And you don't want that?"
Yueran looked at him, brows knitting. "I want… quiet mornings. Tea. Lantern festivals. Someone who sees me as more than a daughter of prestige."
Yu Zhen looked at her for a long moment. "Then why does it sound like you're still unsure?"
She didn't reply.
---
That afternoon, the atmosphere remained tense.
Madam Yue tried to cheer things up with steamed buns, while Yu Lian did dramatic impressions of Qin Yuxian's perfectly polished tone.
"Lady Yueran, may I offer you a gold-painted fan for your delicate fingers?" she said, fanning herself like royalty.
Yueran laughed, and for a moment, the weight lifted.
Later, Yu Zhen wandered into the back garden and found Yueran sitting alone beneath the peach tree.
"I'm sorry," she said before he could speak.
"For what?"
"For dragging you into my complicated past."
He sat beside her. "You didn't drag me. I walked into it."
"You didn't ask for this."
Yu Zhen looked up at the sky, the clouds moving slow and soft.
"I didn't ask to be reborn either. But here I am. And here you are."
A breeze passed between them.
---
"I don't remember much of my past," Yueran whispered. "But when he spoke… something stirred. A cold hallway. A sword in my hand. Duty."
Yu Zhen's gaze sharpened.
"What do you mean?"
"Sometimes, in dreams, I see myself standing in armor. Leading people. Fighting against a shadow."
Yu Zhen's breath caught.
"What kind of shadow?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. It's always too dark."
Silence stretched.
Yu Zhen stood.
"Do you want to go back with him?"
Yueran's answer was immediate.
"No."
He turned.
She looked up at him, firm. "Even if I remember who I was before… this life, this peace—I won't trade it. Not even for a thousand golden halls."
He nodded slowly.
---
That night, Yu Zhen sat alone on the roof, staring up at the stars.
She remembers something.
A chill crept down his spine—not of fear, but of inevitability. Their pasts would catch up, one way or another.
He had no desire to be a king again. No throne. No sword. No war.
But if her memories returned first… would she still smile at him the way she did last night?
Would she still kiss his cheek?
---
From below, soft footsteps approached. Lan Yueran climbed onto the roof beside him, wrapping herself in a light shawl.
"You're hard to find at night," she said.
He smiled faintly. "I like watching the stars."
They sat in silence.
Then she reached into her sleeve and pulled out the lotus hairpin he had given her.
"I wore it all day," she said.
"I noticed."
"And I'm keeping it," she added, voice firm.
He chuckled. "I didn't plan to take it back."
She leaned on his shoulder. "If he comes back… and tries to take me away… promise you won't let him."
Yu Zhen didn't hesitate.
"I won't."
The stars above flickered gently.
And for one more night, their world remained simple.
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