Bone Painting Coroner

“Why?”

Ji Yunshu looked at Wei Yi’s upset face. “Wei Yi, it’s safer for you to stay here than to follow me around.” Wei Yi shook his head violently.

“First, we encountered bandits during the beginning of our journey. Then, we were ambushed by assassins. You were hurt every time and almost lost your life for me. I’ve promised your parents to do my best to keep you away from any harm, but you’ve been repeatedly involved in major and minor accidents throughout the journey. Initially, I was hesitant, not knowing if I should continue to keep you by my side or make you stay here.  However, I made my decision just now when I saw that you can now recognize characters and recite poems. I am truly happy for you and I genuinely believe that you will get better in the future. Hence, you should stay here. Besides reading and writing, Uncle Fu will teach you about many other things. And everyone in the residence will always take care of you.”

He continued to shake his head and said with teary eyes, “I don’t know how to write. I don’t know how to recite poems!” He grabbed the papers that were arranged neatly on the table and proceeded to tear the papers, one by one.

“Wei Yi, listen to me!” She grasped his hand and said, “You were the one who told me that everyone will eventually die. One may die from sickness or from making mistakes. I’ve promised that I’ll stay with you forever and I’ll always do. However, I do not want you to turn into a star. Wei Yi, I cannot live without you. Do you understand?” Her bloodshot eyes teared up, and eventually, tears fell off her cheeks as she could not hold them back anymore.

Wei Yi stared at Ji Yunshu with his clear eyes. For a long time, Wei Yi’s lips were parted but there was no word from him. He reached out his hand to caress her face and gently wiped off the tears on her cheeks. Then, he pulled Ji Yunshu’s thin body into his arms and softly rested his chin on her shoulder, “Don’t cry, Shu’er. I promise I’ll wait for your return right here.”

He had given in. There was no more quarrels and tantrums. However, Wei Yi’s reaction somehow pained Ji Yunshu’s heart terribly.

Wei Yi held Ji Yunshu closer to himself. He was afraid that she would really leave once he released her from his embrace. After a long while, Ji Yunshu stepped out of the study.

Inside the study, Wei Yi returned to the table. He grabbed the brush on the table and resumed writing. He wrote diligently, with no intention to stop! When his eyes started tearing up and his hands would not stop trembling, he paused his action and released his grip on the brush. It fell onto the paper filled with the word, ‘Shu’. 

...

Ji Yunshu returned to the courtyard and saw Jing Rong standing under the green camphor tree. He rested his hands behind his back, looking up. When Ji Yunshu entered the courtyard, he threw a nonchalant glimpse at her. “You can’t bear to leave?”

Ji Yunshu shook her head.

“How about Wei Yi?”

She stood by his side quietly. After a long while, she replied, “He will stay here.”

“You are willing to let him go?”

Ji Yunshu made eye contact with Jing Rong and said in a serious tone, “Wei Yi is slowly getting better. It’s best for him to stay.”

Jing Rong understood what Ji Yunshu was saying. ‘Wei Yi is almost cured of the illness!’

Jing Rong replied, “That’s what people always say. Those who survive a catastrophe are bound to have great fortune. However…” He did not continue his line.

Ji Yunshu acknowledged, “I know what’s your concern. I’ve thought about this as well before I sent him to Mo Ruo for treatment. I will tell Uncle Fu to avoid revealing the truth behind Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei's deaths to Wei Yi. I don't want him to spend the rest of his life in remorse.”

“Nothing stays hidden forever.”

His words poured onto Ji Yunshu like a bucket of cold water, waking her up to reality.

Jing Rong is right, nothing stays hidden forever. Once Wei Yi returns to sound mind, it's impossible for him to not want to find out the truth about his parents’ death. Regardless of how good Uncle Fu is at keeping secrets, there's no guarantee that no one will let the secret slip. 

Jing Rong continued, “Has it ever come across your mind? If he finds out that the person Ji Yuanzhi intended to kill is you, and that he was the one who tried to help you and accidentally killed his parents, how will he feel? How is he going to face you? How are you going to face him?”

Ji Yunshu remained silent.

“At this current moment, you and Wei Yi cannot bear to leave each other. Then, what will happen when the truth is revealed?”

Their relationship will disintegrate. Their bond will collapse! 

She did not say a word. Her heart sank deeper and deeper, so much that she felt as though she was suffocating.

Sometime later, she replied, “I know that nothing stays hidden forever. But, I believe that he will be able to understand.” Ji Yunshu sounded firm.

Jing Rong's initially solemn face gradually softened at her words. He reached out his hand to fix her fringe before he gently stroked her delicate face. “I'll support you no matter what decision you make.” Ji Yunshu nodded and her lips slowly turned into a curve.

An abrupt cough interrupted their conversation.

Jing Rong removed his hand from Ji Yunshu's face and his gaze traced to the origin of the noise. He saw Mo Ruo leaning lazily against the door frame, wearing a teasing grin. They could smell the scent of the wine in the air. “I'm so jealous,” Mo Ruo lifted his head and said melancholically.

Jing Rong was annoyed. “When did you get into the hobby of peeping?”

“I'm not peeking. I'm obviously watching.”

Jing Rong's face showed more annoyance. “Tell me. What do you want?”

Mo Ruo laid his palm out and there was a stone in the middle of his palm. “I’m here for a game of chess. You’ve won so many matches yesterday and I’m not happy about it. I am determined to win today,” Mo Ruo said.

Haha! He is asking for more defeat! 

Jing Rong wore a grin as he took two steps forward, “What’s your bet?”

“Hmm…” Mo Ruo contemplated as he paced around the room. He then said, “Three games. The winner is the first one who successfully traps five stones of the opponent. You can ask for anything if you win. However, if I win, you have to buy me wine. How about that?”

That’s such a good deal! 

Without any hesitation, Jing Rong accepted Mo Ruo’s invitation for the game. He turned around and told Ji Yunshu, “Take a good rest. We’ll depart the first thing tomorrow.”

Ji Yunshu nodded. After Jing Rong dragged Mo Ruo, who was slightly drunk, to play chess, Ji Yunshu got ready to return to her room.

Bang! She heard a loud sound as if something fell on the floor. She stepped out and saw two maids standing beside a big box, stunned. Probably due to the heavy weight of the box, one of the ring handles on the box broke. The maid did not react fast enough and dropped the box on the ground.

The two maids were frightened. One of them was holding the broken ring handle with her face painted in shock. “What shall we do? This box contains all the things left from the Old Master and Madam. If anything inside the box is broken, Uncle Fu will definitely punish us.”

“Fine, fine. Hurry up and open the box, we have to check if there’s anything broken.” They promptly worked together to open the box as they feared something was broken. They heaved a sigh of relief as soon as the box was opened. Fortunately, there was barely any porcelain in the box. It was filled with clothes and children’s belongings.

“It’s just all Young Master’s old clothes. I was scared to death, thinking that we might have broken something.”

“There’s a brocade box here. We should open it and check the contents. There might be something made of jade inside,” they said, as they opened the brocade box. Inside the box, there was a yellow handkerchief embroidered with a flower. Beside the flower, there was another embroidery. It was the character ‘Xu’!