Chapter 51: To Forget—How Could It Be So Easy

Yinyao flew straight into her inn room and stood motionless, tears brimming in her eyes, which were already red. She fought hard to keep the tears from falling. Tilting her head back, she gazed upward as tears slowly welled from the corners of her eyes, tracing silent paths down her cheeks and leaving shimmering tracks behind.

Xuanyu, why have you forgotten me? Do you not know how much I miss you, how deeply I love you? For your sake, I left the manor, forcing myself not to seek you out, hoping instead we would meet again at the Great Gathering. But why did I receive word that you no longer remember me? At first, I could not believe it, but today, I must face the truth...

Lisu returned from the contact post and was just about to knock when he heard the faint sound of Yinyao sobbing inside. His own heart ached with her sorrow, and in that moment, he realized he truly loved her.

"Yao’er?" Lisu called softly, testing the waters.

Inside, Yinyao heard the concern in his voice and hurriedly wiped her tears with her sleeve, collecting herself and forcing an indifferent tone. "What is it?" But her voice was so hoarse, the sound of it made Lisu’s heart bleed. He pushed the door open and found her desperately gulping water, trying to soothe her throat, shocked by how dreadful her own voice sounded.

Lisu gently covered her cup with his hand, stopping her. "Cold water isn’t good. This pill will soothe your throat—take it." He took a pill from his sleeve and gave it to her.

"Th-thank you," Yinyao murmured, staring at Lisu in a daze.

"What’s wrong?" Lisu asked, his voice tender.

"It’s nothing," she replied. "Lisu, tell me, is there a medicine in this world that can make a person forget things as though waking from a dream?" Yinyao firmly believed that if there were an item that could help Xuanyu recover his memories, he would love her as deeply as she loved him.

"There is—a medicine called Dreamwake has such an effect," Lisu replied, a little puzzled. He saw a flash of hope in her eyes, her mood visibly lightening. "Yao’er, is there a reason you ask? Is something wrong?" he asked gently, unwilling to see her cry again.

"Is there an antidote?" That was what most concerned Yinyao. She asked urgently, hope and longing filling her gaze.

"No," Lisu answered bluntly. In his understanding, Dreamwake was incurable—only the person’s own memory could overcome it.

"Oh." The brief spark of happiness vanished from Yinyao’s face, and she drifted back to the window, gazing blankly at the sky outside, her eyes filled with loss. Lisu saw this and felt a stab of pain, wishing he could be her support.

He glanced at the long, solitary shadow cast on the floor—so fragile, so alone. Quietly, he walked over and encircled Yinyao’s waist from behind, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "Is it because of him?"

Yinyao’s body tensed, but she said nothing, letting Lisu hold her. Her eyes remained empty, fixed on the bright moon outside.

"Yao’er, can you forget him?" Lisu asked softly. He knew how much that man meant to her, but still, he hoped she could let go, open her heart to someone new—to him. He could promise to cherish her alone for the rest of his life.

"Forget him?" Yinyao replied with a bitter smile, the curve of her lips tinged with irony. Did you ever know what happened between us? she seemed to ask silently.

"Yes," Lisu’s voice was resolute, and his embrace tightened, refusing to let her go.

Yinyao turned in his arms to face him, their gazes locking. Her unwavering eyes seemed to say—Forget him? Is that even possible?

"Yao’er, trust me! Forget him! You can do it—it’s only a matter of time," Lisu buried his face in her hair, his tone carrying an uncharacteristic plea.

Yinyao let out a dry laugh and slipped from his grasp, her lips curving in a forced smile as she slowly walked to the window. She looked up at the moon with apparent interest, her back to Lisu, but the joy in her eyes faded, replaced by sorrow—she seemed a different person entirely.

Silence shrouded the room until finally Yinyao broke the awkward tension. "Lisu, do you think the moon is round tonight?" She turned and gave him a brilliant smile, as if nothing had just happened.

Lisu looked at his now empty arms in silence, his eyes brimming with sorrow, threatening to overflow with the slightest touch.

He lowered his head, looking elsewhere. Only after a while did he gather himself and raise those heartbreaking eyes to gaze at Yinyao for a long moment before speaking slowly, "Yao’er, please don’t avoid my question. I just… I don’t want to see you hurt…"

Yinyao’s carefully constructed smile instantly shattered, freezing on her lips, as if she’d forgotten which mask to wear at that moment.

Time seemed to stretch into eternity. Neither spoke. Yinyao didn’t know how to answer without hurting Lisu, and Lisu did not push her further. He would give her time, as he had promised.

The atmosphere was strange.

At last, Lisu broke the silence. "Alright, Yao’er, I won’t force you. I’ll give you time. Honestly, the look on your face when I startled you just now left me torn between laughter and tears!"

"Ha, so you were just trying to scare me! I really am foolish," Yinyao said playfully, flashing another radiant smile. She meant it—she truly was foolish, otherwise why keep tormenting herself over the past?

"You’re just realizing that now? Honestly! You’re always the last to catch on," Lisu replied with feigned teasing, though his heavy sadness was impossible to mask, no matter how much laughter filled the room.

"Lisu! Say that again and beware my silver whip!" Yinyao threatened with a mischievous grin.

It had been so long since the two of them had laughed so freely. They both laughed with all their might, though the atmosphere remained tinged with strangeness.

That night, for no apparent reason, Chu Suyi tossed and turned, counting thousands of sheep, unable to sleep. The image of that woman haunted his mind, clear and vivid.

Who was she? Was she the same woman who appeared every full-moon night? Why did seeing her fill his heart with such pain, yet also such happiness? Was her appearance a dream or reality? He was filled with endless confusion and questions he could not answer. He needed to clear his mind and sort out his thoughts.

The next day, Chu Suyi found that, miraculously, he hadn’t forgotten the events of the previous night. This meant the woman who had wandered into his room was no mere figment of his dreams, fueling his curiosity even further.

Who was she? Did she have any connection to him? She seemed to know him, yet he had no recollection of her at all. Had they truly met before? Why did he remember nothing? Why did he instinctively trust her, even confide in her his deepest uncertainties? Why was the woman in the moon the same as the one in his dreams? Why did she have to vanish? Why...?

He was determined to find the woman in the silver mask, and the little white fox named Bing’er. He had to find them, to ask the questions burning inside him. He must get to the bottom of this.

It felt as if a part of his heart was slowly filling, like something unfamiliar was sprouting in a wild and tangled field—exciting, yet inexplicably nerve-wracking.

As he thought of this, the image of the woman beneath last night’s full moon appeared anew in his mind, so vivid that even the tiny scar at the nape of her neck was clear, as if they had known each other for centuries.

Just as he tried to recall if they had met before, a splitting pain shot through his head, forcing him to abandon the attempt.