Inviting the Moon to the Farmhouse

Chapter 140 Xia Lanyue Unravels the Mystery of Her Origins

In the morning, Xia Lanyue arrived at the Zhao Li chief's residence early. The village security guard from yesterday was there. He greeted her with a smile, "You've arrived, young lady?"

Xia Lanyue nodded and greeted her.

As soon as Xia Lanyue entered the side room, she saw Dai You already sitting by the fence waiting for her. The moment he saw her, Dai You beamed with joy.

Xia Lanyue walked over with a smile, and as soon as she got close, Dai You eagerly reached out and grabbed her hand. Xia Lanyue quickly withdrew her hand, glancing towards the door to indicate that someone was outside. Dai You withdrew his hand again, his expression showing a hint of regret.

Xia Lanyue took out the food and fed Dai You as before.

Finally, as they were finishing their meal, Xia Lanyue asked the question that had been weighing on her mind for a long time, "Are we siblings?"

Dai You was taken aback, then shook his head. "Strictly speaking, no."

Xia Lanyue frowned. "Strictly speaking?"

“Master Dai, who is your father, has never held a formal ceremony to recognize our kinship, nor has he included my name in the family genealogy, so I am not really your sworn brother,” Dai You said.

"Why did I acknowledge you, and then I don't?"

“I was originally just a guard, sold into servitude to the Dai family. Because Master Dai found out about our relationship, he was very angry and arranged a marriage for you, wanting to sever our ties. But you disagreed and refused to marry. Helpless, Master Dai thought of adopting me as his godson, so that with the constraint of our status, we could not have any other relationship. So, at his birthday banquet, he publicly announced that he had adopted me as his godson,” Dai You said, then lowered his head.

Hearing that they were not related, Xia Lanyue breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her heart. Seeing Dai You's aggrieved look, she didn't know why, but she wanted to tease him, "Since that's the case, it's fine if we're siblings. From now on, you'll still be my brother."

Dai You suddenly raised his head, grabbed the fence, and said seriously, "No, I don't want to be siblings."

"I remember when I woke up from drowning, you called me 'Young Miss,' why don't you recognize me now?"

“You’re just teasing me,” Dai You said seriously. “Ah Yue, we’ve been through so much, and we almost died. That’s when I realized I can’t live without you. As long as I can be with you, I don’t care about anything else.”

Hearing this, Xia Lanyue was deeply moved by Dai You's emotions, but at the same time, a struggle and contradiction arose in her heart. Dai You didn't know that the person before him was no longer Dai Xiyue. So, did he love her? Or Dai Xiyue?

"Do you...do you think I've changed since I woke up?" Xia Lanyue asked tentatively.

Dai You smiled and said, "Mm."

"Do you prefer the old me or the current me?" Xia Lanyue asked, feeling inexplicably nervous.

I like them all.

"I can't say I like them all, I have to choose one."

"Why? It's all because of you!" Dai You smiled.

“That’s different. You said my personality has changed from before, so which kind of personality do you like…?” Xia Lanyue didn’t dare to look Dai You in the eye, afraid of hearing the answer that would disappoint her.

“Hmm… You used to be brave and kind, which made people feel sorry for you. Now you are more independent and don’t rely on me as much as before,” Dai You said, lowering his head with a hint of regret.

Xia Lanyue understood that Dai You had been hurt emotionally by his recent experiences, but she still wanted to know what he was thinking. "But you still haven't told me which one you like?"

“When I get out, let’s go to Gwangju and find a doctor to cure your amnesia. I want you to be the same as before,” Dai You finally said, revealing his thoughts.

Xia Lanyue was stunned. Although Dai You said he didn't care, he still liked the Dai Xiyue he knew. His tireless efforts to cure her already spoke volumes. She wasn't unaware of this before, but she simply didn't care. Now, she cared, and she wanted him to choose her firmly, to love the soul beneath her appearance. She didn't want to be a substitute for someone else's spirit! But now, it seemed this was the outcome.

Xia Lanyue felt an indescribable disappointment and confusion.

When Xia Lanyue returned to the Xia family, Xia Yao was still teaching.

Xia Lanyue didn't disturb them and went straight back to her room to pack her belongings.

On her way back, she had figured it out: she had no intention of marrying Xia Yao, nor could she continue to live in the Xia family. As for the marriage, she would have to find another way.

Xia Lanyue slung her bundle over her shoulder, glanced at the room that needed tidying up, and turned to close the door.

It was a hot summer day, and the doors and windows of the west room were wide open. She was watching Xia Yao in the yard; he looked quite handsome as he earnestly taught the children to read.

Xia Yao seemed to sense her gaze, turned his head and saw her, then walked out. "Where are you going, Yue?"

"Xia Yao, I've decided to move to town so it'll be easier to visit Dai You."

"Then where do you live?"

"I'll stay at the inn first," Xia Lanyue had nowhere else to go.

"Is it... that I made A-Yue feel awkward, which is why she wanted to leave?" Xia Yao asked, puzzled.

"No, no, it's just for convenience to visit him. Dai You's emotions are unstable."

"Is that really all?" Xia Yao asked, his face filled with doubt.

Xia Lanyue nodded. Of course, that wasn't her only reason, but the reason was something she couldn't reveal.

"Alright then," Xia Yao said, lowering his head thoughtfully.

Xia Lanyue was a little disappointed that there was no attempt to persuade her to stay as she had imagined.

“Well… I’m leaving now. I’ll come with Dai You when he comes out to thank Aunt Xia. I won’t wait for her to come back today,” Xia Lanyue said.

"Mm," Xia Yao nodded.

Having said that, Xia Lanyue had nothing more to say and walked towards the door.

She knew that once she walked out that door today, their relationship would grow increasingly distant, and the thought made her feel a pang of sadness. She didn't walk quickly, perhaps because she still harbored a sliver of hope—a hope that he would try to stop her. This feeling was contradictory; she didn't understand why she had this thought, but it was there nonetheless.

Finally, as I stepped out the door, I heard Xia Yao's voice, "Wait."

Xia Lanyue was pleasantly surprised and immediately stopped walking.

Xia Yao jogged after her, "A-Yue, my family has a small courtyard in town. You can stay there; it might be more convenient than staying in a guesthouse."

Xia Lanyue hadn't expected him to be concerned about her whereabouts, and was momentarily taken aback. "Isn't this inappropriate?"

“There’s nothing wrong with that. You are my betrothed, so you should live in my house,” Xia Yao said.

Xia Lanyue was taken aback. "This is even worse. Let's think of another way to arrange our marriage."

"A-Yue still won't forgive me?" Xia Yao stared into Xia Lanyue's eyes. "What can I do to make A-Yue calm down?"

“That’s not what I meant,” Xia Lanyue said, unsure how to respond.

"So that means you've forgiven me?" Xia Yao continued, "The courtyard has been uninhabited for a long time. I'll tidy it up tomorrow and then go to the guesthouse to pick you up."

"No, I'll stay in the dorm. I've troubled you a lot these past few days, so I can't trouble you any further. You should go back now, the students are waiting," Xia Lanyue said, and before Xia Yao could speak, she turned and ran away.