Castle in the Air

Ziye nodded, and only then did Ziyu release Chen Yage. Water Buffalo tried to support her, but Chen Yage refused. She greedily inhaled the fresh air, like a parched traveler finally tasting water after a long drought.

After a while, Chen Yage had recovered considerably. She had never imagined that her momentary act of kindness—saving a man in black—would entangle her with such a complex identity. She walked up to Ziye, reluctant but compelled to say, “Thank you.”

Ziye turned away with an expressionless face and ascended the loft. Chen Yage immediately felt a surge of indignation. She had saved him, after all—how could he be so ungrateful? She glared at his departing figure and muttered a few silent curses under her breath. But when her eyes met the icy look in Ziyu’s gaze, a chill ran through her. No matter how unwilling, she could only swallow her resentment for now.

“You’d better not try anything funny, or don’t blame my sword for being merciless!” Ziyu left this warning as she climbed up to the loft. Cuckoo stuck out her tongue at Chen Yage and followed close behind.

So this is what it means to abandon loyalty for beauty, Chen Yage thought bitterly. She could only mock herself in silence—perhaps she had been deluding herself all along, and Cuckoo had never regarded her as a friend.

“Yage, don’t worry. The young master won’t kill you. Even if he really tries, I’ll risk my life to protect you. As long as Water Buffalo is here, no one will bully you!” Just as Chen Yage was lost in her own gloom, Water Buffalo came over, untied the ropes that bound her, and said these words with deep feeling. For the first time, steadfast Chen Yage found herself flustered.

Could this simpleton have feelings for me? she wondered to herself. She was still feeling awkward when Moon Concubine’s cold voice suddenly rang out: “Go up!”

Chen Yage threw a furtive glance at Water Buffalo and hurried up the stairs to the loft.

The staircase was made of bamboo, but the loft above presented a different scene: vermilion carved doors, tightly shut lily windows. Ziye lounged on a chaise, leisurely holding a wine cup. His black robe was embroidered with golden dragons; golden threads edged the garment, a jade crown bound his hair, and a few locks of black fell carelessly over his shoulder. His eyes were half-closed, watching Chen Yage with an air of detached amusement. Ziyu sat quietly to his left, willow brows slightly knit, lost in thought.

Chen Yage pouted in dissatisfaction, arching an eyebrow at Ziye, who responded only with a soft chuckle.

She had seen the stilted houses of the Dai people on television, but never such a loft as this. Driven by curiosity, she looked left and right. Moon Concubine’s angry voice snapped, “Insolence! In the presence of the young master, why haven’t you bowed?”

“I, Chen Yage, bow to Heaven, Earth, and my parents, but never to him!” she retorted, proud and defiant. To make her point, she sat boldly on a round wooden stool. Suddenly, a black hole opened beneath her. She froze, and just as she was about to plunge down, Ziye leapt forward, caught her by the waist, and spun her safely to the ground.

Everything happened so unexpectedly. Heart pounding, Chen Yage patted her chest and cried out, “That scared me to death! That was close—I almost fell!”

“The rules of Peach Blossom Spring are not for you to challenge at will. If you remain so insolent, you won’t leave here in one piece!” Ziyu approached step by step, her intent murderous as she glared at Chen Yage.

“So it was you behind this!” Chen Yage thought to herself. If a single stool held a trap, then surely this room was riddled with mechanisms. If she ventured here alone, she would surely have perished. But with all these people present, they must know where the traps lay.

Chen Yage smiled secretly and edged closer to Ziye. In a flash, a gleaming sword was at her throat. She paused, then smiled, gently took the sword from Ziyu’s hand, and, taking hold of Ziye’s collar, said with a coquettish air, “He hasn’t spoken. Why are you so agitated? Or is it that in Peach Blossom Spring, the rules allow you to ignore your master?”

“You!” Ziyu’s face darkened instantly. She sheathed her sword and said coldly, “I am his sister, not his servant. And you—you are nothing.”

Feigning intimacy was something Chen Yage excelled at. She laughed loudly. “Is that so? How do you know I’m nothing? I am his savior after all—I snatched him back from the clutches of the King of Hell.” As she spoke, she reached for Ziye’s face and teased, “You wouldn’t deny it, would you?”

With that, she leaned into Ziye’s arms. He, startled, stepped back, and Chen Yage fell to the ground. Her hand accidentally pressed a red gem on the side of the couch. With a rumbling sound, a stone door opened. Inside was a single bed, on which lay a man in white robes, his features strikingly handsome, with sword-shaped brows and star-like eyes—a visage radiating youthful charm.

Love in the Tang Dynasty: Poet Immortal, Please Stay! 015 Love in the Tang Dynasty: Poet Immortal, Please Stay! Free to Read All Chapters_015 The Loft in the Clouds updated!