Chapter 124: The Moon

The elder’s attitude made it abundantly clear whose jade pendant it truly was. Yang Yaozong did not mind in the slightest being ousted from the Jade Pavilion; he strode out with effortless grace, and upon seeing Ayi duck into a small alley, he followed suit.

Before Yang Yaozong could even step fully into the alleyway, a slender hand reached out, grabbed the front of his robe, and pulled him inside. It was Ayi.

The alley was narrow, barely wide enough for two people to pass side-by-side. Ayi pinned Yang Yaozong against the wall.

She had already removed her small mustache. She held out a hand, palm upward, and said with a hint of agitation, "Give me back my pendant!"

Yang Yaozong raised an eyebrow, watching her with amusement. "You knew I hadn't destroyed it? You played the part so convincingly—I truly thought you were heartbroken. The way you grieved, even I felt..."

Ayi noticed him stop abruptly. She stared at him with her enchanting, captivating eyes, waiting expectantly. "Felt what?"

Yang Yaozong coughed twice, reached into his sleeve, and placed the Hetian jade pendant into her palm. "For an object so precious to you, you must be more careful in the future. Remember, one should never flaunt their wealth."

Ayi closed her hand tightly around the pendant. Leaning back against the wall, she lowered her head, and a crystal-clear tear fell onto her clenched fist. "This pendant was my mother’s dying wish. Having it with me is as if she is still by my side," she whispered.

Sensing her love and attachment, Yang Yaozong said softly, "I believe you. The meaning behind this pendant is a prayer for your safety and smooth passage in all things. It is the simplest and purest blessing a mother can give her child."

Ayi tucked the pendant away, wiped the tears from her eyes, and offered a bashful smile. "At first, I really thought you had shattered it, which is why I pushed you. But when I looked closely at the shards, I realized it wasn't my pendant at all. I knew then that you must have kept mine safe. Fearing the elder might notice the discrepancy, I used a handkerchief to gather the shards and brought them out."

Yang Yaozong watched her with admiration, nodding with a grin. "You clever little sprite. But if you hadn't collected those shards, I would have had a hard time dealing with the one I smashed."

Ayi asked curiously, "Was the one you smashed yours?"

Yang Yaozong pursed his lips, looking slightly sheepish. "I just grabbed a piece of Hetian jade from the counter while he wasn't looking. It looked similar in color and size to yours."

Ayi burst into a giggle, casting a sidelong glance at him. "No wonder you were so willing to smash it into pieces."

Yang Yaozong raised an eyebrow, smiled, and pulled another jade pendant from his sleeve, handing it to her. "Here, take this."

Ayi’s eyes widened in surprise as she took it. "You—you actually stole this one too!"

Yang Yaozong frowned, feigning an expression of grievance. "I asked both you and the elder, and you both claimed the pendants weren't yours. Since we were the only three people in the shop, I had no choice but to begrudgingly claim it as my own."

Ayi doubled over with laughter. After a moment, she straightened up, looking at him with concern. "What if that old man realizes two pendants are missing? He’ll surely guess it was you. What if he reports it to the authorities?"

Yang Yaozong smiled. "It’s fine. He was in the wrong to begin with, so he won't go to the officials. He’ll just have to swallow his bitterness."

"Swallow his bitterness?" Ayi asked, puzzled.

Yang Yaozong nodded slowly. "It means he has a grievance he cannot voice."

Ayi watched him for a moment, her elegant eyebrows arched, before she burst into a sweet laugh. "And to think that old man praised you as an honorable gentleman."

"I told you long ago," Yang Yaozong chuckled, "I have never considered myself a gentleman."

Ayi gazed at him tenderly. "Yang Guo, I am returning to the Turkic lands in a few days." Seeing him nod silently, she pressed further, "Will you come with me?"

Yang Yaozong frowned slightly and smiled. "If there is an opportunity in the future, I will go to visit the Turkic lands."

Although this was the answer she had expected, she had still hoped he would say what her heart desired. Her mood dampened, and she looked down in disappointment, the atmosphere between them turning somber. After a while, she looked up, her blue eyes shimmering with moisture, and smiled at him. "If it weren't for the fact that you are so full of trickery and I feared you would find a way to run away halfway there, I would have tied you up and dragged you back to the Turkic lands!"

Yang Yaozong let out a laugh, looking at her helplessly. "That isn't trickery; that’s being resourceful. You shouldn't misuse idioms like that!"

"Hmph!" Ayi glanced at him. "Give me your dagger."

Yang Yaozong looked at her, unsure of her intent, but he handed it over regardless.

Ayi took the dagger and studied its cold, gleaming edge. "I never imagined this blade would be so sharp! This is no ordinary weapon." With that, she took the red, double-fish circular jade pendant she had been holding and struck it with the blade. Where the steel passed, it sliced through the stone as if it were tofu, neatly severing the pendant at the point where the fish tails met. She caught the detached half, returned the knife to Yang Yaozong, and naturally took his hand. "Come with me."

Yang Yaozong, still stunned by her actions, allowed her to lead him back toward the street, waiting to see what she intended.

Ayi brought him to a jade shop, gave the owner ten taels of silver, and had him drill a small hole in the tail of each fish and attach a red cord.

As they stepped out of the shop, Ayi hung one of the carp pendants around Yang Yaozong’s neck. "I love the pattern of the two fish on this pendant, and I love how it looks like the sun, which is why I wanted to buy it for you. But in the end, you were the one who gave it to me. Still, I wanted to give it to you, so I cut it in half. One half for you, one for me. You are not allowed to lose it. Look, now that it’s cut, doesn't it look like a crescent moon?" She held up the red carp hanging from her own neck.

Yang Yaozong smiled and nodded.

Ayi tucked the pendant inside her clothes, patting it gently through the fabric, and said shyly, "Do you know what 'Ayi' means?"

Yang Yaozong shook his head.

Ayi smiled. "It is the word for 'moon' in your Great Zhou language." Her beautiful eyes suddenly filled with tears, but she kept smiling at him. "This way, even when I return to the Turkic lands, you will think of me when you see this pendant. You won't forget me, will you?"

Yang Yaozong gave her a radiant smile. "I will not forget. Only when these two crescents come together do they form a full moon. People have their joys and sorrows, just as the moon has its waxing and waning. Where there is separation, there is reunion. We will meet again."

Ayi playfully teased, "You know that poem? Then why didn't you quote: 'May we live long and share the beauty of the moon together'?"

Seeing Yang Yaozong look embarrassed and unsure of how to respond, she felt a faint ache in her heart and a sting in her nose. She let out a soft huff and changed the subject. "Hmph! The Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent of the Great Zhou! Even if he is just a son-in-law, he writes good poetry. I heard he wrote that poem for his wife. I wonder what his other works are like? His wife must be quite capable, to be able to..." She stopped herself, not wanting to touch upon the war between their two nations. She looked at Yang Yaozong.

Yang Yaozong nodded solemnly. "Indeed! The female Chancellor Nangong is very formidable! I imagine her husband, the Grand Tutor, must be quite formidable as well!"

"Hmph!" Ayi scoffed dismissively. "Let them be formidable! There’s no need for you to praise them so much!"