Inviting the Moon to the Farmhouse

Chapter 169 Waiting for an Explanation

Xia Lanyue sat at the table in a daze, and remained there for a whole day.

She didn't come to her senses until it got dark and someone knocked on her door.

She immediately realized it was Xia Yao who had come to explain things to her. She quickly got up, rushed to the door, and opened it.

The light in Xia Lanyue's eyes dimmed the moment she saw the person entering through the door.

Outside the door stood Dai You.

Looking at Xia Lanyue's pale face and the scattered shards of bowl on the floor, Dai You asked with concern, "A-Yue, are you alright?"

Xia Lanyue shook her head listlessly and turned to walk into the house.

"I heard you haven't left your room, what's wrong?" Dai You's eyes were full of concern. Before Xia Lanyue could reply, he changed the subject, "You haven't eaten yet, have you? What do you want to eat? Let's go together."

Xia Lanyue glanced at the already dark sky outside the window, then shook her head. "No, I don't want to move. You should rest."

Dai You hesitated for a moment, then stopped trying to persuade him. "I'm next door. Call me if you need anything. Remember to close the door properly."

Xia Lanyue nodded mechanically, and after Dai You closed the door and left, she lit the oil lamp in the room.

Her gaze swept across the room, taking in the mess on the floor. She knew that Dai You must have seen it, and he was worried.

So he squatted down and started picking up the broken pieces on the ground.

The light was too dim, and before I knew it, my fingertip was cut by the sharp edge.

Bright red blood gushed out and dripped onto the ground.

Along with the blood, her tears also dripped down.

Xia Lanyue herself wasn't sure whether the tears were from her hand or her heart.

After tidying up the broken pieces, Xia Lanyue lay on the bed, staring blankly at the bed curtains. She was waiting, waiting for Xia Yao to come to her.

As drowsiness overcame her and she could no longer resist it, Xia Lanyue fell into a deep sleep...

When I woke up again, it was already morning.

Xia Lanyue woke up with a start and sat up abruptly.

She looked around the room, and it was exactly as it had been yesterday; there was no sign that anyone had been there.

She couldn't help but feel disappointed. Xia Yao didn't come to see her; he broke his promise. Why?

Suddenly, a bad thought flashed through his mind: Could it be that he went to find Li Tao and stayed overnight, which is why he didn't come back? Or perhaps he was kept by Village Chief Zhao to accompany Zhen Shi, which is why...

Xia Lanyue felt she shouldn't think that way and should trust Xia Yao, but she couldn't help but overthink until she couldn't hold back anymore and burst into tears.

It was both a feeling of injustice and helplessness.

She felt like a failure. She couldn't maintain her relationship with Xia Huifang, and she couldn't fight off the provocative Li Tao. She was also jealous of Zhen Shi, whom she had never met but who always appeared around Xia Yao.

This suddenly gave her a sense of crisis, as if she would lose Xia Yao if she didn't take the initiative. Although she didn't know where this feeling came from, it just happened.

Thinking of all this, Xia Lanyue couldn't wait any longer. She immediately got out of bed, tidied herself up, and headed towards Xia Yao's house.

Xia Lanyue walked along the road, looked up at the sky. It was still early, and she should be able to see him when she got to the Xia family home. She quickened her pace.

However, things didn't go as planned; Xia Yao was not there.

Xia Lanyue stood in the courtyard, watching Acheng eat, and asked, "When did he leave?"

"Oh, um, you probably just left before you arrived," Acheng said.

Xia Lanyue nodded. "Then...when did he come back yesterday?"

“I went back to the village yesterday, and it was already late when I got back. When you see him, just ask him yourself,” Acheng said.

Xia Lanyue nodded, asked no more questions, said goodbye, and headed towards Yunji Inn.

However, as soon as she entered the front hall, the waiter greeted her.

"Miss, you're up very early today," the waiter said with a smile.

Xia Lanyue nodded in response, then suddenly remembered that Xia Yao had already left, and asked, "Did Xia Yao come today?"

"He came? I saw him just leave," the waiter said, somewhat puzzled by Xia Lanyue's words.

"What food did he bring me today?" Xia Lanyue asked.

"Hmm...he hasn't come back yet, but he'll probably be back soon. I'll bring it to the girl's room in a bit," the waiter said with a smile.

Xia Lanyue nodded and prepared to go upstairs.

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind.

"Waiter, please decoct this medicine for me and bring it to my room in a bit," Li Tao said as she walked over from the doorway carrying several packets of Chinese medicine, placing them on the counter.

The waiter accepted it and said, "Okay, I'll cook it and bring it to you."

Xia Lanyue stood to the side, looking utterly astonished. She hadn't expected Li Tao to live here too. Was Li Tao deliberately trying to annoy her? Such blatant provocation!

Li Tao also seemed to have no intention of paying attention to Xia Lanyue. After instructing the waiter, she gave a contemptuous smile and then walked upstairs.

After hearing the sound of a door closing on the second floor, Xia Lanyue asked the waiter, "How many days has she been staying here?"

"It's been two days."

They arrived two days ago, on the night of the Lotus Festival, and haven't left since.

Xia Lanyue recalled that Xia Yao had given her the money pouch in the last couple of days, hadn't he? He had met Li Tao right under her nose, and she hadn't even noticed.

Wait a minute, Xia Lanyue seemed to sense something was wrong again.

She remembered what the waiter had said earlier, "Just left," "Hasn't returned yet"—it sounded like he'd stayed overnight! Xia Lanyue called out to the waiter, who was about to head to the kitchen, "Waiter, I slept soundly yesterday and didn't know when Xia Yao arrived, do you know?"

"Around 7 PM to 9 PM, just as I was closing up shop, he arrived."

Xia Lanyue's heart skipped a beat. Xia Yao had come yesterday and left today. He hadn't come to her room. Where had he gone? She dared not think any further.

Thinking back to what A-Cheng said this morning, it was nothing more than a fabricated illusion to cover up for Xia Yao.

Seeing that Xia Lanyue was silent, the waiter went about his own business.

Xia Lanyue didn't know how she got back to her room; she only felt a sharp pain in her heart.

She suddenly had a strange thought: he had said he had Xia Yao's memories, so would those feelings continue, just like with Xia Huifang, with him still thinking about Li Tao? Or perhaps, he liked her?

Thinking of all this, Xia Lanyue couldn't control her emotions and burst into tears.

She didn't know how much time had passed when the waiter came up and knocked on her door. She quickly wiped away her tears.

"Miss, the local official sent over some food, and I've brought it to you," the waiter said at the door.

"Come in," Xia Lanyue called to the door.

The waiter pushed open the door, came in, and placed the food on the table: steamed buns and porridge.

"Young lady, the local official said he'll be looking for you tonight and asks you to wait for him," the waiter said.

Xia Lanyue didn't turn around, and coldly said, "I know."

"Okay, I'll get back to work then. Call me if you need anything," the waiter said, heading towards the door.

"Wait a minute," Xia Lanyue called out to the waiter, turning around to ask, "Did Xia Yao only bring breakfast for me? Did anyone else get some?"

The waiter was taken aback, not understanding her meaning. "This is the only serving." Then he thought for a moment and said, "Miss, are you asking if your brother has any? His meals are porridge and side dishes provided by our restaurant, so he won't go hungry."

Xia Lanyue forced an awkward smile. "I understand."

After the waiter left, Xia Lanyue sat down at the table.

She looked at the steamed buns, but felt nauseous.

All she wants now is to see Xia Yao and wait for his explanation.