Chapter 39 Partial (Second Shift)

“Oh…”

Yu Xiao snapped out of his memories, feeling a bit uneasy as he touched his nose. He murmured softly, “I didn’t know it was you who wrote the letter.”

If only he had known…

He certainly wouldn’t have included that word “roll.”

Chu Xuyun Cleaned up all the rice in his bowl, then looked up at him and whispered, “Back then, did you dislike me?”

Yu Xiao chuckled dryly, “How could that be? I liked you a lot, always have.”

“Really?” Chu Xuyun looked up at him, half believing, half skeptical. “Then why did you tell me to leave back then?”

Yu Xiao fell silent for a moment, his mind racing. “I mistook you for Li Yanhe. You know how much I dislike him.”

Thank goodness Li Yanhe could still be used, Yu Xiao thought, sweating a bit.

“I see.”

Chu Xuyun suddenly realized, easily deceived by his explanation.

Yu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, paused, then felt something was wrong again. “If you liked me so much back then, why did you later chase me away?”

This matter always felt like a thorn in Yu Xiao’s heart; whenever he thought of that day’s scene, he couldn’t sleep all night. If Chu Xuyun hadn’t promised to marry him, Yu Xiao felt he would have been tormented by love and died in the Demon Domain.

At the mention of this, Chu Xuyun’s expression visibly dimmed.

“Because of the portrait,” Chu Xuyun pursed his lips, speaking softly. “The portrait you painted was discovered by the Sect Master. He was very angry and threatened to tell Father.”

Chu Xuyun remembered this incident well, but always forced himself to forget it.

Because thinking about it made him sad.

“What else?” Yu Xiao pinched his cheek. Seeing Chu Xuyun wasn’t very happy, he quickly added, “Forget it, if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.”

Chu Xuyun shook his head, murmuring softly, “I want to say…”

That early summer, in the Taiqing Sect’s Qiankun Hall.

The Sect Master threw a portrait in front of Chu Xuyun. Curious, Chu Xuyun looked down and saw it was a portrait of himself.

In the painting, he seemed tired, as if he had just done something, leaning on the desk with his chin resting on his hand, eyes closed in rest.

Not only did the painter capture him vividly, almost making him look like a celestial being, but his eyelashes weren’t that long, and his lips weren’t that red, were they?

It was so beautiful that even Chu Xuyun himself liked it when he looked at it.

He held it in his hand and couldn’t stop looking at it.

Then the Sect Master’s voice came from above his head.

“Still looking? He sleeps every night with your portrait in his arms, and you still have the heart to admire it?”

Chu Xuyun dusted off the portrait, feeling embarrassed. What’s wrong with admiring it? It’s so beautifully painted, meant to be seen by others.

“Don’t you understand? He was just about to declare his intentions in front of you. He’s only sixteen, you’re really misleading him!”

The Sect Master’s spittle almost sprayed onto Chu Xuyun’s face. He hesitated for a moment before realizing that the portrait was meant as an expression of affection.

Who could it be?

Whose hand was so skillful to paint such a beautiful portrait for him?

Seeing him look so clueless, the Sect Master scolded Chu Xuyun severely and ordered him to send the person away within three days, or he would go back to his hometown and tell Father that he had misled someone in the Sect.

Chu Xuyun was most afraid of his father. He could only agree first to prevent the Sect Master from really returning to his hometown. His father would be angry and tell him to go back to Penglai Xian Island and not practice again.

He pursed his mouth, held the portrait in his arms, took out a storage ring, and treasured the portrait.

Seeing his treasure, the Sect Master was even more angry. “Do you not want to know who painted it?”

Chu Xuyun still hadn’t asked who painted it. Did he really not want to know, or did he guess who it was long ago?

Hearing this, Chu Xuyun shook his head blankly.

The Sect Master was very strange. How could he know if he didn’t say it?

But it was useless to know who painted the portrait. To prevent Father from knowing, he had to send the person away. The Sect Master promised to give a lot of money. The girl could go to other Sects to practice with the money.

“It’s Yu Xiao.”

The Sect Master stared at him deeply. “Yu Xiao painted it.”

When the words fell, Chu Xuyun’s body suddenly stiffened.

He was stunned for a long time, his mind seemed blank, leaving only two words: Yu Xiao.

“Why, did you know he liked you for a long time?”

Chu Xuyun panicked and took a step back, and his palm almost fell to the ground. He shook his head in a hurry, and his heart beat so fast that he seemed to jump out of his chest.

The Sect Master looked at Chu Xuyun steadily, his face getting worse and worse.

His younger brother, my third brother… he’s a man.

“Do you believe what you said?” The Sect Master sighed, rubbed his aching temples, and waved at him. “Well, don’t cry, come over.”

Chu Xuyun felt deeply wronged, tears falling like beads off a broken string, refusing to move from where he stood.

Seeing him like this, the Sect Master had no choice but to descend from the hall, slowly approaching Chu Xuyun and gently embracing him. “Don’t cry. I didn’t say anything definitive. It’s just… there were no signs beforehand…”

No one could have ever imagined Chu Xuyun would sever his affection.

He had always been resilient, enduring poison from evil cultivators without a word, not even blinking when severely injured. Yet now, simply asking him if he liked Yu Xiao brought forth tears like a breached dam.

Saying he didn’t like him was clearly just not liking him enough.

The Sect Master rubbed Chu Xuyun’s soft hair, speaking with heartfelt sincerity, “Ah Xuyun, Yu Xiao is still young. He doesn’t understand love yet. Perhaps it’s just because you’ve always been by his side that he’s developed this fledgling affection for you. Once he grows older, and meets more people his age, can you guarantee he won’t develop feelings for someone else?”

At these words, Chu Xuyun cried even harder.

The Sect Master sighed inwardly. “I’m not trying to upset you. I haven’t finished yet.” He hurriedly wiped away Chu Xuyun’s tears, speaking softly, “Think about it. If he truly likes you, waiting another four years won’t matter. By the time he comes of age, if his feelings for you remain, wouldn’t that be the perfect time for you two to settle down?”

Hearing this, Chu Xuyun blinked, tears still clinging to his eyelashes, and asked in confusion, “But what if he stops liking me by then?”

If Chu Xuyun fell out of love with Yu Xiao halfway through, and Yu Xiao lost interest in Chu Xuyun, that would be the best outcome for everyone, although the Sect Master thought to himself.

Chu Xuyun couldn’t think straight, stammering out his response.

“Four years is a long time. What if he forgets about it?”

To gain the Sect Master’s permission, Chu Xuyun’s eyes lit up slightly, as if he were about to fly away. He was looking forward to meeting Yu Xiao again in four years.

By then, Yu Xiao would likely have grown taller, maybe even taller than Chu Xuyun.

Yu Xiao was also very good-looking and would probably only become more attractive.

Chu Xuyun couldn’t wait to tell Yu Xiao the good news, but the Sect Master stopped him.

“Wait three days before you tell him.”

Chu Xuyun was confused by this unexpected request.

The Sect Master stood with his hands behind his back, slowly speaking, “I want to test this boy’s character.”

Though he’d agreed to let them marry in four years, the Sect Master was still worried. What if Yu Xiao was stubborn? What if Chu Xuyun had a good memory? What sort of person would his foolish little brother be with?

He had to find out.

Chu Xuyun had to do as he was told.

Unexpectedly, after learning the Sect Master was trying to chase him away, Yu Xiao spent three whole days kneeling in the pouring rain at the entrance of the Taiqing Sect.

During those three days, Yu Xiao didn’t eat or drink and didn’t move an inch.

As if he knew he’d get a chance to turn things around.

At the entrance to the Taiqing Sect, people came and went, countless disciples brushing past Yu Xiao, all eyes falling on the disgraced evil cultivator.

Yu Xiao hated those eyes, and he hated crowded places even more. Even so, he continued to kneel at the entrance, kneeling in the mud and rain, allowing himself to be looked down upon.

He knew he’d done wrong.

He shouldn’t have painted a portrait of Chu Xuyun in secret, and he certainly shouldn’t have held Chu Xuyun’s portrait in his arms as he slept. He shouldn’t have coveted Chu Xuyun, hoping to pull him down from his lofty heights.

If kneeling at the entrance would change the Sect Master’s mind, if it would keep Chu Xuyun from hating him, he was willing to do anything.

The rain grew heavier.

The Sect Master kept Chu Xuyun locked inside, refusing to let him see Yu Xiao.

Finally given the chance to see Yu Xiao at the entrance, Chu Xuyun found him in a miserable state, as if they were back to the day when he had just picked Yu Xiao up from the Mo Domain.

Chu Xuyun held up his umbrella, feeling as though all the blood had drained from his body.

Seeing Chu Xuyun arrive, Yu Xiao’s eyes finally showed a glimmer of hope.

But Chu Xuyun’s words quickly extinguished that glimmer.

“Leave.”

Yu Xiao stared at him in confusion, then knelt and bowed to him.

Don’t chase him away, let him be punished, anything would work.

He was wrong, truly repentant.

Chu Xuyun had shown him kindness, and he shouldn’t have desecrated that kindness.

“Xianjun, the disciple will never again entertain such thoughts. Please don’t chase me away.”

“Disciple swears by the heavens, I will never disobey your orders again.”

His forehead was bleeding from the knocks, but he felt no pain.

Chu Xuyun closed his eyes, suppressing the heat in his eyes.

“I’m letting you go, but I didn’t say you couldn’t come back.”

Go, Yu Xiao.

After taking you back to Taiqing Sect, I always make you suffer, I’m sorry.

Chu Xuyun placed the umbrella handle in his hand, turned away, took a deep breath, and said firmly,

“After you come of age, if you still feel the same way about me…”

Meeting Yu Xiao’s bewildered gaze, he looked away, summoned his courage, and spoke with unwavering determination,

“Come back to find me. I will marry you.”