Chapter 140: The Choice (Part 12)

The grape rolled from between his fingers into the snow.
Shen Suwei quickly pulled Xu Qianyu closer, and just as he was beginning to doubt whether he had misheard, he heard her call out “Shixiong” softly by his ear.

The word caused a shiver to run down his spine, starting from his earlobe and spreading throughout his body.

Years ago, when he tried to understand why Xu Qianyu wandered the night, he had gone through ancient texts. The books mentioned that for young children, wandering at night might be a sign of an incomplete soul or vulnerability to fright, or it could indicate unresolved emotional knots.

Xu Qianyu had gone out to search for her mother, likely because Shui Weiwei held some hostility toward her, causing her emotions to become tangled. She had no choice but to resolve her feelings this way.

This was not something he could fix, so he had given up. He could only hope that once she joined his sect, the bond between them would make up for this regret.

Now, it seemed this matter had been resolved. Because Xu Qianyu no longer searched for her mother but instead sought him out.

In that moment, Shen Suwei felt a jolt and realized clearly: he had hurt her.

If that wasn’t the case, she wouldn’t have kept those feelings bottled up, causing her to lose sleep at night.

He had always wanted to protect his junior like holding a flawless jade, but he never expected to leave a deep scar on that very jade.

It was like a steel knife had carved into his heart, and a sharp pain, tainted with the scent of rust, surged in his chest.

Xu Qianyu gripped his clothes tightly, as if she had many things to say. After a moment, she began to sob, as if releasing the pent-up air that had been trapped in her chest for so long.

Her hot tears soaked into his collar. Her tears were more unbearable than any scolding or indifference.

“Don’t cry.” Shen Suwei closed his eyes, gently patting her back. “I’m sorry, don’t cry.”

Seeing her shoes soaked through, Shen Suwei put away the golden tray, picked Xu Qianyu up in a princess carry, and headed toward the Zhaoyue Palace.

Snow began to fall again along the way. The moonlight illuminated the flying snow, and Xu Qianyu remained eerily quiet.

Shen Suwei didn’t know where she planned to return that night. But the Zhaoyue Palace was empty, and it could provide them with a brief moment together.

He placed her on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and took off her shoes and socks. He held her ankle, and as the chain suddenly extended to bind her meridians, the sharp pain reminded him that he shouldn’t be doing this. Shen Suwei slightly tightened his grip but didn’t let go, simply making sure the blanket was properly covering her.

Xu Qianyu clung to his sleeve, refusing to let go, inviting him into her realm.
Shen Suwei looked at her and said, “I can’t go in.”
When you wake up, you’ll definitely be angry.

But since Xu Qianyu insisted, he had no choice but to withdraw his spiritual energy and enter the space surrounded by the Li Huo (Fire Realm).

As soon as he entered, Shen Suwei immediately understood why Xu Qianyu had been so eager to come in.

The white rabbit doll he had stitched for her was brutally torn apart by someone, lying on the floor with its petals scattered everywhere.

Shen Suwei lowered his gaze to the “murder scene,” but instead of disgust, an aching pain surged within him, as if it wasn’t the doll being torn but himself.

He picked up the rabbit, carefully placing the petals back into it, and then put it into his sleeve.

Xu Qianyu’s expression changed: “That’s mine; why did you take it?”

She quickly snatched the rabbit ears from his sleeve, but Shen Suwei firmly held onto the rabbit’s body. Xu Qianyu tugged on it forcefully, and seeing the rabbit start to deform, Shen Suwei let go and handed it back to her.

Xu Qianyu took it in her hands but was still dissatisfied. She yanked him closer and forced the white rabbit into his hands, staring at him intently.

“…” Shen Suwei knew exactly what she wanted.

She regretted it. She wanted him to stitch the rabbit back together while they were in the realm.

“Can I take it back and repair it? If I don’t, when you wake up, it’ll just be torn again.” Shen Suwei looked at the rabbit and said, “If you tear it twice more, it won’t hold up. By then, no matter how you try to stitch it, it won’t be fixed.”

Xu Qianyu sat on the edge of the bed, reluctantly agreeing.

Shen Suwei knew it was time for him to leave.

He had only just gained a little trust from Xu Binglai, and it wouldn’t be wise to stay away from the Snow Cliff Cave for too long. If suspicion arose, it would be difficult to regain his freedom in the future. Not to mention, the chains that sensed his inner demons constantly reminded him of his transgressions.

But Xu Qianyu wanted him to stay, and he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

He repaired the wooden horse that had been burned by the Li Huo in the small room, gathered the toys, and looked around. “Is there anything else you want to do?”
Xu Qianyu said, “Shixiong, help me comb my hair.”

Shen Suwei sat on the bed, helping her braid her hair. Without any flowers to put in it, he used a phoenix butterfly hairpin instead. After all, anything done in the realm wouldn’t leave any trace once they left the boundary.

As he lifted her hair, he clearly saw a red-black mark on the back of Xu Qianyu’s neck. It was a wound caused by the sword Qi of the Lingbo Sword.

“You fought with Xu Jiansu?”

A normal fight wouldn’t leave such a mark. Only if the two of them had struggled in a messy fight on the ground could such a wound have appeared.

“You weren’t there.” Xu Qianyu replied, “Naturally, it was Second Shixiong who practiced swordplay with me.”

Shen Suwei remained silent, but he felt a quiet emotion begin to brew in his chest.

Now, besides him, anyone could get close to Xu Qianyu.

When he practiced with her, he never once caused her harm, but when Xu Jiansu practiced with her, it was clear she had been bullied. Yet Xu Qianyu called Second Shixiong with such affection, which meant that during his absence, their relationship had progressed rapidly.

He felt somewhat dissatisfied.

“Can’t you beat Xu Jiansu?”

Xu Qianyu said, “Sometimes I can, sometimes I can’t.”

Shen Suwei said, “Xu Jiansu’s sword intent is fierce, but he’s impulsive and rash, and his stamina is limited. When you face him, you should use your agility to dodge a few times, provoke his anger, and then strike him from behind.”

Shen Suwei listened to her response and erased the sword mark. It was clearly gone, yet he still repeatedly rubbed the skin with his fingers, as if enduring something. “Is there more?”

Xu Qianyu started undressing, but Shen Suwei stopped her with a swift hand, calming his mind.

“Forget it. Remember to tell your master not to hurt you. You need to fight back.”

In truth, Xu Jiansu had been injured even more severely. Those sword marks were left by Xu Jiansu’s violent resistance, but they didn’t hurt, so Xu Qianyu hadn’t bothered with them.

But in the dream, she couldn’t remember these details. Shen Suwei said she had been wronged, and she really did feel wronged.

Xu Qianyu pondered what Shen Suwei had said earlier about her second senior brother’s weaknesses. She thought it was a good opportunity to learn, so she kept pestering her senior brother to teach her swordsmanship, hoping she could take revenge in the future.

Shen Suwei revealed his Xuansu Sword, but Xu Qianyu stared at the sword’s body, her face darkening. “My red cord…”

Shen Suwei took out the twin fish red cord from his realm. “I took it because the wind and snow were harsh where I practiced the sword, and I was afraid I might lose it.”

Xu Qianyu snatched the red cord away with an angry expression. After thinking for a moment, she grabbed his hand and, pressing him down, forced the cord onto his wrist. “Don’t take it off.”

Shen Suwei allowed her to tie it, feeling an unexpected sense of joy.

It was as if Xu Qianyu wasn’t just tying the red cord but was locking him down with something.

This kind of invasive mark—she must want him, right?

Xu Qianyu looked at the pale hand with the thin, bright red cord tied around it. It was strangely beautiful. She twisted it, and beneath the wrist, she saw the shape of a golden chain, quickly protruding beneath the skin like a venomous snake. “What’s this?”

“Nothing.” Shen Suwei quickly withdrew his hand into his sleeve. “Take the sword. I’ll teach you.”

Xu Qianyu sensed that Shen Suwei seemed to be in a hurry.

Was he leaving again? She felt quite unhappy about it.

Xu Qianyu vaguely remembered that Shen Suwei had once taught her how to lock his spiritual consciousness. She still remembered that incantation. Now, their primordial spirits were connected within the realm. So, if she recited the incantation, could she lock the person in front of her?

It seemed flawless.

Let’s try it.

With the sword in hand, Shen Suwei was adjusting her sword stance, completely unguarded. Suddenly, golden spiritual energy appeared behind her, her consciousness reaching out like probing tentacles, surrounding him. What she didn’t expect was that her own consciousness came out uncontrollably. When their spiritual forces met, they rapidly entwined, and Shen Suwei’s face changed drastically.

Luckily, he reacted swiftly, and sword energy condensed into a layer of frost, separating their spiritual forces. Sweat broke out on his back, and he suppressed his breathing. “You’ve formed your Nascent Soul…”

Xu Qianyu had reached the Nascent Soul stage now. Her primordial spirit was much stronger than before.

Xu Qianyu stared at him in shock. She hadn’t expected the incantation to have this effect. After pondering for a moment, she embraced him, wanting to entwine further.

But Shen Suwei blocked her, seemingly needing her to answer. “Do you still want me?”

Xu Qianyu replied, “You were the one who didn’t want me first.”

“I never didn’t want you.” Shen Suwei’s heart tightened. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said those things.”

“Write down what you said.” Xu Qianyu summoned the wind and rain in the realm, and with a flick of her hand, paper and pen flew into her grasp.

Shen Suwei took the pen, his hand trembling slightly, writing with great seriousness.

Xu Qianyu patiently waited for a while. He seemed to have written a lot, though she didn’t fully understand it. But it didn’t seem formal enough. Pointing to the bottom, she said, “I need you to draw a circle here, to bind your spiritual consciousness here.”

In her mind, she saw the marriage contract between Hua Liangyu and Fu Shao.

“No.” Shen Suwei realized that it was a soul contract. He had always claimed his feelings were one-sided in front of Xu Binglai. If he left evidence like this, wouldn’t it cause trouble for Xu Qianyu?

He folded the paper and placed it in a visible spot within the realm, hoping Xu Qianyu would see it when she woke up and forgive him for first feigning kindness and then being unable to resist his desires, taking possession.

As soon as he finished speaking, the ice melted, and their spiritual forces touched again.

Though they connected, Xu Qianyu didn’t feel the pleasure she had expected. Instead, she felt extremely restless. Shen Suwei grabbed her hand. “Don’t move. Sink into the spiritual pool.”

Xu Qianyu closed her eyes, but she experienced a different sensation.

She felt overwhelming spiritual power slowly entering her body through her consciousness, circulating through her meridians.

This was dual cultivation in spiritual communion. Their cultivation shared.

In the end, he didn’t gain more. The parts he had suppressed, he was willing to give entirely to her.

Shen Suwei felt as if he had split in two: one side was the pain brought by the chains of possession, and the other was the joy of being dependent on her. Xu Qianyu’s consciousness greedily twisted around him, more like a demand, a devouring of power.

When it was almost enough, he released her consciousness. Shen Suwei tucked her hair behind her ear, his face pale as he said, “Once I’ve cultivated more, I’ll give you more, okay?”

When they left the realm, Xu Qianyu’s wish had been fulfilled, her meridians unblocked. With a bit of coaxing, she could peacefully fall asleep.

Shen Suwei looked at her for a moment, then couldn’t resist leaning down to kiss her lips. He kissed her carefully, not wanting to wake her but also wanting to leave some trace. At the same time, he hid a small Shenchong leaf in her sleeve.

He knew this wasn’t right, but he had to leave something behind, something to hold onto.
After a long delay, he couldn’t hold back any longer. Using his sword, he drew a teleportation circle, took the Shenchong leaf, and returned to the Snow Cliff Cave.

Shenchong: “Robbery! Robbery! What are you doing?!”

When Xu Qianyu woke up, the sunlight was like broken gold on her eyelashes. She vaguely remembered it was the grand feast of the year-end, and she must have drunk. But her heart felt strangely calm.

She remembered that she seemed to have dreamt of her senior brother last night, but it had been a very good dream.

She rolled over and found that she had leveled up again. Recently, her progress had been so fast that she felt a bit guilty.

She glanced up and saw a plate of grapes on the table. Something stirred in her heart. Just as she had been thinking about eating grapes, there they were. Xu Qianyu quickly hopped over, clumsily peeled one, and popped a grape into her mouth, feeling the sweetness flood her mouth.