Chapter 15: Birthday Gift

Yi Chenlan understood in his heart that Shu Qi would never allow him to refuse today, but he was also unwilling to let himself be used by Shu Qi in this way.

Just as he was about to speak again, someone suddenly stood beside him.

Shu Wan’s clear, bright eyes reflected his image. Her tone was extremely serious as she said: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, Father gave it to you, so you should take it. Father has never been wrong in his judgment. He said your bones are well-suited for it, and if you practice this sword technique, you’ll definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort.”

Her expression was so sincere that Yi Chenlan was momentarily stunned, a hint of confusion appearing in his phoenix-like eyes.

Shu Qi looked at Shu Wan with a slight frown and pondered before speaking: “Wan Wan, don’t be too willful. Are you saying this because you’re jealous of Ah Lan? You should understand that not all the good martial arts in the world can be learned by you alone. Your bones are not as suited as Ah Lan’s, and you won’t achieve great success in practicing this sword technique.”

After saying this, he looked at Shu Wan leisurely.

Shu Wan’s gaze was especially innocent, and her tone was cheerful. “I understand, Father. I’m not jealous of Senior Brother Ah Lan, how could you think that? You’ve always taught us that among the brothers and sisters, we must support each other and never let jealousy take root. I remember that clearly.”

She took the Eternal Slash from Shu Qi’s hands and personally placed it into Yi Chenlan’s. “Since neither Senior Brother Ah Yang nor I are suited to practice the Eternal Slash, and it’s just right for Senior Brother Ah Lan, Father’s sword technique will have a successor. I’m so happy. Senior Brother Ah Lan, this is Father’s heartfelt intention; please don’t refuse it.”

Yi Chenlan stood there, his hands cradled by her soft little hands, and almost forgot how to speak. His expression was dazed, looking somewhat adorable.

Shu Qi’s brows furrowed slightly, a bit incredulous, as he asked Shu Wan: “Wan Wan, do you really think this way?”

“Yes.” Shu Wan closed Yi Chenlan’s fingers, ensuring he held the sword technique securely, and with a bright smile, she continued to add fuel to the fire. “Don’t worry, Father. Today, with so many of our uncles and masters here, you’ve only passed the Eternal Slash to one person. Senior Brother Ah Yang and I will be very obedient. We definitely won’t peek at Senior Brother Ah Lan practicing the sword.”

Shu Qi’s expression remained unchanged, still carrying a smile, though the smile appeared somewhat stiff. His fists, clenched behind his back, turned white at the knuckles. “Good, good, good! Truly, my obedient daughter. You really are thoughtful.”

Shu Wan immediately revealed a shy smile after being praised.

Shu Qi, forcing his smile, went to greet the guests. Shu Wan instantly noticed that his once proud and contented smile now carried a touch of reluctance. She feared that, inside, he must have been ready to spit out three liters of blood.

Earlier, Song Anzhi had gone to speak to him with an unhappy expression. Surely, it was to question him about the Eternal Slash matter. Shu Qi had only tiredly waved him off, as though he didn’t want to say much.

Shu Wan secretly lowered her head to hide her impulse to laugh. She felt like rolling on the floor with laughter, putting her hands on her hips and laughing to the heavens. Shu Qi had shot himself in the foot. Now, both she and Jiang Yang could no longer practice the Eternal Slash. His internal thoughts must have been quite a spectacle.

It couldn’t be helped. After all, a gentleman’s word is his bond. Since he had only wanted to pass the technique to one person, today, he would be forced to backtrack and admit his mistake.

When she had written this scene, it had only been to highlight the villainess’s malice and madness, as well as to make Yi Chenlan’s situation even more miserable. So now, she had control over the situation. She didn’t lose her mind; instead, she cheerfully wished Yi Chenlan well and, in passing, helped Shu Qi deliver the sword technique.

As for the others, even if they privately grumbled, they wouldn’t question Shu Qi’s decision too much, given his esteemed reputation.

Without the Eternal Slash, the power of Jiang Yang’s Heavenly Sword would also be weakened to some extent. Shu Wan silently clasped her hands together in her heart: I’m sorry, Jiang Yang. From now on, when you enter the Jianghu, I won’t touch what’s meant for you, but the things Yi Chenlan deserves, I will definitely return to him.

She was so focused on enjoying the drama that she didn’t notice that the precious martial arts manual in Yi Chenlan’s hands had already become wrinkled from how tightly he had gripped it.

His gaze toward Shu Wan was full of curiosity.

“Are you… really Shu Wan?”

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The banquet dragged on, growing increasingly tedious. It was mostly a gathering of various people, exchanging compliments with each other. Among them, Shu Qi received the most praise. However, today his smile seemed somewhat lacking, as if he was not particularly in high spirits.

Yi Chenlan had left early, and Shu Wan, remembering her promise to help him adjust his meridians, soon excused herself from Shu Qi. She walked cheerfully, hands behind her back, all the way to Jingtong Pavilion.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, I’ve come to find you!” Shu Wan said with a smile, gently knocking on the door.

The door opened quickly, and Yi Chenlan stood behind it. The candlelight illuminated his impassive side profile, making his eyes appear even darker, with a faint hint of danger in them.

Shu Wan felt confused. She had always behaved well, so why did the villain, who had been so gentle in their earlier conversation, now seem so distant, even refused to smile?

This left her feeling somewhat defeated.

Did something go wrong?

Could it be that Yi Chenlan didn’t actually want to learn the Eternal Slash?

Had her good intentions backfired and made him angry?

As Shu Wan drifted in thought, she suddenly heard Yi Chenlan call her name: “Wan Wan, do you remember who broke the spirit jade sculpture in Master’s room?”

His expression was casual, as though it was an offhand question, but Shu Wan felt a surge of unease.

“It… it was me. I’m sorry, Senior Brother Ah Lan. Back then, I had you take the blame for me, and Father punished you so severely…”

A trace of undisclosed surprise flashed across Yi Chenlan’s heart. He remained composed, continuing to ask: “That year, when you broke your arm, who helped you climb the tree?”

“That… that was Senior Brother Ah Yang…”

Yi Chenlan remained silent for a moment, then took out a jade pendant from his chest. The jade pendant was of ordinary quality, not finely polished, yet he slowly caressed it and softly asked: “Do you remember where this jade pendant came from?”

Oh my goodness, I don’t have a standard answer for this one! Shu Wan could only brace herself and respond, her voice lacking confidence: “I… I don’t remember…”

Yi Chenlan nodded, murmuring to himself: “You really don’t remember…”

He seemed lost in some unsolvable puzzle, leaving Shu Wan standing there as he began to ponder deeply.

This silence made Shu Wan anxious.

No wonder Yi Chenlan had seemed upset today; it turned out he was thinking about the past! The things Yi Chenlan had asked about were all mentioned briefly at the beginning of the novel, primarily to highlight Yi Chenlan’s inherently kind nature and to contrast the tragic events that would later unfold.

She and Jiang Yang had gotten into trouble, and Yi Chenlan had always taken the blame for them, each time suffering severe punishment from Shu Qi. Now, as he brought up those past events, was it that remembering them had caused his irritation?

Shu Wan cautiously watched Yi Chenlan: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, I… I was foolish back then, I caused trouble and was so scared. I’m sorry for making you take the blame for me… I promise! There won’t be anything like that happening again. I will never let you suffer again!”

Her words were like a thunderclap, instantly snapping Yi Chenlan back to reality. He looked at Shu Wan, his eyes slightly bloodshot: “I told you, don’t say things like that again.”

He pushed the Eternal Slash, neatly arranged on the table, toward Shu Wan: “I haven’t looked at this Eternal Slash. If you like it, take it.”

At that moment, Yi Chenlan realized that she was truly Shu Wan, not anyone impersonating her. The realization sent a slight chill through him, a sense of unease settling in.

He was afraid of this new development.

He was afraid this was a gentle trap.

He was afraid this was a clever scheme to toy with him.

He was afraid that the only person who had ever been kind to him in both lifetimes might have ulterior motives.

He no longer knew what to do. Before he could figure out what Shu Wan truly wanted, he had already sadly become immersed in her thoughtful care.

Shu Wan felt a disconnect between herself and Yi Chenlan. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, Father has already given you the sword technique. Why are you giving it to me?”

Yi Chenlan moved his lips, but he didn’t know what to say. If she wanted the Eternal Slash, he could give it to her with both hands. But if she didn’t want it… then what did she want?

She had given him clear eyes, gentle compassion, and attentive protection—then what? What did she want? What price would he have to pay?

He wanted to pull away, yet he also greedily longed for it…

Even if he were to live again, he would still have no progress.

Yi Chenlan silently mocked himself for being so pathetic. Not only had he failed to firmly suppress his killing intent, but he had also allowed the enemies from his past life to leave him wavering and confused.

“What do you really want…” Yi Chenlan heard himself muttering.

“Hmm? Me?” Shu Wan thought for a moment and then earnestly asked: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, could you please properly adjust my meridians?”

Yi Chenlan was silent for a long time. When he finally looked at Shu Wan again, there was a faint gleam in his eyes. His voice was soft, cautious, as if afraid of disturbing someone:

“Alright.”

In this life, Shu Qi hadn’t changed, Jiang Yang hadn’t changed, and everyone around him had remained the same.

Only Shu Wan had changed.

She and the Shu Wan from his past life seemed like two entirely different people. He didn’t understand why, nor did he know how to go about exploring it.

Perhaps, he could try to believe that this was a rare blessing from heaven, the only one he would receive in both lifetimes…

Shu Wan felt that Yi Chenlan should be better by now, and she happily helped him adjust his True Qi. She soon noticed that not only was his martial arts talent extraordinary, but his recovery ability was also astonishing. After just one day, his meridians weren’t as severely damaged as they had been the previous day. The flow of his True Qi had become much smoother.

“Not bad, very obedient. You know it’s important to properly recover your body.” Shu Wan cheerfully praised, watching as the candlelight reflected off Yi Chenlan’s dark, glossy long hair, which cascaded down to his waist with an effortless, lazy beauty. Unable to resist, she reached out and gently ruffled his hair: “Good boy, you need to keep being obedient.”

Yi Chenlan’s breath hitched, and he immediately stood up, stepping back two paces. “You…”

The soft sensation of her touch seemed to still linger, and he quickly averted his gaze, a faint flush creeping up his ears.

Seeing his reaction, as innocent as if he had been teased, Shu Wan felt a little frustrated. She had only patted his head, and now she looked like some kind of predator.

Yi Chenlan’s voice lacked its usual steadiness: “…It’s getting late, Wan Wan. You should go and rest.”

“Alright, Senior Brother Ah Lan, you should rest early too.” Shu Wan said with a helpless smile. Just as she was about to stand up and leave, something suddenly came to mind.

Silly! She almost forgot the main reason why she’s here!

Shu Wan halted her steps, turned around, and smiled brightly at Yi Chenlan: “Senior Brother Ah Lan, today is your birthday. You haven’t received your gift yet!”