Chapter 36: No Turning Back

Yi Chenlan had been running through the forbidden grounds, dragging his injured body. Although he had taken the Casting Heaven Pill, he had not had any rest, and this illness struck with great force. Even after taking the medicine, he still felt a bit drowsy.

Shu Wan glanced outside. The sky had already darkened, and she pulled the blanket over Yi Chenlan. “Senior Brother Ah Lan, you’ve taken the medicine. You should rest well now. Sweat it out, and you’ll feel better when you wake up tomorrow.”

Yi Chenlan allowed Shu Wan to care for him, silently cooperating. His obedient demeanor made one want to treat him with even more gentleness. Finally, after Shu Wan tucked the blanket around him and was about to place his hand inside the covers, he suddenly grabbed her hand tightly. His attitude became slightly firmer, preventing her from pulling away.

His dark phoenix eyes gazed at her, seemingly filled with countless unspoken words.

Shu Wan froze for a moment under his gaze.

Senior Brother Ah Lan’s eyes were truly beautiful, shimmering and clear. When he gazed at her so quietly, without saying a word, it made one’s heart tremble.

But there was also a trace of unease in them, as though he had not fully recovered from the shadow of his nightmares. He said nothing, yet Shu Wan could tell what he was anxious about.

“Senior Brother Ah Lan, be careful with your hand. I won’t leave. You should sleep well and get better quickly.”

Shu Wan had never seen Yi Chenlan like this before. Without thinking, she softened her voice. As expected, after hearing this, Yi Chenlan’s lips curled slightly, a barely noticeable nod, and he closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

—

That night, Yi Chenlan slept peacefully without having any more nightmares. Shu Wan dozed off at the bedside, but her sleep wasn’t very sound. She woke up several times, and each time she saw Yi Chenlan’s calm expression, she was reassured enough to fall asleep again.

The last time she woke up was due to a soft knock on the door.

Shu Wan, still groggy, rubbed her eyes and glanced out the window. The sky was already dim and grey. She slowly got up, stretched her stiff legs, and glanced at Yi Chenlan, who was still sleeping soundly. Reassured, she quietly tiptoed to the door to open it.

“I—” Seeing Shu Wan open the door, Ge Qing nearly lost control of his volume, momentarily forgetting what he had meant to say. He found it strange: “Why didn’t you go back to your room to sleep?”

Given his tendency to overthink, Shu Wan still explained: “Senior Brother Ah Lan is very ill. I stayed behind to take care of him.”

Ge Qing gave a thoughtful “Oh.”

For some reason, Shu Wan felt a bit guilty under his subtly suggestive tone. She cleared her throat and asked: “…Well, Senior Brother Ge, do you need something?”

“Ah, right.” Ge Qing slapped his forehead. “I do have something to discuss, but I’m not looking for you, I’m looking for Yi Chenlan. Has he not woken up yet?”

Before Shu Wan could say: “Let him sleep a little longer.” the door behind her suddenly slammed open with a loud “bang.”

The noise startled her. She immediately turned around to see—

Yi Chenlan stood there with his pitch-black phoenix eyes devoid of any light, his face extremely pale. His long, dark hair hung loose, and he was only wearing an inner robe. He had no shoes on, and his bare feet were standing on the cold floor.

Shu Wan turned around and saw this scene. Her anger flared up immediately. She grabbed Yi Chenlan’s hand and pulled him back into the room.

“Why aren’t you wearing shoes?! Why didn’t you put on more clothes?! How could you come out like this?! You’re still sick…” She touched his forehead. “Look! You’re still running a fever! You’re burning up… Go back to bed right now!”

Shu Wan was so anxious that she lost her temper, even forgetting to call him “Senior Brother.” as she forcefully pressed him onto the bed. Quickly, she pulled the blanket over him, wrapping him up tightly, making sure both his hands and feet were well covered.

Yi Chenlan was scolded harshly. He pursed his lips, seemingly a little dazed. “I thought you had left…”

His voice was low, making it hard for Shu Wan to stay angry at him.

Her heart softened, and her tone became gentler. “You really… How could I leave? I promised you. I just went out to talk to Senior Brother Ge. I didn’t want to disturb your rest. Who knew you’d come out like this? You’re so disobedient, always making people worry.”

Yi Chenlan responded with a soft “Mm.” in acknowledgment, his tone almost apologetic. “It’s my fault.”

On the side, Ge Qing clicked his tongue in admiration and said: “Ah, I’m going to interrupt here. Shu, Junior Sister, could you step outside for a moment?”

Shu Wan glanced at Yi Chenlan, then turned to Ge Qing and instructed: “You keep an eye on him. Don’t let him get up and wander around.”

“I know, I know.”

Not entirely reassured, Shu Wan left, but as she closed the door, she looked back at Yi Chenlan. He gazed at her softly, his expression obedient, which gave her some comfort, before she finally shut the door behind her.

As soon as she left, Yi Chenlan’s gentle aura faded, subtly revealing a hint of coldness.

Ge Qing clearly noticed the change in Yi Chenlan’s attitude. He raised an eyebrow, cleared his throat, and forced a somewhat serious tone as he cupped his hands. “Young Master.”

Yi Chenlan looked at him. “There’s no need to address me like that.”

“Alright then, Chenlan.” Ge Qing readily complied. “I don’t know how you two managed to escape, and it seems Shu Wan truly doesn’t know either. That’s why I need to confirm something with you. Do you know that after you entered the forbidden grounds, Sect Master Shu ordered to seal all exits and destroy the mechanisms?”

Yi Chenlan’s expression remained indifferent. “I know.” He then asked: “Shu Qi wouldn’t have made this widely known. How did you find out?”

“Haha, he did it very secretly. But I took a stroll around the forbidden grounds and guessed. You really knew about this. So, what are you planning to do?”

“Shu Qi won’t be at ease until he sees our corpses. He’ll know very soon that we’ve escaped.” Yi Chenlan said calmly. “Wan Wan and I will leave today. We won’t cause you any trouble.”

Ge Qing let out a dry laugh. “That’s what I was going to say too, though not in such a cold way. After all, this place isn’t completely safe. Even though you’re not fully recovered yet, it’s better for you to leave quickly.”

“However, don’t tell me where you plan to go. While I’ve kept a low profile, and Zhongshan Sect probably won’t notice, there’s always a chance. If I’m suspected, I won’t be able to withstand torture, and I’ll definitely betray you.”

Yi Chenlan curled the corner of his lips slightly. “You’re straightforward.”

“Well, what can I say?” Ge Qing waved his hand. “There’s one more thing. I’m not sure what you’re thinking, so I sent Shu Wan away for now. Why didn’t you tell her that the forbidden grounds’ exits were sealed by her father?”

Yi Chenlan’s brow twitched, and he fell silent for a moment. If Shu Wan knew that the exits were truly sealed, she definitely wouldn’t believe his claim that the mechanism was easy to break. Fortunately, she had never imagined that Shu Qi would be so ruthless, and she completely trusted him, never doubting him.

Ge Qing noticed the change in Yi Chenlan’s expression and immediately misunderstood. “I see. She doesn’t know that her father doesn’t care about her life, that to kill you, he’s willing to bury her along with you. You’re afraid that she’ll be heartbroken, right? Sigh… I think you’ll have to tell her eventually.”

“Shu Wan doesn’t know, but you must have an idea. As for Zhongshan Sect, she’ll never return there. Sect Master Shu is so ruthless that if she really goes back, even if he doesn’t kill her outright, he’ll probably imprison her for life. It’s cruel, but if you can’t bear to tell her, let me do it.”

Upon hearing this, Yi Chenlan’s face darkened. There was a cold, sharp glint in his eyes. “I will tell her.”