197 Fog Rises, Fog Disperses
Jiang Huai’s words cleared Chu Xianning’s muddled thoughts.
Perhaps he was right; deceiving others about such matters was never difficult. If she wanted to heal Jiang Huai, they were in the courtyard at that moment, and only heaven, earth, she, and he would know. There was never any worry about anyone else finding out, but she couldn’t deceive herself.
“So, in the end, it’s your fault for being too impatient with Luo Qingyu’s body that you even forgot about this?” Chu Xianning’s tone seemed to carry a hint of blame.
Jiang Huai could only offer a bitter smile. “This is where Master doesn’t understand.”
“I don’t understand?”
“Earlier, Qingyu and I almost argued about whether to practice Dual Cultivation. I always wanted to delay it further, but Qingyu felt uneasy because of it. At that time, I didn’t recall the matter of Dual Cultivation for healing either. Otherwise, if I had finished discussing this prescription with Qingyu back then, we probably wouldn’t have had to argue and could have delayed for a very, very long time.”
“Previously, I really wanted to postpone the marriage because I had a strange fear of getting married, as if I would lose something once married. But later, in the Secret Realm, by fate’s misunderstanding, I shared marital relations with Wen Wanwan. Qingyu never got angry or felt wronged about this matter. But if I were to delay Qingyu now, it would be my fault.”
“What about now?”
“What?”
“What do you think now?” Chu Xianning’s voice was cool and clear.
“Now, I’ve come to terms with many things. Wanwan has a gentle and soft nature; she’s already my type. Qingyu is charming and cute, and she likes me so much; I have no reason not to like her. I was just always filled with fear, afraid that after marriage, I wouldn’t be able to be like before. But recently, I’ve gradually understood that my past self was simply holding selfish and despicable thoughts. All that unfulfilled longing is my own doing.”
Chu Xianning’s eyelashes trembled slightly. She gazed at the young man before her. His expression was serious, his voice gentle. She believed Jiang Huai wasn’t lying; he had no reason or need to lie. The young man who always seemed to have a romantic spark in his eyes appeared to have truly grown up. He wouldn’t cause her further trouble or do any more absurd, bastardly things that made her toss and turn all night.
Isn’t this what you’ve always been looking forward to, Chu Xianning?
What Jiang Huai wanted to say had been quietly finished.
He didn’t even dare to look into Chu Xianning’s eyes, nor did he dare to imagine her reaction at this moment. But these days, he had truly suffered from insomnia every night. Even when he was with Wanwan or Bai Li, they would fall asleep first, and he would lie alone, staring at the darkness of the ceiling, lost in thought for a long, long time.
He harbored no resentment toward Chu Xianning. This was all his one-sided affection. He had always tried to force Chu Xianning to go against conventions and be with him, smugly believing that even if they tormented each other, they would grow old together. But recently, he realized that if two people liked each other, there was no need for torment.
The Immortal Fairy Master’s heart was as cold as ice; it wasn’t something the low-level Jiang Xiaohu could easily move. If he could truly move Chu Xianning’s heart, perhaps Chu Xianning would have wanted to travel the world with him at the age of sixteen, to a place where no one knew them. They could have lived a shameless life privately every day. What if they still maintained a respectful demeanor as master and disciple in front of others?
If Master liked him enough, what was wrong with healing his injuries? After all, it would only be a little secret known to the two of them, and no one else would ever know. In the end, it was only because Chu Xianning might have had a sliver of good feeling towards him, but not much.
He had always fantasized, “I like you so much, Chu Xianning, you should like me just as much.” But liking someone couldn’t be dictated by reason.
Jiang Huai had rested enough. He stood up and continued practicing his punches. The wind from his fists whistled, and a rustling sound came from the courtyard. He didn’t dare to look at Chu Xianning’s face. Perhaps Chu Xianning didn’t care about what he said, perhaps she was smiling with relief, or perhaps she had finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, “Finally, I don’t have to be licked by that little jade dog anymore.”
Chu Xianning in the courtyard was very quiet. She didn’t utter a single word, just sat there quietly, looking up at the night sky. However, the bright moon was obscured by dark clouds, and only a faint halo could be vaguely seen. The mist in the courtyard thickened, and she seemed to no longer be able to see Jiang Huai’s outline clearly.
Clearly… shouldn’t the fog have dispersed by now?
But the thick fog had now tightly enveloped the two of them.
Chu Xianning’s fingers tightly grasped the hem of her dress before slowly loosening after a long while. Jiang Huai in the courtyard collapsed on the ground, exhausted, panting heavily. In the past, he had swung his fists countless times to disperse the mist before him, but after a short while, the mist would engulf him again, obscuring everything in his sight, making it impossible to see clearly.
Jiang Huai panted heavily until Chu Xianning, standing in the thick fog, looked at him from afar and softly called out, “Jiang Huai.”
Jiang Huai held his breath, and the courtyard fell into silence, leaving only Chu Xianning’s cool voice.
“If, I’m just saying if.”
“If you can’t find medicinal ingredients to replace the Flower Spirit Physique and Ice Soul Profound Body, if you can persuade Luo Yueguan to practice Dual Cultivation with you, if you’ve gathered the two medicinal ingredients besides the Fire Luo Holy Fruit… the missing final ingredient, I will give it to you.”
Jiang Huai felt a thud in his heart.
He couldn’t quite place what had quietly shattered. He suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to roll around on the spot.
Like a childish child.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
“What are you yelling about?” Chu Xianning came to his side, looking down at him calmly.
“Again! Again! You’re cheating! Chu Xianning! I’m telling you! You’re cheating!” Jiang Huai continued to roll on the ground, irritating Chu Xianning. She couldn’t help but lift her White and tender little feet, which were not wearing shoes or socks, and stepped on Jiang Huai’s chest, looking down at him indifferently. “Explain yourself clearly.”
Jiang Huai couldn’t roll anymore because his Master had firmly stepped on him.
He lowered his head slightly, looking at the White and tender little feet on his chest, then looked up at Chu Xianning. “Master, why do you always say these inexplicable things at the most opportune moment?”
Jiang Huai felt so wronged that he was about to cry.
These days, he had tossed and turned, sleepless, and finally made a firm resolution. But just then, Chu Xianning’s words were equivalent to delivering a heavy blow to his absolute defense. He had secretly vowed in his heart that no matter how much Chu Xianning indulged him or showed him a little kindness in the future, he would absolutely, absolutely not continue to be that little jade dog.
But Chu Xianning’s words just now were like thunder in his ears, shattering all his defenses. This wasn’t something Chu Xianning would say at all; this wasn’t you.
“You turn people into ghosts, Chu Xianning!”
“I’m saying if. With your intelligence and your proud medicinal refining talent, do you really think that day will come?” Chu Xianning looked at him indifferently. “When am I cheating?”
“Then, let’s take another step back. If, if what Master just said really happened, and there was really only the last ingredient left?”
“Then consider it like being bitten by a dog.”
“I’ll bite you right now!”
Chu Xianning was taken aback, then her eyebrows lifted playfully. Her toes hooked his chin, and her tone rose slightly. “What did you say?”
Jiang Huai could no longer distinguish the emotions churning in his heart – was it frustration, anger, joy, or resentment? A mixture of five flavors, twisted and contorted into a knot. At this moment, Chu Xianning’s toes were against his chin. Her snow-white foot sole seemed to be entangled by the mist, feeling slightly cold.
Jiang Huai lowered his head and took a bite.
The Fairy Master’s delicate and crystalline toes, like tender white jade shoots, were firmly bitten by Jiang Huai. Although Jiang Huai was filled with indignation at the moment of biting down, he was reluctant to exert force once his mouth was on them. He seemed to sense a faint floral fragrance. Damn it.
“Let go!” Chu Xianning immediately said, her voice filled with shyness and annoyance.
“Not letting go!” Jiang Huai replied unclearly. Even as Chu Xianning tried to pull her White and tender little feet away, Jiang Huai held on tightly with his teeth. The two were locked in a stalemate, and the absurd farce in the dense fog began anew.
Chu Xianning’s toes twitched, trying to poke Jiang Huai’s tongue, wanting that despicable dog to let go immediately. But Jiang Huai’s eyes were fierce, as if he intended to fight Chu Xianning to the bitter end, never to rest until one of them died.
Chu Xianning’s snow-white calf hung in the air. She took a deep breath, and the shyness and annoyance in her eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by coolness. Her voice carried a hint of disdain. “Let go. If you like it, how about I let you lick to your heart’s content right now?”
The moment she finished speaking, Jiang Huai let go. He proudly turned his face away. “I don’t like it!”
Chu Xianning finally managed to retrieve her White and tender little feet. Her slender, jade-like feet landed back on the bluestone slabs. She looked down at Jiang Huai, who was lying on the ground, and her voice was icy. “You can tell me now if anything I said earlier is wrong. Don’t keep it bottled up and be angry with me.”
“Why are you biting back? It’s often you who keeps things bottled up and gets angry with me!”
“You say?” Chu Xianning’s eyebrows slightly lifted.
“I’m not saying it!” Jiang Huai turned his face away. “I don’t need Master to reluctantly practice Dual Cultivation with me for healing. I will find alternative medicinal ingredients for the Flower Spirit Physique and will never rely on Luo Yueguan. I am the upright gentleman Jiang Xiaohu, not as despicable as Master thinks.”
“When did I say you were despicable?”
“I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care! That’s what you think. You think I want to practice Dual Cultivation with Luo Yueguan, you think I have designs on your body. But I never…”
“I never said that,” Chu Xianning suddenly interrupted Jiang Huai.
Jiang Huai was stunned.
Chu Xianning looked down at him, her ink-black pupils deep and cold. She raised her hand and dispelled the mist in the courtyard. The light from the Firefly Stones fell onto her cheeks, allowing her to see Jiang Huai’s eyes clearly.
“I never said you had improper intentions towards Luo Yueguan, nor did I say you were lusting after my body. You always think of yourself too harshly, and you always imagine that I also think you’re a bastard. But in my eyes, you never were. I watched you grow up. Although you’ve been ambiguous in your relationships with women, apart from that, I’ve never felt you did anything wrong. You’re doing much better than I did back then. You are my only disciple and the disciple I am most proud of in this life.”
“It was I who taught you to care for the world, which led to you, who should have had a smooth cultivation path, to fall into this current predicament. This is what I owe you as your Master. Therefore… I want to repay you, which is why I said ‘if’.”
Chu Xianning’s voice was clear and gentle. Jiang Huai looked into her dark eyes, and his heart seemed to quietly calm down. He stared for a long, long time before turning his face away. “Don’t worry, Master. I will repair my Qi Sea myself. You don’t owe me anything. All the choices were mine, and I can never blame Master. Master doesn’t need to feel guilty.”
After a long while, Chu Xianning turned her face away, no longer looking at Jiang Huai. “I was just saying if…”
“Yes, I understand,” Jiang Huai slowly sat up from the ground. He looked up at Chu Xianning’s profile, at her slightly awkward demeanor at this moment, and suddenly seemed to understand.
It seemed this was what Chu Xianning had always wanted to say but never had the opportunity.
Jiang Huai had known Chu Xianning for many years. He understood very well what Chu Xianning was thinking. With Chu Xianning’s pride, if he no longer liked her, she wouldn’t lower herself to please Jiang Huai. She was used to being alone, and perhaps a little peace was not bad.
But if Chu Xianning were to truly lower herself and heal him out of guilt, Jiang Huai would rather his Qi Sea remain废 (waste/broken) for a lifetime and never be repaired.
However, Jiang Huai suddenly began to worry. Would he be misjudging Chu Xianning’s thoughts? Perhaps he needed to test her a little.
So, he looked at Chu Xianning innocently and asked, “Master just said that if I let go, I could lick to my heart’s content… is that true?”
Chu Xianning looked down.
She extended her snow-white leg, and her toes seemed to approach Jiang Huai’s cheek. Jiang Huai looked at his Master’s delicate, pink, and fair jade feet within his sight. His heart began to pound. Fragrant and soft, smooth and tender White and tender little feet, could it be that…
The next second, Chu Xianning’s toes landed on his chest, and with a skillful move, she kicked him flying, hitting the old locust tree in the courtyard. Leaves fluttered to the ground.
“Go to hell,” Chu Xianning turned and returned to her room, her footsteps hurried.
