He no longer had his Master…
In the year when his Master had come to understand matters of desire, Lu Zhixing had been utterly and completely cast aside.
\*
Xi Yu’s sleep was deeply unsettled. In his dreams, scene after scene played out like slides in a projector.
Once again, he saw his mother being torn apart by the demon race. She had been a Goddess with no magical powers, and now her flesh and divine bones were ripped apart, inch by inch, and distributed among different people to chew on. Meanwhile, the man seated in the place of honor watched it all with a smile.
Xi Yu screamed and trembled incessantly in his dream. He raised his sword and was about to charge at the man, but in the next instant, the smiling man on the high seat transformed into Zhili.
“NO!!!!”
Xi Yu jolted awake. Cold sweat covered his forehead as he gasped for breath, terror written across his face.
His heart pounded violently. He clutched the bedsheets tightly, his face deathly pale.
It took a long while for Xi Yu to recover. He climbed out of bed, his steps unsteady.
It was already eight in the evening. Feeling terribly irritable, he glanced at the empty cup beside his bed, paused for two seconds, then got up and went downstairs.
As soon as he reached the bottom of the staircase, he heard cheerful laughter. Only then did he remember that Luo Yuan and Shen Qing should have returned home.
Xi Yu tapped his forehead. He had forgotten to tell them he was back.
He had been gone for so long. They must have been worried.
But then again, Luo Cheng’an should have told them.
Xi Yu descended the spiral staircase. Only after entering the living room did he see where the laughter was coming from. He froze for a moment, unable to understand why Jiang Yunzheng and Jiang Xuewei were here.
And why were they playing… mahjong with Shen Qing and Luo Yuan?
Shen Qing had already spotted Xi Yu. Her eyes lit up, and then delight burst across her face.
“Xiao Yu! When did you come home? Why didn’t you tell Mom?!”
As she spoke, Shen Qing pushed the mahjong tiles aside.
“No more, no more! My son is home!”
Jiang Yunzheng had his back to Xi Yu. At the sound of Shen Qing’s words, the tiles in his hand slipped from his fingers with a sharp clack. He whipped around and sprang to his feet.
The chair behind him scraped loudly across the floor because of his sudden movement.
Apart from Jiang Xuewei, no one noticed how flustered he was, because Luo Yuan and Shen Qing were even more excited than he was.
Jiang Xuewei quietly tugged at her brother’s clothes, her expression saying she couldn’t believe him. She wanted to remind him not to get so worked up.
But Jiang Yunzheng did not notice his sister’s gesture. His eyes were fixed straight on Xi Yu, and a faint blush spread across his cheeks.
Xi Yu had no idea what was going on. When Jiang Yunzheng looked at him, he gave a slight nod in greeting. The next second, Shen Qing wrapped both arms around him.
Smack!
Shen Qing planted a kiss on Xi Yu’s cheek and exclaimed excitedly, “My precious boy! Mommy missed you so, so much!”
As a man, Luo Yuan was more restrained in expressing his feelings. His face glowing with happiness, he patted Xi Yu on the shoulder.
“Good to have you home. Good to have you home.”
Both Shen Qing and Luo Yuan knew that Xi Yu’s trip had probably been anything but peaceful. Although they had not said anything, they had been terribly worried.
Now that he was finally back, they could at last put their minds at ease.
“Oh, right.” Shen Qing asked, “Where’s Cheng’an?”
“He…”
“I’m right here!”
Xi Yu had just been about to say that Luo Cheng’an was probably in his room when he heard Luo Cheng’an’s cheerful voice approaching from behind.
Luo Cheng’an came bounding down the stairs, calling out as he ran, “Mom, Dad! I missed you guys so much!”
Xi Yu walked around Luo Cheng’an’s parents without sparing him a glance.
Huai Xi was not naturally this exuberant. He was merely putting on an act.
Just like Zhili.
Two frauds.
Xi Yu had not expected Luo Cheng’an to have stayed upstairs the entire time, just as he had.
He walked over to the refrigerator, took out a bottle of mineral water, tilted his head back, and drank half of it in one go.
Jiang Yunzheng came to stand beside him and said quietly, “Drinking cold water at night isn’t good for your health.”
Xi Yu lowered the bottle. “It’s fine.”
He blinked, letting his gaze linger on Jiang Yunzheng for another couple of seconds.
Jiang Yunzheng’s death tribulation had passed. He must have spent the past month recuperating, because the improvement in his complexion and build was obvious.
He no longer had the pallid, frail appearance he had worn in the hospital room. He was now a handsome young man.
From here on, he would enjoy a long life free of worries.
Jiang Yunzheng noticed Xi Yu looking at him. His face grew redder and redder until he could not help raising a hand to touch it.
“Is there… something on my face?”
Xi Yu shook his head. Before he could say anything, he saw Shen Qing open the door. Jiang Shuhe and Lu Zheng walked in with smiles on their faces, followed by Lu Zhixing, whose eyes were lowered.
Xi Yu’s gaze turned colder.
Following Xi Yu’s line of sight, Jiang Yunzheng looked over and greeted them with a smile.
“Auntie Jiang, Uncle Lu.”
Jiang Xuewei was rather surprised to see Lu Zhixing.
Although Lu Zhixing had already retired from the entertainment industry, his name still carried enormous weight there. Add in the power of the Lu family behind him, and almost everyone knew who he was.
Lu Zhixing had been practically dragged over by Jiang Shuhe and Lu Zheng. Hearing an unfamiliar voice, he finally lifted his head.
The faint blush on Jiang Yunzheng’s face had not yet faded. Xi Yu stood behind him, and both of them were looking toward Lu Zhixing. The displeasure in Xi Yu’s eyes was unmistakable, making Lu Zhixing feel like an outsider who had barged in uninvited and ruined the pleasant atmosphere that had existed before.
He knew Jiang Yunzheng. Chan Yu had landed on him.
He also knew that Xi Yu had saved Jiang Yunzheng’s life.
And he remembered that Jiang Yunzheng was an ordinary mortal who had passed safely through the Heart-Probing Stone.
Very few people could pass through that stone. Mortals were more prone than immortals to harbor desires and obsessions.
Lu Zhixing and Luo Cheng’an had needed special methods to get past it, yet Jiang Yunzheng had walked through effortlessly. He was truly a person of the purest heart and the greatest kindness.
The person Xi Yu liked most.
Lu Zhixing and Luo Cheng’an had been pretending. Jiang Yunzheng was the real thing.
Jiang Shuhe smiled and greeted Jiang Yunzheng before leaning toward Lu Zhixing and whispering into his ear.
“Now you know why I insisted on bringing you here, right? That young man from the Jiang family has been so charming to Qingqing and Old Luo lately that they’re practically ready to make him their son-in-law!”
After whispering that, Jiang Shuhe went over to Shen Qing and pointed at the mahjong table.
“You’re playing mahjong without inviting me? I’m offended.”
Shen Qing patted her and explained with a laugh, “Yunzheng only brought this jade mahjong set over today. We weren’t planning to play. We were just trying it out.”
Jiang Shuhe pressed her lips together in a smile.
“I see you’re awfully familiar with him, calling him Yunzheng this and Yunzheng that. If you really like him so much, why not take him in as your godson?”
Jiang Shuhe had said that on purpose. How could she not see Jiang Yunzheng’s intentions?
Only two days after Lu Zhixing and Xi Yu left, Jiang Yunzheng had come to the Luo residence to express his gratitude. Upon learning that Xi Yu and Lu Zhixing had gone traveling, he had not left. Instead, with just a few words, he had charmed Jiang Shuhe’s good friend into a state of delight while taking the opportunity to fish for information.
Luo Yuan had already been unhappy about Lu Zhixing’s little schemes. When Jiang Yunzheng congratulated him, he immediately explained the reason behind it all.
He was not worried that Jiang Yunzheng would spread the story around. Xi Yu had done him a great kindness; Jiang Yunzheng would never blab about it to outsiders.
Jiang Yunzheng’s broken heart had already begun to mend a little after Xi Yu’s public relationship announcement. Now, hearing Luo Yuan’s explanation, his spirits soared.
Even with Xi Yu away, Jiang Yunzheng continued visiting the Luo residence every few days. He also frequently ran into the Lu couple, who were regular visitors.
Not only that, but he had bought another villa right next door to the Luo residence. The three families had become neighbors.
Jiang Shuhe had seen through Jiang Yunzheng’s intentions. As an elder, she could hardly hold a grudge against a younger man. Besides, Jiang Yunzheng really was a good-natured person. It was no wonder Shen Qing and Luo Yuan liked him.
Even Jiang Shuhe and Lu Zheng, despite knowing perfectly well that he was trying to steal their son’s beloved away from him, could not bring themselves to dislike Jiang Yunzheng.
All they could do was feel grateful that Lu Zhixing had gone traveling with Xi Yu, hoping their son might win Xi Yu’s heart during the trip.
But now that they were back, Lu Zhixing seemed terribly downcast. He refused to say anything when they asked him what was wrong. Jiang Shuhe could not sit still any longer, so she had dragged him over to the Luo residence.
It was only a two-minute walk, after all.
And sure enough, Jiang Yunzheng was here again.
Jiang Shuhe had barely finished suggesting that Shen Qing take Jiang Yunzheng as her godson when he turned to her with an affectionate smile.
“Auntie Jiang, do you not like me? How about I become your godson?”
He had smoothly parried her remark and sent it right back to her.
Jiang Shuhe laughed twice, then pushed Lu Zhixing forward.
“Zhixing gets jealous easily. Why don’t you ask him whether he approves?”
After mentioning his jealousy, Jiang Shuhe turned her attention to Xi Yu, who had not moved from his spot.
“Xiao Yu, why are you standing there all by yourself? Come over and tell Auntie what you did on your trip. Zhixing has been home for a whole day, and I haven’t gotten ten words out of him!”
Clutching his cold water, Xi Yu took a deep breath and walked toward the group.
Shen Qing had already ushered everyone onto the sofa. It was a large sofa, with plenty of room to spread out. Jiang Shuhe had even been a little calculating, deliberately seating Lu Zhixing in the middle and leaving the most spacious spot empty beside him.
She had thought her son still had the better chance. Jiang Yunzheng might be a fine young man, but her own son was top-tier in every respect. Besides, Xi Yu had publicly announced their relationship just to protect her son from a little online criticism.
She could tell that Xi Yu did not even care about Luo Cheng’an as much as he cared about Lu Zhixing.
In her opinion, her son definitely still had a chance.
And the two of them had slept together in the same bed. She had seen it with her own eyes. If anyone claimed there wasn’t even the slightest romantic spark between them, she simply wouldn’t believe it.
Hehehe.
The smile on Jiang Shuhe’s face froze for a moment when she saw Xi Yu walk right past Lu Zhixing and sit beside Jiang Yunzheng instead, in a spot that was considerably less spacious.
Lu Zheng turned toward Lu Zhixing and asked in a low voice, “Did you two have a fight?”
When Lu Zhixing had returned home, both Lu Zheng and Jiang Shuhe had sensed that something was wrong. There had not been the slightest trace of a smile on his face, but they had assumed he was simply tired.
Now, seeing Xi Yu’s attitude toward him, they could not help wondering whether the two had quarreled.
Jiang Shuhe remembered the online discussions claiming that the best way to find out whether two people were compatible was to take a trip together.
Had their relationship fallen apart after just one trip?
Lu Zhixing did not answer Luo Yuan. His gaze settled on Xi Yu and Jiang Yunzheng, whose legs were so close together that even the slightest movement would make them touch. A sinister look flashed through his eyes.
Pure of heart and perfectly kind…
Pure of heart and perfectly kind…
Pure of heart and perfectly kind…
That was why Xi Yu had treated him well.
And now, Jiang Yunzheng had appeared.