He no longer had his Master…
During this year, when his Master had come to understand matters of desire, he had been utterly cast aside.
*
Xi Yu slept very fitfully. In his dreams, all kinds of scenes played out like slides in a slideshow.
He saw his mother being torn apart by the demons once again. A goddess without any magic—her flesh and divine bones were taken apart, inch by inch, and divided among different people to chew on, while the person seated in the high seat 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 that person, but in the next second, the smiling man seated in the high seat turned into Zhi Li.
“NO!!!!”
Xi Yu jolted awake. Cold sweat covered his forehead as he panted rapidly, his face full of terror.
His heart was racing. His hands clutched the bedsheets tightly, and his face was deathly pale.
It took quite a while for Xi Yu to recover. He got out of bed with unsteady steps.
It was already eight o’clock in the evening. Xi Yu was extremely irritable. The cup beside his bed was empty, so after pausing for two seconds, he got up and went downstairs.
As soon as he descended the stairs, Xi Yu heard cheerful laughter. Only then did he remember that Luo Yuan and Shen Qing should have returned.
He knocked his head. He had forgotten to tell them he was back.
He had been away for so long. They were probably worried about him.
But then again, Luo Cheng’an should have told them.
Xi Yu came down the spiral staircase. Only after entering the living room did he see where the laughter had been coming from. He froze for a moment, unable to understand why Jiang Yunzheng and Jiang Xuewei were here.
And playing mahjong with Shen Qing and Luo Yuan…?
Shen Qing had already spotted Xi Yu. Her eyes lit up, and then she burst with delight. “Xiao Yu! When did you come home? Why didn’t you tell Mom?!”
As she spoke, Shen Qing pushed the mahjong tiles away. “I’m done, I’m done! My son is home!”
Jiang Yunzheng had his back to Xi Yu. At those words, the tiles in his hand fell with a sharp clack. He abruptly turned around and stood up.
The chair behind him let out a squeak because of his sudden movement.
Apart from Jiang Xuewei, no one noticed how badly he had lost his composure, because Luo Yuan and Shen Qing were even more excited than he was.
Jiang Xuewei quietly tugged at Jiang Yunzheng’s clothes. Looking somewhat speechless, she wanted to remind him not to get so worked up.
But Jiang Yunzheng didn’t even notice his sister’s movement. His eyes were fixed intently on Xi Yu, and a faint flush spread across his cheeks.
Xi Yu had no idea what was going on. When he saw Jiang Yunzheng looking at him, he gave a slight nod in greeting. The next second, Shen Qing wrapped him in a full embrace.
With a loud mwah, Shen Qing kissed Xi Yu on the cheek and said excitedly, “Baby boy, Mom has missed you so, so much!”
Luo Yuan was a man, after all, and much more reserved in expressing his feelings. Beaming, he patted Xi Yu on the shoulder. “It’s good that you’re back. It’s good that you’re back.”
Both Shen Qing and Luo Yuan knew that Xi Yu’s trip had probably been anything but peaceful. Although they hadn’t said anything, they had been extremely worried.
Now that they finally saw him home safe and sound, they could at last put their minds at ease.
“By the way,” Shen Qing asked, “where’s Cheng’an?”
“He…”
“I’m 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 running down the stairs, thumping all the way, and called out as he ran, “Mom, Dad, I’ve missed you guys so much\~”
Xi Yu circled around Luo’s parents without looking at Luo Cheng’an.
Huai Xi wasn’t the sort of person who acted this lively and carefree. He was merely putting on an act now.
Just like Zhi Li.
Two frauds.
Xi Yu hadn’t expected Luo Cheng’an to have stayed upstairs the entire time, just like him.
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 walked up 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, his gaze lingering on Jiang Yunzheng for another two seconds.
Jiang Yunzheng’s death tribulation had passed. He should have spent the past month recuperating, and the changes in his complexion and build were quite noticeable.
He no longer had the deathly pale, frail appearance he’d had in the hospital. Now, he was a handsome young man.
From here on, he would enjoy a long life free of worries.
Seeing Xi Yu continue to look at him, Jiang Yunzheng’s face grew redder and redder. Unable to resist, he raised a hand to touch his face. “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 entered with smiles on their faces, followed by Lu Zhixing, whose eyes were lowered.
Xi Yu’s gaze turned a few degrees colder. Jiang Yunzheng followed his line of sight and greeted them with a smile. “Aunt Jiang, Uncle Lu.”
Jiang Xuewei looked rather surprised to see Lu Zhixing.
Although Lu Zhixing had already retired from the entertainment industry, his name still carried enormous weight in the business. Add in the Lu family behind him, and there was practically no one who didn’t know who he was.
Lu Zhixing had been practically dragged here by Jiang Shuhe and Lu Zheng. Only when he heard an unfamiliar voice did he raise his head.
The faint blush on Jiang Yunzheng’s face had yet to fade. Xi Yu stood behind him, and the two of them were looking in Lu Zhixing’s direction together. The displeasure in Xi Yu’s eyes was unmistakable, making Lu Zhixing feel like an outsider who had suddenly barged in and ruined the pleasant atmosphere that had been there before.
He knew Jiang Yunzheng. The prophetic feather had fallen upon him.
He also knew that Jiang Yunzheng had been saved by Xi Yu.
He still remembered that Jiang Yunzheng was an ordinary mortal who had passed through the Heart-Testing Stone safely.
Very few people could pass through the Heart-Testing Stone. Mortals were more prone than immortals to developing desires and obsessions.
He and Luo Cheng’an had needed special methods to pass through the Heart-Testing Stone, yet Jiang Yunzheng had passed through it effortlessly. He was a genuinely pure and kind person.
The person Xi Yu liked most.
He and Luo Cheng’an were pretending, but Jiang Yunzheng was the real thing.
Jiang Shuhe smiled and greeted Jiang Yunzheng. Then, she leaned close to Lu Zhixing’s ear and whispered, “Now you know why I insisted on bringing you here, right? During this time, that boy from the Jiang family has been winning Qingqing and Old Luo over so thoroughly that they’re practically ready to make him their son-in-law!”
After saying that, Jiang Shuhe went over to Shen Qing, pointed at the mahjong table, and complained, “You played mahjong without inviting me? I’m upset now.”
Shen Qing patted her and explained with a smile, “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. “Listen to you, calling him Yunzheng so affectionately. If you really like him that much, why not take him in as your godson?”
Jiang Shuhe had said that on purpose. How could she possibly fail to see Jiang Yunzheng’s feelings?
Lu Zhixing and Xi Yu had been gone for barely two days when Jiang Yunzheng came to the Luo residence to express his gratitude. After learning that Xi Yu and Lu Zhixing had gone traveling together, he didn’t leave. Instead, with just a few words, he managed to charm her friend into a state of utter delight, all while taking the opportunity to fish for information.
Luo Yuan was already unhappy about Lu Zhixing’s little designs on Xi Yu. When Jiang Yunzheng congratulated him, he immediately explained the reason behind it.
He wasn’t worried about Jiang Yunzheng saying anything. Xi Yu had done him a great favor, and Jiang Yunzheng would never go spreading rumors about him.
Originally, Jiang Yunzheng’s young heart had been shattered into fewer pieces after Xi Yu’s public relationship announcement. But when Luo Yuan explained the situation, Jiang Yunzheng’s spirits soared all at once.
Even while Xi Yu was away, Jiang Yunzheng kept dropping by the Luo residence every few days. He also frequently ran into the Lu couple, who often visited.
Not only that, 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 feelings. As an elder, she couldn’t very well hold it against a younger man. And Jiang Yunzheng really was good-natured. It wasn’t just Shen Qing and Luo Yuan who liked him.
Even Jiang Shuhe and Lu Zheng, despite knowing perfectly well that he was trying to steal their son’s partner, couldn’t bring themselves to dislike him.
They could only be grateful that Lu Zhixing and Xi Yu had gone traveling together, and hope that their son would manage to win Xi Yu over during the trip.
But now that Lu Zhixing was back, his mood was terribly low. He wouldn’t say anything even when asked. Jiang Shuhe couldn’t sit still any longer, so she dragged him over to the Luo residence.
It was only a short walk, after all.
And sure enough, Jiang Yunzheng was here again.
Jiang Shuhe had barely finished suggesting that Jiang Yunzheng become Shen Qing’s godson when he replied warmly, “Aunt Jiang, don’t you like me? How about I become your godson?”
He had deftly deflected her suggestion, as if playing a game of tai chi.
Jiang Shuhe laughed twice and pushed Lu Zhixing forward. “Zhixing gets jealous easily. Why don’t you ask him whether he’s okay with it?”
After mentioning his jealousy, Jiang Shuhe turned her gaze toward Xi Yu, who still hadn’t moved. “Xiao Yu, why are you standing over there all by yourself? Come over and tell Auntie what you two did on your trip. Zhixing has been back for a whole day, and he hasn’t said even ten sentences to me!”
Xi Yu gripped his bottle of ice-cold water, took a deep breath, and walked toward the group.
Shen Qing had already ushered everyone onto the sofa. It was a huge sofa, with plenty of room to sit comfortably. Jiang Shuhe even had a little scheme of her own: she deliberately pulled Lu Zhixing into the middle, leaving the largest empty space beside him.
She had figured that her own son still had the better chance. Jiang Yunzheng was certainly a good young man, but her son was top-tier in every respect. Besides, Xi Yu had even publicly announced their relationship just to protect him from those relatively insignificant online insults.
She could tell that Xi Yu wasn’t even as concerned about Luo Cheng’an as he was about Lu Zhixing.
As far as she was concerned, her son definitely had a chance.
And the two of them had even slept together. She had seen it with her own eyes. Honestly, if there hadn’t been even the slightest hint of romance between them, she wouldn’t have believed 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, where there was considerably less room.
Lu Zheng turned toward Lu Zhixing and asked quietly, “Did you two have a fight?”
When Lu Zhixing returned home, Lu Zheng and Jiang Shuhe had already felt that something was wrong. There hadn’t been a trace of a smile on his face, and they’d assumed he was just tired.
Now, seeing Xi Yu’s attitude, they couldn’t help suspecting that the two had quarreled.
Jiang Shuhe thought of what people online had said: if you wanted to know whether two people were compatible, just take them on a trip together.
Had the two of them fallen apart after one trip?!
Lu Zhixing didn’t answer Luo Yuan. His gaze fell on Xi Yu and Jiang Yunzheng’s legs, which were so close together that they would almost touch if either of them moved even slightly. A dark, sinister look flashed through his eyes.
Pure and kind…
Pure and kind…
Pure and kind…
That was why Xi Yu treated him well.
And now, Jiang Yunzheng had appeared.