Chapter 5: Leaving and becoming boring

Yue Chi waved his fan and turned to leave the hall. He needed to leave the two powerless people a private space to say goodbye.

The play scheduled for yesterday afternoon was finished early this morning. Qiqi seemed to have come to her senses and told Yuechi that he didn't need to wait until the next day and that he could leave with Yuechi that very day. So when Wen Ranqi heard about Qiqi's straightforwardness, she was a little overjoyed and caught off guard.

"Master, I always think that I am stupid. I can't do anything well, but I always make you angry. If you are willing today, I will follow Master Yue and learn a lot of skills. I will come back to give you face, support you, and make you more satisfied."

"Then don't regret it. If you don't learn something, I won't welcome you back to my shop." Wen Ranqi thought of many harsh words, but when they came to his lips, he couldn't say them. Qiqi's eyes seemed to see through his acting, and he avoided Qiqi's direct gaze guiltily. "For someone like you, you should go out and study hard, so that I won't get angry just looking at you every day."

"Go ahead. If you don't learn well, don't come back and call me master, and don't tell others that you are my apprentice."

Upon hearing this, Qiqi half-knelt down, stuck close to Wen Ranqi's knees, and leaned his head against Wen Ranqi's thighs. He didn't deliberately look into Wen Ranqi's eyes, because he knew that only by being thick-skinned could he prevent this "acting" master from being "harsh" and speaking ill of him.

Wen Ranqi tensed up his stiff thighs nervously. Qiqi didn't do anything to him. She just lay on his legs like a child seeking comfort. Wen Ranqi suddenly wanted to reach out and touch the furry head on his leg, but he retracted his hand halfway because of Qiqi's fright.

"Master, you must wait for me to come back. I will study hard and will not let you be bullied by others, nor will I let you suffer because of me."

"I can't wait for you to come back." Wen Ranqi sighed in his heart. He couldn't give Qiqi any hope. At the last moment, he said nothing and didn't answer.

Yue Chi pulled two horses over, climbed on one first, and hid in the shade of the wall. Qiqi quickly packed a bag, as if he didn't have to think about what to take and had prepared it in advance. He also put the box of money into the bag. Before leaving, he knelt down and bowed to Wen Ranqi with a look of reluctance in his eyes.

The two people walked further and further away, and the sky became darker and darker. Wen Ranqi packed up the tent. After a few hours, it started to rain continuously.

"Young Master Yue, where are you taking me to learn?" Qiqi took the initiative to take charge of the task of drying the clothes. Yue Chi sat by the fire, roasting steamed buns. "I'm not a young master. From now on, you can call me Yue Chi. Your master and I are not very good friends, so if you are wronged when learning martial arts from others in the future, don't come to me for comfort."

"Why didn't you expose me that day?" Qiqi's eyes met the firelight, and she looked at Yue Chi with caution. Yue Chi didn't care about Qiqi's gaze and suspicion at all, and didn't even take Qiqi seriously. He looked at Qiqi as if he was just completing a task, and his tone was devoid of emotion. "What happened between you and Wen Ranqi is none of my business. Just remember your master's words. I believe you know whether Wen Ranqi is good for you or not. From now on, just trust him wholeheartedly and continue to like him as you do now."

"Of course I believe him. I, I don't like him..." Qiqi's stuttering betrayed his firm tone. Yue Chi rolled the hot steamed buns in his hands and laughed at Qiqi, "Forget it. Your eyes are more affectionate than the way my wife looks at me. Hey, even if you don't like him now, you will like him in the future. How about we make a bet?"

"I won't bet with you, because that's my master, and he will always be my master."

"Hmph, I hope you remember this, and don't come begging me again when the time comes."

"I won't beg you."

On the third day after Qiqi left, the Haohe Milk Tea Shop was half-open for two days, and then closed for another day. On the first day, Wen Ranqi burned down her kitchen, on the second day, she overturned the vat of milk tea, and on the third day, she closed the shop completely. She sat alone in the empty hall, drinking iced tea, her stomach rumbling.

He had been feeling unsatisfied with everything he did these past few days, and nothing he ate tasted good. For three days, he'd been completely lost in thought, eating only a roast chicken and two steamed buns.

"Qiqi, make me a pot of tea." Wen Ranqi called for a long time, but no one responded. Ah Huang came in, drooling and wagging his tail. It was really hard to be used to being served by others. You had to rely on him for everything and think of him for everything.

“Woof woof woof!”

"Come on, Ah Huang, let Brother Wen take you to Tianlin Tower to eat delicious food." Wen Ranqi opened the cash cabinet. The two neatly arranged cash boxes were still there. One was originally for Qiqi to take away.

"You idiot, you don't even want money. Forget it, let's go eat something delicious." Wen Ranqi took Ah Huang's hand and headed towards Tianlin Tower in a high-spirited manner.

Yue Chi and Qi Qi had already left the Fengyue Clan's territory and arrived at a valley. There were many insects, birds, and animals, and wildflowers of all colors were everywhere. The valley wasn't as hot as it had been in town, and the cool breeze blowing from the valley was very comfortable.

"This is my valley. As long as you don't leave, no one from the Fengyue or Yurou tribes will bother you here easily. If you leave the valley without permission, I can't guarantee your safety, and your affairs have nothing to do with me."

"Yeah, I understand."

"Then let's go."

The two of them walked deeper into the valley, one in front and one behind. Qiqi had never seen such a beautiful scenery before, and the tension she had felt along the way finally relaxed. He dismounted and ran ahead of Yuechima. Butterflies flew away from the grass he passed through, and sparrows chirped non-stop, wondering if they were welcoming him as a distant visitor or disliking him as an outsider.

"Still a child, both of them are still like children." Yue Chi led the horse and slowly followed Qiqi, immersed in the bushes of flowers and plants and the paths.

Wen Ranqi ate everything and drank some of Tianlinlou's homemade sorghum wine. Slightly tipsy, he pulled Ah Huang back to the shop. No one helped him undress, no one fetched water for him to wash his face and feet, no one followed him to ask questions, and no one chattered around him.

Taking the basin he usually used to wash his face, Wen Ranqi scooped a basin of water from the fish tank, brought it to the bed, washed his feet with cold water, and fell asleep without changing his clothes.

After Qiqi left, his life became extremely dull and unbearable. As for Qiqi, he carefully pulled out a carved wooden hairpin from his bosom. It was a simple, poorly made hairpin, one of the ones Wen Ranqi had worn. He examined it and carefully placed it back in his bosom.

His life became boring after he left, but he cherished everything he had.

"Today is the first night. You should first adapt to the environment of this valley. In the future, you will have time to practice martial arts at night in addition to during the day. Go back to the room and sleep after three o'clock."

"Yes, Uncle Liang Sheng"

"Also, don't bring irrelevant items with you when you practice martial arts in the future. You can only carry swords, knives, and any other usable weapons. Got it?"

"Yes!" Qiqi roared to the sky. He had to follow Uncle Liang Sheng's request. He needed to hide his worry and longing for his master in his heart. He also needed to finish his studies and return home as soon as possible. His master was still waiting for him, and Wen Ranqi still needed his care and protection.

The stars move, and when you open your eyes again, it will be a new beginning.