Chapter 58 Daily Sweet Moments

"What are you thinking about?" Chu Jianshan's voice came from behind.

Cheng Yuan turned around, and Chu Jianshan was standing behind him, smiling at him, the sunlight shining directly on his profile.

He was stunned. At this moment, nothing else seemed to matter. The person in front of him was the one he wanted most. Perhaps Bai Qianfan was right. He should cherish the present moment. No one could predict what the future would hold, so he should live each moment as if it were his last.

Cheng Yuan strode towards him and pulled Chu Jianshan into his arms.

Chu Jianshan was stunned for a moment, and it took him a while to react. He hurriedly tried to push him away, saying, "What are you doing? We're still outside!"

"Let me hold you for a while, just a little while..."

Chu Jianshan quickly looked around to see if anyone was there. Fortunately, Tinglan Pavilion was located in a remote and secluded place, so no one could see them for the time being.

Relieved, he put his arm around Cheng Yuan's waist and asked with a smile, "What's wrong? What did Bai Qianfan say to you?"

Cheng Yuan buried his head in Chu Jianshan's neck, his voice muffled: "He told me his story with Uncle Xie."

Mentioning this, Chu Jianshan lowered his eyes, his gaze darkening slightly, but he quickly composed himself and said, "He cares about his senior brother no less than I do, otherwise he wouldn't have voluntarily left Changjin Mountain for so many years. It's just that he always prefers to keep these things to himself. On the surface, he's still the same person who seems to take everything in stride, and he can even find time to comfort others. In this respect, I can never compare to him."

Chu Jianshan guessed, "Did he... try to persuade you of something else?"

Cheng Yuan nodded without speaking, while Chu Jianshan smiled and said, "You do listen to him."

Cheng Yuan explained, "I'm listening to what makes sense."

Chu Jianshan retorted, "Was what I said to you before unreasonable?"

Cheng Yuan lightly bit his neck, feeling somewhat wronged: "When have you ever reasoned with me? You just resort to violence and are used to bullying me."

Chu Jianshan raised an eyebrow. Did he have one? It seemed he really did.

He coughed twice guiltily and pushed the person off him: "Alright, we've been hugging for so long, it's not good if someone sees us."

Cheng Yuan obediently let go of him, but saw that his eyes were still very red, so he asked, "How long have you been crying?"

Chu Jianshan touched the area around his eyes and asked, "Is it obvious?"

"Yes, I'll put some ice on it for you when we get back."

Chu Jianshan nodded and walked back with him. On the way, he told Cheng Yuan many stories about his childhood with his older sister.

From the grand scale of how the Chu family was wiped out, how his older sister led him through the relentless pursuit, and how they eventually met the former sect leader and were taken in, to the smaller details like what kind of lanterns his older sister liked to make for the Lantern Festival, what kind of snacks she would buy for him, and how many pieces she would divide them into, he wanted Cheng Yuan to know everything.

In the past, Chu Jianshan always hesitated because of his status as a master, feeling that talking about these things with his disciple would damage his image, so he never mentioned it to Cheng Yuan. But now he understands how wonderful it is to have someone patiently listen to him talk about these boring trivia.

Cheng Yuan listened attentively the whole time. He used to think that his master was very good, but he didn't know where this goodness came from. But he understood from his story.

Chu Jianshan has always been loved well, whether he was a child or in Changjin Mountain. He has always been surrounded by gentleness, so he understands how to treat a child who has been abandoned.

"A-Yuan..." Chu Jianshan suddenly called out to him.

"What's wrong?" Cheng Yuan turned to look at him and saw that his brows were furrowed and tears were welling up in his eyes, as if he was trying to hold back something.

Cheng Yuan couldn't help but chuckle: "If you want to cry, then cry. I won't laugh at you."

Unable to let go of his pride, Chu Jianshan finally held back his tears, sniffed, and said, "I always thought I was a pretty strong person, but why have I been crying so easily ever since I met you at the foot of the mountain?"

“Being able to cry is a good thing,” Cheng Yuan said. “As long as you can cry, it means you can keep going.”

"Will you come with me?" Chu Jianshan asked.

Cheng Yuan looked at him earnestly: "I will always be with you."

Chu Jianshan scoffed, "What insincere words."

Cheng Yuan said, "I mean it. I never thought about things like forever before, but if I could have a forever with my master, I would be more than happy to ask for it."

Chu Jianshan's heart fluttered slightly; he couldn't have asked for it more.

The two walked along the narrow path back into the sunlight. Other disciples occasionally passed by, so they dared not get too close, their hands occasionally touching as they swayed.

Linyi Sect has been relatively quiet lately, and rumors are circulating that they are afraid of the Southern Immortal Venerable of Changjin Mountain and dare not attack. In any case, Chu Jianshan has indeed had a few rare days of peace and quiet.

He lived a leisurely life, playing chess with Cheng Yuan and admiring the bamboo whenever he had free time. Of course, Chu Jianshan righteously told Cheng Yuan not to let him win, so Chu Jianshan lost for the entire afternoon and refused someone's advances that evening.

Lin Mumu received the letter and rushed to Changjin Mountain. Ji Shi was so excited that she waited for her at the mountain gate for a long time, saying she would help her carry her luggage. However, she broke Ji Shi's favorite jade bracelet halfway there, and Lin Mumu chased her halfway up the mountain.

Chu Qinglan's illness began to improve slowly, and she was able to be lucid more often. She even said that she would make a lantern for everyone at the Lantern Festival. Everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction.

But perhaps because his emotions had been tense all along, Cheng Yuan suddenly relaxed and fell ill for once.

Chu Jianshan noticed that night that Cheng Yuan habitually went to bed to kiss him, but unlike his usual fierce approach, this time he was incredibly gentle. At first, Chu Jianshan thought he had changed his tactics again, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

But to his surprise, Cheng Yuan let go of him halfway through the kiss, resting his head on his shoulder, breathing slightly heavily. His breath hit Chu Jianshan's neck, burning him and making him frown. He immediately realized what was happening and reached out to touch Cheng Yuan's forehead.

Cheng Yuan held his hand down to stop him from touching him, and Chu Jianshan realized that he had known he had a fever all along, but he had just kept quiet, afraid that Chu Jianshan would not let him kiss him.

Chu Jianshan didn't say a word, he just stared at him, and Cheng Yuan also lowered his eyelashes guiltily.

"Wait here, I'll go find Master Li." Chu Jianshan rolled out of bed and draped his outer robe over his shoulders.

As for why they went to find Li Xi instead of Bai Qianfan, it was because Chu Jianshan was afraid that Bai Qianfan might prescribe some medicine that would make Cheng Yuan even hotter.

"Don't go, Master!"

Cheng Yuan suddenly grabbed him, his strength suddenly increasing, and Chu Jianshan was pulled over and thrown onto the bed.

"Nonsense!" Chu Jianshan pushed him away: "What do you want to do if you're sick and don't see a doctor?"

“I’m fine,” Cheng Yuan hugged him and nuzzled him affectionately. “It’s just a minor illness. I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”

"What kind of illness can be cured by sleeping? Stop hugging me, that trick doesn't work on me."

Cheng Yuan refused to believe it wouldn't work on him, and frantically rubbed against him, kissed him, and pressed him down to smell his scent. For some reason, he always felt that Chu Jianshan smelled good, even though Chu Jianshan hadn't used any fragrance.

"Hey... don't kiss me!" Chu Jianshan turned his head away, and Cheng Yuan chased after him again. Back and forth, he still succeeded. Cheng Yuan kissed him, and even the lips of the feverish man were burning hot.

Chu Jianshan stopped struggling, thinking that he must be feeling unwell due to a fever, which was why he was venting like this.

But before long, Cheng Yuan ran out of strength again and began to lie on top of him, panting.

Chu Jianshan couldn't help but laugh and said, "You can't do it anymore, can you? I told you not to push yourself."

Upon hearing the word "no," Cheng Yuan immediately sat up again to kiss him, wanting to prove that he was capable.

Chu Jianshan turned his head away, saying with a smile, "Alright, alright, you're the best! Take a break first, okay?"

Cheng Yuan was in so much pain that he gave in and was helped to lie down on the bed by Chu Jianshan. He had always wanted to sleep with Chu Jianshan, but had been kicked off the bed countless times. This time, taking advantage of his illness, he could finally lie on Chu Jianshan's bed openly.

Chu Jianshan tucked him in, patted him gently, and asked, "Do you want some water?"

Cheng Yuan shook his head, and Chu Jianshan then asked, "Are you hungry? You didn't eat much for dinner."

Cheng Yuan shook his head again, but Chu Jianshan felt that this was not appropriate. He was already weak from being sick, and he would not be able to get by if he did not eat.

So he advised, "How about just have a couple of sips of porridge? I'll make it for you myself."

Cheng Yuan was about to agree when he heard about the porridge, but when Chu Jianshan said he would make it himself, Cheng Yuan shut his mouth and didn't dare to say anything more.

Chu Jianshan noticed Cheng Yuan's subtle movement and immediately became dissatisfied: "What do you mean? Are you saying my cooking skills are not good enough?"

Cheng Yuan said one thing but meant another: "No..."

Seeing his evasive gaze, Chu Jianshan was instantly enraged: "So you mean something!"

"Never mind," Chu Jianshan turned his head away. He had to admit that his cooking skills were indeed lacking. After all, who is perfect?

“Never mind, Master,” Cheng Yuan gently hooked his little finger around his finger, “I wasn’t hungry anyway.”

Chu Jianshan retorted, "I may not be good at other things, but I'm not so bad at making a simple bowl of porridge."

He pushed Cheng Yuan's hand away and assured him, "Wait, I'll be right back!"

After Chu Jianshan left, Cheng Yuan covered his eyes with his hands, his expression quite interesting. If it was just plain white porridge, he would be fine, but he was afraid that Chu Jianshan would have a sudden inspiration and add all sorts of things to it.

After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Yuan was almost asleep when Chu Jianshan brought in the porridge. But the first thing Cheng Yuan saw was Chu Jianshan's face, which was covered in dust, like a little kitten, with dirt everywhere.

Cheng Yuan couldn't help but chuckle and gently wiped it away with a handkerchief. Chu Jianshan smiled back at him, and just as the atmosphere between the two was warm and affectionate, a bowl of unidentified objects appeared between them.

A pungent smell immediately assaulted my senses, and a sense of foreboding arose within me.

Cheng Yuan glanced at the reddish liquid and asked with a wry smile, "This is... porridge?"

Chu Jianshan blinked innocently: "Doesn't it look like it? I made it for a long time."

Cheng Yuan asked, "What did you add to it?"

Chu Jianshan thought for a moment: "Pepper...and chili powder!"

Cheng Yuan: "..."

"Don't make that face," Chu Jianshan said seriously. "I know it might taste a little different from plain porridge, but you have a fever. This stuff can make you sweat, and drinking it will help you recover faster. Besides, it might not taste bad. How about you try a bite?"

Cheng Yuan closed his eyes and swallowed hard. With a look of grim determination, he took a sip. In an instant, the flavors of pepper and chili exploded on his taste buds, making Cheng Yuan's face turn red. Chu Jianshan asked how it tasted, but Cheng Yuan was speechless.

Chu Jianshan guessed that the porridge probably didn't taste very good, and smiled awkwardly, saying, "How about I put less next time?"

Cheng Yuan finally calmed down and smiled helplessly at him, "It's not a matter of adding too little or too little, but that this kind of thing can't be in plain porridge."

"Why is it impossible?" Chu Jianshan frowned. "You and I could be in it, so why can't the two of them?"

Cheng Yuan was speechless for a moment, and then he realized that what Chu Jianshan said seemed to make some sense.

"Alright, alright," Chu Jianshan snatched the porridge away. "If you don't want it, fine. I'll go get you some snacks, like jujube paste cake?"

Cheng Yuan nodded, and Chu Jianshan went to pour out the porridge. He felt a little reluctant while pouring it, but out of curiosity, he tasted a mouthful himself. So he poured it all out at once and vowed never to step into the kitchen again.