Chapter 69

Xie Wen clutched the wound on his heart, staggered back two steps, and was caught by Chu Xianyue, who pulled him into his arms.

Xie Wen's world was in complete chaos. Her consciousness was blurred, her head was throbbing, and in her daze, she could hear Chu Xianyue's anxious calls and various noisy and restless cries intermittently. But she felt as if she were sinking in water, in a dark and gloomy cage where she could not see the sun, unable to escape or struggle.

Why? Shouldn't one be reminiscing about their life before death? But it seemed like she had a dream. In the dream, she was in great pain, her body felt like it was being torn apart. She seemed to fall to the ground, forcing her eyes open, and in her daze, she saw many beautiful white-haired people curled up on the ground in unbearable pain.

Just then, someone squatted down in front of her, called her name, stroked her head, and said, "Awen, just bear with it for a little while and it won't hurt anymore. You'll get used to it."

Xie Wen saw clearly that he was a white-haired man, who also wore a pained expression. Looking down again, Xie Wen was startled to see that her own hair was white, floating in the seawater. She screamed in fright and tried to tear off her white hair with both hands, but pain followed.

Xie Wen struggled to breathe, was covered in cold sweat, and had white hair that she couldn't pull out no matter what she did; it was as if it had grown onto her head. However, only the Feather Clan had white hair.

She wasn't a member of the Feathered Clan. She lived in Qingshui Town, Leling City, and her family had always been poor; she and her sister had relied on each other for survival. She wasn't a member of the Feathered Clan! This sentence haunted Xie Wen's mind like a curse.

Xie Wen suddenly woke up, panting heavily with sweat all over her face. She looked up and saw an unfamiliar place with a bamboo house, a bamboo bed, and a lush green bamboo forest outside the window, swaying gently in the breeze and making a rustling sound. The white gauze hanging by the window occasionally brushed against Xie Wen's eyebrows and eyes.

When she regained consciousness, her first reaction was to look down at her hair. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was jet black. But as if that wasn't enough, and fearing she was seeing things, she grabbed her hair and examined it again and again, as if trying to figure something out.

Looking up again, a figure in blue entered the room. Chu Xianyue, carrying some medicine, sat down beside Xie Wen's bed. "Awake?"

Xie Wen nodded and asked, "Where is this?"

She spent a few seconds recalling what happened before she lost consciousness, and what came to mind was this scene: on the Canglan River, she stabbed Jin Huaran with a sword, and suddenly, a bloody hole appeared in her own chest as well.

The exact same wound.

Why is this happening?

Xie Wen suddenly stood up, grabbed Chu Xianyue's wrist, and asked, "Where is Jin Huaran? Why?"

"Why is there the same wound on my chest?"

Chu Xianyue's hand holding the medicine trembled slightly, and he was momentarily lost in thought. He then put the medicine down, grabbed Xie Wen's hand, and calmly told her, "Your memory is confused. Someone stabbed you back then, which is why you were injured. Fortunately, I killed that person. Jin Huaran was on the verge of death after your sword strike and was besieged by various sects, eventually dying on the border of the Canglan River."

Xie Wen frowned, somewhat incredulous. Jin Huaran had died so easily?

Chu Xianyue noticed Xie Wen's doubts, put his arm around her shoulder to let her lean on him, and squeezed her hand tighter. He said in a deep voice, "It's true. He's dead."

Xie Wen leaned blankly against Chu Xianyue's firm chest, his cheek pressed against his chest, which was warm, and he could almost hear the pounding of his heart. Xie Wen asked, "How long have I been lying here?"

Chu Xianyue: "Soon, in half a month."

Xie Wen: "Where is this?"

Xie Wen was certain he had never been to this place before; it wasn't Feiying Pavilion, nor was it Tianyan Sword Sect. Where exactly was this bamboo house?

Chu Xianyue said, "A place that no one knows about."

Xie Wen suddenly stood up and looked up, but Chu Xianyue grabbed his head and pressed it firmly against his chest. A strange feeling rose in Xie Wen's heart, and he repeated Chu Xianyue's words, "A place that no one knows?"

"Chu Xianyue, what do you want to do?" Xie Wen looked up at Chu Xianyue, but from this angle he could only see Chu Xianyue's sharp jawline and his bobbing Adam's apple.

Chu Xianyue's voice turned cold. He lowered his head and kissed Xie Wen on the head, saying, "Xie Wen, don't go anywhere. Stay here with me. We'll be together, forever."

Xie Wen's eyes widened. In her opinion, Chu Xianyue was undoubtedly insane to say such a thing! He was giving up his reputation, status, and prestige? He was abandoning his powerful spiritual cultivation to build up the Immortal Capital? He was abandoning his service to the people and all living beings? Instead, he had chosen this place where no one knew them, where no one recognized them, to live in seclusion with her in the mountains?

"But,"

Chu Xianyue interrupted Xie Wen, "But what? You want to say, but I still have to save the world, I still have to serve the country and its people, I still have to support the entire Immortal Capital? But I also have my own selfish desires. Why can't I live for myself in this life? The barrier that the Chu family has protected for generations has shattered. I have done my best, and my mission is complete. The world is at peace now, and they no longer need me."

He held Xie Wen's chin, making her look up at him. His gaze was deep as he said, "Xie Wen, I am not as selfless and loving as you imagine. From beginning to end, all I want is you."

Xie Wen stared blankly at Chu Xianyue, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She had never imagined that Chu Xianyue could really give up everything from the past for her.

He truly took her away from the Sword Sect, away from the place where he grew up.

Xie Wen had previously heard Chu Xianyue say that he would take her away from the Sword Sect and would not implicate the sect. At the time, he thought it was just an excuse to appease the elders, but he never expected that Chu Xianyue would actually do it.

"Chu Xianyue, tell me, are people outside still calling for my death? Calling me a witch? You're doing this to protect me?" Xie Wen asked.

“No.” Chu Xianyue sighed deeply. “I decided to do it this way, so I did it. Xie Wen, don’t go anywhere these days.”

The atmosphere remained silent for a long time, and no one spoke again.

Xie Wen broke the silence first, saying, "Okay."

Suddenly, upon hearing Xie Wen's word "okay," Chu Xianyue seemed stunned, tilting his head as if struck by lightning. It took him a while to recover, perhaps because he simply couldn't believe Xie Wen had agreed so readily. He was prepared to keep Xie Wen by his side forever.

Xie Wen's "good" seemed to shatter and rebuild the facade he had built up. Chu Xianyue needed to take a deep breath to maintain his composure.

Chu Xianyue: "Really?"

Xie Wen turned around and exclaimed. A while had passed since she said "okay," and Xie Wen had assumed Chu Xian was lost in thought, but it turned out he hadn't come to his senses yet.

Xie Wen was both amused and exasperated. Her "okay" was truly sincere. Her closest relatives and friends had all left her. Without her older sister, it didn't matter where she stayed.

She never wanted to lose the man before her.

Looking back now, staying here wasn't so bad. Xie Wen no longer wanted to participate in the conflicts of the cultivation world, nor did she want to be dragged into various conspiracies. Her wish had always been to live a peaceful and stable life. However, now there was Chu Xianyue.

Xie Wen snuggled closer to him, looked up at him and smiled, saying, "Really, aren't you going to feed me my medicine? It's going to get cold."

He looked down at the person in his arms, soft strands of hair brushing against his chin, making him feel a ticklish sensation in his heart, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. Before he could make a move, Xie Wen suddenly seemed to remember something, abruptly scrambling up and throwing Chu Xianyue onto the bamboo mat, tearing open his clothes. She almost lay on his chest, her hair falling onto his exposed skin, gently plucking at his heartstrings.

Chu Xianyue turned his head to the side, revealing a large expanse of red skin behind his ear. He cleared his throat and said, "Wasn't I too hasty? You're still injured."

Xie Wen had already pulled open Chu Xianyue's shirt, revealing his lean and muscular chest. Near his heart, there was a scabbed-over wound. The dark red color stung Xie Wen's eyes.

She propped herself up against his muscles and asked, "Does it still hurt here?"

She was the one who stabbed him in the chest with a fan.

Chu Xianyue then realized that this was what Xie Wen wanted to see. He shook his head and said calmly, "It doesn't hurt."

When he stood up, his hair and clothes were already in a mess thanks to Xie Wen, but Chu Xianyue didn't bother to tidy them up. He just silently looked at Xie Wen.

Xie Wen felt embarrassed by his gaze. After all, she was the one who had messed things up. She leaned forward and carefully helped him put his clothes back on. Despite her carefulness, she couldn't help but touch his skin. Xie Wen's hand felt like cool water, gently tracing his skin. He looked at Xie Wen with a deep gaze, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

After she had smoothed out every wrinkle on his clothes and fastened his belt tightly, she clapped her hands and prepared to leave. Chu Xianyue raised an eyebrow without changing his expression, then suddenly leaned over, turned his head close to Xie Wen, and lightly touched her lips like a dragonfly skimming the water. Xie Wen blinked innocently at him, her breath falling on each other's noses. She heard his heavy breathing, which tugged at her eardrums.

"Is it alright?" His voice was slightly hoarse. Xie Wen didn't understand when he had become so reserved.

She mischievously wondered what he would do if she said no.

So she shook her head, smiled somewhat innocently, and said, "No."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Xianyue's expression changed, and his eyes became even more dangerous. The next moment, she was pressed against him with great force. He held her head and kissed her without saying a word. He kissed her and a muffled sound escaped from his throat, "But I didn't give you a choice."

At first, he gently pursed her lips. He seemed to sense that Xie Wen wanted to back away, so he tightened his grip on her head, making her move closer to him. Their lips met, their teeth clashing, their lips pressed together, and his soft tongue was being sucked, their saliva mingling.

Their breaths mingled, and Xie Wen was forced to tilt his head back to receive his kiss. Even when his neck ached from looking up, the other man still didn't let go. In the silent bamboo forest, besides the rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves, only their intertwined breaths could be heard, amplified infinitely by the sounds of nature. Even the birds flitting about by the window seemed to be chirping along.

Chu Xianyue finally released Xie Wen. Xie Wen blinked her dazed eyes, seemingly still not back to her senses. He tilted his head and asked her, "Not enough?"

Xie Wen reacted for a few seconds, punched Chu Xianyue in the chest, turned his head to the side, and touched his numb lips with his hand. His tongue was almost numb from being sucked by Chu Xianyue.

Seeing Xie Wen's expression, Chu Xianyue's dark eyes couldn't help but gleam with a smile. He reached out and pulled her into his arms again. Xie Wen, thinking he was going to do something else, struggled a couple of times in his embrace, tickling him. But soon Chu Xianyue firmly restrained her. He could easily wrap his arm around Xie Wen's waist with one hand, effortlessly lifting her up and letting her sit obediently on his lap.

Then, a spoonful of pale yellow medicine was placed near her mouth. Chu Xianyue said calmly, "Didn't you ask me to feed you?"

Xie Wen blinked her clear eyes, leaned forward to sniff the medicine, and quickly frowned. Just the smell was enough to make someone dizzy. Xie Wen turned her head away, "I don't want to drink it."

Chu Xianyue: "No."

Xie Wen: "Then you take a sip first. Let me see."

Chu Xianyue lowered his eyes, took a sip without hesitation, and remained expressionless.

Xie Wen said, "Wow, Master, you're so amazing! You can drink this awful stuff without even flinching. Why don't you take another sip so I can see clearly? Do you dare to finish all this medicine? You definitely can, right? After all, you're my all-powerful Master, capable of anything..."

After Xie Wen finished praising him in a rambling, incoherent way, she glanced at Chu Xianyue's expression. He remained completely unmoved. He saw through Xie Wen's little tricks at a glance and said without any mercy, "No matter how much you say, you still have to drink."

Xie Wen: "Tsk."

It's not a lie at all.

The moment she turned her head, something was suddenly stuffed into her mouth, its sweet taste melting in her mouth. Then Chu Xianyue handed her a spoonful of herbal medicine, saying, "Take a sip and I'll give you a piece of candy."

Xie Wen objected again, "Wouldn't that be too sweet?"

The next second, the medicine was poured into his mouth, and Xie Wen showed a pained expression. "One candy isn't enough! I need at least ten in one bite!"

As he spoke, Chu Xianyue took a sip himself, then pulled her close, lips to lips, and fed her, "Alright, this time I'll suffer with you."

Xie Wen opened his eyes wide, his mouth filled with the bitterness of the medicine and a hint of sweetness from the rock sugar, which seemed to carry his cold aura.

As dusk settled in the bamboo hut, the figures of the two people by the window gradually sank into the distance.