Chapter 39 Why don't you go to bed and rest?

Seeing that he wouldn't leave and insisted on holding her in the middle of the room, Jiang Yu noticed that the window wasn't closed tightly and she could hear the creaking sound of the wind blowing through it.

He was extremely nervous, his heart was in his throat, he wanted to grab Shen Jiuxu, but he could only hold on tightly to the man's neck.

With my body half-suspended in the air, a cool breeze passing underneath me was incredibly stimulating.

Please—

He gritted his teeth and said, "What do you want from me?" Shen Qinggui curled his lips into a smile.

"Close the windows."

Jiang Yu no longer longed to go to bed; he just wanted the person to close the window so that he could clearly hear the footsteps outside.

"Why did Jiang Yu and the others go back so early? It's not even completely dark yet, are they already asleep?"

It was the sound of a sparrow.

“My father is away on business and probably won’t be back for another half a month. By then I’ll be gone, and I don’t know when he’ll be able to see me again.” Lian Quesheng was also a little drunk, his face flushed, one arm around Xi Chuang’s shoulder, and he walked unsteadily.

"Master, you're drunk. Let me help you to bed to rest."

Xi Chuang said patiently, "Young Master Jiang and the others should be resting by now. Master, please go see them tomorrow!"

“No,” Lian Quesheng pushed his hand away, stared at the tightly closed wooden door, stepped forward and patted it, “Jiang Yu, Brother Qinggui, I’ve found something good to give you, Jiang Yu, Jiang Yu—”

Jiang Yu was trembling, his mouth tightly shut, his eyes wide as he stared at Shen Jiuxu. The other man seemed to finally understand what he meant from Jiang Yu's watery eyes, placed him on the table, put one hand on his waist, and covered his mouth with the other.

"That way they won't hear it."

"Jiang Yu, Brother Qinggui, why is there no sound? Could they really be asleep?" Lian Quesheng said, wanting to go to the window to look, but was pulled away by Xi Chuang. "Master, let's go back first. It's not good to disturb Young Master Jiang and the others so late."

Shen Qinggui stood still, and used his outstretched branches to close the window securely. Jiang Yu breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, though some noises could still be heard from outside from time to time.

"They won't come in."

"That can't be done."

The table was cool, and although Shen Qinggui's hand was supporting his back, it wasn't enough. He whispered, "Let's go to the bed, okay?"

"My husband—"

Jiang Yu was about to be worn out by him, so he could only resign himself to letting out a cry. The sky had completely darkened, and only one luminous pearl remained in the room; everything else had been covered up by Shen Qinggui's clothes.

"The paper cranes are gone."

Jiang Yu realized this in a daze, and Shen Qinggui brushed his sweat-dampened long hair to one side, saying, "You'll be fine."

"Didn't it go out those previous few nights? You've taken good care of this paper crane; it's more sensible than its owner."

If Jiang Yu still had the strength, she would have slapped him, but now she was powerless and could only glare at him with her eyes. Not only did she lack any imposing manner, but she was also twisted into a coy and shy persona.

How could you be so awful?

"Your ex-husband is despicable." Shen Qinggui's shamelessness had reached another level in Jiang Yu's eyes. He was really powerless and could only curse weakly, "Hurry up."

"Then Young Master Jiang, please don't call a halt later."

The night in Bailuzhou was very lively. It was rare to see people like Jiang Yu and Shen Jiuxu go back to their rooms so early. Even Lian Quesheng, who was so drunk that he didn't even recognize people, struggled to get Xichuang to take him out.

“I haven’t been back to Bailuzhou for a long time. What’s wrong with going out for a while?” Lian Quesheng’s body went limp, like a lump of noodles, and he was hanging on the west window. “Good disciple, please have pity on me and take me out. I’m cooped up in this room every day. I’m going to grow mushrooms.”

“I’m not Jiang Yu or Shen Qinggui.”

He persisted, and Xi Chuang, unwilling to let him keep pleading, had no choice but to agree. Thinking that this was an old place, he changed Lian Quesheng into some light clothes, fed him a few sips of hangover soup, and then led him out.

Street vendors chatted and laughed, and many fish that had just been caught from the sea were piled on boats. The smell of fish carried by the evening breeze was a common sight in Egret Island.

On the edge of the island, there is a row of dilapidated old houses with black tiles arranged at an angle, the four corners resembling swallows with outstretched wings. Several strings of seashell wind chimes hang under the eaves, tinkling and ringing in the sea breeze.

Lian Quesheng had drunk some wine that night and was in an unusually high spirit. He dragged Xi Chuang around until he bumped into a disheveled man. Lian Quesheng immediately got angry and shouted, "Can't you watch where you're going? Where are your eyes?"

"Master, it's alright, don't be angry."

Seeing that people around had come to watch the excitement, Xi Chuang tried to pull Lian Quesheng to a corner, but Lian Quesheng was still not fully sober and had become stubborn, insisting on standing there.

The man didn't speak, his hair covering his face, and Xi Chuang couldn't see his expression clearly. He just felt that the man looked familiar, and he must have seen him somewhere before.

Lian Quesheng was pulled along by him, and the wind finally made him a little more awake. But the person in front of him was just kneeling on the ground. From the first time Lian Quesheng saw him, he had been kneeling, or rather, crawling on his knees.

Lian Quesheng was puzzled. He walked up to him, thinking that although he had been a bit fierce, he hadn't scared the man this much. The man didn't look intimidating at all.

He lifted the man's hair and saw that his face was covered with dark blue marks, as if it were a fishing net stitched together with silk threads. His eyes were deep-set, and his black pupils occupied a large part of them, making it seem as if one would fall into them when looking at him.

But the man seemed oblivious to Lian Quesheng's actions, his face expressionless, his eyes vacant, only repeating "I'm sorry."

"I haven't made him apologize yet."

Lian Quesheng hurriedly took a step back, afraid that the man would try to hold him accountable, but as he knelt forward, he kept repeating, "I'm sorry."

"Ah Ning, I'm sorry."

"What did he say?" Lian Quesheng keenly caught the question. "What did he apologize for?"

“Young Master Lian, don’t take this guy seriously. He’s been acting crazy like this for over ten years. He’s fine during the day and doesn’t cause any trouble, but at night he kneels on the ground and shouts ‘I’m sorry, Aning’ all over the streets.”

"Everyone has seen him a lot, and they avoid him as soon as they see him coming. It's only because you, young master, haven't been back for a long time that we don't know."

A kind old man nearby reminded him that he had watched Lian Que grow up since he was a child, and although he hadn't been back for more than ten years, he still recognized her at a glance.

"Uncle Zhao, who is this Ah Ning he's talking about?"

Lian Quesheng gave the man a polite but slightly awkward smile. The man looked quite old, but every time Lian Quesheng secretly ran out of the palace when he was a child, he would be caught by him and inexplicably captured by Lian Chisu and several disciples.

Looking back now, it's highly likely that he was the one who reported it.

"This Ah Ning, sigh, speaking of which, he's quite a tragic figure. He's not from our Bailuzhou, perhaps he fled from afar. I remember, it was something like a ridge."

Zhao Sheng stroked his white beard, unable to recall for a moment. "Young Master Lian, let this old man think carefully. What kind of ridge is it?"

Lian Quesheng was anxious but helpless. He just watched as Zhao Sheng scratched his head with his left hand and the back of his neck with his right, torturing him like a madman, but he just couldn't figure it out.

"Xichuang, you stay here and keep watch. I'll go and call Jiang Yu over." After saying that, Lian Quesheng patted Xichuang's shoulder and rode off on his sword, soaring straight into the sky. However, he was quite drunk and couldn't control the sword steadily. In the end, he simply started crashing around in the sky.

"Bang--"

With a loud crash, Lian Quesheng fell headfirst into the courtyard, and the silver-white sword also fell haphazardly into the ground along with him.

Jiang Yu bit his lip, becoming terrified again. He nudged Shen Jiuxu, who was sitting above him, and whispered, "There seems to be some noise outside."

"Relax, they're not here to see us."

Shen Qinggui's forehead was also covered in sweat, and with his movement, a drop of sweat dripped onto Jiang Yu's neck with a "plop." Jiang Yu trembled all over. This feeling seemed a bit too stimulating, making him extremely nervous, yet he was also enjoying extreme pleasure.

"Clap clap clap—"

"Jiang Yu, Brother Qinggui, something's happened! Quick, quick, quick, something terrible has happened!" Lian Quesheng struggled to pull himself out of the door, not even caring about the sword that had been with him day and night, and stumbled to the door, where he began to bang loudly.

“Something really happened, Jiang Yu, wake up, get up quickly, Shen Qinggui, Jiang Yu.”

Lian Quesheng hurriedly knocked on the door, and the loud noise made Shen Qinggui's face stiffen. Jiang Yu also looked embarrassed and said in his ear, "Who just said they weren't here to see us?"

"The door is closed tightly; he can't get in."

Shen Qinggui didn't want to pay attention to what was happening outside, but once Lian Quesheng started banging, it wouldn't stop. The banging outside was incessant, so he couldn't continue. He had no choice but to get dressed and come downstairs. Looking at Jiang Yu, who was huddled around the blankets, he said, "We'll continue later."

"You should go first."

Jiang Yu rolled her eyes, found some clothes and put them aside. Shen Qinggui walked to the door and saw that Jiang Yu had already lowered the bed curtains. Then she opened the door for Lian Quesheng, looking displeased. "Is there something you need?"

"Something terrible has happened, Brother Qinggui! Where is Jiang Yu? Hurry up and bring him out! I'll take you there together!" Lian Quesheng didn't notice Shen Qinggui's messy outer robe or his casually draped hair, and rushed in anxiously.

"Jiang Yu".

With a "smack," the door slammed shut again. Luckily, Lian Quesheng dodged quickly, or his nose would have hit it. Shen Jiuxu's voice came from inside, "Getting dressed."

"We can't continue. Lian Quesheng probably has something important to do."

Shen Qinggui straightened his clothes, then took Jiang Yu's belt and kissed him on the back of the neck. "How has he survived until now? Doesn't he ever get beaten up?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu immediately chuckled. Seeing his reluctant expression, she added, "Jiu Xu hit him before."

"I want to play too."

Shen Qinggui finally felt a sense of kinship with Shen Jiuxu, after all, he was truly powerless in the face of Lian Quesheng.

"What are you going to do?"

Lian Quesheng heard their voices from outside and saw the two of them push open the door and come out. He inadvertently glanced at the red marks on Jiang Yu's neck. Having recently read many storybooks, he realized that he seemed to have gotten into trouble.

"Uh, how about... you two go back and continue, I... I can handle it by myself," he said tremblingly.

Jiang Yu and Shen Qinggui stared at him intently, as if they wanted to kill him. Lian Quesheng immediately bowed and apologized sincerely, saying, "I was wrong. I won't disturb your sleep again next time unless it's something important."

"But today's matter is really crucial. I think I've found Huang Ning."

Xi Chuang was still standing on the street, the old man with a wrinkled face still deep in thought, surrounded by a group of people who were watching the commotion. Some of the older people even started to recall, "Old Zhao, is it called Meiling?"

"I remember when the Luo couple were showing off, they said they came from a place full of flowers, something like Meiling."

"Ah, yes, it's Meiling, I remember now, it's Meiling." Zhao Sheng excitedly twisted his beard from side to side. Just then, Lian Quesheng, full of guilt, came over with Jiang Yu and Shen Jiuxu.

“Young Master Lian, I remember now, it’s Meiling. Aning said he ran away from Meiling. Back then, the rules of Bailuzhou weren’t so strict. I remember he fell into the sea and was taken back by Lao Luo, who was out fishing.”

"Old Luo?" Lian Quesheng nervously offered two stools to Jiang Yu and Shen Qinggui, pretending to dust them off. "Sit, sit, gentlemen, please sit."

Having arranged for the two people he couldn't offend, Lian Quesheng cautiously moved to the side of the west window, hiding behind him, and peeked out from behind him, pulling on his clothes. "And who is Lao Luo? Uncle Zhao, just tell me everything you know about Aning and him."

“Young Master Lian, it’s been over ten years, why are you still asking about this? This old man thought he would see you get married this time.” Zhao Sheng’s eyes were cloudy. He was really old, probably over eighty years old, which was considered a long life for someone who wasn’t from a powerful immortal family.

Lian Quesheng knew too many people in this place, and most of them were elders who had held him when he was a child. He couldn't just make up an excuse, so he could only glance at the west window and say awkwardly, "I'm just diligently cultivating, aren't I? So that one day I can help Bailuzhou ascend to immortality, and you'll all be proud, right? Alright, alright, Uncle Zhao, just tell me quickly, it's really important!"

"The Luo family, that is, Luo Ding and his wife, were relatively poor. They made a living by fishing with us. Later, when they were in their twenties or thirties, they had a child, who is him."

Zhao Sheng pointed to the man still kneeling on the ground in front of him, "His name is Luo Ping'an. The Luo family hoped that he could live a peaceful life, but unexpectedly, when the child was three years old, he contracted a strange disease. They consulted many doctors, but none of them could help him."

The stool is very hard; it's the kind of stool vendors usually use when selling things. Sitting on it for a long time can easily cause back pain.

Jiang Yu was like that. He looked a little listless. The thought of the culprit sitting comfortably next to him, pretending to be a gentleman, made Jiang Yu angry. He reached behind him and pinched him.

Shen Qinggui, who was constantly watching the other person's expression, naturally felt the pain coming from his back. He pulled the person into his lap to sit down, and gave the other empty seat to Lian Quesheng.

Lian Quesheng was so moved that he almost cried. He never expected that after ruining their great event, Shen Jiuxu would not only not retaliate against him, but would even think of him having no chair to sit on under such circumstances.

What an amazing friend!

But actually it was to save face for someone. Jiang Yu, who knew all of Shen Qinggui's little tricks, leaned against him, with two flower buds on his back massaging his waist and back. Shen Qinggui's warm skin made him feel extremely comfortable.

"You're smart to know what's good for you."

"What strange illness?" Lian Quesheng sat down on the stool and immediately felt refreshed. "Is this illness really that difficult to cure? But what does it have to do with this A Ning?"

Jiang Yu also looked up at him. He had some impression of the black scars on the man's face. He had accidentally found an ancient book in Shen Wuke's library, which recorded a very rare curse that would leave such marks on a person's face.

"Oh, what a tragedy!"

Zhao Sheng sighed. The people next to him obviously knew about this past event and understood what he meant, so they all spoke up.

“Young Master Lian, it’s not a pleasant thing to talk about, and it’s been so long, why bring it up again? Besides, the Luo couple know they’ve done something wrong and have kept it a secret. If they heard about it, they’d probably cause a huge uproar.”

“Uncle Zhao, just tell me, I’ll take responsibility for anything that happens.” Lian Quesheng waved his hand, not taking it to heart at all. He pointed at Jiang Yu and said, “Besides, this is the famous Young Master Jiang. With him here, what do you need to be afraid of?”

Everyone's attention immediately shifted to Jiang Yu and Shen Qinggui behind him. Seeing the two in such an intimate pose, they suddenly remembered that Lian Quesheng had deliberately avoided the topic earlier, and began to criticize him again.

“Quesheng, you’re not getting any younger. Look at Young Master Jiang, he’s already married. I’m not trying to criticize you, but you really should consider this matter.” “That’s right, even the sect leader isn’t in a hurry.”

Lian Quesheng was truly frightened by their words, so he ran straight to the rooftop and said, "Jiang Yu, you and Qinggui listen here. I'm going to check out the Luo family, the place Uncle Zhao mentioned."

Seeing that the most talkative person had run away, the group dared not say anything more. Zhao Sheng looked at the young man over there, whose posture was improper but whose eyes were cold and imposing, and had no choice but to continue to tell the whole story.

"This disease causes severe pain all over the body at night, as if the bones are being smashed open. People can't sleep and won't live past ten years old. The family tried everything but nothing worked, so they gave up and just let the days pass by. But unexpectedly, one day when they went fishing, Luoding caught a little child, Aning."

“A-Ning was about the same age as Ping An. Although she was a bit thin and seemed dull when she first came, she gradually became more lively as she followed Ping An around. Later, the family came up with a plan, and as a result, A-Ning died that day, and Ping An became like this.”

Seeing his solemn expression, Jiang Yu guessed what was going on and said, "A life for a life, is that it?"

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Author's Note: Lian Quesheng: I'm doomed! Am I going to get a mixed doubles brace?! I really didn't mean to, why am I always the one who gets hurt?!

So, can Shen Qinggui and Jiang Yu continue their relationship? [Huang Xin]

Wow, I feel like I hit the word count spot perfectly today! I only realized it after I finished writing! I feel like I'm a surprisingly good word-counting genius! [doge emoji with rose in hand]