Chapter 42 (Second Update) [VIP]

Yin Chu Jiu watched the two boys embracing. The tall boy was filled with panic, while the short boy was slowly becoming transparent, about to disappear. As the short boy became transparent, the tall boy hugged him even tighter, as if trying to meld him into his own body. But no matter how hard he tried, the short boy did not stop his disappearing.

The tall boy seemed to realize that his actions were futile. The boy he cherished, the one he held in his heart, the only boy he wanted to have, was about to disappear. He opened his eyes wide and stared intently at the boy in his arms. A single, clear drop of liquid slowly dripped from those bloodshot eyes.

Why did the person he cherished leave?

Why did the person he valued disappear?

Didn't I promise to always be with him, always be good to him, and always stay by his side?

Why are you leaving now?

Yin Chu Jiu suddenly felt a chill on his face. He looked up and saw tears streaming down the boy's red eyes. The boy was holding him in his arms. The boy wasn't crying, but his presence was more heartbreaking than crying.

Yin Chu Jiu felt a sharp pain in his heart. He wanted to say, "Don't cry, your crying makes me feel bad," but he couldn't utter a single word. His throat felt like it was blocked by something, making him feel terribly choked. He raised his hand to wipe the boy's tears, but his transparent hand passed right through the boy's face.

The boy seemed to understand his meaning, placing his hand on the back of his hand that was about to disappear, his crimson eyes locking onto him, and his voice hoarse as he said, "Stay, please stay?"

He thoroughly understood what Zi Zhuo had given him, his eyes fierce, but his voice was as soft as if to avoid frightening him, "Please stay, don't go."

Despite the turmoil in his heart, he suppressed his emotions, only his grip on the person in his arms was frighteningly strong.

Yin Chu Jiu's lips moved, his breath coming in short gasps. He wanted to promise the boy he would stay, but... He closed his eyes, looked into the boy's bloodshot eyes, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

The boy was taken aback, suppressing the surging emotions within him even more, and asked, "Do you like me?"

This time, Yin Chu Jiu still only said three words: "I'm sorry."

As soon as he finished speaking, the boy in front of him vanished, and the scene around him transformed into a wide plaza. A person was already standing in the plaza. Upon seeing Yin Chu Jiu emerge, that person immediately ran over and said with a smile, "Chu Jiu, you're out."

"You're pretty quick. Yue Ling and Black Cat haven't come out yet. Let's wait for them."

With a smile on his face, Zi Zhuo said to Yin Chu Jiu that they had already passed two trials, and only this last one remained. If they passed the last trial, he would be able to obtain the inheritance of the divine physician Hua Busi.

Zi Zhuo was filled with anticipation, but he noticed that Yin Chu Jiu wasn't as happy as he was; instead, her expression was somewhat gloomy and suppressed. After a pause, Zi Zhuo lowered his voice and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Yin Chu Jiu shook her head and said, "Nothing."

After he finished speaking, he went to the other side of the square, found a place to sit down, and remained silent.

Zi Zhuo: ? ? ?

That's it. You still say nothing happened? Who would believe that?

In a small wooden cabin in the Enchanted Forest, a boy, still somewhat childish but incomparably handsome, sat inside. There was another boy in the cabin, carrying in a prepared meal. As he placed the food on the table, he beckoned to the boy beside him, smiling and saying, "The food is ready, come and eat."

Upon hearing this, the handsome young man stood up, walked to the table, and sat down, followed by another young man. He affectionately served the young man rice and also put some vegetables on his plate, saying, "Try these; I picked them outside. I don't know if they'll taste good."

The handsome young man didn't say anything, but simply opened his mouth and ate the food that the other boy had put on his plate. Then, under the boy's expectant gaze, he nodded.

Upon seeing this, the young man's already handsome face broke into a smile, and he said with a laugh, "I'm glad you like it."

"Let's go hunting together tomorrow. We're running low on meat at home, and I'd like to hunt some new game to make you a roast."

Time flew by as the boy and the handsome boy chatted, and soon it was the next day. The handsome boy kept his promise and went hunting with the boy. Their dwelling was at the foot of the mountain, so hunting required venturing into the mountains. Fortunately, there was plenty of prey in the mountains, and they didn't have to go far to encounter wild animals.

The young man told the handsome young man to wait behind him while he went ahead to hunt, but the handsome young man stopped him and told him not to go. Then the handsome young man went up the mountain by himself, and an hour later, he brought down a nearly dead prey.

That evening, they roasted the game and ate their fill.

Time flew by, and the handsome young man and the boy lived a undisturbed life in the wooden house for a long time, like a paradise. On this day, the boy did not go out hunting, but stayed at home.

The boy, who had grown a little taller, blushed and stammered to the handsome young man, "Shall we get married? I want to marry you."

The handsome young man slightly opened his eyes, his glassy pupils fixed on the other boy. The boy's face grew even redder. He approached the handsome young man, closed his eyes, and placed his hands on the other boy's face, slowly moving closer to him.

The handsome young man remained motionless, but just as he was about to kiss him, he reached out and pinched his chin, stopping him from doing so.

The handsome young man's eyes were gentle, but his movements were resolute. His eyes reddened, and he asked, "Why?"

"Are you going to reject me? If we get married, we can be together forever."

The handsome young man's eyes were dark, looking at him yet seemingly not at him. The young man's words seemed to have stirred the deepest desire in his heart. He stared intently at him and sighed, "What a pity."

It's a pity you're not him.

Therefore, he won't let him kiss him.

She will not marry him.

He has already decided on the person he wants to marry.

After Yue Ling finished speaking those two words, the boy in front of him disappeared, and the wooden house vanished as well. The scenery around him rapidly changed, eventually transforming into a wide plaza. Before he could even figure out where he was, he saw Zi Zhu running towards him.

"Yue Ling, you've finally come out."

Yue Ling's eyes darkened. They're already out? "Where is he?"

"You're asking about Chu Jiu? He's out too, but..." Zi Zhuo was wondering whether to tell Yue Ling about Yin Chu Jiu's unusual behavior. It seemed like Yin Chu Jiu had encountered something in the checkpoint, and his expression was very strange. But before he could speak, Yin Chu Jiu walked over by himself. His expression was normal, and he spoke to Yue Ling with a smile, "Yue Ling, did you have a good time in there?"

"Successfully," Yue Ling said. "And you?"

Yin Chu Jiu said, "I also had a smooth experience."

Zizhuo: Smoothly my foot!

However, the way Yin Chu Jiu spoke to Yue Ling clearly indicated that he didn't want Yue Ling to notice anything amiss. As a result, Zi Zhuo was unusually conflicted about whether or not to tell Yue Ling about it.

However, Zi Zhuo soon had no more worries, because not long after, a voice suddenly rang out in the square, saying that the second test was over and the third test was about to begin, and the three people in the square were to begin their test.

At the same time, three medicine jars appeared in the square, each with a lot of medicinal herbs next to it, and a piece of paper next to the herbs. That was what they needed to do for the third level.

Zi Zhu shook her fan and asked, "Then the black cat?"

Only Yin Chu Jiu knew the answer, and he explained to Zi Zhuo: "The second level has ended, and the fact that the black cat hasn't come out yet means that she has failed."

"Failure?" Zi Zhuo exclaimed in surprise. "Then where is she now?"

Yin Chu Jiu said, "It should be outside the cave."

Zi Zhuo then remembered that Yin Chu Jiu had said before that failing the challenge would not result in death, but would only result in being teleported out.

"Go make the medicine quickly, Yue Ling and I will wait for you here." Seeing that Zi Zhuo was still deep in thought, Yin Chu Jiu quickly said to him, "Once you pass the test, the inheritance will open, and then we will go in to find medicinal herbs and pills."

"Alright, just watch." Thinking of Yue Ling's injury, Yue Ling stopped thinking about the black cat, rolled up his sleeves, and immediately walked gracefully toward the medicine pot.

Neither Yin Chu Jiu nor Yue Ling knows how to make medicine, so this task will be left to him.

While Zi Zhuo went to gather medicinal herbs, Yin Chu Jiu looked around the plaza. He remembered that his setting was that Hua Bu Si's inheritance was in the plaza, with the opening on a certain stone wall. He planned to find that stone wall and go in as soon as Zi Zhuo finished.

Yue Ling's injury cannot be delayed even for a day; the longer it is delayed, the greater the damage to her body will be.

However, just as he found the stone wall and before he could examine it closely, someone suddenly bumped into him from behind, holding him tightly. Yue Ling's hot breath was on the back of his neck; he seemed a little excited.

Before Yin Chu Jiu could react, the excited boy turned her around and kissed her. The boy, seemingly having just experienced something, moved with great urgency, like a little animal, showering her face and lips with kisses.

Yin Chu Jiu's body trembled. She took a deep breath, grabbed Yue Ling's hands, and firmly pushed them away. The boy seemed still excited and didn't feel anything else from her actions, continuing to kiss her.

Feeling the hot breath on her face and the boy's excited movements, Yin Chu Jiu didn't dare to look at him. She lowered her eyes and said, "Yue Ling, I'm looking for an opening to the inheritance right now. Can you wait here for a bit?"

Yue Ling finally stopped moving, sensing Yin Chu Jiu's rejection of him with lightning speed. The excitement he had left behind in the environment vanished instantly.

Yin Chu Jiu sensed the boy's emotional change. Because he sensed it, he became increasingly uneasy. He wanted to leave, but the boy grabbed his shoulder, lifted his chin, and forced him to look into his eyes.

The boy's gaze was deep, his dark eyes swirling with unreadable emotions. "You're looking for the entrance to the inheritance?"

"Hmm." Yin Chu Jiu let his eyes meet the boy's. However, the boy's eyes grew even darker, the cheerful aura around him vanished, replaced by an extremely melancholy expression. He said in a low, hoarse voice, "Why?"

Why?

Yue Ling didn't ask why specifically, but Yin Chu Jiu knew what he was asking about.

Why did you reject me? Why did you lie to me?

He was startled and looked away from Yue Ling.

Only now does he realize what he fears most and what he has been worried about all along.

He wasn't worried that Yue Ling would misunderstand his feelings for him, but rather that if he disappeared in the future, what would happen to Yue Ling, who loved him?

Author's Note:

Second update~