Chapter 85 My Master Always Avoids My True Feelings...

The peaceful days lasted for quite some time.

Holding Ya Feiyu in his arms and basking in the sunlight, Ye Chi almost thought that all those complicated main storylines and interpersonal relationships were about to leave him. If it weren't for the occasional news of cultivators searching for Ya Feiyu in the vicinity, Ye Chi would have almost thought that he had accidentally lived to a perfect happy ending and was living a wonderful life with his wife, children, and a warm bed.

"Master," Ye Chi said worriedly, nuzzling against Ya Feiyu's fragrant neck, his voice muffled. Things had gone too smoothly lately, which only made Ye Chi's heart feel increasingly heavy. He was constantly afraid that everything he was experiencing now was just a pipe dream, and when he awoke, he would be left with nothing again. Thinking this, his heart ached more and more, and his voice trembled slightly, though he suppressed it, making it barely audible, only the last syllable trembling slightly, "Will we... always be hiding here, for the rest of our lives?"

Ya Feiyu froze for a moment, then glanced at him. Although Ye Chi concealed it well, Ya Feiyu could still see the fleeting glint of tears in his eyes. His long eyelashes drooped, and even though he already knew the answer in his heart, the words caught in his throat, and he didn't know how to speak.

He knew that as long as he was by Ye Chi's side, their lives would never be at peace.

He remained silent for a long while, ultimately offering no answer. Ye Chi didn't seem to really want his answer either; they both knew the real answer perfectly well.

...

"Master, things don't seem to be very peaceful down the mountain lately." After a long-awaited shopping trip, Ye Chi spoke with concern. He placed a bag of groceries on the table. The bamboo hat he wore to conceal his face was covered in dust, and the edges seemed to be torn. Ye Chi took off the hat, revealing his fair and handsome face, now filthy.

Ya Feiyu's expression hardened, and she quickly stepped forward, carefully wiping the dust off his face with her sleeve, her brows furrowing slightly: "What happened to you...?"

Ye Chi took the opportunity to wrap his arms around his slender waist, nuzzling against his neck intermittently, and sighed with half-closed eyes: "A group of cultivators have recently come here."

A deep glint flashed in his silver eyes, and Ya Feiyu said, "Haven't there been cultivators around a lot lately? What's so strange about this?"

“They seem very certain that we are here,” Ye Chi said in a low voice. “They told the town mayor that if they can’t find us, he will arrest an ordinary person every day and use them as a furnace for alchemy.”

Ya Feiyu's heart tightened: "Which sect do those cultivators belong to in their clothes?"

"They are disciples of Qing Shen Ge."

"Qing Shen Pavilion...?"

In Ya Feiyu's memory, the disciples of Qing Shen Pavilion were always gentle and reclusive, and almost never involved in the love and hatred of other major sects. It was quite unexpected for Ya Feiyu that they would go to such great lengths to find the two of them. What's more, their attitude was so strange. Just as Ye Chi said, it was as if they were certain that the two of them were in this town. Such a resolute and almost cruel attitude seemed to indicate something unusual.

"Master, what should we do?" Ye Chi lowered his long eyelashes, a hint of solemnity in his dark eyes. "When I went down just now, I was almost captured by them as a cultivator. Fortunately, I concealed my aura in time, and the people who captured me were not as powerful as me, so I escaped. I heard from the villagers here that it seems that three or four people have already been captured."

Someone has already been arrested...

Ya Feiyu coldly curled the corners of his lips, let out a cold snort, and said, "The cultivators of Qing Shen Pavilion are actually capable of doing such a thing. Don't they even know how they are different from those demonic cultivators?"

Ye Chi's thin lips were pressed tightly together as he held Ya Feiyu close, remaining silent. His heart seemed to be suspended in mid-air, stuck there, neither rising nor falling. He was actually very worried that Ya Feiyu wanted to interfere in this matter. Although these things had started because of the two of them and innocent civilians shouldn't be involved, Ye Chi still had some selfish thoughts. Qing Shen Pavilion had gone to great lengths this time, probably because they were absolutely certain of success. If Ya Feiyu really intended to handle it, who knew how much time and energy she would waste, and she might even get herself involved as well.

"Master..." he was about to speak when Ya Feiyu spoke up at that moment: "Let's go and meet them."

Ye Chi paused slightly; the scene he feared most had unfolded. Unable to conceal the deep worry in his eyes, he said, "Master, this journey is perilous. I think we should—"

"What are you thinking? Do you think I would actively seek out Qing Shen Pavilion just because they're looking for me?" Ya Feiyu gave him a light tap on the head. "I just remembered, one of the Four Treasures of the World is in Qing Shen Pavilion."

Ye Chi was slightly taken aback, then quickly recalled the plot of the book—it seemed that there was indeed such a part, in which the male protagonist caused chaos in the entire Qing Shen Pavilion for the sake of his harem, and finally forced the Pavilion Master of Qing Shen Pavilion to hand over one of the most precious treasures, the Qing Shen Music Score, before he stopped and left triumphantly with his new harem.

After being prompted by Ya Feiyu, Ye Chi instantly understood: "Master wants this Qing Shen Music Score?"

With a look of "the child has made something of himself," Ya Feiyu raised his hand and affectionately patted Ye Chi's soft hair. "Not bad. Since Qing Shen Pavilion wants to find me, they have to pay a price, right?"

Ye Chi briefly breathed a sigh of relief for Ya Feiyu, but the breath caught in his throat and he instinctively tightened his arms, holding Ya Feiyu even closer in his embrace. "Master, isn't this... too risky?"

“There’s always a risk.” Ya Feiyu lowered her long eyelashes, gently pulling his wrist. Her slender fingertips traced something delicately in his palm, making Ya Feiyu’s heart itch slightly. He closed his fingers, naturally trapping Ya Feiyu’s hand in his palm. Ya Feiyu smiled helplessly, pulled her hand away, and turned to look at Ye Chi. “What, you can’t bear to part with it?”

"I can't bear to part with you." Ye Chi leaned closer and acted coquettishly, his dark eyes narrowing as if they were about to overflow with tears. "Master, you're putting yourself through this. I can't bear it, I definitely can't bear it."

Ya Feiyu chuckled inwardly, "Why are you torturing yourself like this? You've done this often before, and I never saw you being reluctant to do it."

"I was reluctant to do it before," Ye Chi hurriedly defended himself as if to prove something, with a hint of grievance, "I was always reluctant to see Master torment himself, but I just couldn't say it before."

That straight shot was just... excessive.

Ya Feiyu felt an unnatural heat rising from the tips of his ears. He turned his head in the opposite direction, dodging Ye Chi's hot breath on his neck. His silver eyes seemed to shimmer with a rare, clear mist. His thin lips trembled slightly, and he felt as if even his breath had become scalding. In matters of the heart, he was always clumsy and awkward, easily made to blush and lose his head by Ye Chi's teasing.

He slowly exhaled, seemingly trying to hide the blush on his face, and calmly commented, "Glib-tongued."

"Does Master think this is being glib?" Ye Chi suddenly seemed to have suffered some great injustice, urgently hugging Ya Feiyu's waist and pressing his face against the back of Ya Feiyu's neck, his breath falling directly onto that spot. From an angle Ya Feiyu couldn't see, he stared at Ya Feiyu's stiff posture, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, but his tone still feigned pitifulness: "Disciple didn't say these things deliberately to please Master, disciple is sincere, Master, would you like to try?"

"How..." Ya Feiyu was about to question him about how to test someone's sincerity when, in the next second, Ye Chi grabbed his wrist and guided him to place his hand on his chest. Ya Feiyu looked up in surprise, his eyes meeting Ye Chi's gentle gaze. Ye Chi also had a faint smile on his lips. He carefully observed Ya Feiyu's astonished expression and asked with a smile, "Master, did you feel it?"

Ya Feiyu felt his palms were burning hot and couldn't feel anything else, but he still nodded stiffly upon hearing this—after all, he didn't know how to answer.

"Master, can't you feel it?" He seemed to see through Ya Feiyu's thoughts, his lips pressed against Ya Feiyu's ear, and he whispered, "My heart is beating so hotly, can't Master feel it?"

He looked at Ya Feiyu's profile, let out a soft laugh, kissed his fair cheek, and said, "Master, my whole heart beats for you, how can you say that your disciple is glib?"

Ya Feiyu was completely speechless this time. He was frozen, unsure whether to withdraw his hand or leave it there. He could feel his heart pounding wildly, gradually matching Ye Chi's heartbeat. He pursed his pale lips and finally withdrew his hand.

"...Okay, stop being so mushy, really."

Ye Chi, however, seemed unconvinced. He pouted and muttered, "Master always avoids his disciple's true feelings."

Ya Feiyu shifted his gaze somewhat awkwardly. In fact, Ye Chi was right. During this period, he had been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding Ye Chi's overly passionate feelings. For someone like him who had been cold-hearted and indifferent for two lifetimes, it was indeed impossible to be immersed in the love given by someone who suddenly loved him.

Similarly, he also finds it difficult to give the other person the same emotional value.

He lowered his eyes, hesitated for a long time, and said, "...I'm sorry."

Ye Chi paused slightly, seemingly flustered: "Master, don't apologize. I was just saying it casually. I... I didn't mean to complain about you, Master. Please don't think it's your fault. I was just asking for too much..."

Ya Feiyu leaned quietly against the table, listening to his rambling explanations, and the slight displeasure in her heart seemed to quickly dissipate. He curled his lips, somewhat helplessly, "No, I just simply think you're right."

"I should try to reciprocate your feelings."

As he spoke, he slowly raised his hand and stroked Ye Chi's cheek.