Xie Shuci walked to the bedside almost step by step.
He stood before the bed, staring at the outline of Xie An's face in the darkness, remaining motionless for a long time.
In fact, if he really didn't care about the blind boy's identity, he could have just pretended not to know anything. Why did he have to go to such lengths to prove that he wasn't Xiao Xun?
If Xie Shuci really put his past experiences together, he found that there were many things he couldn't explain. He hadn't dared to think about them in detail before, and he couldn't figure out the reasons, but he didn't want to associate these things with Xie An.
Therefore, he needed an opportunity to prove that Xie An was not Xiao Xun.
If you use the method Sikong Ye described to inject spiritual power into his brow, you will see the mark of the Holy Son. If the mark of the Holy Son does not appear, then he has no relation to Xiao Xun.
The little blind boy is so weak now, in a deep sleep, and unprepared for his surroundings. This is the perfect opportunity to test him.
Xie Shuci shouldn't waste any more time; he should immediately prove that Xie An wasn't as Sikong Ye had said. But for some reason, just looking at the little blind man, Xie Shuci found it extremely difficult to even move.
What if, what if he were Xiao Xun?
If he really is Xiao Xun, what should I do?
If he were Xiao Xun, then everything that happened during this time would be fake. Xiao Xun would kill him, Xiao Xun wouldn't like him, and he would be deceiving himself.
Xie Shuci had always felt that he lacked courage. Now, standing in front of Xie An, he had a chance to prove himself, but he hesitated to act.
He stood by the bed for an unknown amount of time, so long that Xie Shuci's legs went numb.
He tentatively took a step forward and bent down, looking at Xie An, who lay on the couch completely unaware.
As they got closer, Xie Shuci saw that his delicate eyelashes looked like two small brushes covering his eyelids, his chest rose and fell slightly, and his breathing was even.
Xie Shuci disliked this feeling, as if if Xie An were Xiao Xun, all the sweetness that had happened before would be overturned.
Xie Shuci took a deep breath, extended his index finger, and gathered a stream of spiritual energy at his fingertip. The white spiritual energy emitted a faint light in all directions, gradually approaching the sleeping Xie An.
The soft light illuminated his collarbone and clothes, moving upwards and spreading across his chin, thin lips, and the tip of his nose, brushing past the fine hairs on his face, and finally stopping on the center of his forehead.
The closer he got, the more Xie Shuci's hands trembled uncontrollably. He was afraid that the final outcome would be different from what he had imagined.
With a stinging sensation in her eyes, Xie Shuci blinked quickly, gritted her teeth, and placed her fingertips against Xie An's brow. The spiritual energy touched Xie An's skin without being rejected. Xie Shuci gritted her teeth and channeled her spiritual energy into him.
He stared intently at Xie An's face, filled with fear and anxiety.
As his spiritual energy continued to flow in, the room remained silent.
The spiritual energy was injected into Xie An's brow, but nothing changed. Xie An did not wake up, and the Frightened Feather Bird mark that Sikong Ye had mentioned did not appear on his forehead.
Xie Shuci was stunned for a moment, and continued to inject spiritual power. Xie An's body clearly accepted his spiritual power, but no change occurred.
Nothing has changed!
This... proves that the blind boy isn't Xiao Xun!
Xie Shuci was somewhat stunned. After realizing what had happened, she almost burst into tears of joy, but at the same time, she felt a surge of anger.
"Sikong Ye, you son of a bitch, how dare you lie to your grandfather? You've ruined my life..." Xie Shuci cursed under his breath.
Since hearing Sikong Ye's words, Xie Shuci had been on tenterhooks all day. Although he didn't believe it, after all, Xiao Xun and Xie An were very different in personality, he was still very sensitive to matters concerning Xiao Xun and Xie An.
One of them is a complete psychopath who wants to kill Xie Shuci; the other is someone who has been through so much with Xie Shuci and they like each other.
If anything happens to these two, Xie Shuci's heart will tremble.
Xie Shuci withdrew his hand, and the huge weight in his heart finally lifted. He stared at the little blind boy's sleeping face for a long time, and couldn't help but lean forward and kiss the corner of his mouth.
Once he completely relaxed, he realized he was covered in a cold sweat. Only then did he remember that it was already the next day, and the little blind man's birthday had arrived.
Xie Shuci gently kissed the corner of his lips and whispered, "Happy birthday."
He tucked the blanket around the little blind boy, brushed the hair from his face, and gently rubbed his forehead with his thumb. "Luckily you're not him. I really...like you so much."
Xie Shuci stood up, carefully left the room, and prepared to settle accounts with that bastard Sikong Ye.
He had completely forgotten that Sikong Ye's favorite thing to do was to cause trouble, and he had actually believed him and even cried with the king. How embarrassing was that if word got out!
The moment the door closed, the boy who had been sleeping on the bed fluttered his eyelashes and slowly opened his eyes.
He looked in the direction Xie Shuci had left, his eyes as calm as still water.
Perhaps the pain was unbearable, he clutched his heart and slowly curled up, a drop of cold sweat sliding down his temple like a silent tear.
Xie Shuci, are you stupid?
You've hesitated for so long, how come he still hasn't woken up?
With one knot in his heart finally untied, Xie Shuci felt completely relieved. He stormed up to the tree, kicked it hard, and pointed at the person in the tree, yelling, "You surnamed Si, get down here!"
Sikong Ye raised an eyebrow and corrected him, "It is Sikong."
Xie Shuci shouted, "You, surnamed Sikong, get down here!"
Sikong Ye glanced at him unhurriedly, "It's 'please'."
Xie Shuci curled his lip, "You surnamed Sikong, I'll ask you to get down here!"
Sikong Ye: "..."
He wasn't angry. He jumped down from the tree branch, stared at Xie Shuci for a moment, and asked, "Your reaction, did you see it or not?"
"Nonsense! He's not Xiao Xun, what did I see?" Xie Shuci cursed.
Upon hearing this, Sikong Ye looked surprised. "You didn't see it? How is that possible?"
"Why is it impossible? You're still pretending with me. If he's not Xiao Xun, what could I possibly see?"
No, he is definitely Xiao Xun.
Xie Shuci, however, said he hadn't seen anything.
Sikong Ye frowned. He clearly sensed that Xiao Xun had fallen into a deep sleep, so how could he not have seen him? Could his senses have been wrong?
"He's probably already..." awake.
"Shut up."
Before Sikong Ye could finish speaking, Xie Shuci interrupted him.
Xie Shuci pointed at him and said, "You are not allowed to mention Xiao Xun in front of the little blind man, nor in front of me. No matter what you say, I will never believe you again, you troublemaker."
Sikong Ye narrowed his eyes, looking at Xie Shuci with a half-smile.
Xie Shuci suddenly realized that no matter what, this guy and Xiao Xun were a couple, and neither of them were good people. If he dared to talk to him like that, wouldn't he be courting death?
"Don't be angry! This is your fault. What's wrong with me scolding you a couple of times? I haven't even scolded you yet, I'm just criticizing you. If you dare to kill me, I'll haunt you even as a ghost! I'll become a vengeful spirit and lie under your bed every day, cursing you to be impotent for life! No, not just one life, but two or three lifetimes!"
Sikong Ye: "..."
Sikong Ye stared at him with a strange expression for a long time.
Xie Shuci felt guilty under his gaze and shrank back. "What are you looking at? I didn't say anything wrong. You made me worry all day. Shouldn't I criticize you... no... give you some advice? I believe you're not the kind of person who would just attack someone without knowing the facts."
"You spent the whole day on edge? Didn't you sleep all day?"
"I was just trying to escape reality, what do you know?"
Sikong Ye glanced at him twice, but finally couldn't help but chuckle. "I haven't met someone as interesting as you in a long time. No wonder he... Never mind, since you don't believe me, I won't mention it again. I can only advise you to take care of yourself."
Xie Shuci put his hands on his hips and said, "We're doing just fine. If you don't cause trouble, we'll be even better off."
Sikong Ye raised one eyebrow dismissively.
Xie Shuci bypassed him and sat down at the stone table. Sikong Ye stared at him with great interest and slowly followed him to the stone table.
"It's all your fault. I was planning to give him a birthday surprise, but now look what happened, I didn't even prepare a birthday present," Xie Shuci said sullenly, slumped over the stone table.
"Birthday?"
"Yes, and because of what you said, the little blind boy is unhappy too. I wanted to give him the most unforgettable birthday, but now you've ruined it all."
Xie Shuci unhesitatingly shifted all the blame to Sikong Ye. Although he hadn't figured out how to treat the little blind boy before, he felt he owed them a day because Sikong Ye had delayed things.
Sikong Ye sat down at the table. This was the first time in several conversations that Sikong Ye felt like he was on equal footing with Xie Shuci.
Looking at Xie Shuci's confused face, he couldn't help but feel dazed. Xie Shuci didn't know how much Xiao Xun hated the day he was born, but he did.
In the past, when he was still in the Xiao family, everyone in the Xiao family would be silent and fearful on his birthday. Everyone would avoid those words with extreme caution, for fear of offending him.
Xiao Xun loathed his origins, his status as a Holy Son, and the burden of protecting all living beings. Therefore, he stubbornly defied fate, deciding to cultivate the Path of Slaughter. Even the elders of the Xiao family, who had been in seclusion for hundreds of years, were alarmed. It is said that they used many methods to torture Xiao Xun, trying to bring him back to the righteous path. But Xiao Xun was neither afraid of death nor pain; he cared about nothing, and nothing and no one could change his mind.
He actually told the man in front of him about the day he hated the most?
This is truly unbelievable.
Could it be that, because of this man's appearance, he began to feel that his birth was not so repulsive?
In Sikong Ye's eyes, Xiao Xun was like a mysterious secret realm, not allowing anyone to step into it. But what he loved most was adventure and exploring the unknown. For this reason, he had inquired about Xiao Xun from the Xiao family many times. When he learned that Xiao Xun had forcibly awakened the Frightened Feather Bird, he vaguely sensed that he had become somewhat different from the legends. He was very curious about this person. As for whether he liked or disliked him, he couldn't say for sure, but he certainly admired him.
However, looking at the man with a worried expression in front of him, he suddenly felt that there was another mysterious place he needed to explore.
Sikong Ye crossed his arms and said, "There's still some time before dawn. Shall I think about it with you?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci gave him a disdainful look. "You want to help me think? Have you ever been in a relationship?"
Sikong Ye looked at him suspiciously, "I've played the zither and flicked people's foreheads, what is this love?"
Xie Shuci glanced at him and said, "Love is something that men and women, men and men, and women can talk about. You know what love is? That's it."
Sikong Ye nodded as if he understood, "Then wouldn't that mean it's okay for beasts to have sex with beasts, and also for beasts to have sex with humans?"
Xie Shuci: "..."
"Shut up! I told you to listen, not to apply what you've said to other situations!"
Sikong Ye curled his lip, seemingly unconcerned about Xie Shuci's tone.
Xie Shuci sighed and asked, "How do you usually celebrate your birthdays?"
Sikong Ye pondered for a moment, “My birthday is on the same day as Axin’s. Usually, I invite respected immortal cultivators from various sects within the Futu territory to Sikong’s house to celebrate together.”
"That won't work, there are too many people."
Sikong Ye then asked, "Should we host a banquet for people he knows well?"
Xie Shuci rolled her eyes at him. "He's closest to me here, along with Guiyi and the other two. But I want to give him a memorable birthday. He said he's never celebrated one before, so I have to make it a memorable birthday that he'll never forget."
“Made a deep impression? That’s easy,” Sikong Ye said.
Xie Shuci looked at him with surprise. "What are your thoughts? Tell me so I can take a look?"
Sikong Ye cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "Tomorrow, just pretend you forgot..."
He started the conversation, and Xie Shuci suddenly realized, lowering his voice as well: "I get it! Tomorrow I'll pretend I don't remember his birthday, then go out and have fun for a day, making myself think I've forgotten and don't care about his birthday. Actually, I'll secretly prepare a gift for him, and then give him a surprise at the end? That way he'll definitely remember! Great idea, Brother Sikong!"
Xie Shuci patted his shoulder heavily, "You're so smart, how come I didn't think of that?"
Sikong Ye: "..."
You're quite good at applying what you've learned to other situations.
This way, Xie Shuci will have a day to prepare a gift for him!
Having solved a major problem, Xie Shuci found Sikong Ye, this fool, more and more pleasing to the eye. Before dawn, he called Sikong Ye and Chu Guiyi together and gathered them in Chu Wenfeng's room.
He told the two of them his plan in detail, and reminded them to find a reason to keep it a secret for him first, so that they could give the little blind boy a surprise in the end.
After hearing his plan, Chu Guiyi, who was always quite meticulous, frowned and said, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Xie Shuci, along with Sikong Ye and Chu Wenfeng, looked at him with puzzled expressions and asked in unison, "What's wrong?"
Chu Wenfeng said, "Give him a stick first, then feed him candy. Wouldn't that make the candy seem especially sweet?"
Sikong Ye said, "The more depressed he is, the higher he will bounce back when he finds out it's a pleasant surprise, right?"
Xie Shuci nodded in agreement after listening, "I think they make a good point."
After listening to their conversation, Chu Guiyi frowned even more deeply, "But..."
"Oh, no buts. If he asks tomorrow, please keep it a secret for me while I go down the mountain to prepare some things."
Chu Wenfeng immediately said, "I'll go with you."
“No,” Xie Shuci said.
"Why?" Chu Wenfeng looked at him with displeasure.
Xie Shuci glared at him. "Are you stupid? He knows about your relationship with me. If we both disappear at the same time, wouldn't that give us away?" Chu Wenfeng pouted. "If we don't want to go, we don't have to go."
Sikong Ye said, "I happen to be free tomorrow, so I'll go with you."
Xie Shuci hesitated for a moment after hearing this. He remembered that the little blind man didn't seem to like him very much. However, he might not be able to handle it by himself, so having an extra helper would definitely be good. Therefore, he nodded and said, "Then it's settled. Guiyi, Xiaowenzi, you two keep an eye on Xie An for me. Brother Sikong and I are going down the mountain to buy some things and will be back later. Don't tell Xie An what we're going to do."
Chu Wenfeng snorted, which could be considered a reluctant agreement.
Chu Guiyi looked worried, seemingly disagreeing with Xie Shuci's plan.
Xie Shuci patted his shoulder, "Don't worry, it's okay. I've seen it often in TV dramas."
"A TV series?" Sikongye looked at him in confusion.
Chu Guiyi and Chu Wenfeng were already used to Xie Shuci occasionally uttering one or two unfamiliar words, and they didn't react much.
Chu Guiyi sighed and said, "I hope so."
As dawn broke and a faint light appeared on the horizon, Xie Shuci and Sikong Ye descended the immortal mountain.
Xie Shuci originally planned to make a cake for the little blind boy. Although he had seen others make cakes before, he didn't know how, and the conditions didn't allow it. He didn't even know what ingredients were needed to make a cake, so he had to give up.
But if you can't make a cake, you can use something else instead.
Upon arriving in Jiyue City, Xie Shuci found a pastry shop. The owner was still asleep. He knocked on the door for a long time before the shopkeeper, dressed in a robe and carrying a lantern, sleepily opened the door.
Xie Shuci said, "Excuse me, I'd like to ask, is this big—"
Xie Shuci drew a circle in front of her chest with her hand, "Do you know how to make peach blossom cake?"
The shopkeeper looked at him suspiciously and gestured with his hand, "This big?"
"Yes, that's about the size."
"It's possible, but..."
"Stop just saying it, do it! You teach me, I'll do it myself."
The shop owner was a little confused, thinking, "If you want to do it yourself, then why did you come to my house?"
After finishing making the pastries, Xie Shuci planned to buy some other things. Afraid of wasting time, he wanted to go back to find the little blind man as soon as possible, so he asked Sikong Ye to help him.
"Go buy me a candle, and some roast chicken and duck, and some wine too..."
Xie Shuci couldn't think of anything else for the moment, so he said, "Go buy it first, and then we'll see if we need anything else."
Seeing how familiar he was with him, Sikong Ye crossed his arms, raised his eyebrows and looked at him without saying a word.
Xie Shuci glanced at him and said, "You came here on your own. Since you've decided to compensate Xie An, don't put on airs like a young master. Hurry up and go. You can pay for it first, and I'll reimburse you later."
Xie Shuci pushed him a few steps away. Sikong Ye glanced at him helplessly and slowly walked into the long street.
"Buy more, there are five of us!"
"I know," Sikong Ye replied lazily.
After he left, Xie Shuci rushed into the kitchen, determined to finish making the peach blossom cakes as quickly as possible, and then go to the fabric store to buy two nice outfits for the little blind boy.
Throughout the morning, Xie Shuci made Sikong Ye run back and forth several times, only to find that this young master didn't actually have a spoiled attitude. Although he was a little unwilling, he didn't refuse Xie Shuci.
Inside the Meng Family Immortal Mountain, Chu Guiyi and his companion sat around a stone table, their eyes occasionally glancing at the closed door in the courtyard.
After glancing around several times, the quiet room finally stirred.
Under their watchful eyes, the door creaked open from the inside, and a white figure appeared behind it.
His face was unusually pale, and his lips were bloodless, which made his dark eyes appear even more profound. But that wasn't all; Chu Guiyi and the other person could clearly sense that even his steps were unsteady.
Chu Guiyi frowned deeply and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xie An did not answer. Perhaps noticing that Xie Shuci was not in the courtyard, he frowned slightly and asked, "Where is Xie Shuci?"
"He..." Chu Guiyi paused, unsure of what to say. He felt that Shu Ci's idea of giving him a surprise was somewhat inappropriate, but he couldn't directly reveal Shu Ci's whereabouts.
Chu Wenfeng said, "He went out early this morning, it seems to be about the auction, but I don't know the details."
Xie An asked, "Where is he?"
Chu Wenfeng said, "He went down the mountain and should be back soon."
Xie An lowered his head, pursed his dry lips, and after hesitating for a long time, asked, "Who was he with?"
"Sikong..." Chu Wenfeng blurted out, when he suddenly felt his senior brother put his hand on his arm. Chu Wenfeng looked over in confusion, and Chu Guiyi shook his head slightly at him.
Upon hearing those two words, Xie An's face immediately darkened, and he asked coldly, "He left with Sikong Ye?"
His voice carried an inexplicable chill.
Seeing that Xie An's reaction was a bit strong, Chu Wenfeng hesitated for a moment. He originally thought it would be fine to give him a surprise on his birthday, but Xie An seemed weaker than usual. In addition, after learning his true identity, Chu Wenfeng was worried about angering him, so he said, "It's not like he's not coming back."
"When will they return? What are they going to do? Did he leave with Sikong Ye on his own initiative? Did he say anything before he left?"
Xie An asked a series of questions. In their presence, Xie An was usually calm and composed, but now he seemed somewhat agitated.
However, they couldn't answer these questions.
Are Xie Shuci and Sikong Ye preparing a surprise for him?
Moreover, they really didn't know when Xie Shuci would return.
Chu Wenfeng said, "I might be back a little later."
Xie An fell silent after hearing this.
He stood like a statue, even his breath became very faint.
After a long silence, he stiffly raised his head and said, "If he doesn't come back before dark, I will..."
I'll kill you all.
Xie An wanted to say that, but for some reason, the words wouldn't come out.
Deep down, he may have already compromised.
As long as Xie Shuci is there, as long as he remembers Xie Shuci, his hands will never again be stained with the blood of innocent people.
Moreover, Xie Shuci was very familiar with these two people.
Xie An didn't say anything more. He gritted his teeth, turned around, went back into his room, and closed the door.
Xie Shuci's words from last night are still vivid in my mind.
He hadn't revealed his identity, so Xie Shuci shouldn't have left him.
He endured excruciating pain all night, and after calming down, he didn't see Xie Shuci, but heard that he had left with Sikong Ye. Even though reason told him that Xie Shuci would no longer easily believe Sikong Ye's words, and that Xie Shuci would not easily leave him or abandon him, he couldn't help but think of the worst possible outcome, probably because of his physical condition.
If, if, Xie Shuci finally believed him, if Xie Shuci had lied to Chu Guiyi and Chu Wenfeng, if in fact he had already left with Sikong Xin and decided to distance himself from him completely...
The mere thought of this made his heart feel as if it had been ripped open, a pain far more intense than the pain of suppressing a demonic possession, filling him with fear and unease.
What should he do if Xie Shuci doesn't return after dark?
He wanted to find Xie Shuci, and he would use every means at his disposal, whether he liked it or not, to bring Xie Shuci back to his side. He wanted to kill everyone who stood in the way of Xie Shuci staying with him, and he would never allow anyone to take Xie Shuci away.
However, he still held onto a sliver of hope that even if Xie Shuci knew his identity, she would still be willing to stay by his side.
He hoped that Xie Shuci's affection for him would outweigh her fear, yet he also feared that Xie Shuci's affection would not outweigh her fear. So, he wanted Xie Shuci to know, but at the same time, he didn't want Xie Shuci to know.
—Then kill him.
A voice suddenly rang in my mind.
"Shut up," Xie An cursed under his breath.
He believed Xie Shuci would not leave him; he would wait for Xie Shuci to return.
Xie Shuci will be back before dark.
Xie Shuci spent half a day making a large peach blossom cake by hand. Afterwards, he went to the cloth shop to pick out two suitable outfits for Xie An and bought him a peach blossom hairpin. Then he bought some fireworks and firecrackers. Thinking that the little blind man couldn't see, he also bought some medicinal herbs and went to a teahouse to refine elixirs.
However, Xie Shuci couldn't calm down at all. Just thinking about the little blind boy's expression when he saw the surprise he had prepared for him made him unable to stop himself from smiling. This also caused the Spirit Gathering Pill to be delayed in being refined.
It wasn't until after sunset that Xie Shuci took a Spirit Gathering Pill and left the room. He and Sikong Ye then hurriedly loaded their belongings into a carriage and rushed back home.
By the time they returned to the foot of the immortal mountain, it was already completely dark.
Xie Shuci asked several disciples of the Meng family to help him carry his things back to the mountain. On the way back, Xie Shuci was extremely anxious, wondering how the little blind boy was doing and whether he was waiting for him obediently.
However, the night sky was starless and cloudless, and Xie Shuci felt inexplicably uneasy.
In the end, he simply left the others behind and walked ahead alone, eagerly running towards the courtyard.
In the quiet room, Xie An sat leaning against the table, watching the sky outside the window gradually darken, his heart sinking along with it.
Xie Shuci did not return.
He waited all day, but Xie Shuci did not return.
Even though today is his birthday, a day he considers significant since meeting Xie Shuci, Xie Shuci has not returned.
All day long, the whole day.
The room was pitch black; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
The oppressive atmosphere in the room seemed to affect the two people in the courtyard as well.
Chu Wenfeng stood at the door, peering outside, and couldn't help but curse, "What is Xie Shuci doing? Why isn't he back yet?"
Chu Guiyi sighed and said, "Wen Feng, tell him."
Chu Wenfeng frowned in frustration, and then a blurry figure ran over.
The closer Xie Shuci got to Xie An's courtyard, the more uneasy he felt, so he simply ran all the way there.
Seeing Chu Wenfeng peering out the door, Xie Shuci breathed a sigh of relief and ran over, panting.
"Xie Shuci! What have you been doing, you idiot? It's already dark!" Chu Wenfeng stamped his feet in frustration and pulled Xie Shuci into the courtyard.
"I……"
Now, Xie Shuci also felt that it was a bit inappropriate to have made Xie An wait for a whole day, especially since they had just had a minor disagreement yesterday.
Xie Shuci, not having time, asked, "Where is my Xie An?"
Chu Wenfeng raised his chin and glanced in the direction of the room. "They haven't come out of the room all day."
Xie Shuci looked into the pitch-black room, his heart felt like it had been gripped tightly, and a sense of fear and panic arose for no reason.
"I...I'll go check on him first."
After saying that, Xie Shuci burst through the door.
The light from outside the courtyard shone through the crack in the door onto the floor of the room, and Xie Shuci could vaguely see a dark figure sitting at the table. In the dim light, it was motionless, and Xie Shuci couldn't even feel its breath.
At that moment, Xie Shuci's heart skipped a beat.
"Little blind man?" Xie Shuci called out tentatively.
Hearing the sound, the person in the darkness slowly shifted their gaze from the window to Xie Shuci.
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