Chapter 231 Though Dead, Still Alive (Meeting) "I already have someone I like..."
Walking the road?
Lin Feiran turned her head to look.
When Wei Chang said this, he concealed the dazed look in his eyes and looked at her with a different gaze.
It seems that something happened during her unconsciousness that shocked or puzzled him.
He was deep in thought, which is why he was lost in thought.
Lin Feiran cleared his throat, trying to speak, but only managed two hoarse coughs.
Wei Changzai looked at her, poured her another cup of herbal liquid, looked around for a moment, and finally realized how crowded the bed full of dolls was. So he stepped back and sat on the footstool, giving Lin Feiran, the injured patient, room to turn around.
But his gaze remained fixed on her, only shifting from eye level to looking up. Then, when no one was watching, he subtly pressed his right shoulder against her drooping sleeve, tilted his head slightly, and that familiar scent that reassured him surged forth.
"Would you like another drink?" he asked.
Lin Feiran shook his head, raised his hand to check his wrist pulse, and couldn't see anything seriously wrong, but his body was indeed very sore and weak for no apparent reason. He figured he could only wait for Ru Xian to come and treat him.
"What is the key to this place of no return?" she asked succinctly, wanting to give one to Ru Xian so that he wouldn't be unable to find the entrance.
Wei Changzai paused, subconsciously pressing her sleeve tighter, and said with lowered eyes, "I have already given him the key. He may arrive soon while you are unconscious."
Who he is is self-evident.
After saying this, Wei Changzai returned to his previous contemplative demeanor, his eyelashes lowered and intersecting with the raised corners of his eyes, like double-scissor swallow tails, making him look very intelligent.
But Lin Feiran knew that this was not the case.
Thinking is not an easy thing for Wei Changzai.
This is not to say that he is stupid, but that his thoughts and insights are always different from those of ordinary people. The deeper he thinks, the further he deviates from common sense. Following the rules is difficult for him.
Because she knew so much about it, she felt only awe and surprise at the old objects in the room, but not fear.
Wei Changzai has always been a person with peculiar ideas since childhood, and Lin Feiran couldn't help but be curious about his remarks about practicing the Way.
She is someone who likes to seek common ground while respecting differences and to discuss ideas with others. Whether she was a child or now, she is always interested in listening to and exploring unique thoughts.
But things are different now, and she didn't ask. After all, their relationship is different now.
So, when he mentioned bringing her the keys, she simply nodded her thanks: "After he comes and treats his injuries, we will leave as soon as possible and won't bother you here for long."
Wei Changzai suddenly gripped the medicine bowl in his hand, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and only the word "we" echoed in his ears.
In the past, they were "us".
Silence fell over the room for a moment.
Lin Feiran didn't speak, and Wei Changzai didn't say much either. He just sat on the footstool, put down the medicine bowl, and stared at her intently.
He was indeed thinking just now, but he didn't come to an answer. It wasn't that he had no guesses, but he just didn't want to think about it deeply.
I don't want to think too deeply about the relationship between Lin Feiran and that person.
He just looked at her, waiting for her to speak, waiting for her to ask him "what is the way of doing things".
The fact that she was willing to ask meant that she still cared.
But Lin Feiran just stared at the top of the tent, lost in thought.
Thus, their silence turned into a tug-of-war.
Lin Feiran shifted slightly to avoid the doll that had crawled into the blanket. After a long while, she sighed softly and finally spoke.
"How do you intend to practice the Way?"
I can't tell you.
Wei Changzai answered quickly. He was indeed waiting for her to ask, but at the same time, he didn't intend to give an answer.
"..."
Before anyone could react, Lin Feiran had already chuckled.
It wasn't that I genuinely found it funny, nor was I angry; it was more like a sudden, unexpected laugh, with no real smile on my face, but I had already spoken out.
His expression clearly suggested he wanted her to ask, but when she actually did, he wouldn't say.
She did indeed become somewhat curious.
Wei Changzai would almost never descend the mountain unless absolutely necessary, let alone travel outside the mountain. His sudden arrival here must have some other purpose.
Lin Feiran endured the discomfort in her body, propped herself up and sat against the headboard, pondering as she looked around.
"Why can't I say? Is it a secret matter that Zhang Chunhe asked you to do?"
Wei Changzai nodded: "Yes, but no. Slowly, this time, I want to do it myself."
Lin Feiran was somewhat surprised.
Wei Changzai lived a very disciplined life from childhood to adulthood, like a puppet who only knew how to cultivate himself, with no likes or dislikes.
Few people know that his greatest love is not sword practice, but meditation and spiritual contemplation. Only in this way can he legitimately isolate himself from the outside world and then drift off into daydreams.
He doesn't like making eye contact with people, doesn't like talking to people, and rarely says "I want" or "I don't want" on his own initiative.
Before he met Lin Feiran, he was simply existing.
"What do you want to do?" she asked instinctively.
I can't tell you right now.
"..." Lin Feiran looked silently at the top of the tent, thinking that she had been too talkative.
But Wei Changzai was different. Because of these few words of gentle conversation that could be considered harmonious, instead of the previous confrontation, a slight smile even appeared in his eyes.
He looked at Lin Feiran without saying anything more, but kept staring at her with an undeniable gaze.
A strange feeling arose in Lin Feiran's heart, as if Wei Changzai cared about her a lot, but she quickly dismissed this unfounded thought.
Honest as she was, the only way she could think of to avoid this was to pretend to be asleep. So she closed her eyes, turned her head to the side, and pretended to be extremely sleepy.
But instead of looking away, her gaze became even more direct, leaving Lin Feiran no choice but to pretend to wake up again.
If Ru Xian were present, she would surely see through the reason, her eyes would be smiling, and she would tease her about it.
But Wei Changzai wouldn't do that; he would only ask Lin Feiran if she wanted another cup of herbal liquid.
Lin Feiran waved his hand and simply moved on to the next topic: "How did things go with that matter before? You felt that your origins were unusual. After asking Qiu Tong, did you discover anything else?"
Wei Chang was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered, a glimmer of light appearing in his eyes: "You still remember me?"
Lin Feiran, puzzled, said, "My memory has never been bad."
Moreover, she wanted to bring up Qiu Tong to divert his attention.
Wei Changzai's expression did indeed change somewhat. He first smiled, then gradually became more serious and gloomy. He looked up at Lin Feiran and spoke slowly.
"Slowly, do you believe that there are people in the world just like you?"
Lin Feiran raised an eyebrow slightly: "What do you mean?"
Wei Changzai lowered his eyes and head, his black hair falling in front of him, with a plum blossom hairpin in his hair pressing down slightly, half-concealing his face. She could only see his slightly raised lips, but there was no smile in them.
“I met another ‘Wei Changzai’.”
Although his face was not visible, Wei Changzai did not hide anything. He leaned against the corner of the bed and told Lin Feiran everything Qiu Tong had said and what he had seen and heard in Dongpingcang in great detail.
Lin Feiran had only mentioned it casually, but now he was frowning and thinking.
"Does that person look like you?" she asked.
Wei Chang shook his head, then looked up at her: "Completely different from me, only the back view is similar, but... something is not right."
Wei Chang was initially fluctuating in emotions and found it difficult to calm down, but after traveling all the way to Sanqing Mountain and taking refuge in that familiar wardrobe, he gradually relaxed and realized the strangeness of the situation.
Lin Feiran understood: "He shouldn't have this name."
Wei Changzai immediately nodded.
The term "Changzai" in the Daoist tradition originally implied "transforming heaven and earth" and "the constant nature of the Dao," unlike titles like "Changying" or "Changsi" in other sects. This is a genuine Daoist title.
Zhang Chunhe's disciples, only Wei Changzai and Ji Changying, all adopted Daoist names in order to sever their past worldly ties.
The man from Dongpingcang was an ordinary person, and his family believed in Taoism. Therefore, he should be addressed by his common name rather than by his Taoist name.
After careful consideration, Lin Feiran asked his parents, "Do you remember what name your parents originally gave you?"
Wei Changzai's eyes flickered slightly, and after recalling for a long time, he hesitated before saying, "It seems that they always called me 'that person,' and the neighbors only said that I was a child of the Wei family."
Before I met my master, I had no name.
Naturally, it's impossible for him to be called Wei Jun.
The two rarely mentioned his parents, because their relationship was not harmonious, and they were practically strangers.
Wei Changzai didn't care much, but Lin Feiran didn't talk about it much.
It's not surprising to get this answer now that the question has been raised again, which makes it even more illogical.
Although Wei Changzai was unaware of this, she was very clear in her heart that Qiu Tong had been reborn and had a very close relationship with Wei Changzai before her rebirth, so it was impossible for her to have misremembered where he came from.
Qiu Tong remembers Dongpingcang, while Wei Changzai remembers Youfangzhen. One is in the east and the other in the north, a huge difference. Now, what should be the eastern part of his hometown has suddenly become another "Wei Changzai"...
Lin Feiran sat leaning against the headboard, unable to move, but her eyes were very bright and alert when she was thinking. After a few moments, she said with almost certainty.
“Qiu Tong can’t be wrong. You may indeed be from the East, but something went wrong along the way…”
What kind of mistake could it be?
Many possibilities flashed through Lin Feiran's mind: the baby was switched at birth, it was an accident, or the baby was switched.
But after much thought, given the vast distance between the two places, the only way to accurately switch the two people between the Wei family and the Wei family is to deliberately swap them.
Thinking of this, her eyelids twitched involuntarily.
No wonder Wei Changzai's temperament changes so drastically; if someone were to interfere, it would all make sense.
But who could this person be?
Why did Wei Changzai's background undergo such a drastic change in this life?
With so many questions, Lin Feiran couldn't help but think of Zhang Chunhe. But how could he do such a thing if he valued Wei Changzai so much?
While lost in thought, Lin Feiran suddenly felt a gentle breath on her chin.
When she came to her senses, she saw Wei Changzai holding onto the edge of the bed, slightly rising, looking at her very closely with a gaze that did not allow her to look away.
He suddenly said, "You trust Qiu Tong's words a lot."
This is not even a statement, but a question.
He kept looking at her: "Do you like her a lot?"
“I did grow up in the northern town of Youfang, I’m not lying to you, so why is she sure she’s right?”
Lin Feiran was taken aback, not understanding why he would think of this, and whether this matter was very important.
Before she could even speak, Wei Changzai dropped another bombshell.
“There’s something wrong with her. I’ve never had any contact with her before, so how did she know I’m from Dongpingcang?”
Gradually, you must not be fooled by her.
Do you remember the first time we met her? It was the day Daohe Palace was recruiting disciples.
Lin Feiran hesitated and shook her head: "I don't quite remember."
Wei Changzai maintained this distance, but his brows furrowed slightly.
"From the first moment she saw us, she was inexplicably excited, but there was an unspeakable purpose in her eyes."
When she looked at me, it seemed like she was looking at me, but she wasn't really looking at me.
But when she looks at you, it's with fear and disgust.
Gradually, in this world, only the untrustworthy will dislike you.
Lin Feiran paused for a moment, then hesitated, "...Do you judge others based on this?"
Wei Changzai nodded. Lin Feiran's heart skipped a beat.
The matter of Qiu Tong's rebirth can be a big deal or a small deal. Previously, Wei Changzai was sent to ask him because he was sure that Wei Changzai was indifferent and had feelings for Qiu Tong and would not ask too many questions. But now it seems that things are not quite right.
As she pondered how to dispel his doubts about Qiu Tong, Wei Changzai kept a close eye on her.
“Slowly, she has problems, you can’t like her too much.”
Seeing his hesitation, Lin Feiran breathed a sigh of relief: "Don't worry, I won't compete with you for Qiu Tong."
Wei Changzai nodded, then relaxed his shoulders slightly, a faint smile curving his lips. But the next moment, he heard Lin Feiran speak.
"I already have someone I like."
A faint smile lingered on his lips. Wei Changzai stopped moving, his dark eyes staring straight at her. Lin Feiran could even sense his suddenly intermittent breathing.
His hand, which was resting on the blanket, slowly clenched. He didn't even realize it himself. His previous guesses came flooding back like a tidal wave. He stared at her blankly, his throat tight, but the name kept popping into his mind.
He thought silently, "Don't say it."
"It's Ru Xian, do you remember him?"
Lin Feiran spoke frankly, then, remembering that the two had met before, she added, "During the Flying Flower Gathering, he was with me, and you two even chatted for a bit."
Wei Changzai's expression was off and very ugly, but because there was so little change in her expression, she looked like she was stunned and surprised.
Lin Feiran leaned against the headboard, her originally sharp gaze softened by her loose long hair.
She paused for a moment, then said, "So, do you want to go back to your original seat? If he suddenly comes here and sees us like this... although he might not misunderstand, I don't want him to be unhappy."
Wei Changzai remained motionless. Lin Feiran's voice fluctuated in volume, constantly pounding against his eardrums. He even heard a strange rustling sound, the sound of love beans growing and contracting wildly.
This was to suppress the pain in his heart, but at this moment, it seemed to be of no use at all.
He stared intently at Lin Feiran, his blood seemingly surging and contracting throughout his body, yet his expression remained unchanged.
He spoke in a hoarse voice: "You two, do you want to become Daoist partners?"
This relationship, which he used to care about the least, has now become the one he hates the most.
"A cultivation partner? Well, that mainly depends on him..."
Lin Feiran's voice trailed off, replaced by surprise and bewilderment.
She asked blankly, "Why...why are you crying?"
At some point, thin red blood vessels appeared in Wei Changzai's clear eyes, and before the tears could even gather, they rushed out and silently patted the back of her hand.
"...Don't you want me anymore?"
Lin Feiran had never seen such a scene before. She looked at the back of her hand, then at him, her eyes filled with helplessness. She couldn't help but say, "What are you saying? People aren't objects; you can't just take them away."
"You and he are Daoist partners, so what about me?"
Seeing the water droplets falling in a continuous stream, faster and faster, Lin Feiran sighed again and again, squeezed among the group of rag dolls, and finally spoke as if giving up.
"What do you mean? What are you doing? If it really doesn't work, let's go back to being fellow Daoists. Haven't you always wanted to be on the same path as me since you were little? Is that alright?"
Lin Feiran has never been able to resist a tearful attack, no matter whose it is.
She thought he wanted to be friends again, but the two had been together before and had developed a rift. They shouldn't even be friends anymore. Her willingness to be a fellow Daoist was already quite generous, and she couldn't back down any further.
Wei Changzai lowered his gaze, almost dizzy from the words "fellow Daoist" that he had been so eager to hear.
He couldn't help but recall what he had seen in the Valley of the Pilgrims: the couple named Orange Blossom, who were inseparable and devoted to each other!
"Fellow Daoists, Daoist partners..."
He still maintained an eerie calm on his face, but his hand had already unconsciously gripped Lin Feiran's wrist, like a drowning person grabbing onto a floating weed, trying to catch his breath.
From the moment he heard those words, his breathing became intermittent, and by this point, his face had flushed a faint red, as if he were suffocating.
His eyes were misty as he looked at Lin Feiran. He was barely breathing and finally collapsed onto her lap, barely managing to keep his head up a little.
Lin Feiran stared blankly at him. After a moment, she struggled to raise her weak hand and placed it over his nose to check for breath. Then, with her last bit of strength, she covered his mouth and nose, releasing and releasing the pressure to help him breathe.
"Who suffocates themselves to death?"
Wei Changzai buried his head in her hands, unable to answer.
Just then, the peach blossom grove outside the window suddenly swayed, and the moonlight in the night sky also rippled, indicating that someone had entered this place of no return.
Lin Feiran subconsciously looked towards the door, and within a moment the fluctuations subsided, the platinum figure appeared in front of the door.
Ru Xian had been walking hurriedly with a solemn expression, but when he stepped into the room, he suddenly stopped. He looked at the two of them through the fluttering curtains, then met Lin Feiran's gaze. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said with a half-smile.
"What kind of scene is this? A hero comforting a beauty's tears?"
Author's note: Lin Feiran: Sigh.
Happy Dragon Boat Festival everyone! [kissing emoji]
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