Chapter 27 "Chi Wantong, this... Immortal Lord is..."
So she first said to Zhong Huai, "I... don't feel hungry yet."
For a moment, she was unsure what to call him.
She answered Zhong Huai first, simply because he was indeed the one who spoke first.
Then she turned her head to look at Yun Xianqing. Yun Xianqing's smile faded a little, but when she noticed her gaze, her smile deepened.
“This is my older brother from my childhood neighbor’s house, so he shouldn’t be considered an outsider,” she said with a smile, her tone somewhat reassuring.
Yun Xianqing's smile didn't reach her eyes; her dark pupils dimmed further, and she spoke slowly, "Aren't we considered outsiders...? Okay, I understand."
Meng Chiwan sensed something was amiss, but when she looked at Yun Xianqing again, he showed no reaction.
Zhong Huai's gaze swept over her and Yun Xianqing without making a sound, then he smiled faintly and said, "Chi Wan, don't you have any questions for me? Even if you're not hungry, please do me the honor of catching up with your brother Zhong Huai?"
Upon hearing this form of address, Meng Chiwan stiffened, and then he said, "You used to call me that. Although we have been apart for a long time, I think Chiwan can still call me that."
A sudden itch came from her palm. She looked down and saw Yun Xianqing's hand holding hers, his knuckles gently scraping her palm, like a willow branch lightly brushing the surface of water.
She chuckled softly, then said, "Alright. Brother Zhonghuai."
Immediately, the grip on her hand tightened.
Meng Chiwan wondered to herself, could Yun Xianqing be jealous? But there was nothing between her and Zhong Huai.
Besides, did Yun Xianqing truly harbor any other feelings for her? She wasn't sure. Feelings were ever-changing.
Yun Xianqing always appeared gentle and mild-mannered, yet deep down he seemed more indifferent than anyone else.
While he was thinking, Zhong Huai spoke again: "Is this Chi Wan's first time visiting the Immortal Alliance? Is there anything she likes to eat or anything she can't eat?"
Meng Chiwan glanced at Yun Xianqing subconsciously, and coincidentally, Yun Xianqing was also looking at her. She then asked, "Yun Xianqing, do you have any recommendations?"
Yun Xianqing lowered his eyes, a strange emotion swirling in them. He paused, then felt a tightness in his chest, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable. He hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "No."
In the end, they went to the restaurant that Zhong Huai had mentioned. They heard that the chef was a disciple from the Immortal Alliance who had cultivated immortality for many years but had not achieved anything. Instead, he had developed excellent culinary skills, so he decided to stay in the Immortal Alliance's affiliated city and open a restaurant.
Yun Xianqing held her hand the whole way without letting go, but he was so unusually silent that Meng Chiwan couldn't figure out what he meant.
She felt that Yun Xianqing was acting like a child throwing a tantrum. She was clearly unhappy, but she was pretending to be fine and just holding the adult's hand tightly.
Fortunately, Lin Jinsheng and Lin Ruyuan were present, especially Lin Ruyuan, which prevented the atmosphere from becoming too awkward.
In addition, Zhong Huai kept talking to her, and she was clearly listening very attentively, but for some reason she just couldn't think straight, and could only respond with a vague "uh-huh" whenever she heard something.
Yun Xianqing finally let go of her hand after they sat down at the table.
The others couldn't help but take a second look at Yun Xianqing's tightly clasped hands. The other three were curious, but Zhong Huai seemed to have a different thought. His gaze lingered on her hands, as if he were deep in thought.
Meng Chiwan had no intention of explaining. She did indeed treat Yun Xianqing somewhat differently.
Unexpectedly, after ordering, Zhong Huai asked directly, "What is the relationship between Chi Wan and this... Immortal Lord?"
Meng Chiwan frowned subconsciously. She didn't understand why, after so many years of not seeing each other, and even after waiting for news that he was still alive but never receiving it, she was gradually accepting the fact that he was indeed dead, but then he suddenly came back.
He seemed completely unconcerned and hadn't even considered explaining anything to her.
He should be telling her right now where he went, how he's been all these years, and why he hasn't come looking for her for so long.
She had longed for him for years, waiting in vain for even a single word. Yet, he thought a simple "Chi Wan" could easily dispel all her sorrow and bewilderment of so many years. Why?
She never believed that anyone was obligated to pull her out of her misery, but she couldn't understand why he had never come back to see her, leaving her constantly immersed in the shadow of death.
She often went to see that river, yet she was afraid to go. Later, she gradually became afraid of water. It was like the torrential rain that fell all over the mountains when she was seven years old, pouring down relentlessly, but never stopping.
So she said, "I won't fake my death and abandon our long-lost relationship."
She smiled and said, word by word, "Everyone says you died in that river, but I always believed you didn't. Zhong Huai, you need to have some reason to convince me that I am an old friend returning, and not some insignificant person."
"After all, you can be Zhong Huai or my neighbor, my older brother. But me? I'm just Meng Chiwan, waiting for my brother by the river. I just need a reason."
Zhong Huai looked at her, and the thread that had been pulling at the corner of his lips finally broke. He fell silent. The old story that he had deliberately avoided mentioning was now being brought to the forefront, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Meng Chiwan poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Yun Xianqing, then poured one for herself, drank it all in one gulp, and her lips were stained with glistening water.
Yun Xianqing stared at her, as if trying to discern something. But she knew in her heart that Yun Xianqing seemed to have appeased her.
A faint smile returned to Yun Xianqing's face; he seemed quite pleased with her questioning of Zhong Huai. He twirled the teacup in his hand, listening patiently.
Meanwhile, Lin Jinsheng, Lin Ruyuan, and the boy later introduced as Jiang Yi had already quieted down, remaining silent and staring at the ground as if they were busy looking for something.
Meng Chiwan's original intention was not to embarrass Zhong Huai or make things difficult for the three boys. It was just that the atmosphere had reached a certain point and she got carried away with her emotions, so she didn't care about anything else.
“I love Chi Wan the most. But I can’t live there. My brother and parents are constantly pushing me to die, and Chi Wan knows that. But I clearly have a destiny to become an immortal. I’m not afraid of high mountains and long roads. I’ve escaped to the Immortal Alliance, wanting to say goodbye to the past.” After an unknown amount of time, Zhong Huai finally spoke, answering each word earnestly.
"At first, I missed Chi Wan terribly, but a person's energy is limited. The daily grind of cultivation and the cold trials made me indifferent. Later..."
"You've forgotten me, haven't you?" Meng Chiwan continued, her tone calm and devoid of any emotion, as if she had asked this question merely to obtain an answer, and then mechanically told herself that she had a reason.
At least they're still alive. And now they've reunited. Isn't that good enough?
This person truly saved her from danger several times when she was young, and they kept each other warm. All of this is real and cannot be ignored because of what happened later.
He owes her nothing. So all she needs is an answer.
Zhong Huai lowered his head, and for a moment he felt awkward and unsure of what to do with his hands and feet. He felt embarrassed everywhere and couldn't even look up at Meng Chiwan.
But he still said, "The faked death was a coincidence, not something I deliberately planned. I was just playing along. I've made Chi Wan worry about me for so many years; I'm sorry to Chi Wan."
"Brother Zhonghuai, it's alright."
Yun Xianqing poured her a cup of tea, which she took a small sip of, her lips turning a deep red. She spoke softly, but a smile returned to her tone.
It's nothing. As long as everything has an answer, that's good.
Her heart grew cold, and when she looked up at Zhong Huai again, her emotions were not much of a stir.
For some reason, the warm Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist suddenly started to get hot. She quickly lowered her wrist under the table, and then she saw the prayer beads emit a long-lost golden light.
She looked at Zhong Huai, but felt a strange sense of loss in her heart.
The dishes had been served, and she took a couple of bites, chewing almost mechanically. But she really didn't understand where this feeling came from.
Before she could figure it out, she saw Jiang Yi, who was sitting by the window in a corner, suddenly looking out the window without touching her bowl or chopsticks. She unconsciously looked over as well.
But amidst the bustling crowds and vibrant streets, she couldn't see anything.
The next moment, the young man stood up, bowed apologetically to everyone, and then left with his sword on his back.
Lin Ruyuan watched his retreating figure and murmured, "Could it be that he met his mission target?"
Lin Jinsheng glanced at him, then said, "You want to help him?"
"Master said that if he cannot complete this mission, he cannot stay in the Immortal Alliance any longer. Senior Brother, are you willing to watch your junior brother leave?" Lin Ruyuan asked in the opening, the vermilion stamp on his forehead standing out conspicuously against his jade-like face.
"Did Master say that we can't help him?" Lin Jinsheng asked calmly.
"Never." Lin Ruyuan smiled broadly.
Lin Jinsheng said, "Then let's go."
With that, the two prepared to bow and leave.
After all that, hardly anyone was actually eating the whole table of food.
Meng Chiwan glanced at Yun Xianqing. He had filled his bowl to the brim with food, and although he ate a lot, his posture was calm and elegant. Oh, he was eating seriously.
Feeling bored but also curious about the target of the mission, Meng Chiwan said, "Could you take me with you? I'd like to help Jiang Yi too."
Lin Jinsheng glanced at Zhong Huai and Yun Xianqing, and saw that Zhong Huai had been looking at him for a while, while Yun Xianqing put down his chopsticks after hearing her words. Both of them looked like they would follow Meng Chiwan wherever she went.
And so, not long after.
In an old house outside the Immortal Alliance City.
The group met Jiang Yi again.
At that moment, Jiang Yi was grabbing a girl by the collar and pulling her down from a giant tree.
The girl let out a few soft sobs before being placed on the ground. She then found a corner and began to sob quietly.
"Jiang Yi...you promised to let me go." She sobbed, her voice filled with resentment.
But Jiang Yili, the person in charge, stood by and slowly lifted her up again, then wiped the dust off the windowsill, placed her on the windowsill, and looked at her at eye level: "Let her go. We've caught her again."
Author's Note: I'm totally confused while writing this, never mind! Time to switch to a new map! New dungeon coming soon!
There's also Xiaoyun being jealous (he seems to actually enjoy it), hahaha.
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