Chapter 24 Just Friends
After the initial excitement of boarding the flying boat, Xiao Yan'er quickly became anxious about entering the secret realm. She didn't show it very obviously, but Ren Yi still noticed. After all, normally, although this little girl would follow him, she was mostly quiet, unlike her current overly lively and restless demeanor.
This time, Ren Yi finally remembered the legitimate profession he was currently wearing. He glanced at Xiao Yan'er, who had only sat for a short while before getting up and pacing around the room, and asked, "Would you like to listen to the zither?"
It was rare for Brother Ren to be in the mood to play the zither, and Yan'er was overjoyed. She nodded vigorously in agreement, and this time she was finally able to sit down properly.
The sound of the zither is like a babbling brook in the mountains, or like drifting clouds in the sky.
Ren Yi did not deliberately use his spiritual power, but the rhythm itself could evoke emotions.
Under such soothing and gentle music, one seems to transform into a drop of water in a babbling brook, flowing along the mountain stream, or like a leaf in the forest, swaying gently in the breeze. The slight restlessness in Yan'er's heart also dissipates with the music, and her whole being calms down.
Ren Yi glanced at the young girl sitting upright, clearly aware of her earlier mistake and reflecting on it. He gently plucked the strings, and the music flowing from his fingers became increasingly soothing, like a silent comfort. Yan'er was indeed comforted by the music, like a cat whose fur had been petted. She gradually relaxed from her initial upright posture, and before long, she even lay down on the table.
After the music ended, there was a brief silence in the room.
Yan'er remained slumped over the table, sighing wistfully, "My brother was right, I still have a long way to go."
Ren Yiqu didn't think so. As a young girl who was entering a secret realm for the first time, and it was a newly revealed secret realm where no one knew what the situation inside was, Yan Er's performance was calm enough.
Thinking this, Ren Yi indeed said, "No one knows what's going on in the secret realm, so it's only natural to feel a little apprehensive. Besides, this is your first time entering the secret realm, so you've already done very well."
Yan'er seemed comforted by these words, and the obvious worry on her face eased considerably. However, in the blink of an eye, she seemed to remember something, propped her chin up, and looked at Ren Yi, "Where's Brother Ren? Was Brother Ren like this when he first entered the secret realm?"
Ren Yi: "..."
Ren Yi paused only slightly before giving a definite answer: "I was a little worried before going in."
After all, it's a storyline point where you run a dungeon with the chosen one, so there are many things to worry about.
"well?!!"
Yan'er seemed quite surprised by the answer, and even couldn't help but exclaim.
Realizing her reaction was a bit too much, she blushed and covered her mouth, stammering after a while, "I...I just felt that Brother Ren seemed so calm and composed in everything he did, and he never had any major emotional fluctuations..."
Yan'er was still stammering, while Ren Yi suppressed the urge to take out a mirror and look at his face.
He asked himself if his expressions were actually quite rich, and he was definitely not expressionless, so how did he end up being labeled as "emotionless"? He didn't understand.
Yan'er's voice grew softer and softer, and she also noticed the confused look on Ren Yi's face.
The little girl pursed her lips slightly, unsure how to explain that feeling.
She remembered the sea of clouds she had seen from the bow of the flying boat with Brother Ren.
The airship hovered amidst the clouds, soft white clouds beside it, so close it seemed it could be reached out and touched. But when it actually tried to touch them, it found them so far away, so far that it could never be grasped.
In that instant, Yan'er instinctively grabbed the sleeve of the person beside her.
Brother Ren felt like a cloud to him.
It's right next to you, but when you actually reach out, you can't touch it no matter what you do.
...Immortal.
That was the most fitting description Yan'er could think of.
Once again, Yan'er had an unmistakable understanding that "Brother Ren will eventually leave."
Yan'er tried to leave something behind, and driven by her emotions, she suddenly asked, "Brother Ren, is there anything that makes you very happy?"
The topic of their relationship changed a bit abruptly, but children of this age are prone to acting on a whim, so Ren Yi didn't think much of it.
But the good news is...
For a working person, the most enjoyable moments are undoubtedly the "five minutes before clocking out" and "Fridays when you have a two-day work week," and Ren Yi is no exception.
After spending so many years in this world, wearing two different identities, he finally reached the point where his mission was about to end.
As long as you present the jade pendant to express your feelings as required by the plot, and are politely rejected by the chosen one with the words "we are friends," and then complete your final act of betrayal—heartbrokenly exchanging your spiritual root for the chosen one's "true love"—you will have successfully completed your work in this world.
As it turns out, one shouldn't be too complacent. Ren Yi completed all his missions smoothly throughout this entire timeline, but he almost messed up the time he delivered the jade.
Heaven knows how tense Ren Yi was when Xiao Hanzhou took the jade and praised it, saying, "The quality of this jade is indeed excellent."
—He took it?! How could he take it?!
Ren Yi's mind was filled with this sentence, and his heart was pounding in his throat.
Fortunately, the situation was eventually salvaged. To be honest, Ren Yi had already come up with no less than ten remedial plans in his mind at that time, and even started to consider whether to knock the person unconscious and forcibly skip this part of the plot to the end.
Meanwhile, in the Xiao family's courtyard on the other side.
Xiao Hanzhou remembered.
Perhaps due to the established customs of Yishui, the jade that A-Yi gave that day was also an ordinary piece of jade, but its quality was much better than the one in the disciple's hand today. The jade was translucent, with strands of red seeping into it, some deep and some light. Although it was an ordinary piece of jade, it had a certain Daoist charm within it. If given time, it might even nurture a spiritual being.
Ah Yi always has excellent taste.
Even though he often buys things that are readily available and of little use in cultivation, none of them are ordinary items.
At that time, Xiao Hanzhou didn't know the meaning of the "Twin Hearts Jade." He only felt that A-Yi seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood, probably having encountered something good outside. In the past, he might have asked him a few questions, and if a jar of wine had been brought along, the two of them might have chatted until midnight.
But right now, the thought of speaking up just didn't put him in the mood.
Even the jade pendant was hastily accepted, a casual compliment was given, and then it was put away.
Recalling this moment, Xiao Hanzhou gripped the railing tightly with his hand, actually creating a palm print.
It should be noted that most of the flying boat of the Xuanqing Sect is made of Xuan Iron Wood, which is extremely sturdy in the cultivation world and is often used as a defensive material in weapon forging. The fact that he achieved this without relying on spiritual power, but only on physical strength, shows how much effort he was putting in.
At that time, Xiao Hanzhou naturally assumed that given their relationship, there was no need to be so particular about such "ordinary" return gifts.
But at this moment, he clearly realized how dismissive he had been.
But the reason he lost his composure at this moment was not just that.
Xiao Hanzhou recalled his next words—
“Ah Yi… Some time ago, Jinliu and I went to the secret realm. Jinliu was poisoned by fire while trying to save me. The poison invaded my spiritual root, so I asked Dan Shi from Jiuli Ming to treat me. Dan Shi said that if I wanted to save someone, I would need to exchange my spiritual root with someone else.”
After he finished speaking, he paused briefly and looked up.
The young man opposite him no longer had the relaxed expression he had at the beginning; instead, his brows furrowed slightly, and he stared at him with a tense expression.
The other person seemed stunned by his words. The expression on his handsome face froze for a moment, but as if he was suppressing something, he quickly lowered his head.
For a moment, Xiao Hanzhou couldn't see the other person's expression, but the latter quickly raised his head again, his expression returning to calm.
Xiao Hanzhou was certain that A Yi understood what he had just said, because the other party didn't even let him say what he was going to say next, but instead took the initiative to ask, "Is my spiritual root okay?"
He then heard the other party speak calmly, as if stating a fact, “I have an ice spiritual root, which is perfect for suppressing fire poison. The ice spiritual root is a water-based mutation, which is also compatible with his physique… Moreover, I also possess a Dao bone, so even without a spiritual root, it will not affect my cultivation.”
Ren Yi paused slightly before adding the second half of his sentence, speaking very softly and with a somewhat subtle tone.
However, Xiao Hanzhou was preoccupied with other matters at the time and had no time for such details.
He knew that A-Yi and Jin-Liu's relationship was lukewarm, and it wasn't worth going to such lengths for the latter. The only reason he was willing to give up his spiritual root was because of him. In fact, not only did he offer the suggestion, but he also persuaded him, not wanting to put him in a difficult position.
Xiao Hanzhou's lips moved, but when he thought of Bai Jinliu's pale face and empty eyes, he couldn't help but imagine himself in that desperate situation back then, with no help around him. No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to say "no need".
He felt he should say something, and he tried to say something, but what came out in the end was, "Ayi, no matter what, you are my best friend."
Jinliu was his benefactor, and he would definitely repay the kindness he had shown back then.
But A-Yi is different; they are best friends.
Having gone through life and death together to reach this point, there's no need for them to talk about those things anymore—everything he has can be shared with A-Yi, just like when he handed over the seal of the Xiao family head to him.
However, these words are ultimately too superficial to express. Xiao Hanzhou thought that he would prove this to A Yi little by little.
But the other party did not give him that chance.
He left only a letter, and without even meeting him, he simply departed.
Why? Why did you leave?
This long-standing mystery seemed to suddenly become clear, so clear that even resistance felt difficult.
Xiao Hanzhou recalled what Xiao Zhiyu had said that day. Because Jin Liu had moved into the main courtyard, it had caused many misunderstandings among the disciples, which led to the many rumors that followed.
Have you heard any of these rumors since you returned from Yuyun Township?
He accepted the jade pendant but didn't wear it. Instead, he brought up the matter of the drained spiritual root. What would A-Yi think?
...
Xiao Hanzhou felt a wave of dizziness and his body swayed twice.
He already knew the answer in his heart.
—It refers to "conditions".
A-Yi would consider "saving Bai Jinliu" as a condition for accepting the Tongxin Jade.
Given A-Yi's pride, he would certainly disdain making such an exchange.
That's why, after changing her spiritual root, she left without even seeing him; that's why she was so cold when they met again; that's why she said "Congratulations" that day...
Xiao Hanzhou couldn't help but think that A Yi was still too good to him.
If he were in the other person's shoes, and someone trampled on his feelings in this way, let alone being a "friend," even if he didn't immediately draw his sword against them, he would absolutely sever all ties and become strangers from then on.
Upon thinking of this, Xiao Hanzhou felt a surge of blood and qi in his chest, and he actually coughed up a mouthful of blood.
He slowly straightened up and staggered out.
no!
He needs to find A-Yi and explain this matter clearly!
But at this moment, any reason he could think of was utterly pale and powerless.
Tell A-Yi that he doesn't know the meaning of the "Tongxin Jade"?
The customs of Yishui are very famous in Dongzhou. Even Wu Fang, an outsider who has never been to Yishui, has heard of them. He has lived in Yishui City for several years, so how could he not know anything about them? Moreover, in his already blurred memory, he was once dragged by A Yi to personally visit the city for the Qixi Festival.
He explained to A-Yi that the rumors were just hearsay and that his arrangement for Jinliu to be hospitalized was only a temporary measure.
Ah Yi probably didn't believe it at first either, which is why he so openly expressed his feelings. But he... his actions proved those rumors true.
Xiao Hanzhou couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. If only he had explained one more thing back then!
A jumble of thoughts surged through Xiao Hanzhou's mind, but he knew clearly that what he feared was not those thoughts.
A misunderstanding is a misunderstanding, and there's always a chance to resolve it.
What he was truly afraid of was A-Yi's attitude—that nonchalant, dismissive attitude.
Ah Yi has truly "let go".
Xiao Hanzhou realized that this was even more frightening than the fact that "Ayi hates him".
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