Gu Lingchen herself couldn't remember which year or which snowfall had given rise to that secretly sprouting feeling.
Perhaps it was when they escaped from Huashizong together by climbing over the wall in their youth, that Mu Siyu pinned them against the eaves, covered their mouths and noses, and whispered with a laugh in their ear: "Don't move, it'll be safe once the patrolling elders pass by."
Perhaps it's a trial in a secret realm, where demonic beasts tear apart with their claws.
Gu Lingchen herself couldn't remember which year or which snowfall had given rise to that secretly sprouting feeling.
Perhaps it was when they escaped from Huashizong together by climbing over the wall in their youth, that Mu Siyu pinned them against the eaves, covered their mouths and noses, and whispered with a laugh in their ear: "Don't move, it'll be safe once the patrolling elders pass by."
Perhaps it was a trial in a secret realm. The claws of a demonic beast tore through his shoulder and back, staining the snow red with blood. In his hazy consciousness, the person carried him and ran wildly, his voice trembling but stubborn: "Gu Lingchen, if you dare to close your eyes, I'll throw you down!"
Later, Mu Siyu's captivating eyes began to follow another figure—the hem of Liu Yunrou's skirt.
Gu Lingchen stood at the end of the corridor, watching the young man tuck a pear blossom into Liu Yunrou's hair and smile brightly, when suddenly a dull pain shot through her chest.
It was at that moment that he realized: even heartbeats can be out of sync, and even feelings of jealousy can arise.
So he hid all the emotions he shouldn't have in his sword intent, which was even colder.
He stood in front of Mu Siyu, drawing his sword again and again, seemingly for his cousin, but in reality for—
Don't let that person get close to others.
They also wouldn't let themselves reveal even a hint of their desire.
On the snowy night, he practiced swordsmanship alone until his knuckles bled, the frost-covered blade reflecting his reddened eyes.
“I’m not protecting my cousin,” he chuckled softly, “it’s my own secret feelings that can’t be brought to light.”
But even the coldest sword light cannot sever the memories—
The boy, clutching his bleeding arm, still smiled at him and said, "Achen, don't be afraid, I'm here."
That "I'm here" was like a poison, like an addiction.
So he continued to act as a protector, standing between Mu Siyu and Liu Yunrou, in the name of his cousin.
You can stop a person, but you can't stop their heart.
In every confrontation, he sharpened his love into a blade, pointing it at his closest childhood friend.
"If you dare to betray her, I will be the first to not forgive you."
What I really want to say is:
If you really like her
What about me?
I've kept my feelings hidden for seven whole years.
Is there no chance left?
To say it aloud? Gu Lingchen had tasted loss since childhood—
His parents died in the battle against the beast tide, their bodies never to be found, leaving behind only a broken sword and a blood-stained jade pendant.
That year, he was only five years old. He sat at the dilapidated entrance of the village, hugging his knees, snow falling all over his shoulders, but he dared not cry out.
It was Liu Yunrou—his cousin, only three years older than him—who trudged through the ankle-deep snow to him, wrapped a warm fox fur coat around him, and whispered:
"Achen, come home with your sister."
In that instant, he realized that there were still people in the world willing to shield him from the wind and snow.
Later, he was taken in by the Liu family.
His maternal uncle, Liu Heng, was the head of the Liu family and treated him strictly but considerately.
His cousin, Liu Yunyan, the second young master of the Liu family, treated him like a younger brother.
Afraid that he would have nightmares at night, she brought a pillow to sleep with him;
Fearing he might get injured while practicing swordsmanship, she secretly slipped the family's best elixir into his arms;
Fearing he would be bullied, she loudly announced in front of others: "Gu Lingchen is my younger brother. If you want to mess with him, ask my sword first."
Liu Yunrou was the only light in his dark childhood.
She taught him to read, sewed clothes for him, and wiped away the bloodstains from his sword practice.
She would stay by his bedside on stormy nights, humming off-key tunes, and say, "Don't be afraid, Ah Chen, your sister is here."
She would also rush out with her sword whenever he was wronged, and she would beat him up even if the other party was the grandson of a sect elder.
She gave him a home and all her tenderness.
Therefore, Gu Lingchen will protect two people in her life—
One was his cousin, Liu Yunrou, who gave him a new life;
One of them was Mu Siyu, his childhood sweetheart who stole his heartbeat.
He stood in front of Liu Yunrou, preventing Mu Siyu from getting close. It seemed like he was protecting his sister, but in reality, it was also a way of saving himself.
He feared that if Mu Siyu truly fell in love, he would have no right or reason to approach that person again.
He also stood in front of Mu Siyu, drawing his sword again and again, seemingly as a provocation, but in reality, he was desperately suppressing his emotions—
He feared that if that person said, "I like Liu Yunrou," his feelings, which he had kept hidden for seven years, would be shattered into nothingness.
But he knew he couldn't hold on to it in the end.
Because the way Liu Yunrou looked at him was the tenderness of an older sister;
The way Mu Siyu looked at him was the openness of a brother;
Only he himself, in the stillness of the night, would hold the Frostbite Sword and trace the outline of that person again and again, suppressing his love deep in his heart time and time again.
He is the second young master of the Liu family, Liu Yunrou's most beloved younger brother, and Mu Siyu's childhood sweetheart.
But he can only ever be the "younger brother".
Even so, he was happy to do it.
Because Liu Yunrou gave him a home.
Mu Siyu gave him a dream.
And he is willing to dedicate his life to protecting these two—
He was the only light.
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