The empty city was destroyed (11)
After being pulled out of the inn by Wu Yue, Zhao Yuxiao was restless. It was the first time he had heard that Yun Yanqiu only had so little time left. His respected senior Yun, who could handle everything with ease, had actually failed to break through... How could he accept this?
"Don't think about it. Life and death are equal for all beings. Thinking about it won't make a difference." Wu Yue walked ahead and said coldly.
"Are you the same? Knowing your death date, you prepare in advance?" Zhao Yuxiao questioned her. "If that's the case, why do you still come looking for something that can change your fate?"
Wu Yue paused, turned around, and frowned at Zhao Yuxiao: "Because I'm afraid of dying. Knowing that I will die is one thing, but whether or not I want to die is another."
“Yun Yanqiu still has ten years left, he’s not going to die anytime soon.” Wu Yue scoffed. “He hasn’t said anything himself, but you’re all worrying about it like crazy.”
“Isn’t it only right to worry?” Zhao Yuxiao retorted, “Besides, Miss Ying’er…”
Recalling Ye Yingying's expression when she heard the news, Zhao Yuxiao couldn't help but feel that she was no less distressed than he was.
I don't know what Senior Yun will do, but I hope we can have a calm and peaceful discussion.
Normally, Yun Yanqiu would give them advice when they encountered this kind of situation, but now that he has become the main character himself, I really don't know who can help him.
Hey, there really is.
Inside the inn, the innkeeper's appearance changed the atmosphere. He smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling, "Have you two eaten yet? If not, I'll have Yun'er cook for you."
Ye Yingying's eyes were still red, and there were two tear streaks on her face. She stared blankly at the shopkeeper, not knowing how to react.
Yun Yanqiu hadn't expected him to appear at this moment. Looking at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, his throat bobbed, and the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.
"Why do you two look like you haven't slept well?" the shopkeeper asked in surprise, seemingly drawing this conclusion from nowhere. "This won't do; the early bird catches the worm."
As he spoke, he walked confidently to the two of them and urged them to sit down. Suddenly, he noticed Ye Yingying's red, swollen eyes and said with pity, "Oh dear, why are you crying, young lady? Did this man bully you?"
"Ah? No." Ye Yingying slowly shook her head, the shopkeeper's appearance gradually calming her down.
She looked at Yun Yanqiu, her eyes filled with reluctance.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper turned to Yun Yanqiu and pointed at him indignantly: "You lad, you look so polite, how did you make that girl cry?"
“You…” Yun Yanqiu was stunned. He never expected that one day this face would say words to him that sounded like an elder lecturing a junior.
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean, 'what do you mean'?" The shopkeeper squinted. "Aren't you going to apologize to that young lady? Show some manners."
"No, no, no, no need, no need..."
This left Ye Yingying speechless. She waved her hands repeatedly to stop him, but Yun Yanqiu actually apologized to her in a serious tone: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things. I hurt you."
"That's more like it!" The shopkeeper beamed and patted Ye Yingying's shoulder in the air to comfort her. "Don't be sad, girl. I understand. But a man who can admit his mistakes and correct them is still someone you can entrust with your life to. We can talk things over."
Ye Yingying was speechless. What did you mean? What do you know?
The shopkeeper made his successful exit, leaving Ye Yingying and Yun Yanqiu sitting there awkwardly facing each other.
Ye Yingying took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and said to Yun Yanqiu, "You're right. I was too pessimistic and overreacted just now. I'm sorry."
She said this with her head down, not daring to look at Yun Yanqiu's expression.
Damn it, I've been a coward again. Thinking of this, Ye Yingying gritted her teeth and suddenly looked up, only to find Yun Yanqiu smiling broadly. She was embarrassed to be caught and covered her mouth.
"What's wrong with you?" Ye Yingying asked, puzzled, and felt inexplicably embarrassed by his stare.
"It's nothing..." Yun Yanqiu covered her mouth with her hand, her voice sounding muffled, "I just thought the way you sniffled and apologized was cute."
Hiss… These words were still too blunt for Ye Yingying, especially coming from Yun Yanqiu’s mouth. She felt a flush on her cheeks and quickly turned her face away.
Yun Yanqiu looked at her and said calmly, "Ye Yingying."
"What are you doing now?"
"I'm leaving before you, but don't forget me."
"..."
What is this? A last message? Ye Yingying's heart sank again. After a long while, she asked unwillingly, "Is there really no other way?"
"I don't know," Yun Yanqiu replied, adding at the end, "At least it's not among the ones I know of."
"...How did you fail? Wasn't your cultivation always going smoothly?"
“Perhaps it was too smooth sailing, so Heaven set this limit for me.” Yun Yanqiu recalled the scene at that time without sadness. “But it’s good this way, it gave me the determination to come out and find you.”
Ye Yingying looked up in a daze, meeting Yun Yanqiu's deep, dark eyes, which seemed to suck her in completely.
Yun Yanqiu looked at her and said, "Ye Yingying, I used to focus on cultivation and never thought that one day I would know my death date because of a failed breakthrough."
"But when I learned of my deadline, I didn't feel fear or unease, because I immediately thought of you."
"I?"
"I thought of you leaving without saying goodbye, and ten years have passed without a trace."
Ye Yingying pursed her lips: "That's because I..."
“I know, because he killed you.” Mentioning the Ghost Calculator, Yun Yanqiu’s face darkened, his fingers clenched, and his voice was angry. “I regretted it at the time. I thought that you stayed by my side for so many years just to take the Rakshasa Jade. Once you got the jade, you dumped me.”
Ye Yingying didn't dare to say a word. She knew she should say it, but that was also her main thought at the time, and that's exactly what she did...
But Yun Yanqiu continued, "I was sulking there all by myself, and I never even considered the possibility that something bad might have happened to you."
"Looking back now, it was so naive," Yun Yanqiu laughed self-deprecatingly. "But thankfully, there was still a chance to make amends, and in the end, I found you."
He took Ye Yingying's hand, which was resting on the table, and said with a gentle and sincere expression, "The days of searching for you have indeed been long, but not boring, because the thought of seeing you again gives me hope."
"Ye Yingying, you have made my limited life full of meaning again."
Yun Yanqiu laid bare his heart, displaying it without reservation to Ye Yingying.
Ye Yingying knew what this meant. She grasped Yun Yanqiu's hand in return, her heart overflowing with an indescribable emotion.
She opened her mouth, just about to respond to Yun Yanqiu's words, when a steamer basket was placed between the two of them, followed by the shopkeeper's shout: "The steamed buns are here!"
"I made it myself, it's fresh out of the pot, try it while it's hot." The shopkeeper raised his eyebrows proudly, then glanced at the two holding hands and teased, "Oh my, you've made up so quickly, not bad, not bad."
"That's how it should be. If there's a small conflict, it can be resolved quickly by discussing it properly."
He felt he had accomplished something great, his eyes crinkling with laughter. He put down his bowl and chopsticks, dusted himself off, and slipped away. Ye Yingying watched all this, but couldn't bring herself to blame him for ruining the atmosphere.
Alright, let's eat.
She picked up her chopsticks and took a soft bun, then suddenly wondered: In this illusion, she didn't seem to feel hungry at all.
So, should we eat this steamed bun or not...?
Ye Yingying looked at the steamed buns and fell into deep thought. She looked up at Yun Yanqiu and found that he was also staring at the steamed buns, with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
"I almost forgot he could make steamed buns." Yun Yanqiu murmured to herself, staring at the plump white steamed buns in a daze.
"Since you've put it that way, aren't you going to ask him?" Ye Yingying asked, resting her chin on her hand. "Maybe he remembers you?"
Yun Yanqiu remained silent, put down his chopsticks, and ultimately did not eat the bun.
"Have you seen that guest in the main room again?"
As they were talking, Yun Yatou flicked her long braid and appeared in front of the two of them.
Ye Yingying turned her head, trying to recall who was in the front guest room, and immediately thought of Shaoling: "Are you talking about the young man who came back with me yesterday?"
Yun pouted and nodded: "He asked me for steamed buns early this morning, and I told him to wait a while, but now the buns are ready and he's gone."
“We didn’t see him,” Ye Yingying shook her head. “Isn’t he in his room?”
"I wouldn't have asked you if I had the money." Yun Yatou put her hands on her hips, a little angry. "Honestly, even if I don't charge you, wouldn't it be a waste to steam too many buns?"
Shao Ling… Ye Yingying’s gaze darkened slightly. He was indeed elusive. He was the one who proposed the cooperation earlier, but every time she tried to find him, he was nowhere to be found. He was quite mysterious.
If he's not at the inn, where else could he be?
On the streets, people were busy with their own things, hawking their wares, riding horses and driving donkeys, as if the mass kneeling and worship of yesterday was just a dream.
Wu Yue and Zhao Yuxiao leaned against the wall of a small alley, observing the crowds coming and going on the street and eavesdropping on the chatter of the people around them, trying to find a clue.
Wu Yue believes that yesterday's weather and the crowd's worship were both inextricably linked to Zhan Yan. But how to see Zhan Yan is a real problem.
“We’ve been listening for ages, and nobody around us is talking about their Grand Tutor,” Zhao Yuxiao whispered to Wu Yue.
The sun wasn't as scorching as it was yesterday, and everything has returned to normal.
Wu Yue crossed her arms and remained silent. She tapped her elbow with her index finger, still pondering the strange events of yesterday.
After a while, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and locked her gaze on a slightly special figure in the crowd—it was Shao Ling, whom Yun Ya Tou was looking for!
"What's he doing there?" Zhao Yuxiao also saw Shaoling and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Where is he going?"
"I don't know." Wu Yue took a step forward, staring intently at Shao Ling's movements, and said, "Let's follow her and see."
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