Chapter 23 As Chu Shu's man, I must never reveal myself...
Chu Shu leaned back and half-reclined, her arms outstretched in a relaxed state, her lowered eyes peeking out. Though she didn't speak, she exuded an air of complete submissiveness.
With a slight tightening of the hand clasped around his waist, Xu Zangyu was pulled and pressed against his chest.
As he propped himself up with both hands, he looked up and his eyes were met with a deep, dark gaze.
Unlike Chu Shu's apparent composure, there seemed to be a deeper emotion hidden within.
"Xu Zangyu, you like me."
He had never heard Chu Shu speak with such seriousness, such absolute confidence, forcing him to admit it.
But for a moment he wanted to run away.
Do you really like Chu Shu?
If he hadn't approached her with ulterior motives from the start, could he have tolerated Chu Shu's temper?
In order to gradually establish himself in the sect and climb higher, his affection for Chu Shu was never simple.
But he knew Chu Shu's arrogant personality all along, so how could he be so easily subdued by him?
However, Chu Shu managed to catch Xu Zangyu's dodge in an instant, and then used both hands to hold Xu Zangyu's head and press him closer to her.
They were almost nose to nose, their breaths mingling, and he couldn't avoid Chu Shu's gaze.
"Look at me as you answer, what are you running away from?"
"No... I just didn't realize it yet. Of course I like my senior sister."
Her obedient appearance was extremely deceptive, but this time Chu Shu was unusually serious, "Do you like Senior Sister, or me, Chu Shu,?"
"...No, are they all the same?"
Chu Shu pushed him away and struggled to her feet. Xu Cangyu could only see her stiff back and her clenched fists, filled with suppressed anger.
"How could they be the same? Tianyi Sect has so many senior sisters, how could they be the same as me, Chu Shu?"
His voice was filled with suppressed emotions, and an inexplicable anger suddenly surged within him, searing his heart. Chu Shu endured it again and again until someone pulled him back.
"The only senior sister I truly acknowledge is Chu Shu."
Chu Shu was surprised to find herself covered in sweat, and finally turned around to look at Xu Zangyu again.
"You only like this physical appearance. What if I looked different?"
"Of course I like it too," Chu Shu's eyes were so strange, there was always a feeling that she wanted to say something but couldn't.
Perhaps girls are more sensitive than men, so Xu Zangyu immediately raised his hand and swore: "No matter what Chu Shu looks like, I, Xu Zangyu, will love her, and this will never change."
Chu Shu paused for a moment, then finally laughed, her cheerful laughter resonating with the beating heart in her chest. "So good."
Xu Zangyu thought he had appeased the other person, but the other person suddenly became violent, clinging to him like a summer storm, venting their passion with a rapid, pounding sound.
He was so overwhelmed by the kisses that he could hardly breathe, and his bones felt like they were melting.
Chu Shu is still so fierce.
Body and dignity are locked in a struggle, and only in a brief moment of respite does one recall the words used to save face: "In times like these, the man should take the initiative."
"I am not acting on my own initiative."
The hoarse voice beside her ear tickled her cheek, making Xu Cangyu both angry and helpless.
"Senior sister, do you think I'm a woman?"
Chu Shu seemed amused by him and nudged him with her knee, saying, "I know perfectly well whether my junior brother is male or female."
Xu Zangyu froze as if electrocuted, turned around and bent his knees to hide the abnormality in his body.
Xu Zangyu felt like he had been tricked. Chu Shu was still as hateful as before, only now the way he was being tricked was even more torturous.
But the person behind him seemed a little aggrieved, saying, "If the person next to me is someone I like, just getting close to them feels like being burned by fire. How can I remain as steadfast as a rock?"
Xu Zangyu fell even more silent, his mind blank and buzzing for a moment. Chu Shu had actually said she liked him.
The tone was by no means mocking.
Chu Shu was serious.
He felt a pressure on his back. "I know you want to kiss me. Okay, I'm not going to deny you the chance."
At this moment, Xu Zangyu should have been overjoyed, like a poor boy who had tricked a rich young lady, but he didn't feel the expected secret delight.
Even the act of lightly kissing was incredibly awkward; even when imitating Chu Shu, it was still clumsy and hesitant.
"Are you a kitten? All you know how to do is suck people."
Xu Zangyu looked up and saw the smile in Chu Shu's eyes, then turned her face away in embarrassment.
"Give me more time to practice, and I might do just as well."
In the moment of making excuses for himself, he made an even more outrageous request.
Chu Shu was not angry at all, and even readily agreed.
There was even a hint that he should continue.
The heartwarming news came from the disciple outside the door: "Senior Sister Chu, the sect leader has arrived."
Xu Zangyu, like a cat with its fur standing on end, hurriedly got up and straightened his clothes.
Compared to Chu Shu's calm and composed attitude, Xu Zangyu appeared particularly guilty.
"What's there to be afraid of? We'll have to meet the sect leader eventually."
Chu Shu never called the sect leader "father," and Xu Cangyu rarely saw them interacting intimately. But even if their father-daughter relationship was not harmonious, it didn't mean he would let his daughter be with an ordinary disciple.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Chu Shu said, "Don't worry about him skinning you alive. Who I like is none of the Emperor's business."
Xu Zangyu was still a little worried, so he kept his distance from Chu Shu until the sect leader arrived.
Will he... punish you?
"I'm not afraid of that old man. What can he do to me?"
Chu Shu acted without restraint, but seeing Xu Zangyu's cautious demeanor, he wasn't too frightened.
Sect Leader Chu Yang thought Chu Shu was alone in the room, but when he noticed the Third Elder's disciple sitting next to her, his eyes widened.
He recalled the delays caused by the servants when he entered, and his face immediately darkened.
A commanding voice boomed at Xu Zangyu, "What are you doing here?"
"It's so noisy." Chu Shu covered her ears, her tone a little impatient. "I asked him to come and water my flowers."
"You want the Third Elder's disciple to water your flowers?" Chu Yang's eyes were full of disapproval.
"Why not? He didn't say he didn't want to."
His arrogant attitude gave him the air of a domineering tyrant. Chu Yang simply assumed he was just acting up again.
The dissatisfaction he felt towards Xu Zangyu changed slightly.
"You don't lack disciples to serve you, why are you calling over the Third Elder's disciple to order him around?"
"He didn't say he didn't want to, did he?"
He spoiled Chu Shu so much that she became so willful; there was nothing he could do but have a headache.
He could only offer Xu Zangyu a few words of comfort, saying, "You've worked hard."
He then casually tossed a bag of money as compensation.
The heavy weight made his hands tired, but Xu Zangyu's eyes lit up.
She didn't complain at all about being bullied; she only regretted not acting more pitiful earlier.
If you had known acting could be so lucrative, you should have switched careers much earlier.
Chu Shu didn't miss the expression on Xu Cangyu's face and chuckled silently. He wanted to poke Xu Cangyu's bulging cheeks to see if they were soft too, but if he actually did that, he would probably scare more than one person.
Why did Old Man Chu have to come at this time?
"What brings the sect leader to see me?"
Reminded by Chu Shu, Chu Yang also remembered the important matter. His expression suddenly changed, and his thick eyebrows twitched. "Anxiang Tower has proposed a sect disciple exchange plan, wanting to exchange disciples with our Tianyi Sect to learn from each other's strengths. I think this plan is not bad."
Yesterday, Xiao Mingxin injured someone from Anxiang Tower. What kind of trouble is Xue Wenxiang planning to cause?
Xu Zangyu subconsciously looked at Chu Shu, just in time to meet Chu Shu's gaze.
Why are you looking at me? Xue Wenxiang wants people, she probably wants Chu Shu too.
Chu Shu's gaze did not linger on him for long before turning back to Chu Yang. "The cultivation methods of each sect have never been shared with outsiders. Since Anxiang Tower is so generous, it would seem petty of us to refuse directly."
"The sect leader came to see me, he wouldn't be asking me to go, would he?"
Chu Yang did indeed have this idea. If Anxianglou was sincere, he would certainly want Chu Shu to have a chance.
"I haven't replied to Anxianglou yet, so I'm asking for your thoughts first."
Such an opportunity was not tempting to Chu Shu. "I don't like to move around, and besides, I already have a grudge against the young master of Anxiang Tower. I'm afraid that if we try to befriend each other, we'll only end up resenting each other."
"However, I do have someone who recommends me."
"Oh, who is this person?"
“Naturally, it’s Senior Brother Xiao. As an elite member of the Tianyi Sect, he carries the hope of bringing glory to the Tianyi Sect on his shoulders. I can’t think of anyone else besides him.”
Chu Shu's tone was very sincere, praising without any prejudice, but Xu Cangyu felt that Chu Shu was deliberately trying to trick Xiao Mingxin.
Chu Yang did not agree directly, but he clearly considered Chu Shu's suggestion. "We still need to ask the Third Elder for his opinion on this matter, after all, Xiao Mingxin is his disciple."
After asking about the important matters, Chu Yang gave a few instructions and left.
With only the two of them left, Chu Shu had no more worries. She couldn't wait any longer and called Xu Zangyu, who was standing to the side, over to sit next to her. She held Xu Zangyu's fingers as if playing with an object while talking to him.
"I wonder who Xue Wenxiang went to all this trouble for?"
Xu Zangyu admired Chu Shu's naiveté; even with Xue Wenxiang harassing her, Chu Shu was still doubting something.
"I don't want my senior sister to go either. That bastard has ulterior motives and is definitely trying to trick her into going."
But if Xiao Mingxin were to actually go there, it's uncertain whether the people at Anxiang Tower would be frightened by his imposing presence.
"Now you're being considerate of me."
Xu Zangyu wasn't used to being so close to Chu Shu. Perhaps it was because he had been treated coldly for so long and hadn't adapted to this new, sticky way of getting along.
"The sect leader's arrival reminds me of something," Chu Shu let go of his hand and suddenly took out paper and pen. "It's the easiest thing to say flattering things. But after a while, you might not even remember what you said. If you encounter a heartless person, they might just turn around and pretend nothing happened."
"Since you say you like me, why don't we write a marriage contract? In the future, when we become Daoist partners, we will not only apply to the sect leader, but also have it witnessed by everyone."
Xu Zangyu hesitated for a moment as he looked at the pen in front of him, "...I'm afraid the sect leader won't accept it for the time being."
"That's not a problem, I have a way of dealing with it."
Chu Shu wanted his attitude, and Xu Zangyu understood that, so he didn't think too much about it and took the pen.
Xu Zangyu had never written a marriage certificate before, so he could only conceive those seemingly sincere words of love in his mind. But when he picked up the pen and put the words on the scroll, his mood was not as calm as he had thought. His heart, hidden in his chest, trembled with each stroke of the pen, and his palms were sweaty.
Despite the stumbling and painstaking writing, Chu Shu ignored Xu Zangyu's plea for help and watched him finish writing stroke by stroke.
Xu Zangyu himself was embarrassed to present the marriage contract, which looked like it was written in plain language, but Chu Shu didn't look down on it at all. "Although it's simple and straightforward, it's full of emotion."
Xu Zangyu thought Chu Shu must have lost her mind to allow this scrawled handwriting to become her marriage contract, but what shocked him even more was that Chu Shu suddenly pulled out a dagger, then cut her finger, and pressed her fingerprint onto the marriage contract.
He really wanted to say that a prick with a needle would have been enough, there was no need to be so ruthless as to make a cut, but as Chu Shu's man, how could he show weakness in front of his woman? So he took the dagger without changing his expression.
With one stab, his face contorted.
Ouch! It really hurts, no matter how big or small the wound is.
After pressing his fingerprint, Chu Shu applied ointment to his finger. The cool sensation overcame the burning pain, and after a while, the wound had actually healed, leaving only a pink scar.
"I was originally going to let you prick me with the tip of a hairpin, but I didn't expect you to be so fearless of pain."
Xu Zangyu: "..." Why didn't you say so earlier? If I had known, I wouldn't have tried to save face.
A note from the author:
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