Chapter 116 One Hundred and Sixty
Chapter Summary: He abruptly ripped off the black belt, the sudden sunlight stinging his eyes, and with great difficulty, he opened them…
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He raised his hand and ripped off the black belt. The sudden sunlight stung him, and he struggled to open his eyes. All around him was empty: bushes, old trees, wild grass, and withered vines. There was no one else around.
Wei Wuxian was still somewhat dazed. He sat on the tree branch for a while, and when he jumped down, his legs felt weak, and he even felt dizzy and lightheaded.
He quickly steadied himself against the tree trunk, inwardly cursing himself for being so useless, his legs going weak and him unable to stand after being kissed. He looked around, but there wasn't a soul in sight. The scene he had just witnessed seemed like a ridiculous yet erotic daydream, making Wei Wuxian unable to help but recall the legends of mountain spirits and monsters.
But he was certain that it was not some mountain spirit or monster, but definitely a human.
Recalling the sensation just now, a vague, tingling itch crept up to the tip of his heart. Wei Wuxian placed his right hand on his chest, only to find that the flower that had been there was gone.
He searched the ground, but found nothing. It couldn't have vanished into thin air.
Wei Wuxian was stunned for a long while, unconsciously touching his lips. After a long pause, he managed to stammer out, "This is outrageous... This is mine..."
Seeing that Lan Wangji had abandoned all pretense of dignity and was running away as if fleeing, everyone couldn't help but chuckle. He was indeed still just a young boy; although he acted with maturity, he was still quite young.
However... when Wei Wuxian jumped down from the tree and stumbled...
Everyone felt their limbs suddenly go limp and their chests go numb.
Everyone: ...? ??
You, the Yiling Patriarch, weren't even scared out of your wits by the ghosts and monsters in the mass grave, but you're all weak in the knees after being kissed for a while?!
You dare say you didn't feel anything?!
Nie Huaisang could be considered a playboy, and although he had little experience in matters of the heart, he had quite a few romantic relationships.
He waved his fan, blankly continuing Wei Wuxian's sentence from the Heavenly Shadow: "...My...first kiss?"
Everyone: ...
All eyes turned to Wei Wuxian, but seeing that he was asleep, they all turned to Jiang Cheng, who had grown up with him since childhood.
Ignoring thousands of gazes, Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes at Wei Wuxian speechlessly. Knowing he couldn't hear him, he still complained, "You've always known how to flirt with people since you were little. Now look what happened, you've been outmaneuvered by Lan Wangji. How embarrassing!"
Lan Wangji tightened his grip on Wei Wuxian's arm. He had always been afraid that Wei Wuxian would be angry, but now that it seemed that Wei Wuxian had no other thoughts in his heart, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After searching the vicinity without finding a trace, Wei Wuxian was both amused and exasperated. He knew the other person was likely deliberately avoiding him and wouldn't come out again, so he could only wander aimlessly through the mountains and forests. After walking for a while, he suddenly heard a heavy thud ahead. Wei Wuxian looked up and saw a tall, white-clad figure in front of him—none other than Lan Wangji.
But this person was clearly Lan Wangji, yet his actions were unlike Lan Wangji's. When Wei Wuxian saw him, he was punching a tree, breaking it in two.
Wei Wuxian asked curiously, "Lan Zhan! What are you doing?"
The man turned around abruptly, and it was indeed Lan Wangji. But at this moment, there were slight bloodshot veins in his eyes, and his expression was quite terrifying. Wei Wuxian was stunned for a moment and said, "Wow, that's scary."
Lan Wangji said sternly, "Get out!"
Wei Wuxian said, "You're telling me to leave as soon as I arrived? Do you really hate me that much?"
Lan Wangji said, "Stay away from me!"
Aside from those few days at the bottom of the Xuanwu Cave, this was the first time Wei Wuxian had seen Lan Wangji so distraught. But the circumstances then were different, so it was understandable. Why was he acting like this now, when everything seemed fine?
Wei Wuxian took a step back, moving "a little further away" from him, but still pressed on, "Hey, Lan Zhan, what's wrong? Are you alright? If something's wrong, just say it!"
Lan Wangji avoided looking directly at him, drew his sword Bichen, and several streaks of blue light flashed, sweeping away the surrounding trees with sword energy. Moments later, they collapsed with a crash.
He stood still, gripping his sword, his fingers clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white from the effort. As if he had calmed down a little, he suddenly looked over and stared intently at Wei Wuxian.
Wei Wuxian was puzzled. His eyes had been blindfolded for over an hour, and the sunlight was still dazzling to him. Even after removing the blindfold, tears welled in his eyes, and his lips were slightly swollen and red. Wei Wuxian felt he must look terrible, and under Lan Zhan's gaze, he couldn't help but touch his chin, asking, "Lan Zhan?"
Everyone: ...This couple is really strange. One of them isn't angry at being kissed and even enjoys strolling through the woods; the other gets angry after being kissed and ends up destroying the woods?
Of course, they dared not linger on Wei Wuxian's face, which looked like he'd been kissed so intensely, otherwise, Hanguang-jun would have destroyed more than just the forest...
"..."
Lan Wangji said, "It's nothing."
With a clang, Lan Wangji sheathed his sword and turned to leave. Wei Wuxian still sensed something was wrong with him, and after a moment's thought, decided to follow him just in case. He attempted a grappling move to check Lan Wangji's pulse, but Lan Wangji dodged to the side, looking at him coldly. Wei Wuxian said, "Don't look at me like that. I just want to see what's wrong with you. You were acting very strangely just now. Are you really not poisoned or did something happen during the night hunt?"
Lan Wangji said, "No."
Seeing that his expression had finally returned to normal, and that he was probably indeed alright, Wei Wuxian was relieved. Although he was still wondering what had happened, he didn't want to interfere too much, so he chatted with him for a few minutes. Lan Wangji didn't speak at first, but eventually replied with a few words.
The lingering warmth and swelling on Wei Wuxian's lips kept reminding him that he had just lost his first kiss, which he had guarded for twenty years. He had been kissed so passionately that he was completely mesmerized, and yet he didn't even know who the other person was or what they looked like. This was utterly absurd.
Wei Wuxian sighed softly, then suddenly asked, "Lan Zhan, have you ever kissed anyone?"
If Jiang Cheng were here, upon hearing him ask such a frivolous and pointless question, he would immediately punch him.
Lan Wangji suddenly stopped in his tracks, his voice cold and stiff as he said, "Why are you asking this?"
Wei Wuxian smiled knowingly.
He squinted and said, "No, right? I knew it. I was just asking casually, you don't need to get so angry."
Lan Wangji asked, "How do you know?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Isn't that obvious? With that long face all the time, who would dare to kiss you? Of course, I don't expect you to take the initiative to kiss someone else either. I think you're going to keep your first kiss for life, hahaha..."
He remained smug and self-satisfied, while Lan Wangji remained expressionless, though his demeanor seemed to have softened somewhat.
After he finished laughing, Lan Wangji asked, "And you?"
Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow and said, "Me? Do you even need to ask? I'm naturally a veteran of countless battles."
Lan Wangji's expression, which had just begun to ease, was quickly covered again by a layer of frost and coldness.
Nie Huaisang watched this scene and felt that Lan Wangji's behavior was all too obvious.
Especially Lan Wangji's face covered in frost at the end.
He was terrified of his older brother's cold and hard expression after seeing it so often.
Seeing that Wei Wuxian was still completely unaware, Nie Huaisang stroked his chin, pondering whether he should ask Xiao Niangui to keep this scene and replay it for Wei Wuxian later, to see what it was like to act recklessly in front of a jealous person.
At this moment, Wei Wuxian suddenly fell silent and said, "Shh!"
He listened intently for a moment, then pulled Lan Wangji behind a thicket of bushes.
Lan Wangji was unsure of Wei Wuxian's intentions and was about to ask when he saw Wei Wuxian staring in a certain direction. Following his gaze, he saw two figures, one in white and one in purple, one in front and one behind, slowly emerging from under the azure clouds.
The man in front was tall and slender, handsome yet arrogant, with a cinnabar dot between his brows, white robes trimmed with gold, and accessories that glittered all around him. He strode confidently, his demeanor and expression utterly haughty—this was Jin Zixuan. Behind him, however, was a small, thin figure with light, quick steps, head bowed and silent, a stark contrast to Jin Zixuan—this was Jiang Yanli.
Wei Wuxian thought to himself, "I knew Madam Jin would definitely ask my senior sister and Golden Peacock to come out alone."
Seeing his disdainful expression, Lan Wangji whispered, "What grudge do you have against Jin Zixuan?"
Wei Wuxian snorted.
The reason why Wei Wuxian disliked Jin Zixuan so much is a long and complicated one.
Madam Yu and Jin Zixuan's mother, Madam Jin, were close friends. They made a pact since childhood that if their children were both sons, they would become sworn sisters; if they were both daughters, they would become sisters; and if they had one son and one daughter, they would definitely become husband and wife.
The two women were close friends, knew each other well, and were well-matched in terms of social standing. This marriage seemed like a perfect match, a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, the parties involved did not see it that way.
Jin Zixuan was a pampered child from a young age, with fair skin, a vermilion dot between his brows, and a noble birth. His exceptional intelligence made him almost universally loved, and he possessed a proud air even as a child. Madam Jin brought him to Lotus Pier a few times, but Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng didn't like playing with him. Only Jiang Yanli always tried to feed him her homemade food, but Jin Zixuan didn't pay much attention to her, which made Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng yell in frustration several times.
Madam Jin was furious when she looked at her son. Ali was such a gentle, lovely, and well-mannered girl, and this silly boy almost ruined her.
Thinking about it, Madam Jin twisted Jin Zixuan's ear: "Look at you, what an arrogant person you've become since you were little! You don't even talk to Ali, who gave you the guts!"
Jiang Cheng was also glaring at Jin Zixuan from the side.
I've disliked this person since I was little, and they even dared to take a share of my older sister's desserts. If it weren't for my older sister liking them...
"Ah Li, I'll eat whatever you make from now on!" Jin Zixuan quickly hugged his wife and swore, but then thought about it and realized that wasn't quite right. "No, from now on I'll cook for you, you just need to rest!"
Jiang Yanli covered her mouth and laughed, "Stop fooling around, Zixuan. When will you ever come into the kitchen without mixing up the salt and sugar?"
Back then, Wei Wuxian caused a scene at Cloud Recesses, ruining the marriage between the Jin and Jiang families. After returning to Lotus Pier, he apologized to Jiang Yanli, who didn't say anything, only patted his head. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng both thought the matter was over, and that the annulment of the engagement was a happy ending for everyone. But later they learned that Jiang Yanli must have been very sad at that time.
During the middle of the Sunshot Campaign, the Yunmeng Jiang Clan went to the Langya area to support the Lanling Jin Clan. Due to a shortage of manpower, Jiang Yanli went to the battlefield with them.
Knowing her cultivation level was not high, she did what she could, busying herself with the cultivators' meals. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng initially disagreed, but Jiang Yanli was skilled in cooking, she enjoyed cooking, got along well with people, didn't force herself to exhaust herself, and was safe, so the two thought it wasn't a bad idea.
Because of the harsh conditions and meager meals, Jiang Yanli worried that her two younger brothers, who were picky eaters, wouldn't eat well. Therefore, she would secretly make two extra portions of soup for Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng every day. However, no one except herself knew that there was a third portion, which she gave to Jin Zixuan, who was also in Langya at the time.
Jin Zixuan was unaware of the situation. Although he enjoyed the soup and appreciated the thoughtfulness of the person who delivered it, Jiang Yanli hadn't left her name. Little did she know, all of this was observed by another low-level female cultivator. This woman was a servant of the Lanling Jin Clan, and because her cultivation level was also low, she did the same job as Jiang Yanli. She was quite attractive and knew how to take advantage of loopholes. Out of curiosity, she followed Jiang Yanli a few times and soon figured out what was going on. She discreetly chose an opportunity, loitering outside Jin Zixuan's house after Jiang Yanli had delivered the soup and left, deliberately letting Jin Zixuan see her.
Having finally caught her, Jin Zixuan naturally pressed her for answers. The woman cleverly denied it, blushing and giving vague denials that sounded convincing, but she didn't want Jin Zixuan to see through her deliberate scheme. So, Jin Zixuan didn't press her for an admission, but instead began to treat the female cultivator with increasing favor, even promoting her from servant to guest elder. For a long time, Jiang Yanli didn't notice anything amiss, until one day, after delivering soup, she was caught by Jin Zixuan, who had returned to collect some mail.
Jin Zixuan naturally questioned Jiang Yanli about what she was doing in his room. Jiang Yanli was hesitant to answer, but as he questioned her more and more suspiciously, she had no choice but to nervously confess the truth.
However, this reason has already been used before.
It's easy to imagine how Jin Zixuan would react after hearing this.
So, he immediately exposed Jiang Yanli's lie. Jiang Yanli never expected such a situation. She was usually unassuming, and few people even knew she was the daughter of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan. She couldn't produce any strong evidence for the time being, and her attempts to explain only made her more disheartened. Finally, Jin Zixuan bluntly told her, "Don't think that being born into a noble family allows you to steal and trample on others' feelings. Some people, even those of humble origins, are far more noble in character. Please have some self-respect."
Jiang Yanli finally understood a few things from Jin Zixuan's words.
From the very beginning, Jin Zixuan didn't believe that Jiang Yanli, a noblewoman with low cultivation, could do anything on the battlefield or be of much help. To put it bluntly, he felt that she was just looking for an excuse to get close to him and was only there to cause trouble.
Jin Zixuan never understood her, nor did he ever think of trying to understand her. Therefore, he would never trust her.
After he said a few words to her, Jiang Yanli stood there and suddenly burst into tears. Wei Wuxian returned just in time to witness this scene.
Although his senior sister had a good temper, aside from the day the three of them reunited after the destruction of Lotus Pier and they cried their hearts out together, she rarely shed a tear in front of others, let alone cry so loudly and so pitifully in front of so many people. Wei Wuxian panicked completely. When he pressed her for answers, Jiang Yanli was crying so hard she couldn't even speak clearly. When he saw Jin Zixuan standing there stunned, he flew into a rage, thinking, "Why is it that bastard again?" He kicked Jin Zixuan and started fighting. The two fought so fiercely that all the cultivators in the area came out to break them up. After a flurry of conversation, he understood what had happened and became even more enraged. He declared that one day he would kill Jin Zixuan, and ordered his men to drag the female cultivator out. After a confrontation, the truth came out, and Jin Zixuan froze. When Wei Wuxian cursed at him again, he remained silent, his face ashen, without uttering a word in response, and without fighting back when hit. If Jiang Yanli hadn't taken his hand later, and if Jiang Cheng and Jin Guangshan hadn't come back and pulled Wei Wuxian away, Jin Zixuan probably wouldn't have been able to participate in the Hundred Phoenix Mountain hunt to this day.
Later, although Jiang Yanli continued to stay in Langya to help, she only dutifully did her own work, never bringing Jin Zixuan soup again, and even ignoring him completely. Soon after, the crisis in Langya was resolved, and Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng took her back to Yunmeng. Jin Zixuan, on the other hand, whether out of guilt or because he had been harshly scolded by Madam Jin, gradually became increasingly demanding of questions about Jiang Yanli after the Sunshot Campaign.
Those who knew about this mostly said it was just a misunderstanding, and what was the big deal once it was cleared up? But Wei Wuxian would never think that way. He utterly despised Jin Zixuan, this self-important male princess, this flamboyant golden peacock, this blind man who only judged by appearances. He simply didn't believe that such an arrogant man like Jin Zixuan would realize his mistake, and that his sudden concern for Jiang Yanli was mostly because he was being pressured and scolded by Madam Jin, and was only reluctantly completing the task.
Jin Zixuan was just wondering what other stupid things he had done when this scene was released on Tianying.
Jin Zixuan: ...This is terrible.
"Jin, Zi, Xuan!!!"
Deafening shouts erupted from all directions, comparable to the shouts from two elders not long ago, calling out to Wei Wuxian.
Even Wei Wuxian, who was in a deep sleep, unconsciously twitched.
"You little brat, are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Madam Jin raised her hand again, intending to teach this brat who didn't know how to cherish a good girl a lesson.
Jiang Cheng also spoke in a sinister tone: "I actually forgot about this. Sister, come back to Yunmeng with me!"
“Acheng…” Jiang Yanli looked helplessly at her younger brother, then patted Jin Zixuan, who was huddled next to her with a guilty and aggrieved expression.
"Zixuan, look, whether you want to be nice to me in the future, Tianying has written it all down for you."
Jin Zixuan nodded hurriedly. He knew he had done many things to hurt Jiang Yanli, and he also wanted to go back in time and kill his arrogant and conceited self.
But now it's all just empty talk. If he can get out, he will definitely use his actions to put the elders and his younger brothers Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian at ease.
However, since he is the brother-in-law, Wei Wuxian should really correct his complaints about his brother-in-law, who is always so disrespectful.
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