Chapter 87 Uncle [VIP]
Qingran, who thought Xing Wendao had woken up, came back to her senses.
But all they saw was the man on the bed, his brows furrowed, struggling to wake up with rapid breathing.
"Changqing, did you have a nightmare?"
Qingran felt doubtful again; this shouldn't be the case.
For the old man and Xing Chao, it was a beautiful dream, but for Xing Wendao, it always felt like a nightmare.
Both in his dreams and in reality, Xing Wendao longed to see the person he wanted to see. For a moment, he couldn't distinguish between dream and reality, but the exhaustion emanating from his body quickly brought him back to his senses.
This is reality.
"It's a sweet dream," Xing Wendao replied, calming his racing heart. He felt the warm hand holding his under the covers, and his heart felt as soft as if it were soaking in warm water.
It's a beautiful dream, both in and out of the dream.
"What did you dream about?" Qingran asked curiously. Why was her reaction so strange if it was a pleasant dream?
The man's eyes darkened: "It's not convenient to tell you."
Qingran pursed her red lips.
His expression was normal, but Xing Wendao could tell from his pursed lips that he was unhappy.
This little temper tantrum, so different from his usual personality, softened Xing Wendao's heart, and he helplessly revealed, "It's related to you."
Qingran raised her clear eyes and looked at him without saying a word.
Xing Wendao hesitated for a moment, then lifted the blanket beside him: "Want to come up and lie down with me for a while?"
Seeing that Qingran did not move, he lowered his gaze and was about to cover himself with the quilt again.
Qingran pressed his hand down.
"I'm just a little confused about my own feelings," he said calmly, yet perplexed.
He knew that Xing Chao was the human he had raised, but he couldn't help but pay more attention to Xing Wendao, and he couldn't even tell whether this attention was related to the swaying of the soul fragments back then.
This puzzled him greatly.
Xing Wendao thought that as long as he had that sentence, nothing else mattered.
Watching the person carefully get into bed and lie on their side next to him, he covered them with the blanket and straightened their body, his eyes adjusting to the dim light as he looked up at the gray ceiling above.
He heard himself say, "You're only staying in the Xing family, remember that?"
Qingran looked at the man's handsome profile in the dim light.
"Did you remember?"
"……Um."
After a long while, the room fell silent again, with only two breaths rising and falling slightly.
Xing Chao withdrew his gaze, quietly closed the door, rested his forehead against the door, and closed his eyes.
It turns out that his brother and Yun Qingran's relationship was much closer than he had imagined...
That's true. Their bedrooms are next to each other, so even if something did happen, he might not know. His brother wouldn't tell him about such a thing anyway.
*
The story of Xing Chao's argument with the old man eventually reached Xing Wendao's ears.
The man took some time to chat with Xing Chao.
Since then, Xing Chao has never slacked off at work again and has become even busier.
He had to study at home with Xing Wendao while also appearing in public with the old man at the company.
The impending death of the already identified and universally accepted heir will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the behemoth that is the Xing family. As a result, the old man has no choice but to return to the helm to stabilize morale and protect the Xing dynasty.
Uncle Xing shamelessly offered to share the burden with the old man, but the old man immediately rejected him.
The Xing family's success today is inseparable from the help and support of his wife's family back then, so the old man never thought of handing the Xing family over to someone outside his first wife's bloodline.
Besides, given Xing Er's arrogant and overconfident nature, it's hard to believe he even has the ability to take over the Xing family!
Xing Er had made a fool of himself, and Xing San, who was secretly watching the situation, immediately gave up the idea of getting some benefits for her husband.
The two of them unanimously hated the head of the family with a vengeance, thinking that he was just relying on having a good grandmother!
Xing Chao, who was secretly resented, was completely unaware of this, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have bothered to care.
He's under a lot of pressure right now, often so busy that his brain feels numb, with hundreds of different companies and projects under his management clashing in his head.
Therefore, when Xing Wendao suddenly ended the lesson and started talking about personal matters, he was a little taken aback.
"Brother, what did you say?"
Xing Wendao repeated it.
Xing Chao rubbed his throbbing temples, a look of utter bewilderment and incomprehension on his face: "Isn't Yun Qingran your wife? You want me to... you want me to..."
He was conflicted and didn't know how to express himself.
Xing Wendao smiled nonchalantly: "He's still young. I can't let him be a widow for me for the rest of his life."
"Anyway, if he finds someone he likes later..." The man's eyes turned wistful for a moment, and he paused for a long time.
"Remember to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't get scammed."
Knowing that Qingran had also wavered was enough; a dying person doesn't need more.
Did you hear me?
Xing Chao responded sullenly, his voice deep: "Brother, don't you mind or feel awkward at all?"
He simply couldn't understand his brother's tolerance and magnanimity; if it were him...
“I’d rather he be happy,” the man said softly. Compared to that, his other emotions were insignificant.
So you let Yun Qingran be happy in someone else's arms?
We also need to have him oversee the process.
Xing Chao couldn't understand, and knew he couldn't change his brother's mind, so he ignored the subtle resistance in his heart and reminded himself to do as he was told in the future.
Since Yun Qingran was mentioned, he also remembered something.
"Brother, last time you asked me to find a master craftsman to make a ring, but he said the time was too short..."
It's impossible to produce a finished product that satisfies both the employer and himself in such a short time.
However, the master also mentioned that he has a pair of works that he has meticulously crafted over many years, originally intended for his own collection. If the other party needs them urgently, he can adjust the details and reluctantly part with them, which would be much faster.
Saying it's for their own collection is just a nice-sounding way of putting it; the two brothers know perfectly well what's going on.
"I looked at the pictures they sent, and the finished product is amazing," Xing Chao said in a low voice, taking out his phone to show Xing Wendao the saved photos.
The man's gaze was fixed on the pair of rings standing side by side on the screen. The two rings were designed in a simple and elegant style, understated yet luxurious, and would not look flashy even on a man.
"That's fine then," the voice said, its tone ambiguous between satisfaction and regret. "You can secretly bring it back for me later."
"good."
Xing Chao thought his brother would at least hold out until he got the ring and personally put it on Yun Qingran's hand.
But in early June, when children across the country were celebrating their holiday, Xing Wendao's condition deteriorated again.
He gradually became unable to get up and often fell into a long coma.
His room was moved downstairs to a specially prepared emergency room.
He gradually stopped allowing Qingran to get close to him or visit him, and even when they entered the ward, they had to be separated by a medical curtain.
More and more Taoist priests and monks were coming and going from the Xing family manor, invited by the old man to discuss Xing Wendao's illness.
Huang Jiancheng, who orchestrated the marriage to bring good fortune, was among them.
Now that things have come to this point, the old man has to admit that the "lucky marriage" he arranged five years ago has lost its effect, or rather, he has begun to doubt whether it was effective at all.
When asked about this in front of so many colleagues, Huang Jiancheng broke out in a cold sweat, but he still had to pretend to be calm and put on an air of superiority.
[Host, the old man is asking about the marriage proposal to ward off bad luck back then.]
Even Qingran, who was not present at the scene, was promptly informed of this news by the system.
At that time, Qingran was in the garden picking out bouquets to put in Xing Wendao's hospital room. Upon hearing this, she nodded to indicate that she understood and did not ask any further questions.
He didn't even pause his hand movements for a moment.
Putting aside whether these people have real skills or not, even if they do, how many of them would dare to say so?
As Qingran had predicted, those who lacked real skills dared not utter a word.
That's late-stage cancer, a terminal illness that the whole world considers incurable! You say there's a problem with the marriage to bring good luck? Fine, if you're so capable, tell me how to treat it next.
Don't know? If you don't know, then shut up. It's better to avoid trouble.
Therefore, these people tacitly put on a regretful expression, indicating that the patient's life was coming to an end, and that their abilities were limited and they did not have the cultivation to help people defy fate.
The old man knew he was grasping at straws in desperation; there weren't that many truly capable masters in the world.
It was his greatest fortune to receive guidance from Master Huang, but unfortunately Changqing was not as lucky.
After instructing the old man to properly send these practitioners away, he summoned the doctor to inquire further.
The doctor shook his head and said in a low voice, "It'll be over in the next day or two."
The old man's face, which had been quite energetic thanks to plenty of sleep, instantly looked haggard and filled with indescribable fatigue.
"Crack".
The flower branches that were not caught in time after being cut fell to the ground.
Qingran snapped out of her daze, saw that there were enough bouquets in the basket, put down the scissors, picked up the roses on the ground, and went back inside.
He trimmed away the thorns and leaves from the flower branches one by one, then carried the bouquet of roses up to the second floor.
The intensive care unit was divided into two rooms, one inside and one outside. Qingran placed the roses into a slender-necked vase on the coffee table in the outer room.
The vibrant red stood out vividly in the porcelain-white vase, the only bright spot in this serene space.
A short while later, the door to the cubicle opened, and Xing Chao, dressed in full protective gear, came out to see this scene.
His figure, standing alone and slender with his back to him in front of the coffee table, was like a rose standing silently in a vase, beautiful in its quiet solitude.
The young man tried to speak calmly: "My brother is asleep right now. Would you like to go in and check on him?"
Qingran tilted her ear back but did not turn around.
He said softly, "No."
He knew why Xing Wendao didn't want to see him. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he didn't wish to.
Xing Chao was clearly aware of this, so he did not insist.
The sound of clothes being taken off could be heard as Xing Chao took off his protective suit and walked to Qing Ran's side.
"I've heard that the peace charms at Lingyue Temple are very effective. I'd like to go and get one for my brother. You..."
Lingyue Temple is a Taoist temple in their city, and it is quite well-known in many surrounding cities.
Xing Chao used to despise such things as praying to gods and Buddhas. This was the reason why he always disliked Yun Qingran. He thought Yun Qingran was scheming and shameless, and that she only deceived the elderly.
Now, he finally understands what his grandfather was thinking back then.
"I'll go with you," Qingran said promptly.
This was the first time the two of them had gone out alone together.
The difference this time was that they no longer sat in two separate rows, one in front of the other, but instead sat in the same row.
Xing Chao was still driving, and Qing Ran was sitting in the passenger seat. The atmosphere inside the car was dull and quiet, and no one spoke the whole way.
Upon arriving at the foot of Fengshan Mountain, where Lingyue Temple is located, the two got out of the car and walked up the mountain path.
The winding, bluestone-paved steps attract a constant stream of tourists and residents who come to take photos, even on weekdays.
Along one side of the mountain path, local vendors sell snacks or unique trinkets, and some even use the fame of Lingyue Temple on the mountain to set up fortune-telling stalls.
The two figures mingled among the crowd of pedestrians when they were suddenly stopped by an old man wearing a haphazardly draped yellow Taoist robe.
"Hey, you two, I see dark clouds hanging over your heads; it seems you've been having a run of bad luck lately. I have talismans here to ward off misfortune, talismans to help people turn bad luck into good, and talismans to protect your homes... You won't regret buying them, and they're only ten yuan each!"
"Old Huang, is this how you do business? You go around telling everyone that someone is shrouded in misfortune?"
Vendors nearby watched the spectacle.
The old man called Huang ignored him, focusing instead on observing Qingran as she turned to look at him, stroking his non-existent beard and muttering to himself.
"The Red Phoenix Star is shining! Oh, my luck with romance is really good lately, and there's more than one. Wait a minute, these peach blossoms seem both real and unreal, layer upon layer..."
Xing Chao, who had stopped to listen to the part about bad luck, immediately wanted to leave after hearing what was said next.
Thinking about the purpose of going out, she suppressed her temper and said, "How am I supposed to know if what you're saying is true or false?"
The young man lowered his brows and looked sharp: "How about this, since you've come to us to sell your stuff, tell us about our relationship. If you can explain it correctly, I'll buy everything from your stall."
Hey, you've stopped and want me to continue, so you must have something on your mind that I, the old man, have touched on.
A glint flashed in Old Huang's narrowed eyes as he glanced at the two of them and asserted, "The auspicious day of marriage is just around the corner!"
Xing Chao thought for two seconds before he dared to be sure what the old man was talking about.
The old man said that the peach blossoms dyed by Yun Qing were his!
He must have lost his mind a minute ago. Xing Chao secretly despised himself, grabbed Qing Ran, and turned to leave.
"Hey, don't go! If you're having bad luck, I have talismans to ward off misfortune and bring good fortune..." Old Huang called out to the departing figure.
A nearby vendor mocked him, "Stop showing off your half-baked physiognomy skills. Maybe you'd do better business if you just sold talismans and didn't talk so much."
Old Huang said sheepishly, "This was a mistake, a mistake..."
He leaned back in the rocking chair, took out the book on divination he had picked up, and started reading it again.
Oh dear, he thought he was quite accurate in his assessment; the face clearly matched the description in the book, so why was he getting no business?
On the other side, Qingran, who had been dragged all the way to the top of the mountain by the young man, said: "You know that others are talking nonsense, yet you're still angry?"
Xing Chao stopped and took a deep breath. He didn't know why he was so angry, but he was just very angry.
They had arrived at the Taoist temple. He turned around with a sullen face and then noticed that he was still holding Yun Qingran's wrist.
He let go and apologized, "I'm sorry, I was in too much of a hurry just now."
Qingran said she was fine, her mind drifting back to the old man's pronouncement from the mountainside, before she put it out of her mind.
"We've arrived at Lingyue Temple. Let's go in," he said gently.
The atmosphere inside the temple was solemn. The two lined up to enter and paid their respects to the statues in different halls. They also made sure to draw lots and ask for amulets for peace.
The fortune slip was drawn by Xing Chao, and it was a very auspicious one, indicating that there might be a turning point in what he was asking for.
Xing Chao knew this was just psychological comfort, but he still couldn't help but hold onto a sliver of hope.
The two of them went down the mountain with the amulets they had obtained, and were about to go home when Xing Chao's phone suddenly rang.
The caller was from an international security company. They said a well-known international jewelry designer had asked them to transport a valuable item. The item had already landed and disembarked from the plane. They asked Xing Chao whether he wanted to arrange a delivery location or have it delivered to his door.
Xing Chao remembered that his brother had told him to keep it a secret from Yun Qingran for the time being. Just as he was about to answer, his phone rang again.
At the same time, Qingran's phone rang.
A bad feeling arose in their hearts.
As expected, Xing Wendao fell critically ill.
"Deliver it to the Xing Family Manor, the address is..." The young man's voice suddenly became hoarse. He quickly explained the rest and then drove back at high speed.
On the second floor of the main building, when the two arrived outside the ward, the people in the other two rooms had already arrived and were crowded together in the corridor.
Xing Chao ignored the various expressions on his relatives' faces and rushed straight into the room.
Qingran lagged behind, and hesitated when she reached the door.
The old man, who had finished speaking with Xing Wendao, sat wearily on the sofa and looked at him through the open door.
Much later.
"Changqing wants to see you," the old man said hoarsely.
Qingran then stepped into the room, saying as she passed the sofa, "Thank you, Grandpa."
The old man closed his eyes and ignored him. The image of his beloved eldest grandson earnestly pleading with him flashed through his mind, and a single, cloudy tear moistened the corner of his eye.
The ward.
Several days later, Qingran saw the man who had stirred up such mixed feelings in her heart once again.
Xing Chao, his eyes red, stepped aside, and Qing Ran sat down on the bedside chair, taking the man's hand that was resting on the edge of the bed.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the first words that came out were...
"You've lost a lot of weight."
Xing Wendao gave a pale smile, looked intently at him, and asked, "Is it ugly?"
Qingran raised her gaze to observe him carefully. His eyebrows were delicate, his nose straight, and his lips pale. His eyes were still the same as when she first met him, clear and bright, like distant green mountains.
So he shook his head and said, "In my heart, you are still that upright, gentle, and refined gentleman."
He placed the amulet he had obtained into their clasped hands.
"Have you been waiting for us for a long time?"
"Chaochao and I went to Lingyue Temple. I heard their amulets are very effective—"
"Qingran," Xing Wendao interrupted him.
"I'm sorry, I have to break my promise."
The man's eyes and tone were very gentle, and Qingran stared at him blankly.
"I have something to tell Chaochao. Can you wait for me outside?"
Qingran nodded: "Okay."
He got up and went to the outer room, where he heard someone behind him say, "Xing Chao, promise me you'll take good care of him."
Then came a hoarse male voice.
"Brother, I promise you."
He heard rapid beeping, hurried footsteps rushing in from outside, and sobs that were sometimes exaggerated and sometimes restrained.
The only thing missing was that slight, hesitant heartbeat.
Qingran's mind was in turmoil.
His soul seemed to detach from his body and wander outside, as if he had returned to many years ago, watching familiar lives leave his side one by one.
Qingran knew that there was a problem with his cultivation.
He was clearly on the verge of a breakthrough, but he forcibly suppressed it, causing him to fall into the illusion of breaking through the barrier if he lost his composure even slightly.
The very nature of an illusion is that it is not so easy to escape.
He was acutely aware that something was wrong with him, yet he couldn't help but repeatedly recall memories he thought he had long forgotten.
He saw the little lynx that he had carefully raised to keep as a companion after it became intelligent, only to be mischievously killed by the neighbor's tiger demon cub right in front of him.
He saw a poor scholar who had become a close friend after his transformation, but who died of old age after only one period of seclusion.
He saw like-minded people pursuing the Great Dao together, but after discovering his opportunity, they secretly murdered the friend he had personally dealt with...
He saw the Xing family manor, the grieving crowd, and the faint starlight that emanated from the lifeless man and drifted into the air, about to dissipate.
With all thoughts focused on one, the invisible spiritual energy swirled around the starlight, and Qingran suddenly awoke from her trance.
The others in the ward had already escorted Xing Wendao's body to the mourning hall for placement.
Holding the nearly unrecognizable fragments in his palm, he finally understood.
It was him.
So that's who he was.
In a daze, the shimmering starlight suddenly broke free from the spiritual energy's restraints and drifted off in a certain direction.
Qingran was startled and turned to see the young man entering from outside the door.
The starlight drifted onto the youth and merged with him without any rejection.
Short hair, dark complexion, earring—he is Xing Chao.
The tall, upright young man walked slowly to Qingran, his deep, narrow eyes slightly red, and raised his right hand.
"My brother has a gift for you, I don't know if you would like to accept it."
As she spoke, she opened the small jewelry box in her palm.
Inside was a low-key yet luxurious ring that looked incredibly valuable.
"And the other one?"
"At my brother's place."
"It looks pretty good," Qingran said.
He gazed at the handsome young man before him, noticing his sharp eyebrows, high nose, and thin lips.
He is profound and strong, unlike his brother who is gentle and mild-mannered.
He took off the plain ring from his hand, smiled, and extended his left hand, saying softly, "Put it on for me, Changqing."
A note from the author:
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Thanks for the lightning strike, thanks for the watering, chirp!
NoFrog threw a landmine
No nickname yet. Threw 1 grenade.
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