Chapter 123 The distance to the opponent's heart was only an inch or so.
Upon hearing this, even Chang Li couldn't help but stop smiling.
"Brother, do you really think so?" he asked cautiously, with a hesitant expression.
Yu Qingzhou nodded, then gave Chang Li a forced, relaxed smile.
"Actually, it's not just because of Li Xiao himself. I grew up here. If it weren't for my master and senior sister, I would have died in the wilderness when I was still an infant. Over the years, it is thanks to the nurturing of my sect that I have become who I am today."
As Yu Qingzhou spoke, she paused slightly, gazing blankly into the distance.
"Whether it's the kindness of being taken in or the kindness of being raised, it cannot be summed up with a simple expression of gratitude. Although I am not as talented as my senior sister, I still want to do my part for the sect. If one day the sect needs me, I am willing to give my life for it, which would be a good use of my talents."
"..."
"Of course, it's best to avoid such a thing from happening if possible."
Yu Qingzhou spoke calmly, then looked away, glancing apologetically at the child with a complicated expression.
"I'm sorry, I said something strange and made Ali worry."
After saying that, the young man reached out and patted Chang Li's head again, but this time, the child was not as happy as before.
The child pursed his lips, looking conflicted, and after a long while, finally managed to utter, "In that case, what about yourself?"
"Myself?" Yu Qingzhou asked, puzzled.
"yes."
Chang Li nodded hurriedly: "Brother is always like this. He always talks about the sect, Master and Senior Sister. It's not that it's bad. But if... if one day Brother no longer needs to think about these things and just lives for himself, then will Brother have anything else he wants to do?"
Li Xiao later asked Yu Qingzhou a similar question once more in the woods.
—Is there no one or anything that he dreams of, tries every means, and is willing to pay any price to fight for and seize, and must hold in his hands?
How did Yu Qingzhou respond later?
Oh, right...
He said he didn't.
In the dim, golden twilight of that day, Yu Qingzhou looked at Li Xiao and said that he didn't have that kind of thing, nor did he have that kind of person.
Upon hearing this, Li Xiao was first taken aback, then revealed an incredulous expression.
The evening breeze gently rustled through the woods, creating a soft, whispering sound like the turbulent thoughts of a young person.
Li Xiao opened his mouth to speak, then paused before asking, "Then... what about Shen Yingxue? Could it be that even your Senior Sister Yingxue isn't enough?"
Yu Qingzhou understood the boy's unspoken message.
In Li Xiao's mind, if even Shen Yingxue didn't count for anything, then he obviously had no chance.
However, the boy's pride wouldn't allow him to be rejected to his face, so he used Shen Yingxue's name as a shield.
Yu Qingzhou naturally saw through what the other party was thinking.
That's why he nodded so readily.
“I respect my senior sister’s choice. If she never brings it up herself, I will assume that she doesn’t actually have those thoughts. So, as her junior brother, watching her from afar is not a bad thing for me.”
He was clearly talking about things between himself and Shen Yingxue.
Li Xiao felt that Yu Qingzhou's words were actually directed at him.
—If Shen Yingxue doesn't speak for a day, Yu Qingzhou will continue to wait as her junior brother until the end of his life.
Leaving absolutely no room for maneuver—what's the difference between that and sentencing yourself to death?
After hearing all this, Li Xiao felt a tightness in her chest.
It was as if the heavy twilight had pressed down on his chest, making him feel suffocated and tight.
His hand was still injured, and one arm draped limply over Yu Qingzhou's body.
It was only an inch or so away from the other person's heart.
Even though we're so close, even though our hair is intertwined, why do we feel so far away...?
An inexplicable anger rose within me.
Li Xiaozhen wished she could jump off Yu Qingzhou's back.
However, as this thought flashed through my mind, a strong sense of reluctance surged up and overwhelmed my original indignation.
--Yes.
How can we let go so easily?
She had finally gotten this opportunity to have Yu Qingzhou carry her on his back.
Heaven knows, the boy never intended to save those few steps; he just wanted an excuse to get closer to Yu Qingzhou.
Li Xiao knew that Yu Qingzhou's care for him was not of her own volition.
He overheard some of it when Yu Qingzhou was standing there whispering with the fat old man that day.
The longer they spent together, the more certain Li Xiao became that Yu Qingzhou had only reluctantly agreed to the job because of the fat old man.
Whether it's a lukewarm, perfunctory attitude or an intentional or unintentional distancing in words.
While every issue seems to elicit a response, they all exude a purely businesslike tone.
— Li Xiao vaguely sensed that Yu Qingzhou seemed to have changed.
Although the exact time is uncertain, I just feel that the young man's attitude towards me is different.
"No, Li Xiao, are you delusional?" This was Chang Li's first reaction after hearing Li Xiao's rant.
"Don't you feel anything at all?" Li Xiao asked, puzzled.
Upon hearing this, Chang Li rolled his eyes so hard they almost reached the sky: "How would I know? I don't know what happened between you two before?"
If Li Xiao hadn't brought it up, it would have been fine, but the mere mention of Chang Li reminded him of that sugar cake that had mysteriously disappeared on the road.
Damn it, this was something my brother bought for me, but it ended up in this guy's stomach. And to make matters worse, he comes up to me, ungrateful for my good fortune, and spouts baseless rumors.
Sometimes, Chang Li couldn't help but suspect that the other party was deliberately showing off and disgusting him.
If it weren't for repaying the kindness of Li Xiao's mother in guiding him to cultivate and transform into a human form, Chang Li would have been too lazy to pay attention to this whiny brat.
Of course, Chang Li would never admit that he, a child who didn't need to go to school, was actually quite bored on a daily basis.
On the other hand, with a mother as heroic and intelligent as Ah Zhao, how could this kid be so refreshingly stupid? I wonder what kind of person his father must be, and how he could possibly win Ah Zhao's favor.
Chang Li reasonably guessed that it could only be because of that face.
Although I don't think she's the kind of superficial woman.
But since A-Zhao is already excellent in other aspects, it is understandable that she would lower her standards for choosing a partner.
—After all, everyone has flaws.
Just like Chang Li's favorite older brother, he's good at almost everything, but his judgment of people is a little lacking.
Shen Yingxue is one thing.
After all, there's no comparison.
Compared to Li Xiao, Chang Li felt that she was as cute as could be, both sensible and tactful, without any disfigurement, and without being shameless.
Compared to Li Xiao, that unreasonable and foolish idiot, he was many times better. Even so, the older brother still focused more attention on the former.
Privately, they help deal with those petty bullying incidents among the children.
And they kept saying they owed that guy something... It's utterly absurd and incomprehensible!
"Meow~"
Chang Li was still secretly grumbling when a sudden meow made him freeze in place.
He instinctively looked towards the source of the sound and saw a white shadow flash by. Then everything went black and something furry clung to his face.
He was so overwhelmed that he fell backward uncontrollably.
With a thud, Chang Li stumbled backward and fell hard on his butt, followed by his head—which also made intimate contact with the ground due to its weight and inertia.
As he collapsed completely, the furry thing on his head also gently fell to the ground.
In the azure light of the sky, Chang Li could only see a soft white tail sweeping back and forth in front of him, sending up countless white downy hairs even finer than willow catkins.
—Is it cat hair?!
I actually got pounced on by a cat...
Before Chang Li could escape from this infuriating predicament, something wet and soft began to fall intermittently on his face, cool and with a slightly rough texture.
—Cat, cat! A cat is licking his face with its tongue?!
Chang Li's mind was roaring, but his limbs were paralyzed and he couldn't move at all.
He stiffly turned his head, trying to send a distress signal to the boy who was standing by with his arms crossed, watching indifferently.
Unfortunately, Li Xiao is completely clueless about social etiquette.
"Huh? What's with that expression? Come on, it's just a cat, not a tiger. If you get up, it won't be able to lick you anymore, and it won't bite. Why are you trembling like that?"
Chang Li was indeed trembling, partly from nervousness and partly from anger. He sneered inwardly: Just you wait, Li Xiao, you've lost me as a friend today.
However, Changli was not besieged for long.
Yes, being surrounded, at least that's what Changli thinks. As a fish, what could be more terrifying than being surrounded by cats?
What's more, that cat even licked his face! Waaaaaah, Mother I've never met, Ah Li, I'm not clean anymore, waaaaah...
Just as he was in despair and heartbreak, a clear female voice, like celestial music, entered his ears.
The familiar calls of "tangyuan" (sweet rice balls) echoed through the air.
"Found you! You're here, little one. I've been looking for you for ages."
Zhenzhu picked up the little white kitten, only to realize that there was another one lying on the ground.
"Hey, isn't this little Ali? Was he scared? I don't know why Tangyuan has become more and more naughty lately. I'm really sorry, I'll apologize on his behalf. I hope you won't take it to heart."
As she spoke, the girl reached out her free hand, trying to pull Chang Li up from the ground.
But it was suddenly slapped away.
The child slowly got up from the ground, glared at Zhuzhu and the cat in Zhuzhu's arms, and then said with disdain, "Cats stink, stay away from me."
Then, raising his chin, he gave a haughty snort: "If admitting mistakes were enough, what would be the point of the Discipline Hall? And you, little girl..."
Suddenly called out by name, Zhuzhu couldn't help but be taken aback, looking somewhat at a loss.
Chang Li squinted at her, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt: "When you took in this little thing, what did you promise your brother? Now you think you can just pretend nothing happened with a flimsy apology? Too late."
"Then... then what do you suggest?" Zhuzhu asked hesitantly.
Although she is now a formal disciple.
But compared to Chang Li, who was born and raised in the water, he was still far inferior.
If you really offend the other party, it might not be easy to get out of this situation.
"how?"
Chang Li sneered: "Then naturally we must—"
Before he could finish speaking, he was hit on the forehead with a crisp thud.
It was Li Xiao, the boy with his arms crossed, looking on with disapproval: "You brat, that's enough."
Chang Li was furious, but unfortunately, he looked like a child, and when he jumped, he could only hit the other person's knee.
This move isn't very damaging, but it's extremely humiliating.
Chang Li gave up, then said angrily, "Li Xiao, you big idiot who's siding with outsiders! What right do you have to hit me?!"
"Whatever I want."
Li Xiao said lazily, "What's wrong with you? It's not a big deal, and they've already apologized. Aren't you ashamed to bully a little girl like this?"
In Li Xiao's opinion, it was really outrageous for Chang Li, a spirit who had lived for a hundred and eighty years, to make things difficult for a human girl who was not even eighteen years old.
It's not that he has a strong sense of justice.
I just felt that if it were Yu Qingzhou, she definitely wouldn't sit idly by.
If we leave it alone now and the girl is really bullied badly, and if we investigate and it gets back to Yu Qingzhou, I'm afraid I'll be in big trouble too.
So ultimately, Li Xiao did this for his own sake.
But Zhuzhu seems to have misunderstood.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Li."
Li Xiao was surprised to see the girl who suddenly ran up to him and thanked him with a smile.
He couldn't help but raise one eyebrow: "What are you thanking me for? It's not like it's for you. I just don't like that brat."
Having said that, he turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, the girl was indeed exceptionally agile, and she blocked Li Xiao's path again.
Li Xiao was getting impatient. Taking advantage of his height, he looked down at the other person with a rather imposing air: "Is there anything else?"
"But……"
Faced with Li Xiao's somewhat unfriendly gaze, Zhu Zhu couldn't help but pause for a moment.
Perhaps because she had seen so many of his obedient demeanor in front of Yu Qingzhou, she was somewhat taken aback when she first saw this aloof young man.
Nevertheless, Zhuzhu mustered her courage and blurted out all the words that were already on the tip of her tongue.
"But what Senior Brother Li said really helped me!"
The girl's courageous speech left Li Xiao bewildered.
"So?" he asked.
Zhuzhu let out a soft "Ah!" and her cheeks flushed slightly.
The kitten in his arms also raised its head again. Its pair of eerie green eyes darted back and forth between the boy and girl before lazily lying back down, as if the previous prank had exhausted all its energy.
Seeing the girl standing there helplessly, Li Xiao scoffed.
"boring."
As he spoke, he turned and walked away without waiting for the other person's reaction.
Li Xiao thought the matter was finally over.
The next day, I ran into Zhuzhu at the place where I was attending class, but I pretended not to see her and sat down in my seat.
As arranged by the higher-ups, Li Xiao's seat was placed in the middle of the class, near the front. Since no classmates wanted to sit next to him, a natural barrier was formed around his seat.
When most people walk into the classroom, the first thing they see is Li Xiao and his messy desk.
It is undeniably conspicuous.
Today, this conspicuousness is greatly amplified by the approach of a single person.
"Excuse me, may I sit here?"
Li Xiao was lying on one of the few empty spaces on the table, trying to fall asleep.
Just as I was dozing off, I heard someone ask that question, and without looking up, I grunted an "Mmm." Then I buried my head even deeper into my elbows.
When he woke up from a nap, he yawned and got up from his desk, only to find that get out of class was over.
But it doesn't matter, he was just here to coast along anyway.
"You're awake, Senior Brother Li." A voice suddenly rang out from not far away.
Li Xiao was stunned. This form of address, this tone, was clearly—
Turning my head, I saw Zhuzhu smiling.
"You... how did you get here?" Li Xiao blinked, somewhat incredulous.
"Of course I'm here for class just like my senior," Zhuzhu replied with a smile.
"No." Li Xiao scratched his hair, somewhat impatiently, "I mean, why are you sitting next to me..."
From the moment Zhuzhu sat down next to Li Xiao, many disciples had already begun to pay attention to this area.
Now everyone was whispering amongst themselves, pretending to glance over casually, secretly pricking up their ears to listen carefully.
Everyone was curious about the connection between the two.
Especially some male disciples who have a strong liking for young girls.
Always be ready to step in and save the girl from this despicable, arrogant, and bad-tempered half-demon, staging a hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress drama, and maybe she'll fall for you.
But after waiting and waiting, the two of them never had a fight.
Instead, the girl said, "After we parted yesterday, I thought about it for a long time, and I still want to be friends with Senior Brother Li."
Yesterday? These two met yesterday?
This statement undoubtedly caused a slight commotion among the crowd.
Good heavens! Such a lovely girl took the initiative to befriend me; how enviable is that!
A group of people were so jealous that their jaws were practically aching from biting so hard.
Unexpectedly, when she turned around, she heard Li Xiao casually say, "No need."
After saying that, he lay down on the pile of books like a limp rag, ignoring Zhuzhu beside him.
To outsiders, this would be seen as utterly ungrateful, but what others think is none of Li Xiao's business.
Zhu Zhu's eyes flickered.
Perhaps because of the experience from the previous day, I was mentally prepared and adjusted my mood in an instant.
"It's okay. Just because I don't need it now doesn't mean I won't need it in the future," the girl murmured to herself, trying to cheer herself up.
Then he tiptoed over and silently tidied up for the other person.
Li Xiao slept from noon until evening.
Two different lecturers were replaced during the class, but they seemed to have gotten used to Li Xiao sleeping soundly in class.
When Li Xiao opened her eyes again, everyone in the room had left.
Another day has passed.
He muttered to himself, stretched lazily, and only when he was about to get up did he realize that something was wrong.
Looking around, I found that the problem was on his desk. The textbooks that used to be piled up everywhere were now neatly organized and categorized.
Seeing such an orderly desktop for the first time, Li Xiao was still a little unaccustomed to it.
While he was still in a daze, a voice rang out from the doorway. He turned his head and saw that it was Zhuzhu again.
"Senior Brother Li, you're finally awake." The girl leaned against the door frame with a slight smile, holding a delicate food box in her hand.
"How could you..."
"I went out for a meal and came back. I stopped by on my way and stopped by to take a look. I didn't expect to see you, senior brother."
Zhuzhu stepped across the threshold with a smile, walked to the table, and gently put down the food box in her hand.
"Perfect timing! I took some pastries to eat back home. Senior Brother Yu told me you like sweets. Do you see if there's anything you'd like here?"
Perhaps it's because I slept too much, my head is still a little foggy.
Li Xiao did not immediately refuse. He watched as the girl excitedly and carefully opened the food box. A sweet aroma wafted out, and he saw several kinds of pastries inside, neatly arranged, like the books on the table that had been tidied up and rearranged.
At the same time, a soft, appropriate sound came from my abdomen.
What to do... He really seems hungry.
Li Xiao has never been one to compromise himself in the face of instinct.
But at this moment, a doubt arose in my heart.
Why was the girl in front of him being so attentive to him? Was it just because of a casual remark he made?
—Or is this actually a scam, and the other party is in league with those bastards who have always been against him, waiting for an opportunity to strike him?
"Eat up, it'll be fine."
As if sensing Li Xiao's doubts, Zhu Zhu took a piece of pastry and put it in her mouth to chew. She ate very politely and with great relish.
Seeing this, Li Xiao couldn't help but swallow. He was indeed hungry, and this had whetted his appetite again. After a token internal struggle, he reached out and took a piece of white sugar cake.
Compared to the other more delicate desserts, this white sugar cake seemed rather plain.
Zhuzhu watched from the side, muttering to herself, "So Senior Brother Li likes to eat this."
It seems he made a mental note of it.
Zhu Zhu was actually wrong, but Li Xiao was too lazy to correct her.
He made this choice simply because this white sugar cake was very similar to the one Yu Qingzhou had given him for the first time.
Li Xiao felt a pang of nostalgia for those days, when at least she could see Yu Qingzhou whenever she opened or closed her eyes, unlike now…
—If only Yu Qingzhou had been the one to bring me the snacks.
He sighed silently to himself. The sweetness spread in his mouth. The taste seemed almost right, but he always felt that something was missing.
—What is it?
That's right, it's the scent of Yu Qingzhou.
Perhaps it was because of some premonition, but Li Xiao actually seemed to smell a faint fragrance in the air.
Then the smell disappeared.
"What's wrong? Don't you like this sugar cake?" Zhuzhu asked, seemingly puzzled by the boy's sudden daze.
Li Xiao shook his head and swallowed all the sugar cake in his mouth. To be honest, it was alright.
Zhuzhu, however, looked happy as if she had been praised.
"Then let's try this one, I personally think it's pretty good," she said excitedly.
Seeing that Li Xiao had actually picked up the pastry she had recommended, her pretty almond-shaped eyes immediately lit up.
It was dusk again, and the setting sun slanted across the lattice window of the study, illuminating two young men and women sitting opposite each other in the spacious room.
One person was quietly eating the snacks from the box with their head down, while the other was watching with a smile, resting their chin on their hand.
They are all at the prime of their lives, with faces as beautiful as flowers.
Such a picturesque scene should have brought a smile to one's face.
What fell into Yu Qingzhou's eyes outside the house at that moment seemed like a crisp slap in her ear.
Because he realized once again with absolute clarity that if it weren't for that restrictive curse, if it weren't for that almost pathological, compulsive attachment, then Li Xiao wouldn't need to rely on him; he could gradually get back on track.
To truly return to the life that teenagers of this age should have.
And I was the one who was hindering everything...
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