Chapter 122 is what I owe him.
Is there anything you want...?
Suddenly asked this question, Li Xiao didn't know how to answer for a moment, especially since it was Yu Qingzhou who spoke.
What if I accidentally say the wrong thing? Wouldn't I get beaten up again?
Li Xiao thought to himself naturally, completely unaware that he seemed to have developed a strange sense of self-awareness.
"Didn't expect that?" Yu Qingzhou asked again.
Li Xiao had no idea; he wanted far too much.
He simply didn't dare to say it.
"If you can't think of anything, then forget it."
What Yu Qingzhou originally wanted to express was that it's the same whether you think about it now or later.
Hearing that the young man seemed to be retracting his previous statement, Li Xiao suddenly became anxious.
"No, you don't even have this much sincerity—oh dear!"
He spoke in a hurry, and having already leaned halfway out, he lost his balance and fell off the bed with a thud.
Upon seeing this, Yu Qingzhou subconsciously took two steps forward, but before he could even squat down...
Li Xiao grabbed Yu Qingzhou's clothes first and pulled himself up a bit.
So when Yu Qingzhou bent down, she saw the boy lying at her feet, one hand covering his head, the other holding up a corner of his robe, looking up at her.
Beneath his slightly disheveled, light gray hair was a pale face flushed with pain from the unexpected injury. The boy frowned, his emerald green eyes glistening with a hint of moisture.
Well... he just looks like he's easy to bully.
Yu Qingzhou didn't speak, but the involuntary movement of his Adam's apple betrayed some of his thoughts.
Realizing something was wrong with her, Yu Qingzhou suddenly came to her senses and took a step back as if she had been startled.
This retreat had a significant impact, as Li Xiao was still holding onto the young man's clothes.
Caught off guard, he lunged forward, prostrating himself headfirst in a deep bow.
"..."
"..."
A moment of silence fell over the room.
Yu Qingzhou didn't know what to say, while Li Xiao was completely stunned by the fall and in so much pain that he didn't know where to begin.
As luck would have it, just then, the door creaked open from the outside, and a cheerful voice drifted into the ears of the two people inside.
—It is Master Chang.
Uncle Chang held something high in his hand as if showing off, his smile so wide that his eyes disappeared from his grin, so much so that he didn't see the scene inside the room at first, but just kept chuckling happily.
"Oh dear, look what I've brought! This is... but..."
However, Master Chang hesitated for a long time, unable to utter what he originally wanted to say. Judging from his expression, he was clearly wondering if he was hallucinating.
Just as Master Chang was questioning the meaning of life, Yu Qingzhou reached out and pulled the boy, whose forehead and nose were red from hitting the ground, up.
Glancing at the empty desk, he quickly explained, "He was just trying to get a drink of water."
A simple sentence, requiring no further explanation. But Yu Qingzhou knew that this was enough for Master Chang to connect the dots and deduce the cause and effect.
Sure enough, Master Chang slapped his forehead and suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. I hadn't thought it through. Wait here, I'll be back soon."
Master Chang spoke to Li Xiao with a kind expression, then turned to Yu Qingzhou, his smile revealing a hint of shame and gratitude.
"Originally, the fact that you were able to bring this child back, allowing me to see Ah Zhao's only bloodline in this world before I die, was already an unexpected joy for me. I just never expected that such a thing would happen in the meantime..."
He paused, then continued, "My senior brother, the sect leader, may have already mentioned this, but I'd like to add that I'll be relying on you for this child's care from now on. If there's anything I can do to help you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask..."
His words were spoken with utmost sincerity, and Yu Qingzhou looked at her Senior Uncle Chang before her.
In his memory, the other person had always been kind and gentle, but never before had he seemed more like an ordinary old man who was always thinking of the younger generation.
All of this was for the woman named A Zhao, whom Uncle Chang mentioned, who was also Li Xiao's mother.
It is said that deep affection is short-lived.
However, this doesn't seem to apply to Master Chang.
Whether it's his unwavering remembrance over the past two decades or his care for Li Xiao's mother out of love for her, it all demonstrates that his love for Li Xiao's mother is not only profound but also enduring.
Although, in reality, Li Xiao does not actually look like his mother.
Yu Qingzhou once inadvertently saw a portrait of a woman on his senior uncle Chang's desk.
If one had to point out a similarity, the mother and son actually share more similarities in the expression between their eyes and brows, but only from a specific angle.
In other words, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Li Xiao should resemble his biological father more.
Li Xiao's biological father was naturally Chang Shibo's former rival in love.
A genuine demon.
What exactly happened back then that would make a renowned female cultivator give up her promising future to become entangled with a demon is now impossible to verify.
But Master Chang's concern for Li Xiao was genuine.
Yu Qingzhou asked himself honestly, what if the same thing happened to him and his senior sister...?
He thought that he might not immediately draw his sword against that child who had the blood of both his lover and his rival flowing through his veins.
However, considering that the other party might even have a face that looks very similar to her love rival, Yu Qingzhou would at least keep her distance and prefer peace and quiet.
Yu Qingzhou felt that she could never do what Master Chang did, who was so forgiving and forgiving.
He is not a magnanimous person.
Many things are left unsaid and uncomplained, not because we truly don't care, but because we're genuinely afraid of the trouble.
However, some troubles cannot be easily avoided just because you want to.
For example, this one right now...
"Hey, how much longer are you two going to whisper amongst yourselves?"
Li Xiao interrupted Master Chang's rambling with some impatience.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Chang smiled and responded, then turned and went to the outer room.
Before leaving, he patted Yu Qingzhou's shoulder gently to express his expectations.
“I can tell that the child is very close to his junior apprentice. Children like to imitate others. With his junior apprentice being such a role model, Xiao will surely not go wrong if he follows you.”
Master Chang spoke with certainty.
Yu Qingzhou inexplicably felt a slight heaviness on her shoulders, as if an invisible burden was pressing down on her.
"Yu Qingzhou, Yu Qingzhou—"
Until Li Xiao's calls, like calling out to a soul, rang out one after another.
"What's wrong now?" Yu Qingzhou walked over.
Seeing Li Xiao staring at her with that bright, single eye, still looking carefree and relaxed, she suddenly felt like sighing.
"Yu Qingzhou, what exactly did that old man whisper to you? You seem unhappy."
"No," Yu Qingzhou denied outright.
"You're lying again. You're clearly unhappy. I heard it all just now. That fat old man said you should take care of me from now on, so... so you're unhappy, right?" Li Xiao asked, seemingly very concerned.
Yu Qingzhou looked at him with amusement: "Since you've already heard it, why are you still asking?"
He paused, then added, "Besides, what difference does it make whether I'm happy or unhappy about something that's already been decided?"
Yu Qingzhou was not lying; he was stating the facts. Although he disliked trouble, he always managed to complete any task assigned by his superiors excellently.
Mood is mood, and task is task; they are two unrelated things and should not affect each other.
The next moment, the boy blurted out without thinking, "But I don't want to see you unhappy!"
Yu Qingzhou was taken aback upon hearing this.
The look in her eyes turned to surprise as she looked at Li Xiao, seemingly completely unprepared to hear such a statement.
When the young man looked at him like that, Li Xiao realized that he might have said something terrible, so he stammered and tried to make amends.
"If you keep looking at an unhappy face, even the best mood will be affected. What I meant just now was... I simply didn't want to be influenced by someone's mood. You, you shouldn't overthink it."
"Yes, I won't overthink it," Yu Qingzhou answered readily.
"..."
--strangeness.
Even though it was Li Xiao who brought it up first, hearing the other party agree so easily made him feel like he was being brushed off.
I don't know if it's because I've been beaten up so much before, but I'm not used to meeting such an easy-going young man.
Yu Qingzhou noticed Li Xiao's inner conflict.
If before he might have been puzzled by the boy's occasional eccentricities, now he was simply at peace with it.
It's like someone being grabbed by the hand and pulled in the opposite direction at the same time.
The only difference is that what's pulling Li Xiao isn't two hands, but two different thoughts.
The desire to get closer and befriend someone, succumbing to the constraints of bloodline, clashes with the rebellious instinct that springs from the depths of the soul. In these clashes, the former ultimately prevails.
Thus, the Li Xiao that Yu Qingzhou knew came into being.
The boy who liked him, was close to him, and even dared to compete with the infamous Shen Yingxue for his affections...
The boy who gazed at him so intently, his eyes full of expectation...
It never really existed.
It's like seeing the moon reflected in the water, seemingly within reach, but if you actually reach out to scoop it up, all you'll get is a blur of fragmented phosphorescence.
When I finally looked up at the sky, exhausted, I realized that the moon had always been far, far away, silently and coldly observing this doomed, futile joy.
Before Li Xiao came to the sect, everyone thought that Shen Yingxue and Yu Qingzhou were a perfect match, and that they would be together sooner or later.
Even after Li Xiao arrived, this consensus remained unshaken.
However, the story now includes a foolish and wicked third party who overestimates himself and relentlessly follows Senior Brother Yu around, attempting to ruin this blessed marriage.
Furthermore, some disciples repeatedly stated that it wasn't just this mysterious young man who was inherently wicked—
"I heard that his father stole Master Chang's sweetheart back then, which is why this little bastard was born. What's that saying again? Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and rats' sons know how to dig holes. This little bastard is following in his father's footsteps."
"Really?"
"How could it be fake? Otherwise, why would my senior uncle protect that guy so much? It's only because my senior uncle is a compassionate healer. If it were according to my opinion—"
"If things were to go according to your wishes, what would be the outcome?"
"Of course it's—Senior Brother?!"
The disciple who was caught red-handed gossiping behind his back saw that it was Yu Qingzhou himself and was so frightened that he almost bit his tongue. He quickly lowered his head with a trembling voice, and there was no trace of his previous smugness.
The other disciples present also fell silent.
Yu Qingzhou scanned the seemingly innocent faces and asked in a measured tone, "You've all been here for a while now. Can anyone tell me what should be done about gathering in private to gossip about fellow disciples?"
The people below looked at each other in bewilderment.
In the end, the disciple who had spoken so eloquently was pushed forward. He stammered as he recited the sect rules, but he got stuck after only a few sentences. He was so anxious that he scratched his head and felt extremely uncomfortable.
After a long pause, he managed to stammer out, "I...I know I was wrong, senior brother."
"Once is never enough; this matter must not be mentioned again."
Yu Qingzhou didn't waste any more words and waved them off to the Discipline Hall to receive their punishment.
The disciples had only ever seen Yu Qingzhou as gentle and patient in his daily life. They never expected that this good-tempered senior brother could be so stern, unlike that of Senior Sister Shen.
Although he was resentful, he still obediently went to accept the punishment.
Yu Qingzhou watched the group of people jogging away, as if some ferocious beast was behind them.
He couldn't help but shake his head, but then he suddenly heard a child's clear voice.
"Does that big idiot know that I'm secretly standing up for Li Xiao like this?"
Yu Qingzhou turned her head and saw Chang Li's chubby face, his round black eyes smiling at her with a cunning and innocence that seemed to belong to either a child or a young animal.
"Spreading rumors and maliciously slandering others is not the behavior expected of a disciple of our sect. Making them understand this sooner rather than later is not only for their own good, but also for the sake of maintaining a clean and upright atmosphere within the sect."
Yu Qingzhou answered clearly, word by word, as if her actions were entirely for the sake of the overall situation, without the slightest selfishness involved.
Upon hearing this, Chang Li pouted and said, "Brother knows perfectly well that Ah Li gets dizzy just hearing about all these rules and regulations."
He paused for a moment, then chuckled again, "Brother, you've gone to such lengths and said so much, yet you haven't mentioned that big idiot once. It's only making things more suspicious. It's like..."
At this point, he deliberately kept everyone in suspense.
Yu Qingzhou was familiar with the other person's character and knew that this person was waiting for her, so she simply followed up with more questions.
"Like what?"
"It's like they feel guilty but are afraid to admit it."
Before Yu Qingzhou could respond, Chang Li laughed first: "Hahaha, but how could that be? You never owe that idiot anything. It's Li Xiao who always gets into a lot of trouble, and in the end, it all falls on your brother's shoulders."
After Chang Li finished speaking indignantly, he gave Yu Qingzhou a sweet smile: "None of you are like Ah Li, who only knows how to care for your brother."
"Okay, thank you." Yu Qingzhou bent down and patted the child's head.
The latter immediately squinted his eyes as if he were satisfied, his face flushed and looked like a red apple.
"However... this is my duty anyway, so Ali shouldn't worry about it."
Upon hearing this, Chang Li immediately opened his eyes, his wet gaze fixed on Yu Qingzhou, filled with sadness and confusion, as if asking why...
Why did Yu Qingzhou have to clean up the mess left by such a troublesome person as Li Xiao?
Why does my brother seem closer to that slow-witted and arrogant guy than to me, who is so well-behaved and sensible?
……Why?
Even Yu Qingzhou herself didn't know, perhaps it was just as Chang Li said—
"I owe him."
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