After Xue Zong returned, Yun Cuo came as promised, and the other teenagers also arrived along with him.
This time, it was much more formal than the previous time—the head of the Xue family and the young master were both present, but compared to the last time when they had nothing to say with Mrs. Liu and Xue He, these youngsters preferred to deal with Xue Huai.
Xue He didn’t even dare to interrupt because Xue Huai was here. Mrs. Liu looked anxious, but she still followed along with a smile on her face to show hospitality.
The youngsters showed some respect to her. Seeing that Xue Huai didn’t inquire about the matter, they didn’t ask about the apology letters either. However, their attitudes were already somewhat contemptuous when they talked to Xue He again.
The most quiet one is Yun Cuo. He basically doesn’t participate in the youngsters’ conversations, nor does he follow them to the Xue family’s garden to enjoy the winter scenery. Instead, he has been talking to Xue Zong about business.
Originally, Xue Huai was entertaining the guests, but midway through, he was grabbed by Xue Zong to listen together.
Yun Cuo actually wants to have long-term cooperation with them. He has already listed the preliminary materials and weapons needed. Xue Zong carefully went through it and discussed it with him. Xue Huai had not been in the Shenhua Terrace long enough to have a clear idea of his own family property yet, so he just sat quietly by the side.
Yun Cuo has always been an ambitious person. That year, when he rose up to clear the way for his own succession, many people said that the power built up behind him could rival the entire Heavenly Court, but Xue Huai knew that it was far more than that.
This person that he’s following, whether he wants to become the Lord of Xianzhou or the Lord of the Heavenly Court, he can do it with no problem, it depends on whether he wants to do it or not.
Half an hour later, both sides reached an agreement.
Yun Cuo said, “I hope you can keep this matter a secret. From now on, I’ll be indebted to you both for your care.”
Xue Zong laughed so hard that his eyes couldn’t be seen anymore. He pulled Xue Huai over and vigorously patted his shoulder, introducing him to Yun Cuo. “We will surely keep it a secret. We have our own rules. From now on, my son will also be indebted to the Young Immortal Lord’s care! With him here, I can retire early and enjoy a happy life. Henceforth, it will still be your youngsters’ world. Let’s establish a good relationship as soon as possible, so we can all take care of each other!”
Yun Cuo calmly said, “That’s natural.”
Xue Huai politely smiled, then stood up and went to offer tea to Yun Cuo because of his father’s desperate signal.
After pouring seven parts of the tea, the dark-green tea makes the tea pourer’s hand become thinner and whiter. When he reached out to take it over, his fingertips came into contact with the hand, and the hand seemed to pause for a moment, but it seemed like it didn’t as well.
Yun Cuo said, “Young Master Xue is young and promising, and the future of the Nine Continents is unpredictable. The Xue family is backed by the Fuli Palace. You guys have been doing business up to the highest point in the sky, down to the underworld. I believe your ambitions aren’t small. I came here today to ask for your opinions. Within a hundred years, are you guys willing to stand by my side?”
Xue Huai said, “Actually, we also don’t——” But before he could finish, he was interrupted by his father.
Xue Zong praised and said, “Indeed! Our Xue family’s business has only reached the southern three Immortal Continents for the time being, and there are still six more Immortal Continents that we have not yet set foot in. The Young Immortal Lord is young and ambitious, and now you have become our big customer. If there are any difficulties in the future, I and our Xue family will definitely do our best to help. As for a hundred years, within a hundred years, it will definitely be Xiao Huai who will be in charge.”
Give it your all “to help out,” and then throw the pot over Xue Huai’s head again. Xue Huai breathed a sigh of relief. His father is still accustomed to playing Tai Chi1playing Tai Chi here refers to pushing things back and forth, not expressing one’s position clearly, or being vague and not telling the truth.and is never willing to stand in a clear line.
Yun Cuo saw through what Xue Zong meant and still insisted, “I am honored that you are willing to help me like this. A hundred-year contract is too long, and what I think is that our two families should make an alliance. Now, why not——”
Xue Zong reached out to touch Xue Huai’s head and said, “Why don’t you two children become sworn brothers now?”
Xue Huai：“……”
Yun Cuo：“……”
They looked at each other once and then turned to look at Xue Zong.
Xue Zong looked left and right, then enthusiastically pointed to them and said, “This is great! There is a Shenmu shrine outside. Let’s go, I’ll go and fetch the Phoenix’s blood, the Nine Colored Deer, and the Nine Shades Candle for you guys!”
Xue Huai said, “This is still not…”
Before he could react to what was going on, Xue Zong angrily said to him through a secret technique, “Just be a sworn brother with him! I think this guy’s got some bad intentions, he wants to hit on you! My dear son, are you stupid? Be brothers or be a Daoist couple, which one do you choose? It’s a delaying strategy, be good ah.”
Xue Huai said, “Father, you may have misunderstood something——”
Yun Cuo calmly said, “Okay.”
He looked up at Xue Huai and asked, “You don’t want to become sworn brothers with me?”
Yun Cuo’s eyes had a hint of seriousness. He lowered his voice and said, “A few days ago, you promised me that you wouldn’t hide from me anymore. Are you still unwilling?”
Xue Huai：“……”
*
It’s not that I’m unwilling, but it’s a bit funny.
It wasn’t until they reached the Shenmu shrine that Xue Huai returned to his senses.
In this rebirth, the plot is a bit too far off. In his previous life, Yun Cuo was his superior boss, and he was his Left Protector. And when they swore a blood oath, he swore to support him, and the two men never called each other brothers.
Now they’re actually…going to be sworn brothers?
This creates a problem: because Yun Cuo was two months younger than him, the future Emperor, who would slaughter in all directions, will have to call Xue Huai big brother.
Xue Huai will have to call Yun Cuo “Laodi”2Laodi is an affectionate form to address a male that’s not very much younger than oneself., and even if he was beaten to death, he still couldn’t say it.
Yun Cuo didn’t resist much and reached out to offer incense in front of the shrine. He wiped his lips with Phoenix’s blood, Nine Colored Deer, and Nine Shades Candle. Looking back at Xue Huai, a familiar smile appeared in his eyes: “Xue Huai Ge.”
“……”
Xue Huai couldn’t do it, so he had to imitate him and apply the blood of the divine beast to his lips. And then the two of them clinked glasses and each tilted their heads back to drink a cup of peach wine. The liquor washed away the strong taste of blood on his lips. The deep red color fizzes out and shows a bright and sparkling color when touching the lips.
Yun Cuo pursed his lips and looked at his unconscious appearance after drinking. He reached out——he only hesitated for a moment, then helped him wipe it off.
It is both warm and soft. The winter chill was disrupted by the breathing, leaving behind a slightly cooler moisture that is barely seen.
Xue Huai hesitated for a moment, the touch of those fingers still lingering on his lips and hasn’t yet dissipated. But Yun Cuo had already shifted his gaze.
The lanterns hanging in front of the Shenmu shrine were swaying in the wind, and the two people threw the written notes with their names on them into the fire pit. Watching them burn completely in the rising flames is considered the completion part of the ritual.
After becoming sworn brothers, the two of them had nothing to say. During the dinner, Xue Zong happily announced this matter, the others had left a seat empty for Xue Huai, asking him to sit next to Yun Cuo and then take turns toasting with the two of them.
Xue Huai’s eyes lit up as he drank. Half an hour later, Yun Cuo suddenly reached out and pressed down on his wrist.
The porcelain cup fell and rolled on the ground, splashing out dark red liquor. Xue Huai looked over with a pair of bright eyes, so bright that a figure could be seen in that. Really made one’s heart skip a beat.
“Don’t drink anymore.” Yun Cuo whispered.
Xue Huai let out a “Mmm” and really stopped drinking. Instead, he took the food and ate it seriously.
A teenager across from him saw this scene and burst out laughing, then poked Zhu Xing, who was next to him. “Look at Young Master Xue and Young Immortal Lord, they don’t seem to be sworn brothers, but rather like a married Daoist couple.” he said.
“Bullsh*t!”
“Nonsense.”
Zhu Xing and Xue He shouted at the same time. Because of the sudden, loud noise in the banquet, the whole room went quiet for a while. However, since they didn’t know what the reason was, after a moment of silence, they all began to discuss their own things again.
Xue Huai was still eating quietly, using ivory chopsticks to deliver a red cherry into his mouth. The ivory chopsticks touched the silverware and made a clink sound.
Zhu Xing is blushing.
It was Xue He who drew the attention of others. A few teenagers took advantage of Xue Zong, the parent who was having a drinking competition with another person, and secretly asked, “What, does your brother have a condition? Is the Young Immortal Lord not worthy of him?”
Xue He made a momentary slip of the tongue and didn’t know how to make it go back. He looked up at Xue Huai, who didn’t ask about anything and was just obediently eating. He knew that he was probably already 80 percent drunk and couldn’t hear anything at all.
He said, “My brother, my brother, he probably doesn’t like someone like the Young Immortal Lord…”
Yun Cuo’s expression froze, and he lowered his eyes without saying a word.
Zhu Xing blushed and secretly asked, “So what kind of person does he like?”
Xue He just made it up, in any case, the type should be the opposite of Yun Cuo: “He likes gentle people, doesn’t like those who look fierce. He likes those scholarly men and a pretty girl from humble families. As you can see, my brother is very strong. As the saying goes, the so-called king doesn’t see a king, each occupying a side and gently making him have a good appetite.”
Zhu Xing evaluated himself in his heart and felt that he was relatively gentle. So he’s a little hopeful.
Xue He encouraged him, “My brother has many suitors. People come to the door to give gifts everyday, and the gifts are often piled up too much and can’t even fit in anymore, but you are not completely without hope.”
He whispered in his ear, “There’s a secret. My brother actually has a very soft heart. As long as you keep chasing and won’t let go, he might become interested. How can you know if you don’t give it a try?”
*
After the banquet, Xue Huai escorted them out.
Yun Cuo slowly followed behind him and said, “My house is not on the same way. Come to me after you send them off.”
Xue Huai followed him and sat in the carriage. After making a big detour from the Xue family mansion, he finally returned to his own doorstep.
Xue Huai asked him, “Why didn’t you get off the carriage? Did I pass by your house? I don’t remember anymore.”
Yun Cuo looked at him and suddenly asked, “Xue Huai, what kind of person do you like?”
Xue Huai was stunned：“What?”
“What kind of person do you like?”
That’s a strange question, and after thinking for a moment, Xue Huai suddenly smiled and said, “I like good people, someone who genuinely treats me well.”
“It’s not an ordinary liking. If that person wants to be your Daoist couple, what kind of person would you like them to be?” Yun Cuo was very patient.
This time, Xue Huai was stunned even longer.
He’s drunk again today, and when he met Yun Cuo’s deep eyes, he felt dizzy, but he couldn’t avoid it no matter how hard he tried. It’s like going back to that day at the winter lotus pond. Yun Cuo also looked at him like this and called his name, telling him to only think of him.
Xue Huai tried to lift his spirits and thought for a moment, “I don’t know. It is who they should be, I have a fiancé, but I haven’t seen him yet.”
Yun Cuo’s hands stiffened for a moment, then relaxed it and said softly, “Fiancé? Xue Huai, you’ve got to make up a decent reason just to avoid me.”
He relied on his unclear mind and even spoke in a more intimate tone than usual. But Xue Huai himself didn’t notice it, he just rubbed his temples, feeling tired, and thought carefully, “I have, my dad told me.” He said.
He couldn’t distinguish between the present life and the previous life at that moment.
In his previous life, he was engaged before Xue He did. His father took the initiative to tie him to another person, but he didn’t know their name. He only heard his father say that the other party had agreed to a five-year term and a marriage certificate was sent every year, as if it were some kind of insistence announcement.
It’s just, due to Xue Zong’s request, the other party cannot sign their name, and only after they succeed in a career can they be qualified to come to the door and propose marriage in a dignified manner.
His father said, “You young people are impulsive and do things based on your preferences and emotions. But as adults, we need to consider the background, spiritual roots, bloodline, and future. It’s not good to promise you a future when everything is unsettled. Therefore, I can’t let you know who he is yet. If you two kids are really meant for each other, you can sit down and discuss it in five years.”
At that time, he had already left his hometown with Yun Cuo and only came back a few times. His father was mad at him, but he’s also looking forward to his return. He has secretly arranged a marriage for him. Finally, he returned home, slightly angry, and asked him why he had to arrange his life affairs so casually.
When asked, Xue Zong only kept teasing him repeatedly and promising, “I, as a father, won’t play tricks on my beloved son. The Daoist partner that I’ve found for you is probably the best person in heaven and earth. You will probably like him!”
At that time, he thought that the best person in heaven and earth would not surpass Yun Cuo, but he didn’t say it out loud.
He knew that his father had actually missed him and just wanted him to come back and take a look.
Later on, his father fell seriously ill and didn’t wake up. When he came back to visit his sick father, Xue He took out a dark red proposal certificate and told him, “The Immortal Lord proposed to me; unfortunately, father didn’t wake up and couldn’t see it. Brother, will you bless me?”
Thinking of it now, considering his father’s doting on him, the arranged marriage for him would not be worse than Xue He’s. But he didn’t have the opportunity to ask his father who that person was later on. When Xue Zong woke up again, it was already after his death.
This life started too early, and he doesn’t know who he should be with forever in his original life.
He will inherit the Shenhua Terrace in the future, and if necessary, it is not impossible to accept a marriage alliance. In short, in this new life, he no longer has any thoughts about himself, he only wishes his father peace and happiness.
“It is whoever it is.” The incense in the carriage was steaming hot, making him drowsy, even his voice tinged with a slightly hoarse drowsiness. The clear light in his eyes finally dimmed down, and he was about to fall asleep.
When they arrived, Yun Cuo reached out and lightly touched him. “Xue Huai, go back to sleep, it’s cold outside.” he said.
“Mmm.”
He agreed, but still leaned against the side of the carriage with his head slightly tilted and his eyes closed.
Yun Cuo looked at him for a while, then silently took off his coat and wrapped it around him, then carried him off the carriage.
The winter wind was very cold, and Xue Huai, who was lifted up got startled. When he noticed that Yun Cuo was holding him, he immediately struggled to get down. Yun Cuo, however, cast a calming spell on his forehead and whispered, “You can sleep now, it’s okay.”
Xue Huai still replied：“Mmm.”
The sinking and drowsiness surged in again, and Xue Huai allowed his consciousness to sink in the warmth. In a daze, he felt that the one who was holding him was his deceased mother or his unreliable father.
Or maybe it was someone from his previous life who carried him back after each celebration banquet. The battlefield’s smoke and dusk blew that person’s robe, making hunting noise3猎猎作响 is used to describe the sound of flags or other objects being blown by the wind..
……Who could it be?
That was a secret expectation. It was too difficult in the military, and it’s too far away from home. He always thought he was dreaming, hoping to comfort himself with an illusion.
He no longer had anyone he liked, just like he didn’t dislike his fiancé, whom his father said was the “most powerful man in heaven and earth.” Later on, when he figured it out, he didn’t refuse either. He knew that if there were no accidents, there would be someone to accompany him and support each other for a lifetime.
At least it could be someone who treated him well and didn’t let him live his whole life without even having something to look forward to.
Yun Cuo looked at the person in his arms and used an invisibility spell to push the door into his room.
This startled the gluttonous ghost who was chewing on Xue Huai’s zither sheet in the corner.
He placed Xue Huai on the bed, taking his shoes and socks off, then loosening his robe. The bedding was soft and clean. Xue Huai’s room is the same as every pampered young master’s room, exquisite and luxurious, his scent and shadow are everywhere.
Yun Cuo brushed his fingertips lightly over the sleeping person’s nose, and lowered his eyes to gaze at him. He whispered, “It is who it should be, in that case, can it be me, Xue Huai?”
“Can it be Yun Cuo? That fierce Yun Cuo is the one who deceives you into being his left protector and quarrels with you. In previous life, he sent you a marriage proposal certificate. If uncle hadn’t insisted, he might have had the opportunity to tell you in person and become your fiancé, but he can’t even protect you well. Would you be willing to be with him…”
He asked in a low voice, and halfway through, he choked up in silence.
He wasn’t expecting to receive an answer, but his heart is disobediently pounding nonstop, entangled with obsession. He has passed through life and death twice, passing through this life’s strongest desire.
He wants to know the answer.
For a whole lifetime, he didn’t know him, he didn’t know him. But he just wants to know the answer.
As if sensing that someone around him was about to cry, Xue Huai reached out from under the blanket and patted the air, then withdrew. With a thick nasal sound, he coaxes out with a confused syllable.
He said, “Mmm.”
The author has something to say: Three-year-old Yun: Can it be me? Can it be me? Daoist partner, choose me, I am super sweet! (starry eyes emoji)
Xue Huai (muttering unconsciously): Mmm.
Three-year-old Yun: I take it seriously. I really can take it seriously! (Strive to boost oneself)
T/N: So I just realized that Liu Shi wasn’t actually Xue Huai’s stepmother’s name, the Shi there only refers to her surname. The author addressed her as Mrs. Liu, so I’m going to use Mrs. Liu instead of Liu Shi from now on. Sorry for the inconvenience.
