The air froze, and breaths hung in the balance.
Seemingly laced with a hint of vengeance, Shen Tanqi’s bite wasn’t too forceful, yet intentionally etched an indelible mark.
Yu Ce remained entirely unaware that what he said turned out to carry such implications. As Shen Tanqi gradually deepened the not-so-kiss-like kiss, the heartbeat in Yu Ce’s chest intensified, growing more intense and trembling, while his body stiffened, afraid to make a single reckless move.
After passing on his intoxicating breath to Yu Ce, Shen Tanqi finally, with a hint of temper, pushed him away.
“How was that?”
“Are you satisfied?”
For a long while, it seemed the snow outside paused, and the wind stopped.
The room finally quieted down.
Yu Ce stood in place, engulfed in silence. His usually meticulous collar was now disheveled, adorned with a few intriguing wrinkles. His lips had a faint blush at the corner, bitten slightly.
The biter and the bitten fell silent, suddenly, neither spoke a word.
In this silent standoff, Shen Tanqi, belatedly, regained his composure. He let out a long breath, thinking, finally, that silly dragon has calmed down.
Glancing sideways, Yu Ce still stood there.
However, his eyelashes hung low, avoiding any eye contact. Upon closer inspection, those fair earlobes had turned as red as if about to drip blood.
Shen Tanqi fell into a brief silence.
Why the sudden shyness at a time like this?
He had never seen someone react like this to a forced kiss. Wasn’t it portrayed differently in TV dramas?
Influenced by Yu Ce’s influence, Shen Tanqi inexplicably became a bit awkward himself. The fierce momentum from earlier was nowhere to be found. He cleared his throat, putting on a poker face, “Anyway, that’s the proof. There’s nothing between me and Xiao Qingyu. If there were, I wouldn’t have… done what I just did.”
Yu Ce kept his head lowered, offering no response.
Not saying a word, huh? Somehow, Shen Tanqi felt like Yu Ce had picked up his knack for avoiding decisions and playing indifferent in difficult situations.
Shen Tanqi took a deep breath, attempting to calmly clarify his thoughts, “Firstly, I’ve had an illness, a problem with my brain, resulting in memory loss. I had no idea you were the White Dragon; you never told me your name was Yu Ce. So, there’s no truth to the idea that I disregard you and the children.”
No response from the other side.
Shen Tanqi ground his teeth, threatening in a low voice, “Speak.”
“Mm.”
Yu Ce immediately and lightly responded, like a child caught misbehaving. Though his mouth answered, his mind had already drifted elsewhere.
Receiving such a distracted response, Shen Tanqi’s forehead started to pound again. He suppressed it and continued, “Secondly, regardless of where you heard about me and Xiao Qingyu, if it didn’t happen, it didn’t happen. Although I did find him appealing when I first met him…”
Yu Ce suddenly lifted his head to look at him.
Shen Tanqi was infuriated, “Now you react?!”
Yu Ce cleared his throat and lowered his head again.
Shen Tanqi was completely annoyed with this silly dragon. After all, they had spent so much time together and understood each other’s temperament. He softened his tone and said, “You don’t understand. I feel sorry for him, growing up without parents or support. It’s not what you all think – not about romantic feelings. Xiao Qingyu and I are like brothers, like friends, just like you and me.”
“You don’t understand. Brothers or friends don’t have children,” Yu Ce softly retorted. “And about what happened just now…”
Shen Tanqi couldn’t hear clearly and raised his voice, “What are you mumbling about?”
“…Nothing.”
If he didn’t want to say, Shen Tanqi couldn’t be bothered to ask.
“One last thing, if I had known you were Yu Ce, I wouldn’t have provoked you.”
Puzzled, Yu Ce asked, “Why?”
“You, are the male lead,” Shen Tanqi pointed to him, then pointed to himself, “And I, am just cannon fodder.”
If Yu Ce knew that his biological brother had been imprisoned in the water dungeon by the Shen family for years, all for the sake of cleansing Shen Tanqi’s spiritual roots, even if Yu Ce was the White Dragon, they would still part ways, each stepping onto a different path. After all, Shen Tanqi’s cultivation was indebted to Yu Ce’s brother. According to the novel’s plot, if the male lead didn’t strip him of his skin and break his bones, he would at least sever his meridians, ruin his cultivation, and throw him into prison to suffer the same fate as his brother.
Especially someone as upright as Yu Ce, Shen Tanqi didn’t believe that mere companionship for ten months could offset the resentment once the truth was known.
Hearing Shen Tanqi’s words, Yu Ce lowered his eyes and softly said, “I am the male lead?”
He had asked before, and at that time, Shen Tanqi had said the male lead was the most powerful person in this world—just, unwavering, the son of heaven, the one and only.
After a while, Yu Ce shook his head.
“I don’t believe it.”
He never believed in a predetermined heavenly way. If the heavens were truly all-powerful and could fulfill the male lead’s every wish, then the heavens should know what he wanted most at this moment and should hand it over.
But the heavens didn’t, so he didn’t believe in the heavens.
Tired by Yu Ce’s disbelief in the literary setup, Shen Tanqi slouched in the chair by the table, rubbing his temples. “If you don’t believe it, so be it.”
The fact that the male lead was Bai Long was something he still hadn’t fully processed.
Thinking about how he had once mocked Bai Long for saying he wanted to be the male lead, Shen Tanqi felt like giving himself a couple of slaps.
How naive he had been! Bai Long was indeed the male lead.
Fortunately, Bai Long was Yu Ce. They could still barely be considered friends now, and Yu Ce wouldn’t likely go all out against him.
Thinking this, Shen Tanqi couldn’t help but feel relieved. He looked towards the door, where Fang Wenxun and Xiao Qingyu stood with a kid each, separated by Yu Ce’s bubbles, anxiously waiting in the snow.
“Now that you’re my junior brother, I hope you can at least listen to me. Let Senior Brother Fang and Junior Brother Xiao in,” Shen Tanqi said, realizing he needed to figure out how to silence Fang Wenxun and Xiao Qingyu, especially Fang Wenxun, the one with the big mouth. Otherwise, the whole sect might know about him and Yu Ce having two children the next day.
The matter of having children couldn’t be spread outside, or else if the Shen family and the sect found out, it might cause a huge mess.
He hated trouble the most.
Yu Ce’s gaze was deep, and he whispered, “I’ll listen, but on the condition that you don’t avoid me in the future. That’s my only request.”
He didn’t believe in being some male lead, and he didn’t want Shen Tanqi to distance himself from him and the children over vague and intangible matters.
Returning to Rongyun Sect, he just wanted to see Shen Tanqi again, to let the two children know they had a daddy.
As for whether Shen Tanqi would acknowledge them, he never dared to hope.
This was all he wanted.
“Fine, fine, fine…”
It was just lip service. Tomorrow, he planned to find a way to leave the sect. The farther from the male lead, the better, Shen Tanqi secretly scoffed.
Satisfied, Yu Ce raised his hand, and the layer of bubbles melted into the night.
A moment later, at the small square table in the Yaoting Pavilion.
Shen Tanqi, Yu Ce, Fang Wenxun, and Xiao Qingyu sat at the table, each holding a peacefully sleeping kid in their arms. The four of them, with two kids, had various expressions on their faces.
“Senior brother Fang, Qingyu,” Shen Tanqi began seriously. His gaze fell on the sleeping kids, a hint of reluctance passing through his heart. However, he continued, “You both know about the Gu poison in my body. To survive, something happened between Yu Ce and me, resulting in these two children.”
Xiao Qingyu and Fang Wenxun stared at him like statues, nodding awkwardly.
“So, I hope you won’t tell anyone about this,” Shen Tanqi said seriously. “It could bring about significant trouble.”
Just as he finished speaking, Yu Ce seemed about to say something but was silenced by a glance from Shen Tanqi.
Yu Ce: …
Silently, Yu Ce took his kid from Fang Wenxun and Xiao Qingyu, gently patting the kid’s back to lull them to sleep. He no longer questioned Shen Tanqi’s decision.
Fang Wenxun and Xiao Qingyu exchanged glances, then looked at Shen Tanqi, both shocked.
How had Shen Tanqi managed to change Yu Ce into what he was now?
Once a genius disciple capable of chilling fourteen provinces with a single sword, now raising children for Shen Tanqi, and not only that but also yielding in every aspect—this was beyond comprehension. Dare to be angry but not speak up. What did they call it?
The art of taming a husband?
Fang Wenxun and Xiao Qingyu were tactically stupefied.
“This is only natural. The matter of you being poisoned is related to me,” Fang Wenxun wiped the sweat from his forehead, recalling how he had inadvertently caused Yu Ce to have two children and spread the rumor of Shen Tanqi and Xiao Qingyu’s mutual affection. It was a good thing Yu Ce was indifferent and generous; otherwise, someone else might have torn his heart out in anger.
He will definitely keep his mouth tightly shut in the future!
Xiao Qingyu nodded as well, quickly glancing at Yu Ce and then lowering his head, whispering, “Senior Yu Ce has been extremely gracious to me, and Senior Shen is like an elder brother. I will definitely keep your secret well.”
He deliberately emphasized the term ‘elder brother,’ afraid that Yu Ce might misunderstand.
To his surprise, Yu Ce merely said in a calm tone, “What extreme grace?”
Seeing that Yu Ce seemed to have completely forgotten, Xiao Qingyu hesitated briefly before saying, “When I was sixteen, Senior saved me from the hands of the demon clan. My entire family was killed, and it was you who encouraged me to live on. Because of that, I came to the mountain seeking immortality.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Ce’s brows seemed to furrow slightly, and his voice turned solemn. “Since you know you should live on, why come to the mountain? Do you understand the purpose of cultivation? It’s not just about eradicating demons; if it’s only for me, I advise you to go down the mountain early. Your parents would rest in peace knowing you’re safe.”
He spoke without mercy, and Xiao Qingyu’s face turned pale, trembling all over.
Shen Tanqi slammed the table and glared at Yu Ce. “Watch your tone.”
Yu Ce looked at him, hesitated several times, and finally lowered his gaze, whispering, “Fine, I got it.”
The onlookers fell into silence.
Your change in attitude is a bit too quick!
Xiao Qingyu took a deep breath. Due to Shen Tanqi’s interruption, his mood had eased somewhat. Facing Yu Ce, he felt like a defenseless child forever.
Recalling the day of widespread bloodshed, with a young swordsman standing in the midst of the blood like a divine being descended from heaven. The overwhelming and awe-inspiring feeling of being crushed and saved was something he would never forget.
He longed for Yu Ce’s approval.
“Senior, I didn’t come up the mountain just because of you. It’s because I want to use these hands to save the countless people who, like me, have lost their families due to the demon clan,” Xiao Qingyu said. After saying this, he chuckled self-deprecatingly and added, “But now, it seems that what I’ve done is still not enough.”
Shen Tanqi patted his shoulder and said with a deep sigh, “It’s okay, Qingyu. Don’t take it to heart. Your third senior brother’s mind is not right.”
Yu Ce: …
Unable to bear it any longer, Yu Ce protested, “You can’t do this.”
Partiality.
The more Shen Tanqi showed favoritism, the more Yu Ce wanted him to only look at him, only listen to him, even though he didn’t understand why he felt this way.
Shen Tanqi tapped the table, disregarding Yu Ce’s protest, and said seriously, “What I’m talking about is just keeping this secret. From now on, we are like crickets tied together on the same string. Nobody should let anything slip.”
After a brief pause, he turned to Yu Ce and lifted an eyebrow. “Understood? You may disperse now.”
Just as Fang Wenxun and Xiao Qingyu were about to leave eagerly, Yu Ce unexpectedly said, “I don’t understand.”
The two of them immediately returned to their seats, looking proper.
Seeing Yu Ce nitpicking, Shen Tanqi squinted and said, “You better genuinely not understand. Go on.”
“They feel indebted to you, so keeping the secret is only natural for them. But I’m different; I need a reward,” Yu Ce spoke without hesitation. “A reward for keeping the secret.”
“You—”
Shen Tanqi wiped his face, seemingly anticipating that Yu Ce would say something like this. After pausing for a while, he reluctantly asked, “What reward do you want?”
Yu Ce lowered his eyelashes and said earnestly, “Every time I help you keep a secret, you have to fulfill one of my requests.”
Shen Tanqi: …
This is absurd. I don’t want to live anymore. How can I go on like this?
Is he treating me like a wishing well turtle?
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
