In the forbidden area of Rongyun Sect, at the edge of Bloodthirst Cliff.
Shen Tanqi stood quietly facing Yu Ce. The two, usually inseparable and always chatting, had suddenly fallen silent, as if struck mute.
After a long pause, Shen Tanqi finally broke the silence: “That little chick that’s always following me around, it’s actually my system.”
“Mm,” Yu Ce responded softly, without lifting his head.
Shen Tanqi felt an inexplicable irritation, his voice dropping lower: “Look at me.”
At his words, Yu Ce slowly lifted his head, his gaze meeting Shen Tanqi’s. Those dark eyes were like a pool of still, lifeless water.
They were about to part ways, yet their relationship had become so tense.
Shen Tanqi sighed, continuing, “The system said, if I want to leave, I have to follow the plot. In the story, the male lead… which is you, needs to stab me in the heart with a sword for me to leave.”
Yu Ce’s eyes finally showed a hint of emotion, his lashes trembling slightly as he spoke with difficulty, “You want me to kill you?”
Shen Tanqi knew that this request was utterly unreasonable. For Yu Ce, it would cause irreversible psychological pain. But there was no other choice. He had to say it, he had to do it.
“Don’t worry, the system gave me a skill that makes me unable to feel any pain. Even if you really stab me, I won’t feel a thing.” As if to prove his words, Shen Tanqi drew his small black knife, intending to cut another wound on his fingertip.
Before he could act, Yu Ce grabbed his wrist tightly.
Shen Tanqi looked at him in shock. Yu Ce’s eyes were deep as he pressed Shen Tanqi’s hand back to his side.
Thinking that Yu Ce didn’t believe him, Shen Tanqi hurriedly continued to explain, “Don’t worry, I won’t be hurt. After I go back and explain everything to my brother, I’ll be able to return soon. Trust me…”
Before he could finish, Yu Ce spoke softly, “I believe you.”
Every word Shen Tanqi said, Yu Ce believed.
All those miraculous things that happened to him, Yu Ce had seen them. He never asked because he didn’t want to force Shen Tanqi to explain.
The wind blew gently, and Yu Ce stood there, just as tall and graceful as when they first met, his white robes as pristine as snow.
Shen Tanqi felt dazed, lost.
“Ah Qi.”
Yu Ce called softly.
“After you go back, take care of yourself.” His fingers slowly slid down to cup Shen Tanqi’s face, as if trying to etch every detail of his expression into his heart.
Shen Tanqi stood there, stunned, forgetting what he had originally wanted to say.
Yu Ce’s fingers were cold. His hands were always like that, even when they slept in the same bed, under the same covers, his body remained as cold as ice.
He saw Yu Ce smile—a weak, yet tender smile.
“Did you say goodbye to Goldfish and Taro Ball?” Yu Ce’s voice was soft, as if they were just having an ordinary conversation on an ordinary day.
Shen Tanqi shook his head, like a child who had done something wrong, avoiding Yu Ce’s gaze and speaking softly, “I was afraid that if I saw them cry, I wouldn’t be able to leave.”
Yu Ce responded with a simple “Mm,” and said, “That’s probably for the best.”
The world fell silent, the wind suddenly stopped, and time seemed to stand still as they stood there for a long time.
Finally, Shen Tanqi looked away first and said quietly, “Let’s do it.”
He had to go, but he wasn’t leaving for good. There was no need for these sorrowful words.
He would come back. He swore it.
Yu Ce nodded slightly and slowly drew his long sword. The blade, covered in his cold breath, gleamed with a sharp blue light in the chilly daylight, as dense fog swirled around them.
Remembering the system’s instructions, Shen Tanqi pointed to his chest and said, “Aim here. Don’t think about anything else. Yu Ce, just imagine I’m the person you hate the most and stab me.”
He wasn’t sure if Yu Ce heard him, but Shen Tanqi saw his face becoming increasingly blurry in the fog.
Shen Tanqi also drew his sword, facing him with a smile. “Come to think of it, we’ve never fought before. I’ve improved a lot lately. You should give it a try.”
Through the fog, Yu Ce’s voice came, devoid of emotion, “Alright.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Tanqi suddenly charged at him, sword in hand, with a hint of a smile on his lips as he whispered, “Ambush—it’s in the script.”
The clash of cold steel echoed like a dragon’s roar, resonating through the empty Bloodthirst Cliff.
Shen Tanqi had indeed made significant progress, but Yu Ce’s swordsmanship was impeccable. Within a few exchanges, Shen Tanqi was already at a disadvantage.
Though he only managed to last a few rounds, Shen Tanqi was quite satisfied. It showed that his recent practice hadn’t been in vain.
Just as his thoughts began to wander, a cold blade was suddenly at his chest. Shen Tanqi was slightly startled, not expecting Yu Ce’s sword to be so swift and precise.
The air seemed to freeze. Shen Tanqi lowered his sword, blinking at Yu Ce, and said, “I lost. I’m at your mercy.”
Yu Ce looked at him quietly, repeating softly, “At my mercy?”
Shen Tanqi hesitated, then nodded, “Yes.”
Next, Yu Ce should end it with a single thrust.
But instead, Yu Ce smiled lightly, his lips curling in a way that was both beautiful and captivating. Shen Tanqi was momentarily mesmerized by the sight.
“Alright,” Yu Ce said gently, placing his hand on Shen Tanqi’s shoulder. “Ah Qi, before I send you off, there’s something I want to do.”
At this critical moment, what could Yu Ce possibly want to do?
Shen Tanqi looked at him in confusion, but suddenly, he was pulled close. The long sword pierced his heart. Shen Tanqi felt no pain and didn’t realize his life was slipping away.
Yu Ce lowered his head and kissed him gently on the lips.
Shen Tanqi’s eyes widened in surprise, instinctively wanting to pull back, but the fingers on his shoulder sensed his intention and grabbed the back of his head, preventing any escape. Yu Ce’s lips pressed against his, deepening the kiss, their tongues intertwining, breaths mingling, leaving Shen Tanqi speechless and his mind blank.
In his panic, he looked up to see Yu Ce’s eyes still fixed on him, silently conveying fear, sorrow, helplessness, and despair.
“How can you leave?”
With their lips still locked, Yu Ce bit down on Shen Tanqi’s lip almost vindictively, his voice a low murmur.
“How can you be so heartless as to make me kill you with my own hands?”
Shen Tanqi clumsily pressed his hands against Yu Ce’s chest, opening his mouth to say something, but Yu Ce kissed him again before he could utter a word.
His face cradled in Yu Ce’s hands, Shen Tanqi could only see him, could only feel his breath. His gaze got lost in Yu Ce’s eyes, forgetting where he was.
“Look at me.”
“Ah Qi.”
“Tell me, have you ever, even for a moment,”
“Liked me?”
Shen Tanqi stood there, frozen in place. Yu Ce’s image, flickering faintly like gold dust, blurred before him. It was just like their first meeting, when Yu Ce found him by the lotus pond, pulled him out of the water. Beneath the snow veil of his hat, the shimmering light of the sky and the lake reflected in his eyes.
He couldn’t see clearly, but his heart skipped a beat, pounding faster and faster, like a tiny spark igniting a field of dry grass, growing into an uncontrollable blaze. His breathing became quick and ragged, unable to calm down.
Beating so fast.
Beating so fast.
Like waking from a dream, Shen Tanqi’s eyes widened—his heart was beating so fast.
Seeing him unfairly treated made him want to speak up for him; seeing him sad made him want to hold him gently and comfort him; seeing him ignore him made him frustrated and angry.
Was this… liking someone?
In the illusion, when his father stretched out his hand to hit him, who did he think of? When on the brink of despair, bound by Xie Chi, who came to mind?
Was this… liking someone?
Immersed in Yu Ce’s meticulous tenderness, enjoying his unwavering gaze and favor, he accepted Yu Ce’s flimsy excuses for getting closer time and again without any reservations.
Was this… liking someone?
If not, why did his heart race incessantly and his head spin when he met Yu Ce’s eyes?
‘Your heart sometimes deceives you. Sometimes, it doesn’t flutter—it’s just not the right time.’
‘It deceives you once, twice, but there will always be a time when it can’t deceive you anymore. When the right moment comes, you suddenly realize and can’t help but exclaim sincerely, ‘So that’s how it is—’’
Ah, so that’s how it is…
He liked Yu Ce, and he had liked him for a long time.
From every day and night they spent together, his heart had long ago given him the answer.
In a sudden realization, Shen Tanqi reached out to grab the person in front of him, urgently wanting to say, “Yu Ce, actually I’ve always…”
Liked you.
Before the words could escape, a bright light flashed before his eyes, and instinctively, Shen Tanqi closed them.
When he opened them again, he was facing the familiar, plain wall bricks. Shen Tanqi blinked dumbly, looking down to find a bottle of shower gel in his hand.
Damn it, he was back!
But he hadn’t finished his sentence—he was this close to confessing!!!
Shen Tanqi anxiously shouted, “System! Where are you, come out!”
The next moment, the chick system appeared out of thin air at his feet, wiping the sweat off its brow. “Host, you work so efficiently. I wasn’t even ready yet, and you’ve already come back.”
Ignoring its pleasantries, Shen Tanqi grabbed the chick urgently and pleaded, “Can you go back first and tell Yu Ce that I like him, that he’s in my heart!”
The system exclaimed, “Ah!” Its expression suddenly changed. “You haven’t told him? I thought you guys said it when you kissed just now!”
Shen Tanqi: …
He paused briefly, too tired to complain about its eavesdropping tendencies, and said, “I almost said it just now. Can you go back? You’re a system, you should be able to move freely between the book and the real world, right?”
Upon hearing this, the system nodded and said, “I can indeed, but there’s no mission there. I can only stay for ten minutes; otherwise, the main system will detect me.”
Ten minutes.
That’s enough.
As long as Yu Ce knows that I truly like him, it’s enough.
“Alright, if there’s enough time, remember to remind him to tell Goldfish to eat less sweets, watch out for cavities. And remind Taro Ball to be careful when practicing swordsmanship, not to hurt himself, and also…”
The system cleared its throat and reminded, “Um… I might not be able to say all that in ten minutes.”
Shen Tanqi felt a bit disappointed but quickly rallied, “It’s okay. As long as you tell him I like him, I’ll be back soon.”
With that, the system nodded again and descended, transforming into a beam of light that disappeared before Shen Tanqi’s eyes.
Ten minutes later…
The system returned, its forehead covered in cold sweat, and it stammered hesitantly, “Um… well…”
Shen Tanqi asked eagerly, “How did it go? Did he hear it? What did Yu Ce say?”
Remembering Yu Ce’s cold expression and feeling his heart still racing, the system’s voice trailed off.
“Uh, he said… he doesn’t believe it. He told you to come back and tell him yourself.”
Shen Tanqi: …
Damn.
“What about Goldfish and Taro Ball? Did you mention that?” Shen Tanqi rubbed his temple and asked again.
The system scratched its head and said reluctantly, “I did tell him, but Yu Ce said…”
“He told you to come back and handle it yourself.”
Shen Tanqi fell silent.
It seemed like someone was really angry this time.
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)
