“Ah Qi.”
“Whom do you like?”
Shen Tanqi shivered all over, shifting his gaze to the face behind Xiao Qingyu.
Oh no, oh no!
He had intended to confess to Yu Ce, but how did it end up with him grabbing Xiao Qingyu’s hand and saying those words? Yu Ce would definitely misunderstand now.
Xiao Qingyu was even more shocked. Clearly, it was Senior Brother Fang who came in with him. How did it suddenly become Senior Brother Yu’s face?
Both of them spoke at the same time, “There’s nothing between me and Junior Brother/Senior Brother!”
As the words fell, they exchanged a glance. Deep down, they both felt like crying without tears. There was no need for this useless tacit understanding now. It looked as if they were colluding in their testimony!
Yu Ce looked quietly at them, turned to leave, but Shen Tanqi climbed out of the coffin in a swift step, grabbing his wrist.
“Don’t go!” Shen Tanqi gritted his teeth. Since things had escalated to this point, it seemed he could only follow what young Yu Ce had taught him. Regardless of whether it worked or not, he had to be reckless first!
Yu Ce turned to look at him. Just as he was about to say something, Shen Tanqi reached out and pressed him against the temple wall, his slightly cool lips immediately pressing against Yu Ce’s.
With his eyes slightly widened, Yu Ce looked at him in surprise, feeling Shen Tanqi’s cautious yet clumsy and careful kiss, like a poor little dog seeking security, eager and anxious, kissing him bit by bit.
Their breaths intertwined, and amid the mingling of lips and teeth, a few murmurs escaped softly, like coaxing yet tinged with grievance,
“I really miss you, Yu Ce, I miss you so much.”
Shen Tanqi cupped his face, wanting to see the expression in Yu Ce’s eyes clearly, and murmured softly, “Do you miss me?”
“Yu Ce, say you miss me.”
Even in just seven short days, for Shen Tanqi, it felt like he had walked through Yu Ce’s entire life—the ten-year-old Yu Ce, the twenty-year-old Yu Ce, and the Yu Ce beyond twenty.
He had finally understood his own heart, realizing how oblivious he had been before.
From this day forward, every minute and every second, he would make sure Yu Ce knew he was in his heart.
Yu Ce’s eyes dimmed slightly. He reached out and gently pushed Shen Tanqi away.
Under Shen Tanqi’s disbelieving gaze, Yu Ce lowered his eyes, lightly wiped the moisture from the corner of his lips, and said softly, “Senior Brother, this is your ancestral hall.”
His voice was formal and respectful. Yu Ce stepped back and continued calmly, “Outside are all members of the Shen family. Since you’re back, go and inform them of everything. Don’t let your family worry.”
The flush that had colored Shen Tanqi’s face faded instantly. He pursed his lips, grabbing Yu Ce’s sleeve. “Did you get angry because I came back late?”
Otherwise, why would he suddenly call him ‘Senior Brother’ when he had just called him ‘Ah Qi’?
In such chaotic times, being able to return was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. It was his fault for not fulfilling his promise, but… he hadn’t wanted this either.
Yu Ce shook his head, straightened his attire for him, and whispered softly, “No.”
He glanced outside the ancestral hall where the rain continued, the sky clearing up. Turning back to Shen Tanqi, he advised with a gentle gaze, “Do what you need to do first, Senior Brother.”
Right now, it wasn’t him that Shen Tanqi was most needed by—it was the Shen family.
The head of the Shen family truly valued Ah Qi. Just now at the grave, the head’s spirit was not as strong as before.
If Ah Qi had returned earlier… Forget it, wishful thinking was useless. Being able to come back was already a great blessing.
Yu Ce patiently smoothed out the stray hair on Shen Tanqi’s forehead, making him look no different than before. Then he gently nudged him, “My presence here isn’t suitable. The demon-slaying trial of the sect’s grand competition is held west of Shuoxia City. I’ll come to the Shen family at night to find you. Go now.”
“Really?” Shen Tanqi asked tentatively, feeling there was still a subtle barrier between Yu Ce and him.
Yu Ce withdrew his hand and nodded, “Of course, I’m not lying to you.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Tanqi glanced at him reluctantly but nodded in the end.
Before leaving the ancestral hall, he turned back to Yu Ce and said, “You must come find me. There are many things I want to tell you.”
Yu Ce covered his face with a mask, hesitated for a moment, and softly replied, “Okay.”
With his promise, Shen Tanqi felt relieved. He casually comforted Xiao Qingyu a few times before seeing them both off from the ancestral hall.
After they had left for a while, Shen Tanqi finally lifted the sacrificial curtain of the ancestral hall. A few raindrops fell on his face, chilling him to the bone, yet he felt a sense of rejuvenation.
He looked at the stunned and dazed members of the Shen family outside the ancestral hall and whispered, “I’ve come back.”
In the damp streets of Shuoxia City at night, candles flickered.
As Shen Tanqi returned from the Peach Blossom Grave, all the ancestral tablets in the hall had been removed. He followed behind the head of the family, walking through the crimson corridors adorned with carved beams and painted pillars, feeling melancholic for a long time.
For the first time, he realized how much the Shen family cherished him. Before this, he had always thought that the kindness of the Shen family towards him was merely because he was the legitimate son.
But upon learning of his ‘resurrection,’ both the family head and Consort Shen actually shed tears on the spot, despite their advanced age and esteemed status.
After a long while, he slowly stepped over the threshold.
The room was spacious, clearly cleaned daily, neat and tidy. Directly opposite the entrance, on the wall hung a portrait, surrounded by several plates of offerings and a spirit tablet.
Shen Tanqi stood before the portrait, earnestly studying the woman depicted. Her eyes and brows were gently relaxed, her smile warm and gentle, holding a jade-colored flute in one hand and leading a clumsy toddler with the other.
He studied her for a while and realized—it was ‘him’.
The woman’s smile was light and clear, as if she still lived somewhere in the world, with tiny dimples on each cheek—just like Shen Tanqi’s own when he smiled.
As if compelled by some unseen force, Shen Tanqi approached the portrait and softly called out, “Mother.”
The woman in the painting remained forever asleep, surrounded by the lingering fragrance of incense ascending before him.
Realizing what he was doing, Shen Tanqi chuckled self-deprecatingly.
He had already taken over someone else’s body, and yet here he was, thinking about taking over someone else’s mother.
He really wasn’t a good person.
Shen Tanqi took down the half-burnt incense from the censer, lit a new one, and respectfully bowed three times before the spirit tablet of the Shen family’s matriarch. Then, in a low voice, he said, “I’m late. Today turned out to be quite a big joke.”
Perhaps he did indeed need an outlet for his emotions. Shen Tanqi spoke before the portrait of the matriarch as if chatting casually, recounting everything that had happened these past days.
“Everyone thought I was dead for sure. But when I came back to life, it scared everyone. It was the first time I saw Consort Shen’s expression like that.” Shen Tanqi chuckled softly, “Her eyes widened, pointing at me, saying, ‘You child, you almost scared us to death!'”
Consort Shen’s loyalty to the Shen family is truly unwavering, Shen Tanqi thought. If it weren’t for the Shen family, Consort Shen would certainly not care about his life or death; she would have been eager to bury his body seven feet underground long ago. He had indeed benefited somewhat from being associated with the Shen family.
Shen Tanqi rambled on for a long time, talking about Consort Shen, the family head, his three children, and also about Yu Ce.
Until his throat went dry, he finally stopped and looked up at the portrait, saying, “I’ve said too much. I must have disturbed your peace.”
In the tranquil loneliness of the night, only the chirping of insects after the rain could be heard. He sighed softly and added, “Well, I’m leaving.”
Slowly, Shen Tanqi got up and walked away. Before he left, the crescent moon outside the window was exceptionally bright.
In a place he couldn’t see, a faint soul wearing emerald robes leaned against the cold door frame, smiling gently, watching him depart.
The night was long.
“Silly Ah Qi.”
“Twelve years, and you’ve finally come back…”
When he returned to his room, he was surprised to find the candlestick lit. He thought Yu Ce had come.
Pushing open the door, he found the room empty, with only a red candle burning on the table.
It wasn’t him after all.
Disappointed, Shen Tanqi let out a sigh, took off his rain-soaked cloak, and slumped down on the soft couch, feeling drowsiness wash over him in waves.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. As misty rain enveloped the room, Shen Tanqi instinctively sat up, holding his breath, watching as someone stood outside the door. He slowly folded up the green paper umbrella, shaking off the raindrops, his gaze fixed on him.
“Senior brother, is there something—”
Before he could finish his sentence, it caught in his throat.
Shen Tanqi didn’t even bother putting on his shoes; he lunged forward and tightly embraced him.
The hug was so tight that Yu Ce struggled slightly to break free but found himself held even tighter.
“Senior brother…” He chuckled softly, somewhat resigned. “Let me in first.”
Upon hearing ‘senior brother,’ Shen Tanqi felt a surge of emotions and immediately reached out, wrapping his arms around Yu Ce, and boldly bit into his neck.
Only when he heard Yu Ce softly inhale in satisfaction did Shen Tanqi hum contentedly and joked, “If you try to play hard to get with me again, I’ll bite you to death.”
With that said, he opened the door without explicitly granting or denying entry. Shen Tanqi walked into the room without looking back, his steps light and brisk, clearly in a good mood.
Yu Ce quietly watched him for a moment, his snowy brows melting, and his lips imperceptibly curved into a faint smile.
He was about to be taught a lesson again.
Just when he finally had a chance to elevate his status—but he couldn’t hide anything from Shen Tanqi’s sharp eyes.
He carefully traced Shen Tanqi’s figure in the soft glow of the red candle and silk curtains, imprinting it in his mind. The panic and loss of the night’s events faded away.
This time, he would do everything in his power to make sure Ah Qi never wanted to leave him again.
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)
