TM CH46

Chapter 46 Facing the Wind and Awaiting the Moon

After the Fang siblings had finished kowtowing, they turned and saw the two of them, each lost in their own thoughts. Fang Lian hesitated, his eyes quietly observing them, sensing that the atmosphere had grown somewhat stagnant.

After a moment’s hesitation, Fang Lian finally said, “Youzhi, the Criminal Record was written by my father. May I take it with me?”

The request was reasonable, so Gu Yunxing took out the book from his robes. However, before he could say anything, it was snatched away by Rong Qi.

Rong Qi, never one to reason, said bluntly, “This was clearly something we both obtained, so why should you alone make the decision?”

Gu Yunxing touched his nose, silently lowering his hand.

Rong Qi then turned to Fang Lian, his voice cold. “This thing belongs to this venerable one.”

Fang Lian frowned. “This…”

“You’re being unreasonable!” Fang Ruoyao, still upset, spoke out angrily. “This was clearly my father’s keepsake! Why should it belong to you?”

Rong Qi sneered. “Anything found in a ruin naturally belongs to whoever takes it first.”

Fang Ruoyao was stunned. She pointed at Rong Qi. “You… you’re just making excuses!”

“It’s fine.” Fang Lian raised a hand to stop her. He then said, “We were able to find our father’s remains, thanks in large part to… Right Protector Rong’s invitation to sail the sea that day.” He glanced at his friend before continuing, “At least, on this deserted island, we will not force anything.”

Rong Qi detected the implication in his words and sneered. “Even if you leave this island, you won’t be able to get it back.”

With that, he stuffed the Criminal Record into his robes.

Afterward, the group retraced their steps back out of the mountain.

The cave they had been staying in was no longer habitable, so they decided to find another place to stay.

The trio from the west island had already explored the surrounding terrain thoroughly and knew the nearby caves well. Aside from those destroyed in the earthquake, there were still a few smaller caves left, but they were narrow and didn’t offer much shelter from the wind.

Rong Qi simply took Yan Fan and left, the two of them finding another cave to stay in, separate from the others.

Over the next few days, they followed the river again and resumed their boat-building project. This time, without the threat of the freak, they were able to work freely, and their progress was much faster.

Rong Qi met up with them in the mornings, took his task, and went off on his own. Even during meals, he kept to himself, eating only with Yan Fan, keeping a clear distance from the other three.

It seemed he was determined to sever ties with Gu Yunxing, engaging in little conversation beyond matters related to boat building.

Gu Yunxing’s mood grew darker with each passing day, and even Fang Ruoyao noticed something was off. One evening, as she watched Gu Yunxing standing at the cave entrance, letting the wind blow through his hair, she couldn’t help but nudge her older brother and gesture towards him.

Fang Lian: “……”

He pressed his sister’s hand down, urging her to sleep peacefully.

Once the Fang siblings had fallen asleep, Gu Yunxing got up and left the cave.

The nights on the island were extremely cold, and the wind rustled through the leaves, producing a ‘shasha’ sound.

In another cave, the firelight flickered.

After falling into a deep sleep, Yan Fan showed no restraint. Occasionally, faint snores could be heard, followed by him smacking his lips and mumbling incoherently in his sleep.

Rong Qi furrowed his brow in his sleep and turned over, facing away from Yan Fan.

A moment later, Rong Qi still had his eyes closed, but his expression grew darker.

When there had been more people around, the noise hadn’t been as noticeable. But now, in this small cave, every sound from the other person seemed to stand out sharply.

Rong Qi regretted it immensely. Had he known it would be like this, he would have found a separate cave to stay in, anything to avoid this torment.

He had thought about waking Yan Fan, but after the recent betrayal by Zhou Shun, he could never bring himself to trust anyone else to be awake beside him.

Tomorrow, he would have to move out.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but as the rhythmic sound of snoring filled the air, Rong Qi gradually grew drowsy. Just as his consciousness began to slip away, he faintly heard the sound of light footsteps. He immediately opened his eyes and turned, only to collide with a warm body.

Rong Qi stared at the person in shock. Before he could speak, his mouth was covered.

Gu Yunxing pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. Without waiting for Rong Qi to react, he led him outside.

As soon as they left the cave, a gust of cold wind greeted them.

Rong Qi jumped to the ground, lowering his voice to curse. “Gu Yunxing, are you crazy?”

Gu Yunxing looked at him. “Come with me.”

Rong Qi frowned. “What place is so important that we have to go in the middle of the night?”

Gu Yunxing’s expression remained unchanged. “For several days now, the Right Protector has been avoiding me like the plague. How could this humble Gu possibly invite you during the day?”

Rong Qi detected something unusual in his calm tone. His instincts told him it was best to avoid confrontation, so he said, “…Then come back tomorrow morning.”

Gu Yunxing: “It’ll be too late.”

Rong Qi immediately became displeased. “If you want to freeze in the cold, don’t drag me into it. It’s pitch dark. This venerable one is not accompanying you!”

Gu Yunxing directly grabbed him, saying as he walked, “Don’t worry, you won’t get cold.”

Rong Qi struggled, but he couldn’t break free. To his surprise, Gu Yunxing was using inner force to pull him along. He frowned, left with no choice but to follow reluctantly.

When they arrived at the place Gu Yunxing had mentioned, Rong Qi almost laughed in anger. “Gu Yunxing, you stayed up all night just to drag me to another cave?”

Inside the cave, a fire was burning brightly, warming the space significantly. Just as Gu Yunxing had said, it was indeed warm enough to keep anyone from freezing.

Gu Yunxing spoke in a low voice, “Without Right Protector Rong by my side, this humble Gu couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned all night, so I had no choice but to invite you here. Is that not acceptable?”

Rong Qi stared at him in silence, unsure what madness had possessed him.

Gu Yunxing pulled him down to sit by the fire, his gaze deep and unreadable. “Why are you avoiding me?”

Rong Qi glanced at him. Under that intense stare, he inexplicably felt a bit guilty.

He had clearly stated his position before — separating their paths, keeping things apart. Why was Gu Yunxing still acting as if he were accusing him?

“I don’t want to have anything to do with the Wulin Alliance. Next time, could you avoid them?”

Gu Yunxing’s eyelids twitched. “…Why don’t you tell your subordinate to avoid them too?”

Rong Qi frowned. “Is it the same? He is from Lihuo Palace, and so is this venerable one! Should this venerable one let him think I’m colluding with outsiders?”

“Outsiders?” Gu Yunxing’s voice dropped sharply, his black eyes darkening as if a storm was brewing. “Rong Qi, is that how you see me?”

Rong Qi’s heart trembled, realizing that Gu Yunxing seemed truly angry, even more so than the time he had ventured alone into the forest.

But he wasn’t one to simply take insults. Faced with Gu Yunxing’s interrogation, anger rose from the bottom of his heart.

“Gu Yunxing, this venerable one has been trying to avoid suspicion for your sake, considering you’ve saved me multiple times! Don’t take advantage and act innocent. If Fang Lian and Fang Ruoyao find out you came to meet me, the demon, in the middle of the night, the one who will be worried will be you!”

Once these words were out, Rong Qi felt much better. He sneered and turned his head away, not looking at Gu Yunxing’s expression.

Gu Yunxing’s voice softened. “So, this is all for my sake, right?”

Rong Qi replied irritably, “Stop flattering yourself.”

“You really are…” Gu Yunxing sighed, both exasperated and amused. “You care about my life and my reputation, yet you insist on drawing a clear line between us. Rong Qi, with how cautious you are, where’s the demon’s edge you once had?”

Rong Qi was momentarily speechless. He turned back to face Gu Yunxing, his expression complex and unreadable.

Was the Tianji Sect Master really criticizing him, the Right Protector of Lihuo Palace, for not acting like a demon?

“Don’t avoid me.” Gu Yunxing put his arm around Rong Qi’s shoulders and also grabbed one of his hands, abruptly pulling him close.

The two of them were suddenly very close, almost feeling each other’s breath.

Rong Qi turned his head away, struggling to resist the urge to push Gu Yunxing away. Furious, he said, “No! Do you want to put on a show for others?”

Gu Yunxing raised an eyebrow, the tip of his nose brushing past Rong Qi’s ear, leaving a faint, almost imperceptible sensation. “Oh? What kind of show could we possibly put on?”

Rong Qi opened his mouth, momentarily stunned. Gu Yunxing leaned in closer to his ear and repeated the question, “Rong Qi, tell me, what is there between us that cannot be spoken of?”

Rong Qi scowled, his ears reddening with anger. He tilted his head back, trying to create some distance by this small movement.

Gu Yunxing noticed and immediately placed his hand on Rong Qi’s nape, pulling him even closer. Without speaking, he rested his forehead against Rong Qi’s, quietly waiting for him to respond.

Rong Qi raised his hand to grip Gu Yunxing’s arm, as though unable to tolerate it any longer. “…Do you really want to oppose me like this, to make a show of being a ‘cut sleeve’?”

Gu Yunxing couldn’t help but laugh. “What?”

Rong Qi felt a wave of mortification as soon as the words left his mouth, especially when he saw Gu Yunxing laughing at him. Anger surged, and he tried to push him away.

Gu Yunxing, of course, wouldn’t allow it. He held Rong Qi firmly in his arms, his tone serious as he said, “Yes, I want to make a show of being a ‘cut sleeve’ with you.”

Rong Qi: “……”

Gu Yunxing pulled back slightly, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he continued to watch him.

“Once we leave the island, I’ll go with you to Lihuo Palace, then you’ll come with me to Tianji Sect.”

Rong Qi looked up at him in shock, realizing Gu Yunxing was completely serious, no trace of joking in his expression. He lowered his eyes in silence, his lashes trembling slightly. “There’s no need for that. Do you really want to make this kind of thing known to everyone?”

Gu Yunxing furrowed his brow. “This kind of thing?”

Rong Qi couldn’t take it anymore. He gritted his teeth and said, “Gu Yunxing, stop pretending to be clueless!”

Gu Yunxing smiled. “So, you’re admitting that there’s something between us that should remain unspoken?”

Rong Qi’s face darkened. He felt like it was impossible to communicate with this person tonight. Frustrated, he pushed Gu Yunxing away and snapped, “Let go!”

Gu Yunxing leaned in again with a low chuckle. “Since you’ve admitted it, you don’t think I’ll just let you go back, do you?”

Rong Qi narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Gu Yunxing: “I’m afraid you’ll deny everything and ignore me the next day.” He sighed. “I need some kind of confirmation.”

Rong Qi lost his patience. “What do you actually want to do?”

Gu Yunxing stared at him. “It’s simple. I want to kiss you.”

Rong Qi was stunned. He looked at him somewhat blankly, seemingly not understanding what had happened tonight that had escalated into this situation.

“This… what’s the point of two grown men acting all affectionate? I’m not some young lady, there’s no need for this kind of thing!” The more he spoke, the more uneasy he became. His words were filled with rejection, but by the end, they carried a tone of blustering ferocity.

Gu Yunxing refused to listen. He gently squeezed the back of Rong Qi’s neck and forced him to look at him.

Rong Qi’s words suddenly halted, his heart racing uncontrollably.

Gu Yunxing smiled slightly, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on his forehead.

“This isn’t so hard to accept, is it?”

Rong Qi closed his eyes, refusing to respond.

But Gu Yunxing persisted. “Are you still going to avoid me?” After waiting a moment for a reply, and getting none, he added, “Since you’re not speaking, I’ll take that as a yes. Tomorrow morning, I’ll talk to Shuhuai…”

“Don’t you dare make trouble!” Rong Qi opened his eyes, cutting him off fiercely, grabbing his collar and saying through clenched teeth, “…And you’re not allowed to tell anyone! At worst… I won’t ignore you anymore, alright?!”

Gu Yunxing caught the meaning in his words and sighed deeply. But he knew when to back off, so after feigning hesitation for a moment, he slowly said, “Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

Rong Qi exhaled in relief and was just about to release his grip on Gu Yunxing’s collar when he was unexpectedly pecked lightly on the nose. “……”

Gu Yunxing smiled in satisfaction. “Same time tomorrow night, here. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Rong Qi’s face flushed red, his frustration mounting. “I will never come!”

Gu Yunxing remained calm. “That’s fine. If you prefer me to come and get you like tonight, that works too.”

Rong Qi: “……”