Ch87 - Treating injuries

Xie Zhiwei wasn’t sure if his eyesight was going, but Mu He’s complexion looked poor. Still, the youth smiled at him as always. Xie Zhiwei was already irritated and the sight of him exacerbated his feelings. He didn’t even look up as the straight strokes of his brush devolved into a cursive mess.

Mu He wasn’t formal and simply took a chair to sit by his side. “Shizun is so absorbed, what are you writing?”

Xie Zhiwei’s brush flew as if dancing as he tossed out, “Don’t know.”

Mu He could tell he was in a bad mood, but was afraid to probe. He leaned over for a peek and looked for topics to start a conversation. “Shizun writes so well.”

“Not as well as you,” Xie Zhiwei said faintly.

Mu He scooted even closer. “These are all shizun’s true teachings. Disciple dares not be presumptive.”

Dare not? Is there anything you don’t dare to do in this blasted plot? Xie Zhiwei set down his brush and shifted his chair away from him. “Did you find me for something?” he asked.

Mu He’s reply was light. “I did originally, but shizun’s not in a good mood so I better not say.” He looked at the finished papers that Xie Zhiwei had yet to clean up and picked one up to slowly recite the characters. “You don't understand my sorrow, just as daylight can’t understand the darkness of night…”

Xie Zhiwei snatched the paper and tore it apart with his hands. “These are all just nonsense. State your business.”

But Mu He had already stood up in consternation. “So shizun has so much sorrow but resents disciple for not understanding you. But why doesn’t shizun tell disciple what they are?”

“You’re over thinking it,” Xie Zhiwei rested a hand against his forehead. If someone kept reading, they would catch lines like “I was conquered by you just like that,” “It's lonely to be invincible,” and so on and so on. I was just bored and practicing calligraphy, that’s all…

But Mu He was in no mood to keep reading. He stepped forward and grabbed Xie Zhiwei by the shoulders, voice anxious. “Shizun is the one who’s over thinking. Disciple is different from others, disciple understands shizun.”

Xie Zhiwei gave a start and even forgot to break free. “What could you understand?”

“Four years ago, you died to hide everything for disciple’s sake. That was enough for disciple to remember forever.” Mu He had already pressed Xie Zhiwei against his chest before the man could stand up. Now the youth’s voice trembled by his ear. “Shizun came back to life because you couldn’t let this disciple go, right?”

Xie Zhiwei’s mouth twitched. “You, you really are thinking…too much.”

Am I supposed to lie in my coffin for the rest of my life after coming back then?

“Disciple has not,” Mu He released Xie Zhiwei and cupped his face in both hands, his voice slow and light. “Shizun never came to see this disciple, but never stopped looking for news of this disciple. When you ran into disciple by accident, you could only follow the momentum. Shizun has such status but was still willing to be coerced by Aunt Yun and change your face and identity. Actually, you were waiting to show up before disciple at a critical moment to help disciple bypass a tribulation.”

Xie Zhiwei grabbed his wrists. “Wait…did you misunderstand something?”

What do you mean, “follow the momentum?” Don’t use idioms carelessly, okay? That was “couldn’t stop something that was already out of control.” Well okay, the end result is the same either way.

But I let your Aunt Yun force me all for the sake of saving Mengmeng’s face, ah! I just happened to rescue you along the way!

Mu He shook his head faintly. “It’s not a misunderstanding, I’ve only thought things through.”

Xie Zhiwei silently sighed, speechless to reply. Mu He continued to speak with affection.

“After returning from the other compound, disciple was turning thoughts in my head until I heard someone say yesterday that shizun only acted this way because of missing this disciple… Disciple is truly happy, but I didn’t dare to believe the truth. Now I’m thoroughly convinced.”

“Who said those things to you…what truth?”

Mu He’s gaze intensified. “The truth is, shizun likes this disciple too.”

Xie Zhiwei was struggling to stand up from his seat when the words made him stumble. He shoved Mu He aside before the youth could support him and fell to the ground. Not bothering to get up, he lifted his head and asked, “Are you talking in your sleep?”

“Why else would shizun come back to the mortal realm?” Mu He crouched down to clasp his hand firmly. “If disciple didn’t exist in this world, would shizun still return?”

Nonsense. Could the plot still exist if you weren’t there?

At any rate, I can’t progress it anymore.

Xie Zhiwei looked at him for a while before he finally sighed. “Master…might as well just die.”

Mu He’s eyes widened. “No!”

Xie Zhiwei’s words were like steel needles piercing his nerves, causing him to collapse immediately. He yanked Xie Zhiwei off the ground as his eyes turned bloodshot.

“If disciple said anything wrong, then shizun can just tell disciple the truth. Keeping this disciple guessing back and forth is really…truly painful…” Mu He’s voice choked up. “Shizun can do whatever you want, but please, never say the word ‘die’ again…”

Xie Zhiwei was stunned.

Honestly, to him death in this world was just another way to advance the plot with help from the System. It only brought him temporary pain. Even Mu He to him was none other than a character who looked exactly like He Zheng. In his heart, Mu He was no different from Chu Zhishi, Tantai Meng, Du Sheng, and all the rest. Staying close to him would increase his own Presence Points and help him steal more awesome scenes.

He couldn’t help recalling the video of the real world that Gallant Outlaw had shown him earlier. When he was pushed into the incinerator, He Zheng’s attitude had been cold and even somewhat contemptuous.

It was the difference between Heaven and Earth.

Four years ago, Mu He had stunned the world with his sobs after his death. Now he was begging him even more bitterly to stop the very mention of death. Furthermore, he had seen Mu He’s memory fragments in Blood River Lake and couldn’t claim the man was faking his reactions right now.

Liking was like. Could he fake that?

When he died four years ago, Mu He publicly fainted from his tears and Chu Zhishi broke his fingers. If he was just putting up a show, then he was really acting too hard. Now he was Xie Zhiwei and completely penniless. There was nothing that Mu He could trick out of him at all, so why would he pretend to be gay? Why would he give up the countless beauties and lands of the world to circle around him day after day?

Xie Zhiwei suddenly didn’t know what to do. Currently Mu He had his head buried in his collar, which was quickly turning damp and hot. He couldn’t wipe it or very well push the person away—he didn’t even know where to put his hands right now. His fans had hugged him and cried in the past, but they were just infatuated fangirls. He could deal with those fine under the spotlight, keeping a polite sense of distance.

But Mu He was different.

Not just because he was male, but because he was unique in this world. His current state was sensitive, so if Xie Zhiwei said the wrong thing, he’d fall apart even more. Afraid to move, Xie Zhiwei just waited until Mu He stopped clutching him so tightly and quieted his sobs.

He said dryly, “Master just said it on a whim. It’s not like I’d really…cough, don’t cry anymore.”

But as soon as he finished, Mu He’s tears intensified as he broke into wretched sobbing.

You’re really getting into it, aren’t you, Xie Zhiwei mused privately. He didn’t know how many spare daoist robes he had to support all this teary business. Mu He’s entire body trembled as he gripped Xie Zhiwei in a tight embrace with ice-cold palms. Xie Zhiwei sensed something amiss and examined his face, only to see his eyes half-lidded and his cheeks stained with tears. His consciousness was already starting to drift.

“What’s going on?” Xie Zhiwei grabbed Mu He’s wrist and discovered that his pulse was in chaos. Multiple sources of spiritual energy were fighting each other at once, with two distinct energies taking the lead. The blood churned in his veins, making his forehead and chest incredibly hot while his four limbs were freezing cold.

Are Black and White Lotus not merging well with Red Lotus?

Too busy to bother with details, Xie Zhiwei quickly placed his hand on Mu He’s spine. “Pull yourself together!”

Mu He forced his eyes open but his gaze was unfocused. He weakly raised a hand to clutch at air. “Shizun…don’t, not again…”

“Fine fine, I’ll listen to whatever you say. Stop moving about,” Xie Zhiwei wanted to drag his hand down, but Mu He didn’t budge. He straightened up with a wobble and sat as if there was a shadow floating in mid-air before him.

Staring at an empty roof beam, he said, “What’s real and what’s fake…shizun, tell disciple…”

Xie Zhiwei gritted his teeth. “What’s on the roof beam? Look at me when you speak.”

These words seemed to be effective, because Mu He dropped his head as his gaze drifted over Xie Zhiwei’s face as if looking at air. Very soon he turned to the roof beam again, even rising to his feet as Xie Zhiwei was in the middle of channeling spiritual energy to soothe his meridians. He quickly grabbed Mu He and said, “Sit properly!”

But Mu He wouldn’t listen and kept struggling in his spot. At last Xie Zhiwei lost his patience and snapped, “Disciple, obey!”

Mu He’s body shook before he stopped moving.

He’s really addicted to being a disciple! Xie Zhiwei exhaled and yanked him again. “Sit back down, Master will treat your injuries.”

Mu He closed his eyes with difficulty. Although his senses were in disorder and the images before his eyes alternating with reality, he still followed the source of the voice to sit again. Xie Zhiwei moved to get closer, but suddenly bumped into an object. He looked down and saw it was a very familiar jade box. It seemed to have fallen out of Mu He’s sleeve while they were struggling with each other, but he recalled seeing it under Mu He’s pillow in the other compound. Now it seemed the boy brought it with him wherever he went.

What could be inside that’s so precious?

Xie Zhiwei’s curiosity grew. He used one hand to keep channeling spiritual energy into Mu He while his other picked up the box and flipped it over. At last, he found a secret switch at the bottom and quickly pressed it to open the lid. The interior of the box was lined in extremely soft velvet while in the center lay a slightly curved yellow strip. At first, Xie Zhiwei mistook it for some bracelet made out of gold thread.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that wasn’t the case.

He stared at the box for ages before identifying the item, and then his heart seized painfully.

It was only a length of dry, withered willow branch with fragmented leaves hanging off its stems.

He recognized it.

—

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Translator’s Note: And so, our two days of love ends on a note of heartbreak…