Wu Ze’xi froze in his tracks when he saw Deng Yenuo. He glanced outside to make sure the sun truly had just risen and he quietly walked over. The basin of water in his hands sloshed slightly as he set it down. Deng Yenuo’s ear twitched and his eyes slowly opened.
Wu Ze’xi and Deng Yenuo’s gaze clashed.
“Da-shixiong, what are you doing here?” Wu Ze’xi whispered. “Did you stay here all night?”
Deng Yenuo nodded groggily.
“Are you okay? Is your neck okay?” Wu Ze’xi asked, a small frown on his face. He glanced at Lin Cangyuan and then back at Deng Yenuo. “Da-shixiong, why don’t you go back and get some proper rest?”
“What’s that for?” Deng Yenuo asked.
“To—to clean Shizun,” Wu Ze’xi said.
Deng Yenuo stood. He smiled gently. “I can do it.”
“No, but you…” Wu Ze’xi found it difficult to speak. He pursed his lips and relinquished the cloth to Deng Yenuo. He stood off to the side, but quickly scurried behind the silk partition. With his back turned, he listened to the sounds of cloth rustling against each other. “Da-shixiong, the medicine won’t work so quickly…besides, Shizun is already safe. Palace Lord Sun from Huigu Palace helped a little, I heard. With the medicine you brought, he’ll be awake in no time! So, there’s no need to guard his bedside like this.”
Deng Yenuo hummed as he sat Lin Cangyuan up. “I know.”
“Clearly you don’t,” Wu Ze’xi mumbled.
“I just miss him,” Deng Yenuo said. “It’s been five years. I haven’t seen him or spoken to him in five years. I’ve been an unfilial disciple and a horrible lover.”
Wu Ze’xi pursed his lips. He lowered his gaze. “…That’s not true. If Shizun were awake, he would surely scold you.”
Deng Yenuo chuckled. “He would, wouldn’t he?”
Deng Yenuo’s movements paused. The moist cloth rested against Lin Cangyuan’s cheek and slowly slid down. Deng Yenuo lowered his gaze as a subtle heat began to grow behind his eyelids again. He averted his gaze and quickly moved on.
“Since Da-shixiong is here, then I’m going to start brewing the medicine.”
“Mn, go do that,” Deng Yenuo hummed.
Wu Ze’xi snuck a glance at Deng Yenuo and quickly hurried off.
It would normally take Wu Ze’xi about twenty minutes to wipe Lin Cangyuan down, but it took Deng Yenuo an hour. He moved slowly and he took moments to sit back and calm himself. By the time he finished, his eyes had long been rimmed red and a few tear stains decorated the covers beneath him.
Deng Yenuo let out a trembling sigh and stood. He took the water basin with him and glanced at Lin Cangyuan again before he left the room.
He returned not too long later with the medicine Wu Ze’xi had brewed. It was still hot, so Deng Yenuo set it aside to cool.
He stared blankly at the man in front of him as tears blurred his vision.
“As expected, it would be better if Shizun wakes up sooner,” Deng Yenuo whispered. “I really miss your voice.”
The next few days flowed by in this fashion until Changyuan knocked on the door.
Deng Yenuo stood and went to answer.
“I’m leaving.”
Deng Yenuo stared at him blankly. “Really?”
“Mn,” Changyuan glanced into the room and then to Deng Yenuo. “Hopefully we’ll meet again one day. I won’t promise anything though.”
Deng Yenuo hesitated. “…Alright. Safe travels.”
Changyuan hummed. “Your Shizun will wake up. Don’t wear yourself out too much. You’re starting to look ugly.”
Deng Yenuo laughed. “Is it that bad?”
“Mn. Looking at you makes me uncomfortable,” Changyuan said. “Then, I’m going.”
“What a great goodbye,” Deng Yenuo said sarcastically.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Without Changyuan and the demon that continued to follow them, Deng Yenuo wouldn’t have survived the Demon Realm at all.
Now that he was back home and safe, the drowsiness seemed to always follow him. His eyes became heavier again and he fell asleep with his head lulled forward.
In his dreams, he felt a gentle hand touch his head. A warm voice sounded above him, speaking comforting words. He must have fallen, hadn’t he? The voice continued to scold the ground and telling the pain to fly away. He was wrapped safely in a familiar embrace. The faint scent of pear blossom wine lingered at the tip of his nose. The congested, heavy feeling in his chest dispersed a little, but the tears couldn’t stop.
He wanted to reach out and hold the person back, but his hands wouldn’t move from his side. He cried and cried and the person continued to patiently coax him.
“Such a crybaby,” Lin Cangyuan gently teased. “What are you going to do when I’m not by your side anymore?”
Deng Yenuo’s heart squeezed and he heard himself speak, “That won’t happen.”
“Why not? When you’re older, you’ll have to travel and see the world. I might not have the free time to be with you anymore,” Lin Cangyuan had replied.
“No. When I grow up, I’ll still stick to Shizun.”
Lin Cangyuan had sighed. “Can’t you think about how difficult it will be for me? You’re telling me I have to take care of this little crybaby for the rest of my life?”
“T-then I won’t cry anymore! And when I grow up, I’ll take care of Shizun!”
The little memory flickered and folded in front of Deng Yenuo until it disappeared into scattered ashes, leaving him alone in the darkness.
Deng Yenuo shifted in his seat, his mind scrambling to cling onto that shred of sleepiness. Only in his sleep could he see Lin Cangyuan moving and see him smiling at him. He didn’t want to wake up and face reality just yet.
As he was about to drift back to sleep, when he felt a feather-like touch against his cheek. He stiffened. The grogginess from before completely flew away, but he didn’t let himself be too excited. Perhaps his hair had touched his cheek. Maybe Ye-shishu or Jiu-shigu had stepped in and was trying to get him into a better sleeping position. He couldn’t let himself expect anything, or he might truly collapse.
The touch grew more concrete. Deng Yenuo listened as covers shifted. A thumb brushed itself under his eyes and a soft sigh entered his ears.
Deng Yenuo’s eyes flew open. His hand immediately grasped onto Lin Cangyuan’s wrist and he stared at the man in front of him.
Because of Langxia’s medicine as well as his and Changyuan’s internal qi, Lin Cangyuan’s complexion was actually quite healthy. He looked as if he had just woken up from a long sleep. There was nothing wrong with him aside from his furrowed expression. He shifted even closer, nearly falling forward, but Deng Yenuo quickly caught him.
“My little crybaby, why are you sleeping sitting up?” Lin Cangyuan asked, his voice hoarse and throat dry from not speaking for so long.
“Shizun…I’ll go get you some water,” Deng Yenuo quickly said. He held Lin Cangyuan sit up the rest of the way and quickly rushed away then back. They held the cup to Lin Cangyuan’s lips and wouldn’t move until the man drank the entire cup.
His hands shook and he stared at Lin Cangyuan disbelievingly until the other spoke up again.
“What’s wrong?”
“…I’m still dreaming, right?” Deng Yenuo muttered dispiritedly. He clutched Lin Cangyuan’s head as a fresh bout of tears rolled down his cheeks. “Shizun, are you really awake?”
Lin Cangyuan smiled softly. “I don’t. But if I’m not, then this is still nice. It’s been a long time since I’ve dreamt of anything.”
Deng Yenuo squeezed Lin Cangyuan’s hand and lowered his head.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Cangyuan softly asked.
“…Can I hug you?”
Lin Cangyuan laughed. He pulled his hand away and hugged Deng Yenuo. He even gave the other a tight squeeze before he turned his head and kissed the shell of Deng Yenuo’s ear. “When have you ever been so polite? Don’t you usually just take what you want?”
Deng Yenuo squeezed Lin Cangyuan tightly until the other grunted uncomfortably.
Lin Cangyuan sighed and patted his head. “Now, I know I’m not dreaming.”
“Shizun.”
“Hm?”
“Shizun…”
“What is it?” Lin Cangyuan asked. He pinched the back of Deng Yenuo’s neck. “Has it been that long? Why are you so clingy?”
Deng Yenuo pursed his lips and burrowed himself further. “…Five years…”
“Huh?”
“…It’s been five years…”
Lin Cangyuan’s eyes widened. For a moment, he couldn’t react properly. He stared blankly over Deng Yenuo’s shoulders. The only sensation he felt was the wetness that began to pool around his neckline.
“It’s really been five years?” Lin Cangyuan asked softly.
Deng Yenuo hummed.
Lin Cangyuan let out a long sigh. “No wonder my crybaby is reacting so strongly…I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”
Maybe it would have been better if Lin Cangyuan had just died. Waiting five excruciating years for a person who no one knew would wake or die the next day must have been painful. Lin Cangyuan knew how Deng Yenuo was. He couldn’t bear to think about how horrible those five years had been for him.
“You’re awake,” Deng Yenuo whispered.
“I’m awake,” Lin Cangyuan reassured him. He brushed a hand down the back of Deng Yenuo’s head. “It’s okay now.”
Deng Yenuo nodded as he pressed himself even closer to Lin Cangyuan.
Lin Cangyuan laughed. He lightly smacked Deng Yenuo. “Hey, you’re making my waist bend backwards here. Can’t you straighten up properly?”
“This disciple will have to disobey Shizun,” Deng Yenuo murmured. “Right now, I want nothing more than to absorb you. I don’t want you to leave me like that ever again.”
Lin Cangyuan pursed his lips. He tried to shift to a more comfortable position. His eyes widened a fraction, but he quickly collected himself. He forced a smile and gently patted Deng Yenuo’s head.
“Silly—I promise I won’t do anything so rash again. I’ve done my part to save the world. I’ll retire now and stay by your side forever. Happy?” Lin Cangyuan asked.
Deng Yenuo softened at those words. He shook his head. “No…Shizun should continue to do what he wants. Just…be more careful, is all.”
Lin Cangyuan chuckled. He smacked a big kiss against Deng Yenuo’s ear. “How generous of you! Alright, Generous Deng Yenuo, let’s keep talking after you call the doctor in for me.”
Deng Yenuo immediately pulled back. “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”
“It’s not that. I just want to make sure that there really isn’t anything wrong,” Lin Cangyuan said. He smiled and cupped Deng Yenuo’s face. He smacked another few kisses onto his forehead, nose, and lips. “Go get your Ye-shishu for me.”
Deng Yenuo absentmindedly nodded and stood. He stumbled out of the room in a daze.
Lin Cangyuan chuckled softly. His smile slowly melted and he glanced at his legs. There was a trace of panic in the back of his mind, but he quickly swatted it away. If he panicked now, wouldn’t Deng Yenuo be even more panicked? He had to calm down. Even if he really…then, it was fine. He should be grateful that he survived such a stupid trick.
Ye Liuxing gently knocked on the door and entered not too long later.
“I told Yenuo you’d be hungry,” Ye Liuxing said.
Lin Cangyuan glanced at his shidi and raised a brow. “You already know?”
Ye Liuxing pursed his lips. “The rebound…wasn’t pretty. Thankfully, it missed your core, but your legs…”
“Alright. So, I’m still a cultivator. I’m just crippled?”
“Yes, Shixiong.”
“I guess…I guess that’s fine,” Lin Cangyuan said.
“…Shixiong, you’re oddly calm.”
“Or what? Do you want me to kick around and scream? My family has a little crybaby. He’s just barely calmed down. I can’t scare him again so soon,” Lin Cangyuan said. He glanced at Ye Liuxing. “You look like you have a lot to say. I hear I was gone for five years. Do you want to fill me in?”
Ye Liuxing let out a long, dramatic sigh, and sat down next to Lin Cangyuan. “You and Gui-shixiong sure make a pair!”
Lin Cangyuan listened to Ye Liuxing’s story with widened eyes. First, it went from Deng Yenuo leaving to Gui Yin’s disciples having a falling out. Then, it went to Gui Linghuo’s recovery, as well as the person he ended up nearly sacrificing himself for. Interspersed between these events were details about how the other major sects have been looking down on Yunjing Pavilion. Everyone was waiting for their downfall, but just like their sect master and strongest lord immortal, they ended up bouncing back.
“Where’s Qinle?”
“Him? He was sent to Beidou Town to check on the barriers. I don’t know what happened, but he wrote a letter a few weeks ago saying that he got corrupted by the resentment there and if he doesn’t stay in Kunlun for a while, he will get taken over by the madness.”
“Hold on, how is he in Kunlun?”
“It’s because he’s friends with Huigu Palace’s Palace Lord. I don’t know why he’s in Kunlun, but apparently his sect is there. Well, I say friend, but I keep feeling that they’re something more. Anyway, they managed to save Xiao Kui and now Linghuo is also recuperating in Kunlun. Speaking of which, Gui-shixiong should be coming back soon,” Ye Liuxing mumbled.
“So, this Palace Lord Sun saved me?”
“Technically,” Ye Liuxing nodded.
Lin Cangyuan hummed. He frowned slightly.
He had sent people to protect Gui Yin, had provided him a place to save, gave him help, and even saved Gui Yin’s shixiong? There was a lot to be unpacked and Lin Cangyuan couldn’t help but feel that his cabbage had been stolen by a pig while he was away.
“…What’s he like?”
“Gui-shixiong?”
“Palace Lord Sun,” Lin Cangyuan said.
“Oh! Oh, he’s…he’s nice.”
“…That’s it?”
“Well, yeah. He’s very helpful too,” Ye Liuxing said.
“Any flaws?”
“Flaws? Um…no, not really. I mean, he’s kind of tall. It annoys me,” Ye Liuxing said.
“And he’s good looking?”
“Very good looking. He and Gui-shixiong are very compatible…What’s wrong? Why do you look upset?”
“The more flawless and nice a person is the more they’re hiding,” Lin Cangyuan said. “He’s very well-mannered?”
“Pretty well-mannered. He usually kept to Gui-shixiong while he was over. I mean…well, if you want a flaw, he seemed a little arrogant, but it wasn’t the offensive kind.”
Lin Cangyuan’s expression grew darker. “He’s definitely hiding something.”
Ye Liuxing looked at Lin Cangyuan and slowly averted his gaze. “Shixiong, it’s probably too late for you to be worried now. They’re almost always attached at the hip—I mean, I think they were even during the war in certain ways. Your cabbage was probably stolen by the pig a long time…ago…don’t stare at me like that!”
“You and Jingyi didn’t even think to test him or something?”
“The person healed you without asking for anything in return and he was polite the entire time! Wouldn’t it be odd if Jiu-shijie and I suddenly pulled out cleavers and questioned him? That would have completely ruined any chance Gui-shixiong would have had at a relationship anyway.”
“Did you forget about last time?”
“How could last time be compared to this? Last time, we didn’t even know about the bastard until he came and left,” Ye Liuxing said. He sighed and patted Lin Cangyuan comfortingly. “Although Palace Lord Sun is a bit mysterious, he’s probably a kind person.”
“Probably is not enough.”
“Then…you question him yourself whenever they come back. Ah, right, before Gui-shixiong left, he gave me this to give you in case you woke up when he wasn’t there.”
Lin Cangyuan watched as an elegant wheelchair popped out form a small circular object. He stared at it and then back at Ye Liuxing, who was smiling sheepishly.
“Apparently it isn’t equipped with weapons yet, but it’s quite fun to drive around,” Ye Liuxing said.
白菜被豬拱了– napa cabbage got dug out by a pig.
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 HE IS AWAKEEEEEEEE ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ
did Ye Liuxing test drive the wheelchair? :3
LMAO maybe he did 👀 Gui Yin needed a test subject after all hehe. Thanks for reading!!
Thank you for the chapter! Poor Yenuo.
thanks for read!!!
He’s awake! 🤧
Thank you for this chapter 💕
thanks for reading!!
He woke up!!!!! T.T