WJ Chapter 46

Zijin (4)

The Sect Leader’s bed was very large. Two people lying on it didn’t feel cramped at all, with plenty of space left over.

The Yangxin Hall, usually so cold and desolate, had for the first time two braziers burning. When Guan Wujue opened his eyes, his consciousness was still foggy. His body was tightly wrapped in brocade quilts, soft as cotton and warm as a little furnace. Beside him, Yun Changliu wore only a thin inner robe, his long hair unbound, reclining at his side while holding his hand.

The Protector had been unconscious for too long. Though he couldn’t fully awaken yet, he instinctively felt that the Sect Leader couldn’t go on like this—he would catch cold…

In a daze, he tried to lift the quilt from himself, wanting to cover the Sect Leader with it. But as soon as he raised his arm, it went weak and numb, falling powerlessly back into the bedding.

“Wujue, don’t move.” Yun Changliu started in alarm and quickly reached over with his other hand to restrain his movement.

Guan Wujue stared blankly at the Sect Leader, his eyes seeming veiled with mist.

Yun Changliu immediately moved closer until their skin touched. His expression and voice were both gentle to the point of being cautious and tentative, as if afraid of startling someone just awakening from unconsciousness. “…Wujue? Why aren’t you speaking? Call this lord?”

Within the cocoon of warm quilts, Guan Wujue slowly turned over and called out, “Sect Leader.”

Only then did he hazily realize that dawn was breaking around them—it was a refreshing, clear morning.

A crisp, dark fragrance lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate.

Yun Changliu hummed in acknowledgment, finally feeling at ease.

With one hand supporting the Protector’s nape and the other reaching around to embrace his waist and abdomen, he first slowly drew him into his chest, then carefully helped the person in his arms sit up together.

Even though Yun Changliu was already being so meticulous, Guan Wujue still felt dizzy when moved upright, unable to help frowning and closing his eyes.

The Sect Leader took the honey water that had been prepared long ago from the table by the bed. Holding the porcelain bowl to Guan Wujue’s lips, he bent his head down to the Protector’s ear and said softly, “Drink a sip. You’ve finally managed to wake up—you’re not allowed to sleep again.”

The Protector was someone who could always adapt to circumstances. When he had energy, he was so unrestrained that even the Jade Emperor couldn’t control him, but when exhausted, he would act listless and docile as a cat before familiar people—especially before the Sect Leader. Right now he was feeling terrible, so when Yun Changliu handed him the bowl and told him to drink, he obediently opened his mouth and took a sip without even looking at what it was. Only after swallowing did he taste the sweetness.

It contained not only honey but also several medicinal ingredients that Guan Muyan had prepared long ago. The Sect Leader coaxed him in a low voice to continue drinking. Leaning against his shoulder, Guan Wujue slowly drank two more sips with his help, and the dizzy feeling truly began to ease.

Once his mind gradually cleared, he immediately didn’t dare let Yun Changliu continue holding him in his arms.

The Protector opened his eyes and tried to struggle, but unfortunately, Yun Changliu knew his temperament well. He had already set down the bowl and tightened his embrace. “Feeling better now? Look outside the window.”

The Sect Leader’s breath gently brushed against his ear. Guan Wujue’s entire body tensed. He forced his lips into a weak smile and said feebly, “Just now, Wujue showed impropriety. Sect Leader, please forgive… You should release this subordinate first?”

Though he said this, his gaze obediently looked outward.

With this one look, he froze, unable to move.

In the courtyard outside Yangxin Hall, there was a blazing red—that familiar dark fragrance was coming from outside the window.

A patch of vermillion plum trees had actually been newly planted.

“Remember what this lord promised to compensate you with last time? Does it look good?”

Yun Changliu pulled over a soft pillow from the side and carefully placed it behind Guan Wujue’s lower back for him to lean against, only then withdrawing and stepping back. “You’ve been unconscious all this time. No matter how this lord called, you wouldn’t wake. But when the plum blossoms bloomed, you knew to get up and look. How could you be like this?”

Sect Leader Yun’s tone of speech was usually calm and unwavering. Sometimes, even when speaking words of complaint and reproach, his voice held no inflection. The people of the Zhuyin Sect had grown accustomed to it over the years, but outsiders would surely find it extremely awkward to hear.

“……”

Guan Wujue couldn’t speak for a long time, staring at Yun Changliu in astonishment. The latter also looked back quite frankly.

The Sect Leader was usually very disciplined. He didn’t like being served when washing up in the morning, so it was rare to see him with disheveled clothes and unbound hair like this. Looking at him now, there was an indescribable lazy composure, an elegant and casual charm.

“…You,” finally, the Protector spoke with great difficulty, pointing outside the window. “The flowers you want to compensate Wujue with—why are they all planted in… your Yangxin Hall?”

“Mm,” Yun Changliu said calmly, “Because you need to move here.”

Guan Wujue’s expression instantly became blank with confusion.

——What the hell!?

No… what did the Sect Leader just say??

The Sect Leader pulled the brocade quilt up higher for the Four Directions Protector, drawing it to his chin, and considerately added one more explanation. “From now on, the Protector will live in Yangxin Hall together with this lord.”

Guan Wujue grabbed Yun Changliu’s hand, his voice trembling. “You… what kind of joke are you making!?”

The Sect Leader casually caught the Protector’s hand and tucked it back under the quilt, saying, “It’s not a joke. The Protector is too disobedient. This lord doesn’t trust you. After thinking it over, only personally watching you is most reliable.”

Yun Changliu’s reasoning was actually very simple.

Aren’t you the one who won’t rest even when injured?

Aren’t you the one who conceals matters and won’t speak even unto death?

He indeed couldn’t discover the truth for the time being. The person was already injured to this extent—dragging him to the Punishment Hall for interrogation would be even more unbearable. But he absolutely couldn’t allow Wujue to continue taking risks without his knowledge.

He might as well use the most foolish yet also most effective method—bring the person under his nose to personally care for him, watching him at all times without leaving for a moment.

He wanted to see what kind of troublesome schemes this person could still manage under these circumstances.

It must be said, Sect Leader Yun’s move hit the mark perfectly.

Guan Wujue—he truly had his vital point struck by this blow!

The Protector immediately wished he could pass out again and cough up several more liters of blood. He helplessly tugged at Yun Changliu’s sleeve. “Sect Leader! This—how can this be allowed? Yangxin Hall has since ancient times been the Zhuyin Sect Leader’s bedchamber. How can this subordinate live together with you… Wouldn’t this be the crime of great disrespect!?”

Yun Changliu actually thought about it quite seriously. “Has the Protector perhaps forgotten? Wives and concubines summoned by the Sect Leader for his favor may also stay overnight in Yangxin Hall. It’s only because this lord’s inner chambers have been empty until now that there has been no such rule. That’s all.”

“Cough cough cough…” Guan Wujue couldn’t catch his breath and suddenly choked in a fit of coughing. He stared at Yun Changliu for a long time, unable to spit out a complete sentence. “You… you! Cough cough cough cough…!”

Yun Changliu didn’t dare tease him anymore. He hurriedly pulled the person over to pat and stroke his chest, coaxing him in a low, soft voice with a few phrases of “don’t rush,” and fed him a few more sips of medicine. As soon as Guan Wujue recovered his strength, he pushed him away to get out of bed. Unfortunately, his body was still weak. In the blink of an eye, the Sect Leader had, without allowing any argument, embraced him back and wrapped him in the quilt again.

After two such rounds, Yun Changliu was unmoved by either soft or hard approaches. Without saying a word, he simply refused to let the Protector leave this bed.

Guan Wujue had absolutely no strength to resist. In the end, dizzy and disoriented, he was held in the Sect Leader’s arms, breathing lightly. Feeling Yun Changliu’s fingertips slowly playing with strands of his hair, a crushing wave of despair swept through his heart. “Sect Leader…”

Yun Changliu actually laughed aloud, quite pleased to see the Protector at a disadvantage. “Accept it, Protector.”

As he spoke, unable to restrain the itch in his heart, he reached out to gather up a lock of Guan Wujue’s long hair, lowered his head and kissed the ends. “If you behave and properly accompany this lord through this final journey, wouldn’t that be good?”

He paused, then kissed it again. “Don’t make trouble anymore. Be good. Hurry and nurse your health back. Whatever you want, this lord will give you everything he can, mm?”

…Even though Yun Changliu hadn’t touched him at all, Guan Wujue only felt a tingling, electrifying stimulation run along his tailbone all the way up to his nape, shocking his entire body weak.

In the depths of his heart, a small, thin voice cried out: But Wujue only wants you to live. This is the only thing I ask for in this life—I don’t want anything else, nothing else at all!

Seeing that the Protector had stopped speaking, Yun Changliu felt a bit sorry for him and feared pushing him too hard all at once. His hand loosened slightly around him. “Forget it… even if you really want to cause trouble, you must rest for a while first. Look—right now, when this lord embraces you onto the bed, you can’t even struggle free. Much less leave Yangxin Hall, isn’t that right?”

Guan Wujue smiled bitterly. What did he mean by “when this lord embraces you onto the bed, you can’t even struggle free”—though it was the truth, saying it out loud was rather bizarre… Having the Sect Leader speak words of comfort really was difficult for him.

Only then did he suddenly notice another oddity. He and the Sect Leader had been rolling around on the bed for so long, talking as well—the sounds they made shouldn’t have been quiet. Yet no one had knocked on the door to inquire…

This wasn’t right. Where was Wen Feng, the Sect Leader’s close attendant?

As soon as Guan Wujue showed a questioning look—before he could even speak—Yun Changliu already understood his meaning.

“Looking for Wen Feng? The Protector has only just awakened for a moment, yet you’re already anxious to see this lord’s close attendant?”

Guan Wujue silently tilted his head with a smile, his gaze persisting in asking.

Yun Changliu lowered his eyes in thought for a moment. Just then, a wicked idea suddenly occurred to him. So the Sect Leader’s face darkened as he spoke, “You’ve only just regained consciousness. This lord was unwilling to upset you, but since the Protector insists on asking…”

Yun Changliu sighed softly and, with apparent seriousness, coldened his face:

“As for Wen Feng, this lord no longer wants him.”

Guan Wujue froze, completely failing to process this. “You said… what?”

Yun Changliu stared at Guan Wujue for a long while, sitting up straight solemnly, and said coldly, “Those matters you all concealed from this lord—this lord knows everything now. Wen Feng deceived his master, committing grave treason. This lord has already removed him from the position of Sect Leader’s close attendant, first punishing him with two hundred lashes of the Bone-Crushing Whip, then confining him in solitary reflection for one year.”

——Guan Wujue’s pupils contracted sharply!

In that instant, the Four Directions Protector who feared neither heaven nor earth almost thought his heartbeat would stop.

The next moment, the Sect Leader suddenly turned and pressed the Protector down onto the bed. Though his movements remained careful, they carried a rare dominance and even faintly revealed some anger and heartache. “This lord cherishes you so much… yet the Protector has deceived this lord so bitterly!”

“Even now, this lord will give you one final chance…”

“Will the Protector explain, or not explain?”