WJ Chapter 63

Wanqiu (3)

At this moment, Guan Wujue was truly bewildered by Yun Changliu’s actions, completely at a loss and unable to comprehend what was happening.

He had come this time fully prepared to accept punishment, and the crime he had committed was clearly unforgivable. How was it that in the blink of an eye, he was embracing the Sect Leader again, as if nothing had happened at all?

And the Sect Leader’s attitude toward him was also bizarrely strange—he didn’t seem truly angry, and there was none of the disappointment and coldness that Guan Wujue had imagined a thousand times over.

While pulling the quilt from the bed to wrap around the Sect Leader, Guan Wujue secretly stared at Yun Changliu’s profile, struggling internally with his confusion: This isn’t right… it’s really not right. Why doesn’t the Sect Leader resent me?

Surely he couldn’t have lost his memory again under the influence of Fengchun Sheng poison?

Seeing the Protector’s gaze become increasingly indescribable, Yun Changliu remained composed on the surface, but inside he was both exasperated and amused.

Just moments ago, he, the dignified Sect Leader of the Zhuyin Sect, had thrown pillows and demanded to be held—it looked as childish as throwing a tantrum. But it was really a helpless measure.

After all, when Guan Wujue had entered looking like that, Yun Changliu knew at a glance that things would go badly. Without acting unreasonably and making a fuss like this, Wujue would definitely have knelt there refusing to rise, and wouldn’t be able to properly listen to what he had to say next.

Yun Changliu gently patted Guan Wujue and shook his head with a sigh. “Look at you—this lord hasn’t even had a chance to scold you, yet you’ve already frightened yourself into this state. When you’re like this… how can this lord bear to scold you anymore, hmm?”

These words “how can I bear to” made Guan Wujue’s heart simultaneously jolt and ache, suddenly becoming a tangled mess. He lowered his eyelashes and after a long while spoke with difficulty, “Sect Leader, please don’t joke with Wujue like this. Your subordinate has grown arrogant from favoritism and will take it seriously.”

“Who’s joking with you? I’m really not going to scold you.” Yun Changliu reclined naturally in the Protector’s embrace, his slender index finger tapping Guan Wujue’s lips as he cleared his throat. “Be quiet and listen to me.”

“This lord doesn’t care what wild thoughts you’ve been having these past ten days. Now I’m going to make things clear for you here—”

Yun Changliu spoke with deliberate emphasis, extremely solemnly:

“This outbreak of Fengchun Sheng poison has nothing to do with you. I don’t blame you.”

Guan Wujue was slightly stunned. After a long moment, he gave a bitter smile, showing no sign of belief. Instead, he mocked himself, “Why must the Sect Leader tell such lies for this subordinate’s sake…”

A cold wave suddenly rippled through Yun Changliu’s eyes. “Be quiet. Didn’t I tell you to listen to me?”

“I said I wouldn’t hold these ten days against you, but now this lord has already explained clearly. If the Protector continues with this death-seeking attitude…”

His pale, slender fingers decisively grabbed the Protector’s collar and leaned in, biting Guan Wujue’s lips neither lightly nor heavily:

“Then this lord will kiss you.”

“Mmm…!”

Guan Wujue’s entire body trembled as he gasped in extreme shock and alarm.

His hand instinctively covered his mouth, and he unconsciously tried to pull back, but because Yun Changliu was still leaning against him, there was nowhere to retreat. The sensation on his lips made the Protector feel as if he were in a dream. He closed his eyes and opened them again, his voice trembling terribly. “You, you…”

The development of events had become extremely strange.

Not only had the Sect Leader made a fuss with him and asked to be held—

He had also said he didn’t blame him.

He had also bitten him, and even threatened to kiss him…

Guan Wujue felt it was so absurd that heaven and earth had turned upside down. Everything exceeded his expectations, yet he didn’t know that his flustered reactions were falling one by one into Yun Changliu’s eyes, only making the Sect Leader’s heart feel constricted and stifled.

Regarding this matter, he had never intended to blame the Protector much, yet the Protector had first tormented himself from body to heart, kneeling there haggard and alarmed—how could that not make his heart ache…

Pulling down the hand that Guan Wujue was using to cover his lips in a daze and holding it in his own, Yun Changliu softened his tone, his expression becoming somewhat gentler:

“I say it has nothing to do with you because I already knew long ago that you wanted to target Ah Ku.”

Guan Wujue’s hand suddenly tightened, as if extremely astonished.

Yun Changliu timely covered it with his own fingers, intertwining their fingers in a comforting manner as he continued, “As for the reason for this poison outbreak, this lord knows it clearly himself. At that time, when exchanging internal energy with Father and reaching the final critical moment, I was too anxious and couldn’t control it. My internal energy was depleted too much, and without suppression, the Fengchun Sheng poison erupted so fiercely.”

His clear, pleasant voice flowed like water in the Yangxin Hall in the evening.

Probably no one could imagine that this young Sect Leader of the Zhuyin Sect, who had never been skilled at nor fond of conversation, would one day patiently choose his words so carefully and voluntarily explain so much to someone.

“Naturally, there is some displeasure. I’m annoyed that you knelt there without saying a word.”

“You don’t know how to defend yourself or beg for mercy—you can’t even admit your mistakes properly? What if I really lost my temper in anger? Would you just let me beat and punish you?”

“It was fine when you did this before, but now your foundation has already been damaged, yet you still dare to be so stubborn? Can you withstand it!”

Guan Wujue was completely confused, his mind seemingly rusted and unable to turn. Listening to Yun Changliu’s words drift further and further from the main point, actually beginning to chatter and scold him, he finally couldn’t help but interrupt. “No, no… wait, you said Ah Ku…”

“I’ve suspected you were up to something for a long time.” Yun Changliu showed a reminiscent expression. “That day when this lord wanted to send Ah Ku away and you came to plead for him, I knew there was a problem.”

It was just that at that time, Wujue had just awakened from unconsciousness, and he couldn’t bear to press him too much.

“Later, this lord had Hua Wan investigate, checking the Archives Hall records multiple times. Ah Ku’s entry into the sect coincided perfectly with the time of Duanmu Lin’s disappearance, and similarly, his information had been deliberately concealed. Thinking back to the trip to Wanci Manor, how could this lord not guess what you wanted to do?”

“Ah Ku is Duanmu Lin—my medicine person from back then.”

“You wanted to use Ah Ku’s life to obtain medicine for me.”

Guan Wujue’s lips parted slightly, but his throat was so choked he couldn’t speak.

Listening to Yun Changliu’s calm voice, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

So the Sect Leader had thought of it after all…

So the Sect Leader had clearly thought of it long ago, yet still pretended to know nothing and indulged him for so long?

Yun Changliu sighed somewhat wistfully while pinching the Protector’s fingers. “Actually, why go to such lengths? The Medicine Hall has already investigated—even the nine-leaf jade clarity lotus cannot completely eliminate Fengchun Sheng. It only prolongs life.”

“This lord already owes Ah Ku a life debt and an emotional debt. How could I, for the sake of lingering on a bit longer, commit such ungrateful and vengeful acts?”

“Even if Duanmu Lin weren’t Ah Ku, using an innocent person’s life to extend my own—this lord absolutely cannot permit such a thing. You clearly know this better than anyone, yet still…”

His words suddenly stopped here. This time Yun Changliu at least realized he had gone off track again and finally shook his head helplessly, forming a loose fist to cover his mouth as he coughed. “Never mind. I won’t talk about you anymore—there’s no use anyway.”

Having said this much, he felt somewhat thirsty, so he tugged at the Protector’s sleeve and looked toward the table, indicating, “Water.”

This Fengchun Sheng outbreak had nearly taken half of Yun Changliu’s life, and he should be terribly weak now, yet he had spoken so much continuously. Thinking of this, Guan Wujue suddenly became frightened. Not daring to delay, he quickly helped Yun Changliu lean against the headboard, got up to pour water, first tasting the temperature himself before handing it over, urgently saying in a low voice, “Sect Leader, please don’t exhaust yourself speaking anymore. Let Wujue call Wen Feng in to attend you…”

“Haven’t I rested enough these past days?” Yun Changliu didn’t immediately take the water to drink, but continued speaking, “Fengchun Sheng outbreaks cause emotional instability—you told me that last time. The Protector is also so skilled at provoking this lord’s anger, I was afraid I couldn’t control myself and would hurt you again, so I deliberately waited a few more days before seeing you.”

Actually, there was another reason. In the previous days, he truly lacked energy, often unable to stay conscious for long before falling into exhausted sleep. If Wujue saw him in that state, it would definitely make the Protector even more distressed, which he naturally didn’t want.

These should have been warming words, sufficient to melt all the ice from an anxious and uncertain heart, but now Guan Wujue had no mind to listen to these explanations. He stubbornly brought the bowl to the Sect Leader’s lips. Yun Changliu finally took the bowl and sipped some water. Seeing the Protector still standing, he beckoned, “Sit.”

Guan Wujue sat down on the bed, and the Sect Leader leaned against him again, saying gently, “Putting you in the Death Row was only an expedient measure—you’re not allowed to blame me. Also, at that time when the poison erupted, the pain made me not very lucid. Seeing you panic and lose all composure, I was afraid you would do something to harm yourself again, so I instinctively pushed you away… you’re not allowed to blame me for that either.”

Guan Wujue’s throat moved as he lowered his eyes. “Wujue is alarmed. The Sect Leader need not explain to this subordinate like this…”

Yun Changliu swallowed a few more mouthfuls of warm water and handed the bowl to Guan Wujue. His expression gradually softened as he looked at Guan Wujue. “So are you better now?”

The Protector froze in confusion. Yun Changliu asked again, “You’re not sad anymore?”

“…” Guan Wujue was silent for a short moment, but his handsome face was still covered in darkness. He asked carefully, unable to understand, “But the fact that Wujue deceived the Sect Leader is real. This subordinate has done such things—could it be that you don’t mind…”

Having said this, he himself found it laughable… how could he truly not mind?

“Don’t listen to my father trying to frighten you.” But Yun Changliu shook his head and suddenly sat up straight on his own, turning around to face him calmly and frankly, “Wujue, I like you.”

Guan Wujue’s breath caught as his eyes widened.

Like casting a stone into a lake, ripples spread.

In an instant, his mind was stirred into a hazy, confused mess.

“Do you know that this lord is fond of you?”

Seeing the Protector so shocked, Yun Changliu couldn’t help but furrow his brow and suddenly leaned close to Guan Wujue, pressing him. “Hmm? Do you know or not?”

“I…” Guan Wujue’s breathing was already completely disordered. He suddenly looked around frantically in panic, clearly wanting to escape. “You… you shouldn’t say anymore. Sect Leader, you’re too tired, you should rest first…”

“Don’t be afraid, Protector.”

Yun Changliu couldn’t help but smile. Though his features were cool and aloof, his smile warmed the heart. “Do you know what this lord means by ‘like’?”

“It means that even if you deceive me, defy me, scheme against me, use me…”

“Even if you hurt me, harm me, fail me…”

“Even if you want my life.”

Yun Changliu took both of Guan Wujue’s hands and firmly moved them toward his own neck, while simultaneously turning his head to tenderly peck at the lips of the person before him. “…I still want to kiss you.”

Guan Wujue’s whole body went weak, nearly collapsing against the headboard. Yun Changliu kissed him again, this time more deeply. “Do you understand now?”

Guan Wujue couldn’t utter a single word, his earlobes flushed red, only helplessly trying to push the Sect Leader away, yet not daring to use force with his hands.

Yun Changliu forcefully lifted the head he was trying to lower, speaking earnestly:

“Remember you said last time that if one day this lord no longer cherished you, for you it would be no different from being pulverized to dust.”

“This lord feels heartache whenever I think of those words, and when my heart aches, I can’t bear not to like you.”

Yun Changliu smiled again, his expression carrying a hint of satisfaction and pride, as if deriving small, pure joy from winning a round against the Protector:

“So I won’t give you another chance to do anything that could make me stop liking you.”

“As for Ah Ku, this lord has long since dispatched Zhuhuo Guards and Yin Ghosts to protect him. You can’t touch him.”

“As for this lord’s life…”

“Protector, feel free to take it—as you please.”