For Chu Wanning, this was the first time his fingers were tightly interlocked with Mo Ran’s, palms pressing together.

     He felt that it was enough, not too much. And fortunately, Mo Ran didn’t do anything else. Otherwise, he probably would have leapt from a hundred feet in the air to escape.

     This was good.

     For Mo Ran, this wasn’t the first time he had interlocked his fingers with Chu Wanning.

     He felt that it wasn’t enough, that it was too little. But fortunately, he didn’t do anything else. Otherwise, he would want to kiss him, to ask for more.

     This wasn’t good.

     But even so, Mo Ran could still sense that Chu Wanning was running away.

     When they landed on the ground, Chu Wanning turned and started rushing away without a word. But after running two steps, he felt that his pace was too fast and immediately slowed down.

     But after slowing down for two steps, he heard Mo Ran following behind him. Feeling embarrassed and awkward, he quickly picked up his pace again.

     “...”

     Mo Ran watched his hurried strides, his heart soft and aching. Seeing him walk directly towards a big tree, Mo Ran immediately warned, “Be careful—!”

     Bam! He still crashed straight into the tree.

     Mo Ran hurried over and asked, “Does it hurt? Let me see.”

     Chu Wanning covered his forehead without a word, and after a moment, he walked forward again.

     Mo Ran wanted to follow, but heard him say, “Don’t follow me. I… I need to go back and rest.” He hesitated, then continued, “Stand there and feel the breeze for a while. Come in after you’ve cooled down.”

     After I cool down?

     Mo Ran smiled.

     How can I cool down?

     I held your hand, Wanning, my heart is warm.

     But he still obeyed, and didn’t follow. He stood under the cold moonlight and watched Chu Wanning walk away until he disappeared behind the wall. Then, he walked to the tree Chu Wanning had accidentally bumped into. After a moment, he rested his forehead on the trunk, against the rough bark.

     He closed his eyes.

     Chu Wanning…

     Liked him.

     Floating flowers and flowing water, an isolated island like spring. The bright moon hung in the sky and the clear clouds covered the sun. The tide surged, and the sky and water merged into one.

     No matter how good the world was, it couldn’t compare to the fact that Chu Wanning liked him.

     Even though he was lacking in words and talent, at this moment, his heart was surging with emotions. Love could turn a simple and straightforward person like Mo Ran into a poet.

     Chu Wanning liked him… Chu Wanning liked him!

     He pressed his forehead against the bark, wanting to remain calm, wanting to endure, wanting to “cool down,” wanting…

     No, he couldn’t do it.

     He couldn’t remain calm, couldn’t hold back, couldn’t cool down. His closed eyes trembled slightly, tenderness and ecstasy lingering between his lashes. The corners of his mouth curled up, the dimples in his cheeks deepening as the sweetness overflowed more and more.

     Chu Wanning liked him.

     Liked him.

     It was… it was the person he was in love with, the best person in the world, the person he wanted to hold in his arms for the rest of his life. It was Chu Wanning… Chu Wanning…

     The former Emperor Taxian-Jun, and current Mo-zongshi of the cultivation world, stood in the middle of this desolate white sand, leaning against a tree with leaves rustling in the wind. His eyes were closed and his head was lowered. His shoulders trembled as he laughed.

     Because Chu Wanning liked him, the smell of the wind was sweet. Because Chu Wanning liked him, the sound of the waves was sweet.

     Chu Wanning liked him.

     He lowered his eyes and laughed, but as he laughed and laughed, he started to cry.

     He was grinning like a madman, tears streaming down his face. It was so sweet, but his heart ached.

     Chu Wanning…

     Liked him.

     Ever since Butterfly Town, he had been secretly carrying that brocade pouch, their knotted hair.

     He liked him…

     He suddenly wanted to know—when did Chu Wanning start standing behind him, silently accompanying him, silently waiting, waiting for him to turn around, waiting for him to reach out his hand, waiting for him to turn around and see him?

     Chu Wanning, how long had he waited?

     In this life? In the previous life?

     Or both together—twenty years?

     Even longer than twenty years?

     He was a Mo Weiyu who had seen through the dust and smoke. He knew that the most priceless thing in this world was time. With his power and influence in the previous life, he had been nearly all-powerful. All kinds of precious treasures, beauties, and flatteries had poured in endlessly. Only time, passing like a river, could never be chased down and returned.

     If a person was willing to exchange ten thousand taels of gold for you, that was lust.

     If a person was willing to trade a promising future for you, that was love.

     And if a person was willing to give twenty years of his life, the best years of his life, to exchange for you, to wait for you…

     He didn’t make a sound, didn’t ask for anything in return, didn’t expect anything to come of it…

     That was stupid.

     Really, really stupid.

     Mo Ran’s throat was dry, bitterness rising to his tongue in a tidal wave, surging as he thought.

     Chu Wanning, you really are… too stupid.

     How can this be?

     How can I, Mo Weiyu, ever deserve this?

     You are the best person in the world, but what about me?

     His hands were covered in blood, his death never to be regretted—thousands of people had spat at him, telling him he would never be reincarnated.

     I bullied you, hated you, let you down, killed you…

     You have no idea what I’ve done…

     You don’t even know!

     Mo Ran clutched the tree, his choked sobs falling into the whistling sea breeze. What had he done?

     Under Chu Wanning’s gaze, he had chased after another person. Under Chu Wanning’s gaze, he waited for someone else to turn around. In the illusion of Jincheng Lake, he personally said to Chu Wanning, “Shi Mei, I like you.”

     He had taken a knife and stabbed Chu Wanning’s heart!

     But what about Chu Wanning?

     He was silent as a rock.

     When the knife stabbed into his heart, he acted like nothing happened, taking care of him, forgiving him, accompanying him.

     Until death.

     …Until death.

     He laughed and cried bitterly. He was the only one under the moonlight; no one could see that he was on the verge of going mad.

     In his two lifetimes, Chu Wanning had never let Mo Ran know his feelings, even until death. The most humble thing this proud and unyielding person had ever done in his life was fall in love with someone.

     He did everything he could for that person, but had clearly long since understood that there would never be a place for him in the other’s eyes. He chose not to disturb him, chose not to alarm him, and didn’t want him to face any trouble, knowing full-well that the other would never like him.

     He chose to leave behind his last bit of dignity.

     In his previous life, until his death, he could only say one thing: “It was I who wronged you. I won’t blame you, in life or in death.”

     In this life, he had confessed to him. This precious and proud person confessed, “I’m not good, I’ve never been liked by anyone.”

     Taxian-Jun… Mo Weiyu… What…. What had he done…?

     What had he done?!

     Was he blind, or had he lost his mind?

     Why couldn’t he see through it? Why had he let him down?

     Chu Wanning laid on the bed, the curtain already lowered as he looked at the light outside through the haze. His face was hot and his heart was beating rapidly. However, his thoughts were frozen, flowing very slowly.

     Compared to the person outside, who was unable to experience pure sweetness due to his evil past, Chu Wanning seemed so simple and honest. He spread his fingers out in front of his eyes, and when he came back to his senses, he found that he had placed one hand on top of the other, covering his hand and holding it just like Mo Ran had been holding him earlier.

     “...”

     When he realized what he was doing, Chu Wanning froze in shock. Then, he flew into a rage, angry from embarrassment. He hated himself for being so captivated by the man’s strength that had prevented him from breaking free.

     What a good-for-nothing!

     He furiously let go of his hand and slapped his right hand with his left.

     Creak. The door was suddenly pushed open, the night wind blowing the curtain.

     Chu Wanning abruptly turned over and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He heard the other man enter the room and walk to the bed. His tall figure blocked the faint glow of the candlelight, and even through the curtain, he could feel the sudden dimming of the room. Mo Ran’s shadow cast itself over the bed, filling him with trepidation and making it hard for him to breathe.

     “Shizun, you’re already asleep?”

     Mo Ran’s voice was very gentle. For some reason, it carried a hint of hoarseness, as if it was dipped in the bitter saltiness of the sea.

     Chu Wanning didn’t answer.

     Mo Ran stood in place for a while, then began to quietly rustle around for a bit, as if he was afraid of waking Chu Wanning. He went back to the place he had slept last night, remaking his bed on the floor, and blew out the candle flame.

     In an instant, the room was plunged into darkness. Because of the absence of the spirit butterflies and haitang flowers, the darkness was even deeper than it was last night. It was a darkness that was oppressive and consuming. It made one fear what would happen in the night, while also making one look forward to what could happen.

     But Mo Ran didn’t do anything. This person who used to be famous for visiting brothels suddenly became so mute, so cautious, compassionate and polite.

     He closed his eyes and laid down fully clothed.

     Chu Wanning let out a sigh of relief, then vaguely felt a little gloomy. However, before he could feel ashamed for this feeling, he heard Mo Ran get up from the ground again. Then, the bed curtain moved lightly as Mo Ran lifted it.

     Chu Wanning’s heart jumped to his throat as he remained motionless, looking like he was curled up in sleep. He tried his best to even out his breathing, hoping that the other wouldn’t notice anything strange.

     He didn’t know what Mo Ran wanted to do by suddenly getting up. He had never had a cultivation partner, nor had he broken his precepts. His only knowledge of sex came from those inexplicable and absurd dreams.

     He was like a man who had never been in the water before. He feared the turbulent waves more than he was eager for them, preferring to find a small pool of water that only reached his waist, so he could splash in it a few times. If he suddenly had to face the surging current head-on, he was afraid he would drown in the whirlpool.

     He was actually very afraid of any more actions from Mo Ran.

     However, he didn’t know if it was because Mo Ran felt his slight trembling, or heard his indisputably rapid heartbeat, but he only stood quietly for a while. Then, he leaned over…

     As he got closer, Chu Wanning could almost feel his hot breath. It was as if his blazing chest was about to press right over him.

     However, after looking at Chu Wanning for a moment, Mo Ran only tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and covered him with the warm quilt.

     Chu Wanning finally felt a little at ease. He felt both satisfied and dissatisfied by Mo Ran’s actions, but from the looks of it, Mo Ran was still an honest person—

     While the word “person” was still taking form in his head, the honest Mo Ran lowered his head again. Chu Wanning only had the time to feel a soft, warm touch on his cheek before his mind buzzed with a wave of shock, splashing thousands of snowflakes onto the rocks of the shore.

     Mo Ran’s breath lingered around him, scorching him, tormenting him.

     Mo Ran was kissing him on the cheek.

     How many people could face the sleeping face of their beloved and only look at them with folded arms, only tuck them in and say goodnight?

     Mo Weiyu had exhausted all of his restraint and endurance. The chains containing his longing had pierced deeply into his flesh, strangling everything else, but he had ultimately indulged in this soft and gentle kiss.

     Chu Wanning’s blood surged. Poor Yuheng of the Night Sky was a wise and powerful man. He had been calm and composed all his life, but under Mo Weiyu’s soft breaths, his face burned and his palms grew sweaty. For a moment, he couldn’t think of anything. He couldn’t feel anything. His heart was beating so fast that it no longer seemed to belong to him. It was as if a lit fire had suddenly ignited in his stomach and bright lights flashed before his eyes. In the midst of his dizziness, he was only barely aware of one thing.

     Mo Ran was kissing him.

     Even though it was only on his cheek.

     As for other things, such as how long Mo Ran had been kissing him, he didn’t have any room to think about it anymore. His fingers were clenched tightly under the quilt as his sweat beaded up uncontrollably. He couldn’t stop his eyelashes from trembling…

     Fortunately, the night was so dark that Mo Ran couldn't see his trembling lashes. 

     Fortunately, Chu Wanning’s face was so hot, and he was in such a daze during the kiss that he didn’t feel the warm tear slide down Mo Ran’s cheek and onto his neck.