Waking Up
Waking Up
In a room filled with light candles with a hint of purple color upon its fire, a slender figure slightly submerged upon the clear water of a heptagon-shaped pool slowly opened a pair of sapphire eyes.
The moment the person woke up, the countless small lanterns creating a mysterious formation with him as the center started to lose the mysterious glow upon it.
After a few moments of silence, a hoarse and cold voice softly echoed out in the entire room.
"Ren Yuan?"
The young woman kneeling a distance away from the pool finally let out a deep sigh of relief seeing the young man had finally regained consciousness. At the same time, her lips form a wry smile after hearing what the young man had spoken just after waking up.
"Young Master Cheng really treasures him the most."
After waking up, he came first into your mind, huh? How much deeper have you truly fallen?
Jiayi smiled with a hint of envy after witnessing how the young man that miraculously remained dry despite healing at the clear water pool for a long time had inquired about Ren Yuan's situation instead of his own circumstances.
"Young Master Cheng doesn't need to worry, he is completely alright, already running around and causing chaos back in the Capital."
"... I see."
Shao Cheng remained silent, never asking why the man wasn't by his side since Ren Yuan is usually sticky and clingy during such situations as he slowly stood up and started checking the state of his body.
Seeing the slender figure in the pool slowly sitting up, Jiayi's eyes flashed with hesitation after remembering Ren Yuan's reaction after regaining his consciousness while Shao Cheng completely lost his consciousness.
After seeing the young man standing still with the familiar cold and indifferent expression on his face like usual with the decreasing light from the small lanterns reflected in the cold sapphire pupils, Jiayi finally spoke up what was on her mind, only to be cut off halfway.
"... I don't know how to really explain it but, Young Master Cheng, do you remember wha-"
"I could guess it."
Shao Cheng couldn't really forget the last kiss he had with the previous Ren Yuan, and what consequences it will lead if the younger Ren Yuan has regained consciousness in that moment.
Although he didn't expect to completely lose his consciousness amid the heated and desperate kiss, he was sure that man was shocked beyond recognition.
"What is his reaction?"
This is what he wanted to know the most even if he already had guessed.
"Although Young Master Yuan had a good mask and others wouldn't mostly tell what was really going on in his mind, but, my instinct told me that the reaction he showed was genuine."
And I would have learned about those certain details a few more years if I didn't receive the memories of that future though…
Jiayi silently observes the young man's reaction before continuing on when he remained indifferent showing nothing on his face. Well, this person too has always been good at hiding his emotions based on the memories she received.
After all, it's quite an astounding motion to remain hidden for years while playing around those old sly foxes in the Royal Courts, the ambitious people in the Aristocrats family, especially the Imperial Royal Family.
"I dare say that he was honestly flustered, panicked, and horrified after regaining consciousness while deeply being intimate with you…"
Who wouldn't though if they suddenly wake up deeply kissing the person they have only thought of as a close friend? There is also the fact that it wasn't a simple kiss and a tongue has accompanied it.
Jiayi couldn't help but flush in bright red after remembering the passionate kiss she witnessed, while Shao Cheng's eyelid twitches on what he just heard from the young High Priess observation before raising his eyebrow at what he heard next.
"Don't worry though, he seemed to have gotten the wrong impression that he has tarnished you while being greatly affected by what is going on with the powerful curse."
The poor guy doesn't have any idea at all about what really happened.
"Of course, Lin Renshu and I have sincerely explained that you weren't conscious when he attacked you, which calmed him down tremendously. Honestly, instead of feeling anything remarkably unpleasant about his kissing action, he was far more worried about being hated by you."
Do you get what I mean? In his subconscious mind, even I could tell that the man has already grown some sort of emotion toward you.
Even close friends would feel something bad or uncomfortable when they find themselves in his situation, especially when the opposite person is the same gender.
There is bound to be an ounce of dislike about it, and yet, the man showed nothing negative of that sort, completely showing that despite the short time the two of you have known each other, a spark has already emerged.
Jiayi tried to detect something from the young man's expression only to end up failing, as the mask of indifference and coldness remained firm, completely masking any emotion for her to glimpse at.
She can only inwardly sigh at how difficult and complicated the people around her are, already imagining her hard future of always facing people she couldn't fully read.
"Of course, we have been threatened to remain silent about it, so there is no need to worry about the situation being mentioned when you meet him."
From the look of it though, he will feel awkward when facing you later on.
"So, after a long explanation and the need for you to stay in the Sacred Mountain because of the after-effects and damage the purification process had done toward you, Young Master Yuan had left to deal with another important situation."
Honestly, I bet he just doesn't have enough courage to face you the moment you wake up though. The kissing appeared to have greatly affected him despite not showing anything from the outside.
"I see… How long have I been asleep?"
Shao Cheng inwardly sighs in great relief after figuring out the entire situation and the fact that there is no need to make a good reasonable explanation of what happened between them.
At the same time, there is also a hint of disappointment since an expectation and hope had also been unconsciousness born deep within him regarding their future relationship.
He was quite getting used to how confusing and complicated his feeling and reason turned out to be whenever it concerned Ren Yuan. It's one of the flaws and problems for having someone he likes.
"Three days after the powerful curse is purified."
Shao Cheng nodded his head as he started walking out of the clear pool, only glancing at the small lantern covered with a mysterious rune upon it as he passed by.
Now, there is one more person he needs to deal with before he can finally leave the Sacred Mountain, he already stayed long enough and wasted time since there are so many things he needed to do.
Especially when he also doesn't want to startle the present High Priestess, after all, it doesn't matter if the older woman is far weaker than the young Jiayi because it doesn't change the fact that Heaven would never choose someone simple and weak.
Shao Cheng knew his weakness very well, especially when he was still new to the mysterious way. So, among anything else, he is far guarded and alert when it comes to the new power he is just learning about.
"Lin Renshu?"
For now, though, he needed to choose what to do to the person who had witnessed and learned about his greatest secret.
Honestly, why can my secret not remain a secret?
Although Shao Cheng understands that there is no secret that would remain hidden forever, but he wouldn't let go of the chance for his to remain a secret until the day he died.
Jiayi is already special enough so he can understand, but now, there is another person, was this a premonition that someone else will once more learn about it?
Shao Cheng felt troubled when those thoughts flash in his mind.
At the same time, Jiayi smiled the moment the young man had gotten closer, before giving a small bag filled with a written mysterious rune that she had long prepared, knowing fully well that the young man would deal with the person who learned his greatest secret.
"I would have silenced him, but… it seemed like the young man could keep his life intact. I honestly don't know if it's a good thing for him though."
Even I already figure out how manipulative and a scheming person you could be.
Shao Cheng didn't answer even if he detected the small mirth but at the same time a steel like coldness in the young Jiayi voice, when it's clear that he would keep Lin Renshu alive.
Of course, after all the trouble and difficulty of keeping the man alive, taking the powerful curse, and getting severely injured, even Shao Cheng would hesitate to simply silence Lin Renshu off.
There is also the fact that a certain younger brother of Shao Cheng has already birthed a certain romantic feeling, and seemed to be one of the main reasons why his younger brother had survived in the previous life.
Of course the most important fact for Shao Cheng to keep the man alive is the fact that there is an amazing ability to silence the man from letting anyone know about his greatest secret.
So with that, after taking an hour of eating, bathing and changing clothes, then reading the instructions from what the young Jiayi had prepared, Shao Cheng went to where Lin Renshu was being held until he woke up.
"I'll give you a choice."
Shao Cheng met Lin Renshu, who is showing complicated and interested eyes after entering his room. The young man is still sitting on a wheelchair since more time is needed for him to rehabilitate in order to finally use his pair of legs once again.
"Die a peaceful death."
Of course, Shao Cheng also wanted to know what the young man would choose if given a decision. Never revealing that there is already a plan forming in his mind on how to deal with him.
"Or give up your freedom and life in order to live."
Well, it did not surprise Shao Cheng when Lin Renshu didn't hesitate to choose to live despite giving full control of his life. Although he couldn't help but twitch his lip after what the young man had said next.
"Well, please take care of me in the future… Brother-in-law."
Aren't you asking to be killed with an attitude like that?