After Sheng Jun Chapter 65 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 65 Strict with Oneself (part 2)
Jiang Xingzhi avoided the first but not the fifteenth.
The day after the banquet ended, he was dragged out again by Lin He and the others.
Xuantian Sword Sect, a small table by the pond.
This was where they used to gather often. Ever since Jiang Xingzhi failed his tribulation and died, Lin He and the others, afraid of being reminded of their grief, never came here to gather again.
Now that Jiang Xingzhi had returned, the small table was cleaned up again.
At this moment, Jiang Xingzhi was being held in his seat by Lord Huan Ji and Shuang Ling on either side. Lin He sat across from him with crossed arms, bringing his big face very close, "Now it's just us friends. Quick, quick, quick, confess honestly!"
Jiang Xingzhi used his spiritual power to push him away, "Confess what?"
"You tell me what! Overnight, the entire Three Realms is about to turn upside down!" Lin He slapped the stone table loudly, like a carp jumping out of water.
"You don't know—after you pulled Xu Jian Sheng Jun away from the banquet yesterday, the entire banquet hall was about to explode! The musicians stopped playing, the chatters stopped chatting, the drunk sobered up... everyone was speculating what happened between you two!"
Jiang Xingzhi coughed guiltily, "It was just a hug, a reunion after long separation... you're all being too dramatic."
"That was just a hug?" Huan Ji Jun squinted, "We're not blind. The way Xu Jian looked at you was almost at forbidden book level."
Holy shit, what forbidden book level! Jiang Xingzhi's ears reddened as he shrugged off the two hands on his shoulders, looking accusingly at Lord Huan Ji, "The yellow-minded see yellow—it's your heart that's not clean enough."
Lord Huan Ji's eyes widened, "My heart isn't clean? Come, come, come, Shuang Ling! Take out the recording stone and let our pure and flawless Xingzhi see for himself who's not clean."
Thud, the recording stone was placed on the table. Yesterday's scene played clearly before their eyes.
This was the first time Jiang Xingzhi saw himself and Xu Jian from an observer's perspective: In the center of the empty venue, Xu Jian embraced him from behind, and when he lowered his head, his lips almost touched his ear. The deep eyes were full of intense and lingering affection, truly looking like he wanted to do something to him...
Damn damn damn! Jiang Xingzhi immediately pressed the recording stone off with a "click."
Lord Huan Ji continued fanning the flames beside him, "How about it? Who's not clean?"
Jiang Xingzhi changed the subject, "Who told you to record such things?"
Shuang Ling raised both hands to prove his innocence, "We didn't record it! We were all shocked into stone statues at the time! This was recorded by someone else—it's spread throughout the Three Realms, okay?"
Damn these gossipy cultivators!
Jiang Xingzhi felt like his whole person was cooked, bubbling away. He picked up his tea cup to cover half his heated face, "What are they all saying?"
"Nothing but various love-hate melodramas of the year. Deep affection plots, melodramatic plots, and torturous deep love plots. Unrequited love, misplaced devotion, secret affairs..."
Pft! Jiang Xingzhi spat out his tea. What the hell?
"Oh, there are also more realistic ones, guessing which of you has been possessed."
Bah, why is "possession" considered realistic! Jiang Xingzhi glanced at the three in front of him, "Stop guessing. You're all wrong."
They were clearly having a sweet "love triangle"~
Three heads immediately leaned together:
"All wrong means what? You two don't have a private relationship?"
"Then why did Xu Jian look at you that way?"
"Speak up, what's the truth!"
Jiang Xingzhi leaned back in his chair and started cracking sunflower seeds, keeping his mouth sealed tight—
This was too complicated to explain, involving rebirth, Heavenly Dao, events from a thousand years ago, and Xu Jian's disguise... If he really told the whole truth, with these three's loose mouths, probably within half an hour the entire Three Realms would know.
He said leisurely, "When the time comes, you'll naturally know."
The three said in unison, "What time?"
But Jiang Xingzhi closed his mouth, squinting his eyes and basking in the sun like an infuriating lazy cat.
Hmph~ Of course when he and Xu Jian made their contract. Their spectacular "love triangle story" must be known by everyone in the world!
****
After sending away three overly curious friends, Jiang Xingzhi finally returned to his own mountain peak at sunset.
As soon as he landed on the peak, he sensed a familiar aura.
It was Xu Jian! Jiang Xingzhi's eyes lit up, and he immediately strode toward the small courtyard where the aura was located.
Rounding a decorative rock formation, he saw Zhong Ming standing sideways in the courtyard. Sensing his arrival, the latter turned around—his previously chaotic and conflicted eyes now looked much more determined, as if he had made some resolution.
"Jiang Xingzhi." Zhong Ming called him.
Jiang Xingzhi walked up to him in a few steps, looked up at him, and hummed in acknowledgment.
Zhong Ming's gaze fell on his face, fixed for several breaths, then his throat moved as he took Jiang Xingzhi's hand, "What you asked me yesterday, I've thought it through."
Jiang Xingzhi's heartbeat involuntarily quickened, but he still had to act like he didn't know, "What did you think through?"
The fingers with thin calluses gently caressed his wrist. Zhong Ming looked down at him, "Living again, shall we not be mortal enemies anymore?"
"Then what should we be?"
"If I say it, will you agree?"
Jiang Xingzhi's ears heated up, "That depends on what you say. I'll consider it."
Zhong Ming stared at his ears for a moment, then steeled his heart. He pulled the person into his embrace with force, his other hand gripping Jiang Xingzhi's waist. He closed his eyes as if making some great "sacrifice."
It's fine, Xu Jian.
It's just digging his own grave again—it's not the first time... he was already practiced at it.
After building up his mental preparation, Zhong Ming reopened his eyes and looked at Jiang Xingzhi, saying, "Become dao companions, alright?"
Jiang Xingzhi's eyes widened slightly.
Though they had already done so many intimate things before, hearing this confession like a first love still made his heart race with excitement and nervousness.
Each other's heartbeats transmitted through their pressed-together chests.
Zhong Ming tightened his grip on his hand, unable to control himself as he pulled Jiang Xingzhi's hand toward his lips.
Jiang Xingzhi drew in a breath. Just then, he suddenly sensed movement in the mountain peak's protective array, "Wait... wait, someone's coming!"
Zhong Ming's movement paused, his eyes suddenly darkening.
This person's timing was truly casual... His own mountain's protective array only allowed Jiang Xingzhi entry, yet Jiang Xingzhi's mountain peak seemed to let who knows how many people in.
Truly worthy of being "everyone's" lamp, how wonderful.
Sensing the visitor would reach them in moments, Zhong Ming's gaze lowered, and he... bent his head down.
****
Lin He came to chat with Jiang Xingzhi.
Since he couldn't get information about Jiang Xingzhi and Xu Jian's relationship during the day, he now came to talk about something else privately: like the matter of his failed tribulation and rebirth. That night when Jiang Xingzhi came to find him, didn't he say "it's a long story, I'll tell you another day"?
Well, he was here now with little sunflower seeds to listen to the details.
Just as he landed on the mountain peak, Lin He vaguely heard some voices. He happily followed the sound into the courtyard: Xingzhi, daddy's here! The next moment he heard someone say urgently, "Wait... wait, someone's coming!"
Hm? Who was he talking to?
Lin He wondered as he rounded the decorative rocks in front of him. As his vision shifted, two figures suddenly fell into his sight—he saw his thick-skinned good brother Jiang Xingzhi with a flushed face, being held in a dominating posture by Xu Jian Sheng Jun, clearly spring feelings awakened.
And that proper and aloof Xu Jian Sheng Jun pulled Jiang Xingzhi's hand and lowered his head to place a kiss in his palm.
A tender and gentle kiss.
"...!"
Lin He was so shocked by this scene that he stepped back and sat down hard on the ground: Holy... holy sh*t!