After Sheng Jun Chapter 66 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 66 Private Affairs Exposed (part 1)
Lin He's sunflower seeds scattered all over the ground as he sat there dumbfounded, staring wide-eyed at the scene before him.
Jiang Xingzhi felt his palm grow warm. Before he could even feel his heart flutter, he caught sight of his friend's shocked gaze from the corner of his eye. A sudden wave of embarrassment washed over him at being caught in such an intimate moment. He tried to pull his hand away, but it was held firmly in place.
Not only did Zhong Ming not let go, he pressed another kiss to his palm, making a soft "chu" sound.
"Xu Jian...!" Jiang Xingzhi's fingers curled as he turned toward the person before him.
Zhong Ming seemed completely oblivious to Lin He's sudden appearance. His burning lips pressed against Jiang Xingzhi's palm as he lifted his eyes in this position, his gaze direct and passionate.
Jiang Xingzhi's breath hitched under that provocative stare, and his movement to withdraw his hand stopped.
The two locked eyes for several breaths. Zhong Ming released Jiang Xingzhi's hand and glanced toward Lin He, who sat dazed on the ground. The meaning in his eyes was unmistakable: Why aren't you leaving?
Lin He suddenly snapped out of his intense shock! He grabbed onto the artificial mountain beside him and slowly swayed to his feet. "Holy shit! You, you two..."
His sharp gaze immediately fixed on Jiang Xingzhi: Didn't you say there were no private affairs between you?
Jiang Xingzhi felt guilty under his stare. Combined with being caught red-handed in intimacy with Xu Jian, he hurriedly pushed at Zhong Ming. "Let go quickly."
But his strength was minimal, more like feigned resistance.
Zhong Ming, well aware of this person's true intentions, didn't release him upon hearing this. Instead, he pulled him into his embrace. "Mm!" Jiang Xingzhi's head ended up buried in his shoulder.
Lin He was already stunned: This brazenly?
Zhong Ming's lips pressed against Jiang Xingzhi's ear, but his eyes looked toward Lin He standing awkwardly to the side. In a place where Jiang Xingzhi couldn't see, his gaze was chillingly cold.
Lin He felt a chill run down his spine under that stare. He sucked in a breath and stammered, "Then, then, then I'll leave first! Won't disturb you two!"
After saying this, he turned and fled, not even bothering with the sunflower seeds on the ground. His figure disappeared beyond Qiting Mountain in an instant.
……
Finally, only Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming remained on the mountain.
Jiang Xingzhi was held in Zhong Ming's embrace, feeling that reassuring heartbeat. Zhong Ming whispered against his ear, "He's gone."
"Who told you to act so recklessly?" Jiang Xingzhi emerged from his embrace with an accusatory tone.
"Mm, I'm sorry." Zhong Ming readily apologized, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Xingzhi's cheeks. Blushing like this—clearly he doesn't mind his advances. He understood this quite well, as Jiang Xingzhi had reacted the same way when he was infatuated with "Bai Mu."
Thinking this, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness all flooded through Zhong Ming's heart simultaneously.
He continued, "Your face is very red."
Jiang Xingzhi's eyes widened: Xu Jian, this person, still so shameless! He couldn't control these reactions at all and could only try to appear less flustered. "That's all because you made the first move."
Zhong Ming corrected him, "You made the first move with your hand. I moved with my mouth."
"...You still have the nerve to argue!"
"I was wrong. I'll listen to you."
His attitude was so compliant that Jiang Xingzhi's reproachful words got stuck in his throat.
Zhong Ming stared at his flushed face for several moments, then suddenly tightened his embrace and couldn't help asking, "You blush so easily—would you react this way to anyone who got close to you?"
Nonsense. He would never let others get close to him.
Jiang Xingzhi pushed at Zhong Ming. "Why should I answer such a question?"
Zhong Ming's entire being radiated a faint sourness. He opened his mouth, then remembered that he indeed didn't have the right to interrogate yet, so he softened his approach and reached for Jiang Xingzhi's hand.
"Then what I asked you earlier—will you give me an answer?"
Jiang Xingzhi said, "What did you ask me?"
Gripping his hand tightly, "Will you become my Dao companion?"
Jiang Xingzhi met Zhong Ming's gaze, carefully searching the depths of his eyes for traces of emotion: anticipation, nervousness, awkwardness, anxiety... He wondered what kind of answer this person truly wanted to hear.
After considering for a moment, he replied with reserved solemnity, "You're being too sudden about this."
Zhong Ming let out a disappointed sigh of relief.
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
He had never seen someone blend these two emotions so naturally. Xu Jian was truly a master of emotional management.
Then he continued, "But."
Zhong Ming expectantly held his breath. "What?"
Jiang Xingzhi grew shy. "I don't dislike... you being intimate with me like just now." He still wants more cuddles~
The small courtyard behind the artificial mountain fell quiet for several breaths.
The grip on his hand suddenly tightened, and thump—Jiang Xingzhi was pulled into that warm embrace. Zhong Ming held him tightly, his heartbeat rapid. "You really are..." Always giving him these opportunities!
Jiang Xingzhi felt his spring desires stirred by this possessive embrace. He struggled half-heartedly without breaking free, then imperceptibly nuzzled against Zhong Ming's shoulder.
"What about me?"
"...Nothing, you're just very cute."
Jiang Xingzhi took the opportunity to settle old scores. "Really? Didn't you always say I had water in my brain?"
Zhong Ming praised him, "Even if there's water, it would be clear spring water."
"..." Xu Jian is still so good at compliments. Jiang Xingzhi rested his chin on his shoulder. "Oh, so?"
A hand squeezed the back of his neck. "So I want to pursue you."
It's time to advance his progress with Xu Jian.
Probably thinking they had just transitioned from an "enemy relationship," Zhong Ming paced himself. After confessing, he didn't make any further advances, only squeezed Jiang Xingzhi's hand and gave it a kiss before heading back.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to add, "Only you can enter my main peak, because the restriction only opens for you alone. You can come whenever you want."
After saying this, he flew back to his own main peak.
After Zhong Ming left, Jiang Xingzhi stood in place, letting the cold wind cool him down. Xu Jian really is... already an old man, yet still acting as pure as if experiencing first love.
After cooling down, he lifted his feet to return to his own palace courtyard. Just two steps out, he heard a "crack" sound beneath his feet.
Looking down—sunflower seeds all over the ground.
Damn! Jiang Xingzhi snapped out of his romantic daze and finally remembered his little brother who had fled in panic: It's over! Lin He caught us being intimate!
How was he going to explain this?
Before Jiang Xingzhi could devise a strategy, early the next morning, he was dragged from his main peak by Lin He and the other two, escorted to their usual gathering table by the pond of Xuantian Sword Sect.
The three surrounded him, forming a human wall.
"Confess!" Lin He's gaze was sharp as a torch.
Jiang Xingzhi shrank into his seat. "What's there to confess?"
Lin He was deeply pained. "How much I trusted you! Believed you two weren't secretly conspiring... and I nearly got silenced! Don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
Lord Huan Qi cracked his knuckles and looked down disdainfully. "We all heard what Lin He said—the scene was quite steamy... Shouldn't our pure Xingzhi say something?"
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
Steamy my ass! Just kissing a palm—these inexperienced people!
He gave up completely. "It's exactly what you saw. So what?"
Three sharp intakes of breath rose simultaneously!
Lin He recovered first. "What do you mean 'what you saw'? Aren't you and Xu Jian Sheng Jun enemies? Weren't you fighting irreconcilably? How did you immediately start kissing and hugging after being reborn? After I left yesterday, did even more unspeakable things happen!"
Jiang Xingzhi swept out his spiritual power to push them away, finally getting fresh air. "He's not that capable."
"What??"
"No... I mean nothing like that happened."
But clearly his credibility had plummeted significantly.
Shuang Ling placed a hand on his wrist. "Pulse is beating fast, suspected of lying."
Jiang Xingzhi pulled his hand back. "Quack doctor."
Shuang Ling: "Ha! Starting to throw mud now—you're getting desperate."
Jiang Xingzhi waved them away irritably, too lazy to argue with them—mainly because he couldn't win, since he and Xu Jian were indeed secretly conspiring.
"Tell us, how exactly did you two get together!"
"How far have things progressed?"
"There's no progression." Everything reset to zero, damn it.
"Do you think we'll believe that?"
Soon several figures were tangled together, the scene quite chaotic.
In the midst of their chaos, Jiang Xingzhi's communication device suddenly rang. "Wait, wait."
The three stopped.
The communication connected, and Zhong Ming's voice came through. "Where are you, Xingzhi?"
The three shouted in shock. "Holy shit!!!"
The communication went quiet for a moment, then Zhong Ming asked, "At Xuantian Sword Sect?"
Jiang Xingzhi glanced at the three beside him, signaling them not to overreact, then responded to Zhong Ming, "Mm, playing with friends."
Especially Shuang Ling and Lord Huan Qi—when Lin He had previously described how he caught Jiang Xingzhi and the other in their private affair, they had remained skeptical. Now they were completely convinced—
Look, look at this inseparable clingy level, this familiar tone in their conversation... It was clearly the feel of passionate love!
Three heads immediately crowded near Jiang Xingzhi. Jiang Xingzhi was asking Zhong Ming what was the matter when he was suddenly surrounded, so he waved his hand. "Go away, go away."
"What's wrong?" came the voice from the communication.
"Nothing, nothing at all."
Zhong Ming paused, then suddenly asked, "When will your gathering end?"
Jiang Xingzhi said, "Anytime."
He didn't want to stay here being interrogated. These three people's stares were even more like interrogation lamps than his.
Zhong Ming said "I understand" and hung up the communication.
Jiang Xingzhi stared at the communication talisman: Understand what???
But before Jiang Xingzhi could think further, the others pulled him over. Lin He's gaze was quite shaken. "You Mahayana peak cultivators call this 'no private affairs'!?"
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
Oh well, love really can't be hidden.