Chapter 103

Chapter 103

At dusk, amidst the foggy mountains, the setting sun set the peaks ablaze with red, and suddenly, the tranquil woods were filled with the raucous chirping of birds.

The two emerged from the woods.

The villagers hadn't expected their sudden return, and there was something odd about the atmosphere between the two. Xie Zhigui was walking ahead with a dark expression, while Ming Feiyu followed five steps behind, at an unhurried pace, as if he had done something wrong.

Xiao Man ran over happily and hugged Xie Zhigui, tilting his expectant little face upwards, "Brother, did you bring me something tasty?"

Xie Zhigui expressionlessly ruffled his hair, gently pulled him aside and pushed him away, and without a word, headed towards the timber house.

"Brother?" It was the first time Xiao Man had been snubbed by him. He watched Xie Zhigui's retreating figure, not understanding why he was being ignored today.

His gaze turned towards the only person who might have upset Xie Zhigui, yet he dared not ask aloud.

Ming Feiyu only glanced at him indifferently and cautioned, "He's in a bad mood; don't bother him for the next few days."

"Oh." Xiao Man nodded eagerly, not knowing what had happened to them outside, but he was sure that obeying would not be a mistake.

Xie Zhigui did not return to where Ming Feiyu was but instead entered the room next door and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, clearly harboring great resentment, and Ming Feiyu quickly followed.

As he pushed open the door, a pillow came flying straight at him the moment his foot crossed the threshold. Ming Feiyu didn't dodge, allowing the pillow to hit his face and leave a red mark.

Xie Zhigui sat on the bed, fuming with rage, glaring at him and shouted fiercely, "Get out!"

Ming Feiyu, as if he hadn't heard, didn't get angry. He bent down to pick up the pillow, dusted it off, turned around to close the door, and with his eyes, warned those squatting outside who were peeking in at the commotion.

The villagers' faces changed instantly, and they scattered in all directions.

With the door closed, the light dimmed considerably inside the house. Now that the bothersome onlookers were gone, he could focus on placating his little lover.

However, seeing Xie Zhigui's frosty expression, it seemed that it would be quite a challenge to appease him this time.

He was still brooding over the morning's events.

Xie Qingyuan, usually blusterous, was remarkably calm during critical situations. She patiently waited for Xie Zhigui to explain the whole story. Trusting that Xie Zhigui had not laid hands on their father, she let out a sigh of relief, asked him to stand behind her, and then, with a fierce move, drew her sword and aimed it at Ming Feiyu - the hatred for the murder of her father and the usurpation of her brother was too profound to share the same sky.

But Ming Feiyu was not one to easily bow down either. He pulled Xie Zhigui, who was hesitating, to his side and then looked at Xie Qingyuan with cold, challenging eyes.

If a fight was inevitable, he was ready to see it through to the end.

The tension was so thick that it even overpowered the stench of blood that filled the room.

Caught between them, Xie Zhigui felt his head swell with tension; if these two clashed, surely one would be gravely injured, and he wished to see neither harmed.

Unable to dissuade them, he let go of Ming Feiyu and with a heavy heart, threw himself against Xie Qingyuan's sword, startling both combatants. Xie Qingyuan hastily withdrew her sword, and seizing the moment, he dragged Ming Feiyu out with him.

On the way back to Mist Mountain, Xie Zhigui's phone kept ringing, but he dared not answer it.

Ming Feiyu saw him hesitating over the glowing "brick" and snatched the phone from his hands, tucking it into his sleeve. Dodging Xie Zhigui's attempt to retrieve it, he claimed he was "keeping it safe for a while."

Xie Zhigui was annoyed, but Ming Feiyu seemed unconcerned.

Previously, Xie Zhigui's anger would subside after a short while, but unexpectedly, this time he simply ignored everything, continuing to walk ahead. Calling him had no effect, attempts to pull him were shrugged off, and an attempt to embrace him for reassurance resulted in a solid slap to the face.

"What are you doing..."

His voice came to an abrupt halt.

It was only upon seeing Xie Zhigui's eyes, red with anger, and his palms trembling that Ming Feiyu realized he might have truly gone too far this time.

For the remainder of the journey, he ceased his antics and silently followed behind.

It was as if they had reverted to their initial phase of mutual testing and estrangement, leaving Ming Feiyu feeling an unsettling emptiness and anxiety, his gaze not daring to stray from Xie Zhigui for even a moment.

If it would lead Xie Zhigui to acknowledge him again, Ming Feiyu was willing to endure a few more pillow strikes to the face; what he feared most was being met with silence and indifference again, those being his sharpest weapons.

Back inside the house.

"Has some of the anger dissipated?"

Ming Feiyu took a few tentative steps closer, only for Xie Zhigui to immediately grab another pillow and hurl it at him.

"I said get out!"

Ming Feiyu still didn’t dodge, letting the pillow hit him hard in the chest.

Did it hurt?

It did hurt a little, after all, it was Xie Zhigui who had thrown it.

"Why didn't you tell me my sister was right at the door?" Xie Zhigui demanded, his eyes bloodshot and his teeth chattering with rage.

Ming Feiyu, concerned about his current state, feared that approaching further might provoke him into something dangerous, so he stood his ground.

"Speak!" Xie Zhigui roared in anger, a rare loss of composure for someone who was accustomed to dealing with things calmly and indifferently; today he was truly unable to contain himself.

Ming Feiyu picked up another pillow, still unfazed as he dusted it off, his voice steady and composed, "Because I wanted her to see it."

Xie Zhigui leapt from the bed as if propelled by a spring, fury igniting from his feet to his crown as he demanded, "Why?!"

"Why would you want her to see us being intimate in that situation?! If she hadn't trusted me enough today, she might have thought that I helped you murder Xie Sanxiao!"

"But didn’t she end up trusting you in the end?" Ming Feiyu's response remained as composed as ever, as if Xie Zhigui’s current outburst was making a mountain out of a molehill.

No matter how agitated Xie Zhigui became, Ming Feiyu's replies were unfalteringly calm, suggesting that to him, Xie Zhigui was merely overreacting.

The anger in Xie Zhigui’s heart burned even more fiercely. Why could Ming Feiyu afford to be so detached, standing there so collectedly? It was he who had seduced him into such a foolish act! How could he act as if it was nothing?!

Thus, he continued his sorrowful interrogation, "Did you consider my feelings when you devised this plan? She saw everything! She saw us kissing in that bloody room, her brother and her father's killer shamelessly cavorting in front of her father's corpse!"

"How am I supposed to face her after this?!"

Ming Feiyu replied in a mild tone, "Then don’t face her."

Xie Zhigui was taken aback: "Do you even know what you’re saying?"

"I’m saying, just don't go see her anymore," Ming Feiyu repeated earnestly, his gaze serious, signaling that his words were neither spoken in anger nor on a whim.

Yes, it was a long-premeditated plan.

“……”

Ming Feiyu stood in the light pouring through the window at this moment, yet not a single ray fell upon him; his figure remained in a murky, cool shadow, his eyes enigmatic and dark, intensely fixed on Xie Zhigui. They weren’t far from each other, yet they seemed to exist in two different worlds.

Suddenly, Xie Zhigui felt a chill spreading from within, seizing his breath away in an instant.

"You did this on purpose, didn’t you?"

Clinging to the last thread of hope, he believed that Ming Fei Yu wouldn’t go to such extremes.

Yet Ming Fei Yu’s silence and the scorching gaze that clung to him confirmed everything.

Any hope was merely a pitiful tactic of self-hypnosis born from despair.

Xie Zhi Gui suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and vertigo, fatigue and a sense of powerlessness caused him to stagger and collapse back onto the bed.

His shadow on the floor was frail and slight, as if it could scatter with the slightest breeze. As he watched it, he suddenly let out a laugh, his vision gradually blurring, warm and moist.

He laughed at how naive and ridiculous he was to have been so easily softened, thinking that Ming Fei Yu only wanted his comfort.

Ming Fei Yu knew he abhorred the scent of blood, yet did not take him away immediately. Instead, he dragged him there, which clearly indicated ulterior motives.

At the time, he also sensed something was amiss, yet he chose to trust anyway.

He had promised to give his wholehearted trust to let him feel at ease, hence he would rather upset Xie Qing Yuan and explicitly stated he wouldn’t break up, hence he would endure both mental and physical discomfort to give him a tender kiss, hence time and again he lowered his standards to satisfy his demands, no matter how unreasonable...

But what has that trust brought him?

It led to Ming Fei Yu deceiving him into cutting off his only escape route by his own hands.

He could never return to his former home, for Xie Qing Yuan would be reminded of that ludicrous scene in the room at the sight of him, and he didn’t dare to imagine Xie Qing Yuan’s feelings at this very moment.

There were few he could love, and fewer still who loved him, and now, there was one less.

"Do you really have to drive me to a dead end?"

Xie Zhi Gui felt that his current state must look utterly desolate and pathetic, like a helpless beast betrayed by its dearest loved one and driven away by its family, because he saw pity and reluctance in Ming Fei Yu’s eyes.

If it pains you so, why must you treat me this way?

Ming Fei Yu: "Because you're too easily frightened. If I don't force you, if I don't cut off your retreat, you would never come to me."

So that’s it... to leave him with no choice but to take the only path available, the path that leads to him.

What then was the purpose of our vows of mutual trust? And what of all my efforts to maintain harmony between Ming Fei Yu and my family?

I've strived to reassure Ming Fei Yu, to let him feel my love. He sees it, he knows it, and yet he still doesn’t trust me enough, remaining suspicious and resorting to coercion.

Ming Fei Yu’s actions turn me into a joke, a laughingstock!

I actually believed that a monster could learn to understand humans! What a ludicrous fantasy!

But I truly considered it, truly believed.

In the throes of extreme grief, a maelstrom of emotions peaked, tearing, compressing, entangling; my head throbbing with pain, my heart nearly bursting, unsure of what face to put on, I started to laugh hysterically.

My behavior is erratic, and Ming Fei Yu’s concern deepens in his eyes; he wants to embrace me but fears that might only provoke me further. "Ah Gui, you can continue to hit me to vent, don't hold back."

Don't hold back?

If I don’t, I’ll only feel more lost.

I don't know how to handle Ming Fei Yu's stubborn possessiveness and affection, how to manage the current situation, whether to hate that he understands me too well or fear his understanding?

I just don’t know; I really can’t comprehend it anymore.

Ming Fei Yu watches me alternate between laughter and tears, his heart wrenching. He would rather I continue to hit him, curse him, yell at him than see me like this.

Ming Fei Yu dares not rub salt into Xie Zhi Gui’s wounds, fearing he might hurt himself unintentionally, wanting to say something to distract him.

"Would you like something to eat? I can make it for you."

"Get out!"

Xie Zhi Gui vented all his resentment on Ming Fei Yu, undoing his clothes, tearing off the amulet necklace around his neck, and throwing it. The amulet struck Ming Fei Yu's forehead squarely, eliciting a muffled groan as blood trickled down his jawline.

Drip, drip—forming a series of eerie patterns on the floor.

The sight of blood left both of them stunned.

An unsettling silence suddenly descended upon the room.

He didn’t dodge again...

Xie Zhi Gui's fingers curled and trembled, then clenched into a fist, forcefully suppressing the discomfort in his heart, turning his head to look at the wall, refusing to glance at him.

Ming Fei Yu pressed his pale lips together, standing still, waiting for a word of concern from Xie Zhi Gui that never came, a shadow of gloom and sorrow creeping into his usually impassive eyes.

Xie Zhi Gui has reverted to treating others with indifference.

Ming Fei Yu first set the pillow in his hand aside on a table, then bent down to pick up the blood-stained amulet from the floor, carefully wiping it clean with his sleeve. However, the embossed pattern of clouds and cranes was now misshapen.

The intentions carved into it were difficult to realize, requiring many sleepless days and nights, sitting by the window with the design, thinking of his beloved, pondering for a long time before carefully engraving each stroke of the blade, the fragmented sentiments gathered, etched into a complete, exquisite pattern, embodying his love and blessings for his beloved.

But destroying that sentiment took but a moment.

"It’s broken."

Ming Fei Yu traced the altered pattern, seemingly empathizing with it, his voice hoarse as if his vocal cords had been scraped against the ground, wounded.

"The amulet is broken, and the wound hurts too."

"Xie Zhi Gui's blows always hurt this much."

"Xie Zhi Gui's body instinctively wanted to turn back and look at him, but his anger kept him silent."

"Why should Ming Fei Yu feel wronged? Isn't it his just desserts for a broken lock?"

"He could feel the gaze on him, pitiful and stubborn, with a tinge of hope, like a little dog that had done wrong, abandoned by its master, looking up eagerly at the indifferent owner, longing for a change of heart."

"But if he relented now, it would mean forgiving Ming Fei Yu, accepting his sometimes excessive possessiveness, which might grow even worse in the future, beyond his control."

"Xie Zhi Gui was both annoyed with him and afraid of him."

"'Take your things and leave. I don’t want to say it a third time.'"

"Ming Fei Yu clenched the amulet tightly in his hand, his gaze shifting. It seemed that playing weak was ineffective against Xie Zhi Gui now; he was determined to be ruthless to the end."

"Ming Fei Yu took a step towards him, and Xie Zhi Gui immediately shrank back into the bed, curling up his body, a clear sign of resistance."

"He felt heartache but was helpless, so he withdrew his step and stood back in place."

"'What I’ve given you is yours to do with as you please, but I won’t accept it being returned.' Ming Fei Yu was referring to the amulet, but also to other things."

"Yet, after he had spoken, Xie Zhi Gui still gave no response, just stared at the wall, as though there was something worth seeing."

"He was at a loss with him, just looking at his cold profile and sighing."

"'I'll take this with me for now and return it to you once it’s fixed.'"

Ming Fei Yu uneasily cautioned, "Don't wander around at night; it's dangerous outside. I'll be right next door, call me if you need anything."

As his words faded, the intense gaze that lingered in the periphery of Xie Zhigui's vision dissipated. With the door closing, Xie Zhigui collapsed onto the bed as if drained of strength, unclenching his fists to reveal five deep indentations in his palms where his nails had dug in too forcefully, a testament to the effort he made to not show vulnerability in front of Ming Fei Yu.

Because now, he could no longer afford to trust Ming Fei Yu wholeheartedly.

He was cautious, guarding himself with cold detachment until he could be completely sure about someone, just like before.

He was also timid, ready to retract into his protective shell at the slightest hint of trouble.

Once a barrier arises, even if it's just a tiny crack, it will tear and expand over time.

A thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant hole; human relationships are similarly fragile.

The events of just one morning would take a long time for them to digest and resolve.

When left alone, Xie Zhigui suddenly snapped out of his daze, looking around in bewilderment as if searching for something.

But the empty room responded only with silence, and the faint scent of blood.

The pool of blood on the floor was almost congealed, showing a dull reddish-brown hue indicative of a significant wound.

Xie Zhigui looked at his right hand, which hadn't stopped shaking since earlier; even pressing down on his wrist bone could not still it.

It wasn't just his hand that was trembling, but his heart as well.

Out of fear, anger, and also regret.

He knew, after all, what use was there in scolding Ming Fei Yu? The mistake was made together, and together they must bear the consequences.

Xie Zhigui was angered by Ming Fei Yu's scheming which forced him into a corner, leaving him no choice but to choose Ming. Yet, he was also angry at his past self for lacking spine and being too soft-hearted. Had he firmly rejected Ming Fei Yu's desperate pleas for intimacy and pushed him away, perhaps the subsequent events would never have occurred.

But he had chosen a path of mutual downfall, his heart ensnared, his boundaries blurred, brewing a bitter draught that now he had no choice but to swallow.

Outside the room.

Ming Fei Yu had not left; he leaned against the door, listening to the sounds within, anxious about Xie Zhigui's emotional state.

He feared hearing even the faintest sob from inside, knowing it would cause him heartache and distress, and he would struggle to resist rushing in to embrace him, to hold him close and soothe him, kissing away the tears at the corners of his eyes.

Yet, he did not regret killing Xie Sanxiao. Xie Sanxiao's wretched end was purely his own doing.

Imitating Xie Zhigui's face to curry favor in a revolting display, he aimed to deceive Ming into lowering his guard. Unfortunately, his acting skills were crude and unbearable to witness.

Ming wanted nothing to do with him, wishing to kick him to the ground, concerned for Xie Zhigui's safety and eager to find help. But as he neared the door, Xie Sanxiao suddenly pulled out a magical instrument, his face contorted in malice, launching himself in a death-defying lunge from behind—

If Xie Sanxiao sought death, Ming would oblige.

Ming regretted not stopping Xie Zhigui from bursting in, and from Xie Zhigui's reaction, it seemed his method of dealing with the incident had indeed been impulsive. Perhaps a gentler approach should have been employed to ensure that Xie Zhigui had no choice but to stay by his side.

But given the chance to do it over, in that same situation, he would still become flustered at the sight of the familiar figure appearing at the doorway. He didn't want his beloved to see him blood-stained and demon-like, didn't want to be feared and fled from.

Or even, hated.

The first thought that sprang to his mind was—would Xie Zhigui hate me?

Xie Zhigui, who cherished relationships so deeply, who cared so much for family, having witnessed me kill his father, would he be heartbroken? Would he resent me for breaking my promise to him? Would he look at me with eyes full of hatred? Would he come to loathe me from that moment on?

For so long he had suppressed his true nature, masked his intense greed, and woven a tender and intricate web. He had coaxed Xie Zhigui into it, blissfully unaware, cradled carefully in his hands. He thought he had covered all bases, but suddenly, an emergency arose.

In those brief minutes, his nerves were stretched to breaking point, his gaze not leaving Xie Zhigui for a second, and his ears deaf to any sound but the profound silence that enveloped just the two of them.

If Xie Zhigui were to turn and run the next second, he was uncertain what acts he might commit, driven by an overwhelming sense of unease.

Fortunately, Xie Zhigui came forward and embraced him, his warm body temperature calming the agitation, and his faint fragrance steadying the turmoil within.

But still, he couldn't find peace of mind; he knew the person in his arms was afraid of him, the forced smile and the braced embrace might well be out of fear of him being blinded by rage.

After all, Xie Zhigui's concerns were for others, risking himself not for him.

The object of his thoughts and care was in his arms, yet he felt an unsettling sense of insecurity, as if Xie Zhigui might at any moment dissipate into a wisp of smoke that he couldn’t grasp.

He had never felt such poignant trepidation.

Upon sensing someone approaching the room, his jaw rested in Xie Zhigui's hair, and he lifted his reddened, enigmatic eyes towards the tightly shut door, suddenly struck with an idea.

An idea that left Xie Zhigui no way out but to return home with him...

It wasn’t a clever plan, and Xie Zhigui would likely see through it afterward, but in that moment, his desire to bring him back was too urgent.

This was the second time he had lost his reason over Xie Zhigui, the first being that night in the cave.

The consequences of that night had irrevocably tied their destinies together.

And the consequences of this time might loosen the ties that bound their hands.

But what else could he do? Simply watch him walk away?

Impossible, he absolutely could not do that.

What was to be done? What was to become of Xie Zhigui?

He no longer knew.

Time passed, indiscernible, as a cool breeze drifted outside.

Ming Feiyu stared at the sunset sinking beyond the mountain's edge, the gleam in his eyes slowly reclaimed by the night. He could neither grasp the departing light nor hear the heartbeat of the person within the room. That unsettling anxiety grew ever stronger.

Love can conceal many a flaw, or it can exacerbate contradictions to the point of no return.

Perhaps after tonight, all that he feared might unfold, or perhaps it would not.