Chapter 29 Que Zizhen Likes Him

Chapter 29: Que Zizhen Likes Him

"What are you two senior brothers discussing?" Sheng Yiming entered in his wheelchair. "I think I heard... Demon Lord."

Pei Tianhe tried to change the subject, but Nie Zhangdong, oblivious to his intentions, spilled the beans.

Sheng Yiming looked quite intrigued. "I’d really like to meet the person who caught Zi Zhen’s attention."

The rumored Xi Mu, who bore a striking resemblance to the Demon Lord, had only appeared once so far. That single appearance had already caused quite a stir at Wen Dao Academy.

Nie Zhangdong had never been fond of those flashy show-offs who caused a stir wherever they went. He snorted, "What’s so great about meeting him?"

Sheng Yiming, well-acquainted with his temper, chuckled. "Senior brother, you’re just venting your frustration on him."

After all, it was the students of Wen Dao Academy who had been gossiping and prying into others' private affairs. If one were to assign blame, they were hardly in the right.

If anything, it was their lack of discipline that had tarnished someone else’s reputation.

Nie Zhangdong was merely venting. To actually go to Qingjing Peak and demand an explanation would be unreasonable by any measure. He sighed, "I just wanted to ask for your advice on how to rein in those unruly youngsters."

"In my opinion, they’re just idle," Pei Tianhe cut straight to the truth.

Every year, after the training period ended, Wen Dao Academy would grant its disciples a month-long break. With the date approaching, it was inevitable that they would grow restless.

"Why not move up the inter-academy competition to two months from now? That should give them a sense of urgency."

The inter-academy competition was actually organized by Lingdao Academy to select outstanding disciples.

Some said that only by entering Lingdao Academy could one truly be considered a disciple of Tianshu Palace and have the chance to be taken under the wing of the elders.

This competition was of great importance to the disciples of Wen Dao Academy.

Pei Tianhe’s suggestion wasn’t just about giving them a sense of urgency—it was more like cracking the whip to drive them forward.

Nie Zhangdong couldn’t help but clap admiringly. "Senior brother, you’re brilliant!"

Sheng Yiming also smiled. "The sect leader really knows how to handle things."

"By the way, will the child Zi Zhen brought with him participate in the competition?" he asked casually. "Although Zi Zhen only secured an observer status for this child, given his exceptional talent, hasn’t Nie senior brother considered formally admitting him into Tianshu Palace?"

Everyone has an appreciation for talent, and Nie Zhangdong was no exception. He had certainly thought about it but never found a good opportunity to bring it up. "We should let Zi Zhen ask the child’s father first."

"If Nie senior brother is too busy, I could go ask for you. How about that?" Sheng Yiming joked.

While others were unaware of Yuan Qichen’s identity, Pei Tianhe knew full well and had no intention of letting them interact with him. "Yiming, you’re not in good health. Don’t stay out of these trivial matters. I’ll speak to Zi Zhen about it."

Sheng Yiming replied, "That would be best."

-

Life on Qingjing Peak was extremely peaceful—so much so that it felt almost surreal.

It was almost too perfect.

The new courtyard was much larger than the previous one, and Yuan Xiao, who had previously shared a room with his father, now had his own.

Que Zizhen was always the first to wake. After waking Yuan Xiao and sending him off to Wen Dao Academy, he would spend his time reading, drinking tea, tending to the flowers, and practicing swordplay until Yuan Qichen awoke.

Yuan Qichen’s favorite pastime lately was teasing Que Zizhen, often provoking the Jade Mountain Immortal Lord until he blushed, then laughing mercilessly and saying, "Que Zizhen, you’re so easy to fool."

The truth was, ever since Yuan Xiao had asked Que Zizhen if he liked him, Yuan Qichen couldn’t help but become preoccupied with it.

He knew that even if he asked, Que Zizhen would never admit it.

His lips were like tightly shut clams—even if he truly felt something, given their long-standing adversarial relationship, Que Zizhen would never easily confess.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Yuan Qichen felt compelled to uncover the truth.

One evening, as the sunset glowed, Que Zizhen had just finished brewing tea when Yuan Xiao called him away repeatedly with cries of "Immortal Lord," seeking guidance in spellcasting.

Yuan Qichen had an idea, and he swapped one of the cups of tea for wine.

As soon as Que Zizhen finished his instruction, Yuan Qichen raised the cup and offered it to him. "Immortal Lord, you’ve worked hard. Have a drink to wet your throat."

Que Zizhen was both flattered and wary, sensing that Yuan Qichen was up to something.

But at that moment, even if Yuan Qichen had handed him a cup of poison, he likely would have drunk it without hesitation.

As their fingers touched, Yuan Qichen lightly hooked his finger, his thumb grazing Que Zizhen’s palm, sending ripples of sensation straight to his heart.

"It’s wine..." Que Zizhen quickly recognized the scent.

Yuan Qichen admitted openly, "Yes, it is. Will you drink it?"

Que Zizhen averted his gaze and downed the cup in one go.

Yuan Qichen laughed.

"You weren’t this straightforward when I tried to get you to drink before."

Back then, he had always delighted in tempting Que Zizhen to break the rules. Whenever he obtained a fine jar of wine, he would inevitably invite Que Zizhen to try it.

But Que Zizhen always found endless excuses to decline. Once, Yuan Qichen had poured half a jar of wine into a teapot. Unaware, Que Zizhen took a sip and was immediately overcome by the strong, harsh liquor, coughing uncontrollably. Yuan Qichen had finally gotten his wish.

Que Zizhen had a low tolerance for alcohol, but hoping for truths from his drunken state was futile. When drunk, he would simply fall asleep—there was no one more easy to handle.

Yuan Qichen’s repetition of the trick wasn’t meant to get him drunk. It was just that when it came to matters of the heart, wine set a better mood.

"I heard the Immortal Lord is in love with me?" He brought up the rampant rumors as a joke, both teasing and probing.

Que Zizhen neither admitted nor denied it. Gripping the cup, he threw the question back. "What does A Chen think?"

"Me?" Yuan Qichen laughed suddenly.

The answer to that question could only be "like" or "dislike."

There was no reason to hesitate in admitting dislike. Only "like" would cause such uncertainty.

In that moment, Yuan Qichen had an epiphany and suddenly understood what it meant to like someone.

It was in the way Que Zizhen avoided his gaze and evaded his advances every time he teased him. It was his self-restraint, his refusal to ask for reasons or expect anything in return.

Que Zizhen liked him.

Upon realizing this, Yuan Qichen felt a secret excitement, as if he had uncovered Que Zizhen’s greatest secret.

But that was quickly followed by an unexplainable agitation.

So what if he liked him?

Still, it’s not like he’d flip out at the drop of a hat, too scared to even say the word "like."

In an instant, Yuan Qichen's face went through several changes before he finally snatched the empty cup from Que Zizhen’s hand and slammed it onto the table with a sharp crack. “What I think doesn’t matter. Some people ought to learn how to speak their mind first.”

Que Zizhen didn’t know how he’d managed to upset him, but seeing Yuan Qichen’s anger, he did something he would never normally do—

He grabbed Yuan Qichen, who had turned away sulkily, and pulled him back.

“A Chen…”

Que Zizhen called out his name, then jerked back to his senses and immediately released him.

Yuan Qichen was absolutely furious.

This man really was…

“Just keep it bottled up then!”

He spat out the words angrily, only to notice Yuan Xiao covering his eyes but peeking through his fingers, clearly eating up the drama. That only made him angrier.

“What are you looking at? Get out of here!”

Yuan Qichen’s frustration lingered until evening. Tossing and turning while trying to sleep, he felt Yuan Xiao slip into bed beside him, hugging a pillow and settling down comfortably.

“Go back to your own room to sleep,” Yuan Qichen said impatiently, though he didn't actually push him away.

Yuan Xiao immediately relaxed and pleaded, “Dad, sleep with me.”

“You’re not a three-year-old. I can't sleep with you every night.”

Yuan Xiao grinned cheekily. “Actually, I’m just curious—Dad, how did you and Immortal Lord meet in the first place?”

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Author's note: I'm stuck on the writing, so I need to organize my thoughts. It's been a bit difficult, but I'll get back on track soon. Thank you all so much for your support, I'll keep working hard!