Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The light faded, and the Long Life Lamp slowly settled onto the bed. The two men stared at each other, speechless.

Jiang Zhuochen was having trouble digesting it all, his expression numb, even forgetting his anger. His mind buzzed, and he stammered, "Shi... Shizun, did you take over his body?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the soul that had merged into Xu Xing's body seemed to have exhausted its last bit of strength and was forcibly expelled, shrinking back into the Long Life Lamp. The lamp flame flickered twice before settling into silence, falling into a deep slumber.

Jiang Zhuochen picked up the Long Life Lamp and looked at Xu Xing, whose expression was even more complicated than his own. "Did Shizun hurt you?"

He paused for a moment, then refuted his own question. "Wait, that doesn't make sense. He can't even form words, where would he get the spiritual power to hurt you?"

Xu Xing rubbed his throbbing temples, his voice tinged with exhaustion and disbelief. "He didn't do a thing."

It was simply a pure merging into his body. The entire process was unbelievably smooth, without the slightest hint of rejection, as natural as returning home, as natural as breathing.

It was hard to describe the feeling he had the moment the fusion was complete. He hadn't recovered any memories, and his body felt no discomfort or change, yet his mind cleared as if the dust had settled, as if this was exactly how it should be.

He looked at the Long Life Lamp in Jiang Zhuochen's arms, recalling the profound, all-knowing gaze the soul had directed at him not long ago. An answer he had never even conceived of suddenly sprang into his mind without warning.

He was Jiang Zhuochen's Shizun.

Once this thought emerged, it grew wildly like weeds, his heart giving a sudden, violent throb as if trying to break out of his chest.

Xu Xing's headache intensified. "Can you call him out from the lamp?"

Jiang Zhuochen looked at him with wide, pleading eyes, his voice thick with grievance and worry. "I can't... That move just now probably used up all the soul power he had painstakingly accumulated. He'll probably sleep for several days now."

Since Shizun could manifest, he hadn't seen him many times. How could he just fall asleep like this... He still wanted to ask how Shizun managed to leave the lamp, and if he could manifest stably from now on?

"Why are you looking for Shizun?" Jiang Zhuochen asked reluctantly.

Xu Xing let out a breath, trying to calm his tumultuous emotions. When he looked at Jiang Zhuochen again, his eyes unconsciously held a trace of familiarity and gentleness that even he himself was unaware of.

"Don't you want to know... why your Shizun's soul could merge with me?" Xu Xing said slowly, his gaze fixed intently on Jiang Zhuochen.

Jiang Zhuochen jerked his head up, his fingers pressing into the bed sheets so hard they turned pale, his voice filled with urgency and incredulity. "What do you mean? Explain clearly!"

Seeing Xu Xing didn't answer immediately, he could no longer restrain himself. Clutching the lamp, he jumped off the bed, without a thought for his shoes, and rushed to Xu Xing in two steps. He grabbed Xu Xing's wrist, pressing further. "Say it! What exactly do you mean?!"

Xu Xing's gaze, however, first fell on his bare feet. The cold floor made him frown. Almost instinctively, he sighed, bent down to touch his feet, and spoke with a tone of helpless yet indulgent familiarity. "Why aren't you wearing shoes again?"

This tone, this demeanor... Jiang Zhuochen stiffened all over, the corners of his mouth uncontrollably turning down as he murmured, "Is it you, Shizun?"

Xu Xing paused in his movement. Meeting Jiang Zhuochen's reddened eyes, his heart felt as if it had been violently wrenched. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his voice low. "I'm not entirely sure. That's why I wanted him to come out, to ask for an answer."

Rationally, he couldn't be certain, but that sense of soul-deep compatibility was too intense to ignore.

Jiang Zhuochen suddenly remembered what Liu Hehuan had said—that the current Xu Xing might be an 'empty shell.' A flash of regret crossed his face. He had been so focused on those few strands of soul that he hadn't taken this ambiguous speculation to heart before.

But if he really was his Shizun, then how were they supposed to accept this fact after the tension of the past few days? Embarrassment, awkwardness, anticipation, and joy intertwined. For the first time in his life, Jiang Zhuochen didn't know how to compose his face in front of his Shizun.

He met Xu Xing's direct gaze. Though confusion still lingered within, the previous coldness and suspicion were gone, replaced by an accumulation of reassuring steadiness that inexplicably eased his heart.

He couldn't help but ask softly, with a hint of cautious probing. "Then... do you want to be?"

Xu Xing fell silent for a moment, his feelings a tangled mess. "I do, and I don't."

He wanted it because if it were true, then he would be the person Jiang Zhuochen longed for, the one he liked enough to disregard his own life for. That would undoubtedly be a tremendous surprise.

He didn't want it because once acknowledged, all his previous jealousy-fueled anger, those hurtful words, even the act of imprisoning him, would become indefensible absurdities and mistakes, leaving him choked and torn between tears and laughter.

Seeing the other man so conflicted and silent for so long, the light in Jiang Zhuochen's eyes dimmed bit by bit. He abruptly pulled his feet from Xu Xing's warm grasp, hugged the lamp, turned, and climbed back onto the bed, giving him only a hazy profile. His voice was muffled. "Think whatever you want. It's best if you're not. I don't want a Shizun who scolds me and locks me up!"

His words were full of grievance and petulance.

Hearing Jiang Zhuochen's words, Xu Xing knew he had misunderstood, thinking he was unwilling to admit it. But he opened his mouth, ultimately unable to voice any explanation. He just stared at Jiang Zhuochen's slight back and made a solemn promise. "I won't do that again."

Still receiving no response, Xu Xing's heart ached with growing tenderness. The mix of emotions was replaced by delight. He paused, changed the subject, his voice even softening a bit. "You've been searching for your Shizun for so long. Don't you want to see him sooner?"

Jiang Zhuochen's back moved slightly, but he didn't turn around, mumbling, "Aren't you uncertain?"

"If it's confirmed," Xu Xing gazed intently at the person opposite him, guiding patiently, "what do you want to do?"

"I want to hug him." Jiang Zhuochen blurted out almost without thinking, his voice laced with longing and a hint of a whine. He wanted the Shizun who would pat his head, indulge him, and help him put on his shoes.

As soon as the words were spoken, Xu Xing stepped forward without another word, bent down, and gathered Jiang Zhuochen—who was curled up on the bed along with the lamp—into a firm embrace.

This embrace was both strange and familiar, carrying Xu Xing's usual cool aura, yet it oddly soothed all of Jiang Zhuochen's unease and grievances. He stiffened for an instant, then his entire body softened. He buried his face deeply into the crook of Xu Xing's neck, his muffled voice coming through the fabric. "If you hug me, you can't lie to me anymore."

Xu Xing's arms tightened further. "Mm, I won't lie to you."

When Jiang Zhuochen finally calmed down, he lifted his head from Xu Xing's embrace. His eyes were still red, but a flicker of mischief shone through.

He suddenly kicked the annoying Spirit-Sealing Talisman beside him away, then raised his face, asking with righteous confidence, "So, can I go out now?"

Seeing his look of smug triumph, a trace of amusement rippled in Xu Xing's eyes as he nodded indulgently. "You can go wherever you want."

Jiang Zhuochen's eyes darted around. "And you won't stop me?"

A flash of helplessness crossed Xu Xing's face as he tapped Jiang Zhuochen's forehead. "I won't."

Jiang Zhuochen finally couldn't hold back a smile, biting his lip. He wrapped his arms around Xu Xing's neck and pushed him down onto the bed. Lifting himself up, he pinched Xu Xing's cheeks, touching here and looking there, as if he hadn't seen this face in eight hundred years.

This was Shizun. This was his Shizun!

Xu Xing let him do as he pleased, only reaching out to steady him when his antics grew too wild and he nearly slid off to one side.

Once he was done, Jiang Zhuochen lay on top of him, whispering directly into his ear, "You can't do that again in the future."

He didn't want to experience the misery, fear, and feeling of being utterly alone and helpless of the past few days ever again.

"Mm..." Jiang Zhuochen hummed in his throat.

After holding him for a while, Xu Xing gently patted Jiang Zhuochen's back. "Get up now. Let me change your bandage."

Jiang Zhuochen sat up dazedly, holding out his hands and letting the other man proceed. "But it doesn't hurt anymore."

Xu Xing pressed a finger against the wound. Seeing the other man pout, he teased, "Doesn't hurt?"

"If you touch it, of course it hurts," Jiang Zhuochen complained, grabbing his hand.

Xu Xing lowered his gaze, his thumb stroking the back of Jiang Zhuochen's hand briefly before withdrawing it to fetch the medicine box. "Then that proves it's not healed yet."

He removed the bandage, more meticulous than ever, carefully applying the medicine bit by bit. His bare, smooth upper body was unconsciously on display. Xu Xing's eyes darkened slightly as he drew the clothing together and fastened the buttons for him.

Then, he picked up the medicine box and stood. After taking only a couple of steps, he heard movement behind him and turned his head to ask, "What is it?"

"I want water." Jiang Zhuochen answered, then asked with a look of utter reasonableness, "What, can't I go out to drink water?"

Xu Xing's lips curved into a smile. "Sure."

They went into the living room together. After putting away the medicine box, Xu Xing turned around and found Jiang Zhuochen still curled up on the sofa, hugging the Longevity Lamp, lost in thought, with no intention of going back to his room to rest.

He walked over, reached out to brush the other's bangs back, and naturally rested his hand on the back of Jiang Zhuochen's head, asking softly, "Why aren't you going back to sleep?"

Jiang Zhuochen looked up, glanced at him, and drawled, "I don't want to sleep in that guest room anymore."

Xu Xing obliged. "Then I'll help you change to another room?"

Jiang Zhuochen, however, pouted unhappily and didn't speak.

Xu Xing waited patiently for a while. Jiang Zhuochen tilted his head, every inch of him radiating dissatisfaction with the arrangement. Xu Xing didn't urge him, just quietly kept him company.

Finally, Jiang Zhuochen, getting no response, snorted at the man, stood up without a word, hugged his precious lamp, petulantly stomped over to the master bedroom door, knocked twice on the door panel with his knuckle, then raised his chin and stared straight at Xu Xing, his meaning unmistakable.

Looking at his awkward yet adorable appearance, Xu Xing couldn't help but let out a low chuckle, his chest vibrating. Without hesitation, he reached out, decisively pushed open the master bedroom door, and let his gentle, resolute gaze rest on Jiang Zhuochen.