The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Chap 181

On the morning of the second day after the confession, Chu Wanning woke up very early.

But he didn’t get out of bed, because when he peeked out from behind the curtain, he saw that Mo Ran was still sleeping on a simple mattress, right next to the bed.

He couldn’t see clearly through the curtain. Chu Wanning tried to restrain himself for a moment, but he couldn’t. He reached out his hand, wanting to lift the curtain a little. But before his hand could touch the gauze curtain, he switched to a finger. Using the tip of his finger, he only managed to lift a little bit.

It was as if as long as it was just a little bit, he wouldn’t be considered peeking.

Clear sunlight sprinkled in through the window paper, the bright red light with a bit of golden light cut into long and narrow silhouettes, shining on Mo Ran’s handsome face.

Chu Wanning hadn’t seen his sleeping face for a long time. He quietly looked at it, looking very carefully, gazing for a very long time.

It was so long that he couldn’t help but think of the year when Mo Ran had just been brought back to the peak of life and death by Xue Zhengyong. A somewhat shy youth, when happy, could burst forth with a fiery brilliance and enthusiasm. He loved to stick to him when he had nothing to do. No matter what, he still wanted to take him as his teacher.

He couldn’t be chased away even if he tried.

When they met in front of Tong Tian Pagoda, Chu Wanning insisted on not taking him as a disciple, because he felt that the sentence “He looks the most gentle, I like him the most” was simply ridiculous and untrustworthy.

Because of this, he ignored Mo Weiyu for fourteen days.

He heard that in order to find a way to become his disciple, Mo Weiyu asked Xue Zhengyong’s wife, Shi Mingjing, and also Xue Ziming.

In the end, he didn’t know who gave him the bad idea to imitate Cheng Men Li Xue, standing outside the Red Lotus Water Pavilion and waiting for someone. In the morning, when Chu Wanning went out, he would pay his respects and ask to be taken as his teacher. At night, when Chu Wanning went back, he would continue to pay his respects and ask to be taken as his teacher. Regardless of wind or rain, even dripping water could penetrate a stone.

Chu Wanning’s reaction to this was: Ha.

He turned a blind eye and left.

He did not like to be pursued so fiercely. He was a man of few emotions, and was only willing to respond to those who were equally mild and indifferent.

It was unknown if it was because of the environment he grew up in, but the youth was very good at observing people’s expressions. Probably because he felt Chu Wanning’s coldness, he only pestered Chu Wanning for two days and didn’t ask Chu Wanning to be his disciple anymore.

But as usual, he still came to the Red Lotus Pavilion every day to help Chu Wanning clean up the fallen leaves in front of the courtyard. When he saw Chu Wanning come out, he scratched his head with a broom and said with a smile, “Elder Yu Heng.”

In the first rays of the morning, they did not mention getting up early, and in the evening, they did not greet each other.

It was just a simple sentence, “Elder Yu Heng,” and then he just smiled.

Chu Wanning didn’t look at him and walked away, minding his own business. He wasn’t angry either. Behind him, he swept the fallen leaves with a swishing sound.

Ten days passed peacefully like this. One morning, perhaps because the lotuses in the Red Lotus Pavilion had bloomed overnight and the fragrance was strong, Chu Wanning was in an extremely good mood.

He pushed open the door and saw the youth Mo Ran with his head down on the winding and quiet mountain path. He was concentrating on sweeping the leaves. There was a leaf that was stuck in a crack in the rock and was particularly difficult to clean. He bent down to pick it up and prepared to throw it into the bushes.

The moment he raised his head, he saw Chu Wanning standing in front of the mountain gate. He was stunned for a moment, and then he broke into a smile. Half of his sleeves were rolled up, and his arm was exposed. He raised the fallen leaf that he hadn’t had time to throw away and waved at Chu Wanning —

“Elder Yu Heng.”

The voice was very clear, carrying the sweetness of fresh fruit. It was not loud, but it seemed to echo between the mountain peaks for a long time. A patch of white clouds flowed away. Sunlight poured down from the clouds, passing through the leaves of the forest. A wind rose in the bamboo forest, rustling and bleak.

Chu Wanning stood in the same place for a while, his eyes were suddenly immersed in the dazzling morning light into an amber color. He slightly narrowed his eyes. For a moment, he felt that the fallen leaf in the youth’s hand was no longer as lifeless as before. It had become as dazzling and brilliant as the person who was smiling brightly, overflowing with colorful light.

He calmly walked down the stone steps.

Mo Ran had long been accustomed to his indifference and didn’t mind. As usual, he consciously stood to the side, waiting for Chu Wanning to pass.

That day, Chu Wanning calmly walked down step by step. As usual, he walked by him.

Then, he suddenly turned his face slightly and glanced back at the youth. His voice was as clear as a spring, as calm as a lake.

He said, “Thank you.”

Mo Ran was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He hurriedly waved his hand and said, “No need, no need. This is what a disciple should do.”

Chu Wanning said, “… I don’t intend to accept you as a disciple.”

But his tone and expression were no longer as resolute as before.

After he finished speaking, he turned around and continued to walk forward. But in the end, he didn’t know why, but probably because he felt bad, he turned back to look at Mo Ran.

In the end, he saw that the youth didn’t feel the slightest bit of heartache. He actually held onto the broom and excitedly jumped a few steps on the spot. That young face was full of vitality, emitting endless light and warmth.

… So this guy didn’t care about the second half of the sentence. He only heard the thanks, and he was so happy?

A few days passed like this. One day, it rained.

The rain wasn’t too heavy. Chu Wanning had always been a person who was too lazy to carry an umbrella and rarely opened the barrier. He estimated that it would only take a stick of incense to burn to reach the Good and Evil Stage. It didn’t matter if he got wet, he could just use magic to dry it.

He pushed open the door and went out.

Mo Ran was still there.

However, he wasn’t sweeping the floor today. The broom had been set aside by him. He held an oil-paper umbrella and squatted on the ground, his back facing Chu Wan-ning. He was completely focused on fiddling with something. One of his shoulders was slightly trembling. He was short, so when he squatted, he looked even smaller. The umbrella was large and dark brown in color. It looked very funny, like a mushroom emerging from a spring rain.

Chu Wanning held back his faint smile and walked behind him. He coughed lightly and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Ah.” The youth was shocked. He turned around and looked up at him.

The first sentence was “Elder Yu Heng.”

Before Chu Wanning could respond, he opened his eyes wide and said the second sentence, “Why aren’t you holding an umbrella?”

Before Chu Wanning could answer, he stood up, tiptoed, and tried to raise the oil paper umbrella in his hand high. He said the third sentence, “This is for you.”

But he was still too short, and the steps he was standing on were one step lower than Chu Wanning’s. He tried very hard, but the umbrella barely covered the top of Chu Wanning’s head. But he wasn’t steady enough. When the wind blew, he couldn’t hold the umbrella properly. The umbrella tilted, and a string of water droplets fell onto Chu Wanning’s collar and flowed down his neck.

So, before Chu Wanning could say anything, Mo Ran hurriedly said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Chu Wanning, “…”

When Mo Ran said the first sentence, he could say, “Yes.”

When Mo Ran said the second sentence, he could say, “No need.”

When Mo Ran said the third sentence, he could say, “You keep it for yourself.”

But when Mo Ran said the fourth sentence, he kept apologizing. Chu Wanning was speechless. He lowered his eyes, and it was hard to tell whether his expression was indifferent or gloomy. In the end, he just sighed, took the umbrella from Mo Ran’s hand, and hit the top of their heads.

He looked up at Mo Ran, thought for a moment, and circled back to the first sentence.

“What are you doing?”

“Saving the earthworm.”

Chu Wanning thought he heard wrong. He frowned and asked, “What?”

Mo Ran smiled, and his dimples were deep. He was very cute. He scratched his head shyly and stammered, “Save, save the earthworm.”

Chu Wanning lowered his eyes, and his gaze fell on Mo Ran’s hanging hand. In the palm of his hand was a tree branch, and water dripped down. He should have picked it up from the ground. Looking forward, there was indeed a stupid earthworm lying in the pool of water on the stone steps, slowly wriggling.

“When the rain stops, these earthworms that came out of the soil will be dried up.” Mo Ran was a little embarrassed, “So I want to put them all back into the grass.”

Chu Wanning asked faintly, “Using a tree branch?”

“… Yes.”

Seeing the other’s cold expression, Mo Ran was probably worried that Elder Yu Heng would look down on him, so he hurriedly said, “I, I’m not afraid of using my hands. It’s just that when I was young, my mother told me that I can’t catch earthworms with my hands, because they will rot …”

Chu Wanning shook his head, “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

When he finished speaking, he raised his hand slightly, and his fingertip pointed in the air. A thin and soft golden willow branch drilled out from the gap of the stone steps. The willow branch wrapped around the earthworm lying in the pool of water, and carried it back to the nearby grass pile. Mo Ran’s eyes widened, and he was very shocked, “What is this?”

“Tianwen.”

“What is Tianwen?”

Chu Wanning glanced at him, and said, “It’s my weapon.”

Mo Ran appeared even more shocked, “Elder’s weapon … is … is …”

“So small?” Chu Wanning finished for him.

Mo Ran, “Hehe.”

Chu Wanning flicked his sleeve, his expression indifferent, “It naturally has its vicious moments.”

“Then, can I see it?”

“It’s best if you never see it.”

At that time, Mo Ran did not understand the meaning of Chu Wanning’s words. He turned his head to look at the willow vines poking out from the cracks of the stone steps, wrapping up the muddle-headed earthworms in the rainwater and sending them back to the moist soil. Gradually, he revealed an envious expression.

Chu Wanning suddenly asked, “Do you want to learn?”

Mo Ran was startled, and then his eyes widened. He was so surprised that he did not know what to say. In the end, he could only nod his head, his handsome little face flushed red.

Chu Wanning said, “After the morning cultivation tomorrow, go to the bamboo forest behind the Good and Evil Stage. I’ll wait for you there.”

After he finished speaking, his pure white silk shoes stepped on the wet stone steps. Holding the oil paper umbrella, he walked down the mountain. Mo Ran stared blankly at his fluttering figure. After a while, he suddenly understood the meaning of Chu Wanning’s words. In an instant, his face flushed even redder, his eyes shining strangely.

He no longer cared about the wet ground. He immediately knelt down and kowtowed. His still young voice was full of eagerness and joy.

“Yes, Shizun!”

“…” This time, Chu Wanning did not agree, nor did he stop him. He only stood in place for a moment, and then continued to walk away. The raindrops fell on the umbrella, drop by drop, like a konghou.

Only when his figure disappeared did Mo Ran stand up from the ground. It was also at this time that he discovered that at some unknown time, a golden translucent barrier had opened up above his head. The five-petal flower flowed, blocking the fine wind and rain for him.

Chu Wanning remembered that when Xue Zhengyong learned of his decision, he was both relieved and surprised. He asked him, “Yuheng, why are you willing to accept him?”

At that time, he sat on the high seat of the Good and Evil Stage, his hand holding the oil paper umbrella that Mo Ran gave him. His slender fingers were faintly discernible, rubbing the old and clumsy handle of the umbrella. In the end, he said lightly, “It’s convenient for him to save the earthworm.”

Xue Zhengyong exclaimed. His leopard eyes widened, somewhat like a cat.

“Save what?”

Chu Wanning did not answer. He only lowered his eyes to look at the bamboo umbrella frame. Gradually, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, so much time had passed.

The young man that he accepted as his disciple was pure at first, but later on, he went astray. Fortunately, in the end, the young man grew up to be a proper immortal, and did not disappoint him.

A little white fingertip poked out of the curtain. Chu Wanning looked at Mo Ran’s sleeping face through the gap of the curtain.

That young man was now a handsome and tall man. His facial features were more defined than before, and his eyes were full of a steady and mature aura.

Just like before, when Mo Ran slept, his brows would always be slightly furrowed. He had been like this since he was young. His two rows of eyelashes drooped very low, as if they were about to be pressed down by heavy thoughts to the point that they could no longer be raised.

Chu Wanning felt that it was a little funny. He thought to himself, this person is so young, where did so many worries come from?

Just as he was thinking about this, he suddenly saw Mo Ran’s long curly eyelashes move slightly, and his eyes slowly opened.

“…”

Chu Wanning’s fingers immediately stiffened. He wanted to retract his hand and pretend to be asleep.

But Mo Ran was a very strange person. He did not have the temperament of a young man who lazed in bed. Instead, he had the mannerisms of an older person. In other words, he woke up very quickly.

And inexplicably, he seemed to have an extremely sharp intuition for the subtle changes in his sleeping environment — as if he was facing assassination threats all year round, moving step by step as if he was walking on thin ice.

Before Chu Wanning had time to withdraw his fingertip from the gap of the curtain, Mo Ran’s gaze had already accurately fallen on that fingertip.

Chu Wanning, “…”

This matter concerned Elder Yu Heng’s face and reputation. At this critical moment, Chu Wanning had an idea. He simply turned over and stretched his entire hand out of the curtain, lazily hanging on the side of the bed.

From the looks of it, just now he was not secretly lifting the curtain at all. Instead, it was a sleeping person who turned over, stretched out his arm, and unintentionally stretched it out of the curtain.

How could Mo Ran think that the serious and rigid Chu Wanning could come up with this kind of idea? He was easily fooled. He was afraid of waking Chu Wanning up, so he quietly got up.

But he did not leave immediately. Instead, he grabbed Chu Wanning’s exposed wrist and carefully placed it back in between the blankets. After doing this, after a while, Chu Wanning heard the creak of the door opening.

Mo Ran went out.

Chu Wanning slightly opened his eyes and looked at the hazy light coming in through the door. He was still in a daze for a long time.

Perhaps it was because he had never dreamed that he and Mo Ran could be together. He had never even imagined it, so even after a night, he still felt that everything was like a dream.

In his impression, Mo Ran was clearly secretly in love with Shi Mingjing. All these years, he stood behind them alone and saw everything clearly.

He saw Mo Ran smile brightly at Shi Mingjing, saw Mo Ran cook noodles for Shi Mingjing, saw Mo Ran secretly help Shi Mingjing complete her assignment with a happy expression. He thought that no one knew.

In fact, Chu Wanning knew all of this.

For this reason, he had been envious, jealous, upset, and unwilling.

He also thought that he had been relieved.

But how could it be so easy to be relieved? Even if he knew that it was impossible, he still stiffened his neck and refused to look back. He braced himself and was unwilling to leave.

All these years, Chu Wanning had asked herself if this kind of waiting that was destined to be fruitless was worth it, and if this kind of stubborn waiting was degrading. But after asking himself countless times, the answer was always undetermined.

He, Chu Wanning, was also a heartless person who looked coldly at those infatuated men and resentful women. He could not understand why when it was so painful, he still forcefully kept his feelings in his arms and refused to throw them away even when he was full of wounds. He did not understand. Only when the fire of not being able to get what he wanted burned his heart could he finally understand —

Most of the friendship, deep feelings, and sincerity in the world were like this.

They could be let go, but they could never be abandoned.

Because of this, Chu Wanning, who did not understand Mo Ran’s true feelings for Shi Mei, was somewhat confused and hesitant. He didn’t understand why Mo Ran was willing to shift his gaze away from Shi Mingjing and look at his own slightly disheveled face.

Hmm … Was it because of gratitude?

Was it because of guilt?

Did he want to imitate the female ghost to repay her kindness, so he offered himself to her?

… Damn it, could it be that he confessed to Shi Mei and was rejected by Shi Mei …

Chu Wanning was in a daze. His mind was full of imagination. For a moment, a Chinese Ghost Story, Lady Conch, Chen Shi Mei, and all kinds of thoughts came to him. In the end, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He got up and, while no one was looking, kicked the mattress Mo Ran had slept on last night.