Chapter 41
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Chapter 41: Title
The wine proved brutally potent, just as Qiu Huayi had warned. The consequence of overindulgence was Ye Qingshang remaining insensible for a full day and night.
She awoke ravenous, sneaking quietly into the kitchen for food. Though Yunshan Sect’s fare was bland, it filled the belly well enough.
As she stuffed a pastry into her mouth, disciples passed nearby. Presuming the late hour meant privacy, their voices rose.
"Our young master’s truly pitiable—a model of integrity, yet punished by the divine whip because the Frostbite Sect broke rules. Just imagining it pains me."
"Aye. Elder Feng exhausted himself treating the young master’s wounds, all for naught. They say his inner core was barely preserved, but his cultivation and spiritual power…"
"Sigh. Rumor has it the young master must enter meditation to heal. Who knows when he’ll recover…"
Meditation?
Ye Qingshang remembered Mu Huaiyun’s words: only extended meditation could ease the divine power’s agony.
If he truly secluded himself now, wouldn’t their misunderstanding deepen further?
She refused to let Mu Huaiyun enter meditation still believing her faithless.
Acting before thinking, she abandoned the pastry and hurried to Mu Huaiyun’s quarters.
The door stood shut, silence within.
Ye Qingshang lingered outside, not daring to enter. She called through the wood, "Mu Huaiyun."
No answer came.
Perhaps her lingering stupor masked any unease. She pressed on, "I understand not wanting to see me. Still, I must explain. That day in the cave, I picked flowers for you unaware of Xingzhou customs. I was wrong. If this caused misunderstanding, I apologize."
"This sounds cruel, but I won’t lie: you’ve always been my friend. I never meant to hurt you. If someday you understand… I’ll still wait."
Silence persisted. "Mu Huaiyun?" she called again.
Only then did suspicion dawn. Closing her eyes, her sensing technique detected no presence.
She flung the door open—the room was empty.
"Sister Ye?" Qiao Zhu’s voice sounded outside.
Ye Qingshang rushed out. "Where is Mu Huaiyun? Do you know?"
"The young master entered meditation half a day ago," Qiao Zhu replied. "Didn’t Sister Ye know?"
"Meditation?" Ye Qingshang staggered back a step. Why? Why so soon…?
"Sister Ye, does the young master’s meditation grieve you?"
"No. It doesn’t." Ye Qingshang denied hastily, fingers tightening into hidden fists within her sleeves, her own emotions a tangled knot.
Qiao Zhu sighed softly. "Sister Ye, you always act this way. The young master will be heartbroken."
Without giving Ye Qingshang a chance to respond, she continued, "Feelings are simple—either you like someone or you don’t. If you hold no special affection for the young master, treat the flowers as a misunderstanding. With time, he’ll surely forget. But when you constantly seek him out, trying to occupy his thoughts every day… how could the young master remain unaffected?"
"As an outsider unaware of your history, perhaps his feelings are indeed one-sided. But someone as perceptive as you, Sister Ye, should know that hesitation breeds greater troubles. If you care for him even slightly, have mercy—stop looking for him."
Ye Qingshang murmured, "I… never meant to cling to him. There are misunderstandings between us that I must explain—"
"Sister Ye." Qiao Zhu shook her head, silencing her. "Maybe I spoke too harshly earlier. I know you’re not that kind of person. But you witnessed the young master’s condition yesterday. This meditation… no one knows when it might end. You should… let go."
"Will his meditation… last long?"
"Three years at least, possibly many more. He might spend his whole life…" Qiao Zhu trailed off. "Never mind that. I came to gather the young master’s belongings. You may leave now if you’ve nothing else."
As they passed each other, Qiao Zhu clearly saw the raw pain in Ye Qingshang’s eyes. How ironic—observers stay clear-sighted while those involved remain blind.
Those sparse words weighed on Ye Qingshang’s heart, leaving her suffocated as if crushed beneath a millstone.
His whole life…
Mu Huaiyun had paid such a steep price for her—an outsider…
Yet what had she done? Unknowingly trampling a sincere heart beneath her feet—how had Mu Huaiyun endured such agony?
He must’ve suffered terribly…
The ache in her chest intensified. Pressing her fingertips there proved useless—like trying to extinguish fire with distant water.
Overwhelmed, she wandered aimlessly until finding herself outside Ning Jiwei’s residence.
The door stood shut.
Frowning at it, she sighed softly—only for it to creak open.
"Master…"
Fatigue lined Ning Jiwei’s features as he shook his head. "Qingshang, you look pale. Has it been difficult these past days?"
"Master… you worry for me?"
"You’re my disciple. Shouldn’t I care for you?"
"I feared… my recklessness made you suffer punishment. That you’d cast me aside in anger."
Ning Jiwei replied, "Three bows during the initiation ceremony created an unbreakable bond. I don’t blame you. But you always make earnest promises yet fail to keep them. Upon returning to Frostbite Sect, you’ll face discipline."
"Master…"
Across two lifetimes, Ning Jiwei had always shielded her. Even when her actions brought divine whip punishment upon him, he never reproached her. This "discipline" was merely an excuse to let her save face.
Meeting his steady gaze, Ye Qingshang felt her nose sting. Just like during her initiation, she rushed forward into his arms. Though smaller, she clung tightly—only here could she find solace.
"Master…" Her voice cracked, releasing days of pent-up emotions. Warm tears soaked his white robe.
"Why these tears? Who wronged you?" Ning Jiwei stroked her hair gently.
Spiritual power flowed into her.
She wept harder, heart tearing as if dragged into an abyss. Each breath burned with sorrow, her words fracturing into sobs.
"I… don’t know. Just this… overwhelming grief. I made an irreversible mistake…"
"Master… am I wicked? Ruining someone so completely… Master, it hurts so much… I can’t understand… why…"
The muffled cries hung heavy in the air. The man in white, his gaze dimmed, felt the pain seep through the fabric and lowered his eyes.
In the emptiness, someone sighed lightly, sending ripples through the atmosphere, but the emotions behind it were inexplicable and hard to guess, leaving everything unresolved.
