After Forgetting Two Exes - Chapter 30

In this relationship, who truly benefited more?

Shi Yuan sighed softly. “If we must truly keep score, I used you as well. Without you, the person I am today would not exist.”

Ji Xun Yue did not answer immediately, instead piecing together their past through his words. She deduced that the person who had helped him punish the Yanming Sect disciples back then must have been her. Although he had been criticizing her heartlessness during his drunken state, his heart still remembered her help; that was why his hatred was never truly complete.

Seeing her silence, Shi Yuan added, “Let’s not mention the past anymore, lest it gives you a headache.” He had seen her suffer from headaches brought on by emotional agitation.

Suddenly, he froze. He recalled the sudden headache Ye Jin Yue had suffered that day. For a fleeting moment, the silhouettes of the two women overlapped, sparking an unrealistic suspicion in his heart.

Ye Jin Yue had reminded him: if Ji Xun Yue truly loathed him, why would she help him time and again? He had been immersed in the resentment of being forgotten for too long; Ye Jin Yue’s words of comfort were like an antidote, breaking the poisonous curse of suspicion in his heart and pushing him to try and untie this knot. Why did he trust Ye Jin Yue so much?

Shi Yuan stepped forward and looked down into the depths of the abyss. Now, the flowers had begun to sprout new branches and buds. The scenery within the mist shifted and changed according to the fluctuations of his emotions.

Ji Xun Yue turned and stood side-by-side with him. She saw only a vast desolation beneath the darkness of night—likely because she knew nothing of this relationship.

“Though the flowers have withered, I have finally waited for you to fulfill your promise.” Shi Yuan smiled, though there was little joy in his tone. “In my eyes, this relationship may have been a beautiful beginning with a withered end, but in your heart, perhaps it never even took root.”

“Are you… willing to tell me more about the past?” Ji Xun Yue tried to speak several times, yet she didn’t know what else to say. She could feel his bitterness, yet she remained unable to reach the depths of her own heart to discern exactly what she felt for him.

Shi Yuan shook his head. “Since you cannot remember, let this be your punishment. Let it make you feel that you failed me, and let you carry a debt to me forever. I have tortured myself for a thousand years; it is time for me to move on.”

Ji Xun Yue paused for a moment before responding, “Alright.” Since it was a debt she owed, she would remember it.

Shi Yuan offered a forced, casual smile. “I heard you have someone you like?”

The atmosphere stiffened for a moment. Ji Xun Yue asked in confusion, “What?”

“I heard it from Fu Jing Chuan.”

” ”

So Shi Yuan had obtained so much information about her from Fu Jing Chuan; they did indeed know each other.

Shi Yuan asked again, “How did you happen to be with Xuan Huai last time?”

“I was greeting Yu Han Shu. Meeting him was just a coincidence.”

“Do you like Xuan Huai?”

“We have only met once. Why would you think that?”

“The Primordial Lord Han Shu told me you were lusting after Xuan Huai’s beauty.”

Ji Xun Yue: ” ” She would never speak recklessly again. She muttered gloomily, “It’s all a misunderstanding.”

Shi Yuan said, “I thought so. You’ve misunderstood Xuan Huai for so many years; you’d likely be too angry to feel anything else upon seeing him. Should I ask him out so you can talk to him?”

“Does he know what you did?”

“He knows.”

Ji Xun Yue declined. “That won’t be necessary.” She had to avoid contact with Xuan Huai using her true identity as much as possible; she felt he would see through her.

Noticing Shi Yuan looking at her, Ji Xun Yue turned her face away unnaturally.

“It’s late. You should go back and rest. Someone who loves slacking off and sleeping as much as you actually stayed up late just to see me.” He actually had the heart to joke.

He truly did know her well. Ji Xun Yue returned the smile. “Thank you, Shi Yuan.”

Shi Yuan withdrew his gaze and said slowly, “Speaking of which, the tenth is my birthday. Would you… be willing to come?” He continued, “I don’t like partings like the one today. I hope it will be in a lively place, so you can see that I’ve met many friends after leaving you, and that I can live very happily. I want you to regret missing out on me forever, and I want everyone to know that I am no longer trapped by love. You and I have long since cleared the air. We… can still be friends, right?”

Since he had put it that way, Ji Xun Yue naturally couldn’t refuse. “Alright.”

She didn’t know the Shi Yuan of the past, but since becoming Ye Jin Yue, she had admired his open-mindedness at first sight and his warmth upon getting to know him. They could certainly be friends, provided he truly could let go.

Shi Yuan said unhurriedly, “As for my birthday gift, I want ten Goldscale Stones.”

Faced with his exorbitant request, Ji Xun Yue didn’t ask why, simply saying, “Fine.”

Shi Yuan looked up at the moon, his gaze deepening. “Then let’s leave it at that for today. If there is anything left unsaid, we can talk next time we meet.”

In truth, he couldn’t forget that easily. He just didn’t want to make things difficult for her.

After Shi Yuan left, Ji Xun Yue stayed at the Shenyuan alone for a while. She didn’t feel she had handled things well tonight; on the contrary, Shi Yuan had been yielding to her the entire time. He was right; she truly did owe him.

She wanted to give him an explanation, but she knew nothing, a situation that left her feeling blank and powerless. She walked slowly back along the path, trying to soothe the sorrow in her heart.

After walking for some distance, she sensed a presence ahead. Looking up, she saw Mo Ze sitting in a tree, a blade of grass in his mouth, leaning against the trunk with his eyes closed. Seeing Mo Ze, she remembered the events in the Yokai Realm a few days ago. Her acquaintance with Xuan Huai began with a misunderstanding; now that the misunderstanding was cleared, they were just ordinary master and disciple. Why did she want to investigate his past now?

“Mo Ze.”

Mo Ze had excellent hearing; even while asleep, he heard someone calling him, but he mistook it for a dream. Seeing no reaction, Ji Xun Yue sighed. She decided not to ask; her mood was already low today.

But just then, a gust of wind rose. The leaves rustled loudly, deafening Mo Ze. He opened his eyes irritably and looked down.

“De… Demon Sovereign!”

His balance faltered, and he fell straight from the tree. Just as he thought he was going to land painfully, he caught himself in a net made of spiritual energy.

Ji Xun Yue flicked her sleeve to withdraw the move, frowning. “You can’t even react to a fall from this height?”

Mo Ze scrambled up awkwardly, making an excuse: “I just woke up. I didn’t think to use spiritual power.” He quickly changed the subject. “Are you looking for me for something?”

“Are you well-acquainted with Huai Lin?”

Mo Ze’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to ask about a name that hadn’t been mentioned in thousands of years. How did she know he knew Huai Lin? But he also understood not to ask too much, replying honestly, “Not well. I only met him a few times. Back then, the Yokai Realm wasn’t as strictly managed as it is now. Many small demons ran to the Mortal Realm to cause trouble. Lord Huai Lin was ordered to capture them and stayed in the Mortal Realm thereafter, only returning to the Yokai Realm when the War of Gods and Demons broke out.”

Ji Xun Yue said tonelessly, “I see.”

She was about to leave when she heard Mo Ze continue.

“I heard that back then, Lord Huai Lin liked a mortal woman. But shortly after the war broke out, he returned to the Yokai Realm, and that woman vanished.”

Xuan Huai had liked a mortal? Ji Xun Yue was stunned, unable to recover from the shock for a long time. Seeing her dazed, Mo Ze didn’t dare continue.

Ji Xun Yue cleared her throat to hide her inexplicable agitation. “Did he find her?”

Mo Ze shook his head. “It seems he asked the Yokai Head for a spiritual tool to find that woman’s soul, but I don’t know the rest. Later, I heard he died in the war.”

And later, he was saved by Yu Qian Chan and became the current Immortal Xuan Huai… Was he still pining for that girl who had disappeared?

Ji Xun Yue fell into thought. She wanted to ask Xi Lin, but it was too late, so she gave up.

Mo Ze asked curiously, “Demon Sovereign, why did you suddenly want to ask about Huai Lin?”

Ji Xun Yue shot him a cold glance. “Do you know there’s a saying in the Mortal Realm: curiosity killed the cat?”

Mo Ze hissed and shrank his neck. “I won’t ask. Safe travels, Your Majesty.”

The moon was bright and the stars few. Xuan Huai stood before the house, looking at the darkness within. There wasn’t a hint of a presence. He remained silent for a long time. He stood there for a moment before turning to leave silently.

“Master?”

Yu Zai Ye was just returning to the sect from the Falling Star Terrace when he ran into Xuan Huai. Xuan Huai’s face held no expression. “It’s already the Hour of the Rat. Are you still practicing?”

“Yes. There were some areas I didn’t quite understand during the day, so I wanted to study them further.”

Xuan Huai’s eyes darkened. He asked, knowing the answer, “Is your Senior Sister… not with you?”

Yu Zai Ye was puzzled. Based on the direction, Master should have been coming from the disciple quarters. Was Senior Sister not there? “Senior Sister went back to her room to rest early.”

“I see,” Xuan Huai’s voice was low. “Rest early.”

“Thank you for your concern, Master.” Yu Zai Ye didn’t ask further, offered a bow, and returned to the quarters.

Xuan Huai walked slowly toward the back hall. He suddenly stopped and looked back, hoping Ji Xun Yue would call out to him again as she had that day, but only an empty path greeted him. These past two days, she had seemed absentminded, and today she looked especially worried. He guessed it was related to Shi Yuan, yet he could not ask.

When he returned to his residence, an uninvited guest was standing in the courtyard. Shi Yuan had brought a jar of wine and was staring blankly, looking neither happy nor sad. Seeing him arrive, he finally broke into a smile. “I was wondering where you went.”

“What is it?” Xuan Huai spoke indifferently, doing his best to maintain a surface-level calm.

“I just… wanted to thank you for listening to so many of my complaints over the years.”

“And?”

“I met her today. We’ve cleared the air, so to speak.”

Xuan Huai did not answer. He felt that he was the one who should be drinking.

Shi Yuan added, “I clarified to her that those things weren’t done by you. I’m sorry I implicated you.”

“Mmh.”

“When you met in the God Realm that time, she didn’t make things difficult for you, did she? I even asked if she wanted to talk to you in person to clear things up.”

“What did she say?” Xuan Huai finally looked up and met Shi Yuan’s eyes, his voice carrying a trace of hidden anticipation.

“She said it wasn’t necessary. She probably felt that as long as you and I had cleared things up, it was enough.”

” I see.”

So her defense of him that day was merely because she couldn’t stand Yu Han Shu.

Shi Yuan said with a smile, “I brought a jar of good wine this time. The God Shang Ji gave it to me before; I’ve always been reluctant to drink it.”

Xuan Huai stared at the jar on the stone table, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm and sharpness. “Today is your good day, so you’re finally willing to bring it out?”

Shi Yuan didn’t catch the underlying meaning and opened the seal. “I suppose so. Ah, let’s not mention it anymore. I promised not to complain to you again; you must have grown tired of hearing it long ago.”

Xuan Huai gave a soft laugh. He wanted to hear, yet he didn’t dare to. Now that they had cleared their misunderstanding, could he only stand by and watch them reconcile?

He stepped forward, snatched the bowl of wine Shi Yuan had just poured, and downed it in one go. Shi Yuan stared at him in a daze.

Xuan Huai suddenly smiled, his clear features full of dejection. “Shi Yuan, I truly envy you.”

Shi Yuan was hesitant and confused. “Envy me?”

The moonlight fell into Xuan Huai’s eyes, yet it only illuminated an endless loneliness. “Envy that you could get what you wished for and no longer be troubled by this matter.”

He envied that Shi Yuan had waited over two thousand years and finally got her back. Meanwhile, he had waited for four thousand years and would continue to wait.

Ever since he heard that her mother’s injuries were difficult to heal, he began to study medical texts and learn the art of refining herbal medicines, hoping to be of help to her. Unfortunately, before he could finish his studies, Sovereign Cen Luo passed away.

The art of refining medicine he had learned for her seemed to have lost its meaning, yet it became a lingering thought, a hope, and a desire. So, he persisted, using it to pass the long years.

After his medicine refining became quite effective, Yu Qian Chan found him and gradually gave him tasks. He accepted them to repay her kindness, also thinking that one day he might run into her. Although she and Yu Qian Chan were friends, she rarely came to the God Realm. His expectations gradually fell through.

He thought the Soul-Seeking Grass would be the turning point for their meeting. And indeed, it was.

He had no intention of taking disciples, not wanting to increase the risk of his identity being recognized. When he received the message from Yu Qian Chan, the Immortal Selection Ceremony was already about to begin.

Yu Qian Chan said: She will come. You can see her once.

He rushed there and indeed saw her. He only stole one glance and dared not look again, as if afraid of disturbing this sudden dream. It was a dream, and it was also the beginning of hope collapsing.