After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 13

Gu Cong Xing stared at the transcendent gentleman before him, his heart rate involuntarily quickening.

Why did he feel such irrepressible joy the moment he saw him? And this inexplicable sense of security…

Opposite him, Lan Jue was also deep in thought. His eyes shifted slightly as if he wanted to say more, but he simply waited gently for Gu Cong Xing’s response.

“Brother… Lan Jue?”

The call escaped Gu Cong Xing’s lips instinctively, yet he found it a bit awkward, as if that wasn’t how he was supposed to address him.

“…Brother Lan?” That didn’t feel right either.

He searched his memories and confirmed that this person was indeed Lan Jue, the legitimate son of the current Prime Minister. Prime Minister Lan had governed for many years; he was upright, incorruptible, and held a prestigious reputation in court, earning the deep trust of the Emperor.

As the eldest son, Lan Jue had been known as a child prodigy. He was the embodiment of an elegant nobleman noble as an orchid and as brilliant as the moon. In fact, Lan Jue had recently placed first in the imperial examinations a stark contrast to Gu Cong Xing himself.

The two had known each other since childhood and could be considered lifelong friends. However, at the Imperial Academy, Lan Jue was always the center of attention, surrounded by endless praise, while Gu Cong Xing was kept at arm’s length, even developing a notorious reputation.

…As for the cause, Gu Cong Xing couldn’t quite remember. It seemed to be because shortly after entering the Academy, he had gotten into several fights and beaten up a few young masters.

Regardless of how others treated him, Lan Jue never distanced himself from Gu Cong Xing. On the contrary, he would always step out from the crowd of admirers whenever Gu Cong Xing was alone, coming to his side like a refreshing breeze.

Sometimes, when Gu Cong Xing’s stubbornness flared up, he would speak to Lan Jue with sarcasm, saying things like, “How did the busy Master Lan find the time to remember me?”

Upon hearing this, their classmates would show looks of disgust, feeling that Gu Cong Xing was arrogant and unable to distinguish good from bad. But Lan Jue’s expression never changed; his smile never faded as he accompanied Gu Cong Xing time and time again.

Yet, despite such tolerance and accommodation, a fierce argument had broken out between them—not long ago.

At that time, Lan Jue had just become the top scholar and was parading through the streets on a white horse, a scene of infinite glory. Dressed in a vermilion brocade robe and wearing a white jade crown with dragon patterns, he looked handsome and spirited, a smile playing on his lips. People on both sides of Guangwu Avenue cheered for him, and noble ladies in the pavilions threw flower branches and embroidered handkerchiefs with shy glances.

In that sea of brilliant flowers, the usually humble Lan Jue held his chin high with pride, his eyes full of youthful vigor. Gu Cong Xing was hidden in the crowd along the street, his gaze like everyone else’s fixed tightly on the top scholar.

His heart and soul were entirely moved by him.

Gu Cong Xing noticed that when the procession passed the Haihe Pavilion, a delicate hand tossed a hydrangea peony, which landed perfectly in Lan Jue’s arms.

Lan Jue looked up in surprise only to see a legendary beauty leaning out of the window with a haughty smile.

It was the current Eldest Princess!

In an instant, the crowd witnessing this erupted in cheers and whistles. A hydrangea peony—throwing a “hydrangea” was effectively the Princess choosing a new husband!

In the shadows, Gu Cong Xing watched silently as Lan Jue and Princess Xiao Yan gazed at each other from a distance. His mind went completely blank. Those cheers grew louder, overlapping with his heavy heartbeat as if they were going to pierce his chest.

Thump, thump,

The scene before him seemed to fade. His field of vision narrowed until it focused only on Lan Jue’s face. When he saw Lan Jue curl his lips in a smile toward the Princess, Gu Cong Xing felt a dizzying sensation of falling into a void.

He fled in a panic and haste. Amidst the boisterous crowd, he was like a frightened stray dog.

Since then, every time Lan Jue came to find him, Gu Cong Xing refused to see him. It wasn’t until Lan Jue’s fourth visit that he could no longer stand it. In front of many people in the estate, he roared: “Enough! You, Master Lan, will soon soar to greatness as the Prince Consort. Why come here and act so hypocritically!”

“It’s utterly fake! It’s disgusting!”

The moment those words were shouted, the surroundings fell into a dead silence. Gu Cong Xing suddenly snapped back to his senses and looked at Lan Jue in a panic, only to find the man had lost all expression, his face deathly pale.

Gu Cong Xing opened his mouth to speak but ultimately grit his teeth, pushed Lan Jue out of the estate, and slammed the heavy gates shut.

Since then, the two had not met again.

“…” Recalling this, Gu Cong Xing felt uneasy and embarrassed. How could I have done something so stupid? Said such vicious words? And to Lan Jue?

While Gu Cong Xing’s thoughts were in turmoil, he heard a clear, mellow voice.

“Your Highness, are you willing to forgive me now?”

Lan Jue remained as gentle and elegant as ever, his eyes holding a smile. It seemed he no longer cared at all about being rebuked and insulted. He had forgiven Gu Cong Xing, just as he had countless times before.

“Ah, yes.”

Gu Cong Xing’s face burned. He didn’t dare look at Lan Jue and instead stared at the pebbles on the ground. Feeling the other man’s gaze, he cleared his throat and intentionally changed the subject:

“By the way, why are you here?”

To his surprise, this question made Lan Jue fall silent. He looked out over the lake, his brow clouded with confusion.

“…I don’t know.”

Gu Cong Xing: “Huh?”

“When I woke up, there was a voice in my heart telling me I had to come here.”

Lan Jue turned his gaze back, his clear eyes looking at Gu Cong Xing with total honesty. “Because here, I could meet a vital person. I was wondering who it was, but my mind was quite chaotic and I couldn’t distinguish them.”

“But the moment I saw you, I knew.”

“I came for you, Cong Xing.”

Gu Cong Xing’s heart skipped a beat. He blinked in confusion, his lashes trembling, as a blush crept onto his fair face.

“You…”

“Ah! Your Highness, Master Lan, so you are both here.”

A male voice suddenly broke in. Both turned to see a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance and a kind smile.

“Steward Lin?” Gu Cong Xing said after a moment of thought.

“This servant is late.” Steward Lin stepped forward and bowed to them. “The morning dew is heavy here; please don’t catch a cold. Especially you, Your Highness; your body hasn’t fully recovered, and you need proper rest.”

“Hmph, I know,” Gu Cong Xing said with some impatience.

“Cong Xing was injured?”

The surprise and worry in Lan Jue’s voice didn’t seem feigned. Steward Lin replied in astonishment: “Yes. Master Lan, didn’t you come here in a hurry yesterday specifically because you heard the Heir Apparent was injured?”

“Is that so…” Lan Jue propped up his head, his brow slightly furrowed. “Yes, I remember now. That is indeed the case.”

“That is indeed the case,” he repeated under his breath, eyes lowered for some reason.

The attendant A-Luo arrived running with a fox-fur cloak. Steward Lin was about to drape it over Gu Cong Xing, but he waved it off.

“No need. I’ve been tempering my body for a long time; why would I fear this bit of chill?”

He blurted the words out, and all three people present were stunned, their expressions varying. Gu Cong Xing himself was surprised: Tempering my body for a long time? At most I have some basic martial arts skills; I’m not someone who has trained for years…

Lan Jue’s eyes flickered, while Steward Lin and A-Luo looked confused. Then, they tilted their heads to the side at the exact same angle.

“This servant does not understand what Your Highness means,” the two said in unison.

“…It’s nothing.” The sense of strangeness in Gu Cong Xing’s heart intensified. Looking at these two subordinates who had served him for years, he felt a sense of alienation.

He silently took a step back.

The black pupils of Steward Lin and A-Luo remained motionless as they stared silently at Gu Cong Xing. The temperature of the surrounding air plummeted, making his hair stand on end.

Right then, a calm, gentle voice broke the increasingly eerie atmosphere.

“Those skills of yours are fine for beating people up, but don’t try to be a hero.”

Lan Jue seemed completely unaware of the change in the other two. He naturally took the fox-fur cloak, stepped in front of Gu Cong Xing, and draped it over him.

Lan Jue was tall and slender, standing a head taller than Gu Cong Xing, completely blocking Steward Lin and the others’ view. As his hands reached toward Gu Cong Xing, a faint scent of winter plum blossoms drifted from his sleeves. His fair fingers moved skillfully, tightening the ties of the cloak and even tying a decorative knot.

“If you freeze and ruin your health, you won’t be able to attend the Qionghua Feast in a few days. Didn’t you mention last time that you wanted to go to the palace to settle things with the Crown Prince?”

“…Hmph, naturally. I will definitely defeat him this time.”

“Then I shall wait and see.”

As the two talked, Steward Lin and A-Luo’s gazes gradually withdrew, and the surrounding temperature slowly rose. The feeling of being watched vanished, and Gu Cong Xing breathed a silent sigh of relief.

Because they were standing so close, Gu Cong Xing looked up and saw Lan Jue’s lowered eyes, gentle and focused. Up close, he noticed that Lan Jue’s lashes weren’t curled but were very long; as he looked down, his bright amber eyes were hidden in shadow.

Gu Cong Xing’s breathing became ragged, and he quickly looked away, but his cheeks felt hot. Lan Jue reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Gu Cong Xing’s ear, noticing the boy’s ears had turned red, which was quite cute.

“Why is Cong Xing shy?” he chuckled, unable to resist rubbing Gu Cong Xing’s soft earlobe. It was fleshy and felt nice to the touch.

“You!” Gu Cong Xing’s face exploded in red. He furrowed his brows and was about to snap, but Lan Jue cupped his face with both hands and squeezed his cheeks toward the middle.

“Mmph! Lan Jue, yuh…”

“Hehe.” Lan Jue looked at the boy’s pouting red lips and eyes widened in anger, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction. He felt as if he had wanted to do this for a long time to let this usually somber and distant boy feel anger, joy, shyness, and irritation without reservation.

To not be shackled by those invisible burdens.

“In this state, Your Highness looks like a puffed-up pufferfish.”

“En-enough!” Gu Cong Xing gave a sharp push, escaping Lan Jue’s “evil” hands.

Dammit! How can this guy Lan Jue still look so harmless!

“Hmph! Since you’ve stayed for two days, it’s about time you went back, right?”

In the face of this blatant eviction notice, Lan Jue still wore a breezy smile. “Indeed. Then I shall set off for home today.”

Gu Cong Xing grunted in response and turned to leave. Though his movements were crisp and decisive, his cheeks still carried a lingering blush. From behind him, he seemed to hear that annoying laughter again, and he quickened his pace.

Four days later, the Capital, Qianyuan Hall.

In the Forbidden City, it was a crisp autumn day with the scent of golden osmanthus in the air. The Qionghua Feast was being held in the palace, and many talented people had gathered.

This grand banquet was not held in the main hall but in the Osmanthus Garden of the Wanhua Courtyard after all, the stars of this feast were not royalty, but the brilliant scholars who had made the honor roll.

Noble ladies dressed in fine silks and young lords gathered in small groups, with occasional sounds of laughter and play. Gu Cong Xing sat alone on a high seat on the eastern side, his face full of boredom. Given his status, even if he weren’t popular, there should have been sycophants by his side. Unfortunately, he never bothered with superficial pleasantries and was always cold toward those seeking favor.

Having grown up with Lan Jue, his standards for companions had unconsciously become higher. But even so, there were always some youths clamoring to be near him. It wasn’t until he entered the Academy and fought with people that those who wanted to befriend him disappeared.

After all, the person Gu Cong Xing had beaten was the Crown Prince’s study partner, effectively striking the face of the future ruler of the world. Since then, his already poor relationship with the Crown Prince had worsened.

Recalling this, Gu Cong Xing’s blank memories felt complete. Yet, for some reason, he couldn’t feel happy; instead, irritability surged again. He picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“It’s actually hawthorn berry wine. This taste…” Why is it so familiar?

Who was it that once brought me sweet and sour hawthorns? That person seemed to have a pair of dark gold eyes that were always full of laughter…

“You’ve only been recovered for a few days and you’re already here drinking. You really don’t value your life.”

A familiar mocking voice arrived. Gu Cong Xing didn’t even need to look up to guess who it was.

“What, is Officer Mei concerned about my health?”

Gu Cong Xing took another sip of wine and smirked at Mei Ci. At these words, Mei Ci reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, shouting: “In your dreams! Why would I care about someone like you…”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by another lazy voice: “Brother Mei, I could hear you shouting from all the way over there.”

Ruan Wei, the son of the Minister of Personnel, walked over fanning himself with a cynical expression. Although young, he was experienced in the ways of the world. After teasing Mei Ci, he smiled and bowed to Gu Cong Xing with perfect etiquette.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Gu Cong Xing nodded in acknowledgment. He didn’t feel any repulsion toward this clean-cut, round-faced youth; instead, he felt a sense of kinship.

“Tch, hypocrite,” Mei Ci said with disdain.

Ruan Wei was about to argue when he heard girls nearby cry out: “The top scholars are here!”

“Master Lan Jue really lives up to his reputation; he is so handsome!”

“Master Lan Jue!”

Gu Cong Xing’s heart rate accelerated uncontrollably. He followed the envious gazes of the crowd and saw a group of spirited scholars walking in, led by the brilliant Lan Jue.

He wore a long, mountain-blue robe with a thin white gauze overcoat embroidered with auspicious cranes and clouds. A simple silk sash tied his waist, outlining his slender figure. Within a breath of him sitting down, several youths crowded around him, and several noble ladies stood shyly to the side to offer their congratulations. Surrounded by admirers, Lan Jue seemed accustomed to it; he wore his usual clear smile, raising his cup and chatting pleasantly with everyone.

Gu Cong Xing stared fixedly in that direction, not noticing that Mei Ci and Ruan Wei had already left. A dark shadow approached silently behind him, and a mocking whisper accompanied by warm breath hit his ear.

“It’s been a while, but you’ve become even more useless.”

Who?!

Gu Cong Xing snapped back to his senses. He instinctively threw a back-elbow strike, but it was blocked. At the same time, he spun around, grabbed a bamboo chopstick from the dining table, and lunged backward!

“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

A sharp scream rang in his ears. Gu Cong Xing’s hand faltered, losing its momentum, and was grabbed tightly by the wrist.

“Assassinating the Crown Prince what should be your punishment?”

The youth in black robes with gold patterns exuded an overbearing air of nobility. His pitch-black eyes reflected Gu Cong Xing’s shocked face.

How could it be him?!

Xiao Wangyou?!