After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 15

Gu Cong Xing snapped his head up, staring at the Prince Consort in disbelief.

The Emperor remained silent, stroking his beard, his gaze fixed on Lan Jue. It turned out they had known about the Princess throwing the flower all along. This visit to check on him and reminisce about the past was merely a formality; their true intention was to select a fine husband for their eldest daughter!

Gu Cong Xing’s heart sank further. He lowered his gaze, his thoughts in turmoil. It makes sense. To them, I am ultimately just a cousin with no blood relation. How could I compare to their eldest daughter’s life-long happiness?

Ever since the current Emperor married a man, it had set a precedent for same-sex marriage, and for a time, such inclinations became quite popular in the capital. Was the Prince Consort’s earlier trip down memory lane actually a way to probe whether there was anything beyond childhood friendship between him and Lan Jue?

At this thought, Gu Cong Xing’s heart seemed to skip a beat.

What exactly is the nature of the bond between Lan Jue and me…?

“Your Highness, Lan Jue was merely fortunate enough to catch Her Highness’s flower. I have never considered the matter of marriage.”

As the Emperor and Prince Consort watched him, Lan Jue’s voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

“Furthermore, my heart is already set on someone. I fear I would fail Your Highness’s expectations.”

Hearing this, Gu Cong Xing turned his head in shock, filled with disbelief. When did Lan Jue get a sweetheart?

But at that moment, Lan Jue happened to turn his head as well, and their eyes met. His gaze was shimmering, overflowing with a gentle smile.

“!” Gu Cong Xing jerked his head away, no longer meeting Lan Jue’s eyes. However, his heart rate accelerated uncontrollably, and a continuous echo rang in his chest.

Could it be that Lan Jue’s sweetheart… is me?

As soon as this thought appeared, brilliant fireworks seemed to explode in Gu Cong Xing’s mind, leaving him feeling light-headed.

“Oh? Is that so?”

There was no displeasure in the Prince Consort’s voice; it remained as gentle as water. “However, marriage is a major life event. It truly cannot be rushed. It must be considered carefully.”

“In that case, think it over well. Give me an answer in three days.”

The Emperor finalized the matter with this sentence. He exchanged a look with the Prince Consort, and they rose to leave.

The moment their silhouettes vanished, Gu Cong Xing could no longer suppress himself. He spoke urgently, “Lan Jue, what you just said—”

Lan Jue looked at Gu Cong Xing with a bright expression and gave a light wink.

With that single gesture, Gu Cong Xing’s open lips snapped shut.

—That was always the gesture Lan Jue used when teasing him.

Gu Cong Xing clenched his palms, and his soaring spirits crashed back to reality. The fireworks fell silent, returning to nothing. He stared blankly at Lan Jue’s face, his red lips slightly pursed. Though he was expressionless, he rarely looked so flustered and at a loss.

“…Cong Xing?”

Seeing him like this, Lan Jue’s relaxed smile faded. He furrowed his brows and leaned closer, his voice low. “Cong Xing, do not forget what we discussed earlier.”

He was referring to their conclusion that this realm was strange.

Gu Cong Xing naturally knew that the current situation, which seemed peaceful and happy, was actually fraught with hidden danger. However, he did not understand why Lan Jue had to use him as a shield to reject the marriage contract. Does he think it’s fun to see me blushing and embarrassed?

Seeing that Gu Cong Xing remained silent, Lan Jue’s eyes filled with worry. As if making a decision, he took a step forward. “Cong Xing, listen to me…”

He reached out with both hands to pull Gu Cong Xing toward him, but to his surprise, his hands were swiped away.

“Enough! Since you have no such intentions, why do you provoke me time and time again—”

When Gu Cong Xing looked up, his face was covered in a layer of frost, but his obsidian-like eyes were slightly moist, holding a startling light. “I don’t want to see you right now! Get out!!”

Lan Jue’s hand, frozen in mid-air, trembled slightly before he slowly withdrew it. He watched Gu Cong Xing silently for a long while, but the boy turned his head away, his gaze fixed on the floor, unwilling to meet his eyes.

Lan Jue let out a very soft sigh and said, “I will come to find you again tomorrow.”

With that, he tucked his sleeves and left. He did not look back.

That night, Gu Cong Xing tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He eventually put on an outer robe and pushed the door open to go outside.

It was nearly midnight. The East Palace was silent, save for the night guards who still stood at their posts. When they saw Gu Cong Xing, they prepared to follow and protect him, but he waved them off and walked toward a secluded area alone.

When he reached a pavilion in the middle of a lake in the back garden, he looked out to see the moon hanging high and the lake shimmering with ripples. All was silent between heaven and earth.

“The moon…”

It seemed there had once been a person shining with brilliance, with silver hair like a waterfall. He was like the accumulated snow on a mountain peak, and an indelible “white moonlight” in his heart.

Who was it? That person who must never be forgotten who exactly was it?

At this moment, all was calm and quiet. The water surface perfectly reflected the sky. The moon in the water and the moon in the sky gazed at each other from afar, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and illusion for a moment.

Looking at this scene, Gu Cong Xing felt as though the thick fog that had been clouding his mind was being blown away by the wind, and his thoughts became increasingly clear.

Is this world I am in the moon in the lake, or the moon in the sky?  Is this realm real?

“Gu Cong Xing? Why are you here?”

The sudden voice interrupted Gu Cong Xing’s thoughts. He turned in shock to see Xiao Wangyou standing not far away.

His long hair, which he usually wore high, was now draped down like raven feathers. He wore only a black sleeping robe, and red-patterned gold feather earrings could be seen swaying gently in his hair.

The moment he saw him, Gu Cong Xing felt a headache and ringing in his ears again, but the pain this time was much lighter than before; he could endure it. A voice deep in his heart told Gu Cong Xing not to leave.

He had to face this waking pain.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I’m just walking around. Why are you, the Crown Prince, also wandering about?”

Hearing this, Xiao Wangyou took a step forward, completely unbothered by the fact that those words were disrespectful to a Crown Prince. He simply walked to Gu Cong Xing’s side and silently gazed at the boundless lake light with him.

His features were undeniably handsome, but his face was always covered in a layer of coldness. Even facing such a beautiful scene, his brow remained furrowed.

After a long time, he broke the silence and whispered, “Gu Cong Xing, do you dream after you fall asleep?”

Hearing this, Gu Cong Xing was startled.

“…No.”

He hadn’t. He hadn’t dreamed for a long time—since he could remember, every night he fell asleep had been dreamless.

How strange?! And what was even stranger was that if Xiao Wangyou hadn’t asked, he wouldn’t have noticed anything wrong with it.

Someone had deliberately made him overlook this point, just as someone had deliberately blurred his memories!

Xiao Wangyou saw Gu Cong Xing’s solemn expression and furrowed brow, and he did not interrupt his thoughts. But just then, the sound of footsteps approaching from a distance rang out, forcing them both to collect themselves.

Xiao Wangyou turned to walk back to his sleeping quarters. As he brushed past Gu Cong Xing, he left a very soft sentence: “Tomorrow at the hour of the Dog (7-9 PM), the rockery in the back hall.”

Gu Cong Xing nodded silently. He noticed that the newcomer was the female official Tao Xueting. This woman was well-educated and incredibly skilled. She had joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard as a commoner and was now a Vice Commander.

“Your Highness, so you are here. Do you need me to escort you?”

“No need. I’m going back now.”

Looking at Tao Xueting in her flying-fish robe, Gu Cong Xing felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Tao Xueting also met his gaze, then quickly looked away, bowing her head in a polite gesture to hide the darkness in her eyes.

The next day.

Lan Jue walked hurriedly through the East Palace, carrying a small food box filled with the pastries Gu Cong Xing loved. His long sleeves fluttered in the wind as he rehearsed the explanation he would give when he saw Gu Cong Xing.

He had to pull Cong Xing into a corner where no one was around and tell him everything he had been thinking yesterday. He had discovered that an invisible force was keeping everyone submerged in romantic feelings, and the appearance of the Emperor and Prince Consort only confirmed this theory.

He naturally could not agree to the marriage contract mentioned by the Prince Consort. As for saying his heart was set on someone, it was both to satisfy the “hope” of this realm and to delay the Prince Consort’s demands. There was one other reason—a sliver of sincerity that he hadn’t fully figured out himself.

At this thought, Lan Jue’s pace faltered slightly. After a moment, he let out a light sigh: In this eerie realm where I can’t even distinguish my own memories, how am I supposed to explain these subtle emotions and intentions?

He had to maintain his composure and not let his heart be disturbed.

With these thoughts, Lan Jue arrived outside Gu Cong Xing’s room, only to be told by the attendant that the room was empty.

“Is Cong Xing really not here?”

“Yes. The Heir Apparent went out a short while ago and wouldn’t let us follow. We don’t know where he is now.”

Lan Jue went silent for a moment and thanked the attendant. He looked out at the empty courtyard, the autumn wind blowing leaves off the mulberry trees. He suddenly recalled Gu Cong Xing’s roar from yesterday:

—I don’t want to see you again!

Lan Jue’s hands tightened, and cracks appeared on the handle of the food box.

A withered yellow mulberry leaf drifted and swayed in the wind, caught by a fair, slender hand. Gu Cong Xing gazed at it closely, then looked at the palace path ahead.

Today, with the intention of seeking proof, he had dismissed the attendants and guards and explored the palace walls alone. If this realm was not real, there would surely be some flaws in this vast Forbidden City.

He hadn’t found anything wrong so far. It was just that these places felt quite unfamiliar to him, not at all like they should feel if he had frequently visited them as a child according to his memories.

As evening approached, Gu Cong Xing remembered Xiao Wangyou’s words from yesterday and turned toward the back hall. Once he and Xiao Wangyou had figured something out, he could talk to Lan Jue and let him help make a plan.

The back hall was already sparsely populated, and the rockery was even more secluded. When Gu Cong Xing arrived under the cover of night, there was indeed no one else around. Only a tall silhouette stood silently. Hearing movement behind him, the person turned and spoke.

“You’ve come.”

“Mm. I observed as I came; no one is around.”

Neither had lit a lamp, but they could still see.

Xiao Wangyou said, “I don’t have much time; someone will surely come looking for me within an hour. I only ask you have you also discovered anything unusual?”

Gu Cong Xing nodded and responded in a low voice, “Indeed. In what regard?”

“The people around us,” Xiao Wangyou said with a frown. “It’s very strange. They are clearly people who have been with me since childhood, but I always feel uncomfortable when I am with them. And sometimes when I say something accidentally, everyone will stare at me without moving…”

Xiao Wangyou’s eyes flickered, and he blurted out, “Like puppets.”

At these words, Gu Cong Xing felt as though he had been suddenly awakened, and memories of puppets surfaced in his mind.

“I feel the same. Not only that, I’ve discovered my memories are off—they’ve likely been manipulated.”

“So that’s how it is! No wonder… I also felt something was wrong. So the mastermind behind this actually has such an extraordinary ability.”

An extraordinary ability? Both fell into silence at the thought. After a while, Gu Cong Xing changed the subject: “By the way, why did you seek me out to discuss this?” They were, after all, known enemies.

“The moment I saw you at the Qionghua Feast, I felt you were different from the others,” Xiao Wangyou answered without thinking.

It should have been a rather ambiguous sentence, but Gu Cong Xing felt no heart-fluttering at all upon hearing it. He immediately understood what the other meant: “What you mean is… a sense of familiarity and closeness?”

“Exactly.”

At that moment, the air grew chilly again. Knowing time was running out, Xiao Wangyou took an anxious step forward. “And you? What did you think when you saw me?” Gu Cong Xing’s appearance at the time had been unusual; perhaps there was another reason.

Gu Cong Xing lowered his brows in thought. “I”

“So, Cong Xing left me and avoided seeing me just to have a secret meeting with the Crown Prince here.”

A sentence wrapped in frost pierced through like a thorn, making Gu Cong Xing tremble. He turned back in shock.

Lan Jue had arrived at some point, silent and stealthy. There was no telling how long he had been listening. Though he still stood tall and elegant, his face was hidden in the pitch-black night, looking somber and unreadable.