After the Stand-in Hugged the White Moonlight's Thigh Tightly - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Junior Brother is Too Cute, What Should I Do…

Gong Lingdeng continued to extend his hand towards Ruan Mingyu, repeating: “Ruan Ruan, come over.”

Ruan Mingyu took two steps forward. The corner of Gong Lingdeng’s mouth curled into a smile; the situation was indeed developing as he expected. People are always like this, only making the choice that is most beneficial to themselves.

However, Ruan Mingyu didn’t even look at him, instead taking two steps back, then turning around and jumping into the cave without hesitation right in front of Gong Lingdeng.

Ruan Mingyu’s decisiveness caught Gong Lingdeng completely off guard. His eyes widened with fury, and he rushed forward, trying to grab Ruan Mingyu’s hand, but he didn’t even catch a piece of his clothes.

He was clearly a fragile little bird with no ability to protect himself, yet he would rather break his wings than break out of the confining cage.

Gong Lingdeng stared at his empty palm and muttered:

“Why… didn’t you choose me…”

…

Ruan Mingyu jumped down, falling straight down.

Ruan Mingyu never regretted the choices he made, but there was nothing in here, and his body was continuously falling downward. The sensation of weightlessness made him uncomfortable.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he was trapped in this rapid descent. His own heartbeat thumped in the darkness, all alone, surrounded by a deathly silence that was tormenting enough to drive a person mad.

As time went on, Ruan Mingyu felt his mind beginning to lose control, and he started talking nonsense.

“Song Chenxi, I jumped down following you. You’re the protagonist in the book, how can you die so easily? You’re stupid too. You could have just run away yourself, why did you come back for me? I’ve only known you for a few days, and your temper is so strange, yet I can’t bring myself to hate you. Is something wrong with you, or is something wrong with me…” Towards the end, Ruan Mingyu didn’t even know what he was saying. He hugged his head and choked out a sob, “I want to go home, I actually don’t want to die at all, I’m not even twenty yet…”

Just when he thought he would perish in this endless fall, at a certain point, some broken stones fell from above.

Ruan Mingyu abruptly looked up, confused. Could it be…

Immediately after, the surrounding space rapidly compressed and deformed, and Song Chenxi’s figure miraculously appeared in front of him out of thin air!

Ruan Mingyu shouted joyfully: “Senior Brother!”

Gong Lingdeng’s palm strike had used all his strength. Song Chenxi was severely injured and couldn’t even speak loudly, so he could only respond quietly: “Ruan Mingyu, how are you here? Why did you jump down?”

Ruan Mingyu: “It’s never wrong to follow Senior Brother.”

Song Chenxi cursed: “You’ve gone silly from taking too much medicine.”

Ruan Mingyu: “Wow, you! I stuck by you, and you still scold me.”

Song Chenxi remained silent.

Just when Ruan Mingyu thought he wouldn’t speak again, he said something uncharacteristically serious: “Ruan Mingyu, you shouldn’t have jumped down after me.”

Ruan Mingyu grumbled inwardly, wasn’t he also foolish for not running away himself? Why was he lecturing him instead?

It was useless to dwell on this now. Ruan Mingyu thought: “You fell before me, yet we were able to meet.”

Song Chenxi pondered: “Are you saying this place is actually a spatial loop?”

Ruan Mingyu nodded: “If it truly were the Bottomless Pit, we wouldn’t have been able to meet at all.”

Song Chenxi: “A formation must have been set up here. The question is how to break it. Look at these stone walls; there are still subtle differences. We can start here.”

Song Chenxi was too gravely injured; otherwise, he absolutely would not have let Ruan Mingyu do it. He said: “Repeat the incantation after me, and guide your spiritual sense through the cave.”

Ruan Mingyu nodded and did as he was told. He had never cultivated before, and Song Chenxi hadn’t expected him to succeed in controlling his spiritual sense on the very first try.

Ruan Mingyu closed his eyes and meticulously explored the cave. As time kept passing, Song Chenxi gradually lost his strength. Furthermore, his wound hadn’t been treated in time. The sword couldn’t hold, and they started falling again.

Ruan Mingyu gripped Song Chenxi’s sword, stopping the descent.

There was no sense of day or night in the cave, and every moment was agonizingly difficult. Ruan Mingyu was dripping with cold sweat as he worked hard to find a flaw in the formation. He didn’t notice the pair of eyes in the darkness that watched him with complex emotions all the while.

After countless attempts, Ruan Mingyu suddenly opened his eyes. “I found it!”

He excitedly guided Song Chenxi’s spiritual sense, telling him: “This spot is different from the others. There are grooves on it.”

Fortunately, the surroundings were dark. Song Chenxi’s ears were flushed red. He hadn’t told Ruan Mingyu that the fusion of spiritual senses usually only occurred between Dao companions…

Song Chenxi forcefully suppressed the urge to attack Ruan Mingyu’s spiritual sense and used his remaining spiritual power to strike that spot fiercely.

With a “swoosh,” the cave wall began to shake violently, and the impact sent the two of them plummeting downwards.

However, during the rapid descent, they could now see the ground!

Ruan Mingyu was on the verge of tears. Although they had found the bottom of the Bottomless Pit, could they survive a fall from this height?!

Song Chenxi never let go of his hand and held him in his arms during the descent. Ruan Mingyu was a bit scared and wrapped his arms around Song Chenxi’s neck.

He tried to coax him: “Senior Brother, you are my beloved Senior Brother. Don’t let go of me now.”

It was better if he hadn’t said anything. The moment he expressed fear, Song Chenxi’s rebellious streak kicked in. He deliberately jostled Ruan Mingyu: “Mingyu, you know I’m injured. It’s also possible I won’t hold onto you.”

This scared Ruan Mingyu into closing his eyes and tightly hugging him with both arms.

Seeing him like this, Song Chenxi couldn’t help but let out a muffled laugh.

Hearing his laughter, Ruan Mingyu realized he had been tricked again and said angrily: “Are you going to be satisfied only when I die?!”

Song Chenxi kissed his forehead and said with a smile: “My apologies, you’re too interesting. I couldn’t help myself.”

Ruan Mingyu was stunned. What was he doing!?

Just as they were about to land, Song Chenxi lifted him horizontally and landed steadily on the ground.

Ruan Mingyu breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, they were safe, and he quickly got out of Song Chenxi’s embrace.

Before he could even celebrate, Song Chenxi coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed onto him.

He was so seriously injured, yet he had the strength to joke with him just now.

Ruan Mingyu calmly wiped the blood from his face and squatted down to treat Song Chenxi’s wounds. His wounds were deep, and it was clear that Gong Lingdeng had intended to kill him. How did the plot turn out like this? A lover becoming an enemy? Ruan Mingyu couldn’t figure it out.

Ruan Mingyu finished treating Song Chenxi’s wounds. He originally intended to sit on the side and wait for him to wake up, but he couldn’t resist dozing off for a bit. When he woke up, he found that he had fallen asleep resting on Song Chenxi’s shoulder.

Ruan Mingyu didn’t know how long he had slept. Song Chenxi didn’t call him, quietly letting him lean there.

“You’re awake?” he asked.

Ruan Mingyu immediately sat up straight. Wait, when did he fall asleep?

The place was empty, without even a single dry leaf. The only two living things were him and Song Chenxi. Would they really have to stay here for forty-nine years, just like in the plot?

Perhaps because the cave was too cold, Ruan Mingyu sneezed. The Joyous Union Sect’s clothes were loose, and Ruan Mingyu quickly pulled the collar up higher.

Song Chenxi stared at him, seemingly displeased with him wearing those clothes, and said: “Ruan Mingyu, the Seven Star Sect has a rule against wearing clothes from other sects. Change the clothes you’re wearing.”

Ruan Mingyu: “Where do I have clothes to change into? If I take them off, I’ll be naked.”

Song Chenxi took out his own clothes from his storage ring and handed them to him: “Change.”

Ruan Mingyu took them and said, “Oh.” The one he was wearing had a sickly sweet scent that was uncomfortable to smell.

Ruan Mingyu changed his clothes in front of him without any reservation. Song Chenxi was startled and immediately turned around.

“Has no one ever told you not to change clothes in front of others?”

Ruan Mingyu: “You’re not a girl.”

Song Chenxi: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl. You shouldn’t do that. Did you hear me?”

Ruan Mingyu: “Oh.”

The clothes Song Chenxi gave him were a bright emerald green cloud satin brocade. Ruan Mingyu wore it perfectly, and it made him look even more handsome—a charming young man with red lips and white teeth. As the saying goes, clothes make the man. After Ruan Mingyu put it on, he immediately transformed into a pampered young master from a wealthy family.

Song Chenxi couldn’t take his eyes off him: “I’m giving you these clothes. No need to return them.”

There was still a restriction set up at the bottom of the cave. Song Chenxi wanted to use a Fire Incantation to burn the clothes Ruan Mingyu had taken off but found he couldn’t use spiritual power. He seemed to hold a deep grudge against those clothes and took out a flint stone, insisting on burning the clothes.

Ruan Mingyu watched, dumbfounded.

Song Chenxi pretended not to care and said seriously: “It’s cold here. I’m lighting a fire to warm us up.”

Whatever, let them be burned. Ruan Mingyu squatted down and held out his hands to warm them by the fire.

“Senior Brother, how do we get out?” Ruan Mingyu looked up at Song Chenxi while warming himself.

Song Chenxi said: “We can’t get out. I searched all around and didn’t find an exit.”

Ruan Mingyu: “…” Was he being that direct? Thinking back to the plot in the book, it seemed his entire life was going to be ruined.

Ruan Mingyu was not resigned and asked again: “Send a sound transmission talisman to Master to rescue us?”

Song Chenxi: “Spiritual power cannot be used in this place. How can we use a sound transmission talisman?”

Ruan Mingyu felt dejected, his head drooped like a crestfallen puppy.

Seeing his appearance, Song Chenxi smiled fondly: “The cart will find its way around the hill when it gets there. There’s no need to be discouraged. If we can’t get out, it’s only because our cultivation is too low. At worst, we’ll diligently cultivate in the cave, and one day we’ll be able to leave.”

His smile was like a snow lotus blooming in the ice, cold yet with a hint of loveliness. Ruan Mingyu was momentarily entranced, thinking no wonder he was the universally attractive protagonist in the book.

Ruan Mingyu told him: “Do you believe I can tell fortunes?”

Song Chenxi: “You can do that too?”

Ruan Mingyu: “You will have four husbands in the future.”

Song Chenxi: “What is a ‘husband’?”

Ruan Mingyu: “It means a partner, a xiang-gong (husband/male partner).”

Song Chenxi: “Then let me tell your fortune too.”

Ruan Mingyu was curious: “What did you predict?”

Song Chenxi: “You won’t be able to speak for the next three hours.”

Ruan Mingyu wanted to open his mouth to argue, but Song Chenxi immediately cast a Silence Spell on him.

Ruan Mingyu pointed to his mouth to protest.

Song Chenxi pretended not to see: “I need to meditate and regulate my breathing. Help yourself.”

Ruan Mingyu: “…” Once he learned the Silence Spell, he would cast one on Song Chenxi too!

Song Chenxi closed his eyes, sat in meditation, and healed his injuries.

Ruan Mingyu huddled to the side, closed his eyes, and continued to sleep.

Before, there was a faint glimmer of light in the cave, but when night fell, not even a trace of light could be seen.

Song Chenxi regulated his breathing for a round and recovered slightly. The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was look for Ruan Mingyu.

After searching around, he found Ruan Mingyu huddled in a corner. His eyes were tightly shut, and his breathing was rapid. Song Chenxi initially thought the medicine he took during the day hadn’t been completely cleared from his system, and he touched his burning forehead.

Ruan Mingyu was… running a fever?

Song Chenxi quickly lifted the Silence Spell from Ruan Mingyu. He wouldn’t dare cast a spell on him again. Ruan Mingyu’s sleep was restless. Falling into the icy pool during the day was ultimately uncomfortable.

The bodies of cultivators who practiced year-round were long different from those of mortals. Song Chenxi had many kinds of medicine, but none for treating common colds or fever.

Ruan Mingyu struggled to open his eyes, saw Song Chenxi beside him, and said tremblingly: “Cold…”

Song Chenxi took off his outer robe and draped it over him.

Ruan Mingyu: “Still cold…”