After the Stand-in Hugged the White Moonlight's Thigh Tightly - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: It’s Like We’re Husband and Wife

Ruan Mingyu’s expenses recently were quite significant. On one hand, he had to refine pills, and on the other, he had to take care of the spirit field’s maintenance and planting.

To earn money, besides seeing human patients, he even took on trivial tasks like treating small cats and dogs. Over time, the Senior and Junior Brothers and Sisters throughout the sect all knew that Yuan Terrace Peak had a cheap and effective alchemist.

He would treat anything for a fee, so people came to him in an endless stream.

Today, there was another long queue outside Yuan Terrace Peak. For convenience in seeing patients, Ruan Mingyu almost converted his own living quarters into a makeshift clinic.

However, with so many people, all kinds of situations arise, such as today’s.

“Doctor, what should I do if my rat is sick?” A Junior Sister placed her large white pet rat on the desk. The rat was as big as a cat.

Ruan Mingyu’s scalp tingled. He chanted “I must earn money” many times in his heart to forcibly suppress the urge to run away. He wrote out a prescription.

“If a rat is sick, feed it some rat poison.” Ruan Mingyu quickly wrote the prescription, urged her to leave, and then expertly announced: “Next.”

The next person was a Junior Brother. He sat on the stool, stared at Ruan Mingyu’s face for a long time, looking like a lovestruck youth.

Ruan Mingyu waved his hand in front of the Junior Brother’s eyes.

“Junior Brother, please state your symptoms.”

The Junior Brother said, “I’ve fallen in love with my Senior Brother. What should I do? He and I are both men, this is completely improper!”

“Drink some traditional Chinese medicine to regulate it.”

“I’ve drunk it, but it didn’t work.”

“Increase the dosage.”

“What if it still doesn’t work?”

Ruan Mingyu wrote out the prescription without changing his expression: “Drink it first, then talk.”

The other party finally stated the purpose of his visit. He said, “I think you look a lot like my Senior Brother. Could you date me? Maybe my condition will improve.”

Due to the many outrageous things Song Chenxi did in the Secret Realm, many people held intense feelings for him, some loving him, others hating him.

And since Ruan Mingyu and Song Chenxi looked somewhat alike, people often sought him out, either transferring their hatred for Song Chenxi onto him or wanting him to be a substitute.

Ruan Mingyu was already used to it.

He said expressionlessly: “Stop drinking traditional Chinese medicine, go drink agricultural poison.”

“Next!”

…

After seeing patients all day, Ruan Mingyu finally had some free time. As soon as he was free, he ran down the mountain. The seedlings he had planted last time had grown quite a bit in the past two days. Ruan Mingyu looked at the seedlings as if they were his own children.

Yueya, seeing him come alone every day, asked him: “Where’s your spouse?”

Ruan Mingyu was tending to his precious medicinal herbs. Hearing this, he suddenly looked up: “What nonsense are you talking about? That’s my Senior Brother!”

“Your Senior Brother?” Yueya rubbed her chin. “I think the two of you are like husband and wife.”

What kind of outrageous thing was that to say? Ruan Mingyu was utterly shocked, his eyes wide. He stopped what he was doing and immediately corrected her: “That is absolutely impossible! If you spread rumors again, I’ll deduct your wages!”

Yueya pouted: “Fine, I won’t say it.” Then she muttered under her breath: “It’s true, though. And I’m not allowed to say it.”

After a tiring afternoon, Ruan Mingyu rushed back to the sect before it got dark.

On the way back, his mouth felt greedy, and he couldn’t resist making a detour to the night market to buy some food.

He had a string of tanghulu (candied fruit) in his left hand and a butter pastry in his right, feeling delighted. If Song Chenxi were here now, he wouldn’t have to pay for himself.

As he walked, a man wearing a veil suddenly snatched the tanghulu from his hand and took a bite.

“Why are you stealing my food!” Ruan Mingyu wanted to argue, but he met a pair of extremely enchanting eyes. This feeling was familiar.

“Don’t you remember me?” The person smiled charmingly.

Ruan Mingyu felt confused: “Who are you?”

“I thought you were dead, but I didn’t expect you to be alive. To meet again now, it seems our fate is quite deep.”

He deliberately drew out the final syllable when he called out:

“Ruan Ruan—”

Past memories rushed into his mind. Ruan Mingyu remembered—it was Gong Lingdeng from the Joyful Union Sect!

Gong Lingdeng saw his expression change drastically, leaned closer, and asked, “Has this beauty remembered me?”

Ruan Mingyu feigned composure: “Who are you? Don’t crowd me if I don’t know you.”

He said this, but he lifted his feet, turned, and scurried away, abandoning even the tanghulu.

However, the other person’s cultivation was not low. In no time, Ruan Mingyu was overtaken.

“Ruan Ruan, why do you run as soon as you see me? I’ll be sad.”

Nonsense! Should I stay and wait to be captured by him?

Fortunately, Ruan Mingyu’s skills had improved over the years. Without thinking, he pulled out the magic artifact Song Chenxi gave him and used it to escape right in front of Gong Lingdeng.

Gong Lingdeng gazed in the direction he left, saying meaningfully: “Do you think you can run away like that?”

…

After returning, Ruan Mingyu didn’t dare to go down the mountain for several days, afraid of running into Gong Lingdeng again.

He returned and immediately began refining pills, completing two batches.

One batch was for Song Chenxi.

The book claimed that “Delusion” was a poison, but Song Chenxi’s description was different from the book’s.

Ruan Mingyu speculated that it might be more of an inducement. Everyone has an obsession in their heart. If someone is truly without desire or need, are they still human? They’d be a god. So, any person would inevitably be controlled by it. No wonder Song Chenxi said it was incurable.

Despite this, he still refined some pills that could clear the mind and nourish the spirit, which could offer some relief. Besides, it would be wasteful not to use the herb he painstakingly gathered from the mountain last time.

The other batch was for himself.

Ruan Mingyu had previously absorbed an entire furnace of his Master’s spiritual energy and was terrified of exploding one day. Although his Master helped seal his cultivation, it was only a temporary solution, not a cure.

It was a pitiful situation. How did he and Song Chenxi end up in the same predicament? They couldn’t survive without medicine! Ruan Mingyu thought with a bit of sadness.

Refining these two batches of pills took Ruan Mingyu nearly a month.

Using various expensive medicinal materials, he only managed to refine two or three bottles of medicine.

He carefully put the finished pills away. Regardless of whether they would work or not, he planned to immediately take them to Song Chenxi on Siguo Cliff.

No sooner said than done. He flew his sword directly to the back mountain. He originally thought it wouldn’t be far, but it still took some time to reach it.

The cliff was towering, with monkeys howling and birds chirping among the mountains and forests. It was too high. Ruan Mingyu didn’t dare to look down, fearing that a sudden movement would send him plummeting, even though he could fly now.

But this place was huge. Where exactly was Song Chenxi?

He searched for a long time but couldn’t even find a cave entrance. He had no choice but to take out a sound transmission talisman and ask Song Chenxi: “Senior Brother, where are you? I’ve come to see you.”

Soon, a shout echoed from the mountain ravine:

“Little Sparrow!”

The sound of his “Little Sparrow” resonated throughout the mountains. Ruan Mingyu nearly choked. He followed the source of the sound and finally found it.

The cave entrance was halfway up the cliff, extremely hidden. If Song Chenxi hadn’t yelled, Ruan Mingyu truly would not have found it.

He flew his sword over and stopped outside the cave entrance. Ruan Mingyu’s intention was to drop off the pills and leave without lingering.

But Song Chenxi beckoned him to come closer.

Ruan Mingyu had no choice but to take two steps closer.

Song Chenxi was sitting in the cave, meditating. He was clean and tidy, without a trace of distress, looking as if he were here on a leisure trip rather than in solitary confinement.

“Mingyu has come to see me,” he smiled faintly at Ruan Mingyu, his eyes narrowed. “I’m very happy.”

It was said that Siguo Cliff had no guards. He could leave if he wanted, but if the magic array recognized the unauthorized departure, the punishment wouldn’t be just a few months or half a year; he might be locked up for decades. Thus, generally no one dared to break out.

Now it seemed that this was indeed the case.

Ruan Mingyu ignored him. He placed the medicine on the ground and said to Song Chenxi: “One pill a day for ten consecutive days. Senior Brother, please remember.”

“Aren’t you coming over?” His brow furrowed slightly.

Ruan Mingyu made an excuse: “Senior Brother, my furnace is still running. I’m too busy, I’ll visit you again next time.” With that, he turned to slip away.

But before he could take two steps, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

Ruan Mingyu was shocked: “Aren’t you afraid of being recognized by the barrier if you come out? Senior Brother, it won’t be just half a year now, it will be at least a year before you can get out. You won’t make it to the Immortal Gate Grand Competition!”

Song Chenxi: “So what if I don’t go? This array is only average. I cracked it the first day I arrived. It can’t stop me. The only reason I stayed in the cave and didn’t leave was to save the Elder some face.”

Hearing this, Ruan Mingyu chuckled awkwardly: “Senior Brother, your hug is a bit too tight.”

Song Chenxi still wouldn’t let go. His brow looked weary. He closed his eyes and leaned on Ruan Mingyu’s shoulder, which made Ruan Mingyu feel slightly more at ease.

Ruan Mingyu didn’t dare to ask him to get up because he saw a faint, hidden crimson color returning to his pupils. He had been demonically transforming more often in this period than all the times before combined.

The two quietly leaned against each other, momentarily forgetting everything else.

They were so close that Ruan Mingyu could clearly see the frequency of his blinking eyelashes. Ruan Mingyu nervously stared at him. Song Chenxi looked into his clean, desireless eyes and easily became lost in them.

After a long time, Song Chenxi finally moved his gaze, rested his head on his shoulder, lowered his head to sniff, and suddenly frowned.

“Why do you smell of rouge? Who have you been seeing behind my back?”

Ruan Mingyu had no idea when he picked up the scent. His nose is so sharp! He explained: “I see patients every day. I meet tons of people in a single day…”

Mid-sentence, Song Chenxi’s fingers hovered over his collarbone. Ruan Mingyu nervously asked, “Senior Brother, what’s wrong?”

“Is that so?” Song Chenxi lowered his head to adjust Ruan Mingyu’s collar. His long fingers always passed over his neck, seemingly unintentionally.

Ruan Mingyu was truly afraid he would lose control again, like last time, and suddenly choke him.

Feeling the person in his arms stiffen, Song Chenxi let go. The reason he came to this place was that it was deserted, deep, quiet, and suitable for cultivation. He was trying every possible way to cage the monster in his heart, to prevent it from ever coming out again.

Ruan Mingyu’s appearance had still made his mind uneasy.

He said to him: “Don’t come to see me during this period.”

Ruan Mingyu nodded, silently increasing the distance between himself and Song Chenxi.

“Then I’m leaving. Remember to take your medicine.”

Song Chenxi watched him leave, then turned and stepped back into the cave.

After leaving, Ruan Mingyu felt a sense of relief. He felt that Song Chenxi’s words had a hidden meaning, and the way he looked at him wasn’t right. He was afraid he had somehow misled him.

…

Back in his room, Ruan Mingyu lay on his bed, replaying what Song Chenxi had told him.

Why did he tell him not to visit again during this time? Did he not want to see him anymore?

Ruan Mingyu was restless, tossing and turning. For a long time, he couldn’t fall asleep. According to his usual schedule, he should have been fast asleep long ago.

Suddenly, he heard a subtle sound. He quickly closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Soon, a figure quietly jumped into his room.

The person slowly approached him. The instant he got close, Ruan Mingyu flipped over, drew his sword, and held it across the person’s throat.

“Who? What do you want?”

“Don’t be so fierce.” The visitor seemed completely unafraid of his sword and even playfully touched his face.

Although the room was dark, Ruan Mingyu was certain this person was Gong Lingdeng!

Ruan Mingyu immediately slapped his hand away and opened his mouth to shout for help.

Gong Lingdeng quickly covered his mouth, then bound him with rope.

“Ruan Ruan, what are you trying to do? We’ve reunited after so long, and this is how you treat me?”

Ruan Mingyu muffled sounds came from his mouth.

Gong Lingdeng said, “Ruan Ruan looks so pathetic. I can’t bear to keep you tied up.”

He slowly loosened his grip: “Alright, you can shout now. You can publicize our adultery.”

“Senior Brother! Senior Sister! Come save me!” Ruan Mingyu immediately shouted after he could speak.

But there was no response, not even the wind outside the window.

After shouting for a long time, no one came, and Ruan Mingyu gave up when he realized it was useless.

“Ruan Ruan being so well-behaved all of a sudden makes me a little unaccustomed,” he said.

Ruan Mingyu was somewhat distraught: “Brother, what exactly do you want? It’s been so many years, just let me go!”

“You know it’s been so many years,” he seemed deeply resentful of the past events. His sharp fingernails traced Ruan Mingyu’s face, and his enchanting face looked slightly distorted. “Then I ask you, do you regret not choosing me?”

Ruan Mingyu did not answer.

Regret? What is there to regret?

He didn’t answer only because he was afraid of provoking this person.

Gong Lingdeng was relentless: “Answer me.”

Ruan Mingyu turned his head: “I don’t like making choices.”

A sudden pain stung his cheek. The other person’s fingernail had dug into his skin.

“I understand. You don’t regret it at all.” Realizing his loss of composure, Gong Lingdeng subtly withdrew his hand. “Your Senior Brother has taken good care of you all these years?”

Am I a pet? What’s with ‘taking care’ of me?

Ruan Mingyu: “He hasn’t taken care of me all these years…”

He was truly exhausted. Why was every person he met crazier than the last?

Compared to them, Song Chenxi seemed decent. At least he was familiar with his temper.

Gong Lingdeng felt a deep sense of frustration.

He still didn’t give up and continued to ask Ruan Mingyu: “Under what circumstances would you choose me?”

Ruan Mingyu immediately replied: “Feelings can’t be forced. I’ve only met you a few times…”

“Are you saying you spent more time with your Senior Brother, which is why you chose him?” He pressed on.

Gong Lingdeng suddenly seemed to figure something out: “From now on, you will get along well with me.”

Ruan Mingyu quickly said: “No, I need to focus on earning money. Once my furnace starts, it can’t stop. It’s all about money.”

Gong Lingdeng: “I’ll give you as much as you want.”

When money was mentioned, Ruan Mingyu was no longer sleepy.

Ruan Mingyu’s eyes widened, showing a deep intensity he had never displayed before.

“Not much, eight hundred spirit stones a month.” Yes, he was making an exorbitant demand, but it didn’t matter. He could wait for the other party to negotiate the price down. He wouldn’t lose out no matter the final price.

Gong Lingdeng: “I’ll give you a thousand. You just need to keep me company.”

Ruan Mingyu: “This…”

Gong Lingdeng’s hand was about to touch his face again, and Ruan Mingyu quickly agreed.

“I agree.”

Gong Lingdeng said: “Then let’s start by defining our address for each other. You can call me Xiang Gong (husband).”

Ruan Mingyu: “…”

Money is hard to earn, and sht is hard to eat.*

“Call me Lao Gong (Husband/Old Gong) instead.” That way, if his sect mates discovered it, he could say he was calling “Old Gong” (referring to Gong Lingdeng). And when he shouted it, it wouldn’t be so disgusting for him.

Gong Lingdeng thought for a moment and nodded.

From that day on, Gong Lingdeng clung to Ruan Mingyu like a ghost.

Ruan Mingyu originally wanted to complain and report that a Joyful Union Sect member had infiltrated the sect, but Gong Lingdeng found out halfway. He was then forced to swear that if he ever told anyone, he would become a disciple of the Joyful Union Sect.

Ruan Mingyu tearfully made the venomous vow. The Cultivation World had one major downside: you couldn’t make casual vows. If you made a vow and didn’t keep it, you would face retribution later.

At this moment, Ruan Mingyu desperately wished Song Chenxi was here. At least he could deal with this guy for him.

Fortunately, Gong Lingdeng kept his word. At the end of the month, when Ruan Mingyu received the one thousand spirit stones, Ruan Mingyu thought: What’s ‘Husband’? Calling him ‘Grandpa’ would be acceptable.

Gong Lingdeng occasionally came up the mountain to keep Ruan Mingyu company. Ruan Mingyu couldn’t figure out what he wanted.

Sometimes he would bring a few brightly colored flowers; other times, he would recite a few obscure poems.

Something like, “If only your heart were like my heart, I would never betray my love for you.”

Every time he recited poetry, Ruan Mingyu would cover his ears and tell him: “I haven’t studied much, I don’t understand.” From then on, he never recited poetry again.

Gong Lingdeng was like a showy male peacock, trying his hardest to impress Ruan Mingyu every day. He wore different colored clothes for every visit. However, he was completely wasting his charm on a blind man; Ruan Mingyu had no reaction to him.

Gong Lingdeng was a veteran in the game of love, yet he had never been defeated so badly!

It was only at the end of the month that Ruan Mingyu would become drastically different. A look of what vaguely resembled shyness would appear on his face, and he would shamelessly ask, “Lao Gong, you haven’t given me this month’s money yet.”

Gong Lingdeng felt an intense urge to hit someone at those times.

After a few months of attempting to cultivate their relationship, Gong Lingdeng felt that something was still missing and didn’t want to play these boring games anymore.

Finally, on a dark and windy night, he kidnapped Ruan Mingyu.

When Ruan Mingyu opened his eyes again, he was in the Joyful Union Sect.

“I won’t force you,” Gong Lingdeng said. “I’ve just moved us to a different location.”

“The Joyful Union Sect is better than your Seven Stars Sect anyway.”

Ruan Mingyu was terrified. Subconsciously, he reached for his pocket to take out a sound transmission talisman and call for help, but he realized all his clothes had been changed.

Gong Lingdeng held up a yellow talisman and said, “Were you looking for this?”

He burned the talismans right in front of him. “Sorry, your Senior Brother isn’t coming to save you this time.”

“…”

“What exactly do you see in me?” Ruan Mingyu was starting to break down.

“I don’t ‘see’ anything in you, I like you,” he smiled seductively.

During these days, Gong Lingdeng had been extremely gentle with him.

Ruan Mingyu thought that if he were gay, he would definitely fall in love with him. Unfortunately, he had no such inclinations.

He reasoned with him: “There are plenty of fish in the sea. You say you like me, but you’re probably just infatuated for the moment. If I really said I liked you, you wouldn’t be happy.”

“I would be happy.”

“…”

This person is completely impossible to reason with!

“I don’t like to force people,” Gong Lingdeng said with a smile. “Just stay here. You’ll change your mind eventually.”

Then he left, only to return a moment later with a brush in his hand.

He grabbed Ruan Mingyu’s hand and rolled up his sleeve.

“What are you trying to do?”

Ruan Mingyu tried to pull his hand back, but Gong Lingdeng held it down firmly.

He lifted the brush, dipped it in a drop of vermillion-colored ink, and touched the brush to Ruan Mingyu’s wrist.

A red dot immediately appeared on his skin.

“What is this?”

“A cinnabar mole (a traditional chastity mark).”