Everyone Says I’m Cold and Aloof, But I Just Have Social Anxiety! - Chapter 2

Gu Qingzhi stayed in his room, lounging listlessly on his bed. He spent the entire night clutching his quilt with his eyes wide open, unable to fall asleep.

Fortunately, he had already embarked on the path of immortal cultivation. His constitution was unique; even after a sleepless night, he had no dark circles under his eyes, and his skin remained clean and fair without a hint of fatigue.

However, this bed was not the familiar, large, soft mattress of his old world. Sleeping on it was far from comfortable. Moreover, being in this entirely strange world left him with a severe lack of security, making it impossible to rest peacefully.

The only solution he could think of was to cultivate diligently. Perhaps once he reached a certain level of power, he could find a way to return to his original world.

He rolled over irritably to face the ceiling, a look of utter despair on his face as if he had suffered the greatest grievance in the universe.

“Senior Brother Gu, are you in there?”

Suddenly, a knock at the door accompanied by a shout broke the silence of the room.

Gu Qingzhi was speechless. “…”

Along with the silence, a trace of panic began to rise in his chest.

Do I have to respond? Can’t they just say what they want?

He wasn’t sure if the disciple outside had guessed he wouldn’t respond or if there was some other reason, but the person continued directly: “Senior Brother Gu, the Sect Leader is in the Great Hall. He wants you to go there!”

Go… Go to the Great Hall? To see the Sect Leader who was now his father?!

Gu Qingzhi’s heart flustered even more!!!

Finally, the disciple added weakly, “Senior Brother Gu, if you heard me in there, could you… give me a response?”

Feeling helpless, Gu Qingzhi figured he might as well respond. At the same time, he couldn’t help but complain internally: We’re in a world of immortals; why can’t they just use their senses to feel if I’m in the room or not…

What he didn’t know was that the disciple outside actually wanted to do just that, but didn’t dare for fear of offending him.

“Alright!”

Hearing Gu Qingzhi’s reply, the disciple outside finally let out a long sigh of relief. “Senior Brother Gu, now that the message has been delivered, I shall take my leave.”

Gu Qingzhi was the type of person who, in his previous life, had to summon every ounce of courage just to make or answer a phone call. After starting work, any conversation with colleagues would make him blush, his heart race, and his body tremble uncontrollably. He was a textbook case of social anxiety.

Yet now, he was forced into this cruel, dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, and he had to face the Sect Leader of the Yuqing Immortal Sect!

Even if the man was his father in name, this “self” was definitely not the “original self”!

Back in his original world, he was a lonely orphan. After growing up, he lived entirely alone and rarely interacted with anyone. If he could avoid going downstairs, he wouldn’t; if he could avoid buying groceries and cooking, he would always choose delivery!

When he stayed home, he was either immersed in novels, manga, anime, and TV shows, or exercising in the small open space of his apartment.

If the other party discovered that the soul inside this body had been swapped, would they skin him alive and eat him?

But if he didn’t go, it might cause unnecessary trouble, perhaps leading them to skin him even sooner…

Gu Qingzhi shuddered. He walked heavily to the table, poured a full cup of water, and drained it in one gulp. Then, he desperately pumped himself up, reached out to open the door, and walked out with grim determination.

Gu Qingzhi walked slowly toward the Great Hall, his heart heavy with worry. Disciples passing by bowed to him respectfully. For the first time ever, he actually nodded slightly in response, though his mind was entirely elsewhere.

Finally, he arrived at the entrance of the Great Hall.

Gu Qingzhi stopped, took a deep breath as if to exhale all the trepidation in his heart, and then slowly stepped inside.

The Sect Leader, Gu Yuan, sat regally at the head of the hall. He wore a magnificent brocade robe. His sword-like eyebrows slanted toward his temples, and his eyes were as deep as a vast sea of stars. He looked no different from a mortal in his thirties; time had left no trace of age on his face. His expression was majestic and solemn, inspiring awe in all who looked upon him.

However, for just a fleeting second, a look of doubt flashed across his face.

A man standing to the side, dressed in black brocade, glanced over. His voice echoed through the vast hall: “Junior Brother, you’ve come. Congratulations on forming your Golden Core at only twenty years of age—you’ve nearly caught up to me. I am truly happy for you from the bottom of my heart!”

Gu Qingzhi turned his head to look at him, his brow furrowing slightly. With just one glance, a feeling of dislike arose in his heart. He felt that this man’s gaze and tone were full of ill intent.

He forced himself to stay calm and nodded slightly without saying a word.

Seeing this reaction, the man’s face immediately showed displeasure. He spoke again: “Junior Brother, we haven’t seen each other in two years; why do you still dislike me so much? Always with this high-and-mighty, arrogant attitude—it truly saddens me!”

No matter how much Gu Qingzhi wanted to ignore him, he was being stared down so intensely that he had to respond. From his memories, he knew this man was his Senior Brother, Jian Han.

He parted his lips and spoke softly: “Senior Brother, you overstate the matter.”

This light, emotionless sentence made Jian Han feel as if a breath of air were stuck in his chest—unable to go up or down. It was incredibly uncomfortable, so he simply stopped talking.

Gu Yuan sat steadily at the head of the hall, observing silently. From the moment Gu Qingzhi stepped inside, he had keenly sensed a trace of something unusual about him.

Gu Qingzhi had intended to be a “mute” as usual, never initiating a conversation. He hadn’t expected to be lectured by Jian Han right off the bat. Helpless, he bowed toward Gu Yuan and said respectfully, “Father, I heard you were looking for me.”

Gu Yuan’s pupils shrank slightly. Seeing his son take the initiative to communicate, a complex, unreadable expression appeared on his face. His gaze was like a torch, staring intently at Gu Qingzhi as if trying to see straight through to his soul.

Gu Qingzhi was extremely uncomfortable under that burning gaze; he was panicking internally! However, on the surface, he remained calm, showing no emotional fluctuation.

After a long silence, Gu Yuan finally spoke: “You have been in seclusion for two years and have formed your Golden Core. Aside from that, have there been any other gains?”

Gu Qingzhi’s heart tightened. He had to steel himself to answer: “I have gained some insights, but I still need time to consolidate them.”

Gu Yuan remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up. He walked down the steps with steady strides and came to stand directly in front of Gu Qingzhi.

“I feel that since you emerged from seclusion, you seem quite different from before. In the past, you would never have answered me so directly, let alone initiated communication with me.”

Gu Qingzhi’s heart leaped into his throat. He was already panicking; if he didn’t speak, he was criticized, and now that he had spoken, he was still being questioned! He lamented in his heart: Truly, when the heart is not calm, the thoughts are in chaos. This is too hard!

He decided to go for broke and tried to salvage the situation: “Father, my state of mind has simply changed after going through such a long seclusion.”

Gu Yuan stared into his eyes; time seemed to freeze in that moment.

After a long while, he finally spoke: “Very well. Go and practice diligently. Do not disappoint my expectations for you.”

Gu Qingzhi felt as if he had received a grand pardon. He hurried to respond: “I will certainly work hard and not fail your great expectations, Father.”

Hearing this, Gu Yuan’s heart filled with an uncontrollable joy. He thought to himself: It seems the half of the soul that was missing has finally returned!