I Faked My Death After Choosing the Wrong Protagonist - Chapter 21

Night had fallen deep, and the moonlight shimmered beneath the Bodhi and pear trees.

For some reason, Shen Qingzhuo felt that what the youth had said was true if he really left, Qi Ye would hunt him down and bring him back, even if it meant crossing into another world. Shen Qingzhuo didn’t know where this intuition came from. Despite the boy’s gentle and obedient demeanor these past few days like a sheet of white paper drifting through a chaotic world without being stained black the feeling remained.

Shen Qingzhuo didn’t pursue the topic further. He smiled and gestured toward the pear blossom in the boy’s hair. “The flower is almost withered. I told you not to take it off, but you don’t need to be this obedient. Hurry back and get some sleep.”

Qi Ye nodded, looking reluctant to leave. Upon returning to his room, he carefully removed the blossom. Indeed, the edges of the petals had softened, but he felt he could save it with a bit of water. He found a small vase and placed the stem inside with the utmost care.

This is the flower Shen Qingzhuo gave me!

Outside, the flowers grew more beautiful by the day under their care, attracting many butterflies. Recently, Qi Ye had been having strange dreams dreams of his and Shen Qingzhuo’s childhood.

They were beautiful dreams.

The setting was this very island. In the dreams, they were only five or six years old, and he was shorter than Shen Qingzhuo. Even back then, Shen Qingzhuo loved wearing blue and white and smiled often. His appearance wasn’t as breathtaking as it was now, but he was just as memorable pale skin, bright eyes, and white teeth.

They often chased each other through the sea of pear blossoms. When they grew tired, they would lie on the grass, picking a flower to close their eyes and inhale its scent. In these dreams, Shen Qingzhuo also loved tucking flowers into his hair sometimes a single one wasn’t enough, and he would fill his hair until butterflies came to rest on his hands.

Whenever he saw these scenes, Qi Ye knew he was dreaming, yet he was still happy, cherishing this private world with Shen Qingzhuo. Sometimes he wondered if he had actually met Shen Qingzhuo before. But no matter how he searched his memories, there wasn’t a trace of the man before their encounter in the Illusory Mist Forest. He concluded they must never have met; otherwise, he certainly would have remembered him.

The dreams continued as they always did. Shen Qingzhuo arrived on the back of a fiery bird, and Qi Ye ran toward him. They embraced warmly. However, the scene suddenly shifted. Shen Qingzhuo vanished.

Qi Ye was terrified. His hands felt ice-cold, lacking the lingering warmth Shen Qingzhuo usually left behind. There wasn’t a single sign that the man had ever been there. He searched everywhere but couldn’t find him. Gradually, the flowers on the island withered, the pear trees dried up, and the oasis turned into a barren, sandy wasteland only the towering Bodhi tree remained.

He grew taller, and his hair turned white. More and more people arrived to occupy his island. Qi Ye asked everyone if they had seen Shen Qingzhuo, but they all said the same thing: No such person has ever existed on this continent.

Qi Ye woke up from the pain.

The window was open, and the sound of rain pattering against the sill filled the room. Something hard struck his face, and he realized it was raining again. He sat up and touched his head; something that didn’t belong to a human was growing out of him, heavy and agonizing.

This happened to him periodically. When it was severe, he lost himself entirely and became a complete monster. He couldn’t afford to be sad, happy, or emotional any strong feeling shortened the cycle of his transformation.

Qi Ye climbed out of the window. He felt feverish and wanted to howl in pain, but he forced himself to remain silent. He couldn’t let Shen Qingzhuo see his hideous form. He desperately hoped Shen Qingzhuo wouldn’t wake up or come outside.

That night, Shen Qingzhuo had been thinking deeply about Qi Ye. He had also received a message from the Shen residence asking for his whereabouts. The message stated that once Yun City learned Qi Ye was a demon, they had spared no effort in searching for him. If Shen Qingzhuo didn’t immediately declare his stance and sever ties with Qi Ye, he risked becoming a public enemy to all cultivators.

Furthermore, there was another matter: the Second Young Master of the Qi family (Qi Anning) had attempted suicide after leaving the Underground Market, unable to bear the humiliation. Though he had been saved, he had done nothing but cry since waking. The subordinate asked via the spiritual talisman what had happened that day and if it truly involved him.

Shen Qingzhuo knew that since he had publicly taken Qi Ye away, returning to Yun City as if nothing had happened was likely impossible. But he hadn’t expected that, besides Qi Ye, other accusations would be leveled against him as well.

It wasn’t until the latter half of the night that Shen Qingzhuo felt sleepy. Just as he lay down, he heard the pitter-patter of rain outside. It started as a drizzle but soon turned into a torrential downpour with thunder and lightning.

Shen Qingzhuo was a light sleeper and couldn’t stand loud noises, so he sat up and lit a lamp. A crack of thunder sounded perhaps something had been struck down. He thought of that night and then of Qi Ye.

Qi Ye seems to be afraid of thunder. With such heavy rain, could he be sleeping well?

Shen Qingzhuo dressed, took an umbrella, and walked toward Qi Ye’s quarters. The lights inside were dark. He knocked. “Xiao Ye, are you asleep?”

There was no response. He knocked again. Could Qi Ye be out, or is he too scared to answer? Thinking this, Shen Qingzhuo pushed the door open and walked in.

The room was empty. Qi Ye was gone.

Shen Qingzhuo panicked. With such heavy rain, where could he be? “Xiao Ye?”

He noticed several marks near the window that looked like fingernail scratches, accompanied by traces of blood. There were more marks outside. Qi Ye left through here is he injured again? At the thought, Shen Qingzhuo’s heart tightened. He lifted his long robes and leaped out of the window as well.

He knew Qi Ye had secrets, but he had never overthought them or asked. Because he knew Qi Ye was the protagonist, he believed that whatever the boy went through or did would eventually lead to its own resolution. His role was simply to help him.

This wasn’t just because of the mission from the system; ever since he met the youth, Shen Qingzhuo felt a deep, inexplicable bond between them. Even without the mission, he would have chosen to know Qi Ye.

The rain was immense heavier than the night at the inn in Yun City. There were faint muddy prints on the ground. Shen Qingzhuo followed them quickly, but after a short distance, the prints vanished.

Could Qi Ye have disappeared into thin air?

Shen Qingzhuo pulled out the Mirror of Rebirth to find him. The mirror couldn’t track a person’s exact location, but it could identify a scent and show him any place he desired. Strangely, the artifact lit up for only a second before all traces of Qi Ye’s aura were abruptly cut off. The mirror, which had never failed before, had malfunctioned.

Shen Qingzhuo turned pale with worry. He used his Profound energy to search the entire island; no outsiders had entered, and no one had left. This meant Qi Ye was still on the island.

Is he hiding from me?

“I’ll give you only fifteen minutes,” Shen Qingzhuo’s voice echoed across the island via his energy. “If you don’t come out, I’m leaving immediately, and we will never see each other again.”

Shen Qingzhuo rarely cared about anything enough to argue, yet by the end of his sentence, his voice was trembling. He had tried to make his voice sound cold, but he regretted it instantly. Qi Ye is already hiding; what if a threat makes him even less willing to see me?

Hearing Shen Qingzhuo’s words each one cold and heart-wrenching Qi Ye shook his head in a fit of trembling. No, don’t leave. Don’t stop seeing me.

He couldn’t let Shen Qingzhuo find him. He only had Shen Qingzhuo left; he couldn’t lose him too. If Shen Qingzhuo saw him like this, he would leave.

But… Shen Qingzhuo was angry. He was threatening to leave right now. Qi Ye felt a wave of misery; he could hear the genuine anger in the man’s voice.

“Where are you? Withdraw your power and let me find you, okay?” Shen Qingzhuo’s voice softened involuntarily. He stood in the rain, his paper umbrella unable to withstand the gale. His white robes were soaked, clinging to his skin.

Qi Ye was stunned. His agonizing mind cleared slightly under the cold rain. He wondered if he had misheard. Why has Shen Qingzhuo become so gentle again? He had made Shen Qingzhuo angry.

Shen Qingzhuo continued his gentle coaxing. “Withdraw your power, okay? I consider you my best friend do you not consider me one? Whatever is happening, let me find you first. I won’t laugh at you.”

Best friend…

Qi Ye felt a sense of daze. His dark red pupils began to fade, a hint of clarity returning. Driven by some inexplicable force, Qi Ye did as he was told, withdrawing the Demonic power that hid his aura. A deep longing filled his eyes.

Even if it’s a mistake, I want Shen Qingzhuo!

The Mirror of Rebirth lit up once more. Shen Qingzhuo’s tension eased, rain streaming down his face and along his jawline. Ignoring the cold, he strode toward the location indicated by the artifact.

Dawn was approaching. In the distance, Shen Qingzhuo finally saw the youth. Qi Ye wore dark clothes, making his pale face stand out in the night. Just like that other day, he was collapsed in the rain, soaked to the bone.

Shen Qingzhuo dropped his umbrella and cast a small barrier over the two of them. He helped the youth lean against him, touching the boy’s face with heartache.

“Coming out so late without even shielding yourself from the rain?” Shen Qingzhuo chided him, not out of anger, but concern. “If you can’t sleep or feel unwell, you can come find me. Is hurting yourself productive?”

He pressed the boy’s head against his chest and reached up to stroke his hair, but his hand was suddenly gripped tightly. The coldness of the boy’s hand shocked Shen Qingzhuo it felt like it had been pulled from a block of ice. Yet the grip was powerful, pinning his hand in place.

Only then did Shen Qingzhuo see the pair of horns on the boy’s head, which had been pressing against his shoulder.

Outside the barrier, the rain poured like a deluge; inside, Qi Ye felt the air turn suddenly still. He looked up blankly, his eyes still tinged with red, and met Shen Qingzhuo’s quiet, beautiful gaze. Qi Ye’s pupils constricted he felt as though he couldn’t breathe.

He looked at Shen Qingzhuo, and Shen Qingzhuo looked back. Qi Ye’s gaze darted away as he frantically released his grip.

Having regained his freedom, Shen Qingzhuo slowly moved his hands upward, wanting to touch that pair of unique horns. Qi Ye’s mind cleared for a brief moment. He watched the man with parted lips.

He desperately hoped Shen Qingzhuo would grab those strange things, snap them off with force, and then act as if nothing had happened so that he could still be Shen Qingzhuo’s best friend. At the thought, Qi Ye felt a surge of expectation, hoping the man would be brutal, welcoming the arrival of pain.

However… there was no pain.

Shen Qingzhuo’s hands covered the horns with extreme gentleness. He looked at the youth with heartache. After a soft touch, he released them and pulled the boy into his arms. Then, he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on Qi Ye’s forehead.

Qi Ye’s pupils dilated in absolute shock.