Reborn As The Short-Lived White Moonlight of the Tragic, Powerful Male Lead - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Unfamiliar with the area, Xie Lanting had to ask for directions again. He picked the largest restaurant in Dongyang and, once seated, said to Gu Yunqi, “Order whatever you like. It’s my treat, don’t be polite.”

Gu Yunqi had spent years playing the underdog in the Gu family. Although he was actually at the Golden Core stage—just one step away from Nascent Soul—he used a secret technique to disguise himself as a weak Foundation Establishment cultivator who had just achieved Inedia. To play the part convincingly, he used to eat three meals a day, so he figured ordering food would be no problem.

However, when he saw the menu, he realized he was wrong: he recognized every individual character, but when put together, they made zero sense.

Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, Ants Climbing a Tree, Golden Harvest Wild Goose Buckle… wait, what on earth were these? People eat ants?

Gu Yunqi decisively pushed the menu back. “Senior, you choose.”

Xie Lanting understood. “You must have spent so many years in Inedia that you’ve lost touch with fine dining. Any dietary restrictions?”

“None,” Gu Yunqi explained. “I’ve only recently reached Foundation Establishment and begun Inedia, so I’m just not very good at ordering.”

Recently reached Foundation Establishment? Xie Lanting gave Gu Yunqi a thoughtful look upon hearing this.

Behind the mask, Gu Yunqi couldn’t see Xie Lanting’s eyes, but through natural intuition, he felt the gaze was slightly off. Before he could ponder it further, Xie Lanting looked back down at the menu.

Gu Yunqi was a man who thought three steps ahead. Recalling his words and Xie Lanting’s sudden look, suspicion rose in his heart: Could Xie Lanting have seen through my cultivation level?

That shouldn’t be possible. Even a Transformation stage master might not see through him; Xie Lanting was currently only at the Golden Core stage. Logically, he shouldn’t be able to pierce the disguise.

Or did Xie Lanting, as a former Transformation stage powerhouse, possess some unique hidden talent?

Xie Lanting, however, began reciting dish names as if nothing had happened, acting as though that look had been purely accidental. Gu Yunqi intended to think deeper, but he was gradually distracted by Xie Lanting’s voice. By the time the order was finished, not only Gu Yunqi but even the waiter stood there agape.

The waiter welcomed the business, but out of professional courtesy, he advised gently, “Uh, customer, if I may be so bold… for just the two of you, isn’t this order a bit—much?”

Xie Lanting pushed the menu aside. “It’s fine. Just bring it all out.”

The waiter’s mouth twitched. “Very well. Please wait a moment.”

Holding his teacup, Gu Yunqi recalled the order at the tea stall. Compared to that, the amount Xie Lanting just ordered had doubled. He couldn’t help but say, “Senior Qu, if you’re ordering this much to look after me, there’s no need for such expense. My appetite is quite… average.”

“Don’t worry, it won’t go to waste,” Xie Lanting said. “And why call me ‘Senior’?”

Gu Yunqi replied politely, “As fellow cultivators, I cannot see through your cultivation level. Naturally, you are the senior.”

Xie Lanting thought to himself: Interesting. This guy looked like a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but he vaguely felt his aura was off. Perhaps because his own cultivation was diminished, he couldn’t distinguish it clearly.

It seemed the young man had his own story. But they were just passing acquaintances; if the other didn’t speak, he wouldn’t pry.

The waiter soon served the dishes, and the table was instantly piled high, drawing frequent side-eyes from other patrons. Xie Lanting remained unruffled, allowing people to stare while gesturing for Gu Yunqi to start eating.

Gu Yunqi had ulterior motives. He ate a few bites at random before finally seizing the chance to ask, “May I ask why Senior is running away from a wedding? Ah, if it’s inconvenient to say, please forget I asked. I was being abrupt.”

Xie Lanting swallowed a spoonful of delicious fish soup, looking perfectly content. His voice was steady: “There’s nothing to hide. Both parties were being forced. He might not even want to marry me; my escape probably makes things easier for him.”

Gu Yunqi’s heart stirred. Xie Lanting’s words hit home, but he merely replied, “I see.”

As they were eating on the second floor, three people sat down at the table across from them—two men and one woman, all cultivators. They only ordered tea and wine, seemingly just stopping for a rest.

Xie Lanting paid them no mind until the woman spoke: “Brother Wuhen, we’ve been traveling for so long. Let’s rest in Dongyang before moving on. That evil spirit will surely be handled in no time.”

The name “Wuhen” fell precisely into Xie Lanting’s ears. He froze and immediately focused his attention to confirm the characters. It couldn’t be such a coincidence, could it? He was still thinking about how to deal with Baili Wuhen, and the man delivers himself to his doorstep?

A man with an ordinary face but a brooding gloom in his eyes answered the woman. He spoke fairly gently: “Alright. It’s rare for us to go out together; I should accompany you properly.”

The woman smiled sweetly. “I knew Brother Wuhen doted on Wan’er the most!”

Xie Lanting quickly dug through his memory of the original novel: Baili Wuhen’s wife was named Nian Wan’er. Baili Wuhen had coveted her family’s treasure and used every means to marry her. Once he succeeded, he neglected her, and Nian Wan’er eventually died under mysterious circumstances.

Xie Lanting was lost in thought, but his chopsticks didn’t stop. In his distraction, he picked up a bright red dried chili and stuffed it straight into his mouth.

Gu Yunqi was just thinking the Immortal Lord could handle spicy food when he saw Xie Lanting freeze, cover his mouth, and turn away, coughing violently.

“Cough, cough-cough-cough!”

The commotion was so loud that everyone nearby looked over, including “Brother Wuhen” and Wan’er. Perhaps because Gu Yunqi was so handsome, Wan’er even took a few extra peeks.

Gu Yunqi hurried to pour a cup of tea for Xie Lanting. Before Xie Lanting could recover, he heard the third man at the opposite table speak: “Miss, if you and Young Master Baili wish to stay, I will go book the inn now. You should like the arrangements at the Dongyang Abode.”

Nian Wan’er: “Mhm!”

Xie Lanting: “Cough, cough, cough!”

Baili Wuhen. It really is him. Talk about finding something without even looking!

Xie Lanting finally straightened up and took the tea from Gu Yunqi. “Many—cough—thanks…”

Xie Lanting had very fair skin, and due to his injuries, his lips were naturally pale. But from the chili-induced coughing fit, his lips were now a vivid red and a flush had risen to his cheeks. Against his pale skin, it looked like red plums blooming through ice and snow.

Looking at Xie Lanting’s masked face now, a line appeared in Gu Yunqi’s mind: Like a lute player hiding half her face behind her instrument.

Once the favorite of heaven, the number one swordsman, fallen from the clouds due to injury and treated as a pawn to be married off to a nameless nobody. Gu Yunqi thought that if it were him, he would never accept it either.

He watched Xie Lanting drink the tea. After a while, the coughing subsided, and Gu Yunqi served him a bowl of sweet soup. Xie Lanting said, “My apologies, you’ve seen me at my worst.”

Gu Yunqi shook his head. Xie Lanting’s skin was thicker than a city wall; he didn’t find the blunder embarrassing at all. He finished the sweet soup, and seeing that Gu Yunqi was done, he finished off the remaining dishes himself. He wiped his mouth elegantly, prepared to settle the bill and leave.

Just as the words were on the tip of his tongue, Gu Yunqi beat him to it: “Since Senior left home quietly, have you thought about where you’ll go next?”

Thought about it: following Baili Wuhen. Xie Lanting said, “I’ll stay in Dongyang for two days. I’m new here and want to see more.”

Gu Yunqi smiled. “To be honest, I am out for training and plan to stay in Dongyang for a few days as well. If Senior doesn’t mind, could you give me some guidance during our stay?”

And so, as Baili Wuhen booked a room at the Dongyang Abode, Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi followed right behind.

Xie Lanting’s reply to Gu Yunqi had been: “If I have time.” The implication was: If I’m busy, you’re on your own.

Xie Lanting wasn’t sure if Gu Yunqi got the hint, but Gu Yunqi acted sensibly, showing no intention of clinging just because he’d helped a little. He maintained a perfect distance—friendly, but not overbearing.

Xie Lanting was satisfied. Once the rooms were settled, he took a quick turn around his chamber and then pushed the door open to slip out and begin his secret stalking.

Sitting in his room, Gu Yunqi heard Xie Lanting leave. After about fifteen minutes, he tapped his finger on the table. The hidden guard, Chu Yi, flashed in like the wind. In broad daylight, no one noticed a person vaulting through the window.

Chu Yi wiped sugar crumbs from the corner of his mouth, but his words were anything but sweet: “Young Master, since you have to return to the Gu family eventually but don’t want to get married, isn’t there a perfect opportunity right now to have it both ways?”

His hidden guards could gossip and tease, but they weren’t stupid. Gu Yunqi was playing the pig, but he wasn’t an idiot either. He understood Chu Yi’s implication: Why not just kill Xie Lanting?

Xie Lanting was alone and currently only at the Golden Core level; killing him wouldn’t be hard. Since he was a runaway, no one knew Gu Yunqi was in Dongyang. After the deed, he could return to the Gu family, admit to Gu Bo that he’d played truant for a few days, and take a punishment.

If he was even more ruthless, he could make the body disappear. People would keep looking for the missing Xie Lanting, while Gu Yunqi would be tied to a missing fiancé—he wouldn’t have to marry, and he could use the engagement as a shield for peace for a long time.

Silence fell over the room. Chu Yi savored the sweetness in his mouth. He looked innocent, but at Gu Yunqi’s command, the hand holding the candy would instantly grip a killing blade.

A moment later, Gu Yunqi’s tapping finger stopped. He shook his head. “No need. Follow him and see what he’s up to.”

Chu Yi nodded without asking questions and vanished out the same way. The window stirred as if a mere breeze had passed.

Xie Lanting… Gu Yunqi murmured the name in his heart. The road to revenge was his own. The guard’s suggestion was practical, but he didn’t want to spill innocent blood if he could help it. This road was long; he had to keep a little kindness left in him. Otherwise, what kind of person would he become by the time he reached the end?