The Aloof Master Is Secretly Kissed Every Night by the Paranoid Villain - Chapter 22

Wen Shiqing rushed back to Qinglan Garden in a flurry. Stepping through the courtyard gate, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Xiao Xue was currently putting on an act of hissing at Xiao Lan. Seeing him return, the spirit cat immediately switched to an adorable expression, ran over, and rubbed affectionately against Wen Shiqing’s trouser leg.

Wen Shiqing’s mood softened, and he bent down to pat the cat’s head.

Just as Xiao Xue was about to squint its eyes in comfortable enjoyment, it suddenly sensed the dark snake shadow lurking nearby, flickering its tongue menacingly at him. The cat shuddered, let out a meow toward Wen Shiqing, and scurried away in a flash.

Seriously! Xiao Xue thought. Big Brother was the one who told me to come here and please the Master, but now, whenever I get too close to the Master, I get warned by that snake shadow. Being a cat is truly exhausting!

Next time I see him, I must extort more delicious food from Big Brother and share it with Xiao Lan!

Watching the cat run off, Wen Shiqing let out a soft sigh and complained to 00: “Do you not feel that Xie Yuan has been acting increasingly strange lately?”

“He is indeed acting strange,” the system replied earnestly. “He did not know how to cook in the original novel, but now his culinary skills are so good he could open a restaurant in the mortal world!”

“…Is that the point!” Wen Shiqing massaged his temples.

“But every time I observe, you truly seem to enjoy eating his cooking.”

“…Forget it, I cannot explain this to you.”

Wen Shiqing brushed aside the lingering sense of oppression Xie Yuan had brought him earlier and continued to ask the system: “I just want to confirm one thing with you. I will die this year, right?”

“Yes, Host!” At the mention of this, 00 became very excited. “After the Immortal Sect Grand Competition this year, the outstanding disciples from all major sects will enter the Qionglu Secret Realm. You will secretly sneak into the realm out of concern for Xiao Heng’s safety. When the realm collapses, you will sacrifice your life to save him. Then, you will be able to revive in the real world, and I can complete this mission and successfully take my vacation!”

“So, there are only two months left.” Wen Shiqing nodded, then thought of something else, his expression turning helpless. “It is just that there is only one medicinal ingredient left for the Reincarnation Pill, the Millennium Penglai Branch. I have been unable to find it; otherwise, I could have reshaped Xie Yuan’s spiritual roots sooner. That would have put my mind at ease.”

“It seems I will have to go and pester Lin Xiu again.”

The next day, on Medicine Peak, Lin Xiu wore a gloomy face and pushed away all the wine Wen Shiqing had brought him.

“If you cannot find the Millennium Penglai Branch, then just stop looking. Xie Yuan is not your son, after all; there is no need for you to go to such great lengths to help him!”

As early as three years ago, after Xie Yuan’s identity as the son of the Hehuan Palace Master became known, Lin Xiu had once confronted Wen Shiqing.

He claimed that Wen Shiqing had deceived him, saying that if he had known Xie Yuan was the son of that scoundrel of a Palace Master, he never would have given the fragments of the medical records to Wen Shiqing. Since then, he had stopped using his connections to help Wen Shiqing trace the whereabouts of the branch and simply watched him scramble in anxiety.

“Besides, I have heard that Xie Yuan’s reputation among the disciples is terrible. They say he may have practiced some evil arts. Any disciple who crosses him either suffers from backflowing spiritual energy and stagnant cultivation, or gets injured for no reason. It is clear he is not the innocent, pitiful disciple you claim he is.”

“Be careful not to be deceived by him.”

“…” Wen Shiqing tried to argue. “Xie Yuan is not the type of child who would harm others without cause.”

“My god! What kind of love potion did he feed you? You are actually speaking up for him like this!”

Lin Xiu was speechless. “I am just a common man. We watched Xiao Heng grow up, and your friendship with Xiao Tianqi makes it worth treating him well. But this Xie Yuan, he looks obedient, but his heart for revenge is so heavy, and he is the spawn of that scoundrel Xie Xiao. I am just worried that if you treat him well, he will turn around and bite you back.”

“I am not afraid.”

Wen Shiqing interrupted Lin Xiu and pushed the wine back in front of him. “Even if this is the story of the Farmer and the Viper, it is my own choice. I still hope Ah Xiu can help me one last time.”

Besides, he would be dead by the end of this year. Surely Xie Yuan would not be able to bite his corpse, would he?

“…………” Lin Xiu was truly silent this time.

After staring at Wen Shiqing for a long time with an incredulous look, he suddenly thought of something and covered his mouth.

“Damn it, Wen Shiqing, do not tell me you are in love with Xie Yuan?”

“???” Wen Shiqing was so angry he nearly laughed. “Do I look that much like a pervert?”

“You do.”

“…”

Lin Xiu spread his hands. “It is just like that new novel Shen Siqiu from the Lanyin Sect released recently. It is about a forbidden love between master and disciple. It tells of a high-and-mighty Daoist immortal who appears elegant and scholarly on the surface, but secretly has a penchant for men. So, he goes to a brothel, finds a boy with a tragic background, and takes him as a disciple. He teaches him on the surface, but in secret, he treats the disciple as a plaything, doting on him in every way, spending every night in indulgence.”

“The scenes of them spending nights in indulgence even cost me a huge sum of high-grade spirit stones to unlock. It was written quite vividly, it really corrupts one’s Dao heart! Tell me, have you read it?”

“I have not read it!”

“I do not believe you.”

“…”

Wen Shiqing felt the veins on his forehead throbbing. He was about to explain further when Lin Xiu grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close.

Lin Xiu’s expression was uncharacteristically serious as he said in a low voice:

“Wen Shiqing, you cannot change someone who has been standing in the abyss from the very beginning.”

“For the sake of Xie Yuan, is all of this truly worth it?”

Wen Shiqing was stunned.

He realized that whether it was Xuan Qing, Lin Xiu, or even the system 00, they all loved to ask him this question whenever he did anything for Xie Yuan.

It was as if Xie Yuan’s identity tags had been permanently branded onto him.

He was the son of the Hehuan Palace Master, the villain, the stand-in.

He was someone unworthy of tenderness or happiness.

He was supposed to endure the scornful gazes of everyone and live a lonely life.

Just like the ending of the novel.

Upon this thought, Wen Shiqing’s eyes flickered. He reached out and held Lin Xiu’s hand, replying to him with equal earnestness:

“It is worth it.”

“Xie Yuan is worth it for me to do this.”