Transmigrated as the Villain and Driven Crazy by the Vengeful Male Lead - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: No Longer Wishing to Be Healed

“He came with the light, yet like the light, he cannot stay…”

As the final word fell, A-Tong instantly collapsed against the wall. Lyu Shurao’s brow furrowed. “What are you doing?!”

Seeing him lose consciousness, Lyu Shurao grew even more panicked. He rushed back to the bedside, but the person on the bed still hadn’t woken up.

“Su Cheyue… Second Young Master!”

He reached out to check his pulse; the breath seemed faint, yet suddenly it would throb again. Losing his composure, he mindlessly began funneling spiritual energy into him.

“Cheyue… I beg of you.”

After delivering spiritual power for a while, he finally remembered he was in the He Mansion and could call for help. He stood up abruptly, only to have his wrist grabbed once more.

Turning his head, he saw Su Cheyue’s phoenix-like eyes, shimmering like water, gazing at him.

Lyu Shurao felt as if struck by lightning, freezing in place.

“Where are you going?” Su Cheyue spoke naturally.

“I—” Lyu Shurao turned stiffly. “You… you’re alright?”

An exceptionally rare trace of a smile flickered in Su Cheyue’s eyes. Despite his effort to keep his lips pursed, he asked airily, “What happened to me?”

Seeing him unharmed, the tension in Lyu Shurao snapped. He sat on the edge of the bed, his tone softening as it always did. “I was calling you just now, but you wouldn’t wake up.”

“I seem to have fallen asleep,” Su Cheyue said innocently.

“You would never sleep that soundly,” Lyu Shurao said, knowing him through and through. “Back at Xieyue Pavilion, even when you couldn’t see or hear, you would always wake after a short rest and stare blankly with your eyes open. I had to watch over you every time…”

He cut himself off. Why was he bringing that up?

Su Cheyue’s brow twitched slightly. He sat up in bed and changed the subject: “What happened to A-Tong?”

“I don’t know.” Lyu Shurao grew unhappy at the mention of the traitor. “He just suddenly fainted.”

He dragged A-Tong out of the room. When he returned, he asked nervously, “He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

Su Cheyue thought to himself: He wanted to, but I struck first with the Soul-Shifting Knot.

“No.”

“He definitely intended to; he just didn’t have the chance.” Lyu Shurao curled his lip. “We’ll interrogate him properly once he wakes up.”

“Su Cheyue,” Lyu Shurao lowered his head, looking like a puppy afraid of getting lost, “Can we stop looking for the Desire-Sensing Pearl? Please?”

Su Cheyue asked, “Why?”

“You are always in danger because of it.”

Su Cheyue considered this seriously, showing agreement with the suggestion: “That is true. But can you help me find it then?”

Lyu Shurao paused. “How?”

“I don’t know either,” Su Cheyue said. “It seems it was already in my body when mother gave birth to me, yet it was originally in my father’s body.”

What kind of biological principle is this? Chromosomal inheritance? Lyu Shurao scratched the back of his head, unable to wrap his mind around it for a moment.

His emotions had fluctuated too wildly just now, and he hadn’t fully calmed down; his speech was a bit erratic. Before the topic of the pearl was finished, he added, “I’m afraid I can’t protect you well enough.”

“A few days ago, you sensed He Zixuan was going to use True Fire. Why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

Su Cheyue fell silent for a moment. When he spoke again, there was a hint of grievance.

“You didn’t want to see me. I asked A-Tong to relay the message.”

Only now did Lyu Shurao realize that every word Su Cheyue uttered today was saturated with abundant emotion, continuously transmitting his feelings to him.

In that instant, a thought popped into his head: Has that “Western-style Pain” system fixed the Hatred Value display yet? I desperately need a broadcast right now.

“It’s my fault,” Lyu Shurao apologized sincerely. “I shouldn’t have let others near you so casually.”

Hearing this, Su Cheyue seemed to be teasing a puppy, his voice trailing upward. “And in the future?”

Lyu Shurao thought: The Hatred Value is a mess and the script keeps getting derailed. I really do need to watch over Su Cheyue so nothing actually goes wrong.

As for that night… what did losing face matter? If something happened to Su Cheyue, or if his Hatred Value wouldn’t drop because of it, Lyu Shurao wouldn’t even have a life to lose, let alone face.

Forgetting the pain once the wound had healed, he promised solemnly, “In the future, I won’t let you be alone with anyone else.”

He added, “Until your cultivation is restored. Oh, except for Tao Xuanxuan, because she needs to treat you.”

Su Cheyue lowered his long lashes and said, “Alright. And if you break your word…”

“Whoever breaks their word is a puppy.”

Su Cheyue said, “You are already a puppy.”

…Does “puppy” refer to me not returning to see him before dawn at Zhuohua Palace? He remembers so clearly.

“Then a big dog.” He coaxed him effortlessly, his eyes smiling into thin lines. “Watch out, or the big dog might pounce.”

Su Cheyue said, “I’m not afraid.”

…

In the past, Su Cheyue would never have entertained such lame jokes. Why was he acting like a child now, bickering with him?

It was a sort of “insulting” cuteness. Was this what “frenemies” were like?

“By the way, things went smoothly on Qin Zhu’s side. They’ve caught He Zixuan and his lot.” Seeing he was fine, Lyu Shurao turned to business. “He Zixuan must have turned A-Tong after arriving, which is how he knew what was happening in the mansion.”

“A-Tong likely overheard the secret of the Desire-Sensing Pearl when Miss Tao was administering the needles and leaked it to He Zixuan,” Su Cheyue added. “Besides that, he probably hasn’t found Pingluan’s Spiritual Treasure Shop, otherwise he wouldn’t have returned empty-handed.”

“Guess where the shop is?” Lyu Shurao leaned in mysteriously. “As an ally, the Young Master He has already told me. I promised him not to tell anyone else—except you.”

Su Cheyue raised an eyebrow. “He Zixuan burned the He Mansion and caused such a stir without finding it; therefore, it isn’t in the mansion.”

“The medicine shop?”

“Smart.” Lyu Shurao snapped his fingers happily. “That bluestone jade threshold—it can’t actually be smashed. It’s a Universe Stone made of Kunlun Mineral Jade that He Zixu commissioned years ago. From inside the mansion, he can see everyone who enters the shop. Only when he judges that a visitor truly wishes to trade spiritual treasures will he activate the stone, twisting space to swap the medicine shop for the treasure shop.”

“In a way, this method perfectly protected Tao Xuanxuan from being harrassed by those in the cultivation world.”

Su Cheyue said, “He has done much for Miss Tao.” His words were thick with approval.

Approval?

Aren’t he and Tao Xuanxuan the official pairing? Shouldn’t he be sneering at He Zixu with deep-seated hatred?

It was one thing to sit together and strategize for Tao Xuanxuan’s sake, but why was he praising the man?

Lyu Shurao was baffled. Though his mission had nothing to do with the romance plot, he asked curiously, “Regarding Tao Xuanxuan… “

“What about her?”

They’ve been locked in the medicine hut together for so many days—not a single spark? Is that even possible?

“I mean,” he said awkwardly, gesturing with his hands, “She has been treating you for so long, your feelings for her…”

“Gratitude?” Su Cheyue said indifferently. “We are both children of great sects; one ‘thank you’ is enough.”

“Besides gratitude, nothing else?”

“For example?”

“For example… uh,” Lyu Shurao chose his words carefully, “Romantic feelings?”

Su Cheyue suddenly stared at him intently, for so long that Lyu Shurao felt a creeping nervousness: Did I say something wrong again?

“If you are referring to a person I like, I suppose I do have one,” he said, word by word.

Lyu Shurao was stunned and blurted out, “Who?”

The corners of Su Cheyue’s eyes curved slightly, and the “bead” on his upper lip trembled as he spoke. He asked, “Do you want to know?”

Being asked this way, Lyu Shurao felt the embarrassment of someone prying into private matters. He stood up abruptly. “No, I don’t really want to know.”

Would I be silenced if I found out?

Wait?

Is he talking about Tao Xuanxuan? Or someone else?

It’s bad enough I derailed the script—did I ruin Su Cheyue’s love life too?

Fine, forget the derailment; who he likes is his business. The key is, if he already has someone he likes, then that night on New Year’s Eve, when I did that for him…

Lyu Shurao, you are a sinner who stole someone’s love!

Wait, is that the right phrase…

While Lyu Shurao was having an internal battle, Su Cheyue turned his head. His dark hair fell over his shoulders, highlighting the sharp, smooth line of his jaw, making his expression look cool and refined.

“I will tell you later.”

…How much later is “later”?

“No need, you don’t have to tell me.” Lyu Shurao backed away, laughing it off. “It doesn’t matter who it is. Once you’re better, we’ll dissolve the engagement. Then, the sky will be the limit for you to fly, the ocean wide for you to leap…”

Su Cheyue frowned.

“Are you hungry? I’ll go get you something to eat. It’s been a while since I made you red bean buns and cassava soup.” Lyu Shurao dragged A-Tong away.

“Anyway, I’m leaving as soon as he recovers. Who cares who he likes? This isn’t my mission line, not even a side quest. I just need to make sure he doesn’t kill me. Let him love whoever he wants!”

The greatest “evil thought” the Desire-Sensing Pearl could hear from the purple-clad youth was nothing more than this. Along with the sound of his retreating footsteps, the thought echoed emptily in the room.

Su Cheyue turned his head to look where he had sat. Dust floated and swirled in the air, impossible to grasp, unable to land on anything solid.

He came with the light, yet like the light, he cannot stay.

Su Cheyue did not like this feeling.

Through the bedding and clothes, his long fingers brushed against his own legs. He lowered his eyes, his gaze unfocused, as if he held no lingering attachment to anything in his sight.

He had said it: he wouldn’t let him leave.

…

Lyu Shurao soon broke his word.

After He Zixuan left, He Zixu’s mood improved, and his condition stabilized day by day. This was good news. So, even though Tao Xuanxuan remained stoic, her relief was visible in how she became more proactive in treating Su Cheyue.

However, the treatment process was not going well.

Lyu Shurao waited outside the medicine hut every day. Every day, Tao Xuanxuan would push out a pale, sweat-drenched Su Cheyue, who was too weak even to respond to Lyu Shurao’s words.

Seeing him like this made Lyu Shurao’s heart swell with ache, his throat turning bitter.

“How can it be like this?”

Tao Xuanxuan shook her head at him.

“Is spiritual energy needed to drive out the ghostly qi? I can—”

“No,” Tao Xuanxuan denied. “The reality is that the ghostly qi cannot be driven out at all.”

Lyu Shurao was stunned. “Why? It went so smoothly the first time…”

“Lyu Shurao,” Tao Xuanxuan looked at him sternly, “I have something to say to you.”

Lyu Shurao’s heart skipped a beat. “Alright. Let me take him back first.”

Su Cheyue had nearly lost consciousness. Lyu Shurao carried him to the bed. He tucked in the corners of the quilt, only for them to be pulled away by a strength from nowhere. Fingertips trembling from pain and weakness reached out; their strength and reach were only enough to pinch Lyu Shurao’s pinky finger.

“What’s wrong?”

Su Cheyue’s lips were bloodless, like a flake of melting frost.

“…Don’t go.”

Lyu Shurao leaned down and whispered, “You need to rest well right now.”

Su Cheyue looked at him, his gaze surprisingly aggrieved.

“…It hurts.”

In all the time he had spent by his side, this was the first time Su Cheyue had ever cried out in pain.

Lyu Shurao had realized long ago that neither of them was the type to expose their wounds to others for sympathy. For himself, it was because no one cared anyway, so he might as well hide it to avoid embarrassment. As for Su Cheyue, perhaps because the Desire-Sensing Pearl had made him hear too much hypocrisy, he was too lazy to speak, and even lazier to watch others act out pity. He simply endured everything with a cold, proud stoicism.

But now, he said it hurt.

Lyu Shurao’s heart was tied in knots. Frowning, he smoothed the damp hair away from Su Cheyue’s temples, his thumb lingering on his cheek for a moment in comfort.

“It won’t hurt after a sleep.”

In his pain, Su Cheyue was very obedient; he slowly closed his eyes.

Lyu Shurao sat for a while longer before leaving.

Tao Xuanxuan was waiting in the courtyard, her expression grave.

“What did you want to tell me?” Lyu Shurao had a massive headache, pressing his fingers to his brow. “Don’t tell me he can’t be cured. I’m begging you.”

Tao Xuanxuan blurted out, “I advise you to leave this place.”

“What?”

“I said you’d better leave Pingluan immediately,” Tao Xuanxuan pointed at him from across the space. “You, alone.”

“Impossible,” Lyu Shurao said without thinking. “I can’t leave him here alone.”

Tao Xuanxuan stared at him and gave a cold laugh. “Then stop bothering me. Both of you disappear together.”

“Is this how you speak to your savior?” Lyu Shurao was already frustrated, and her words only fanned his anger.

“I didn’t ask you to save me.”

Lyu Shurao knew her fiery temper; if the hard approach didn’t work, he had to try the soft one. For Su Cheyue’s sake, he endured it. Enduring was what he was best at, after all.

“…Fine, fine, I’m the one begging you. I beg you to save him.”

He let out a sigh. “If you must drive me away, at least give me a reason?”

Tao Xuanxuan said, “During the past few treatments, his five senses have basically recovered. But as for the rest…” she paused, “It’s not that I can’t cure him. It’s that he refuses to be cured.”

Lyu Shurao was completely baffled. “What do you mean?”

What did she mean, he refused?

“Lyu Shurao, do you know that at some point he sealed his own spiritual acupoints? The medical needles are useless. No matter how much force I apply, I can’t affect his closed spiritual meridians. On the contrary, with the needles, the ghostly qi, and the resistance from the closed meridians all clashing inside him, he will only suffer hundreds of times more pain than before.”

Tao Xuanxuan spoke in a rapid-fire stream. Lyu Shurao understood the words, yet he didn’t; his brain was buzzing, unable to process it.

Self-sealing spiritual acupoints? What does that mean?

“…Why would he do that?”

Tao Xuanxuan said nothing more.

Anger flared in his brow. “I’ll go ask him.”

Tao Xuanxuan stopped him. “No need.”

“Today, when I discovered this, the Second Young Master told me plainly: he is giving up voluntarily. He no longer wishes to be healed.”