THIS MASTER WAS IN DENIAL

Mo Ran just said that he liked Chu Wanning.

The younger man was both terrified and elated at the same time. Frozen on spot, he did not dare to even blink. He merely waited there with a pounding heart. Waiting for his shizun to respond to his feelings or trample on his heart.

Chu Wanning was in a daze.

Well.

He saved Mo Ran's life. He also did everything in his might to help Mo Ran be what he was right now. He guessed that "liking him" was the very least that Mo Ran could do.

It was definitely an improvement from "I hate you, I hate you so much Chu Wanning. You should have died in Shi Mei's stead."

But why did Mo Ran speak about this kind of like when they were talking about Ye Wangxi?

Could it be that Mo Ran...

That Mo Ran, he... He liked Chu Wanning the way Chu Wanning thought he liked Ye Wangxi?

Impossible.

Chu Wanning pushed Mo Ran away.

Mo Ran was stunned.

"Shi... Shizun...?"

"When can we leave?" Chu Wanning said, averting his gaze with a sour expression on his face.

Mo Ran stared at the elder man in front of him.

The tips of Chu Wanning's ears were tinged red. He pressed his lips together until they formed a single thin line. He looked so unhappy, but at the same time so vulnerable. And so cute.

Mo Ran could almost see the drooping pair of cat ears on top of Chu Wanning's head and a listless tail hanging from the latter's behind.

It was not a no.

Chu Wanning did not say yes, but he also did not say no.

Warmth filled Mo Ran's heart. There was nothing he wanted to do more than take this big white cat into his arms and cuddle him until he suffocated from excessive affection.

The younger man stepped closer.

"Shizun..."

Chu Wanning raised his head. The embarrassment disappeared from his face, replaced by a sullen expression. At the same time, Tianwen shot across the room.

"Whoa!!"

Mo Ran jumped backward just in time. Tianwen mercilessly struck the spot where he just stood a split second ago.

"Get the hell out."

"... Yes, Shizun."

Mo Ran went out, but then he came back in right after. His face was burning red.

"What is it? Why are you here again?" Chu Wanning asked with a glare.

"Shizun, I bought a new mattress..."

"..."

He did not have to explain further.

Chu Wanning got the hell out. Unable to stay in the same courtyard as Mo Ran, he went further to breathe in the fresh morning air in the village.

Some distance away from the courtyard, a young woman was standing under a tree. She looked anxious and terrified.

It was Ling'er.

"Lord Immortal..."

"Are you waiting for Mo Ran?"

Ling'er shook her head fervently.

"N-no, I am waiting for you."

Then she broke into tears.

"Mo-Gege is so mean to me... He has changed. He used to be so nice to me. I thought... I thought..."

Chu Wanning stared at the teary maiden. Yuheng Elder was distant and aloof. He was like a god up in the mountain who kept to himself. He knew how to deal with ghosts and demons, including the female ones, but he did not know how to deal with a breathing young woman in love.

The grandmaster in white sighed in his heart as he watched Ling'er cry.

"Miss Ling'er, affection cannot be forced."

"But... But... I am young! And pretty! I am the prettiest girl in this village, everyone said so! Why... Why didn't he want me???"

"..."

Chu Wanning pursed his lips.

He did not expect to have to deal with Ling'er's broken heart after he went through last night with Mo Ran.

"Mo Ran has someone else that he likes," Chu Wanning said. "Miss, you should give up."

"Is she prettier than me???" Ling'er demanded.

"..."

"Is she younger than me???" The young woman became bolder.

"..."

"Otherwise, what other charms does this woman have?"

Chu Wanning clenched his fists.

That's right.

He was old and ugly. His temper was also bad. Just then, did he not almost whip Mo Ran with Tianwen? All of that after he seduced Mo Ran into his bed.

How despicable.

There was no way Mo Ran could like someone like him.

"So, who is this... this woman???" Ling'er asked again. She refused to go without knowing the name of her rival, completely oblivious that the person stood in front of her.

"..."

"Wait, is she someone from this village???"

"..."

Just then, Mo Ran showed up behind them.

"Shizun, I am done..."

When he saw who it was that Chu Wanning was talking to, he paused immediately.

Chu Wanning sneered.

"Ask him yourself," he said to Ling'er before he stomped away angrily.

Mo Ran furrowed his brows. He gave Ling'er an annoyed look before he went chasing after his shizun.

"Shizun, wait...!!!"

Ling'er stared at the two men. Call it a female instinct, but she felt that something was amiss with Mo Ran.

Why was Mo-Gege so concerned about the Lord Immortal? He always went shizun here shizun there. It would be fine if he were a young lad.

This Mo-Gege was a full-grown adult!

Should he not be chasing after the woman he loved?

A sour feeling rose in Ling'er's heart. She scowled at the two retreating figures and kicked an innocent pebble in fury.

Ling'er did hear from the village women once that some men preferred the company of other men.

If she did not know better, she would think that Mo-Gege was one of these men. But that was impossible, right? Even if he did like men, he wouldn't like his hateful shizun.

He would want someone beautiful, sweet, and gentle.

Someone who smiled a lot.

Not someone as violent as his shizun.

No, absolutely not.

Ling'er was convinced that she was right.

Mo-Gege just respected his shizun too much. In Ling'er's opinion, Lord Immortal did not deserve Mo-Gege's affection. Mo-Gege should give it to someone who appreciated him.

Someone like Ling'er.

Ling'er slapped her thigh in regret when she suddenly remembered something.

Poor Mo-Gege must have been scolded again yesterday night by his shizun.

Why didn't she just sneak into Mo Ran's bedroom yesterday? An unhappy Mo Ran was more likely to get drunk. That special wine, laced with aphrodisiac, would have made him unable to resist Ling'er's charm.

They could have drunk together!

Stupid, stupid Ling'er!

The young woman sighed and hung her head in disappointment.

Mo-Gege must end up pleasuring himself all night. What a waste.

Ling'er would be happy to help him unload.