Chapter 53: Loving You in Your Place, Staying with You in Your Place
In front of the inn on the southern side of the city, flowers quietly bloomed.
Yu Xiang, dressed in a light green gown, stood silently by the window on the second floor of the inn. She had rented the entire floor and put up numerous missing person notices around the area, all bearing Chen Yin's name.
She looked very much like a wife anxiously waiting for her husband to return home.
After what felt like an eternity, a soft cough sounded behind her, followed by a playful male voice:
"Excuse me, miss, does this place offer shelter to handsome homeless wanderers?"
Yu Xiang swiftly turned around and met Chen Yin's smiling face. Her eyes welled up, and the next moment, she threw herself into his arms.
"…Stupid senior brother. Bad senior brother," she murmured softly, snuggling against his chest.
"You're the one who almost left me homeless."
Chen Yin lowered his gaze and gently reassured her, "Don't say such unlucky things. See? I've come to find you, haven't I?"
"Where did you go, you awful senior brother?"
Her eyes red-rimmed, Xiang'er lifted her head and said, "As soon as the Heavenly Beauty Summit ended, I went up the mountain to look for you. But for some reason, Wanxiang Pavilion was sealed off, and no cultivators were allowed inside. I had no idea what happened or where you were. So, I stayed in Xiang City waiting for you all this time."
Chen Yin was silent for a moment before casually replying, "Well, the Heavenly Beauty Summit ended in a mess anyway."
"But you didn't need to worry about my safety. I was just busy exchanging contact information with several elegant ladies at the gathering. We became close confidantes, and I lost track of time."
Yu Xiang's tearful face froze, her expression shifting to one of grievance and indignation.
"Senior Brother, if you really left me here for such a trivial reason, I swear I'll report you to Master as soon as we get back!"
"…I was wrong."
Neither of them probed too deeply about their respective experiences during the Heavenly Beauty Summit, as though they had reached a tacit agreement to avoid the subject.
"How did you know I was looking for you?"
"I just asked a random passerby where the most beautiful girl in the city was staying, and here I am."
Xiang'er's cheeks turned pink as she glared at him playfully. "Be serious."
"Alright, alright. I heard someone mention a young lady in the southern part of the city posting missing person notices. I figured it had to be you."
Chen Yin teased her with a grin, "After all, only our obedient Xiang'er would wait so patiently for me in Xiang City. If it were any other cold-hearted girl, she would've gone back to the mountain without a second thought."
"I… I was just worried about your safety," Xiang'er muttered, her voice growing quieter. "You're always pushing yourself too hard. What if something happened—"
Chen Yin ruffled her hair and said with a smile, "Don't worry. Your senior brother isn't as useless as you think."
"Well, now that the Heavenly Beauty Summit is over, and we've been out long enough, what are your plans?"
"Hmm…" Xiang'er's eyes lit up mischievously. "Since we're already out, why not stay a bit longer? I heard there are lots of fun things to see in the towns up north."
"Of course, you don't have to come with me if you don't want to. We've been gone for a while now, and if you don't send word to Master soon, he might get upset." She reached out and took Chen Yin's hand.
Chen Yin hesitated, his face filled with concern. "Well… although it's true we should head back, wouldn't it be unsafe for you to wander around on your own, Xiang'er?"
"Ah, I'm just visiting some ordinary towns. What danger could there be?"
Xiang'er tugged on his hand, pleading coquettishly. "Good senior brother~ Please agree, won't you?"
"Aiya, this is putting me in a tough spot."
Chen Yin deliberately sighed, pretending to be troubled. "Master specifically instructed me to protect you. If I let you go out and play by yourself, I'll be scolded to death when we return."
"I won't stay out long—just two or three days. You can cover for me with Master, okay?"
Xiang'er gave a playful wink, her flushed cheeks showing a hint of shyness. "If Senior Brother helps me… then maybe, just maybe, I could offer a little reward as thanks."
Chen Yin's expression lit up immediately, his interest piqued. "What kind of reward?"
"You'll get it when I come back," she replied, blushing.
"Oh no, what if you trick me?"
"I'd never lie to Senior Brother," Xiang'er said with a mischievous smile. She placed her hands behind her back and skipped lightly in front of him. Her voice softened as she leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I can't tell you what it is yet, but… I can give you a little advance payment."
Like a sparrow, she darted forward and pecked him on the cheek.
Chen Yin cleared his throat, shamelessly remarking, "That's it? Senior Brother isn't so easy to appease."
"Huh? Th-then what do you want, Senior Brother?"
"Well," he said, stroking his chin as if deep in thought, "there are so many options. Even if we skip the usual approach, aren't there other ways to play? Your hands are so soft and delicate, your lips so rosy and inviting, your feet so dainty and exquisite, your legs so elegant and alluring. And then there's your—"
Before he could finish, Xiang'er cut him off with a sharp kick, sending him flying off the second-floor balcony. A furious and flustered shout followed:
"Stupid Senior Brother! Shameless pervert!"
Chen Yin stood up, brushing off the dust from his robes as though nothing had happened. Ignoring the astonished stares of passersby, he nonchalantly hummed a tune and sauntered off.
After he left, Yu Xiang stood on the second-floor balcony, her gaze softening as she watched his retreating figure.
Her crimson lips parted as she spoke, "System, it's about time."
[If you actually mean that, I'd be overjoyed,] the system replied, exasperated. [But let me make this clear—if you mess things up again and deviate from the scripted trajectory, we'll both be finished. I'm not sticking around for another round of this nonsense.]
Yu Xiang didn't respond, seemingly indifferent to the system's rant. She continued to stare blankly in the direction Chen Yin had left.
After a long silence, she murmured to herself, "So this… this is the last time we'll meet?"
"Senior Brother… Even though I didn't have the chance to say it to your face—"
"Meeting you has truly made me happy."
The time spent on Yushan Mountain was the happiest in her life.
"My final wish is simple."
She closed her eyes slowly, her voice barely audible as she whispered:
"I hope Senior Brother meets a girl he truly loves in the future."
"Love her as deeply as you loved me."
"And let her take my place… staying by your side forever."
Her words were quiet, as if speaking only to herself.
This time, even the system refrained from interrupting her.
After saying all this, Yu Xiang slowly opened her eyes, her gaze void of the light it once held.
"Let's go." Her voice turned icy, her expression cold as she decisively turned away, placing a mask over her face.
"…To the demonic faction headquarters."
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