78. Beautiful

Wen Zhihao brushed a thumb over the back of Sun Fuyu’s hand. “Xiao Yu, just wait for a little while I talk to Senior Lin, okay?”

Sun Fuyu suppressed his aggrievement. “En.” He unwillingly let go of Wen-ge’s hand.

Wen Zhihao followed Lin Yijun a couple of paces away from Sun Fuyu. Lin Yijun took out a small bell. Upon tapping it, it gave a quiet ding as a small sphere of privacy emerged around them.

Lin Yijun exhaled slightly. Despite the privacy sphere, he couldn’t help but lower his voice. “Disciple Wen...how does one hypothetically apologise?”

“Aside from saying sorry?” Wen Zhihao took a moment to think. “You could also admit your wrongs, and define how you will fix those wrongs and carry that out.”

Lin Yijun’s brows creased. “Yes, I know. But how? What’s the best way?” His voice became tight and strained towards the end.

Wen Zhihao recalled all the major apologies he had seen in the media. “You could write an apology letter. You could bow or kowtow. Do what the other party wants in order to fix the problem. Donate large amounts of money to charity. Agree to step down from your position…”

Or, ignore the problem, use power and money to suppress the opposition...but Wen Zhihao wasn’t going to tell Lin Yijun that.

Lin Yijun’s frown deepened.

Wen Zhihao smiled faintly. “Lin-shixiong, every apology is different, and the relationship between you and the other party affects this. If you were wronged, what kind of apology would you want? As long as you speak earnestly and listen without interrupting in turn, any stumbles and misunderstandings can be resolved.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Lin Yijun said.

“But the outcome will be worth it.”

If Lin Yijun was successful, not only would the two of them sort out their problems, but Lin Yijun could also stop stalking him and contact Zhou Sheng directly, and the Golden Sun Sect would become more peaceful…

Lin Yijun lowered his head slightly.

“It’s best to get it over and done with as soon as possible,” Wen Zhihao advised. “Why don’t you send a letter to Zhou Sheng?”

Lin Yijun exhaled slightly. “Yes.” His heart began thumping nervously as he started drafting such a letter in his mind. With a letter, he could avoid saying anything wrong, right? But then, would it be too impersonal? What if Zhou Sheng simply destroyed it?

Looking at the tense Lin Yijun, Wen Zhihao’s heart stirred with pity. “Lin-shixiong, if you do end up seeing Zhou Sheng, you can give him this.” Wen Zhihao took out a new food box that Aunty Liu Jing made just this morning, along with a small stoppered jar. “And Cultivator Huang has made these anti-cat-allergy pills.”

Lin Yijun’s train of thought was disrupted. Inhaling qi, exhaling air, he managed to calm down and accepted the two items. He could say sorry to Zhou Sheng. He could admit...that he was wrong. He could find a way to make it up to Zhou Sheng, and they could be friends again.

“Jiayou, Lin-shixiong,” Wen Zhihao said encouragingly.

Lin Yijun frowned. “Add oil [jiayou]? What kind of oil do I need to add?”

Ah, woops. Wen Zhihao smiled sheepishly. “No, no oil. Good luck, Lin-shixiong. Take a deep breath and exhale.”

Lin Yijun breathed and sighed lightly on the exhale. “Yes.” He took down the privacy sphere by tapping on the bell once more. After a moment of hesitation, he added, “Thank you, Disciple Wen.”

“Nothing to worry about,” Wen Zhihao said. His eyes softened at the poor Lin Yijun, and added some comforting words: “It’ll be alright, Lin-shixiong.”

Lin Yijun nodded. Seeing Sun Fuyu hurry towards Wen Zhihao, Lin Yijun turned away. Say sorry. Admit wrongs. Fix those wrongs. With that in his head, he stepped on his sword and flew back to the sect.

Sun Fuyu reached out and looped his arm around Wen Zhihao’s. He subtly probed his Wen-ge’s aura, and only relaxed when he found nothing wrong.

“Everyone needs help sometimes, even someone like Senior Lin,” Wen Zhihao said, patting Sun Fuyu’s arm. “Senior Lin is unlucky he doesn’t have a great Xiao Yu.”

Sun Fuyu softened. Senior Lin is unlucky he doesn’t have a great Wen-ge! He tugged Wen-ge forward. “Wen-ge, the chrysanthemums are this way.”

They had taken perhaps five steps before Zhou Sheng emerged out of the forest ahead of them.

Sun Fuyu’s sword hand twitched.

“Sun Fuyu, my apologies,” Zhou Sheng said with a curt nod to Sun Fuyu. “Wen Zhihao, I had come to tell you that Li Fanghua can make your device. However, why did I see you talking to him?”

Sun Fuyu bristled. If it had been Lin Yijun who interrupted them again, Sun Fuyu would have stabbed him. As it was, he grudgingly nodded to Zhou Sheng. “Senior Zhou, it is not that Wen-ge talked to Senior Lin, but Senior Lin talked to Wen-ge.”

Zhou Sheng frowned. “Why?”

Sun Fuyu opened his mouth, but then Wen Zhihao laughed. What a series of coincidences! It had to be due to Lin Yijun’s and Zhou Sheng’s combined main-character auras.

“It’s very good that you’re here,” Wen Zhihao said. “Lin Yijun wants to talk to you. Maybe you can talk to him.”

Zhou Sheng’s aura sharpened into spikes.

Aiya. Wen Zhihao’s voice softened. “Zhou Sheng, you seem to have a heart knot corresponding to Lin Yijun. Go talk to him. Weaken your heart demons. While you know many things, Lin Yijun doesn’t know them, and how can he know if you never tell him?”

Sun Fuyu nodded along with Wen Zhihao’s words. “You should talk to him, otherwise you’ll both qi deviate because of the other, and that would be messy,” he said directly to Zhou Sheng. “Two Nascent Soul cultivators exploding, no good. Don’t make us clean up.”

Zhou Sheng’s lips twitched at Sun Fuyu’s words, half in amusement and half in annoyance.

“Go, you can catch Lin Yijun easily, right?” Sun Fuyu urged. “Dispelling a heart demon will benefit your cultivation.”

“That is my business.” Zhou Sheng’s mouth filled with a sourness at seeing how Sun Fuyu was standing protectively next to Wen Zhihao, and how Wen Zhihao placed a placating hand on Sun Fuyu’s arm. Dog blood drama? They’re spreading dog food instead. “I’ll be going. Enjoy your afternoon.”

Zhou Sheng disappeared back into the forest.

Sun Fuyu continued staring until Zhou Sheng’s aura disappeared. But even then, he couldn’t relax. Who would appear next? A demonic wolf? A lost child? Wang Li Wei??? He went cross-eyed when his two cheeks were suddenly squeezed.

“Hmm, what kind of thoughts is Xiao Yu thinking? Does Xiao Yu want to chase down Zhou Sheng?” Wen Zhihao teased. “Shouldn’t Xiao Yu be thinking about me?” he coaxed.

Sun Fuyu pouted. “Wen-ge,” he managed to mumble. He went cross-eyed again when Wen-ge placed a light kiss on his nose.

“Better?” Wen Zhihao released Sun Fuyu’s face.

“En,” Sun Fuyu said in a quiet voice.

“It’s good to help others when they need it,” Wen Zhihao added.

“I know,” Sun Fuyu said glumly.

His Wen-ge was so good that even seniors wanted Wen-ge’s advice. Even though the seniors should know better than to interrupt them! Why couldn’t they make appointments? Wen Zhihao was soon going to become a senior too!

“Show Wen-ge the flowers?” Wen Zhihao prompted.

“En.” Sun Fuyu held Wen Zhihao’s hand firmly and kept alert for any more intruders.

It didn’t take long for Sun Fuyu to spot the flowers. He turned his head to watch Wen-ge’s reactions when the yellow and orange chrysanthemums emerged in front of them.

Wen Zhihao’s eyes brightened. As the wind blew lightly, the flowers swayed, their earthy scents carried in the breeze. “It’s very beautiful.”

Sun Fuyu continued looking at his Wen-ge. “En.”

A guilty blush rose to his cheeks when Wen-ge turned to face him with a soft smile in his eyes.

“Let’s find a good place to sit down.”

Sun Fuyu averted his eyes. “Um, there, that is a good place, Wen-ge.”

Skirting around the field to avoid crushing the flowers, the two golden robed cultivators sat down on a small green hill overlooking the chrysanthemums.

Zhou Sheng flew through the forest, away from the Golden Sun Sect, a disdainful look on his face. Heart demons? Tch, as though he’d deviate due to that self-righteous Lin Yijun!

A pain stabbed his head, forcing him to stop. Lashing wind, Lin Yijun pointing his sword at him, lightning crashing down—

Zhou Sheng scrambled to take out the calming stone, cursing these flashes. Fine. Fine. Perhaps these ‘dreams’ were trying to tell him that he needed to speak with Lin Yijun too.

Zhou Sheng turned around and flew back towards the Golden Sun Sect, making sure to avoid Wen Zhihao and Sun Fuyu. He reached out his qi and soon found that familiar Lin Yijun heading towards the demonic cats’ enclosures. Zhou Sheng’s eyes narrowed.

There you are.

Lin Yijun was peering through the lattice fence of the enclosure for the small demonic beasts, who Wen Zhihao called ‘kittens’. They were not as intimidating as the grown beasts in the other enclosure. Lin Yijun was about to take out an anti-cat-allergy pill—he should test them, after all—when someone grabbed the back of his robes.

“Urrk!!” he choked.

“Stay quiet,” a voice hissed as the person dragged Lin Yijun onto a flying polearm

Lin Yijun’s eyes widened as his heart thumped. “Zhou Sheng?” he whispered.

Zhou Sheng grunted. He didn’t speak further until they were outside the Sect walls. There, he let go of Lin Yijun, uncaring of how Lin Yijun landed on the ground. He righted his polearm, resting its blunt end on the ground, the blade upright and glinting.

“What do you want to tell me?” he demanded.

Lin Yijun’s mind went horribly blank as he stared at Zhou Sheng’s familiar face. What happened to all his rehearsing? What happened to the things Wen Zhihao told him?

“I...I….”

“And make it quick! Do you want me to repay you for saving me? Then I’ll do it, and we never have to see each other again!”

A sharp pain stabbed Lin Yijun’s heart. “No…” He fell to his knees, hands on the dirty ground as he kowtowed. “I’m sorry, Zhou Sheng. I’m sorry for so many things.”

Author, after this chapter: _(:3」∠)_  Can't make Wen Zhihao know too much about apologies

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