CH 97

Chapter 97: Ziyang Pei Extra – The World Outside of This World

“Do you like him? What are you willing to pay for him?” When Ziyang Shi asked Ziyang Pei this question, it was the third day Ziyang Pei brought Qin Kaiyi back to Hualian Sect.

His younger brother already noticed the different way he treated Qin Kaiyi, and there seemed to be malicious sarcasm in his eyes, like he was saying: ‘Ziyang Pei, what right do you have to like someone?’

“What does it have to do with you?” Ziyang Pei didn’t care about Ziyang Shi’s contempt at all, standing up and walking out: “Don’t touch him. He’s still useful.”

“You will regret it.” Ziyang Shi didn’t continue discussing this issue with Ziyang Pei. He looked at Ziyang Pei pretending to be calm and the corners of his lips corned up mockingly. Hunting geese all day long, be careful of getting pecked in the eye.

Ziyang Shi’s words were like a prophecy.

When Ziyang Pei watched Qin Kaiyi disappear slowly in his arms, he completely went crazy.

He wanted to scream, wanted to rage, but he found that he couldn’t speak a word. He could only watch helplessly as the person in his arms grew transparent and disappearing completely in the end. Only the white clothes in his hand still contained the warmth of a human body.

Why did he disappear? Ziyang Pei hugged those white robes tightly against his chest, half-kneeling on the ground, motionless for a long time.

“Hey… Qin Shi, you’re gone just like that?” Ziyang Pei’s voice turned abnormally hoarse, slowly standing up and letting out a heart-piercing roar.

With this cry, a large amount of blood flowed down the corner of his mouth. His eyes turned red and no one could picture how he was a cool and indifferent person at the beginning.

He probably made a mistake—he made a mistake 10,000 years ago, and now he did it again, watching the person he wanted slip through his fingers with his eyes opened wide, unable to help…

“Ziyang Pei, you’re really an idiot.” Ziyang Pei lowered his head and started laughing, the laughter growing louder and louder, giving off the image of a crazy man.

And then, Ziyang Pei left Hualian Sect and buried Qin Kaiyi’s only remaining clothes in a remote valley.

The scenery in the valley was very good, all four seasons like spring. The river-carved mountains had an indescribable beauty. Ziyang Pei seemed to be living a good life with incense and wine.

As for whether he really was living well or not, probably only he himself knew.

It took him 10,000 years to heal from the shadow Xue Xian brought him, and now that another hideous wound was dug out, he didn’t know how long it would take to recover.

“Hey, Qin Shi, do you still remember the first time we met?” Ziyang Pei supported his chin and whispered to the tombstone in front of him, “Since the first time I saw you, I thought that this person looked a little stupid. I didn’t expect, didn’t expect ah… that you really were stupid.”

He poured a cup of wine into his mouth and continued, “You liked Shen Feixiao for so long, but you ended up like this in the end… The results really are… good people don’t live long.”

I watched you sign a soul contract with me for him; I watched you fall into the demonic path for him; I watched you jump into lava for him; I watched you fall into utter isolation because of him; I watched you live and die together; I watched you leave resolutely, not leaving even a last thought for me. And I, I don’t know when, but you entered my heart.

It wasn’t easy to take out what was put in. Ziyang Pei couldn’t hold back a wry smile when he thought this. He stretched out a trembling hand and stroked the cold stone stele, leaning his forehead against it.

In fact, Ziyang Pei wasn’t very good with emotions. He was used to being poisonous like snakes and scorpions, indifferent as frost, trampling everyone’s heart beneath his feet. Yet, he didn’t expect that while stepping on others, he would also lose his own heart.

“I don’t know how much longer I can stay with you.” Ziyang Pei poured another cup of wine into his mouth, “I still have many, many things to do… many, many things…”

It was true that Ziyang Pei wasn’t Shen Feixiao and he also couldn’t be Shen Feixiao. There were too many things restricting him, and he couldn’t just give it all up like Shen Feixiao to be with Qin Kaiyi for a lifetime.

In fact, many, many things were doomed from the very beginning.

When Yan Gu came, Ziyang Pei had just happened to walk back from Qin Kaiyi’s tombstone. He looked up and saw Yan Gu who was standing in the distance with Ziyang Shi, not knowing what expression to make for a moment.

Time passed too quickly, and some familiar and distinct figures have turned blurry.

“What is it?” Ziyang Pei’s tone was very cold. He already paid back what he owed Ziyang Shi, so there was no need to wrong himself anymore.

“Where’s Qin Shi’s corpse? Where did you put it?” Perhaps the only person that would always remember Qin Kaiyi’s existence was the fire spirit in front of him. Yan Gu’s attitude towards Ziyang Pei was very bad, “You killed him and won’t even let him rest in peace?!”

“I killed him?” Ziyang Pei glanced at the nervous-looking Ziyang Shi, finding it funny: “Ziyang Shi didn’t tell you exactly how Qin Shi died?”

“…” Yan Gu was stunned for a moment, not understanding why Ziyang Pei asked this.

“Forget it, even if you don’t know, you should know that Qin Shi doesn’t have a corpse.” Ziyang Pei rubbed his eyes tiredly.

“What do you mean?” Yan Gu was taken aback.

“It means—” Ziyang Pei revealed a chilling smile, “He disappeared, not leaving behind a single strand of hair, much less a body.”

“…” Yan Gu was stupefied. The biggest reason why he was with Ziyang Shi was because he promised to take him to Qin Shi’s burial place. Now, Ziyang Pei told him…

“You’re lying!!! You’re definitely lying!! Ziyang Pei, don’t try to trick me!” Yan Gu roared, unwilling to accept the truth.

“Do I have a reason to lie to you?” Ziyang Pei casually shrugged, “Are you qualified to make me lie to you?”

“…” Yan Gu clenched his teeth. He gasped hard a few times, finally saying in a hoarse voice: “Where is his tomb?”

“…Behind.” Ziyang Pei pointed and left without looking back.

“Ziyang Pei, you’re really a cold and heartless beast.” Yan Gu gritted out.

“Since you discovered this secret, I’m afraid you won’t live long.” Ziyang Pei listened to Yan Gu’s curses but didn’t get angry. Instead, he made a joke that wasn’t funny.

No one could laugh at such a joke.

Ziyang Pei didn’t go with Yan Gu, instead returning to the little wooden cabin halfway up the mountain by himself. He threw the gourd hanging on his waist onto the table and then sat by the window, staring outside expressionlessly.

The dead have departed. Something that should’ve been accepted indifferently had now become an untouchable wound. Once poked, the pain was heart wrenching.

Yan Gu stayed on the mountain for a long time, until there was a light drizzle and the skies darkened and brightened again, before walking down the little mountain path with Ziyang Shi.

“Do you regret it?” Seeing Ziyang Pei sitting by the window, Yan Gu blurted out the question he pondered over for a long time.

“Regret?” Ziyang Pei turned his head and looked at Yan Gu strangely, “If regret can bring him back to life, I will regret.”

Sure enough, it was a Ziyang Pei-esque answer. There were never superfluous things involved and he never spent energy on things that were irreversible—but since that was the case, why did he waste such a long time on this mountain?

“I’ve always been thinking, if Qin Shi didn’t meet you and Shen Feixiao, he would definitely be very happy.” Yan Gu muttered to himself.

“There are no ‘what ifs.’” Ziyang Pei fell silent for a long time before giving an answer, “There are no ‘what ifs’ in this world.”

“En, that’s true.” Yan Gu calmly said, “It’s already too late to be saying this.”

Those that should’ve gone were gone, and those that shouldn’t have gone had also left. Only the dust that had yet to settle and the solitary tomb facing the sky proved that this person once existed and wasn’t everyone’s weird fantasy.

“It’s getting late, you should head down the mountain.” Ziyang Pei opened his mouth lazily. He glanced at Ziyang Shi who had an ugly expression on his face and suddenly smiled, “Should I wish you good luck?”

“Thank you.” Ziyang Shi awkwardly responded. He didn’t know why Ziyang Pei didn’t tell Yan Gu how Qin Shi actually died, but he was very grateful he didn’t.

“No need.” Ziyang Pei closed his eyes—Who told me to be your brother?

Yan Gu and Ziyang Shi left.

Ziyang Pei closed the window and isolated himself from the mist and rain outside. Then, he returned to his wooden bed, lying on his back and studying the wood grains on the ceiling, gradually falling into a deep sleep.

—If there was a chance to return to the first time they met, would you and I have a different ending?

[End]

Moonlight Novels

Sorry it took longer than expected to translate this chapter, but that’s a wrap on ‘A Smile from the Villain’! I rather like this series and how the author portrays each character. I kind of pity Ziyang Pei but, like he said, some things may have been doomed from the beginning. The biggest difference between Shen Feixiao and Ziyang Pei was that Shen Feixiao was willing to forgo everything in order to be with Qin Kaiyi, even dying with him in the end (though they live happily ever after? in the original world). Shen Feixiao’s love for Qin Kaiyi is very obsessive and not at all healthy, but he really would do anything for Qin Kaiyi, so I think Qin Kaiyi’s better off with Shen Feixiao. 

I hope you enjoyed the series and feel free to share your opinion in the comments below! Also, check out some of the other novels on our site (I Got Famous Making Cooking Livestreams In Space and Courtship Period are BLs). For my next project, I think I might pick up Wolves in Pairs. Hope to see you there!