CH 45

Editor: Chubby Dragon

Proofreader: XavierForest

Silence.

Complete silence.

Almost no one spoke, and everyone exchanged glances before finally placing their gazes on Su Tang in unison, revealing expressions that told of having seen something tragic1. 

Su Tang couldn’t understand the fairy sisters’ reactions. He was hugging simply brother Qian Zhu, but why were they looking at him like he was hugging a cactus instead?

Su Tang couldn’t figure out the reason, so he raised his head and called again, “Brother Qian Zhu?”

Qian Zhu only reacted after hearing his call, but his heart continued to beat wildly. His eyes were fixed on Su Tang’s soft lips. When he noticed the other person smiling at him, showing off his little white teeth, he felt his mood lighten. 

“En.” Qian Zhu responded. Instead of pushing the other person away like everyone was expecting, the corners of his mouth hooked up and he reached out to rub Su Tang’s head.

Su Tang’s fluffy hair bounced around like a restless little puppy wagging its short tail, looking unexpectedly cute. When Qian Zhu saw him act like this, he caressed his hair with his fingers and found it to be very soft.    

Su Tang struggled twice before pouting at Qian Zhu, and he said, “Don’t touch my head or else I won’t be able to grow tall.”  

“Oh.” Qian Zhu heard Su Tang’s words and reluctantly took his hand back.

Everyone’s eyes nearly bulged out of their heads. They looked at the two in disbelief, only  feeling that their previously long-established worldviews were about to collapse.  

As they had been living in the Immortal Realm for a long time, they were naturally well aware of what kind of temper this daren2 had. None could look down on his child-like appearance, and, in reality, no one dared look down on him. After all, his identity was not something merely any Heavenly Immortal could enjoy.   

Furthermore, this daren had an ice-cold personality, spoke very little, disliked people disturbing him, and disliked socialising even more. Even when meeting with the Heavenly Emperor, he would just nod.  

As for these little fairies, there was no need to mention them at all. If they were to meet him in the Immortal Realm, they didn’t need to pay their respects or even salute, for they were only required to stand silently in their original spot and wait for him to walk away before quietly saluting him. This wasn’t breaking any rules and, at the same time, they wouldn’t be disturbing the daren at.  

But now…    

No person who’d seen the series of events that had just taken place could have imagined anything like this. When has this daren ever been so warm? When was he ever intimate with anyone? So intimate to the point where his arm was around Su Tang’s waist, holding him carefully? 

Su Tang didn’t know what the fairy sisters were thinking—he just felt their expressions were weird. It was as if the atmosphere had changed the moment Qian Zhu showed up. He pulled at the corner of Qian Zhu’s clothes, asking, “Brother Qian Zhu, did I do something wrong?”  

“No.” Qian Zhu said indifferently, raising his eyes to meet everyone’s gazes, and then he grabbed Su Tang’s waist and lifted him up.    

“Wah!” Su Tang shrieked, hugging Qian Zhu’s neck and clamping his legs around the other’s mid-section. He was afraid of falling.  

Despite Qian Zhu’s youthful appearance, his strength wasn’t small and he effortlessly carried Su Tang. Of course, he wouldn’t possibly let the other fall, but he did consider something for a while: it seemed Su Tang was afraid of heights. He kept clinging to his neck, so in this case why not…  

“Don’t move, or else you’ll fall.” Qian Zhu spoke.    

Hearing his words, Su Tang didn’t dare make a single move, plastering himself to Qian Zhu’s body like a little sticky cake. No matter how much someone could try to pry him off, he still wouldn’t let go.

Qian Zhu’s heart filled with satisfaction. He hugged Su Tang and made his way to his palace.   

Qian Zhu admitted that his heart held crooked thoughts, but if he didn’t say it out loud, no one would know. Furthermore, he didn’t think doing this kind of thing was bad. At least Su Tang would be closer to him, which was good.    

Su Tang finally managed to escape the crowd of fairy sisters, so he felt extremely grateful towards Qian Zhu. He didn’t, however, bother thinking about why everyone’s attitude towards Qian Zhu seemed rather strange.    

Out of politeness, Su Tang still waved at the fairy sisters and said, “Goodbye, pretty big sisters.”    

No one dared to make even the slightest sound.   

Su Tang’s face was full of awkwardness. Finally, on their way back, Su Tang saw Qian Zhu’s indifference and asked, “Brother Qian Zhu, what’s up with them?”

“They’re afraid of me.” Qian Zhu said lightly.

“Why?” Su Tang felt skeptical. He thought carefully. Though he believed Qian Zhu’s words, he still didn’t get it. The other person was obviously just a youth, and he was also very handsome; why would people be afraid of him?

Qian Zhu was unwilling to talk anymore on this topic. He only hugged Su Tang tighter and continued walking.   

Not long after, Qian Zhu asked, “Then, are you afraid of me?”    

“Ai3, why should I be scared?” Su Tang was shocked  by this question. He looked up at Qian Zhu.   

Qian Zhu seemed to have thought of something and didn’t continue to speak.

It was the first time Su Tang had ever seen Qian Zhu show such an expression, where his eyes filled with sadness and it was like snow had settled over his body.    

Su Tang felt some discomfort in his heart. He reached out his hand to hug the other’s head to his chest, resembling a little puppy as he coquettishly asked, “Brother Qian Zhu, are you feeling sad?” 

“Why would I feel sad?” When Qian Zhu was rubbed by Su Tang like that, he felt like a fire had been lit inside his chest. It was warm and pleasant, and he felt reluctant to part with this emotion, selfishly wanting the fire to stay forever.   

He lowered his head and happened to lock eyes with Su Tang. Su Tang’s eyes were filled with light, as if there were countless stars within. Qian Zhu recalled their meeting near Chenchi, where the other had been like a lively little bunny and bounced over to hug his waist.   

“Of course I’m not sad.” Qian Zhu finished, curving the corner of his mouth before asking Su Tang, “Can you use fairy magic?”    

“A little.” Su Tang didn’t know why the other asked this question, but he still answered honestly.    

“No wonder.” Qian Zhu nodded his head and didn’t continue to speak.    

This caused Su Tang’s heart to itch, and he became extremely curious. What did Qian Zhu mean by ‘no wonder’? He really wanted to know.  

“Brother Qian Zhu, what did you mean when you said ‘no wonder’?” Su Tang questioned.    

“Nothing.” And yet, Qian Zhu smiled awfully happily.  

“Tell me.” Su Tang coquettishly commanded.    

“I won’t tell.” Qian Zhu was very firm with his response, and Su Tang got upset.    

When Su Tang came to this world, the first person he’d met was Qian Zhu, and he saw the other as a big brother. Qian Zhu treated him very well, protecting him from everything; over the course of time, Su Tang came to feel that this treatment was very much in line with the principles of heaven and earth4.

However, now Qian Zhu was unwilling to explain his sentence—what did it mean? Su Tang suddenly felt wronged. He was aware that feeling this way wasn’t good, but he still felt wronged.  

“Brother Qian Zhu is a bad person, I don’t want to play with you anymore.” After Su Tang said this, he started to struggle out of Qian Zhu’s hold.   

But he had little strength, and so he could only struggle in Qian Zhu’s embrace. Qian Zhu felt as if his heart had been stepped on; it felt ticklish, so he pressed Su Tang down to keep him from moving.   

“Wu, you let go of me.” Su Tang turned his head and glanced at Qian Zhu a few times. The other person’s expression became desolate, and the lack of a smile on his face caused Su Tang to panic.   

Out of the blue, he felt especially sad. He used his hands to cover his eyes before starting to wail loudly.   

Qian Zhu was thrown off guard by this and was momentarily at a loss regarding what to do. He could only rely on his memory to comfort Su Tang. He hugged Su Tang and cajoled him, “Don’t cry, don’t cry. Su Tang, baby, be good.”

Then, he patted Su Tang’s head and kissed his face.  

Su Tang was stunned silly. He rubbed his face which had been just kissed, not knowing what to do. He stared at Qian Zhu as if he wished to see through him.  

“You kissed me?” Su Tang asked in disbelief.   

“I…” Qian Zhu was a little embarrassed, so he explained, “I saw people comforting children like this.”

Su Tang didn’t know what to say. His heart was a mess. Qian Zhu hadn’t said anything wrong and was simply comforting him, but kissing his face… kissing his face like that left him with a different kind of feeling. 

“I’m not a child.” Su Tang at last  weakly said.

“Then I won’t do it next time.” Qian Zhu said, helping Su Tang wipe away his tears and rub his head covered with soft hair.

Su Tang previously felt wronged, but in his heart, he now started to feel a little arrogant. He puffed out his cheeks and acted upset, mumbling out, “Then tell me: when you said ‘no wonder’, what did you mean?”    

Qian Zhu dared not not reply. He could only say, “The moment I see you, I become different from how I usually am. It even caused me to suspect whether or not you know fairy magic that made me like this.”

“What did I make you become?” Su Tang asked.    

“I get very happy whenever I see you, I like to be with you, I think you’re adorable, and I’m always thinking of hugging you.” When Qian Zhu finished talking, Su Tang’s whole face was red.

“I can’t do this kind of magic.” He said quietly.    

“And why is that?” Qian Zhu asked.  

“Don’t know, don’t ask me.” Su Tang’s brain was no longer functioning properly.

“Then, do you have this kind of feeling?” Qian Zhu asked.

“I don’t! I definitely don’t!” Su Tang hurried to shake his head, but his red face sold him out.

“You obviously do.” Qian Zhu said.

“Why do you care whether I do or don’t.” Su Tang was exposed, and he couldn’t help exploding. He didn’t want to discuss anything about himself with Qian Zhu anymore, so he said, “You should solve your own problems. Tell me, why are you like this?” 

Qian Zhu thought for a long time before muttering a few words, “Maybe… it’s because I like you?”