CH 51

After returning to his residence on Iris Island, Su Yang, who had exhausted himself for half the night, felt his stomach rumbling with hunger and ordered Lian Jiu to prepare supper.

It was now approaching midnight and the light was still on in Gu Feidi’s room. Su Yang considered for a while, then knocked on the door and asked, “Asleep?” 

In a moment, Gu Feidi opened the door in his inner wear. He smiled and said, “The host here has not returned. As a guest, how can I sleep first?”

Su Yang was amused by his uptight behaviour. He reached out and grabbed Gu Feidi’s wrist, “Oh, it’s so late, you should also be hungry. Come and have supper with me, tomorrow I will take you out for a stroll.”

Gu Feidi did not resist and let Su Yang drag him into the main house.

Late autumn nights in the Wasteland were even colder.

Su Yang ordered a fire to be lit in the silver charcoal brazier, for supper to be laid out on the bedroom table and for a pot of wine to be included. Under the cover of a thin blanket, the two of them drank and ate supper by candlelight.

Gu Feidi didn’t bring up the topic of detoxification anymore. Instead, he praised the honey plum meat they had for supper and chatted with Su Yang for a long time about all kinds of food.

When it comes to paying attention to the intricacies of eating, the ancients had more elegant methods, but when it came to eating rich foods, it was naturally those from modern society, like Su Yang, who were more knowledgeable. So once they started talking about this topic, it was really hard to cover everything at once.

Gu Feidi looked at Su Yang’s unusually eloquent appearance and smiled. He picked up the wine glass and took a sip of the sweet-scented osmanthus wine in it.

The wine was slightly sweet and not particularly strong, but Gu Feidi’s eyes gradually blurred. Not long after, he rested his cheek on his hand and closed his eyes in a daze.

Su Yang: …

How could that be?

In Lesser Jade House, Gu Feidi would have been drinking with Xu Yunzhan before. Why was his capacity for liquor so lacking?

Gu Feidi swayed slowly. Just as he was about to tumble face-first into the dishes in front of him, Su Yang quickly reached out to hold him.

Seeing that he was already drunk and passed out, Su Yang sighed helplessly and called the Lian Hall attendant to come in and tidy away the dishes.

He leaned over and carried Gu Feidi up horizontally in his arms. Just as he was about to send him back to the side room, the charcoal brazier near his feet suddenly made a slight crackling sound. Seeing the flames blazing, Su Yang realised that Gu Feidi’s residence had not yet been lit warm. It was now late at night and the whole room would probably be freezing.

So he turned around and carried Gu Feidi directly into his bedroom.

——Anyway, his bed was big enough for two to sleep.

Gu Feidi was thoroughly drunk. Su Yang helped him wipe his face, untied his hair and even removed his clothes. He still didn’t sense anything.

Su Yang was also helpless, so he washed up, climbed onto the bed, pushed Gu Feidi to the other side, lay down and went to sleep.

Su Yang fell asleep quickly, his breaths light and extended due to the slight inebriation after having had a couple of drinks.

Gu Feidi slowly opened his eyes, turned to Su Yang’s side and stared at his exquisite silhouette outlined by the faint candlelight coming in from the outer room.

After a long time, he removed his hand from the blanket and quietly caressed Su Yang’s ear. His slightly cool fingers skimmed along Su Yang’s cheeks and neck, slowly passing over his shoulders and arms and finally settling onto his warm palm.

Gu Feidi lightly held Su Yang’s hand. In the dimness of the room, he closed his eyes and couldn’t help but smile at the corners of his mouth.

Osmanthus wine was sweet but not intoxicating.

But a drunkard doesn’t need wine to be intoxicated.

There were no dreams for the whole night.

In the early morning, Su Yang was awakened by a beautiful, mild birdsong.

As the sun rose, the temperature in the gorge of the Devil Sect’s headquarters gradually increased, the dew condensed and the fragrance of flower blooms made the air even fresher.

Su Yang opened his eyes and saw Gu Feidi’s face in profile, sleeping soundly in the morning light.

The sunlight outside the window shone softly on his face, starting from the center of his eyebrows, passing through the foot of the mountain and drawing the bridge of his nose, a delicate curve of pale gold. The tip of his nose was exquisite and below was a pair of moderately thick lips, then the gradually angular lower jaw. Following that, the curve fell to a slight bulge which formed a tough Adam’s apple.

The Adam’s apple was gorgeous with a tiny mole on the side, so cute that he hadn’t noticed it before.

In the morning light, Gu Feidi’s eyelashes trembled slightly and he slowly opened his eyes.

He turned his head, his pupils were pitch black, as deep as cold pools and he stared quietly at Su Yang.

Su Yang forgot to look away and just like that, he met Gu Feidi’s eyes directly.

Gu Feidi’s gaze gradually slipped to Su Yang’s lips. His Adam’s apple trembled, then he raised the corners of his mouth, turned to the side and moved a little closer in Su Yang’s direction.

“Su Yang.” His voice was muted, but his tone was joyful.

The two were not far apart. When Gu Feidi turned over, their cheeks were no more than a foot away from each other, so close that they could see their own reflection in each other’s eyes.

Gu Feidi’s eyelashes closed slightly, his swallowed and he couldn’t help but lean in slightly, trying to get closer to Su Yang.

It was not until a warm breath fell on his face that Su Yang shuddered in terror and became completely awake.

He abruptly lifted the quilt, sat up and swallowed nervously.

——He must be insane! At that moment, he believed that Gu Feidi wanted to kiss him!

He turned around to look back. Gu Feidi had already withdrawn. He was lying on his back and had raised his hand to press his between his eyebrows. His eyes were tightly closed and his face showed a full appearance of a hangover headache.

“Ak, that, you were drunk last night.” Su Yang explained quickly, “Then… I was afraid your house would be cold if there was no charcoal brazier, so I let you sleep here for the night.”

Gu Feidi made a ‘mmm’ sound and said nothing, continued to close his eyes and massage his eyebrows.

Su Yang smirked twice and said: “You laze around, I… mmph, I’ll wash up first.”

With that, he quickly took the clothes on the hanger beside the bed and hurried behind the changing screen in the corner of the bedroom.

Gu Feidi listened to Su Yang’s footsteps and when he confirmed that he had left the bed, he opened his eyes.

He wiped his face dejectedly and let out a long sigh.

The two took turns to wash and change clothes, then they tidied up and got ready. After breakfast, Su Yang said that he would take Gu Feidi to stroll around the Sect and view the scenery. He told Mei Shisan and Lian Jiu that there was no need to follow them and ordered them to stay on Iris Island.

There were Mei Hall flower aides patrolling and guarding within the headquarters, so there was no danger. Mei Shisan nodded to receive the command and led Lian Jiu to withdraw.

Su Yang and Gu Feidi walked side by side on the suspension bridge leading from Iris Island to the cliffs of the sinkhole.

Seeing that there was no one around, Su Yang lowered his voice and said to Gu Feidi, “I have a little idea about how to detoxify you, but we have to make some preparations first. When I’ve completed my plan, then I can bring you to the place to detoxify. But we might probably need to stay there for a long time, so we’ll need to bring some food and drink.”

Gu Feidi turned to look at Su Yang and asked with a smile: “Since you are certain that you can detoxify me, why do you still dare to bring me to stroll around within the Sect?”

Su Yang puzzled: “Huh?”

Gu Feidi said, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll figure out the various passages here and reveal them to the Central Plains martial world circles?”

Su Yang grinned, “I’m not afraid.”

Gu Feidi also laughed and asked: “Or… you are confident that you’re able to keep me captive here for life?”

“Of course not, I never said I’d imprison you. Don’t always let your imagination run wild.” Su Yang turned to look helplessly at Gu Feidi, shook his head and smiled, “Once I’ve detoxified you of your poison, I’ll let you leave. There are still many things you need to do in the Central Plains martial arts circles. Why should I keep you here?”

Gu Feidi raised his hand to hold the rope of the suspension bridge and looked at Su Yang. He hesitated for a while and said tentatively: “If I return to Tengyun Pavilion, my father might… quickly arrange a marriage for me.”

Su Yang’s heart started pounding for no reason.

Marriage?

No, he wouldn’t.

Pu Lingyun had run away with someone else. Who else would Gu Feidi marry?

According to the script, Gu Feidi did not return to Tengyun Pavilion after leaving the Devil Sect’s Forbidden Area… No, that was wrong.

Initially, Gu Feidi didn’t return to Tengyun Pavilion because the method to remove Gu poison was only to temporarily suppress it, so he had to go to the Snow Mountain with Pu Lingyun to find a divine doctor.

But now it was not Pu Lingyun who was going to detoxify Gu Feidi… so that storyline wasn’t plausible anymore.

Therefore, Gu Feidi would be returning to Tengyun Pavilion.

And even without Pu Lingyun, with Gu Feidi’s identity, there were always other martial arts families like Zhang Lingyun and Li Lingyun who would marry him.

Suppressing the unconscious anxiety and irritability in his heart, Su Yang flattened his lips and said, “That’s very good. Men marry when they come of age… nothing wrong about that.” 

After speaking, he immediately turned around and headed towards the other side of the suspension bridge.

Gu Feidi suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Su Yang’s wrist and pulled him back. Su Yang instinctively struggled, unknowingly activating his internal strength.

The suspension bridge was shaken by the movements of the two.

Su Yang was shocked and quickly grabbed his hand to support the bridge cable and raised his eyes to look at Gu Feidi.

Gu Feidi grasped the rope steadily, staring at Su Yang unblinkingly.

For a moment, Gu Feidi lowered his eyelashes, his stubborn expression slowly faded away and he returned to his calm appearance.

“I said that if I want to spend the rest of my life with someone, I will definitely find someone I want to take good care of for life.” He said, “So, I don’t want to follow my father’s arrangements and enter into a marriage with others.”

Su Yang smiled: “I couldn’t tell that you, ‘The Lil’ Uptight’, are an advocate of free courtship?”

Gu Feidi: “Lil’ Uptight?”

Su Yang curled his lips: “Aren’t you a lil’ uptight? I wake up this morning and see you sleeping neat and straight, like you’re standing at attention.”

Gu Feidi raised his eyebrows, smiled and asked, “Then how should I sleep? Should I be hugging you?”

Su Yang looked at Gu Feidi in surprise. He didn’t expect to hear this kind of naughty talk from Gu Feidi’s mouth.

Wasn’t it true that the ancients were reserved?

How could this kind of dialogue between good friends, mutually teasing and harassing each other, emerge between him and Gu Feidi?!

However, Gu Feidi’s skills were clearly inept. It was obviously he who had spoken these flirtatious words first, but the tips of his ears had already turned red.

Su Yang was terribly happy and teased: “Sure, you can hug me! This suspension bridge is so long and swaying. You can hug and carry me across the bridge!”

Gu Feidi raised his eyebrows and took a step in Su Yang’s direction.

For some reason, Su Yang suddenly felt he was in a pickle. He smiled and avoided Gu Feidi’s gaze, swiftly walked past him and headed faster and faster along the suspension bridge.

Gu Feidi shook his head helplessly and ran after him.

In addition to the two island cores in the sinkhole pools, the Devil Sect also had countless buildings on the surrounding cliffs.

The lower-level people and their families under the jurisdiction of the Devil Sect to manage and purchase farmlands had gradually formed a modest settlement here. In order to provide conveniences for them, there were also established businesses in the settlements. The food, cloth, oil and salt necessary for living could be found in stores there.

As the Devil Sect’s Young Saint, Su Yang didn’t need to go here to buy things in person. He only needed to order from Iris Island and naturally someone would provide him with what he required.

This time, Su Yang went out under the guise of taking Gu Feidi to enjoy the scenery while shopping, but in fact, he had come to observe the terrain.

The entrance to the Devil Sect’s Forbidden Area was on Jun Hua Island. The Devil Sect Leader’s residence was not somewhere that anyone could enter at will. Even as the Devil Sect’s Young Saint, he would be monitored by the flower aides when he moved around Jun Hua Island.

What’s more, he still had to take Gu Feidi with him. Gu Feidi’s identity was sensitive and if not handled properly, it may cause difficulties and even bring about Gu Feidi’s death.

Although the Devil Sect’s Leader was currently in seclusion, the person with the highest martial arts among the entire Devil Sect was Su Yang. However, it was now inconvenient for Gu Feidi to use his internal force, so it was better to avoid new issues unexpectedly cropping up as much as possible.

Su Yang took Gu Feidi and strolled around various shops in the settlement. He ordered a lot of honey, milk and dried fruits and had them sent to the kitchen on Iris Island to prepare them.

After that, the two of them turned half a circle along the cliff road and came to a platform closest to Jun Hua Island before they stopped walking.

Su Yang propped his hands on the platform railing and looked up at the intricate suspension bridges and plank roads within the Devil Sect that were used to connect the four places. He couldn’t hide his frustration and heaved a sigh.

Gu Feidi stood beside Su Yang, raised his head with him to look at the supernaturally crafted buildings and bridges of the Devil Sect’s headquarters.

He instantly smiled and said: “I always felt that it seems you had an ulterior motive in bringing me out to see the scenery today.”