Volume Two: Eventful Autumn, Twists and Turns Chapter 140: Heart-to-Heart Words, Inexplicable Confusion

The whole situation was now clear. The root of all the trouble lay with Meng Wuyan. Yang Chengzi had saved her himself, and she did not even know Chang Yu, so why would she attempt to murder her? It made no sense at all.

"Wan'er, come out. There are some things I need to ask her."

Chen Wan'er did not answer. Shortly after Yang Chengzi finished speaking, Meng Wuyan startled awake. Looking down to find her hands and feet bound to a stool, she glared fiercely and demanded, "Let me go! What are you people trying to do?"

"That should be my question to you. What on earth are you trying to do? I kindly rescued you and gave you a place to recover, so why did you try to strangle Chang Yu? You don't even know her. What did she ever do to warrant such viciousness from you?"

"She did nothing wrong! The fault lies with you. You shouldn't have been so good to her. I couldn't bear to watch it."

"We are utter strangers. Whether I am good to her or not is my concern. What business is it of yours?"

"I've taken a liking to you, isn't that reason enough? Once she is out of the way, there won't be any other women around you, and only then will I have a chance to get close to you."

"You would kill someone just to get close to me? As a woman, isn't your heart far too venomous? Aren't you afraid of going to hell?"

"Hell? The people I've killed could pile up from the eighteenth level of hell all the way to the surface. Why would I fear hell? I'd just step on their corpses and climb right back up."

"You—"

Yang Chengzi was so infuriated by her words that he almost spat a mouthful of blood right into her face. With a heavy sigh and a desolate look in his eyes, he began untying the ropes, saying, "Go. Consider that we have never met."

Chen Xin was stunned by his actions. Meng Wuyan had tried to kill Sister Chang Yu, yet Yang Chengzi was actually letting her go?

"You have the nerve to set me free? Aren't you afraid I'll find an opportunity to kill her?"

"I am a Daoist priest; I cannot marry or have children. Even though she came here for my sake, I cannot marry her—that is my destiny. Nor could I ever marry you. You may try to kill her, but if she dies by your hand, I will accompany her in death. That is what I owe her."

"You—"

Meng Wuyan could hardly believe the man before her would utter such words.

Though Chang Yu kept her eyes closed, a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. Perhaps she felt aggrieved hearing Yang Chengzi say he could not marry her, or perhaps she felt a sense of fulfillment knowing he would accompany her to the grave.

Hearing this, Chen Xin experienced a swirl of indescribable emotions. This man carried the weight of all living beings in the world on his shoulders. Although he could not marry Sister Chang Yu, if she were to die, he would actually forsake the world to follow her. Having spent so much time with him, Chen Xin knew that Yang Chengzi's word was law. With him treating Sister Chang Yu this way, her life could be considered complete with no regrets.

Looking at Yang Chengzi's calm expression, Meng Wuyan felt a twinge of heartache. He spoke with such tranquility, as if discussing the most commonplace of matters.

She gazed at him in silence for a long time, then turned to Chang Yu lying on the bed and whispered, "I envy her so much." With that, she turned and left.

Exhausted, Yang Chengzi closed the door, pulled a stool up to Chang Yu's bedside, straightened her blanket, and felt her forehead. He then wrung out a damp towel and placed it across her brow. Seeing the tear tracks at the corner of her eyes, a wave of pity washed over him for this girl; she had suffered greatly these past few days.

Chen Xin offered to brew Chang Yu's medicine, but Yang Chengzi stopped her, taking the task upon himself.

***

Yang Chengzi sat by the bed, supporting Chang Yu as he fed her the medicine. A tinge of jealousy stirred in Chen Xin's heart, wondering if Chen San would ever treat her with such tenderness.

Chang Yu was a pampered young lady of a wealthy family, accustomed to being doted upon. Aside from the incident with the spiritual bones where she had nearly lost her life, she had never fallen ill since childhood, let alone had to swallow medicine as foul and nauseating as this. After just two sips, she retched and threw it all up.

Seeing this, Yang Chengzi had her lie back down. Imitating Chen Xin's method, he took a sip himself before feeding it to her mouth-to-mouth. Only then did Chang Yu manage to keep it down. A single bowl of medicine, administered bit by bit, took nearly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Chang Yu's already flushed face grew even redder after finishing the medicine. Chen Xin never imagined Yang Chengzi would resort to such a method. Her own marriage to Chen San was arranged by their parents, and they were bound to wed eventually, but as for the two of them...

Though Chang Yu felt thoroughly miserable, the events that had just transpired seemed to cure her halfway already. This was the first time Yang Chengzi had ever shared such intimate physical contact with her. In the past, hadn't it always been her aggressively forcing the issue? Had this piece of wood finally become enlightened?

While wild joy surged in her heart, she kept her eyes tightly shut, pondering what Yang Chengzi truly felt in his heart.

Though Meng Wuyan was gone, she had swept through the four of them like a sandstorm. Not only had Chen San suffered a devastating blow to his nether regions—making it questionable when he would even walk properly again—but Chang Yu had nearly lost her life because of her, contracting a chill in the dead of night from which she wouldn't easily recover. Chen Xin, too, had misunderstood Chen San on her account, nearly causing him to fall to his death.

Yang Chengzi emerged physically unscathed, but Meng Wuyan was someone he had brought back. Chen San and the two girls had ended up in this state entirely because of her. By comparison, his heart carried the heavier burden; he probably wished it were he lying on that bed instead.

Fearing that Meng Wuyan might actually do something unthinkable, and worried that Chen Xin wouldn't be able to manage on her own, Yang Chengzi turned away all visitors for the next three days, bolting the door against the world. Aside from the inn waiter delivering meals, no one else crossed the threshold of their room.

Although Chang Yu was stricken with a chill and remained feverish and delirious for days, Chen San was faring no better. While saying his nether regions were utterly smashed was a slight exaggeration, the impact had been severe indeed. Every time Yang Chengzi had to help him relieve himself, Chen San wore an expression of sheer disbelief.

He had thought about consulting a physician, but Chen San flatly refused. How could he possibly let someone examine *that* area? If word ever got out, where would he hide his face? The idea was promptly dropped. In his own words, an old fortune-teller had once predicted he would have a son and a daughter, which proved the equipment wasn't broken and would still be functional in the future!

Yang Chengzi stopped worrying about Chen San; since the man refused a doctor, so be it.

However, Yang Chengzi found himself somewhat at a loss regarding Chang Yu. Ever since she grew strong enough to sit up, she completely ignored him. Her lips were pursed high in a permanent pout, radiating displeasure. She was simply in a foul mood, refusing to eat the food Yang Chengzi offered, leaving him thoroughly bewildered.

Naturally, Yang Chengzi had no inkling of why Chang Yu was acting this way, but Chen Xin saw everything clearly and smiled inwardly.

She wanted to see precisely what position Sister Chang Yu held in Yang Chengzi's heart, so she refrained from meddling, leaving Chang Yu alone to allow them more opportunities to be together.

After holding his tongue for two days, Yang Chengzi finally reached his limit. He sat at the bedside, furrowing his brow as he looked at Chang Yu, who maintained her stubborn pout without sparing him a single glance.

"Why won't you talk to me? Are you still holding a grudge because I brought Meng Wuyan back?"

"You brought another woman home, and you expect me to give you a pleasant look? Humph!"

"She was injured. I couldn't just stand by and let her die."

"If—if you were given another chance, would you still save her and bring her back?"

"Yes. Seeing her condition, I would have had to save her."

"I—Humph!" Chang Yu was so angry she lost for words, turning her head away with an even deeper pout.

***

"She's already gone. What's the point of holding onto your anger? What if you make yourself sick?"

"It's not about her; it's about you! You're the one making me sick!"

"How have I offended you now? Won't an apology suffice? Be a good girl and take your medicine. You need to eat afterward as well. You've caught a chill, and you won't get better without medicine."

"You don't even know where you went wrong. You're just humoring me."

Yang Chengzi's head was throbbing. He genuinely had no idea what he had done wrong, but this young lady had to be appeased, and she needed her medicine to recover.

"Then tell me where I went wrong. I'll change, all right?"

A blush crept up Chang Yu's face as she muttered with a hint of shyness, "This medicine is too bitter; I can't swallow it. And besides, it wasn't taken this way before."

Ever since Chang Yu had regained consciousness, Yang Chengzi had expected her to drink the medicine herself. Having tasted the sweetness of the alternative, she naturally refused to drink it on her own.

Yang Chengzi frowned as the realization finally dawned on him.

"You want it the way we did before?"

Her face burning crimson, Chang Yu pouted and nodded firmly.

"Mhmm."

Yang Chengzi chuckled. "Chen San is busy right now and can't feed you. Wait until he feels better, and I'll have him feed you instead."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xin burst out laughing, while Chang Yu stared at Yang Chengzi in absolute disbelief.

"He fed me?! I—don't stop me, I'm going to hack him to pieces—ah!" With that, she burst into tears, attempting to climb out of bed to slaughter Chen San.

Yang Chengzi grabbed Chang Yu's wrists and tucked her back beneath the covers.

"If you don't want him feeding you, then be a good girl and drink the medicine yourself."

In truth, Chang Yu had known all along that it was Yang Chengzi who had fed her. Having kissed him several times in the past, she recognized him instantly, and Chen Xin had already confirmed that Yang Chengzi had tended to her while she was delirious. She had simply wanted him to feed her that way while she was fully awake. But asking that was apparently a bridge too far, as Yang Chengzi had shamelessly shifted the blame onto Chen San.