Chapter 86: The Language of Mist Yu Flowers
Upon returning to Mount Yu, Xiang’er immediately went to her room and fell asleep without a word.
Chen Yin saw the exhaustion and vulnerability in her eyes and didn’t disturb her.
…This was probably the first peaceful sleep she had had in years.
Master, on the other hand, seemed to have enjoyed herself immensely, returning late at night, humming a tune with a cheerful expression.
“Looks like you got quite a haul from the Mist Spirit Sect’s treasure vault.”
“Ah, it wasn’t much.” Master waved her hand dismissively. “I just took all their valuables. I left those cultivation techniques, secret manuals, and protective artifacts for your little girlfriend to guard the mountain.”
Chen Yin coughed awkwardly, not bothering to argue with her.
“But…” He lowered his gaze, a hint of worry in his eyes. “The Mist Spirit Sect is a large and powerful sect. They’ve made countless enemies over the millennia.”
“If news of the Sect Master and elders’ deaths spread, the Mist Spirit Sect will surely face chaos and bloodshed.”
“I wonder if Senior Sister can handle it alone… Maybe I should go back and help her tomorrow?”
“Hah.” Master glanced at him sideways. “You underestimate your little girlfriend.”
“She’s not as fragile as you think. You don’t become the renowned Frost Moon Sword Immortal without some strength.”
“Besides,” her petite figure swayed gracefully, her large robe like a layer of mist under the moonlight,
“The Mist Spirit Sect’s foundation isn’t just about those powerful elders.”
“If your little girlfriend uses her resources wisely, it’ll take at least three or four Grand Clarity Realm experts to breach the Mist Spirit Sect’s defenses.”
Chen Yin nodded slowly, then suddenly asked, “You don’t want me to go back to Senior Sister because you’re jealous, are you?”
The next moment, Chen Yin was kicked down the mountain.
Midnight. The mountains were quiet and serene.
The door to the small wooden hut at the foot of the mountain was open. Chen Yin glanced inside, then turned and walked towards the hill behind the hut.
The gnarled pines and cypresses clung to the rocky cliffs, their branches swaying in the wind, casting shadows across the moonlit slopes.
Yu Xiang sat on the edge of the cliff, her light green dress shimmering like an emerald in the moonlight.
“You’re awake?” Chen Yin sat down beside her.
Yu Xiang lowered her head, her green embroidered shoes dangling in the air.
“…I couldn’t sleep.”
“Why? Are you still having nightmares?”
“No, it’s the opposite.” Xiang’er’s eyes, as clear as glass, flickered. “For the first time in a long time, I didn’t have any nightmares.”
“No blood-soaked images of my parents reaching out to me. No endless screams of my senior brothers and sisters.”
“I didn’t even dream. It was like my consciousness was blank. I slept soundly until just now.”
Chen Yin ruffled her hair. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
Xiang’er pondered for a moment, then blinked.
“If a person who has been overweight their entire life suddenly wakes up thin one day, they might not be overjoyed. They might be terrified, right?”
Chen Yin nodded thoughtfully.
“I’ve gotten used to seeing my parents in my nightmares every night.”
She spoke slowly, as if talking to herself. “I always thought it was their souls reminding me not to forget, to avenge them. To never forget.”
“Revenge became my life, my reason for living.”
“Now, the revenge is over. My parents no longer visit me in my dreams.”
“And I suddenly don’t know what to live for anymore.” She lowered her long eyelashes, a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Chen Yin shrugged. “Aren’t Master and I enough of a reason for you to live?”
Yu Xiang was silent for a long time, then turned to him with a sweet smile.
“Of course you are.”
“Even if from now on… I live only for Senior Brother.”
“I’m willing.” She said, a gentle smile on her lips.
Chen Yin stared at her profile, then suddenly flicked her forehead playfully.
“Ouch!”
Xiang’er pouted, her eyes watering. “What was that for? It hurts…”
“I didn’t take you to get revenge so you could live for me.”
“I did it to give you freedom.”
Chen Yin said softly, “Freedom means that one day, our Xiang’er will be free from all burdens, free to do what she wants, to become who she wants to be.”
“Whether it’s your past grievances or Master and me, nothing will hold you back anymore.”
“Every action you take, every person you meet, will be for one reason only. Because you choose to.”
“…Live for yourself. Live happily. Live freely. Understand?” He whispered.
Yu Xiang’s eyes widened slightly.
Her vision suddenly blurred, and she couldn’t see Chen Yin’s face clearly. She rubbed her eyes instinctively.
But her vision only grew blurrier, tears welling up.
A warm hand gently stroked her hair. Yu Xiang looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, and saw Chen Yin smiling at her.
“Alright, stop crying.”
“You’re no longer Yin Mengwan, trapped by hatred.”
“…You’re free.”
Yu Xiang wiped her tears with the back of her hand and suddenly burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“Stinky Senior Brother… always trying to sound cool and saying things you think are profound.”
Chen Yin couldn’t help but rub his nose. “Uh, wasn’t it cool?”
It was cool.
Super cool.
But Xiang’er just pouted, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
“What about Senior Brother? Are you a free person?”
“Of course. Your Senior Brother lives a carefree and happy life, wandering freely.”
“Then do you have someone you like, Senior Brother?”
Chen Yin teased her as usual, “Of course I like Xiang’er.”
“Mmm.”
This time, Xiang’er simply smiled, her face lit up with joy. “I like Senior Brother too.”
Seeing that she wasn’t flustered or embarrassed by his teasing, Chen Yin couldn’t help but ask further:
“Then what kind of like is Xiang’er’s like for Senior Brother?”
Yu Xiang thought for a moment, then said seriously:
“The kind of like that makes me want to stay by Senior Brother’s side forever.”
“The kind of like that makes me want to tell Senior Brother all my joys and share all my happiness with him.”
“The kind of like that makes me want to go see mountains, oceans, stars, the moon, and the clouds with Senior Brother.”
“The kind of like that makes me want to marry Senior Brother, have children with him, and grow old together.”
“…The most—like kind of like.” She smiled sweetly, her dimples showing.
Chen Yin listened quietly, his face growing warm with embarrassment.
He hadn’t expected their usual playful banter to turn into a serious confession.
Xiang’er, with her blushing cheeks and bright eyes, seemed to have taken on the role of the one doing the teasing.
She stared at him intently, her gaze clear and unwavering.
Unable to withstand her captivating gaze, Chen Yin blushed and turned his head away.
“Ahem… D-don’t be so cheesy. You’re making me embarrassed.”
“So Senior Brother can be embarrassed too?” Xiang’er chuckled playfully. “I thought your skin was as thick as a city wall. Hehe.”
“I’m getting old, I can’t handle such straightforward confessions anymore.”
“Then what about Xiang’er in Senior Brother’s heart?” Yu Xiang blinked her bright eyes, her gaze filled with anticipation.
“What kind of like… is Senior Brother’s like for Xiang’er?”
Chen Yin thought seriously for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Are you still wearing it?”
“Wearing what?”
“The sachet.”
Xiang’er blushed and nodded, slowly taking off the emerald green embroidered pouch from her waist.
“The one Senior Brother gave me… Of course I wouldn’t take it off.” She looked at the sachet, her eyes filled with tenderness.
“That’s what I wanted to say.”
Chen Yin said softly, “There’s a saying that every flower in the world has its own symbolic meaning, called ‘flower language’.”
“Like the rose, which symbolizes passionate love, and the tulip, which represents pure love.”
Xiang’er tilted her head slightly. “Then… what’s the language of the Mist Yu flower?”
“Haha, the Mist Yu flower only grows on our Mount Yu.”
Chen Yin’s eyes were bright and cheerful. “Why don’t we decide on its meaning?”
Yu Xiang thought for a moment.
“Hmm… Does Senior Brother have any ideas?”
“Flower language should reflect the flower itself.” Chen Yin said slowly, “Like the rose, which is vibrant and intense, symbolizing passionate love. And the lilac, which is elegant and fragrant, with a hint of melancholy.”
“But the fragrance of the Mist Yu flower is the most unique and unforgettable I’ve ever encountered.”
…Faint and elusive, lingering in the air.
You think you smell it, but when you inhale deeply, it’s barely there. When you think it’s gone, a gentle fragrance suddenly fills your senses.
Like mist, it appears and disappears. But when you’re feeling down, its scent always lingers, comforting and reassuring.
“My Xiang’er is just like the Mist Yu flower.”
Not as flamboyant as a rose, not as melancholic as a lilac.
“It should be the gentlest form of love.” Chen Yin murmured softly, his eyes filled with tenderness.
Yu Xiang’s eyes widened slightly.
Several Mist Yu flower buds swayed in the evening breeze.
Under the clear moonlight, their delicate fragrance filling the air, the Mist Yu flowers suddenly bloomed.
The scent intensified, sweet and refreshing, enveloping the entire moonlit night in a soft embrace.
Yu Xiang stood up, watching the fireflies dance among the flowers in the moonlight, and twirled joyfully.
Her light green dress, like the blooming Mist Yu flowers, unfurled gracefully.
Chen Yin watched her dance under the moonlight, a smile on his lips.
“Senior Brother! I can smell the Mist Yu flowers!”
“Do they smell good?”
“Yes!”
“…That’s how much I like you.”
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