The quiet night was shattered.
The sound of the bell made the rain outside seem even more lingering.
The young man stood amidst the dense lights, and Zanxing’s gaze fell on the green bell at his waist.
Noticing her attention, he was silent for a moment before taking off the Jie Xin Bell from his waist.
This bell had been shattered during the Five-Wheel Pagoda, and its surface was covered in cracks. He had spent most of the night repairing it with dragon’s saliva glue, but it couldn’t be restored to its former flawless state.
Now, this cracked green bell lay in Gu Baiying’s palm. The night rain outside was gentle, and a cool breeze from outside caused the bell to emit a delicate, clear sound, ringing softly and melodiously.
“You—”
“Did you hear what it said?” Gu Baiying asked.
Zanxing looked into his eyes. “What did it say?”
The young man took a step forward, looking down at her with eyes as turbulent as the tide. “It said it likes you.”
Zanxing was taken aback.
Gu Baiying spoke calmly, “And I do too.”
The bell rang more urgently. The rain, like an endless thread of affection, dripped and plucked at the stone slabs. The dim lights in the hall only made the vast space seem like a candlelit scene, with the night enveloping everything in a hazy glow.
The young man stood tall and sharp. The darker the light became, the more the red feathers of his attire stood out vividly against the gloom.
He was as bright and spirited as his beautiful Xiu Gu spear, full of energy and brilliance. But now, he had reined in his sharpness, like the soft, persistent rain over Heishi City, weighing down the invisible concerns of his heart.
After a moment of surprise, Zanxing slowly smiled and took a couple of steps towards Gu Baiying. “I—”
Gu Baiying took a step back, avoiding her hand.
Zanxing was momentarily stunned.
Gu Baiying looked up at her.
He had seen Zanxing on Yue Mountain before, but it seemed only now did he truly have the chance to carefully observe her. She appeared much the same as she did two years ago, yet entirely different.
The scars from the Yu were no longer on her face. Over the past two years, people had often commented on her appearance due to that scar, and she seemed to care about it as well. But Gu Baiying had never found it to be an issue. From the beginning, he had never thought the scar was unattractive.
Perhaps, he had never truly disliked Yang Zanxing.
She stood right before him, her deep green robe adorned with intricate silver Four Gods patterns shimmering faintly in the light. Her expression was a blend of warmth and pride, vibrant yet serene. Her gaze, both puzzling and familiar, held the same smile she wore during their days together on Gufeng Mountain.
The sound of the Jie Xin Bell grew clearer.
Gu Baiying averted his gaze and said calmly, “Yang Zanxing, I can only go this far.”
Zanxing was confused. “What do you mean?”
She took another step closer, and the breeze seemed to carry a faint, delicate fragrance from her hair. The shadows in the hall were intertwined with a sense of intimacy and danger, and he couldn’t take another step forward.
“I won’t stay,” he said quietly, his fists clenched tightly.
Zanxing was even more bewildered.
Gu Baiying remained silent. Jin Feicui had once said to him with a smile: “Life is long, young man. You will meet many people. In time, you’ll understand that love and companionship are not that significant.”
He lowered his gaze. Life may be long, but the Jie Xin Bell only rang for one person, and he would only fall for one person.
“Gu Baiying?” Zanxing’s voice came from beside him. She was standing in front of him, her expression uncertain.
The young man paused before speaking calmly, “You are the first person I’ve liked. I never planned to like anyone else. But,” he looked down at Zanxing with an intensity he had never shown before, “humans and demons are different, and so are we. You might be able to like many people at once, but I can’t.”
“What?”
“Yang Zanxing, I can’t share my feelings with others.”
The vermilion red wild geese on the cloud-patterned brocade robe seemed to dissolve into a rich, vibrant mist under the light, like broken tears.
Zanxing suddenly understood something and asked, “Did you see those people in my palace and think they were my favored concubines?”
“Weren’t they?”
Zanxing smiled. “If I said they were, what would you do?”
The young man lowered his gaze, fixing his eyes on hers as if to engrave her current expression in his heart. Then he spoke calmly and quietly, “Gu Baiying will only have one person in his lifetime. If we cannot be each other’s only significant other, then let us part ways and never see each other again.”
“Never see each other again?”
His jaw was clenched tightly, his voice harsh. “Because I don’t want to see you happily surrounded by seven favored concubines. If I cannot be your only lover, let us not meet again in the future.”
He was straightforward, and Zanxing couldn’t help but smile. She tilted her head and looked at him. “Isn’t that heartless? Even if we can’t be lovers, we can still be friends.”
“No need. I don’t lack friends.” Gu Baiying interrupted her.
Zanxing fell silent.
He paused for a moment, then unfastened the Qiankun Bag from his waist and tossed it into Zanxing’s arms. “Take this.”
Zanxing held the bag and asked, “What is this?”
“Those are the pills and herbs from Gufeng Mountain. You were injured in the Five-Wheel Pagoda, so you should replenish yourself,” he said. “Heishi City doesn’t have much, but…” He paused, clearly unable to hide his impatience, “How are you living like this? You’re so thin.”
Zanxing weighed the Qiankun Bag in her hand. It was heavy. She had known Gu Baiying was wealthy back at Gufeng Mountain, where he could casually pull out thousands of spirit stones from his bag. The sect pampered him, and he was never short of magical tools and treasures.
She smiled, “Since you’re going to part ways with me forever, why are you still giving me so much? If you’re upset, shouldn’t you be saving your resources?”
Gu Baiying’s expression stiffened. After a moment, he snorted, “Upset? This is what I want. It had nothing to do with you. Stop flattering yourself.”
He thought of something else, glanced at Zanxing, tilted his chin slightly, and said lightly, “Yang Zanxing, you don’t need to pity me. You know, I’m so good, I’m not lacking in people who admire me. Besides, it was I who didn’t want to enter the Chaos Hall to be your eighth male concubine, it was I who rejected you.”
He was as arrogant as before, seeming to take everything lightly, but as he turned around, his eyes dimmed, and his drooping eyelashes were like butterflies wet by rain, hiding a bit of embarrassment.
“I’m going,” the youth looked away and turned to leave.
A hand grabbed his arm.
Zanxing’s smiling voice came from behind, she said, “Gu Baiying, is this how you confess to someone? You break up right after confessing?”
He restrained his urge to turn around and said calmly, “Yang Zanxing, I’ve told you, I won’t be your…”
“What if I told you that the seven were just people who served me daily in the Chaos Hall?”
“What if I told you that I like you too?”
In the night rain, her voice felt like an unsolvable spell, wrapping around the young man’s heart.
“Gu Baiying, will you still part ways with me forever?”
***
Author’s note: Yingying, an ML who turns a confession into a breakup.
***
T/N: Sorry for any inconsistencies in the translation. I took a couple of months off after the last arc because I was burnt out and don’t remember some of the names. I do keep a glossary, but I don’t fully trust it ;p