Chapter 56: This Venerable One Is Busy Wrapping Dumplings

Upon being asked this question, Mo Ran's face was one of

bewilderment.

Do I miss him?

In spite of the deep, unforgettable resentment Mo Ran harbored from

his previous life, the Chu Wanning of this life had yet to wrong him. In fact,

Mo Ran's shizun had shielded him from danger over and over, and he'd

furthermore been the one to get himself covered in injuries from head to toe

and bruised black and blue, also for Mo Ran.

After a long time, Mo Ran finally responded, "Mn… All those times

that he's been injured, it was because of me…"

When Chu Wanning heard this sentiment, he felt a twinge of warmth in

his heart. However, before he could say something to Mo Ran in return, Mo

Ran continued.

"He's done too much for me, and I can only hope to help him recover a

little bit faster. I don't want to owe him anything."

The flicker of warmth in Chu Wanning's heart seemed to die, perfectly

unmoving, frozen over. He stood still for a little while, feeling profoundly

risible.

Mo Ran had already told him that their only tie was that of a master

and his disciple. It was nobody's fault but his own that the slightest scrap of

hope had sent him dizzy with excitement, flying like a moth into a blazing

fire. If he was scorched to ashes, that was entirely on him.

Chu Wanning smiled; it was probably an ugly, dejected smile. "You're

overthinking it. You are his disciple, so 'owing debts' doesn't apply.

Everything he does, he does willingly."

Mo Ran's eyes turned to him. "Oh you. You're so young, but you

always look so serious and talk like a grown up." He laughed brightly and

patted Chu Wanning's head.

At first, having his head patted like that made Chu Wanning laugh

along, but after a while, his eyes slowly filled with tears, and he looked up to

the dazzlingly brilliant face in front of him. "Mo Ran," he said softly, "I don't

want to play with you anymore. Let go."

Mo Ran's skull was several inches too thick. He didn't notice the

change in his shidi's expression. Besides that, he had grown so used to

horsing around and being rowdy with "Xia Sini" that he didn't hesitate to

pinch the child's soft, baby-smooth cheeks, squishing them and tugging his

lips up into a funny face. "Pfft, Xiao-shidi, what's got you mad?"

Chu Wanning stared at the child reflected in Mo Ran's eyes. The smile

into which that face had been pulled was terribly ugly, making it look like an

absurd, pathetic monster. "Let go."

Mo Ran obliviously continued to tease him as before. "Okay, okay,

don't be mad. I won't say that you're pretending to be an adult, hm? Come

here, let's make up. Call me 'Shige'?"

"Let go of me…"

"Be good, call me 'Shige,' and in a bit, I'll buy you osmanthus cake

for a snack."

Chu Wanning closed his eyes, eyelashes trembling slightly, and finally

spoke, his voice hoarse: "Mo Ran, I'm not kidding around. I really don't

want to play with you anymore. Can you let go of me? Let go, okay?" His

slender eyebrows knitted together, and his tears didn't trickle from his eyes

only because they were tightly shut. However, his voice was choked with

sobs. "Mo Ran, it hurts…"

It hurt too much, holding someone in his heart like this, hidden

carefully in the very depths of his thoughts. It was fine if that person didn't

like him, as long as he could think about that person quietly and protect them

silently. It was fine if he couldn't have that person. All of it was fine.

But that person's warmth and tenderness were bestowed upon others

while the only things offered to him were barbs and thorns. So although Chu

Wanning held him in his heart, whenever that person moved, his heart would

start to bleed. Day after day, new wounds appeared before the old ones had a

chance to heal.

It was then that Chu Wanning knew that even if he wasn't vying to

capture this person's affections, every single moment that he continued to

hold him in his heart would hurt him to his core. He didn't know how much

longer he'd be able to bear this pain. Didn't know when it would break him

completely.

Mo Ran finally noticed that something was off and frantically let go.

He touched the boy's red-tinged cheeks. He had no idea what to do.

It suddenly occurred to Chu Wanning that perhaps being in the body of

a child wasn't such a bad thing. At least this way he could say "it hurts"

without reserve—could show a little bit of vulnerability. At least this way he

could get Mo Ran to look at him with genuine concern.

This was something that he had never even dared to think before.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve. This was the liveliest

time of year on Sisheng Peak. The disciples were busy putting up red paper

talismans and sweeping snowdrifts. The head chef at Mengpo Hall was busy

from dawn till dusk, preparing delicacies for the end-of-year feast. On top of

that, the elders devised spells and charms in their areas of expertise to add to

the festivities that would welcome the New Year.

For example, the Tanlang Elder transformed a pool of fresh spring

water into fragrant wine, and the Xuanji Elder released three thousand

firelight mice that he'd been raising, allowing them to scatter throughout the

sect and to keep watch wherever they went, bringing everyone a touch of

warmth and respite from the cold. Meanwhile, the Lucun Elder enchanted the

snowmen everyone had made to run around the peak and yell "Happy New

Year" at anyone they ran into.

No one expected the Yuheng Elder to do anything; as a matter of fact,

he was still in seclusion. He'd been gone for a long time and hadn't once

been seen in public.

Xue Meng stood by the window, his face tilted upward, gazing at the

petals of haitang blossoms fluttering down from the skies. "We'll be gone

tomorrow," he said pensively. "It seems we won't be able to see him before

we leave after all… I wonder what Shizun's doing right now?"

"He's definitely cultivating," Mo Ran said around a mouthful of apple.

"Speaking of which, all the elders are supposed to put on a performance

tonight. It sucks that Shizun isn't here—if he was, he'd have to perform too. I

wonder what he could even do." Mo Ran laughed. "Maybe he'd put on a

demonstration of 'How to Get Angry,' eh?"

Xue Meng glared at him. "How about a performance of 'Whipping Mo

Weiyu to Death'?"

It was the New Year, so Mo Ran didn't feel like getting worked up

over Xue Meng's harsh joke. Then he thought of something and asked, "Oh

yeah, have you seen our little shidi today?"

"You mean Xia Sini?" Xue Meng asked. "I haven't seen him, but in any

case, he's the Xuanji Elder's disciple. Xuanji is already being gracious

enough to let him hang out with us all the time. If he stuck with us even during

the New Year's festivities, his shizun might finally get upset."

Mo Ran laughed. "I guess."

The rays of the setting sun turned to evening above the Red Lotus

Pavilion. Chu Wanning carefully looked over the pill he held in his hand. Xue

Zhengyong was sitting across from him and pouring himself a cup of tea,

since Chu Wanning hadn't invited him to have some. He also ate a crispy

pastry from the plate, etiquette be damned.

Chu Wanning glared at him, but Xue Zhengyong kept chewing

obliviously. "Yuheng, aren't you done looking at it yet? Tanlang can be pretty

harsh with his words, but his intentions aren't remotely bad. It's not like he'd

truly harm you."

"What are you saying, Sect Leader?" Chu Wanning replied lightly. "I

was just thinking that since the Tanlang Elder went through the trouble to

concoct a pill that will allow me to regain my adult form for a single day,

why didn't he create a couple more of them? That way, I could just take one

when the need arose."

"Aiya, if only it were that easy," Xue Zhengyong said. "The raw

materials that go into making this medicine are rare beyond measure, and

after creating three of them, Tanlang's already out of ingredients. It's not a

long-term solution."

"I see," Chu Wanning said, deep in thought. "So that's how it is. Please

give him my thanks."

"Ha ha." Xue Zhengyong waved his hand. "You two are actually pretty

similar, you know: curt with your words, but not bad at heart."

Chu Wanning shot him a glare but didn't say anything. He poured

himself a cup of tea and swallowed this medicine that would allow him to

assume his original form.

Xue Zhengyong was about to eat another pastry when Chu Wanning

stopped his hand.

"Huh?" the sect leader said unhappily.

"Mine," said Chu Wanning.

Xue Zhengyong blinked, at a loss.

When night fell on Sisheng Peak, the disciples filtered into Mengpo

Hall, one after another. Each elder brought their disciples and sat down with

them to knead dough and make dumplings. Both the snowmen and the firelight

mice threaded through the throngs of people, passing them jars of salt, red

pepper powder, saucers of chopped scallions, and other miscellaneous

ingredients.

Every table bustled with excitement and chattering laughter. The

Yuheng Elder's table was the only exception—the disciples were all there,

but their master was absent.

Xue Meng looked around for a bit and sighed. "I miss Shizun."

"Didn't Shizun send us a letter a few days ago, telling us to enjoy the

festivities and to work hard on our cultivation at Peach Blossom Springs?"

Shi Mei replied warmly. "He said that he'll come see us as soon as he comes

out of seclusion."

"He did say that, but just when will that be?" Xue Meng sighed

sorrowfully, his eyes wandering listlessly past the gates. Then he suddenly

sat up straight, eyes opened wide like a cat as he stared. His face paled, then

colored, flushing a dizzying shade of red, and his eyes shone brightly. He was

so excited that he couldn't even speak properly. "That… That's… That's…"

Mo Ran's first thought was that one of the rare spirit beasts that the

Xuanji Elder raised had escaped to liven things up a bit, so he assumed Xue

Meng was surprised because he was inexperienced and thus overreacting.

"That's what?" he laughed. "Look at you, it's like you just saw an immortal

or something. What's there to be so sur—"

Mo Ran turned around, still grinning gleefully, and casually looked up.

And couldn't finish the rest of his sentence.

Standing in the snowy dusk outside the door was Chu Wanning,

dressed in white robes with a vividly red cloak. He turned elegantly to the

side to put away his umbrella and shake off the dusting of snow. Then his

eyelashes flicked up to reveal a pair of bright, slender phoenix eyes beneath

them, and a mild glance swept over them.

By the time Mo Ran came back to his senses, this one glance had his

heart beating fast and his palms covered in sweat. Even his breathing had

involuntarily slowed.

The chatter in Mengpo Hall gradually quieted. Usually, whenever Chu

Wanning appeared in the hall, the disciples didn't dare cause a ruckus—even

more so now that he'd suddenly appeared on New Year's Eve after having

been in seclusion for such a long time. The snowflakes on Chu Wanning's

face seemed to make it even fairer and more beautiful, just as they made his

eyebrows seem darker and more defined.

Mo Ran stood up, murmuring, "Shizun…"

Xue Meng bounded up and sprinted toward Chu Wanning like an

excited kitten, yelling, "Shizun!" as he threw himself into Chu Wanning's

arms.

Chu Wanning's clothes were thoroughly chilled from the bitter cold

outside, but Xue Meng wore an expression like he was holding peach

blossoms from early spring, or a coal fire from late summer—endlessly

warm. He began to shout raucously, not stopping to take a breath: "Shizun,

you've finally emerged! I thought that we wouldn't be able to see you before

leaving, but you do love us after all! Shizun, Shizun…."

Shi Mei also came forward and bowed respectfully, his face beaming

with delight. "Welcome back from your seclusion, Shizun."

Chu Wanning patted Xue Meng's head and nodded in Shi Mei's

direction. "This master has arrived slightly late, but let's go greet the New

Year together." He sat down at the feast with Xue Meng at his side and Mo

Ran across from him.

With Chu Wanning's arrival—and after the initial hubbub and

excitement died down—the three disciples fell into their usual habits, sitting

upright and still like their shizun. Their table was weirdly silent.

Flour, ground meat, eggs, and many other types of ingredients lay on

the table, along with a brand-new copper coin. Mo Ran was the one with the

best cooking skills in their group, so everyone decided that he'd be the one to

give instructions.

"Well, I guess I'll take charge, then," Mo Ran said, laughing. "Do you

guys know how to roll dough?"

No one uttered a word.

"Okay, I'll roll out the wrappers, then. Shi Mei, you make the best

wontons, and dumpling filling isn't all that different, so why don't you make

the filling?"

Shi Mei hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well… There is some

difference, you know. I'm afraid that I might not be able to do it properly."

"It's fine as long as it's edible, don't worry so much," Chu Wanning

replied lightly.

Shi Mei smiled. "Okay, then."

"Xue Meng, you can pass the water or help roll our sleeves up or

something. Just don't get in the way."

Xue Meng was speechless.

"As for Shizun." Mo Ran grinned. "Would Shizun like to sit by the side

and have a nice cup of tea?"

"I'll wrap the dumplings," Chu Wanning replied coldly.

"Ah?" Mo Ran exclaimed, startled. He wondered if he'd gone

violently deaf in both ears. "What did you say you want to do?"

"I said, I'll wrap the dumplings."

Mo Ran couldn't respond. He began to think that he would much rather

have gone violently deaf in both ears after all.