Chapter Twenty-Two Waiting for Whom

  Pan Yulian nodded and pushed Xuxian away.

  The rain was getting smaller and smaller, but it was still drizzling.

  Xu Xian patted Ao Li's head and said: "Spend some time learning math with me! Don't just know how to eat your fill and lie at the bottom of the lake."

  Aoluo merely hummed a soft "en" sound, neither refusing nor rebutting.

  Both the big and small ones have become much more obedient, Xian Xu couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Looking out the window at the continuous light rain, it enveloped the painted boats and willows, streets and alleys, and homes all together, also wetting the newly sprouted green grass, causing the apricot tree that had just finished blooming in winter to produce several new buds again.

  Three people gazed out at the rain outside the window, and Xu Xian suddenly said: "When I was young, a fortune teller told me that I would meet my wife on the banks of West Lake, in the misty rain. She is extraordinary, as beautiful as an immortal fairy. When we are together, we will inevitably face many setbacks, followed by a long separation. My arrival is to change all this."

  Pan Yu and Ao Li listened quietly, Pan Yu's eyes reddening as she smiled: "Is it another passing Taoist priest?"

  Xu Xian also smiled and said: "About the same!"

  "Did you wait?" asked Ao Li curiously.

  Xu Xian said vaguely: "I don't know." I didn't wait for it, or maybe I just didn't know.

  "Okay, then keep waiting!" His tone was disappointed and resolute.

  Xu Xian hesitated and said to Ao Li: "Ao Li, you go back first."

  "I want to listen!"

  Xu Xian glanced at Pan Yu, making her feel a bit uneasy, then said to Ao Li: "Good girl, go back first, next time I'll treat you to lots of food!"

  "Alright then!" Ao Li said, turning around and leaping out of the window. In the spring rain, he transformed into a white light and plunged into West Lake.

  Only Xu Xian and Pan Yu were left in the house. Pan Yu clenched her fists, her anxious face pitied.

  Xu Xian sighed and said: "I think we'd better talk about it now! Since returning from West Lake, I haven't seen you smile once."

  Pan Yu immediately retorted: "There are! Thirty-seven times!"

  Xu Xian suddenly felt a wave of weakness, "A fake smile doesn't count".

  "Can you tell them apart?"

  Xu Xian turned his head and looked at her, saying: "I think I can tell, seeing you fake a smile at me, it's really uncomfortable!"

  "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore," said Pan Yu, turning her head. "What did you want to say to me?"

  Xu Xian said seriously: "Talk about how to make you laugh!"

  "You!", he said hesitantly, but his heart was somewhat moved, "Why?"

  Xu Xian said: "You go into the water for what reason, I also go in for that reason!" Same feelings, equally hard to express.

  Pan Yuxian lowered her head and didn't speak, then raised it again: "You don't have to be grateful to me"

  Xu Xian interrupted: "Are you jumping into the water to repay me for saving your life?"

  Pan Yu lowered her head and couldn't say anything.

  Xu Xian said seriously, "No matter what method it is, I'm willing to give it a try. You're smarter than me and more aware of your current situation. I've also gotten used to seeking help from you. Now tell me, how can I make you smile? If I have to forget about West Lake, that's fine. If I have to take you away with me, that's fine too. If we can only be friends, that's fine as well! Although I promise it won't be as natural as before, I'll still try my best. Of course, if you want me to go and deal with your old man, that's also an option."

  Tears welled up in Pan Yu's eyes, and upon hearing the last sentence, she couldn't help but laugh lightly and say: "You can go die."

  Xu Xian thought for a moment: "That's okay."

  Pan Yu covered his mouth, "Don't talk nonsense."

  Xu Xian took advantage of the situation and wrapped her in his arms, her waist was slender, and her body was tightly attached. Xu Xian lowered his head and said: "You tell me, how can I make you happy? Even if I couldn't make you happy, I would never want to make you suffer for me! If not, I'll leave then."

  Pan Yu lightly pinched him and whispered in his arms: "Let's make the most of the rest of our days, okay?"

  Xu Xian could only sigh and say: "Alright!" In his eyes, there was still plenty of time anyway, so there was no need to rush into resolving their matters.

  "Don't leave me alone again, no matter where you go. Don't flirt with others, not even that Ao Li. Don't..." She counted off the things he wasn't allowed to do on her fingers while in his arms, as if she wanted to make up for the tenderness they had missed.

  Xu Xian could only smile wryly and agree one by one, finally promising to listen to her for this period of time.

  The woman in his arms murmured, but Xu Xian felt a sense of peace in his heart. He knew she loved him, and he did too, no, his love for her was far less than hers for him!

  Is this love destined to be so short-lived? But isn't that what I'm here for, to change it? As a man, I want to give her happiness, at least in my arms, she is happy, as for the troubles and difficulties, let me think of a way! Thinking of this, I couldn't help but hold her tighter.

  But there's a problem that makes him feel bewildered, and this problem is something even he can't do anything about. Bai Suzhen, what else can I give you? Before I could even fall in love with you, another woman has already burst into my heart. It wasn't the one jump at West Lake, but countless days and nights, she's been by my side.

  Pan Yu raised her head and stared at Xu Xian: "Don't think of other women when you're hugging me!"

  Xu Xian smiled wryly, so divine. But slowly lowered his head, Pan Yuxia's cheeks were flushed, and she gently closed her eyes.

  Xu Xian's hand slipped into her collar, touching skin as smooth as jade and cool as a precious stone. Pan Yu exclaimed, "Don't!" The words escaped with a hint of temptation and refusal that even made her own face flush.

  Xu Xian found what he was looking for, a thin rope. He took it from under Pan Yu's neck, and it was that crystal chip. Still with the same stunning looks, but with a few more gentle and beautiful touches, feeling even more moving. Xu Xian said contentedly: "This is much better to look at now."

  Pan Yu knew she had misunderstood his meaning, her face turned even redder, and she buried her head in Xu Xian's arms like an ostrich. Xu Xian lifted up her cheek and smiled: "So is it a yes or no?"

  Seeing her shy and unselfconscious appearance, he couldn't bear to tease her anymore, lowered his head, and their lips met.

  Outside the window, rain threads, for a moment, silence.

  If there is little future left, then fulfill all your wishes in this brief time.

  Why do we have to meet each other in the vast ocean of people? Why do we have to go through so much pain and struggle, wandering and suffering. If we didn't meet, we could live our lives peacefully and walk our own paths. But we did meet, and then came mutual understanding and love, planting the seeds of fate in that moment. We sank deeply into it, unable to extricate ourselves.

  But I don't regret it at all, and in any kind of suffering, I'm also rejoicing. Being able to meet you is really great!

  Thousands of miles away, on Mount Emei, the spring light is bright and beautiful, with fragrant guests surging like a tide, all along the narrow mountain path, heading towards Jinding.

  In the pale blue sky, white clouds undulate. Amidst the vast misty clouds, a woman flashes by. Her white clothes fluttering, her black hair like ink, looking up at the mountain, only to see tourists thronging, an endless stream.

  She has been cultivating in Qingcheng Mountain for thousands of years and only meditates in the cave mansion when she comes to Mount Emei. It's been a long time since she saw the prosperity of the world, and now that she takes a look, she feels happy in her heart and can't help but smile. Moreover, if everything goes well today, her thousand-year cultivation will have achieved something.

  Gazing at the golden peak, I also know that I couldn't fly down like this. First, I found a small deserted pavilion to land on. The white skirt fluttered, and if someone saw it, they would really think it was a celestial maiden descending from heaven.

  She blended into the crowd, following the throng to kneel and climb the mountain until they reached the Golden Summit. In the square outside the Grand Hall, the sun shone on the incense burner, while purple smoke was born. The crowd was dense, yet silent without a word.

  She pretended to be an ordinary incense guest, burning incense and worshiping. But she saw a golden light spreading out on the main hall, her face was joyful, and she quickly knelt down to worship. The crowd knelt down, only to see the golden light as a divine sign.

  She also knelt down and clearly saw the figure on the lotus flower in the golden light, Guanyin Bodhisattva sat on the lotus flower, with two child attendants by her side.

  "Bodhisattva asked aloud: 'Who is kneeling down?'"

  She replied with a calm and composed demeanor: "Bai Suzhen from Qingcheng Mountain, here to pay respects to the great master."

  The Bodhisattva nodded slightly and asked: "What is your heart's desire, what do you ask of me?"

  She respectfully said: "Great Master, I have been cultivating in the cave for a thousand years and have recently obtained the body of a true person. I only wish to take refuge in the Three Treasures, abandon worldly dust, and today I only ask the Great Master to open the door of convenience, transform and cultivate my white and pure disciple!"

  "Excellent, excellent! It's rare that you have such a sincere heart to take refuge in the Three Jewels. However, since your worldly affairs are not yet settled, how can you ascend to heaven in broad daylight?"

  She said firmly: "My mind is made up, all thoughts are quiet. Any worldly attachment, I am willing to give up."

  "Bodhisattva said: 'Affections can be abandoned, but kindness is hard to forget. You still owe the world a deep affection, don't you want to repay it?'"

  She exclaimed: "This..." After thinking for a moment, she furrowed her brow and said: "The disciple also knows the way of repaying kindness, but with so many years having passed, in this vast sea of people, where can one repay it?"

  "Excellent, excellent! This year's Qingming Festival is on March 3rd. I have a word for you to remember: 'With fate, come together from afar, and look for me at the high places of West Lake'."

  She furrowed her brow and read it again, puzzled, saying: "The disciple still doesn't quite understand." The great master Bodhisattva said: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed, you should seek good fortune yourself. If there is suffering or hardship in the future, come find me again." It's not that they can't be revealed, but rather there's no way to reveal them. She had just calculated it and felt that the past and present were still clear, but the future was a complete mystery. Even if she calculated it out, only "clear and bright" and "high and outstanding" made sense, everything else couldn't be figured out.

  The golden light in the eyes of ordinary people is just a moment, and the conversation between the two is unheard.

  She sighed helplessly, never expecting another twist. She also knew that heavenly tribulations were not just about direct destruction of a cultivator's physical body like thunder tribulations, but also included heart tribulations.

  Either kindness or hatred can lead a cultivator into the midst of worldly right and wrong, where one careless move can cause their Dao heart to be extinguished, which is even more perilous than a thunderbolt.

  It's just that she has been practicing self-confidence for thousands of years, and no matter what kind of enemy she encounters, even if she can't defeat them, she can still run away. As for repaying the kindness of others, it's nothing more than fulfilling their wishes: giving wealth to those who seek wealth, giving power to those who seek power. Even if he has both wealth and power, he would still want a beautiful woman, and if that person is pleasing to his eyes, she would sacrifice her chastity and marry him to accompany him for decades. Afterwards, all grudges would be resolved, and she would ascend to heaven in broad daylight, wouldn't that be better than the various things in the world? What else could she not let go of?

  She had thought a thousand times, ten thousand times, but never once considered that she herself had never experienced the mundane life, so how could she know its flavor? Day after day, month after month, with her kind heart that was good to the extreme, would she really bear to hurt others?

  A thousand years, one chance. What needs to be repaid is not just kindness, but also grudges! When she encounters an enemy that she can't defeat and can't escape from, what will she do? Will she go rescue that person step by step on her knees, or will she be trapped in the Golden Mountain Tower for decades?

  Even if all sorts of difficulties have passed, and the Taoist foundation is completely destroyed, will she ultimately get what she wants?

  Now the most expensive place to eat in Hangzhou is on top of Cai Feng's painting boat. Pan Yu doesn't know what she's thinking, but she insists on going there to eat. Xu Xian also has no choice, the more he opposes her, the more she persists, and where is the gentlemanly demeanor of Yu Gongzi? Instead, it's a serious and stubborn child, seeing Xu Xian's helpless expression and secretly laughing.

  The atmosphere at the banquet was indeed strange, Pan Yu ordered Qing Luan to accompany Xu Xian in drinking wine, while she herself pulled Cai Feng aside, occasionally hugging her slender waist and kissing her cherry lips with abandon. How could Cai Feng bear this in front of people, yet had no way to refuse, blushing bright red, with a bitter taste in her heart.

  Qing Luan's face turned red as she watched from the side, and when pouring wine for Xu Xian, she didn't even dare to touch his clothes. She secretly guessed Pan Yu's intentions, wondering if he really wanted to give herself to her brother. Would her brother treat her like Pan Yu treated Miss?

  Xu Xian's heart was moved by the scene, and if he hadn't known Pan Yu's gender before, now that he did, seeing two peerless beauties being affectionate with each other, no earthly love could surpass what was in front of him. How could one not be moved? He silently lamented that he was still far from reaching the level of Liu Xiaohui.

  But I still have some doubts about Pan Yu's orientation, is she a lesbian or does she really just see me as a friend, this is also too strange!

  Xu Xian thought to himself, the three women in front of him were all rare beauties in this world. At this moment, just saying it out loud was enough to make one feel a little drunk and infatuated. Just then, Pan Yu got half-drunk after drinking for a while and wanted to leave the boat. She insisted on Xu Xian paying the bill, but Cai Feng refused to accept it, thinking that Pan Yu was being unreasonable due to her intoxication. In the end, she reluctantly accepted the payment.

  Xu Xian supported Pan Yu down the boat, seeing that she was really drunk, and asked: "Don't you have the Drunken Jade in your mouth?" He knew that whenever Pan Yu drank wine, she would always hold that piece of jade.

  Panyu said with a distant and enchanting tone: "Accompanying Hanwen to drink, how can I pretend to be drunk?" In fact, her own capacity for liquor was not very high.

  Xu Xian held her waist and supported her, she simply relaxed completely, leaning on Xu Xian's body. The night was deep, without stars or moon, no one saw her drunken state at this moment. But Xu Xian could see in the dark, supporting her back. Xu Xian suddenly said: "Isn't this the road we took when we first went out drinking?"

  Pan Yudao said: "At that time I didn't think there would be today." Like this drunk and weak, relying on him.

  Back to the academy, put down Pan Yu, washed a hot towel, and helped her wipe her face. She was obedient like a child, letting him do as he pleased. Then she said, "I want to wash my feet."

  Xu Xian refused, saying: "How can a big man like me do such a thing!"

  Pan Yu retorted: "Who said they would listen to me? It's laughable."

  Xu Xian couldn't help but assist her in removing her shoes and socks, holding a pair of jade-like feet in his hands. They were round and smooth, slender and fair, clean to the point where washing was unnecessary. At this moment, Xu Xian also couldn't deceive himself into thinking he had been wronged, instead feeling that he had greatly benefited. He finally understood why people in later generations would develop foot fetishes.

  In the warm water, it's more like kneading and playing than washing. She listens to her laughter a few times, and when there is no one in the room, she takes off the crystal piece that never leaves her body, and freely shows him her absolutely beautiful face. Until the warm water cools down, she reluctantly puts down the slender foot in her hand and wipes it clean for her.

  Xu Xian thought to himself, if he hadn't made some progress in his cultivation, at this moment he would have already lost control and given in to his beastly nature.

  Pan Yu said: "I'll help you wash."

  Xu Xian was taken aback and refused even more firmly than before, but still couldn't resist Pan Yu's persistence. However, it felt like an old married couple.

  She probably never did such a thing, serving others, somewhat clumsy, only carefully with her head down. Xu Xian was moved, gently stroking her cheek, she looked up and smiled at Xu Xian. At this moment, the two of them had nothing else in their hearts.

  Everything was ready, but Pan Yu said again: "Let's sleep in the same bed tonight!"

  Xu Xian almost spat out blood and trembled as he said, "That... of course." He didn't know what he was saying either, only that he had a premonition that he would soon be in the wrong with his future wife.

  "But nothing can be done about it, otherwise that chip will become invalid and I won't be able to transform again."

  Xu Xiandao said: "So that's it!" However, this sentence contains a huge temptation, if one really can't think about it again.

  Pan Yu said: "Yu'er is just a weak and small woman, can't defeat Han Wendi's magical Taoist methods. Whatever Han Wendi wants to do, Yu'er can't resist, can only follow along."

  Xu Xian couldn't help but smile bitterly.

  The bed was not large, the mosquito net was lowered, and it was like an independent world. A thin quilt, two people embracing each other, were only separated by a layer of underclothes. Xu Xian felt that if he could hold on like this, Liu Mengmei would also have to kneel down and write a letter of surrender for him.

  His hand involuntarily stroked her back, she didn't resist, nor did she make a sound to refuse. She just closed her eyes and curled up in his arms, like a small beast returning to its nest, falling asleep contentedly.

  Xu Xian gazed at that face, her eyelashes trembling, clearly not asleep. Was this a hint? Or should she leave all the choices to herself.

  But Xu Xian suddenly thought, if he really did that, what would happen to her in his arms? He would never be able to face his parents again, and even unable to show his face in front of the world. Even with his careful care, the guilt in her heart would accompany her forever.

  Is this the happiness I wanted to give myself? No, absolutely not.

  She has always been so strong, but now she is weak and can be controlled by herself. But because of this, she is also fragile and most easily hurt by her own wounds, which are irreparable. She must be more careful and gentle with herself. Ah, the hardest thing to bear is a beauty's favor!

  It was the same beautiful face that drove Xu Xian crazy, but also slowly calmed him down. He leaned in close to Pan Yu's ear and whispered: "Yu'er, I've been waiting for you in the misty rain of West Lake! Even if we can only be friends like this, I'll still accompany you all the way."