“Wan’er, you were born into the Gu Family, which is backed by the Medicine King Valley. For you to suddenly fall ill like this, it’s not hard to deduce that you must be one of the Saintess candidates, right?”
Gu Qingwan’s eyes widened slightly. “So, A-Yuan, you knew.”
Faced with his childhood friend’s question, Chu Yuan smiled bitterly. “The Medicine King Valley Trial is famous throughout the world. You didn’t think your little face could hide secrets very well, did you? Don’t worry! There’s still quite some time before the trial. Using the compensation from serving the Crown Princess these past few days, I’ll acquire a proper weapon for you at today’s Divine Grade Auction.”
Gu Qingwan was surprised and doubtful. “Acquire a weapon?”
Since the conversation had reached this point, Chu Yuan didn’t hide it. “The Medicine King Valley Trial allows Saintess candidates to form their own teams to enter, doesn’t it? Or did you plan to face it alone?”
Based on his memories from his past life, Chu Yuan was very clear about the rules of the Medicine King Valley Trial. One of them allowed each Saintess candidate to form a team to enter the secret realm. The Medicine King Valley established such a rule, undoubtedly to encourage the candidates to build connections and compete in networking. Perhaps his childhood friend in his past life failed to become the Saintess because of this very point. In this life, Chu Yuan knew he had to assist her.
Learning her childhood friend’s true intentions, Gu Qingwan covered her trembling lips with her jade-like hand. Since he knew about the Medicine King Valley Trial, he must know about the dangers within the secret realm. But Chu Yuan’s cultivation was only at the lowest level, the initial stage of the Qi Sensing Realm. Even so, he was still willing to take risks for her?
Gu Qingwan’s eyes suddenly felt a bit sore. Over these past few days, her childhood friend had submitted himself to the Crown Princess’s side, having his spiritual energy drained night after night. His complexion grew paler by the day, his steps more unsteady. Gu Qingwan originally thought the Crown Princess was forcing him through threats and inducements. Now it seemed he was doing it voluntarily. Everything he did was for her.
She suddenly felt a warm current pour into her heart, nourishing her delicate body ravaged by the Nine Yin Severed Meridians. Recalling that day on their outing, she had been shaking her earrings in the jade shop, waiting for him to glance at her. He didn’t look, and she had resented him in her heart, thinking he had changed, was no longer the youth who always kept her in his heart. But he hadn’t changed. He had just hidden those feelings deeper, to a place so deep even she could barely see them.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Gu Qingwan turned around and directly hugged that thin, slender figure from behind. Feeling the softness against his back, Chu Yuan was puzzled. “Wan’er? What are you…?”
Gu Qingwan rested her forehead against his thin back. Through the thin clothing, she could feel his body temperature, cool like a stone soaked in the night wind. “A-Yuan,” her voice was muffled, as if squeezed from her throat.
Chu Yuan’s body stiffened for a moment. “What’s wrong?”
Gu Qingwan didn’t let go. She buried her face in his back, her lightly trembling eyelashes brushing against the fabric of his clothes. “Thank you! These past few days… were all for me.”
Chu Yuan was speechless. The matter of submitting to the Crown Princess was simply because she had leverage over him! He was earning money to bid on the Dragon Egg at today’s auction. One could say Chu Yuan’s current predicament had absolutely nothing to do with “helping his childhood friend pass the trial.”
He wanted to say it, but felt the current atmosphere wasn’t right for explaining everything clearly.
Faced with Chu Yuan’s silence, Gu Qingwan’s eyes reddened. In her memory, Chu Yuan was always like this, choosing the most clumsy methods to help her. No denial meant admission.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable being hugged like this, Chu Yuan weakly struggled. “Alright, alright, it’s no big deal.”
Gu Qingwan interrupted him, tightening her embrace. “It is a big deal! For me, it’s not a small matter! If I had known earlier…”
Already weak, Chu Yuan found himself unable to move in her embrace and sighed. “Okay, okay! Hurry up and prepare the medicinal bath for me. I still need to attend the Divine Grade Auction!”
Gu Qingwan didn’t let go. She buried her face in his back and took a deep breath. His body already carried the mixed scent of another woman, clear proof of being drained these past days. She suddenly felt both heavy and light. Heavy was this affection, substantial and real; light was herself finally letting go of her unease, feeling much more at ease.
The tips of Gu Qingwan’s ears turned red, her voice serious as if making a vow. “A-Yuan, you’ve done so much for me. I will definitely be good to you in the future. No matter what happens, I will stand by your side.” She paused, then added softly, “Even if… even if you lose your chastity at the Crown Princess’s place, I won’t look down on you.”
Huh? Lose his chastity???
Chu Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn’t know what to say. ‘This girl has definitely misunderstood! No wonder…’
In the end, he just sighed helplessly. “Wan’er, what kind of messy storybooks have you been reading…”
Gu Qingwan didn’t answer, just buried her face in his back, secretly curving the corners of her lips.
Chu Yuan patted her hands away. “Enough! Medicinal bath!!!”
Gu Qingwan uttered an “Oh,” turned around, and went to prepare. Soon, steam rose from the large wooden bathtub in the bathing room, filling the space with the scent of herbs. Gu Qingwan added the medicinal ingredients into the tub one by one in order, her movements skilled, as if she had done it a thousand times.
Watching her busy back, Chu Yuan sat to the side, recalling various past events. When he was injured as a child, she would clumsily brew medicine and bandage him up. Perhaps that’s how his childhood friend developed her current proficiency.
“Done.” Before long, Gu Qingwan wiped the fragrant sweat from her forehead and walked over. “A-Yuan, take off your clothes!” As she spoke, her jade-like hand was already resting on Chu Yuan’s shoulder.
Chu Yuan felt awkward. “Wan’er, men and women should maintain propriety! I can get in by myself from here!”
“What propriety? With our friendship, do we need to care about such things? If something happens, I’ll take responsibility!”
As she spoke, she had already assumed the posture of a virtuous wife and directly stripped off Chu Yuan’s outer robe.
Chu Yuan was exasperated but too weak to resist, only able to secretly retract his Phantom Ethereal Dharma Robe back into the Black Ring. Seeing the clearly defined abdominal muscles of her childhood friend, Gu Qingwan blushed with shyness, her jade-like fingers subconsciously landing on his trousers.
Seeing her movement, Chu Yuan reflexively jumped into the bathtub, splashing water everywhere. “Wan’er! If you keep this up, you’re really going too far!!!”
Right now, he was so weak he was in a state of being “delicate, soft, and easily pushed over.” Living in an Immortal Dynasty where women held the dominant position, Chu Yuan couldn’t be sure what his native-born childhood friend might do.
Gu Qingwan swallowed her saliva and chided, “Y-you misunderstood! How could I be that kind of wanton woman who takes advantage of someone’s weakness! Since you’re in the tub now, quickly sit properly and meditate!”
Hearing this, Chu Yuan realized the hot water in the tub had already risen past his waist. Smelling the rich herbal scent, he immediately felt refreshed and clear-headed. No longer bickering with his childhood friend, Chu Yuan sat cross-legged inside and quietly began circulating his cultivation technique.