Inside the carriage, Chu Yunlan chuckled at Gu Qingwan’s words of gratitude.
“You are too polite, Lady Gu! It is my honor to be able to assist the future Saintess.”
Gu Qingwan sighed through her cherry-red lips. “You overpraise me, Young Master Chu. The Demon Abyss Secret Realm is exceptionally dangerous. I fear I may not return from this journey.”
Chu Yunlan shook his head. “You are being too somber, Lady Gu. I have never seen a lady as naturally gifted and intelligent as you. You will surely lead the Medicine King Valley in the future. At the very least, I have great expectations for you!”
He said this, but in reality, she was not the only one he was betting on.
Over the past few years, Chu Yunlan had befriended nearly half of the candidates participating in the trials. Regardless of who among them passed the trial to become the Saintess, they would be groomed with priority and would most likely become the next Valley Master. Even if they did not become the Valley Master, they would still hold a key position within the Medicine King Valley.
Befriending them would certainly bring more benefits than harm to Chu Yunlan’s future development.
As the only son of the Holy Lord, Chu Yunlan had possessed the self-awareness of a future successor since he was old enough to understand the world. During these days in Xuanji City, he had visited the elders of the Chu Clan’s branch families, consoled the soldiers guarding the border, and even personally went to pharmacies to buy medicine for injured rogue cultivators…
All of this was undoubtedly to maintain the relationship between the branch families and the main house.
Because he had been cultivating this persona since childhood, even Gu Qingwan had heard many of Chu Yunlan’s deeds over the years. Seeing him now, so humble and polite, she felt he would surely achieve great things in the future.
Except…
For some reason, whenever she was alone with him, she always felt a bit uneasy.
She could not quite put her finger on what was wrong; it just felt as if… something was being lightly pressed down. Like right now. His gaze rested on her with just the right amount of warmth and concern, yet it made her subconsciously sit up straighter, not daring to relax for even a moment.
“Lady Gu?”
Chu Yunlan’s voice snapped her back to her senses. Gu Qingwan looked up and saw him watching her.
The smile on Chu Yunlan’s lips remained gentle, but something seemed to flash deep within his eyes. “What were you thinking about just now, Lady Gu? If it is inconvenient to say, then consider it unasked.”
Gu Qingwan sighed. “It is nothing. I was just wondering how Little Yuan will react when he finds out I am leaving with you, Young Master Yunlan.”
Three days ago, when she had vomited blood while visiting the ailing Chu Yuan, it had served as a grim reminder that her future trip to the Medicine King Valley was fraught with danger. To prevent Chu Yuan from being heartbroken by her potential death, Gu Qingwan had decided to break things off with him so that he could move on.
However, she still felt a sense of reluctance in her heart.
Observing the changes in Gu Qingwan’s expression, Chu Yunlan lowered his eyes to sip his tea, hiding the dark glint that flickered within them. He had investigated her childhood friend, Chu Yuan.
He was an insignificant disciple of a branch family of the Chu Clan, an orphan whose resources were so scarce he could not even afford a decent sword. Most importantly, his Spirit Root was of poor quality. Such a person was destined to waste the rest of his life in the city, achieving nothing.
If it were not for Gu Qingwan’s request, Chu Yunlan would not have bothered to spare a glance at such trash.
“Young Master, the Chu Yuan you are looking for seems to be right there by the street. Should we stop?”
At those words, Gu Qingwan’s heart jerked, and her fingers clenched tighter.
Watching her, the curve of Chu Yunlan’s lips deepened slightly. “Do not worry, Lady Gu. If you cannot find the words, leave it to me!”
With that, he spoke to the guard outside the carriage. “Stop!”
To Chu Yunlan, it was best to finish this boring little drama quickly so he could leave. He did not want to waste too much time on a piece of trash.
—
On the other side, seeing the carriage stop in front of the teahouse, Chu Yuan originally intended to step aside and leave. Unexpectedly, a warm and gentle male voice drifted from within.
“You must be Brother Yuan, right? What a coincidence!”
Chu Yuan followed the voice and saw two figures descending from the carriage.
The woman wore a Liuxian Dress made of fine fabric with exquisite embroidery and dense stitching. The man was tall and slender, with a face as fair as jade and an air of noble dignity that was refined rather than overbearing. Simply by standing there, he drew the frequent glances of the people on the street.
Chu Yunlan.
Seeing his old acquaintance again, Chu Yuan felt a surge of emotion. He composed himself and cupped his hands in a calm greeting. “If I am not mistaken, this must be Young Master Chu Yunlan of the Chu Clan’s main lineage?”
As soon as he spoke, a stir went through the passersby on the street.
With the Divine Grade Auction approaching, many extraordinary people had already gathered in Xuanji City. The name ‘Chu Yunlan of the Taixu Sacred Domain’ was already legendary.
Many cultivators could not help but stop and watch.
“Chu Yunlan? The only son of the Sacred Lord of Taixu? I didn’t expect to see him here!”
“Oh? Is that the Young Master Yunlan who is as famous as Ji Xuanyuan, the Crown Prince of the Immortal Dynasty?”
“Yes! Then… who is the person he’s talking to?”
“I recognize him! I think he’s the orphan from a branch family of the Chu Clan, the loser who tried to climb high by clinging to the young lady of the Gu family.”
“Tsk! How does that waste have the right to be addressed by Young Master Yunlan?”
Hearing the evaluations of those around him, Chu Yunlan raised an eyebrow and returned the gesture with cupped hands. “Brother Yuan, I am planning to go on a spring outing with my Qingwan. Would you like to join us?”
Upon hearing this, Chu Yuan’s gaze fell back onto Gu Qingwan’s face. However, her eyes shifted elsewhere, not daring to look at him at all.
Chu Yuan naturally knew what was happening. Perhaps it was his professional ethics as an actor from his past life acting up, but he instinctively began to play along, feigning shock.
“Wan’er, what… what is the relationship between you two?”
Chu Yunlan leaned close to Gu Qingwan’s ear with feigned intimacy and asked, “Qingwan, do you need me to say it?”
“No!”
Indecision only leads to trouble. Gu Qingwan opened her lips, her voice sounding like a taut string. “I should say it myself. Chu Yuan, Young Master Yunlan and I…”
The end of her sentence trembled slightly, as if something were stuck in her throat—unable to be swallowed or spat out.
Before she could continue, Chu Yunlan lightly raised his hand and hovered it near her waist. He did not actually touch the young woman’s slender waist, but simply displayed a posture that suggested intimacy.
In the next moment, Chu Yunlan spoke warmly, his voice like a gentle spring breeze. “Brother Yuan, Qingwan and I felt like old friends from our very first meeting. Our feelings arose naturally; it is beyond my control, and it is not Qingwan’s fault. I hope you will not blame her.”
With those airy words, he painted Chu Yuan as an old flame who could not provide a future for Lady Gu and should gracefully exit the stage.
Faced with this melodramatic scene, the onlookers whispered among themselves.
“I heard Miss Gu and that waste were childhood sweethearts. I didn’t expect it to end like this!”
“Heh! So what if they were childhood sweethearts? The Gu family is backed by the Medicine King Valley. It makes no sense for her to be paired with a fallen branch family member…”
“I just didn’t expect Miss Gu to catch the eye of Young Master Yunlan. Those two truly are a perfect match!”
The whispers were like the buzzing of mosquitoes, drifting into his ears. Chu Yuan heard them clearly. He even recognized several voices as servants from the main family’s management office—attendants Chu Yunlan had brought along to ‘escort’ him.
Looking at the fake young master again, his eyes were filled with appropriate apology and the tolerance of a superior. Yet, beneath that tolerance lurked a hint of mockery.
Chu Yunlan was waiting—waiting for Chu Yuan to lose his composure so that he could decently and helplessly grind this piece of trash into the mud.