Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Chapter 100: New Year Gifts

Although he couldn’t bear to look directly, he still had to leave the room, still had to see people.

Bai Zhengliu took a moment, about the time for a stick of incense, to prepare himself mentally. During this, he also managed to sort out his emotions.

He felt he hadn’t misunderstood. Last night, when Brother Mei moved close to him, it was to kiss him. When he grabbed Brother Mei’s collar, he had clearly intended to pull him closer.

He didn’t dislike Brother Mei’s “affection,” or rather, it was quite the opposite—he liked Brother Mei’s “affection” toward him. Just thinking about it made his chest feel warm, his steps light as he walked, so much so that when other Tianshan disciples saw him outside, their first words were: “Big Brother Bai! Slept well last night, looking radiant!”

Bai Zhengliu smiled and said, “Thank you, you look good too—by the way, where is everyone else?”

He really only wanted to ask about Mei Yinghan, but though the Tianshan disciples each had their own rooms, they shared a courtyard. At that moment, Bai Zhengliu not only didn’t see Mei Yinghan, even the other rooms were empty, and the courtyard was vacant. He immediately realized that they were probably all out doing something. Spotting one passing by, he naturally asked.

That Tianshan disciple—Bai Zhengliu had long recognized him and remembered his name. He was of the “Tian” generation that Mei Yinghan had mentioned: Tian Luan.

Upon hearing Bai Zhengliu’s question, he smiled and raised the items in his hands. “Everyone went to get the New Year gifts! They were prepared by our masters. Big Brother Bai, you get some too! Go pick it up quickly.”

Bai Zhengliu focused and saw that Tian Luan was holding a box of snacks, a few small porcelain jars, and some other items.

A sudden warm and gentle feeling surged in his heart. After a while, when Tian Luan returned to his own room and Bai Zhengliu followed the directions to where the Tianshan masters were, he finally had a small sense of understanding.

The feeling in his heart now was very similar to when, as a child during the New Year, his master would go out specifically to buy him a piece of candy that only children liked and adults found too sweet.

Under ten years old, holding a piece of candy that had already cooled, Bai Zhengliu would feel like the happiest person in the world.

Although his master was not wealthy, or rather was impoverished, he had done everything he could to care for and educate Bai Zhengliu.

Bai Zhengliu was deeply grateful for this. After his master passed away, he had always felt that he would never again experience the pure joy of holding a piece of candy as a child.

Of course, Bai Zhengliu wasn’t without feelings for others and would naturally have romantic experiences, but that was fundamentally different from the care and love of his master. In truth, one side was “love,” and the other was “family.”

Unexpectedly, one day, these two similar yet different feelings came from the same person. Mei Yinghan’s masters cared for him as they would their own disciples.

Thinking of this, Bai Zhengliu’s steps became much lighter. He looked forward to seeing his own New Year gift and, at the same time, to seeing Mei Yinghan. His heart was full, overflowing with excitement—he could hardly wait.

—but even if he couldn’t wait, he still had to.

Arriving where the Tianshan masters were, Ling Bozi and the others, upon seeing the swordsman, brightened and called out, “Young Hero Bai, come quickly!”

Yet, the Mei Yinghan he expected to be here helping was not present.

Bai Zhengliu paused for a moment, then stepped forward.Ling Bozi picked up a set of items exactly the same as what Tian Luan was holding earlier, smiling as he handed them to Bai Zhengliu. “Since you are Yinghan’s friend, you are also one of our juniors! Everyone in our sect receives these, so you naturally shouldn’t miss out. By the way, why didn’t Yinghan come with you? His share hasn’t been taken yet!”

Bai Zhengliu was quiet for a moment, then couldn’t help asking, “Brother Mei hasn’t come yet?”

At this, both sides exchanged glances, and together they read each other’s thoughts.

Mei Yinghan hadn’t appeared all morning?

The situation suddenly became tense. Bai Zhengliu recalled the wandering spirits they had encountered earlier in Tianshan. Looking at the masters before him, their thoughts were not much better. However, Bai Zhengliu managed to calm himself first and said, “I think I have an idea… hmm, if the seniors don’t mind, let me take Brother Mei’s New Year gift with me.”

The masters looked at him, seeing Bai Zhengliu’s composed expression, showing no sign of worry. Thinking it over, if anyone in the world truly understood the ways of spirits and monsters, it would certainly be this swordsman.

Although they still had some concerns, they nodded. Just then, other disciples arrived. Bai Zhengliu held the two portions of gifts and smiled, saying he wouldn’t disturb them further.

“Wait a moment,” Ling Yunzi called him. “If you find Yinghan, have someone send us a message. We need to know he is safe to be at ease.”

Bai Zhengliu replied, “Of course.”

As he stepped out of the courtyard, a faint female voice came from behind.

It was a Tianshan junior sister, probably opening a gift directly in the courtyard, and she exclaimed with delight, “It’s the Four Discarded Incense from the Imperial Fragrance Workshop! Master, uncles, you are so generous this year!”

Ling Xiaozhi laughed and scolded, “Tell me, when haven’t we been generous?”

The junior sister, seemingly called Jing Shu, heard this and laughed, saying, “But the Four Discarded Incense is really hard to get. Strangely, it’s made of simple ingredients anyone could make. But to make it smell as good as the Imperial Fragrance Workshop’s, that’s really beyond ordinary people…”

As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer.

To be precise, Bai Zhengliu was moving farther and farther away from her.

As he walked, he thought, “I guess Brother Mei must still be in the sect. He’s definitely not the type to let others worry about him just because he’s a little unsettled. And if he is unsettled, for someone practicing martial arts like us, the best place would still be the training ground.”

Bai Zhengliu felt there was an eighty percent chance Mei Yinghan was there. The remaining twenty percent, he thought, might be the spirit stone mine they had discovered before. But if he really went there, Mei Yinghan would certainly leave a note for the sect.

Decision made. If he couldn’t find Brother Mei at the training ground, he would check Mei Yinghan’s room.

As Bai Zhengliu considered this, he then saw the figure at the training ground and regretted, thinking: Oh, it seems I can’t go to the spirit stone mine to find Brother Mei. But Mei Yinghan’s swordsmanship is really beautiful to watch. His movements are agile and graceful, truly living up to the phrase “as lithe as a swimming dragon,” impossible to look away from.

Bai Zhengliu simply stood aside and watched. As he watched, he noticed something.

Although Mei Yinghan didn’t turn to look at him, his footwork and sword speed had clearly changed after Bai Zhengliu took his position.Bai Zhengliu thought with certainty: “He knows someone has come—he knows it’s ‘me.’”

Even the Tianshan senior brother, normally unshaken by wandering spirits or malevolent ghosts, grew nervous because of Bai Zhengliu’s appearance.

The more Bai Zhengliu looked at him, the more tense he became. Eventually, Bai Zhengliu clearly saw wisps of white mist emanating from the swordsman.

He was familiar with this scene. Tianshan was extremely cold, and it was the dead of winter. Even speaking a word would cause one’s breath to form a small cloud of mist. For Mei Yinghan at this moment, it meant his breathing had become irregular, his body temperature surged suddenly, producing the scene before Bai Zhengliu.

Getting Mei Yinghan out of this state was simple—just say, “Brother Mei.”

Sure enough, when Bai Zhengliu called, the swordsman a short distance away immediately stopped.

He turned to look at Bai Zhengliu.

Still in white robes, standing in the boundless snow. But no matter how silvered the surroundings, Bai Zhengliu would never miss that face in the snow that made his heart race at a single glance.

He smiled slightly: “You say Brother Mei, but I’m equally nervous… though compared to Brother Mei, my little nervousness seems insignificant.”

Bai Zhengliu maintained a calm expression, smiling as he called out: “I went to collect the New Year gifts from the masters and got yours as well. Take a look, Brother Mei?”

From afar, Mei Yinghan’s expression seemed somewhat complicated.

Bai Zhengliu immediately understood: “Since it’s a New Year gift, it can stay in your room… ah, Brother Mei, did you come here on purpose to see me?”

The swordsman thought quietly: “Exactly!” and teased in his heart: “Brother Mei, come over—I promise I won’t eat you.”

With his thoughts shifting this way, his original tension eased. When Mei Yinghan finally approached, Bai Zhengliu’s expression and tone showed ease and relaxation. He said with a smile: “It’s my first time seeing that Tianshan Sect has such a tradition. Sister Jing Shu said one item inside is called ‘Four Discarded Incense,’ and it’s quite famous.”

Mei Yinghan smiled: “Jing Shu has always liked these things.”

Bai Zhengliu examined the gifts: “There are quite a few small bottles and jars. One seems to be incense; I don’t know what the others are.”

Following his gaze, Mei Yinghan said: “Most are probably medicines for regulating internal energy. Giving these at New Year is a sign of the masters’ careful and heartfelt concern for us.”

Bai Zhengliu said: “Hearing that truly makes one envious.”

Mei Yinghan’s eyelids twitched slightly, understanding why the swordsman said that.

He replied earnestly: “Brother Bai, there’s no need to envy. You are my closest friend, so my master naturally regards you as a senior would—a master caring for all disciples, he will care for you as well.”

Bai Zhengliu laughed: “Just for being a ‘closest friend,’ would they treat someone like that?”

Mei Yinghan said: “Naturally. Besides, my master and the other senior uncles have always admired you. They always say that in every generation of talented people, among the current generation of wandering heroes, Brother Bai is probably the one most capable of embodying the word ‘chivalry.’”Bai Zhengliu: “……”

He didn’t speak.

This made Mei Yinghan look at him with a questioning expression.

Judging by his demeanor, the swordsman even began to wonder if he had said something wrong.

He lowered his eyes to think carefully, hoping to understand why Bai Zhengliu had suddenly fallen silent. Unexpectedly, before long, Bai Zhengliu raised his head again and, with a mix of helplessness and amusement, sighed to Mei Yinghan: “Brother Mei, what am I supposed to say now?”

Mei Yinghan asked in puzzlement: “Hm?”

Bai Zhengliu: “You’ve placed me on such a pedestal, praised me so highly… how am I supposed to say, ‘I thought, at least, it should be a lover’?”

Author’s note:

Little Bai: Because (future) boyfriend is too upright to say something teasing, panic!

(Realized we’ve already reached chapter 100!! Throwing confetti!!)