She waved her hand, about to bid farewell to Liu YuHan. But the man just stood still, his expression complicated, as if he had something to say but hesitated.
She stopped in her tracks and asked tentatively, "Brother Yu, why aren't you leaving?"
Liu YuHan opened and closed his red lips, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time, because he had no idea how to explain it to Kun Ling.
Not only was it his first time in the mortal world, but he also couldn't just tell Kun Ling the truth that he was a fox spirit who had been practicing for a thousand years.
If Kun Ling knew this, she would surely keep a distance of several feet from him, and then he would completely lose the only friend he had made in the mortal world.
"I... I don't want to go home either."
"Why?"
"I..." Liu YuHan was at a loss for the first time. Finally, he tried to change the subject. "Ling'er, forgive me for not being able to tell you for the time being. If there's a chance, I will explain it to you."
Kun Ling thought for a while and didn't force him. Instead, she took Liu YuHan's hand again, lifted her round chin, and said calmly, "Okay, I won't force you. Since you have nowhere to go, come and stay in the inn with me for one night."
"Uh?" Before he could ask for clarification, he was already being led away by Kun Ling...
Although the night was long, it passed quickly. When the dawn came and all things were bathed in the glorious light, a beam of golden light from the horizon represented the vitality of a new day.
The sun shone on a corner of the tree - house and slanted onto a sleeping man on the couch.
With the setting of the golden light, his facial features became even more heroic. His deep eyes and eyebrows were as if finely carved by an ax and a chisel, perfect without a flaw.
Apart from his dazzling appearance, there was a half - moon arc half - hidden beside his ear and neck. The bright red color was extremely eye - catching.
When Shu Yao woke up, he felt dizzy. The handsome brother and sister from yesterday had already disappeared.
He looked at the still - sleeping Shu Yue and shook him to wake him up and ask. But inadvertently, he noticed a faint red half - moon mark on his ear and neck.
He brushed aside the black hair covering the mark, and the fox - like mark was fully revealed, which also left Shu Yao puzzled.
This suddenly appeared mark seemed extremely strange to Shu Yao, but he couldn't quite describe the feeling.
"Dad, when did you wake up?" A voice beside his ear pulled Shu Yao out of his daze.
He was startled and said, "Just woke up. By the way, where are that brother and sister? Why are they gone?"
Shu Yue rubbed his sleepy eyes and only then realized that the brother and sister who had asked for help yesterday had already disappeared. He looked around, also confused.
"Probably... they left first."
"Why didn't they say goodbye..."
"Come on, they must not have wanted to trouble us. Besides, they probably weren't used to living in this tree - house, so they left while it was still dark." Shu Yue didn't think much about it. As he spoke, he twisted his neck, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Maybe I slept wrong last night. My neck is really sore."
Seeing him in such pain, Shu Yao offered to massage him. "Let me help you."
"Hehe, thanks, Dad." Shu Yue still grinned. Except for the sore neck, he didn't notice the mark on his neck.
Shu Yao pressed and kneaded hard while his confused eyes kept stealing glances at the mark on Shu Yue's neck. Distracted, he unconsciously increased the strength of his hand, making Shu Yue cry out in pain.
"Dad, it hurts. Be gentle." Shu Yue's sharp eyebrows knitted together. He couldn't help but marvel that his dad, who looked so thin, actually had so much strength.
"Sorry..." His absent - minded reply already aroused Shu Yue's suspicion.
"Dad, what's wrong with you? Your tone sounds strange."
Shu Yao quickly came back to his senses and said calmly, "It's okay. I was just thinking that we should probably return to the Kunshan School. After all, if we stay here too long and go back late, we'll be gossiped about."
Shu Yue just smiled casually, with a hint of disdain. "What, are you afraid that that bastard Li Nao will cause trouble for us again? Don't worry. Even if he does, I won't let him hurt you at all."
"That's not what I mean." Shu Yao walked in front of him, took his hand, and said seriously and firmly, "I'm not joking. There are some things we have to face. Although that Li Nao is a bit excessive, it's not a solution to keep avoiding going back to Kunshan."
Seeing Shu Yue frowning in silence, he continued, "Moreover, it will also delay your cultivation. I don't want you to give up your future because of me."
"But Dad..."
"This time you have to listen to me. We'll go back today. If we meet Li Nao, just give in a bit and it'll be over."
"He whipped me thirty times, locked me up, and now you want me to give in to him? Dream on!" Just thinking about what Li Nao had done to him was like a thorn stuck in his throat. His eyes were instantly covered with a thin layer of ice.
He, Shu Yue, had never suffered such humiliation. It was okay not to mention it, but once mentioned, he wished he could beat that stinky Taoist priest to the ground.
"Shu Yue! I know you're ambitious, but if you want to achieve something in cultivation, you must learn to be patient. Not only you, but I also have to."
Although he was a demon, he had to learn to fit into the mortal world. For Shu Yue's sake, no matter how much injustice he suffered, he could only choose to endure.
Moreover, Shu Yue belonged to the mortal world after all. There was a huge gap between them, like the difference between heaven and earth.
"Dad, why do you have to do this!" He was both helpless about Shu Yao's weak - willed nature and angry that he didn't have the ability to choose right from wrong.
Although he hated Li Nao very much and even didn't want to stay in Kunshan anymore because of him, he still wanted to become stronger so as to protect his dad from any harm.
And thinking that his master was the real head of the Kunshan School, although they hadn't met yet, once his master left seclusion, Li Nao would surely be removed from his position sooner or later.
So, he had no choice but to compromise and endure temporarily for the overall situation. "Fine, fine. I'll listen to you, okay?"
Although there was still reluctance between his heroic eyebrows, he had to admit that what his dad said made sense.
"That's my good boy." Shu Yao stroked his head, just like he used to do to little Shu Yue. His actions and tone were full of affection and comfort.
Obviously, this made Shu Yue, a seven - foot - tall and valiant man, feel very awkward. He quickly dodged the hand that kept stroking his hair.
To be honest, he, who was used to looking down on others, didn't like the feeling of being stroked, especially by his dad, Shu Yao. It gave him a strange sense of frustration.
He raised his eyebrows coldly and said indifferently, "Dad, can you stop treating me like a child?"