Zhao Shuning composed herself.
It was better for her not to know about this matter.
So at this moment, her reaction shouldn't be like this.
"Xiao An, what's wrong with you?"
The Viper, sitting under the cherry - blossom tree, looked up at Zhao Shuning.
Zhao Shuning added, "What's up? You look so glum. Did the mermaids in the Secret Sea bully you?"
The Viper was stunned.
He got up, opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word for a long time.
"Xiao An, are you not feeling well?"
"Senior...?"
"It's me. What's going on?"
"You, you, you... How come you're here?"
Zhao Shuning took out the wooden token and handed it to Xie An. Then she said, "I was injured before and was taken back to Qingyun Peak by my master to recuperate. When I got better, I wanted to come back. I heard that Ye Xingchen had come to Nanguan, and I didn't know how he was doing. Besides, there's a little kid I knew in Haiyou City. I haven't seen him for a long time, so I came here directly."
The Viper took the wooden token stiffly.
"Senior, the little kid you mentioned...?"
"Song Zhiyi, the lord of Haiyou City. Have you met him?"
The Viper nodded.
He had not only met him but had almost fought with him.
"Senior, are you acquainted with Lord Song? What's your relationship like?"
"Pretty good."
The Viper took a deep breath and told Zhao Shuning about his experience in Haiyou City.
After hearing this, Zhao Shuning burst out laughing. She said in disbelief, "No wonder the common people around Zhouguan treated me like that. It turns out that there's my spiritual tablet in the ancestral hall!"
"Ah! Senior, what are you talking about?"
Only then did Zhao Shuning stop laughing. She looked at the Viper and said, "Don't you know that in my previous life, I was Ye Ling?"
The Viper was stunned. He stood there stupidly, unable to say a word for a long time.
No wonder.
No wonder the Chu siblings, despite their high status, would kneel before her and address her as their master.
No wonder, at the Misty Rain Tower, although she was just a first - level freshman, when facing the second - level students' trials, she knew so well about the habits of the spiritual beasts and monsters they encountered. At such a young age, she could even refine pills of that level and give them to him.
All the things that the Viper couldn't figure out before suddenly made sense to him at this moment.
After a long time, the Viper spoke again.
"I always thought that Ye Xingchen just got along well with you and called you sister. I didn't expect..."
"He's my younger brother."
"Did you come to the secret realm because of Ye Xingchen?"
Zhao Shuning originally wanted to say no, that she came here because she saw the Viper's wooden token near the dry well and followed the trail to check the situation.
But thinking of what she had seen before,
she could only say, "Yes. By the way, since you're here too, I'll rescue you as well."
"Thank you, senior."
"It's okay. Put the wooden token away quickly."
Only then did the Viper remember that he was still holding the wooden token stupidly. He quickly put it in his belt and said apologetically, "I've always kept this wooden token carefully. Maybe I lost it in the sea when I met the mermaids by the sea that day and the tide came in. It's not that I didn't take it seriously."
"I know. You don't need to explain it to me."
The Viper lowered his head.
"Xiao An, you don't need to be so cautious with me. You've done everything right and well."
"Senior, you're overpraising me."
Zhao Shuning originally wanted to touch the Viper's head to comfort him as she used to. In Zhao Shuning's eyes before, the Viper was just like Ji Qinglin and the other kids. She regarded them all as children.
But after hearing the Viper's confession,
Zhao Shuning realized that some actions, although she didn't care about them, might be remembered by others.
So, Zhao Shuning reached out and patted Xie An on the shoulder.
She told him to get ready as they would be able to get out soon.
After saying that, Zhao Shuning headed straight for Ye Xingchen's small wooden house.
The Viper watched as she found the small house where Ye Xingchen lived skillfully. Thinking of the details in their conversation just now,
his eyes dimmed.
Senior must have heard and seen it all.
That's why she knew Ye Xingchen lived in that house.
The words she had just said had actually given the Viper the answer.
Senior had no feelings for him, not at all.
For some reason, after knowing this news, the Viper didn't feel depressed. Instead, he felt as if the big rock weighing on his heart had suddenly been lifted.
Before, he had liked senior.
But he didn't dare to say it out and had always hidden it in his heart.
Now that he had said it, although the answer was the same as he had thought, he didn't feel so oppressed anymore.
Or rather, he had never dared to expect to be with senior. He was even afraid that if senior knew about his feelings, they wouldn't even be able to be friends.
Now it seemed that this result was the best.
"Thank you for sparing my dignity."
Zhao Shuning came to Ye Xingchen's bamboo house and gently knocked on the door.
There was no response from inside.
Zhao Shuning pushed the door open and walked in directly. When Ye Xingchen saw who it was, his eyes became even darker.
"What are you doing here?"
"Xingchen, what's wrong with you? You had a fight with the Viper, but you can't treat your sister like this!"
The medicinal herbs in Ye Xingchen's hand fell to the ground.
"Sister?"
"It's me."
Zhao Shuning walked over and hugged Ye Xingchen.
Ye Xingchen hugged this warm body, and his eyes couldn't help but turn red. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen his sister for a long time, and partly because of what the Viper had said just now.
"Don't take what Xiao An said to heart."
"You heard it all."
"Yes. Xingchen, do you know that you have different feelings for Xie An?"
Ye Xingchen let go of his hands, got up, and was tidying up the things on the ground. He replied sullenly, "I know. Even sister has noticed it."
"The way you look at him is full of light."
Ye Xingchen felt extremely depressed.
"This kind of feelings won't be accepted by the world. I understand. I'll keep these feelings in my heart. I'll never tell anyone about it, and I won't tell Xie An either. I won't cause him any trouble."
Zhao Shuning looked at Ye Xingchen.
Over the decades,
how much suffering had he endured? How much loneliness had he tasted? He had imprisoned his primordial spirit in this sixteen - year - old body forever. Xingchen must have had a really hard time all these years.
But this child was still so kind.
The world had treated him so unjustly, but he didn't return all this to the world. Instead, he still kept his original kindness.
"If Xiao An doesn't have the same feelings for you, you really shouldn't bother him with this. But Xingchen, if Xiao An develops the same feelings for you later, you can be together. If anyone has any objections, sister will remove all the obstacles for you."
Ye Xingchen stopped what he was doing.
"Sister, will there be such a day?"
"I can't promise you, because this is a matter between the two of you. You've fallen in love, but Xiao An may not. But if in the future, you both fall in love with each other, then leave all the gossips in the world to me."
The Viper's guilty expression in front of Ye Xingchen's door before, and his subsequent coldness towards Zhao Shuning. Zhao Shuning could actually feel that the Viper also had different feelings for Xiao An, but he just hadn't discovered it yet.
Ye Xingchen looked at Zhao Shuning, let out a sigh of relief, and a long - lost smile appeared on his face.
"Okay!"