Chapter 107
Under Yu Sui's gaze, the orange-yellow glow in her palm flickered faintly, seeming to take shape. The moment she sensed the door opening, Yu Sui lowered her hand and turned her head toward the entrance.
Shi Yuezhen entered to find Yu Sui sitting up and was somewhat surprised: "Why are you up? Are you uncomfortable somewhere?"
Yu Sui shook her head and touched her throat: "I'm a little thirsty."
"I'll go pour you a cup of water." Shi Yuezhen smiled and turned to go out again.
Shortly after, she came back carrying a teacup. The water temperature was just right, no need to wait.
Yu Sui took a sip, then heard Shi Yuezhen ask: "Are you uncomfortable anywhere else?"
"I feel a bit tired." Yu Sui finished drinking and lay back down, obediently pulling up the covers: "I want to sleep a bit more."
Shi Yuezhen didn't ask further questions. Mei Liangyu had given her a signal not to probe too much.
"Your Senior Brother went to the Ghost Way Saint Hall. He left in a hurry, not sure when he'll be back." Shi Yuezhen picked up the cup and stood: "Sleep now. When he returns, he'll come see you."
Yu Sui nodded obediently and closed her eyes.
Shi Yuezhen also knew about Sheng Hao and Gu Qian's fight, but she didn't tell Yu Sui. Her condition wasn't good to begin with, she couldn't be distracted with worry over such matters.
Dawn was about to break outside.
Mei Liangyu returned stepping on the morning light, walking against the earliest batch of people leaving the dormitories.
After daybreak, the Strange Fire's burning receded. Yu Sui slept fitfully. The room had good soundproofing, no one was walking around outside, and it was very quiet, conducive to recuperation.
Yu Sui closed her eyes, preparing to sleep a bit more, but sensed someone approaching.
When Mei Liangyu pushed open the door, he made no sound at all, silently approaching the bedside and looking down at Yu Sui, who appeared to be sleeping.
He had already cleaned himself up, changed into clean clothes, and still carried the faint fragrance of having bathed. Wisp by wisp, it drifted toward Yu Sui's nose, invading her lungs with each breath.
Mei Liangyu just stood by the bed without moving, quietly gazing at Yu Sui's sleeping face. After a long while, he said softly: "Are you asleep?"
Yu Sui kept her eyes closed and pulled the covers up to hide her head. Her muffled voice came from under the blanket: "I'm asleep."
Mei Liangyu: "......"
He had thought Yu Sui was sleeping.
Yu Sui heard a low chuckle, somewhat helpless. Without waiting for Mei Liangyu to respond, she asked: "Did you go speak with Master?"
"Mm." Mei Liangyu lowered his head, the smile fading from his lips.
"What did Master say?" Yu Sui asked.
Mei Liangyu didn't speak for a long time.
Yu Sui waited patiently. She didn't lift the covers because perhaps Senior Brother didn't want her to be awake right now. With their line of sight blocked, he could more composedly sort out his emotions.
Mei Liangyu said calmly: "Master's attitude hasn't changed. What's past is past. There's no need to be trapped in old memories. One should live the present life."
These words didn't seem problematic.
Yu Sui turned her head slightly toward where he was standing: "What about your own thoughts, Senior Brother?"
"My thoughts also haven't changed." Mei Liangyu said quietly: "So now I don't remember anything."
Yu Sui asked softly: "Was it Master?"
Mei Liangyu also answered quietly: "Mm."
He didn't mention the details of his conversation with Master. Some emotions had to be digested alone.
Yu Sui gave him plenty of time. After a long while, she asked: "Should I give them back to you?"
Mei Liangyu still answered quietly: "Mm."
Only then did Yu Sui pull away the covers hiding her head. Though it was light outside, the blackout curtains remained closed, so the room wasn't bright. She lay in bed, looking up to meet the gaze of the person standing beside her: "I'm awake."
Mei Liangyu was amused by her.
Yu Sui slowly sat up. Mei Liangyu asked her: "Can you get up now?"
"Just barely." As Yu Sui spoke, she stretched out her hand to cover her chest: "It still hurts a bit. After I give them back to you, I'll need to lie down again."
She looked up at Mei Liangyu and nodded her head forward slightly, indicating for him to lower his head and lean closer.
This scene felt somewhat familiar.
Mei Liangyu looked at her with an expression somewhere between amused and not, slowly bending over to lean closer.
Just as their foreheads were about to touch and Yu Sui was about to return the memories in the Star Source Curse, the door was opened. Cang Shu stood in the doorway saying: "Qiuyan came to find..."
Cang Shu came quickly and left quickly too.
When he caught sight of the two people with their foreheads touching in the room, he didn't even have time to show his surprise before his hand reflexively closed the door.
Cang Shu turned around to look at Nian Qiuyan standing behind him.
Nian Qiuyan smiled slightly: "Even though you closed it quickly, I saw everything."
Cang Shu was stunned for a moment and said: "Well, can't blame me for that."
Inside the room, Mei Liangyu's expression didn't change as he leaned over to touch Yu Sui's forehead, taking the memories back from her.
Yu Sui also didn't intend to pay attention to the small interruption just now. After returning the Star Source Curse, she lay back down: "Senior Brother, I'd like to stay at Sister Yuezhen's for a few more days."
Mei Liangyu hummed: "She'll agree."
"Then I'll sleep a bit more." Yu Sui said quietly.
"Sleep then." Seeing her close her eyes and fall asleep, Mei Liangyu finally turned to leave.
He had barely taken two steps when he heard Yu Sui speak again: "Senior Brother."
Mei Liangyu's steps halted as he was about to turn around, when he unexpectedly heard Yu Sui ask softly: "Was it the Divine Wood Seed that discovered it?"
His turning motion froze. Without needing much thought, he already understood what Yu Sui was asking.
Was it the Divine Wood Seed that made you discover I have Strange Fire?
This was the first time Yu Sui had actively asked him about it, though she hadn't dared to say the words "Strange Fire" explicitly.
Mei Liangyu answered quietly: "Yes."
Yu Sui blinked, as if thinking about what to say next. Mei Liangyu didn't turn around. This time it was his turn to give Yu Sui time.
He thought Yu Sui would have many things to say to him. After a long while, he only heard Yu Sui's light words: "Senior Brother, thank you."
But Mei Liangyu felt his heart stir slightly. After suppressing the emotion in his eyes, he stepped out.
The door was closed behind him by Mei Liangyu. He never looked back at Yu Sui once.
Yu Sui's fingers resting on the covers tapped unconsciously. Her clear black and white eyes were bright and moist, staring at the dim ceiling as if looking into the distance, her gaze unfocused.
With Mei Liangyu's fondness for her, she could still keep the Strange Fire secret for now.
Senior Brother obviously wasn't the type to become obsessed with love or sacrifice everything for love without regard for consequences. Whether it was Senior Brother or herself, they both had their own things to do.
Fondness was fondness, liking was liking. Different degrees of affection led to different decisions.
Compared to Senior Brother saying he liked her, learning Senior Brother's secret made Yu Sui feel more at ease.
She was already accustomed to working with people based on mutual benefit, or leveraging each other's weaknesses for mutual restraint.
Perhaps Mei Liangyu could teach her other ways of getting along besides these.
Acting obedient and vulnerable to gain others' sympathy and pity, making them feel protective affection toward her, Yu Sui couldn't say this worked 100% of the time, but it was effective most of the time.
She also knew that protective affection gained through scheming and manipulation was different from protective affection that came from someone's sincere heart.
……
After Mei Liangyu went out, he was subjected to the scrutinizing gazes of his two good friends. His expression remained unchanged as he explained nothing, looking toward Nian Qiuyan and raising his chin slightly: "What's the matter?"
"Came to see how your injuries are." Nian Qiuyan smiled: "Still lively and energetic, quite good."
The door banged open from outside. Shi Yuezhen covered her nose and stood to the side while Xing Chun, covered in mud and hay, slapped the door open with one hand, also leaving a muddy handprint on it.
Xing Chun said anxiously: "Mei Mei! Are you dead?!"
Mei Liangyu, standing upright in the room, looked over coldly: "Not dead."
"Good, good then." Xing Chun breathed a sigh of relief and wiped his mud-covered eyes. Because he couldn't see clearly, he had asked if he was dead.
Smelling the odor from Xing Chun, a mixture of mud and duck droppings, Mei Liangyu couldn't help but join Nian Qiuyan in blocking Xing Chun from entering, making him stand at the door as punishment.
"You should go back and wash up first." Nian Qiuyan said.
Xing Chun said gloomily: "Wasn't I helping Cang Shu look after his farm? You don't know what kind of chaotic things he raises. Poisonous insects are one thing, but he has chickens, ducks, fish, geese, rabbits, everything. Right next to Yuezhen's medicinal fields too. The ducks and chickens all want to get into the medicinal fields. I've been running back and forth, and I'm covered in either chicken and duck feathers or chicken and duck droppings!"
He said indignantly: "What are you raising all these animals for?"
Mei Liangyu and Nian Qiuyan looked toward Cang Shu, who reacted a beat late before answering: "To eat."
As Xing Chun walked out, he said: "I'm going to kill them all today and make soup for Mei Mei to drink!"
He was true to his word, calling friends through his Wind-Listening Ruler to have everyone help catch those chickens, ducks, fish, and geese ready for slaughter.
Agricultural School disciples and Medical School disciples could both have medicinal fields or agricultural courtyards allocated by the academy for personal management and cultivation according to their needs. Some of the academy's trials and examinations also required their use.
Cang Shu raised chickens, ducks, fish, and geese to test venomous insects and poisons, and also to practice the Agricultural School's beast control. Of course, they could also be raised for food.
His agricultural courtyard had a bamboo grove beside it. Under the bamboo grove were chicken and duck coops enclosed by bamboo fencing. Several large white geese had already gone down to the rice paddy in front of the courtyard. On the grassy area near the medicinal fields, two snow-white rabbits were nibbling grass.
Nian Qiuyan stood by the rice paddy, staring thoughtfully at the large white geese swimming proudly in the field: "Can you eat geese that Agricultural School disciples use to practice with venomous insects?"
Kong Yiyi had already rolled up her sleeves confidently: "Anything that won't kill you can be eaten. You block them here so they don't run away."
After getting into the water, she was fierce and aggressive, chasing three to five large white geese left and right. She finally managed to herd one toward Nian Qiuyan's direction. The goose flapped its wings, called out passionately, and charged forward furiously. Nian Qiuyan dodged to the side, obediently making way for the goose to run off.
Kong Yiyi: "......"
She looked up and glared at Nian Qiuyan: "Why did you let it run away?"
Nian Qiuyan sighed and said: "I can't beat it."
Kong Yiyi grabbed another large goose from the water and threw it at him. Nian Qiuyan fumbled about in a panic and barely managed to catch the goose flapping its wings desperately. He held it up to show her, indicating that he had caught it.
Mei Liangyu withdrew his gaze with a bland expression and looked at the two rabbits in the grassy area ahead.
The rabbits nibbled grass, their mouths moving constantly as the slender grass blades disappeared section by section at their mouths. The two rabbits ate separately, not interfering with each other.
One was completely snow-white without a trace of other colors. The other rabbit had a small irregular black circle on its head.
The rabbit with mixed coloring was easily satisfied. After eating its fill, it began washing its face. The other one was still pursing its lips, crunching away. Mei Liangyu stared at the face-washing rabbit. Its fluffy paws rubbed its cheeks, then grabbed its own ears and scratched them.
These small, cute creatures were naturally mood-lifting just to look at.
But Mei Liangyu kept thinking of Yu Sui.
When Junior Sister was obedient and cute, just watching her from the side made him feel pleased and comfortable.
The mysterious compatibility between people was inexplicable.
Things he regarded as beautiful and lovely, he wanted to keep watching them in that state, unwilling for them to suffer any attack or destruction.
Like the rabbit before his eyes.
Like his Junior Sister.
The rabbit that had finished scratching its ears was about to continue rubbing its cheeks when someone grabbed its ears and lifted it up.
Mei Liangyu: "......"
Zhongli Shan, holding the rabbit, turned back to look at Su Tong, who was also holding a rabbit by its ears. Su Tong said: "There are only two. Should we keep one?"
"Keep one for what?" Zhongli Shan asked.
Su Tong shook the rabbit in her hand: "Keep one to breed more rabbits."
Zhongli Shan raised an eyebrow: "How can one breed?"
Su Tong shrugged: "We should at least leave him one, then buy new ones for breeding."
"Buying two new ones works the same." Zhongli Shan said, about to take away the rabbit in his hand that was frantically kicking its legs, when Mei Liangyu stopped him: "She told you to keep one, but you insist on eating both. Why so murderous?"
Zhongli Shan looked back at him with complete bewilderment.
Mei Liangyu took the rabbit from his hands and put it on the ground, getting kicked by the rabbit's leg in the process.
Zhongli Shan asked: "Did you convert from the Ghost Way School to Buddhism?"
Mei Liangyu didn't turn back: "I practice all schools."
That was hard to argue with.
Su Tong laughed at this, pulling Zhongli Shan away while laughing. Zhongli Shan still felt somewhat puzzled and kept looking back at Mei Liangyu.
……
Cang Shu let them catch whatever they wanted. They could eat whatever they wanted and process it themselves. In the end, only Zhongli Shan and Xing Chun were busy in the kitchen. Shi Yuezhen added some medicine to the soup they were making, making it more suitable for the two patients, Mei Liangyu and Yu Sui.
After Yu Sui was injured, she didn't need to do anything.
Every day she just curled up in bed sleeping and recuperating, waiting for the Five Elements energy in her body to repair her severely damaged body. At night, Shi Yuezhen would also help her regulate the scattered and uncoordinated Five Elements energy, speeding up her recovery.
When it was time, Mei Liangyu would bring her food. The Senior Brother and Junior Sister would chat briefly.
After Gu Qian and Sheng Hao's big commotion, people weren't paying much attention to Wen Yanghui's death anymore. The focus was all on Gu Qian and Sheng Hao, as well as Gu Qian's Divine Mechanism Arts.
Yu Sui and Mei Liangyu hadn't discussed these matters either. They talked more about things related to Mei Liangyu's memories.
"Should I ask people outside to help you search for where the places in your memories are?" Yu Sui proactively asked.
Mei Liangyu sat by her bed, looking down at his Wind-Listening Ruler. Hearing this, he hummed in agreement.
Yu Sui held her soup bowl and sipped slowly: "Senior Brother, if you leave Taiyi, what will Master do?"
Mei Liangyu glanced at her: "I'll be dragged off the Dragon Stairs before I can get on."
The rules stated that Saint Chang Gen couldn't leave Taiyi Academy without being summoned.
If Mei Liangyu got on the Dragon Stairs to leave, then this rule would be useless for Saint Chang Gen.
He had done this before too, sneaking into Mechanism School cargo, thinking it was foolproof, only to be thrown, person and box together, to the entrance of the Ghost Way Saint Hall.
Another time he was dragged down by Master, even though he hadn't summoned him.
On the way back, the young man cursed and complained. Master only remained silent. After walking a long way, when the young man asked if he had left, Master said he was still there.
So the young man continued cursing and complaining.
Yu Sui listened to Mei Liangyu talk about the past. She curled up her legs, resting her hands on her knees to prop up her face, looking at him with a bright smile.