Chapter 232: Waiting for Nightfall With You |
Chen Yin didn’t bother listening to the rest of the conversation. It was just a bunch of parents complaining about their children being led astray by the “wicked” Yu Ling.
He left the pavilion and immediately spotted Yu Ling wandering aimlessly through the crowds.
Her brightly colored floral dress stood out among the more subdued attire of the other cultivators, making her look somewhat out of place. She seemed oblivious to this, perfectly content with her fashion choices.
The other cultivators, however, gave her a wide berth, whispering among themselves as she passed.
“Is that the legendary genius, Immortal Yu Ling?”
“Shhh, be careful, she has a terrible temper. If she hears you talking about her, she’ll beat you to a pulp.”
“What a pity. Such a beautiful girl, with such a terrible personality.”
Chen Yin, with his sharp hearing, could hear their whispers clearly. He wasn’t sure if Yu Ling heard them as well, or if she was simply choosing to ignore them.
She wandered into a shop selling spirit wine, her eyes lighting up.
The sounds of crashing and breaking followed, then Yu Ling emerged from the shop, a jar of wine in her hands, a sullen expression on her face.
“So stingy,” she grumbled.
Chen Yin: “…”
You’re like a plague of locusts descending upon the cultivation world.
But instead of wreaking havoc on other shops, she walked to a secluded spot behind the pavilion, sat down overlooking the cliff, and started drinking, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly, her slender legs dangling over the edge.
She looked small and lonely.
Chen Yin suddenly understood why she was here.
“Need some company?” a soft voice asked beside her.
Yu Ling looked up, surprised. “You? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve never been to the Tianxuan Gathering before. I wanted to see what it was like,” Chen Yin said seriously. “I saw you coming this way, so I followed you.”
Yu Ling, flustered, stammered, “I-I was just thirsty. Arguing with those old geezers is tiring. I just wanted a drink.”
“How did the argument go?”
“I won, of course,” she said proudly, raising her chin. “I’m Immortal Yu Ling. Those old fools are no match for me.”
Chen Yin didn’t contradict her, just looked at the wine jar in her hand.
Yu Ling noticed his gaze and hesitated, then asked, “Do you want some?”
“I can keep you company.” Chen Yin looked at her, his expression gentle.
Yu Ling seemed reluctant to share her precious wine. “This is all I have…” she mumbled, but she still offered him the jar.
“Fine, consider it a welcome gift for a new member.”
“But you’re still young, don’t drink too much. Just a little sip.”
Chen Yin looked at the jar, then lifted it to his lips and drank.
Yu Ling’s eyes widened in alarm. “Hey, don’t drink too much! You’re just a kid!”
Then, he handed the jar back to her.
Yu Ling almost jumped out of her skin.
“It was almost full! You drank it all?!”
Chen Yin nodded. “Sorry. I was thirsty.” He repeated her excuse from earlier.
Yu Ling stared at the empty jar, her face turning red, then she pinched his ear hard.
“Are you really only ten?! You drink like a reincarnated alcoholic!”
Chen Yin winced, but he still protested, “It’s just a jar of wine… aren’t you a Grand Clarity Realm Immortal? Surely you can afford another one.”
“You have no idea!”
Yu Ling, exasperated, blurted out, “Do you know how expensive it is to feed those brats?”
“And… although I’m a Grand Clarity Realm Immortal… I don’t have a sect,”
Her voice softened. “No family, no friends, I have to do everything myself. And I’m useless at everything except fighting. How am I supposed to make money? I can barely afford my own drinks…”
Chen Yin already knew.
With her reputation, no sect would want to associate with her.
It was a sad situation.
The most talented cultivator in the world, the youngest Grand Clarity Realm Immortal in history,
Yet she was so alone, her only companions a group of teenagers.
Yu Ling waved her hand in frustration. “This is so annoying! Why am I telling you all this? I’m supposed to be the Big Sister! I have to maintain my image!”
“It’s all your fault!”
“You must be cursed! Every time I see you, something bad happens!”
Chen Yin didn’t argue. “I’m sorry, Big Sister.”
“How about I buy you a drink?”
His words instantly calmed her down.
“Where are you going to buy me a drink?”
“Right here.” Chen Yin reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label.
“This… is wine?”
Yu Ling looked at the bottle curiously. “Can… can I have some?”
“Of course,”
Chen Yin smiled. “What’s mine is yours, Big Sister.”
Yu Ling, slightly flustered by his genuine smile, averted her gaze and swallowed nervously.
“Then… I’ll have some.”
She opened the bottle and took a small sip.
“Ugh… what is this? It tastes so different from normal wine.”
Seeing her cute, confused expression, Chen Yin suppressed a smile and asked, “Don’t you like it? Then I’ll take it back—”
“Wait!”
She mumbled, “Let me try it again.”
One sip. Two sips.
The bottle was empty.
“It’s… not bad.”
She licked her lips, her eyes sparkling with delight.
“Where did you get this? Do you have more?”
“It’s… homemade. I have as much as you want, Big Sister.”
“Really?”
Yu Ling’s eyes lit up, then she coughed and said seriously, “In that case, Little Chen, in recognition of your loyalty to our group, I’ll confiscate this wine. We won’t forget your contribution.”
She happily drank another bottle, then another.
Chen Yin sat beside her, watching her with a smile.
When the moment seemed right, he asked casually,
“If I hadn’t come,”
“…were you planning to sit here alone and drink until nightfall?”
Yu Ling’s hand froze. She turned and looked at him intently.
Chen Yin met her gaze calmly.
“…What did you figure out?”
“I’m guessing Big Sister failed to convince those old geezers at the Tianxuan Gathering, but you didn’t want to worry the others, so you planned to stay here until nightfall, then pretend you were successful.”
Yu Ling’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“You heard everything?”
“I didn’t hear anything.” Chen Yin shook his head. “I was just guessing.”
“Do you think I’m a fool?”
“If you are, then beat me up to vent your anger.”
Yu Ling really wanted to hit him.
He had seen through her bluff, completely shattering her carefully constructed image of authority.
But she couldn’t bring herself to hit him. Not when he was being so generous with his wine.
And he was smiling so sweetly, his gaze so pure and innocent.
She couldn’t bring herself to be angry with him.
She sighed and lowered her head, kicking a pebble on the ground.
“Are you really only ten years old?”
“Do I look older?”
“Ten-year-olds should be playing in the mud, not being so perceptive.”
She glanced at him suspiciously. “You look like a child, but your eyes… they’re like those of an old man. It’s unsettling.”
“I’ll stop looking at you if you don’t like it,” Chen Yin said sincerely.
“It’s not about whether I like it or not! I…”
Yu Ling struggled to find the right words, then waved her hand dismissively.
“Forget it, I’m not wasting my breath on you. Just forget everything you saw and heard today. Don’t tell anyone. Do you understand?” She glared at him.
Chen Yin nodded obediently.
Yu Ling, satisfied, continued drinking happily.
“Today was a disaster,” she sighed dramatically, putting on an air of maturity. “My carefully constructed image, ruined by a ten-year-old brat.”
“Maybe it’s a good thing,” Chen Yin said with a smile.
“At least, next time you’re sitting here alone, waiting for nightfall, I can keep you company.”
…Drink with you.
Talk with you.
Wait for nightfall with you.
So you won’t be alone anymore.
Yu Ling froze.
After a long silence, she looked away, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“…It’s not a good thing,” she mumbled softly, her voice barely audible.
Even she didn’t believe her own words.