Chapter 84: If Only Life Were as Beautiful as Our First Meeting

In his previous life on the Earth Dragon Continent, although Luo Changning had little contact with the outside world, he was well aware that in this world, there existed a kind of love known as “the affection of cut sleeves.” Love did not only occur between men and women, but also between men and men. However, Luo Changning could never imagine himself falling for another man.

He was firmly convinced that his orientation was perfectly normal; though he had never been moved by any girl, he was equally certain he would not ever be drawn to a man. The reason he so often thought of that young boy named Yun Ruoyi, he believed, was nothing more than a sense of appreciation for someone of the same sex.

After all, not everyone possessed such clear and upright eyes, nor did every face manage to blend delicacy and heroism with such flawless beauty that it inspired an involuntary fondness.

The next day, yet another branch member of the Su family came to pay a visit.

Though Luo Changning had no desire to deal with these people, as the young master of the Su family he could hardly hide away in the Mo Garden practicing martial arts and neglect his guests. Despite his deep reluctance, he was forced to greet them with a polite and insincere smile.

It took great effort to see off wave after wave of visitors, leaving Luo Changning utterly exhausted—dealing with people was far more taxing than practicing martial arts. Still, he knew such occasions would only become more frequent in the future, and he needed to harden himself to it. Whether pursuing commerce, building a guild, or entering official circles to contend with cunning bureaucrats, networking would be essential.

Though his mind brimmed with theories of governance, they remained mere words on paper; the realities of practical application were impossible to predict, and he could only use this period to temper himself. Between his two lives, the number of people he had dealt with would barely fill a single elementary school.

In matters of social interaction, Luo Changning fell short even of Chen Lin. After all, the brothel was a revolving door of courtesans and clients; Chen Lin, having learned how to keep his head above water in such a place, was seasoned in survival. His recent misfortune with Boss Wang was nothing more than being singled out for trouble. No matter how well he performed, he was simply a target for the man’s frustrations.

If a person could endure such humiliation without resisting, then he would have lost even the last trace of a man’s dignity—and would hardly be worth Luo Changning’s effort to save, let alone take into his service.

In the little courtyard of the Su family, at the central courtyard—

As Luo Changning had anticipated, Ma Xue’e’s mood was indeed rather bleak.

Six days had passed since Luo Changning and his three retainers left Qingyang County, and in those six days Ma Xue’e had lost count of how many times she sighed.

Even the big silly bear, who usually loved playing with her, now kept its distance for fear of being caught and subjected to her endless complaints.

Sigh.

Sigh.

Sigh...

Sitting on a stone bench, her chin cupped in her hands, Ma Xue’e sighed once more, ignoring the little delicacies Chen Lin had thoughtfully laid out for her on the stone table before her.

Puffing out her cheeks, she muttered, “Brother Changning has been gone for six days. I wonder if he’s reached Miaonan Province yet. How far is Miaonan Province anyway?”

“Sigh, what if Brother Changning goes back on his word and never returns?”

At this thought, Ma Xue’e shook her head firmly.

No, she had promised herself to trust Brother Changning. He would definitely come back; it was only a matter of time!

But although it had only been six days since he left, why did it feel as if six years had passed? Was this what the books described as “one day apart feels like three autumns”?

No, it should be “one day apart feels like one autumn”...

Watching from afar as Ma Xue’e sighed like a lovelorn woman secluded in her chambers, the big silly bear curled its lip and turned decisively to seek out Chen Lin in the kitchen.

Though there were plenty of delicious treats—cakes and meats—spread across the stone table before Ma Xue’e, the bear had no desire to approach, lest she vent her frustration by vigorously tugging on its fur.

After all, it had yet to find a mate; it couldn’t risk being rubbed bald!

Thus, the big silly bear sought out Chen Lin, threatening him with its impressive claws in hopes of getting a fresh batch of treats.

Sure enough, when Chen Lin saw the bear approaching with a mischievous grin and its claws waving, his spirits sank.

He inwardly lamented his fate: what kind of bad luck had he been born under, to have to serve such a demanding master?

Not only did it eat a lot, it constantly complained that his cooking was never good enough. The slightest displeasure would be met with a hefty swipe from its paw.

The bump on his head still hadn’t gone down!

But with nowhere near the bear’s strength, Chen Lin could only resign himself to his culinary servitude.

While Ma Qingyun also missed Su Meng dearly, he was not so lost in longing as Ma Xue’e, nor oblivious to the world around him. As he exchanged secret messages with his subordinates through his beloved songbird, he also noticed his sister’s odd behavior.

Watching Ma Xue’e’s appetite wane, Ma Qingyun’s gaze grew dark and forbidding. He too understood the cause—she was acting this way because of Luo Changning!

Yet Ma Qingyun would never allow his sister to be with Luo Changning—not because he disliked the boy, but because he believed his sister deserved only the best.

Moreover, Luo Changning bore a vendetta. He wished for his sister to marry someone who could protect her completely, not a man like himself, whose life revolved around revenge.

Still, Ma Qingyun had no intention of interfering too much; in his eyes, his sister was only ten years old.

What could a ten-year-old girl possibly understand?

Surely, her feelings for Luo Changning were just a fleeting infatuation—after all, she had grown up on Mo Hui Mountain, never meeting outsiders, and Luo Changning was the first stranger she had ever known, her first real friend. It was easy to mistake friendship for something more.

Ma Qingyun believed that, with their separation, Ma Xue’e’s childish feelings would eventually be washed away by time. When she met someone truly exceptional, she would realize who her true soulmate was.

But would such a person ever appear?

Was love given in childhood truly not worth valuing?

Aloof as he was, Ma Qingyun could not know that in this world, some feelings, once given, could never be taken back.

Affections deemed childish or trivial could, in time, inspire a devotion so fierce that one would pay any price to protect that irreplaceable presence in their heart.

To remain together in life and death…