Chapter 115 – Speculation

Since he had gone to bed early, Wei Yang woke up while it was still dark outside. He didn’t seem to have dreamed of anything noteworthy last night, and when he opened his eyes, his attention immediately fixed on the person lying in front of him.

Zhang Xiuqi wasn’t wearing the familiar cotton pajamas he usually wore. Instead, he was dressed in casual clothes and lying directly on the bed, as if he was ready to jump up and leave at any moment. His sleeping posture was no longer the rigid, coffin-like supine position but rather a side-sleeping one, coincidentally facing Wei Yang.

Unlike the childlike innocence he had when he was asleep before, Zhang Xiuqi’s sleeping face was no longer as peaceful. His handsome brows were slightly furrowed, as if even deep sleep couldn’t soothe his heart. The unbreakable coldness he carried when awake had transformed into a silent tension, exuding a kind of stiffness and vulnerability that made one want to comfort him.

Something about this struck a chord in Wei Yang’s heart. Feeling that his body had regained some strength, he began to feel an urge to hug and kiss the man in front of him, to smooth out the furrow between his brows with his fingers. He did reach out his hand, but before he could touch the other’s face, those tightly closed eyes suddenly opened. The distance between them was so close that Wei Yang could see his own reflection in Zhang Xiuqi’s dark pupils.

His hand froze mid-air. Sneaking a touch while someone was asleep was, no matter how you looked at it, a bit awkward. However, Wei Yang, being quick-witted, immediately shifted his hand to rest on Zhang Xiuqi’s shoulder, grinning as he said, “Brother Qi, you’re awake. I was just wondering if I should wake you up.”

With that, he subtly withdrew his hand and got out of bed. However, once he was standing, he realized that it was still dark outside, probably not even five in the morning. At this hour, waking someone up was undoubtedly too early. But since the words were already out, there was no taking them back. Wei Yang stretched his arms casually, clearing his throat, “I’ve been sleeping for too long; my bones are getting stiff. The breakfast stalls outside the neighborhood should be open soon. I’ll go buy some breakfast for us. What would you like, Brother Qi?”

Zhang Xiuqi didn’t respond. He silently got out of bed, glanced at his slightly wrinkled clothes, frowned imperceptibly, and then opened the wardrobe, pulling out a fresh set of clothes. Without a word, he turned and walked out of the bedroom, heading straight for the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of running water could be heard.

Brother Qi is taking a shower? He doesn’t usually shower in the morning… Realizing that Zhang Xiuqi hadn’t gone to change his clothes elsewhere, Wei Yang’s voyeuristic thoughts calmed down a bit. However, he suddenly remembered that Zhang Xiuqi’s arm was still injured. Only a few days had passed, and the wound definitely hadn’t fully healed yet. How could he be so careless as to get it wet? But with his uncle next door, Wei Yang didn’t dare to barge into the bathroom to help wash his hair or wipe his body. After some thought, he rummaged through the cabinet for the first aid kit, preparing iodine and clean bandages for a quick patch-up.

Not long after, the sound of running water stopped, and Zhang Xiuqi walked out. His black hair was still damp, but his clothes were neatly changed, looking as if he could step out to meet guests at any moment. Wei Yang clicked his tongue and walked over, “Brother Qi, your arm hasn’t fully healed yet. Getting it wet isn’t good. Let me help you change the bandages.”

This time, there was no flirtatious undertone in his words. An infected wound was no small matter, and Wei Yang didn’t dare to be careless. Seeing Wei Yang’s serious expression, Zhang Xiuqi glanced expressionlessly at the tightly closed door of the neighboring study, as if thinking it would be inappropriate to disturb his uncle over this. Without saying a word, he walked over to the sofa in the living room and sat down. After a moment of hesitation, he unbuttoned his sleeve and rolled up the long cuff.

If this were before, Brother Qi would have already stripped off his upper body and obediently waited for the medicine to be applied, right? For some reason, Wei Yang felt a pang of sourness in his heart. Steadying himself, he walked over to undo the wet bandages. However, when he touched Zhang Xiuqi’s arm, he suddenly sensed something was off. Zhang Xiuqi’s body temperature was too low, as if he hadn’t taken a hot shower at all. Could he have taken a cold shower?

Although the temperature wasn’t extremely low, it was still early in the morning, and taking a cold shower shouldn’t be necessary. Besides, Brother Qi wasn’t the clueless version from years ago who didn’t know how to use a water heater. Wei Yang raised an eyebrow slightly, sneaking a glance at Zhang Xiuqi, whose face was as stiff as stone. It didn’t just look expressionless—it seemed almost petrified.

With just a quick thought, Wei Yang suddenly felt the urge to laugh. The only thing that would make a man take a cold shower early in the morning was, well, that one thing. Could it be that Brother Qi has… matured?

With the return of his Heavenly Soul, it was natural for normal physiological reactions to gradually recover as well. Wei Yang didn’t know what Master Zeng had taught him, but the fact that he was deliberately hiding such a normal reaction was almost childlike. Thinking about it, after missing out on twenty years of emotions and a significant portion of his memories, Brother Qi probably did need to relearn many things. It was just that his icy expression was too effective at masking it, making it easy for others to forget.

Once he understood the situation, Wei Yang’s heart began to flutter. As long as Zhang Xiuqi wasn’t a complete block of ice, there was hope. And from the looks of it, Brother Qi wasn’t entirely opposed to him either. When the time was right, he would have to take the initiative and give it a try…

While his mind was filled with chaotic thoughts, Wei Yang’s hands moved swiftly, quickly replacing the bandages. The wound was healing well, which finally put his mind at ease. After tidying up the first aid kit, the sky outside had brightened. Wei Yang went to wash up, put on his jacket, and said to Zhang Xiuqi, “Brother Qi, I’m going down to buy breakfast. You…”

He had originally intended to say, “Just wait here,” but Zhang Xiuqi had already stood up and walked to the door. Was he planning to accompany him? Could it be that the nosebleed incident from yesterday had triggered some kind of chain reaction… After all, it had been a long time since Wei Yang had enjoyed the privilege of being followed around like this.

However, Wei Yang didn’t have time to dwell on it. Spending more time with Brother Qi was definitely not a bad thing. Pushing open the door, he walked out with Zhang Xiuqi. It wasn’t until they were in the elevator that Wei Yang seemed to remember something, pursing his lips nervously and saying softly, “Oh, Brother Qi, I left the Talisman Jade on the nightstand yesterday. Did you see it? It was because of me that the Talisman Jade broke. I remember it was something your father left behind…”

“It’s not your fault,” Zhang Xiuqi interrupted coldly.

The elevator wasn’t large, and its walls were as smooth as mirrors. Although they weren’t facing each other, Wei Yang could see a flicker of emotion pass over Zhang Xiuqi’s icy face. Brother Qi must have seen the bag of broken jade pieces and known the reason why the Talisman Jade had shattered. He might even remember what had happened that day… If he remembered the Corpse Puppet, what about the Three Corpses? The Evil Buddha? The Household Immortal? They had faced so many dangers together and gone through so much. Would Brother Qi forget all of that?

Suddenly, Wei Yang began to doubt the whole “amnesia” story. And as doubt crept into his heart, Zhang Xiuqi’s cold expression took on a different meaning. Maybe Brother Qi hadn’t forgotten—maybe he just didn’t want to get too close to me anymore. But why? Because of the “enemies” Master Zeng had mentioned?

Although many thoughts flashed through his mind, Wei Yang didn’t let any of it show on his face. Instead, he smiled apologetically, “Regardless, it was something your father left behind. I don’t know how to make Talisman Jade, but if there’s anything I can do, just let me know. And that Bone Formation—I think we could try Sun Yunhe’s method. Didn’t he figure out a way for ordinary people to use Witch Bones?”

This immediately made Zhang Xiuqi’s expression even colder. He said bluntly, “No need. I can learn how to make Talisman Jade.”

And when you make one, will you give me a new one? Wei Yang’s gaze fell on Zhang Xiuqi’s tightly clenched fist, feeling a complicated emotion in his heart. No matter what Zhang Xiuqi was hiding, the ultimate goal probably wasn’t to deceive but rather stemmed from a more complex emotion. It’s fine. If he doesn’t want to say, I’ll just have to figure it out. It’s just shifting from a raising game to a puzzle game.

As if finding joy in the midst of hardship, Wei Yang didn’t argue. The elevator doors opened silently, and Zhang Xiuqi practically fled out of it. Wei Yang smiled silently and followed him out.

By the time they returned with breakfast, Zeng Jingxuan was already up. He merely glanced at the two of them who had gone out together and didn’t say a word. After breakfast, he gave a simple instruction, “I have some business to take care of today and probably won’t be back until noon. Xiao Qi, you shouldn’t continue drawing talismans today. It’s best to rest and wait until I return this evening.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Wei Yang, as if the words weren’t just meant for Zhang Xiuqi. Wei Yang naturally understood and nodded at Master Zeng with a smile, indicating that he would keep an eye on Zhang Xiuqi. Seeing one person expressionless and the other all smiles, Zeng Jingxuan shook his head and said nothing more, picking up his travel bag and heading out.

When the door closed, Zhang Xiuqi had already taken a step toward the study. Wei Yang cheerfully blocked his path, “Oh, Brother Qi, I contacted Heipi yesterday. He said the mounting master he found is available these next few days, and we can take the painting to him anytime. Since Master Zeng is out, I thought I’d take care of it today to put my mind at ease.”

He didn’t mention why he needed the mounting master or what the painting was, but Zhang Xiuqi still stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him. From that stony face, Wei Yang found what he was looking for. Brother Qi clearly knew what he was talking about. And that reward from exorcising evil—was it also something “very important”?

With a casual smile, Wei Yang said, “After all, it was you who discovered that thing, and only you understand what ‘fortune’ really means. Since you don’t have to work today, why not come with me?”

Although it was phrased as a question, Wei Yang’s tone didn’t leave much room for refusal. As expected, Zhang Xiuqi didn’t decline, though he frowned slightly before slowly walking over to stand beside him.

This silent action was sometimes more telling than words.

Wei Yang smiled, walked into the study, and took out the authentic work by Master Yuanji from the bookshelf. Although the painting-within-a-painting was fascinating, it couldn’t compare to understanding Zhang Xiuqi’s true thoughts. This was an opportunity Wei Yang wasn’t about to let slip by.