The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 50: This Seat Likes You

As a person who cherished his weapon, Chu Wanning was too furious to find words in this situation.

He must have seen a fool.

In the nearby flower grove, Mo Ran summoned Jian Gui. Divine weapons could expand and shrink at will, but most people preferred to make them larger for a grand appearance, or at least maintain their normal size like Chu Wanning did with Tianwen. Yet, Mo Ran made Jian Gui tiny, roughly the same length and thickness as a hair tie, adorned with delicate leaves. The mighty divine weapon looked like a pitiful little thing.

Each person's spiritual energy was unique; when Chu Wanning infused Tianwen with his, it turned golden. However, Jian Gui glowed red.

Disregarding the willow leaf, Jian Gui appeared to be just like the red thread of fate from the Matchmaker God…

"Shi Mo, tie this around your wrist. I want to know if Jian Gui can also force the truth out of someone like Tianwen does."

"Eh... you want to use me as a test subject?"

Mo Ran chuckled. "Yes, because we're closest, and I trust that you'd never lie to me."

Shi Mo still hesitated. "That's true, but..."

"Oh dear, I promise not to ask any tricky questions. If you don't believe me, let's pinky swear?"

As he spoke, he extended his little finger.

Shi Mo couldn't help but laugh and sigh, "How old are you now? Still acting so childish?"

"Pinky swear or not, it's valid at eight, eighteen, and even eighty-eight. What's so childish about that?" With a mischievous grin, Mo Ran grabbed Shi Mo's right hand and bent his little finger. Shi Mo was both amused and annoyed, but in the end, he had no choice but to let him be.

To his surprise, instead of hooking their fingers, Mo Ran held onto Shi Mo's little finger and narrowed his eyes, chuckling, "Devil, do your work."

The Devil swiftly tied Shi Mo's little finger with a thread, attaching the other end to Mo Ran's still-outstretched digit.

The handsome youth smiled like a cunning fox who had attained enlightenment, his dimples deepening as he said gleefully, "Congratulations, you've been tricked."

Shi Mo was exasperated yet amused, "You!... Let me go right now."

"No rush, no rush," Mo Ran chuckled. "I'll let you go after a few questions."

Actually, ever since Jin Chengchi obtained the Longing for Love, and Shi Mo failed to open the box, Mo Ran had felt uneasy.

Despite the fact that Shi Mo had been wearing gloves and hadn't directly touched Changshangxiu, Mo Ran still couldn't quite let it go, especially since it was Chu Wanning who had ultimately opened the box.

Chu Wanning… How could that be possible?

So Mo Ran decided that there must be something wrong with Changshangxiu.

To confirm this, he thought it best to consult the ghost again.

He had no doubt about his sincerity towards Shi Mo, but he was deeply worried that he might not hold any significance in Shi Mo's heart. As for Jin Chengchi's confession of love, it might just have been a figment of his imagination.

He believed that Shi Mo had a gentle nature and treated everyone kindly. Unlike Chu Wanning, who always wore an unapproachable scowl as if everyone owed him mountains of gold and silver, making him utterly disliked by others.

Though Heaven-Stepping Lord appeared rough on the surface, when it came to his beloved, the man could easily torment himself with endless worries.

"Firstly," Mo Ran smiled, attempting to appear relaxed and casual despite his unease. He decided to start with some harmless questions to pave the way.

"What do you think of Xue Meng?"

A twinge of pain in his finger made Shi Mo unable to resist being truthful. "Young Master is very good, but his straightforwardness can sometimes be unbearable."

Mo Ran clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Eh? There’s actually a time when you can’t stand him? Hahaha, no wonder, considering how much he despises others."

Shi Mo blushed. "…Speak softly, don't let Young Master hear us."

"Alright, alright." Mo Ran chuckled. "But I'm particularly happy when you speak ill of him."

Shi Mo: "…."

Mo Ran asked again, "Then, what do you think of our Master?"

"Master is very good, it's just that his temper is a little…" It seemed Shi Mo was very reluctant to comment on Chu Wanning, but bound by the ghost, he bit his lip for a while before still saying in a grievance, "His temper is rather explosive."

"Haha, where's explosive? It's clearly extremely explosive. He gets angry every now and then, and yet he refuses to admit it. Even the Empress would be easier to serve than him."

Chu Wanning, standing in the corner: "………………"

Mo Ran suddenly became curious and asked, "If you know that Master has a bad temper, why did you choose to become his disciple?"

Shi Mo replied, "Master may seem cold, but he has a kind heart. My talents aren't as good as others, yet he never thinks me foolish. He says there's no distinction in teaching, so since I'm not skilled in combat, he taught me healing and restoration techniques. He... He treats me very well."

Mo Ran had been laughing heartily until he heard this, and his smile suddenly faded, replaced by silence.

After a moment, Mo Ran said, "How did he treat you well? He just taught you some spells and occasionally looked out for you. Any other master would have done the same."

"That's not the same—"

Mo Ran suddenly became displeased, puffing up his cheeks. "Anyway, he didn't treat you well! I could have done everything he did for you!"

Shi Mo fell silent.

In this awkward silence, Mo Ran gradually calmed the flames of anger in his heart. Seeing Shi Mo looking down without speaking, he felt a pang of guilt and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Shi Mo replied. But after a moment, he added abruptly, "A few years before you came to the Peak of Life and Death, I was walking on the road when it suddenly started pouring rain."

"At that time, I hadn't yet become Master's disciple. While running in the rain, I encountered him. He held a red oiled paper umbrella, and when he saw me struggling, he let me take shelter under it. I had long heard of his cold reputation, so I was incredibly nervous walking beside him."

"What happened then?"

With a gentle expression, Shi Mo continued, "Then? Then we walked the whole way without saying a word."

Mo Ran nodded in agreement. "He's such a reserved person; there really isn't much to talk about with him."

"Yes," Shi Mo smiled. "Master doesn't say much. But when he dropped me off at the door, I thanked him. Suddenly, I noticed that his right shoulder was completely drenched, while I'd been standing on his left the whole time and hadn't gotten a single drop of rain on me."

Mo Ran: "…"

"The oil paper umbrella was very small, actually only big enough for one person. He shielded most of it over me. As I watched him walk away in the rain, I wrote a letter requesting to become his disciple when I got back inside."

"Stop," Mo Ran said suddenly. "Your heart is too kind. If you keep talking, I'll start feeling sorry for you."

Shi Mo spoke softly. "Ah Ran, don't you think Master is the one who's pitiful? He only had that tiny umbrella because he's always walked alone, with no one willing to accompany him. So, when Master is stricter with me or scolds me more, I don't mind. Because I remember his soaked shoulder."

Mo Ran fell silent, his nose slightly reddened as a faint ache swelled in his heart.

That ache was somewhat vague, and all of a sudden, he wasn't sure who this feeling was truly for.

"Ah Ran, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Are you particularly averse to your Master?"

Mo Ran was taken aback. "I..."

"Or perhaps you don't like him?"

As Shi Mo asked this, his usually tranquil and gentle gaze somehow appeared sharp. Mo Ran was completely unguarded against him and, under such piercing scrutiny, he found himself suddenly at a loss for words.

With his head lowered, Mo Ran neither nodded nor shook it. After a long while, he forced a smile. "Oh dear, wasn't I the one asking the questions? I got tangled up in your reply. How's that possible?"

Seeing that he avoided the topic, Shi Mo, with his perceptive mind, didn't push for an answer and merely chuckled. "I was just casually asking. You don't need to dwell on it."

"Okay." Mo Ran composed himself and then lifted his eyes, peering through his thick eyelashes at Shi Mo's moonlit face.

Originally, his third question was going to be about whether Shi Mo liked him. But after this conversation, his mood had abruptly turned heavy. Pressing his lips together in silence for a moment, Mo Ran suddenly said, "He's my Master, and that's all there is to it. There's no question of liking or disliking."

Upon hearing these words, Chu Wanning, standing in the shadows, felt his lashes flutter slightly, like the quivering wings of a wounded butterfly.

Though some matters were as clear as a mirror in his heart, the confirmation still left him feeling adrift and with a sinking heart. Perhaps the autumn chill had come too early, for Chu Wanning suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

In the distance, Mo Ran and Shi Mo were engaged in conversation. He closed his eyes, feeling a slight wave of nausea wash over his mind once more.

Suddenly, he felt utterly exhausted and turned to leave.

But after only a few steps, Mo Ran's voice, carried by the autumn breeze, faintly reached his ears, compelling him to pause involuntarily.

Mo Ran was asking Shi Mo his third question: "Alright, you've mentioned Xue Meng and our Master. Now, tell me about myself."

He tried to minimize any trace of concern in his voice, asking cautiously, almost submissively:

"Shi Mo, what do you think of me?"

Shi Mo, however, fell silent all of a sudden.

Like Tianwen, the ghost seemed to possess the power to extract the truth, and as Shi Mo resisted answering, its glow intensified, gripping Shi Mo's fingertips tightly.

Shi Mo frowned, "It hurts..."

"I just want you to say one word," Mo Ran's heart ached, but this question had been buried deep within him across both lifetimes, almost becoming an obsession, so he persisted, "How do you see me?"

Shi Mo shook his head and closed his eyes, seemingly in great pain. His delicate eyelashes trembled, and fine beads of sweat started to form on his forehead.

"..." Seeing him like this, Mo Ran's heart softened, and he sighed. "Forget it..."

Just as he was about to withdraw the Ghost, Shi Mo reached his limit. His face turned as white as parchment, and he rasped, "I think you're... very good."

Mo Ran's eyes widened abruptly.

After Shi Mo said those words, his originally pale complexion flushed red. He seemed to be regretting his words, lowering his eyelids and not daring to look at Mo Ran.

The Ghost transformed into specks of red light, fluttering back into Mo Ran's palm like withered petals. Unable to contain himself, Mo Ran lowered his head and chuckled softly. When he looked up at Shi Mo again, there was a warm, blossoming smile in the corners of his eyes.

His voice held a hint of a lazy smile, but his eyes were slightly moist as he said, "Thank you. I also think you're very good. Although I've already told you this in Jin Chengchi, you don't remember it. So I want to say it again, you really... are very likable."

Though he didn't specify what kind of 'likable' he meant, Shi Mo's neck still turned red, leaving him unable to utter a word.

Mo Ran's deep, obsidian eyes gazed at him. The luster in his eyes was so clear, like stars immersed in the sea, with gentle waves surging up to the galaxy.

"I want to treat you well and make you happy."

Shi Mo was no fool; he could easily read the affection in Mo Ran's gaze and couldn't help but lower his head.

Mo Ran found himself moved, and couldn't resist reaching out to touch Shi Mo's hair. But before he could make contact, a sudden flash of golden light appeared, followed by a sharp crack as a vine whip struck Mo Ran's face.

"Ah!" Mo Ran winced in pain and turned back in shock.

There stood Chu Wanning, dressed in a snow-white robe with his hands behind his back, standing by the green eaves and white walls, coldly overlooking them. Tianwen, like a venomous snake, hissed as it coiled on the ground, its leaves rustling and occasionally sparking with fiery embers, emitting a trail of golden light.

Shi Mo exclaimed, "Master..."

Mo Ran covered his face and echoed, "Master."

So what if he was disliked? So what if he wasn't liked?

Others might have wept bitterly, but for Chu Wanning...to cry? Preposterous. Of course, he would teach that clueless one a lesson instead.

Chu Wanning's expression was extremely cold as he strolled over, saying icily, "Not focusing on your cultivation, but chatting idly here? Mo Weiyu, do you think obtaining the last divine weapon makes you invincible? Do you believe you have triumphed and are unmatched? You have quite the leisurely disposition."

"Master, I just wanted to..."

Chu Wanning's gaze was fierce, and Mo Ran fell silent.

"Shi Mingjing, spar with me," he said, pausing for a moment before adding with disdain, "Go practice. If you can't last more than ten moves against me when I come to spar with you, go back and copy the Heart-Cleansing Mantra three hundred times. Scram."

Ten moves?

Mo Ran felt it would be better to just go ahead and copy the Heart-Cleansing Mantra right now.

The author has something to say:

Master might be shocked not only because the fish is flirting with Shi Mo, but also because it's bullying Ghost-seeing 2333

Come on, let's bet again. The sexy croupier in Macau is dealing the cards. The next chapter is "Jin Chengchi Hides His Injuries, Why Does Chu Wanning Abandon Treatment." Let's guess what's wrong with Master. If anyone gets it right... after the entire story is finished, I'll add a luxurious sports car to the bonus chapter!! Slap that doggy head of Racing Fish with a vengeance~

ps. Friendly reminder, no more healing-in-the-bath scenes, so don't bother guessing. There won't be any more, hahaha. What's the point of rehashing old plots (≧▽≦)~