The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 58: It Seems This Seat Is Getting Confused

Mo Ran's tolerance for alcohol was actually quite decent.

However, on this New Year's Eve night, despite his unease, he had pretended to be carefree and drank five whole jars of Apricot Blossom White. By the end, his consciousness had started to blur.

Shi Mo carried him back, half-dragging, half-cradling, and when they reached the bed, Mo Ran's throat moved as he tried to call out Shi Mo's name.

But habits were terrifying things.

For so many years, the person by his side hadn't been the moonlight in his heart but rather a mosquito's blood he had grown tired of seeing.

When he spoke, the name that still came out was that of the man he thought he hated.

"Chu Wanning..."

Muddled and unclear.

"Wanning... I..."

Shi Mo paused in confusion and turned to look at Chu Wanning, who was standing by the door. Chu Wanning had just carried Xue Meng back to their bedroom and now entered with a bowl of hangover soup, coincidentally hearing Mo Ran's whisper.

After his initial shock, he immediately convinced himself that he must have misheard.

After all, Mo Ran always addressed him as Shifu, and calling Chu Wanning by his name was understandable. But "Wanning"—

He couldn't help but recall the time at the Red Lotus Water Pavilion when they slept in each other's arms. In his sleep, Mo Ran had clearly called out "Wanning," followed by a light kiss on the lips.

Could it be that Mo Ran still held onto some feelings for—

This thought barely had time to take root before he forcefully suppressed it.

Chu Wanning was always decisive and straightforward, but when it came to matters of the heart, Shi Mo thought of himself as a cowardly, indecisive person.

"Shifu," Shi Mo's enchanting, gentle eyes held a hint of suspicion as he looked at him hesitantly, "You…."

"Hmm?"

"…Actually, it's nothing. Since Shifu is here taking care of Ah Ran, I'll… I'll leave first."

Chu Wanning said, "Wait a moment."

"Is there anything else, Master?"

Chu Wanning replied, "Are you all leaving for Peach Blossom Spring tomorrow?"

"…Yes."

Chu Wanning's expression was neutral. After a while, he spoke, "Go get some rest. Take care of each other when you're outside, and—"

He paused before he said, "Remember to come back sooner."

Shi Mo left.

Chu Wanning approached the bed with an expressionless face and helped Mo Ran sit up, feeding him the hangover soup spoon by spoon.

Mo Ran disliked the tart taste and soon vomited it all out. After spitting it out, he became slightly more sober. He opened his eyes, gazing at Chu Wanning in a half-awake, half-asleep state, mumbling, "Shifu?"

"Mm. I'm here."

"Pff." He chuckled again, his dimples deepening as he said, "Immortal Big Brother."

Chu Wanning: "......"

After saying that, he fell back asleep, face down.

Worried that he might catch a cold, Chu Wanning stayed by his side, periodically tucking the blanket around him.

Outside the bedroom, many disciples were still awake. It was customary in the Mortal cultivation world to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Most people were gathered in groups in their rooms, telling jokes, playing cards, or performing magic tricks.

When the water clock hanging in front of the Heart of Alchemy Pavilion dripped its last drop, signaling the transition into the new year, the disciples emerged from their rooms and started lighting fireworks and firecrackers. The night sky was instantly filled with shimmering silver blossoms and trees of fire.

Half-awake, Mo Ran was roused by the deafening noise outside.

Opening his eyes, he held his aching temples and saw Chu Wanning sitting beside his bed, his serene and handsome face devoid of much emotion. Upon noticing Mo Ran's awakening, he merely said coolly, "Did I disturb your sleep?"

"Shifu..."

Upon regaining full consciousness, he shuddered involuntarily.

Why was Chu Wanning the one by his side? What about Shi Mo?

Had he said something in his sleep that he shouldn't have?

Mo Ran stole glances at Chu Wanning's expression, relieved to see that the latter seemed unaffected, allowing him to relax slightly.

Firecrackers crackled outside, and the two of them gazed at each other in an awkward silence for a moment.

Chu Wanning: "Want to watch the fireworks?"

Mo Ran: "Where's Shi Mo?"

The questions were spoken almost simultaneously.

It was too late to take them back now.

Somewhat surprised, Mo Ran's eyes widened slightly as if he had never known this person before. He stared at Chu Wanning's face for a long while.

After a moment of silence, Chu Wanning got up as if it didn't matter at all. As he pushed the door open, he turned his face halfway. "We're both staying up for New Year's Eve. He probably hasn't gone to sleep yet. Go find him."

Indeed, with his terrible temper, even if he had staked all his courage to ask for a single night of fireworks together, the answer would have been rejection.

He should have known better than to ask; it was embarrassing.

Back at the Red Lotus Water Pavilion, Chu Wanning sat alone beneath the ever-blooming peach blossom tree, draped in a warm cloak against the chill, gazing at the shimmering fireworks in the sky.

In the distant glow, the warm lights of his disciples' dwellings shone, their laughter and merriment echoing, but having little to do with him.

He should have been accustomed to this isolation by now.

Yet, inexplicably, his heart felt heavy.

Perhaps it was the contrast between the festivity he had just witnessed and the solitude that awaited him here that made it especially painful.

Silent, he watched the fireworks burst and fade, one after another. People wished each other a joyous New Year's Eve in-between the eruptions, three or five times.

Leaning against the tree, Chu Wanning closed his eyes, feeling weary.

After an indeterminate time, he sensed someone intruding into the barrier.

A faint stirring in his heart was met with hesitation as he dared not open his eyes. Not until he heard the soft breaths and the familiar footsteps approaching, then pausing nearby.

The young voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

"Master."

Chu Wanning: "............"

"I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"..."

"It'll be a long time before I return."

"..."

"I thought that there's really nothing to do tonight, and we have to wake up early tomorrow. Shi Mo should already be asleep, he won't be staying up for New Year's Eve."

Footsteps sounded again, this time drawing even closer, halting just a short distance away.

Mo Ran said, "So if you're still willing, I..." He opened his mouth, but the rest of his sentence was drowned out by a magnificent, boisterous display of fireworks.

Chu Wanning gently unfurled his eyelids, lifting his gaze upwards to behold the resplendent starry expanse of the night sky, where speckles of silver frost and ethereal sparkles descended like scattered blossoms. Standing before him was a handsome youth, his countenance revealing a blend of seven parts compassion and three parts bashful embarrassment.

"..."

Chu Wanning was notoriously proud, never deigning to accept the company born of others' sympathy. Yet, at this moment, as he gazed at him, he found himself unable to utter a single word of refusal.

Perhaps it was the intoxicating effect of the burning wine on his own heart.

At that moment, Chu Wanning felt a bittersweet warmth fill his chest.

"Since you're here, sit down," he finally said softly. "I'll watch with you."

He looked up at the sky with an indifferent expression, but his fingers in his sleeves secretly curled from nervousness. He didn't dare to look too closely at the person beside him, only watching as fireworks blossomed on the horizon, illuminating the long night with a scattering of colors.

Chu Wanning asked softly, "How have things been these days?"

"Mm," Mo Ran replied. "I've met a particularly adorable junior apprentice brother. I mentioned him in my letters to Shifu. How is Shifu's injury?"

"No worries. Don't blame yourself."

A fireworks display burst and scattered into a magnificent array of colors.

That night, the sky was illuminated with fireworks and the scent of gunpowder lingered in the snowy air amidst the sounds of firecrackers. They sat beneath a blossoming tree to welcome the New Year. Chu Wanning was not talkative, so Mo Ran initiated conversation, eventually growing tired and falling asleep unintentionally.

The next morning, Mo Ran awoke to find himself still under the flower tree, his head resting on Chu Wanning's knees. He was covered with a soft and luxurious fox fur cloak, its smooth fur meticulously crafted – it was Chu Wanning's own garment for keeping warm.

Mo Ran was slightly startled. Looking up, he saw that Chu Wanning was sleeping soundly against the tree trunk. His eyelashes drooped, their delicate length fluttering gently with each breath like a butterfly in the breeze.

They had actually fallen asleep under the tree like that?

That didn't seem right.

Given Chu Wanning's obsessive-compulsive nature, he would have returned to the house to sleep, no matter how exhausted he was. Why would he choose to rest haphazardly under a tree, and even provide Mo Ran with this fox fur cloak...

Did he cover Mo Ran with it?

Mo Ran sat up, his jet-black hair somewhat disheveled. With wide eyes, still wearing Chu Wanning's cloak, he felt a bit lost and unsure of what to do.

Yesterday, he hadn't been that drunk. Although some details were hazy, the general sequence of events was still clear in his mind.

As for deliberately going to the Red Lotus Water Pavilion to spend New Year's Eve with Chu Wanning, he had made that decision while fully conscious.

He had once loathed this person so much, yet when he heard him ask, "Want to watch the fireworks?" and saw him turn away in disappointment, walking off alone with his head bowed, he found himself feeling... upset.

Thinking that they wouldn't meet again for a long time, and considering their lifetime of grievances weren't that deep, Chu Wanning was so solitary – it wouldn't hurt to accompany him occasionally until dawn.

So he had come over without any qualms.

Looking back now, he realized how truly...

Before he could finish his thought, Chu Wanning stirred awake.

Mo Ran stammered, "Shifu."

"…Mm." The newly awakened man furrowed his brow slightly, holding his temple as he rubbed it. "You... haven't left yet?"

"I... I just woke up."

Mo Ran found that his usually eloquent tongue tended to stumble and tie itself into knots whenever he encountered Chu Wanning's indifferent expression lately.

After a brief moment of awkwardness, Mo Ran suddenly remembered that Chu Wanning's cloak was still draped over him. He hastily removed it and clumsily wrapped it back around the other man's shoulders.

As he draped the cloak over Chu Wanning, Mo Ran noticed that despite the layers of clothing beneath his robe, the man lacked a proper coat for warmth in the snowy landscape, looking somewhat vulnerable.

This thought made his actions more frenzied, and as he fiddled with the ties, he inadvertently entangled his own fingers in them.

Mo Ran: "..............."

Chu Wanning glanced at him, reached out to undo the mess, and said coolly, "I'll do it myself."

"......Okay."

He then added in a stammer, "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing."

Mo Ran stood up and hesitated for a moment. "Shifu, I'm going to pack my things and have breakfast before setting off."

"Mm."

"…Would you like to join me for breakfast?" Damn it! He wished he could bite his tongue after saying that! What was he thinking, inviting Chu Wanning along?

Perhaps sensing the immediate regret on Mo Ran's face, Chu Wanning paused for a moment before replying, "There's no need. You go ahead."

Mo Ran, afraid that he might say something even more outrageous if he stayed longer, said, "I'll go first, then..."

"Alright," Chu Wanning said.

After Mo Ran left, Chu Wanning sat expressionlessly under the tree for a while. He then leaned against the trunk and slowly got up but didn't move.

His legs had gone numb from being used as a pillow by Mo Ran all night; he couldn't feel a thing and couldn't walk at all.

He stood silently under the tree for a long time, waiting for his circulation to return. Only then did Chu Wanning drag his legs and limp back into the house.

Sure enough, after spending the freezing night outdoors, even though there was no snow accumulation under the flowering crabapple tree, he still caught a chill.

"Achoo!"

He sneezed, and his eyes immediately reddened with tears.

As he covered his nose with a handkerchief, Chu Wanning thought to himself, Oh no... it seems like... I've caught a cold...

Elder Yu Heng.

Possessing three divine weapons, he was the current grandmaster sought after by all sects in the cultivation world. The appearance of his Heavenly Inquiry sword left all four seas in awe, and his white-robed descent made the world colorless.

Such a formidable figure could be said to be the strongest warrior of their generation.

Unfortunately, even the strongest had their weaknesses, and Chu Wanning's weakness was his fear of the cold. A little chill would easily give him a headache or fever. So on the day Mo Ran and Shi Mo left the Summit of Life and Death, not only did Master Chu's medicine wear off, reverting him back to his small form, but he also began sneezing and running a nose without surprise.

Thus, when the Feathered tribe came to fetch them in the middle of the day, they found a healthy Xue Meng, Mo Ran, and Shi Mo, along with their poor little junior brother "Xia Sini," who couldn't stop sneezing.

Author's Note:

Dramatic Interlude: "The Proper Way to Engage in a Drinking Contest with Elder Yu Heng"

Xue Meng: Master, Master! May your blessings be as boundless as the Eastern Sea and your longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain! I'll lead the toast... Glug glug...

Chu Wanning: Very well, drink it.

After a cup, Xue Meng found himself flat on his back.

Shi Mo: Master, let me join you in a cup as well. Here's to you, bottoms up.

Chu Wanning: Very well, I'll drink it.

Shi Mo: Master, please have another cup.

Chu Wanning: Alright, I'll drink it.

Shi Mo: Master, one more...

Chu Wanning: Alright, I'll drink it.

Shi Mo: Master...

After four cups, Shi Mo falls flat.

Mo Ran: Happy New Year, Master. I'll drink to your health first.

God of Wine Chu Wanning: Alright, bottoms up.

Mo Ran: What are we drinking?

Chu Wanning: Wine, didn't you say you'll drink to my health first?

Mo Ran: (Smiles radiantly) Yes, bottoms up, with the fourth tone.