SQLJBFDTW Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Sharing a Bed, Purely Platonic Under the Covers

The poison of the elixir rampaged through his dantian and spiritual sea, an unquenchable inferno.

Inside Qingya Residence, a massive ice lotus bloomed halfway, its chilling aura almost frosting the surrounding furnishings, emitting a bone-piercing cold.

Yu Wei sat cross-legged within the ice lotus, his spiritual power flowing unrestrained. He had inscribed two Frost Soul incantations upon himself, now locked in a fierce battle against the elixir’s poison, which ceaselessly assailed his reason. He was half-immersed in raging flames, half-drowned in icy waters.

As always before, though agonizingly painful, the Frost Soul incantations would eventually subdue the poison. However, this time, Chao Jianxue’s words from the previous day relentlessly surfaced in Yu Wei’s mind, like a demonic whisper, causing him unbearable torment.

He knew it wasn’t merely the Spring Passion Pill’s effects at play; his own burgeoning desires were exacerbating the poison.

Without a tranquil mind, once a thought arose, a hundredfold more effort was required to suppress it.

—I like you staying here.

Such a simple sentence had completely transformed him.

He feared this change, for a fish out of water loses its ease and grace, gasping desperately for air, its throat lacerated by the dry atmosphere.

He knew Chao Jianxue chose his words to please, as seen in his usual banter with their master. Therefore, one couldn’t fully trust what came out of his mouth.

Gradually, his fevered thoughts cooled, the Frost Soul incantations gained the upper hand, suppressing his unruly desires.

The ice lotus petals slowly closed, gathering the overflowing spiritual power within. Frost formed on Yu Wei’s fingers as he performed the hand seals, and the elixir’s poison subsided…

“Little Junior Brother! Little Junior Brother!”

Within the ice lotus, Yu Wei’s eyes snapped open.

Outside Qingya Residence, Chao Jianxue, a little worried, had wrapped himself in a thick coat and come to check on him.

Standing outside the gate, he noticed the entire Qingya Residence was inexplicably covered in a layer of frost. He knew things inside couldn’t be good and hoped nothing had happened.

Before he came, Li Zhenzhen had asked, puzzled, “Why are you so concerned about Yu Wei? He’s not going to die anyway. With your mediocre skills, don’t meddle!”

That was the logical thing to do, but Chao Jianxue couldn’t bring himself to do it.

After all, Yu Wei had called him “Senior Brother” so many times, and the kid had always treated him well. He genuinely saw Yu Wei as a friend and junior brother.

At least this feeling wouldn’t affect his plan to delay Yu Wei’s ascension.

Chao Jianxue lingered at the gate for a while, but heard no response from Yu Wei. The gate was sealed with a barrier, so he circled around to the side window he had used before. He reached out and pushed, and sure enough, the window opened.

He still couldn’t enter, but he poked his head inside and saw the source of the cold air: a massive ice lotus in the room, refracting light like stained glass, creating a rainbow effect.

Through the translucent petals of the ice lotus, he saw Yu Wei sitting upright, looking at him with a complicated expression.

Chao Jianxue brightened and waved at him, grinning, “Little Junior Brother!”

With several “crack” sounds, countless fissures appeared on the ice lotus petals.

Chao Jianxue froze, then watched as Yu Wei tumbled out of the shattered ice lotus. The lotus shattered into a pool of icy water, soaking his clothes.

Yu Wei propped himself up from the icy water, looked up, and met his gaze.

Against the backdrop of the twilight clouds, his senior brother resembled a moonlit demon, observing his torment from afar.

A predatory glint flashed in his eyes, and Yu Wei raised his hand and slammed the window shut with a “thwack.”

Chao Jianxue’s nose was hit, and he staggered back, still stunned.

Had he just interrupted Yu Wei’s struggle against the elixir’s poison?

His good intentions had backfired. He sheepishly sat to the side, not daring to make a sound.

The temperature here was getting colder and colder, and he couldn’t bear it any longer. He hurried back to his own Qingxue Abode and snuggled under the thick blankets.

He fell asleep uneasily, only to wake up in the middle of the night shivering from the cold.

It was as if a cold air conditioner was blasting him. He curled up and trembled.

He drowsily opened his eyes and saw a figure in white standing by his bed. Chao Jianxue’s heart skipped a beat, and he almost screamed “Ghost!”

Upon closer inspection, it was Yu Wei.

He was still wearing the sky-blue clothes from the day, his hair unbound, draped casually over his shoulders, with droplets of water clinging to it.

His chin was sharp, his gaze fixed, like a cold, alluring specter come to claim his life.

Chao Jianxue patted his chest and said, “Why aren’t you sleeping in the middle of the night? You scared me!”

Yu Wei spoke softly, his voice ethereal: “I can’t sleep.”

Chao Jianxue got up and lit the lamp.

The soft light illuminated Yu Wei’s eyes. His face looked exhausted, with, surprisingly, a hint of dark circles under his eyes. Heaven knows how long he had been standing there. Did he plan to keep standing until he woke up?

“Is it because of the elixir’s poison?” Chao Jianxue asked.

Yu Wei stared at him for a long moment, not denying it, and nodded slightly.

“Senior Brother came to Qingya Residence today.”

Chao Jianxue said, “Yeah, I saw you weren’t doing well, so I left.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you come?”

Chao Jianxue was bewildered by the nonsensical question. He said matter-of-factly, “Of course it’s because I was worried about you. I remembered today was the day your poison would flare up.”

Yu Wei pursed his lips and remained silent, but his gaze was odd. Chao Jianxue began to feel uneasy.

He tentatively asked, “This time, could it be… you couldn’t suppress it?”

Yu Wei said, “Barely manageable.”

Chao Jianxue breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I was afraid I had disturbed you.”

This time, Yu Wei said, “If you did disturb me, is it not a bit excessive for Senior Brother to simply leave like that?”

Uh, so he came to confront him!

Chao Jianxue guiltily huddled further into the bed and said, “I didn’t think so much about it. Besides, didn’t you shut the window? I thought you were telling me to leave.”

Yu Wei: “Indeed.”

Chao Jianxue looked at him, finding him stranger and stranger. He leaned closer to sniff and exclaimed, “You didn’t drink, did you? Why are you talking so strangely?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Wei moved, taking a few steps closer to him. The moonlight enveloped him, and a few petals were still caught in his hair.

“Senior Brother, I have something I want to ask you…” He was so serious that Chao Jianxue also became nervous.

Could it be that his stealing the mind-method or consuming the demon core had been exposed, or that his demonic aura had been revealed?

Yu Wei was so observant; could he have revealed something somewhere?

He rapidly reviewed their interactions over the past month in his mind. It didn’t make sense!

Yu Wei’s eyes flickered, his lips pressed into a thin line, his face very solemn, the kind of solemnity that made him feel like he was about to lose ten pounds of flesh.

“…”

Chao Jianxue’s throat tightened. He had to think fast, think of some reason to explain!

He clutched the blanket, barely daring to breathe, his entire body tensed to the limit.

All of Yu Wei’s subtle expressions were intriguing, the hesitant opening of his mouth, the slightly furrowed brows, the eyes concealing something unresolved.

“Senior Brother,” Yu Wei said, “How… how do you see me?”

His cold, white skin was tinged with a faint blush in the moonlight.

Chao Jianxue’s mind went blank, then he breathed a great sigh of relief.

He relaxed against the wall and said with a laugh, “Little Junior Brother is very good.”

“Good in what way?” Yu Wei asked seriously.

Chao Jianxue counted on his fingers: “Good-looking, good personality, good cultivation. Actually, I used to have some prejudice against you, but after spending time together, I think you’re a friend worth making.”

He was speaking the truth. He had thought Yu Wei’s aloofness was deliberate, but it was just his personality, unwilling to reveal his emotions in front of others. He was truly a humble and virtuous “model student.”

Seeming cold, but actually kind-hearted.

When he was “Lu Renyi,” only he had extended a hand to him in the tumultuous waves, not mocking his overestimation of himself, not looking down on his efforts.

He would sincerely say “thank you” when trusted, worriedly call out “Senior Brother” when in danger, and never curse even when angry…

Although sometimes his thought processes were a bit strange, all in all, Yu Wei was a very good person!

Chao Jianxue was beginning to suspect that the so-called ascension slaughtering of the realm was because something had happened to Yu Wei, causing him to become demonized.

Hearing this, Yu Wei lowered his eyes and repeated, “Friends?”

“Of course!” Chao Jianxue said sincerely, “And my dear junior brother!”

Hearing this answer, Yu Wei smiled, but turned his head to the side and sneezed softly.

Chao Jianxue’s kindness overflowed. He lifted the blanket and said, “Come, come! Sleep with me, your hair is still wet, why don’t you use magic to dry it?”

“Does Senior Brother want to sleep with me in the same bed?”

How ambiguously he put it! But come to think of it, “sleep together” was just a formal way of saying it. Chao Jianxue nodded and patted the space next to him.

Yu Wei slowly walked over and sat down, his hair drying under the effects of magic.

Chao Jianxue grabbed him and pushed him down, covering him with the blanket.

This was the first time he was seeing Yu Wei from this angle, at this distance.

He vaguely felt something was strange, but Chao Jianxue was completely thrilled by the prospect of being honest with Yu Wei.

He lay on his side, propping his chin up with his hand, and looked at him, asking, “You asked me, but I haven’t asked you, how do you see me?”

Yu Wei said, “Before, I thought Senior Brother was bad, often causing me trouble, his behavior didn’t seem like that of a cultivator, I had to avoid him, as for anything else, I didn’t have much of an impression.”

Chao Jianxue pouted. “Got it, you’re talking about the ‘unimportant person.’ What about now? I want to hear about now!”

“Senior Brother is different from everyone else.”

Chao Jianxue asked expectantly, “Different in what way?”

Yu Wei turned his face to him: “Different in every way.”

His eyes were filled with shimmering light, like a brilliant galaxy.

Chao Jianxue received confirmation, and was overjoyed. He tried to maintain his composure, but his mouth gradually widened into a grin.

He lay flat and asked again, “Do I have to make you say it? Give a specific example!”

Yu Wei’s voice was gentle: “Resilient as spring grass, with the ambition of a pine tree, with the wisdom of a gem.”

“No! Too broad! I want a specific example.”

“For example… for example, when the Spider Demon surrounded us, Senior Brother broke through the demon barrier himself. For example, when crossing the Three Thousand Illusions, Senior Brother saw through everything. For example, during the Water Moon Valley incident, Senior Brother tried many times and didn’t give up. And for example, during the Immortal Sect Competition, Senior Brother stood up for me…”

When a person is special, everything they do is special.

Chao Jianxue laughed out loud: “That good?”

“Yes.”

Chao Jianxue felt like he was floating on air. Yu Wei was very good at praising people, making him smile so wide his mouth couldn’t close, turning his smile into a foolish one.

They were so close that Yu Wei could reach out and touch a strand of his hair, soft and delicate, completely enveloped in his palm that had always held a sword.

Senior Brother’s smile was very unrestrained and flamboyant, its color more vibrant than ripe berries.

He was completely unaware that his hair was being held, and when his eyes looked over, they were a colorful galaxy, making him dizzy.

Yu Wei was stunned for a moment, then said, “It’s just that sometimes, Senior Brother acts a bit rashly.”

Chao Jianxue chuckled. “I’m reckless, you’re proper, a perfect match of complementary friends, isn’t it great!”

Yu Wei nodded tentatively, but remembered that Chao Jianxue couldn’t see him nod, so he said “Okay.”

The two slept side by side, the candlelight dissolving into a wisp of smoke. The faint fragrance of plum blossoms mingled with the scent of lotus, Chao Jianxue found it pleasant and moved closer.

Yu Wei lay very straight, not even ruffling a strand of his hair.

Chao Jianxue lowered his voice and said with novelty, “This is the first time I’ve shared a bed with someone.”

After a moment, Yu Wei said, “Me too.”

This was the first time the junior brothers were so close and harmonious. Once they had opened up about their past grievances, Chao Jianxue felt completely comfortable from the bottom of his heart.

He and the protagonist were now good junior brothers sharing the same blanket!

But unexpectedly, two hours later, a sudden clap of thunder woke Chao Jianxue. His good junior brother was sitting up by the bed, coughing up blood.