The Greatest Happiness

This was hardly a secret.For the time being, the mission necessitated concealing the news that only White Snow Jade had been injured.Nor could this be considered an interrogation, for he and Wen Zhi were merely friends.

“Yes, I just returned this morning.”

“Oh.”

Wen Zhi uttered a soft murmur.

Xia Niansheng’s gaze fell upon her hand, which clutched a pair of chopsticks.

The lingering effects of her severe illness had left her increasingly gaunt.

Her wrist appeared so delicate to Xia Niansheng that he felt it might snap with even a slight application of force.

Having lost her cultivation, she was now frail even by ordinary standards.

Years ago, when she and White Snow Jade vied for the position of Saintess, her acclaim in certain aspects had even surpassed White Snow Jade’s.

However, a sudden poisoning, followed by a grave illness, had stripped her of everything.

White Snow Jade had then, quite naturally, assumed the mantle of Saintess.

While rumors had circulated, people readily believed that the meticulously composed White Snow Jade could never have committed such an act.

Eventually, the matter had faded into obscurity.

Nevertheless, Xia Niansheng, privy to the truth, knew for certain that White Snow Jade was indeed innocent in this affair.

Otherwise, Senior Aunt Xue, despite her inherent sense of justice, would never have spared her when her own disciple was involved.

She certainly wouldn’t still be assisting Qiu Yan.

Observing Wen Zhi delicately fumbling with her chopsticks, her movements soft and slow, Xia Niansheng noticed a faint tremor in her arm.

A pang of tenderness inevitably arose within him.

Yet, he knew he could not simply offer to feed her himself, at least not for the moment.

It wasn’t that such an act would be overly intimate; rather, it was Wen Zhi’s stubborn refusal to accept constant care from others.

Xia Niansheng sighed inwardly, ultimately refraining from any action.

Watching Wen Zhi chew her food in small, delicate bites, Xia Niansheng finally spoke:

“When the meal deliverer arrives later, I’ll have them take it back.”

Her meridians were damaged, and her eyes were sightless.

Wen Zhi possessed a gentle disposition, yet in certain matters, she was remarkably obstinate, refusing all assistance even in her current weakened state.

Senior Aunt Xue, understanding her disciple’s nature, had no choice but to compromise, later only assigning disciples to deliver her three daily meals.

Upon hearing his words, Wen Zhi’s hand, still clutching the chopsticks, paused for a moment.

“…They’ve already been here today.”

Xia Niansheng was taken aback.

“They came this early today?”

“The junior sister responsible for meal delivery had an assignment this afternoon, so she came a little earlier than usual.”

Xia Niansheng’s gaze flickered to Wen Zhi’s hand, still clutching the chopsticks.

“So, you’ve already eaten?”

Wen Zhi nodded softly, setting down her chopsticks before picking up a spoon to scoop a mouthful of rice, which she then chewed delicately.

“I didn’t want you to make a wasted trip.”

Xia Niansheng, who had initially felt a slight irritation that she hadn’t informed him she had already eaten, now felt a sudden constriction in his chest.

Even in her current state, she instinctively thought of others.

‘A supporting character?’

But viewed this way, those so-called protagonists seemed utterly repulsive.

Xia Niansheng picked up the chopsticks Wen Zhi had just set aside and settled cross-legged beside her.

Wen Zhi’s hand, suspended in mid-air, stiffened.

“Can you finish all that? You could have just told me, and we’d eat together.” Xia Niansheng spoke without ceremony.

Given her frail constitution, Wen Zhi’s appetite was naturally quite small.

“I came to visit you, Senior Sister, not just to deliver food. It could never be a wasted trip.” Xia Niansheng added, his tone gentle.

Wen Zhi’s eyelashes fluttered subtly; she couldn’t shake the feeling that something about Xia Niansheng felt different at this moment.

Her cheeks flushed a faint rosy hue, yet she felt no offense, and began to eat alongside Xia Niansheng.

The Heavenly Spirit Sect had never advocated asceticism or fasting for its cultivators; it was always open-minded, and the dishes served in the common disciples’ mess hall were reputedly quite palatable.

A subtle atmosphere seemed to settle in the air, and the two of them ate in comfortable silence, without much conversation.

Once Wen Zhi had finished every last morsel in the lunchbox, Xia Niansheng produced a handkerchief and offered it to her.

“Wipe your mouth.”

Taking the handkerchief, Wen Zhi delicately dabbed at the corners of her lips.

The handkerchief carried Xia Niansheng’s distinctive scent.

It was not overpowering, but rather fresh and subtly warm.

As Wen Zhi wiped her mouth, her fingers unconsciously tightened around the fabric.

Meanwhile, Xia Niansheng began to unhurriedly clear the table.

Wen Zhi’s clouded eyes fixed on Xia Niansheng’s movements, though her vision perceived only a boundless void, not even truly black.

“Junior Brother, you are still so gentle.”

Xia Niansheng felt no particular emotion upon hearing her words, yet a bitter smile involuntarily touched his lips.

In his previous life, although he had indeed entertained the idea of “clinging to the protagonist’s coattails,” he had always maintained a friendly demeanor when interacting with others.

Both Senior Aunt Xue and Wen Zhi were individuals of profound integrity.

Yet, neither of them had met a favorable fate.

Xia Niansheng offered no reply to her comment, instead speaking softly:

“Senior Sister, I’ve found a way to treat you.”

Wen Zhi, upon hearing these words, displayed none of the expected surprise or delight.

Instead, her body trembled imperceptibly for a fleeting second before her expression settled into profound calm.

She shook her head.

“There’s no need to waste your time on me.”

For a long time after her illness began, Senior Aunt Xue had tirelessly scoured the land for rare medicines and renowned physicians, all in an effort to cure Wen Zhi.

Over the subsequent years, Wen Zhi had ingested countless remedies and consulted innumerable so-called master healers.

Yet, none had yielded any discernible effect.

It had all been in vain.

She couldn’t even manage to restore her debilitated body to health.

After a prolonged period of futile attempts, she had begun to resist taking medicine and any further ineffective treatments.

She hadn’t broken down before Senior Aunt Xue, but one day, she had calmly stated to her, “Master, there’s no need to continue the treatments.”

Wen Zhi possessed her own brand of stubbornness; she harbored no desire to become a burden or inconvenience to anyone.

Senior Aunt Xue, holding a bowl of bitter herbal medicine, had remained silent for a long while, and Wen Zhi had surmised that she was simply nodding gently.

Yet, even after that, Xia Niansheng had not given up.

Though he didn’t frantically search for cures like one afflicted with madness, Wen Zhi knew that he had always been attentive, constantly looking out for her welfare.

After losing her former brilliance, many disciples from the Heavenly Spirit Sect, as well as her once-close friends, had initially come to visit her.

However, over time, the visitors dwindled, and the weeds in her courtyard grew ever thicker.

Eventually, her abode became utterly deserted.

In the end, apart from her Master, only Xia Niansheng had persistently continued to visit her.

She harbored no resentment, understanding that her future diverged significantly from that of everyone else in the sect.

For Xia Niansheng to still care for her under such circumstances was, in itself, a form of happiness.

Though her vision was a chaotic blur, she could clearly perceive the ultimate destination of her life.

However, what she had once perceived as genuine camaraderie or admiration now, in retrospect, seemed tainted by flattery and sycophancy.

It was a realization that brought an unavoidable sense of despondency.

Her body was fragile; she might not live for many more years, and a future seemed nonexistent.

To expend thought, precious medicinal ingredients, and vital energy, when the likelihood of any positive outcome was minuscule, would inevitably mean expending hope.

Hope, after all, was a consumable, a volatile blend of desire and expectation.

Having lost both her cultivation and her sight, a significant portion of her sense of security had vanished.

She simply could not bear another outcome where hope was utterly crushed.

“Just like this, it’s already a great happiness.”

Xia Niansheng gazed into Wen Zhi’s clouded eyes, noting the complete absence of color within them.

It was precisely this lack of discernible emotion that hinted at the faint, underlying loneliness residing behind those clouded depths.

To his astonishment, Xia Niansheng even caught a glimpse of his past self in those eyes—the shadow of the broken man he had become in his previous life.

A profound self-loathing had resided there.

The crucial difference, however, was that the underlying strength in her gaze far surpassed his own.

In a sudden flash of insight, he recalled the words Wen Zhi had spoken to him in his previous life, when he had found himself in a similar predicament.

With a soft voice, Xia Niansheng then spoke:

“To possess the capacity for resistance—that is the greatest happiness.”

****