I only have you

Consciousness slowly began to stir.

His body registered a gentle, rhythmic jostling.

Soft fabric pressed closely against his face.

Above, the moon had already climbed to its zenith.

“What in the…?”

Yún Mù instinctively attempted to sit up, but his arms remained immobile, as if trapped by something unseen.

With each subtle jolt of his body, he brushed against a soft expanse.

He awoke with a jolt, the unfamiliar surroundings instantly registering in his vision.

Looking closer, his eyes were met with a blush of cherry pink.

Recalling the forceful kiss from moments ago, his face flushed, and he began to grasp the current situation.

“Miss Xúnyī… where exactly are you taking me?”

He spoke slowly, feeling the person beneath him give a slight tremor, followed by a hesitant, fragmented explanation.

“Ah, Yún, Yún Mù, you’re awake?”

Shangguan Xúnyī evaded the crux of the matter with a question of her own, stammering with a crimson face, her maiden heart still in disarray.

She had carried the young man for a considerable distance.

Beyond merely escaping the Shangguan family as quickly as possible, her predominant thought was how to face him once he awoke.

After all, he had previously shown resistance towards her.

Given such an abrupt assault, the young woman worried deeply that he might label her as frivolous in his heart, and even more so, that he might come to despise her.

“I intend to… take you away from the Shangguan family?”

“Leave the Shangguan family?

Miss Xúnyī… you really don’t have to do this.

I was willing to stay there…”

The image of Lín Xīzhī carrying him away all those years ago surfaced in the young man’s mind.

At that time, he had been even younger than he was now, yet his words had been, “Whatever Master says, this disciple will do.”

Ultimately, however, his Master had lost her life because of it.

Though he refused to believe others when they claimed he was the one who had brought about his Master’s death, he could not deny that, to this day, almost everyone close to him had met an unfortunate end.

Thus, subconsciously, he still felt an urge to distance himself from others.

“Miss Xúnyī, you don’t need to do all this for me.

I was eating well and living comfortably there, so why should I leave?”

He attempted to struggle, only to find his body utterly limp, devoid of any strength whatsoever.

He could only continue asking,

“Why… why are you so insistent on taking me away?”

“I… if I tell you, promise me you won’t hate my little sister because of it, alright?

And don’t resent Senior Lín Xīzhī either…”

“Hate your little sister?

Are you referring to Miss Qiūyuè?”

Yún Mù paused, a flicker of understanding dawning in his heart.

“Rest assured, I won’t hate her for this.

And of course… I could never hate Master.”

The young woman softly hummed in acknowledgement.

While she certainly envied the close bond between them, she had no desire to diminish Shangguan Qiūyuè’s standing in the young man’s heart to elevate her own importance.

In her mind, Shangguan Qiūyuè had always been a good child, a kind child.

Even though almost everything had originated because of her, it was difficult for Shangguan Xúnyī to direct the spearhead of her inner resentment towards her.

At least, for now, that remained true.

“Actually, when Senior Lín Xīzhī brought you back…”

She still hesitated, drawing out the end of her sentence before finally explaining,

“It was merely… to serve as a medicinal catalyst for my little sister.”

The young man remained silent, letting out a soft sigh.

These were things he had known for a long time.

What he hadn’t known was that Shangguan Xúnyī was also aware of the matter.

Now, recalling the words he had spoken to her just days ago, he felt a strange sense of pathos.

He had uttered those hurtful words with the explicit intention of making her despise him, so that she wouldn’t grieve his death, hence his resolute stance.

Now, however, it seemed he had been overly cautious… no, rather, he had been a little presumptuous.

Yet, if he truly had another chance, would he choose not to speak those words?

The answer would still be no.

“Yún Mù, are you feeling upset?

But I must tell you, my little sister truly doesn’t know about this, so her kindness towards you is genuine.

Please, don’t hate her, alright?”

The young woman hastily explained.

“Senior Lín Xīzhī as well; though she knew, she… but didn’t she later try to take you away?”

“Sister Xúnyī, thank you…”

The sudden address sent a tremor through the young woman’s delicate frame.

It had been a long time since she had heard herself called ‘Sister’.

Since three years ago, or perhaps even five years ago, the young man had ceased addressing her in that manner.

What seemed like a simple title was, in fact… a sign of growing distance in their relationship.

Just as Shangguan Qiūyuè was always insistent on Yún Mù calling her Qiūyuè, their underlying desires were identical.

Both merely wished to draw closer to the young man.

She exhaled slowly, striving to compose herself.

However, the towering edifice of anxieties that had long weighed upon her heart crumbled in that very moment.

At the corners of her eyes, a few tears welled forth and spilled over, and a tear-laden “Mm” softly escaped her lips.

“Sister Xúnyī, please, put me down.

You must know what will happen if you take me away; the Shangguan… the Family Head will never let you go.”

“Moreover… if I truly leave, Miss Qiūyuè will die.

Sister Xúnyī, in your heart, do you truly believe my life is more important than hers?”

Shangguan Xúnyī froze for a moment, her steps unconsciously slowing.

She bit her lip, unsure how to respond.

Shangguan Qiūyuè, to her, was a sister, a playmate.

Though in some respects a rival in love, she had never once considered using the other’s death as a victory for her own feelings.

Yet, wasn’t Yún Mù also someone dear to her?

Indeed, to her… this young man, though not bound by blood, seemed in some ways even more significant.

So she had selfishly convinced herself that it wouldn’t matter if she left.

Shangguan Qiūyuè still had Shangguan Hóngzhì, and Lín Yǎyuè, and a host of people who loved her.

With the Shangguan family’s resources, they would surely find another way to save her sister.

But Yún Mù, it seemed, had no one left.

His parents were dead, his Master had fallen into a chasm with no trace of her remains, the esteemed young lady was someone he was destined to sacrifice his bones for, to save with his life, and even Grandpa Xie Yi himself was embroiled in trouble.

Only she could help him now.

After a long silence, the young woman finally composed herself and spoke.

“I don’t know.

All I know is that I don’t want you to die.

Ever since I accidentally overheard three years ago that your bones were to be taken, that’s all I’ve thought.

After all, it seems I only have you… if you die, I’ll truly have no one close to me left,”

As she spoke, her pace quickened considerably.

“Therefore, Yún Mù, I am truly sorry.

I would rather you hate me, rather you think me a selfish person, than have you die like this.

I don’t want to experience the pain of separation and death ever again.”

“Sister Xúnyī… you…”

Yún Mù desperately wanted to move, but he still felt utterly powerless, only able to let out a helpless sigh.

What he didn’t know was that the method Shangguan Xúnyī had used to incapacitate him was something she had specifically learned from an ancient book.

Originally, the secret technique described injecting astral power into the target’s body; more simply, wrapping the secret technique’s energy within the astral power used to harm someone, allowing one to stun them while injuring them.

However, Yún Mù was, after all, the apple of her eye.

To cut him first and then knock him out?

She simply couldn’t bear to do it.

So, she had instead opted for this “extreme” approach, but being unskilled, she had ended up using a considerably larger dose.

Compounded by the young man’s complete lack of cultivation, he still hadn’t recovered to this moment.

Consequently, upon realizing he couldn’t persuade her, Yún Mù closed his mouth.

He planned to sneak back once he recovered, lest he truly implicate more innocent people because of himself.

He refused to watch more people die.

Especially those close to him.

Seeing the young man fall silent, Shangguan Xúnyī also closed her mouth.

She walked along the winding mountain path, using the moonlight to guide her way, her heart a tangled mess of thoughts.

‘Ah, this little Mù… I say I don’t worry about you hating me, but my heart certainly doesn’t think that way… Why don’t you say something to refute my words… Really, how could I fall for such a blockhead… I truly don’t understand.’

‘Never mind, never mind.

Once we leave the territory of the Lixun Ancient Kingdom (TL Note: A fictional ancient kingdom or region.), and reach the academy, everything will be safe as long as Master is there.

At that point… it won’t be too late to slowly unravel his emotional knots, will it?’

Lost in thought, the young woman’s steps quickened once more.

What she didn’t know was that, behind her, the figure of Shangguan Hóngzhì was already steadily closing in.