An Unexpected Encounter

“The Immortal Monarch has been in the residence for several days now, but he only visited Pei Jiaren. Hearing today that the Immortal Fairy was indisposed, he decided to come visit,” Lan Jun explained, her hands busy making the bed.

She replaced the original grayish-blue brocade on the bed with a more alluring peach-pink satin, embroidered with golden threads. With a remarkably serious expression, she meticulously selected the incense to be burned that evening, appearing deeply invested in whether her master could secure favor in a single encounter.

‘Such an inscrutable maiden,’ He Suosi mused inwardly, instinctively labeling her.

Suddenly, he felt even more melancholic than before. It seemed that if he didn’t resolve his current predicament, Guangyu Immortal Monarch might well be the only male he would encounter for a long time.

When He Suosi was still in his own body, he and Guangyu Immortal Monarch had a long-standing feud. Yet, he had only ever caught a fleeting glimpse of the man.

That brief sighting occurred when he was merely a Foundation Establishment cultivator, accompanying a Nascent Soul venerable as an attendant to a sect banquet. They had unexpectedly encountered Guangyu Immortal Monarch on the road.

The venerable’s carriage had swiftly veered off the path to give him a wide berth. At the time, He Suosi was unaware of Guangyu Immortal Monarch’s true status and impulsively lifted the carriage curtain to peer out.

It was the only time he had seen the Immortal Monarch’s form from a distance before being immediately pulled back by the venerable, who sternly forbade him from looking again.

Though external rumors widely proclaimed He Suosi as Guangyu Immortal Monarch’s sole rival—or rather, Guangyu Immortal Monarch as his only worthy opponent—they had, in fact, never had direct contact.

Instead, He Suosi had been embroiled in continuous skirmishes with the Guangyu Immortal Sect’s myriad affiliated sects, engaging in several fierce battles with the Monarch’s subordinates.

Without any discernible reason, He Suosi often felt that Guangyu Immortal Monarch was intentionally avoiding him. However, this thought was so illogical that He Suosi usually dismissed it as a product of his own narcissism.

Now, the fabled destined rivals were finally on the verge of meeting face-to-face.

—Though the manner of their meeting was profoundly unpleasant for He Suosi.

It wasn’t until the sky was ablaze with crimson twilight that Guangyu Immortal Monarch finally arrived. Lan Jun had mentioned that the Immortal Monarch never stayed overnight in a beauty’s courtyard, leading He Suosi to believe he might not show up at all.

However, just as he prepared for his bath, a servant arrived to announce, “Yu Jiaren, the Immortal Monarch has arrived.”

The bathing tub was in an adjoining room to the bedroom, so He Suosi remained relatively composed. After donning his undergarments, he hastily draped a dark indigo robe over himself, casually sweeping his damp, long hair to one side.

As he closed the door to the small antechamber, a tall, slender figure stood at the entrance.

He did not enter immediately. Despite facing his nominal concubine, the man unhurriedly knocked on the door.

Thump-thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump.

He knocked three times in sets of three, then withdrew his hand, waiting silently at the threshold.

‘Ah, I’m actually a little nervous,’ He Suosi thought.

His gaze instinctively swept over the room’s layout, from the tall vase with blooming branches by the door to the partially open window. He saw moonlight spilling like liquid through the gap, merging with the dim indoor lamplight.

It was then that he realized even if he did find a route for a desperate escape, given Yu Anlin’s current cultivation level, it would be utterly impossible to slip from the Immortal Monarch’s grasp.

‘Therefore, it’s insoluble. I have to play along.’

His only course of action now was to prevent the Monarch from discovering that he was not Yu Anlin.

The bitter smile vanished from his face as he stood at the door. In an instant, the maiden’s demeanor underwent an indescribable transformation. The previously cold and stern aura he had shown earlier softened into a delicate grace.

Then, He Suosi opened the door.

Standing at the threshold was a tall young man, a full head taller than Yu Anlin. Caught off guard, He Suosi, inhabiting Yu Anlin’s shell, initially only saw the overlapping gray robes across the man’s chest, as he was not accustomed to looking up at people.

Realizing his oversight, He Suosi quickly retreated a few steps, welcoming the man inside while finally catching sight of his face.

Beneath the dim lamplight, the man’s skin glowed like honey. The first thing He Suosi noticed were his dark, profound eyes. Out of respect for his current role, he quickly averted his gaze, vaguely discerning that the man before him undeniably fell into the category of ‘beautiful.’

He Suosi believed he hadn’t misused the word. Rather than being described as ‘handsome’ or ‘dashing,’ the man possessed a neutral, androgynous beauty. His soft features were framed by sharp, striking brows.

Yet, his expression carried no oppressive aura; instead, it was as serene as a slowly flowing lake.

He Suosi attempted to glean the man’s character from his movements, but surprisingly, he could discern nothing at all. The Immortal Monarch seemed to have no habitual gestures, his aura naturally restrained and seamless.

His every movement flowed with effortless grace. Overall, He Suosi felt this was the most ethereal cultivator he had ever encountered.

He Suosi poured a cup of tea and, smiling, said to his renowned rival, “I apologize for troubling you, Immortal Monarch. I am feeling much better now.”

It was likely not his imagination, but He Suosi sensed that this Guangyu Immortal Monarch, who possessed dozens of beautiful concubines, seemed a little flustered by his smile. In fact, despite his efforts to appear normal, He Suosi noticed the man subtly move to sit further away from him.

Once seated, the Monarch spoke, “It’s not that I didn’t want to visit you, but there were always trivial matters, making it difficult to extricate myself.” As he spoke, he seemed to try to force a smile, only to produce an indescribably awkward, half-laughing, half-crying expression—though even such a face was beautiful.

He Suosi was instantly intrigued. The Guangyu Immortal Monarch he had imagined was nothing like this. Even if he wasn’t a cold, domineering figure radiating authority, he certainly shouldn’t be so visibly nervous when facing his own concubine.

‘Since there’s nothing else to do, studying my husband… cough, my opponent, seems rather interesting.’

He Suosi then picked up the tea he was about to place on the table and gracefully approached the Monarch. He extended the teacup towards him, murmuring softly, “Would you like some tea, Immortal Monarch?” As he spoke, he naturally leaned closer.

Guangyu Immortal Monarch audibly, though faintly, gasped. Surprisingly, however, he did not recoil. Although his muscles were visibly tensing and his expression was growing increasingly rigid, as if poised for battle, he remained as still as a rock.

He Suosi was somewhat taken aback, but he had no intention of actually falling into a man’s embrace. Failing to elicit a more amusing reaction, and seeing the Monarch accept the tea, he feigned a sway and prepared to sit to one side.

However, the hem of the dark indigo robe was too long. He Suosi, unaccustomed to women’s attire, tripped on it as he turned, causing him to fall backward. His head struck the chest of the person behind him, and he found himself nestled entirely within the man’s embrace.

He Suosi was momentarily stunned. It wasn’t until the scalding tea soaked through his thin undergarments that he yelped and sprang up. Turning around, he saw the tea had drenched the Immortal Monarch from head to toe, who merely stared at him with wide, somewhat dazed eyes.

He Suosi quickly used his sleeve to wipe the tea from the Monarch’s face. Although the tea was scalding, fortunately, the man’s profound cultivation meant he suffered no actual harm.

He Suosi wiped the man’s face and hair, and seeing the Monarch still looking utterly bewildered, he playfully teased, “Immortal Monarch is a mighty cultivator; how could you not even dodge some tea?”

He inwardly speculated that the man might have refrained from dodging in order to catch him, but if that were the case, he was truly a thoughtful, warm-hearted man—a fact that, as a rival, did not please him.

However, just as he was silently grumbling and about to withdraw his hand, it was suddenly seized. The world spun before his eyes, and a dull ache shot through his back. He Suosi quickly realized he had apparently been thrown to the ground…

‘Warm-hearted man, my foot!’

He Suosi was dumbfounded.

‘But no matter what, this sudden brutality is too much!’

He Suosi stiffly gazed at Guangyu Immortal Monarch, trying to discern the reason for his sudden outburst of anger. However, the man appeared even more flustered than he was.

The Monarch rushed over but didn’t help him up. Instead, he pulled up his robes and crouched to one side, looking utterly helpless. After a long moment, he finally managed to stammer, “I’m sorry.”

He Suosi wasn’t sure if he was more frightened or angry—likely the latter. His limbs felt weak, and he couldn’t stand. Forcibly suppressing his rage, he uttered, “It’s fine,” and tried to stand. But his hands, braced against the ground, couldn’t push him up.

It was then he realized he was no longer in his former body; that fall had clearly injured him.

‘This is utterly ridiculous!’

His hands and feet trembled as he tried to maintain a calm gaze at the Monarch. “Immortal Monarch, could you help me up?”

Guangyu Immortal Monarch’s face once again showed hesitation.

He Suosi, exasperated, let out a sweet, almost saccharine laugh. Then, without further ado, he placed his hand on the Monarch’s shoulder. “Immortal Monarch, I’m injured.”

Guangyu Immortal Monarch’s gaze flickered, and he looked as though he wanted to immediately shake him off. Yet, in the next second, his eyes widened with surprise and doubt. He looked at He Suosi, and at this closer proximity, those deep, profound eyes seemed captivating.

Then, amidst his hesitation, he grasped He Suosi’s hand and pulled him into his embrace. The refreshing, broad chest, radiating warmth, instantly enveloped him.

This time, it was He Suosi who stiffened.

‘No, no, no, this can’t be happening, can it? Just holding hands made him go wild?’

He softly asked, “Immortal Monarch, what’s wrong?”

He had actually prepared himself for that to happen. In reality, Guangyu Immortal Monarch had every right to exercise certain privileges over Yu Anlin. If it truly came to that, he could only offer the real Yu Anlin his apologies.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Yet, after a long pause, Guangyu Immortal Monarch remained motionless, holding him in his arms, appearing utterly dazed.

“Immortal Monarch, what’s wrong?”

The same words, but the tone was now entirely different.

If before it was fear and nervousness, now only awkwardness remained.

Guangyu Immortal Monarch seemed to snap out of his stupor. In that very position, he carried He Suosi to a chair, but then quickly retreated, much like the scholars in romantic tales who suddenly realize the impropriety of physical contact.

Then, in the very next second, he vanished from his spot with a speed He Suosi couldn’t even perceive.

He Suosi expressionlessly crossed his legs.

‘Ah, this reaction…’

Before Lan Jun entered to clean up the mess, He Suosi confirmed one thing.

‘With this reaction, the rumors are indeed true…’

To Lan Jun, who entered the room to tidy up, He Suosi said meaningfully, “I believe what you said now.” Guangyu Immortal Monarch might truly not have had marital relations with any of the concubines in his residence.

Lan Jun: “?”