Chapter 23

Chapter 23: He Actually Yelled at Her Over Shen Sang Ruo?

Wen Xuan’s voice grew dull, with a panic he did not notice himself: “Then why has Little Ruo not come to see us?”

Luo Chu spoke sharply: “Why else? She does not want to see us.”

He still remembered how stingy Shen Sang Ruo had been. She would not help him by taking the blame, so Master Ling Xiao punished him and sent him to the Disciplinary Hall.

He suffered shame and pain, and he had to pay off those IOUs himself.

Now Luo Chu was flat broke.

He had sworn long ago to be enemies with Shen Sang Ruo from now on.

Wen Xuan shook his head: “No. Months have passed, and we did not check on her. If Senior Brother had not mentioned it, we would have forgotten again.”

His voice was full of regret and grief: “We forgot Little Ruo again.”

Bai Mu Mu tried a careful tone: “Second Senior Brother, do not blame yourself. If Fifth Senior Sister wanted to find us, she could do it at any time. But she did not. Maybe, like Fourth Senior Brother said, she does not want to see us.”

Wen Xuan answered at once: “No, Junior Sister, you do not understand. Little Ruo is disappointed in us.”

This had never happened before. Wen Xuan used to go along with anything Bai Mu Mu wanted.

Bai Mu Mu’s face stiffened, and a flash of malice crossed her eyes.

By now she could not ignore Wen Xuan’s change.

If they did not mention Shen Sang Ruo, her plan with Wen Xuan went smoothly.

But the moment they brought up Shen Sang Ruo, Wen Xuan started to slip out of her control.

As a seasoned strategist of feelings, she knew she had to act and remove this risk.

Wen Xuan stood up with a hard voice: “No. We must go find Little Ruo now.”

Feng He Yun and Lu Shi Qing stood as well, ready to follow him.

Lu Shi Qing was not going because he cared about Shen Sang Ruo. He only wanted to see what trick she was playing this time.

Only Bai Mu Mu and Luo Chu had not spoken.

Wen Xuan looked at them and asked evenly: “Junior Sister. Fourth Junior Brother?”

Bai Mu Mu did not want to go, but she had no good reason to refuse.

Luo Chu snorted and turned his head away with arms crossed: “I am not going. Go if you want. I am enemies with Shen Sang Ruo.”

Wen Xuan kept his voice cool: “Fine. That is your choice. I only hope you will not regret it.”

Luo Chu huffed: “I will never regret it.”

Wen Xuan looked to Bai Mu Mu with hope: “Junior Sister, what about you?”

She wanted to side with Luo Chu, but Wen Xuan’s mood was unstable. If she refused, his favor might drop.

Also, his favor had not risen in a long time.

To protect her image, she could only agree. She smiled just right and said: “I am worried about Fifth Senior Sister too.”

Wen Xuan smiled back, relief in his eyes.

They soon reached Shen Sang Ruo’s cave dwelling and found it empty, clearly abandoned.

Bai Mu Mu put on a surprised face: “Did Fifth Senior Sister move out and leave?”

Feng He Yun was still a bit tipsy as he muttered, hiccuping: “What is wrong with her? Did she not like living here, hic?”

Even Lu Shi Qing frowned when he saw the scene.

Shen Sang Ruo had left without any sign of attachment.

How could that be?

Was this still the same Shen Sang Ruo who used to cling to them every day?

She had said this place held many of their best memories, and that she would never leave.

To her, this was not only the sect. It was her home. Sect Master Shen Dao Chen was her father.

How could Shen Sang Ruo bear to cut it off?

The one who had reacted the most at first, Wen Xuan, was now strangely quiet.

He pressed his lips together and searched the cave with nervous, darting eyes.

Bai Mu Mu asked with concern: “Second Senior Brother, what is wrong? Are you okay?”

Wen Xuan still did not answer her.

Being ignored again and again nearly made Bai Mu Mu lose her act. Her nails dug hard into her palm. [How can this be happening.]

Then Wen Xuan saw something and finally smiled. He whispered: “I knew Little Ruo would not give up on us. It cannot be that she wanted to leave. Good. Good.”

The others did not understand.

Feng He Yun blinked and hiccuped: “Second Junior Brother, did you drink yourself stupid? I do not remember poisoning my wine, hic.”

Wen Xuan pointed, excited: “Look.”

Feng He Yun went to the pile in the corner and pulled out a wine jar: “This is the wine I gave Fifth Junior Sister, hic.”

Lu Shi Qing fished out a delicate plate and said: “And this is the Rainbow Dish I gave her.”

Wen Xuan named them one by one: “There is the medicine sachet I gave her. The Nightglow Stone from Master. The hairpin from Sect Master Shen.”

He spoke faster: “Little Ruo always cherished these things the most. If she left them here, it means she cannot have left. The cave looks like this because she cleaned it.”

He grew more certain as he spoke: “She is not in the cave right now, that is all. If we ask the other disciples, we will find her soon.”

The others looked at the pile thrown together like trash.

Were they sure she cherished them?

But Wen Xuan had fallen deep into his own belief.

He could only accept this answer. He did not want to think about any other choice.

And he refused to believe there was any other possibility.

Bai Mu Mu tried to sound casual: “But if Fifth Senior Sister does not care about these things anymore, she would not take them even if she left, right…”

Wen Xuan, who had never raised his voice at her, suddenly snapped: “Do not talk nonsense.”

Bai Mu Mu froze, then her eyes reddened at once. She sniffled: “I am sorry, Second Senior Brother. I did not mean it.”

Feng He Yun and Lu Shi Qing had not expected such a strong reaction. They hurried to stand in front of Bai Mu Mu.

Feng He Yun said firmly: “Second Junior Brother, do not bully Junior Sister.”

Lu Shi Qing added in a cool voice: “Even if you are worried about Shen Sang Ruo, you should not vent it on Junior Sister. What does this have to do with her, Second Senior Brother?”

Realizing what he had done, Wen Xuan felt a fresh wave of regret.

He softened his voice and apologized to Bai Mu Mu: “I am sorry, Junior Sister. I did not mean to yell. I lost control.”

Bai Mu Mu was about to act hurt yet forgiving, but Wen Xuan spoke again.

He said quickly: “But you do not know Little Ruo. She is not like what you think. She will not leave.”

He went on, anxious to prove it: “You have only been on Thunder-Scale Peak for three years. There are many things you do not know. Little Ruo came to Thunder-Scale Peak when she was six. After more than ten years together, our bond is very deep. She would not leave.”

Feng He Yun and Lu Shi Qing blanched and glanced at Bai Mu Mu, worried about her reaction.

Bai Mu Mu’s eyes went wide.

Before, Wen Xuan would never compare her time on Thunder-Scale Peak with Shen Sang Ruo’s. He always avoided that.

But now, because of Shen Sang Ruo, he had said it out loud.

Did that not mean their feelings for Shen Sang Ruo were deeper than their feelings for her?