Chapter 184 - 171: Loving Her is My Tribulation

Xuan Wei’s gaze casually swept over the white figure before she resumed her chat with Su Mo.

Seeing them so deep in conversation, the people around them quietly dispersed.

A moment later, Xuan Wei found Xuan Qing in the kitchen.

"You’re still not going to tell her how you really feel?"

Xuan Qing asked calmly, "Tell her what?"

Xuan Wei looked at him with exasperation. "Aren’t you usually so eloquent? Why do you clam up whenever this topic comes up? What else is there to say? You tell her that you..."

"And what happens after I tell her? Do I force her to accept me, or just wait for her to distance herself from me?" Xuan Qing frowned. "My status as her fiancé wasn’t exactly obtained honorably. Am I supposed to force her to like me after that?"

He frowned at Xuan Wei.

"It’s not that I don’t want to, nor that I’m afraid. I just... I’m not in a position to." Xuan Qing’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he suppressed a wave of emotion. "The problem between us has long since stopped being about how many men are by her side, or who she likes. I can convince myself to accept everything about her situation. But... if she isn’t even willing to step onto my board, then no matter how many pieces I arrange, it’s ultimately just a one-man show."

Xuan Wei frowned slightly, silent for a long moment.

"You and Second Sister always think she *should* like me, but feelings aren’t a matter of ’should.’ Some things... you either have them or you don’t. Just because I like her, does that mean I can force someone who isn’t interested in me?"

A bitter smile touched his lips. "Loving her is my personal trial. What does that have to do with her? If she needs me, I’ll walk through a mountain of blades and a sea of fire by her side. If she doesn’t... then simply watching her live peacefully and happily, just like this, is good enough."

Xuan Wei stood there, silent for a long time before saying, "I understand."

’If they were to be together for the long haul, they truly needed to love each other.’

’The one who falls in love first is always at a disadvantage.’

’She had been too impatient. She shouldn’t have kept pushing him to change the status quo.’

As Xuan Wei left the kitchen, she saw Fei Yan standing a short distance away.

Beastmen have excellent hearing, but Xuan Wei wasn’t sure how much he had overheard.

’No one wants to share the person they love. She understood what Fei Yan was thinking. He, and the others, could be friends with Xuan Qing, but they definitely wouldn’t want another rival for her affection.’

’Fundamentally, he and Xuan Qing were the same kind of person—both extremely picky and stubborn. Once they chose something, or someone, they would never let go easily.’

Xuan Wei gave him a slight nod, then turned and left.

On this trip, besides delivering medicine to Su Mo, she also had to adjust Long Yan’s prescription.

「Inside Long Yan’s study.」

Xuan Wei gave a few instructions, which Long Yan noted down.

Familiar footsteps sounded from outside.

Long Yan quickly swept the prescription off the table. Su Mo looked at the two of them in the room, slightly surprised.

Xuan Wei smiled. "The Lord Major General and I were just discussing the plans concerning Shuang’er."

"Oh," Su Mo said, her lips curving into a smile. "Dinner is ready."

"I’ll go see if Qing’er’s cooking has improved recently!"

Xuan Wei led the way out.

After Xuan Wei left, Su Mo looked at Long Yan suspiciously. She could’ve sworn she saw a flash of guilt on his face.

Su Mo asked suspiciously, "What were you two really talking about?"

"N-nothing," Long Yan said, trying to move past her.

Su Mo unexpectedly grabbed his wrist.

A moment later, she frowned. "The backlash from the Fiery Fire Pill... you’ve actually managed to control it this well?"

Long Yan gave a faint smile. "It might... have something to do with my own Inner Strength."

Su Mo didn’t know much about the intricacies of cultivation. She took out a few pills and handed them to him. "Your pulse feels like you’re on the verge of breaking through to Level Nine. I’m worried that advancing so quickly will take a toll on your body. You should suppress it for a while."

Long Yan took them, his voice gentle. "Alright."

After the meal, Xuan Wei announced she was going to the Dragon Clan’s mountain to gather herbs and invited Su Mo to come along.

In truth, she had been feeling cooped up lately and just wanted to find a quiet place to take a walk.

Su Mo was more than happy to accompany her.

Mo Xiao had wanted to come along, but something urgent came up for Long Yan, so Fei Yan ended up joining them instead.

With Xuan Wei going, it was only natural that Xuan Qing would tag along.

The two men followed at a leisurely pace behind the women.

Xuan Wei and Su Mo were quite close by now, and they chatted about all sorts of things as they walked.

Su Mo accidentally let something slip about her previous world.

Xuan Wei’s face immediately lit up with curiosity. "Miss Su, what were you just talking about? Air-plane? Car? What’s a cell phone? Male model? What are all those things?!"

"Uh... it’s a long story." Su Mo’s mind raced. "I was dreaming! It was all just a dream!"