Chapter 128

Summer is approaching, and the warm breeze won't make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Passing by the still-lit gate of the Earth-Balance Commission, then walking through the wide passage known as "Starskiff Seaside," and then up a flat and wide street, Bai Jun's footsteps just stopped on the stone slab road facing the steps leading up to the top.

Bai Jun looked up in surprise and was astonished to find something quite familiar.

Before you is a seemingly ordinary staircase made of finely carved stone, with a drop of less than three meters from the top. Climbing the steps and turning left leads to a white platform that fits snugly into the staircase. Its edges are lined with wooden railings, clearly separating it from the boundless Starskiff Haven. Passersby often stop on the platform to admire the surrounding scenery.

In the distance, a Foxkin stood leaning against the wooden railing of the platform, easing the strain on her shoulders. She rested her chin on her hand, her fair and delicate face exceptionally beautiful, her dark eyebrows framed by a pair of captivating eyes that hinted at a touch of melancholy.

The street layout of Exalting Sanctum is basically composed of several main avenues extending outward from the center, and they are all similar in general. However, Bai Jun was particularly impressed by this staircase - because Tingyun would always intercept him here when he was coming home from the Earth-Balance Commission. And now, she was standing there alone, her back view revealing a hint of loneliness.

There was no way he could be wrong; Bai Jun was certain that it was definitely Tingyun's figure.

Bai Jun hadn't seen Tingyun in the past two days. Part of the reason was that he was too busy with the work of the Alchemy Commission to pay attention to anything else. The most important reason was that Bai Jun had tried to visit her several times under the pretext of doing so, but he was turned away each time.

Anyone could see that she was deliberately avoiding him, and it was the middle of the night, so why was she alone there?

A cluster of white flowers planted here swayed in the wind.

Bai Jun, with many questions in mind, climbed the steps without any intention of concealing his voice; he simply stepped onto the platform.

"My benefactor? Really... If you don't get a good rest tonight, you'll be very tired at work tomorrow."

Hearing footsteps behind her, Tingyun, who was relaxing there, slowly opened her eyes. When she realized that the person who came was Bai Jun, a look of surprise flashed across her face, but she quickly raised the corners of her mouth and gave him a gentle smile.

"I should be the one saying this. What have you been thinking these past few days? It's one thing to deliberately avoid me, but how do you explain coming here so late at night? Are you angry with me? But you should honestly tell me what I did wrong, instead of doing things that make me worry."

"So, my benefactor is a fool. At this point, he should have said, 'You're making me very worried.'"

Her voice was very gentle, without any hint of anger or blame.

Tingyun turned around from leaning against the railing and looked at Bai Jun face to face.

She wore a red dress, with a protective jade bracelet on her wrist, and her long, disheveled brown hair was adorned with hairpins. Bai Jun remembered that these were return gifts he had given to Tingyun, carefully selected with his four months' salary in Luofu.

Although the monthly salary for the Earth-Balance Commission is quite substantial, and the total for four months sounds impressive, to be honest, it would be very beneath a person of Tingyun Festival Merchant Guild to wear such cheap items as ornaments.

However, Tingyun always treated it with the utmost care, as if it were her most precious treasure. She gently touched the smooth surface of the jade bracelet and calmly said:

"However, my benefactor was indeed wrong just now, because I have never been angry with you, not even once. The reason I haven't seen you these past two days is simply because I happened to be thinking about some things, and I was planning to come see you after I had sorted out my emotions."

"What is it?"

What else could it be but his marriage to Feixiao?

Tingyun really wanted to bite this piece of wood hard, to show him with her actions just how much torment she had been suffering during this time.

But all the grievances she had were gone when she saw Bai Jun's gentle face with a caring expression. Tingyun's heart felt like it was being tightly gripped, forcing her gaze to shift from Bai Jun's face to the ground.

But when she lowered her head, her gaze inevitably fell on the ring on Bai Jun's left ring finger. It should have been a token of love, but it seemed to be silently mocking her relationship.

"I... I'm so lost, I don't know what to do..."

The familiar smile on her face looked, for some reason, as if she were crying.

The shrewd and eloquent Tianbo Division Company ferryman, renowned throughout the Milky Way, with a perpetually smiling face, stood here like a bewildered and helpless child.

Human longing is incredibly cruel.

People often consider devotion a virtue worthy of praise, but truly experiencing this unwavering loyalty is far more heartless than anything else in the world.

Because this kind of emotion is destined to disregard the feelings of others, it leads to the unrequited love and longing that is also expressed being unrequited.

So it seems that the only thing that can keep the other person is lust and sympathy. But based on Tingyun's understanding of Bai Jun over the years, he would neither have any improper thoughts about a woman who actively throws herself into his arms, nor would he show any unnecessary pity to anyone who does not deserve sympathy.

A man who will not easily succumb to desire and possesses a steadfast heart—the answer is obvious: if Bai Jun is certain that he is devoted to Feixiao alone, then no one else will have any chance to take advantage of him.

It's easy to laugh at someone's naivety, but honestly, the more you interact with society, the more you realize how precious this is. So how can she win his heart if she does this?

To be honest, Tingyun couldn't get any answers, and she kept wondering if she, by interfering in other people's marriages, had become a "third party" who broke up and disrupted relationships.

Human longing is cruel, it is cruel, and that is why Tingyun loves him deeply—and at the same time hates him intensely.

She was always strong, but she pretended to be strong. Now that things had come to this, she could frankly admit that she loved Bai Jun deeply and couldn't imagine losing him. After all, he was both the hero who saved her from the trap and a confidant who understood her perfectly and had known her for so long. In every respect, Bai Jun was undoubtedly the embodiment of Tingyun's ideal love.

It's only natural that she'd be afraid of losing the person in front of her, isn't it?

However, what she had always wanted to hide, what she had always wanted to conceal, what she had always been terrified of, still happened before her eyes, forcing Tingyun to make a choice.

It is no longer possible or permissible to maintain the ambiguous relationship; the unavoidable point of divergence has finally arrived.

Is she a "third party" interfering with Bai Jun's normal life, or can she continue to have the right to like him—even if this love is destined to be futile, she still doesn't want to let go and miss him.

Then she spoke:

"My benefactor, I admire you, and I've wanted to tell you this for a very, very long time."

Tingyun clasped her hands tightly to her chest, took a step forward, and her face, brimming with tears, showed an indescribable sorrow.

"I really, really like you... I really, really like you, and I want to be with you forever. I hope you can accept me, but, but--"

Her Jade -green eyes gradually welled up with tears, Tingyun's voice trembled.

"I'm so conflicted, so scared, so in pain. I've had enough of feeling anxious about tomorrow. I long to be held in your arms, I long to tease you like we used to, even though you're married to another woman now, even though other women like you, I still can't let go. Please, even just a little bit of that love for me, I don't want to suffer anymore..."

Tingyun could no longer suppress the raging emotions within her, which were causing her immense suffering. Her cries gradually transformed into tearful pleas.

Even if this love is destined to end in vain, even if she doesn't want to know the answer, she still can't help but hope for the outcome of this longing.

It was as if the world had shrunk to just the two of them. Apart from the heartbreaking sobs, the surrounding silence was so profound it could cause ringing in the ears, and they were temporarily plunged into an eternal silence.

This should be the second time Bai Jun has accepted someone else's expression of love directly, and it is completely different from the previous playful scene at the clinic. Tingyun fully poured out her inner feelings, large tears rolling down her cheeks, pleading with a fragile sob.

This also reminded Bai Jun of his conversation with Feixiao and the words Feixiao had said to him.

"Because, those girls probably like you too, right? That kind of unrequited love is painful, I know that very well..."

Now, Bai Jun is no longer someone who feels confused and fearful about other people's love. He can no longer run away; he must respond to their feelings. This is both a responsibility as a man and the inevitable price he must pay for his choice of Feixiao.

"Then lift your face up!"

Brushing aside Tingyun's disheveled hair with the back of his hand, Bai Jun placed his left hand next to her delicate cheek, forcefully turning her downcast face back to face, forcing her moist emerald eyes to meet his own azure pupils.

What kind of appearance do you have? And what's with that look in your eyes? Is tears the kind of love you crave?

There was no smile on Bai Jun's face as he stared intently at her timid expression. Before answering Tingyun's question, Bai Jun had to correct her mistakes.

Love is a poison, and so is pity. To lower oneself and belittle one's soul and existence in order to obtain so-called love is naive and childish, and it also harms those who harbor love.

Tingyun had never experienced love before. She was very naive, so it was normal for her to make wrong judgments when faced with a relationship she had never been in before.

Admittedly, it would be easy to accept her request, and probably no one would have the heart to refuse this beauty's affections, but in Bai Jun's eyes, this feeling was by no means an expression of love.

She may be immature, but Bai Jun cannot be immature; therefore, he must correct her mistakes.

"I like you, Tingyun."

Bai Jun's sudden confession left Tingyun, who was immersed in tears of sorrow, speechless with confusion.

"But the Tingyun I love is the one who always has a gentle smile, the calm and collected ferryman of the Minghuo Merchant Group no matter what happens, the Tingyun who, when drunk, would tug at my clothes and whisper, 'You are mine,' not the Tingyun I know now, crying and sobbing."

Through her tear-blurred vision, Tingyun seemed to see Bai Jun's serious expression return to a gentle, faint smile, and then he gently wiped away Tingyun's tears with his fingers. "So please love yourself even more, love yourself even more than I loved you. Only then will I accept your feelings."

These words, as pure as pristine snow, came entirely from Bai Jun's heart.

"Furthermore, I have very high standards for a partner. First, they must accept my passionate and loyal love; second, they must accept the costs that come with commitment. I wonder if you can tolerate these selfish and willful requests of mine?"

Then, just like children playing around, Bai Jun, in a playful mood, stuck out his little finger at Tingyun.

As if struck by an unimaginable shock, Tingyun silent for a long time.

She stared blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Okay! I promise you!"

Ignoring her wind-blown hair and tear-stained cheeks, Tingyun wiped away her tears in a disheveled manner, a bright and cheerful smile appearing on her face. She stretched out her right hand and tightly connected her little finger with Bai Jun's.

"Then, let's start by becoming lovers?"

As if drawn by Tingyun's smile, a gust of wind soon blew past them, first causing their delicate skirts and beautiful long brown hair to sway, and then the smiles spread across the young man's face.

PS:

Too, too heavy... I swear this should be the last time I write about this level of complicated emotional storyline in this book. It was just too difficult to write. The difficulty of using a limited vocabulary to describe things I haven't experienced is simply catastrophic.

Moreover, I don't want to just settle for anything; I want to write higher-quality chapters. So sometimes, when I'm writing, I feel dizzy and my mind is a complete mess. I don't know what words to use to describe the ideas I want to express, and sometimes I don't even know what I'm doing.

Fortunately, Tingyun's storyline, after hundreds of thousands of words, has finally come to fruition. As for why Miss Tingyun's love story is placed before Yukong's, we'll keep that a secret for now to avoid delving into later content.

I believe the subsequent plot will be even more lighthearted and enjoyable, not only to make it more comfortable for everyone to read, but also to reduce the author's pressure. Otherwise, maintaining this level of quality would really tire the author out.

Sigh, I'll soon be busy with exams at the start of the semester, and there are all sorts of other things to do. Once I finish this book, I definitely need to give myself a good break. But until then, I need to work even harder on this book and not let down all the readers who have supported me.

In conclusion, thank you again to all the readers who have made it this far.

Chapter 159 Lady Lingsha's Unsolvable Overt Scheme

After the vast darkness of night, the morning sun gradually bathed the entire Luofu Cave Heaven, from the Starcruiser Sea Hub in the east to the Alchemy Commission built from lakes and islands in the west, every place was equally embraced by the sunlight.

Within the cave of the Alchemy Commission, the Alchemy Commission Qihuang Office) located in the central area became bustling early in the morning, with physicians gathering and creating a noisy atmosphere.

Today is destined to be a memorable day, probably because of a rumor that leaked out of nowhere this morning—

That young and handsome man, who always had a kind and approachable smile, was about to take over the duties of the acting Cauldron Master Lord Bai Jun from the newly appointed official Cauldron Master.

Unlike the acting Cauldron Master, whose appointment was clearly intended to stabilize the situation, Cauldron Master's appointment undoubtedly disrupted the structure of the Luofu Alchemy Commission. This not only meant a significant change in the future management structure of the Alchemy Commission, but also the possibility that the number of physicians would be sharply reduced.

However, the focus of the physicians who were now gathered together chatting was not on such matters, but on the sad news that the acting director Cauldron Master Bai Jun, was leaving.

"Sigh, is Lord Bai Jun really leaving...? I thought he would definitely be promoted directly from acting Director of the Cauldron Master Refining Department to the official Director of the Pill Refining Cauldron Master. After all, Lord Bai Jun's work ability is undeniable. As soon as he took over the work of the Alchemy Commission, he made up for all the wages that the Dan Shu Refining Department had owed me for seven or eight years, and all kinds of benefits also increased accordingly. To be honest, I really don't want Lord Bai Jun to leave..."

"That's right! Not only is Lord Bai Jun handsome, but he also always gives me an incredibly gentle smile whenever he sees me. Plus, with that beautiful silver hair, he's like a prince charming straight out of a fairy tale!"

"I heard the new Cauldron Master is also from the Vidyadhara. Sigh, I hope she's easy to get along with, preferably as easy as that Cauldron Master Yunhua. I don't want her to be some mean old woman from somewhere else, otherwise we'll never have a good life again. Going back to the dark ages of the Dan Shu era... I don't want that!!!"

Whether they were rational, focused on appearance, or nostalgic, the various factions of physicians within the Alchemy Commission likely shared similar thoughts. They set aside past grievances, gathered around a spot to chat, and hoped that their future lives would improve.

Most of the people in Alchemy Commission were reluctant to see Bai Jun leave, with the secretary being the most heartbroken. She thought she had finally met her destined other half, but seeing Bai Jun and Lingsha being so intimate this morning broke her heart.

Putting aside such trivial matters as girlish sentimentality, the old guys in the Alchemy Commission were practically beaming with joy.

The reason they were so happy was that the acting Cauldron Master, who was widely regarded as a monster, stepped down today, and the position of Cauldron Master was given to an unknown girl named Vidyadhara. Moreover, according to the information they had gathered, the Vidyadhara girl seemed to be the disciple of the previous Cauldron Master, Yunhua.

This made them, who coveted the position of Cauldron Master, overjoyed. The network of connections they had cultivated over the years could finally be put to use. As soon as the monster Bai Jun left, they would immediately begin their plan to try to sideline that Vidyadhara girl within six months.

Finally, after more than a hundred years of forbearance, the wonderful days are about to come for them. Whenever they think of this, they can hardly suppress the corners of their mouths, wanting to burst out laughing, mocking that fool Yunhua, despising that bastard Dan Shu, and provoking Bai Jun's existence. No matter how powerful you are, victory will ultimately belong to them!

No, no, we can't laugh now. We have to hold it in. As long as Bai Jun leaves, victory will be theirs in six months!!!

"These are the meetings scheduled for next week. I've already made the necessary annotations; you just need to pay attention to the emphasized details. Also, there's the issue of the doctors' salaries. Although I've made up for the wages owed to them in recent years, their due benefits are still not fully in place. Senior Sister, you need to keep an eye on this. And—it seems the old guys in the Alchemy Commission are getting impatient."

Bai Jun, who was standing under the bookshelf in the office emphasizing matters concerning Cauldron Master, suddenly sneezed. When he came to his senses, his first reaction was to look out the window. After all, he had no reason to catch a cold now, so the only explanation for sneezing was that it was an intuitive reaction.

" --A-Bai, do you have a cold?"

"It's nothing. Instead of worrying about whether I'll catch a cold, you should be concerned about what to eat for lunch. Besides, don't you think your focus is completely off-target?"

Upon hearing the sound, Lingsha immediately dropped the dossier and stepped forward with concern. She stood on tiptoe and pressed her slender, soft palm tightly against Bai Jun's forehead. Bai Jun sighed, gently pushed away Lingsha's almost touching, hot body, and reminded her with some helplessness.

"Foolish A-Bai, of course I know. I'm just an ordinary physician, and a disciple of Yunhua, the former Cauldron Master of Luofu. Now that I'm back here, there are naturally many power-hungry people eyeing the Cauldron Master position. But I'm not someone to be trifled with. To gain a foothold in the Alchemy Commission, I don't mind using some underhanded tricks if necessary, to leave those power-hungry people helpless."

Lingsha stood with her hands behind her back, puffed out her cheeks angrily, and tilted her head slightly to look at the silver-haired youth in front of her.

"What methods?"

Bai Jun habitually ignored the disapproving look his senior sister gave him, but was quite interested in the "despicable methods" she mentioned. If there was anything he could do to help, he would certainly do his best.

"Heh heh, A-Bai, your focus is quite dark, actually interested in this kind of thing. As for the methods I mentioned... well, that'll be a secret for now!"

"You won't even reveal it to your junior brother? Fine, I'm sure you have your own reasons. If there's anything you need me for, just let me know. I'll help you with whatever it is. Consider this your apology for leaving without saying goodbye back then."

"Oh? You'll grant even the most outrageous requests?"

"Hmm, it might be a tough decision, but I think I'll agree in the end." Bai Jun nodded hesitantly.

"Then, my request is..."

Gazing at Bai Jun's clear and gentle face, Lingsha, possessing the elegant features of Vidyadhara, wore a slightly mischievous smile. She then moved closer to the unsuspecting Bai Jun, slightly tiptoeing, and then—

I flicked his forehead lightly with my finger.

"A-Bai, you're such an idiot. It's because you always do these unconscious things that you're attracting more and more women with ulterior motives around you, isn't it?"

"What have you been saying all this time...? Please, my dear senior sister, have mercy and just say what you want to say. Stop playing these riddles; you're making me so confused..."

"Hmph, I'm not telling you."