Three days!
Three days!!
Do you know how Tang San had spent those three days?!
Do you know?!
Every day, he watched Zhang Tianyu and Xiao Wu sleep in the same bedroll!
They ate, cultivated, and attended the opening ceremony together, always side by side!
Ah!
His heart hurt so much!
In all his years—not even counting his previous life—he had never felt such pain!
Why did my heart hurt so much?! Tang San cried out in anguish.
It was precisely because his heart ached that Tang Hao had noticed his distress, and that was why Xiao Wu had been able to keep her life.
Of course, that was only one reason.
Another was Zhang Tianyu's relationship with Tang San.
Right now, throughout all of Notting Academy, aside from Yu Xiaogang, Tang San's teacher, the person closest to him was Zhang Tianyu.
So Tang Hao had not only noticed that Tang San had feelings for Xiao Wu, but had also taken his relationship with Zhang Tianyu into account.
Most importantly, Tang San was still too young to handle a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. He also had other matters to attend to. Even if he captured Xiao Wu, he couldn't keep her penned up and watch her all the time. So he decided to leave her alone for now.
"Xiao San?"
Yu Xiaogang's call brought Tang San back from his daze.
"Ah, Teacher, what is it?" Tang San asked.
"You seem a little absent-minded, and your spirits look low. Did you not sleep well last night?" Yu Xiaogang asked with concern.
"Maybe," Tang San said. "Sorry for the trouble, Teacher."
"It's all right." Yu Xiaogang gave a somewhat wooden smile. "You can rest in the carriage. I'll wake you when we arrive."
"No need, Teacher. I'll be fine in a little while."
Yu Xiaogang nodded and said nothing more. The carriage fell silent. Tang San gazed out the window, his mind full of questions.
Why?
Why did it hurt so much whenever I thought of Xiao Wu and Tian Yu together?
Why? It doesn't make any sense.
At that thought,
Tang San's heart suddenly jolted. Memories of his past life in the Tang Sect rose unbidden in his mind.
Those scenes spun through his thoughts like images in a zoetrope, finally settling on one person.
Senior Brother Tianya of the Tang Sect!
He had been Tang San's only good friend in the Tang Sect. Back then, that senior brother had looked after him so well that Tang San had practically treated him like his own brother!
Tianya, Tianyu—
Ah, those names sound so alike!
And Senior Brother Tianya had been a handsome man of striking bearing, too. His features really did seem somewhat similar to Zhang Tianyu's!
Could it be—
After learning that I'd jumped off the cliff, Senior Brother Tianya jumped after me and came here with me?
No, no, no!
That couldn't be it.
If it were, then Tian Yu should have retained his memories of his previous life, too. He would have recognized me long ago and told me who he was.
Maybe Senior Brother Tianya didn't come into this world with his memories intact, the way I did. Maybe his memories were erased, and he was reincarnated here, which was why he didn't remember me?
That was possible!
Ah!
Senior Brother Tianya, is that you?
Tang San's eyes grew damp.
But wait. No, that's not right!
Even if he really was Senior Brother Tianya, why did it hurt when he was with Xiao Wu?
That didn't make sense!
I should be happy for him, not feel all knotted up inside!
Could it be?!
Tang San's gaze suddenly turned strange, and his expression grew complicated.
Could it... could it...
Could I be gay?!
Was I jealous of Xiao Wu because I saw her with Tian Yu?
No, no, no!
Impossible! It couldn't be!
Though I'd been single my whole previous life and had never had much to do with any women, the person who'd spent the most time by my side was Senior Brother Tianya,
I was certain I was straight! There was no way I could be gay!
Uh...
But the person who'd spent the most time by my side really had been Senior Brother Tianya...
Could I actually be secretly gay?
I'd thought I was straight, but what if I actually wasn't?
Th-this couldn't be...
The more Tang San thought about it, the more frightened, unsettled, and uneasy he felt.
Because the more he dwelled on it, the more vivid and lifelike Zhang Tianyu's image became in his mind.
Though he wasn't by his side, it was as if he were right there in his heart...
Ah, this is terrifying! No! I have to stop thinking about it!
"Xiao San, what's wrong?" Yu Xiaogang finally noticed something was off and asked, "You look a little pale."
Distracted by Yu Xiaogang, Tang San came to his senses at once. "Ah, Teacher, I'm fine."
Yu Xiaogang furrowed his brows slightly and looked at him with concern. "You don't look fine. Xiao San, are you really all right?"
As he spoke, he reached out and touched Tang San's forehead.
Tang San instinctively tried to dodge, but then remembered that this was his teacher and stayed still.
But when Yu Xiaogang's hand rested against his forehead, Tang San shuddered again. An indescribable feeling suddenly welled up inside him.
This feeling!
The feeling of someone caring for him and worrying about him!
Ah!
This feels so good!
He'd never even felt this kind of warmth from his father before!
"You look a little pale, and you seem to be trembling," Yu Xiaogang said. "Are you really all right?"
Tang San looked away and lowered his head slightly. "Teacher, I'm really fine. Maybe I just didn't sleep well last night. I'll feel better in a bit."
Yu Xiaogang said, "If anything's wrong, don't hide it from me. Make sure you tell me."
"All right, Teacher."
"By the way, I got this while traveling when I was young. It's no use to me anymore, so I'll give it to you."
As he spoke, he undid his belt.
Tang San jumped in fright!
Wait!
Why were you taking off your belt all of a sudden?!
I'm still a kid!
And I'm a boy! What are you trying to do?!
I'm not gay!
The next moment,
Yu Xiaogang handed the belt to Tang San. "This is a storage-type Soul Tool. It's never had a name. Why don't you give it one?"
So he was giving me a belt!
Tang San let out a long breath. That had startled him—he'd thought Yu Xiaogang was about to do something else!
A name, huh...
Tang San listened to Yu Xiaogang describe the belt, then thought for a moment and said, "How about 'Where Does the Jade Person Teach Flute Playing'?"
"Huh?" Yu Xiaogang froze. "That name..."
"Uh, no, no, I misspoke," Tang San hurriedly corrected himself. "Let's call it 'Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.'"
Tang San was flustered. He'd clearly meant to say "Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges." Why had he somehow blurted out the line that came after it?
Could I really be gay?!
No!
Impossible!
Absolutely not!
I'm perfectly normal!
Before you continue