Yu Tianqing had to admit that he was putting on an act, at least in part.
But there was no doubt that he was lonely.
Lonely from crossing over to another world, lonely from losing his parents at a young age.
Although Nan Shuishui had cared for him in every possible way over the years, and he had an adorable younger sister in Nan Qiuqiu, the three of them having long since become a family,
that loneliness was a part of him.
Countless times, he had looked up at the moon. The night in the Far North was beautiful. Without the industrial pollution of his previous life, the sky was clear and bright, and auroras appeared from time to time.
But this was another world, after all.
Over the years, aside from cultivation, his favorite thing had been studying Soul Tools while listening to the wind and snow outside his window. It was his only connection to the industrial age.
Even Yu Tianqing could no longer tell whether he was relying more on outward performance or lived emotion.
After saying goodbye to Ling Luochеn, the emotions that had been brewing all day finally burst forth, surging out before Nan Shuishui without reservation.
He was like an abandoned, homeless little beast, his eyes full of bewilderment, a pitiful sight.
Nan Shuishui carefully approached the desk and reached out to touch Yu Tianqing's hand.
Yu Tianqing's hand was cold. He had soaked in the cold spring all day without deliberately using his Yang Thunder Dragon Martial Soul to drive the cold away.
But Nan Shuishui's hand was warm, smooth and soft as jade.
She silently sent Soul Power into Yu Tianqing's body to examine him. Yu Tianqing did not resist. The Soul Power within him was unnaturally still, like a pool of stagnant water without a ripple.
Nan Shuishui's hand trembled slightly. She could not understand how a young man who had been perfectly fine could have ended up like this.
Could it be because she had pushed him too hard?
It did seem she had been a little too strict with Tianqing.
Nan Shuishui was unsure, but she did not know what to do now, either.
Everyone felt this way to some extent. Usually, though, it happened when they were alone, unable to sleep on a lonely pillow, and after a night's sleep, they would be full of vigor the next day.
If anything was to blame, it was that Yu Tianqing had immersed himself too deeply in the role and been too ruthless with himself. Even he believed it, and his Soul Power had fallen silent along with his mood.
This was his final strike against Nan Shuishui, the one he had held back for three months, burning his boats behind him.
He slowly raised his head, his voice dry and hoarse:
"Aunt Nan, I don't want to work hard anymore."
Even now, Nan Shuishui did not know what was going on between Yu Tianqing and Ling Luochеn. She only felt that the child she had watched grow up must have suffered some heartbreak.
She gathered Yu Tianqing into her arms:
"It's all right. It's all right if you don't work hard."
"As for Shrek Academy, you can go or not, whichever you like."
"And Luochen doesn't matter, either. I won't meddle in you young people's affairs. Just let everything take its natural course."
Yu Tianqing tilted his face up and met Nan Shuishui's gaze. He gave a bitter laugh and shook his head:
"I can't give up halfway on something I've already promised to do."
Yu Tianqing had pushed himself this far because he was waiting for an opportunity, not to play the victim and win sympathy, but to create a chance to speak with Nan Shuishui as an equal.
He could roughly guess why Nan Shuishui had been avoiding him for the past three months:
She simply thought that doing so would be better for him, Yu Tianqing.
She put romantic feelings aside and made his interests her priority.
If the two of them were together, it would surely invite plenty of criticism. Yu Tianqing was confident he could face it all without fear, but Nan Shuishui had always worried about him.
Their identities and positions were different, so they thought about things differently.
What he intended to do today was put them on completely equal footing and have an open, honest talk.
Yu Tianqing rose from Nan Shuishui's embrace without pressing her any further. He shifted toward the edge of the chair, leaving her enough room.
A clear divide lay between them. They were not touching, and there was ample space between their bodies.
Their eyes met on a level. Yu Tianqing had also recovered from his earlier despondent state, his gaze becoming calm and serious, making Nan Shuishui feel as though he had become a different person.
"Shuishui, I was acting just now..."
"You..." Nan Shuishui was at a loss for words.
"But it wasn't all an act."
Yu Tianqing's honest admission made the words Nan Shuishui had been about to say catch in her throat.
"I also know why you've been avoiding me these past few days, Shuishui."
"That night was a mistake, after all."
"Yes, it was a mistake, and I was at fault too. I shouldn't have schemed against you."
"Then today you..."
Yu Tianqing knew what Nan Shuishui wanted to say. Without waiting for her to put it into words, he said:
"I just wanted to step back from all those ties and have a serious talk with you."
Nan Shuishui nodded and calmly met his gaze, signaling her agreement.
"I've grown up. I can see myself for what I am. I'm not a good person, and my heart wanders."
"Luochen is wonderful. She treats people sincerely and is about my age. She really is a good match for me."
"You're wonderful too, Shuishui. You're gentle and cultured, and you're also the type I like. But I won't give up either of you."
"Maybe I'm even greedier than I thought. I might even fall for other women."
"But the only person I trust most is you, Shuishui. No one else comes close."
"Maybe it's unfair to Luochen to say that, but you and I have spent more time together. That can't be changed."
"Since the mistake has already happened, the only thing I want to do is make up for it and turn it into something right."
"I don't want my regret to last forever."
"Shuishui, do you know why I feel tired?"
"Tianqing, you..." Nan Shuishui wanted to answer, but shook her head helplessly. She did not know.
Looking into Nan Shuishui's eyes, Yu Tianqing continued speaking on his own:
"I know everything you've done has been for my own good, but I always feel as though I'm being pushed into doing things. These are all things I should do, not things I want to do."
"I'm greedy. There are lots of things I want to do."
"I want to grow stronger, I want you all to be safe, and I want Dragon City to come to no harm."
"Shuishui, I want to be your man, to be someone you can rely on. I want there to be no divide between us, because I truly like you."
His choice not to rush into eating Ling Luochеn was also a silent act of resistance against Nan Shuishui. He had a feeling that once he did as Nan Shuishui wanted, she would gradually grow distant from him.
Nan Shuishui's plan was to push Yu Tianqing toward Ling Luochеn, then keep herself far away.
But Yu Tianqing wanted both of them.
Yu Tianqing was sincere in his manner, firm in his gaze, and earnest in his words. He was no longer playing any tricks.
Little tricks were of no use against an auntie who had long since seen the ways of the world clearly, so this time he chose to
go all in and speak straight from the heart.
Simple sincerity was the greatest finishing move against Nan Shuishui.
Nan Shuishui's eyes grew slightly moist, and she could no longer speak.
It was true. She had been arranging Yu Tianqing's life all along. When she thought something was good, she had demanded that he do it.
Yu Tianqing was an adult now, a man with ideas of his own. Since he was confident he could handle it all, she would trust him completely this once.
The Yu Tianqing before her was a man to whom she could entrust the rest of her life.
At that moment, Nan Shuishui finally stopped worrying about so much and answered Yu Tianqing's true feelings with action.
She took the initiative to embrace Yu Tianqing, pressing her lips and tongue into his mouth.
The temperature in the study gradually rose. Yu Tianqing did not think of using his Martial Soul, either. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to pouring his love onto the woman in his heart, his movements becoming careful and incomparably gentle.
Their love lingered, tender and entwined, their souls and bodies becoming one.