Don't pretend, everyone knows you're the villain!

Lu Tiannan suddenly leaned closer, his breath falling on Xi Mingzhu's face.

Xi Mingzhu didn't dodge, but stared steadily at the other person.

"Is it that brother won't go back on his word, or that he won't become a Daoist partner with someone, or that he won't break his promise?"

"I won't." Xi Mingzhu hadn't thought about the matter of a Daoist partner. According to Lu Tiannan, he would be forming a Daoist partnership with someone in the future. She wondered which family would catch Lu Tiannan's eye.

"If you find someone you like, just tell me. I will prepare a generous gift for you."

Lu Tiannan chuckled with a hint of wickedness.

"Then you must prepare a generous gift, brother, because we poor sword cultivators are most in need of money."

Having been at the Lin family for quite some time, Xi Mingzhu had heard many rumors about Lu Tiannan's popularity ever since he came down from the mountain.

Many noble ladies from prominent families have their eyes on this junior brother of his.

The junior disciple who just came down the mountain hasn't shown any signs or ideas yet, but perhaps after being in the world for a while, he will be willing to form a Daoist partnership.

To be honest, Xi Mingzhu didn't really want Lu Tiannan to leave.

From childhood to now, we've spent so much time together, and he's been in every aspect of our lives. Without Lu Tiannan, life would always feel incomplete.

But he couldn't selfishly hinder Lu Tiannan's marriage.

It's better to get used to it sooner rather than later.

After Lu Tiannan came to the Lin family, he ran away every day. Xi Mingzhu couldn't see him and thought that she would have to get used to this kind of thing sooner or later, so she didn't interfere much.

More than a month later, Lu Tiannan began to cook and bake different dishes for Xi Mingzhu every day.

Xi Mingzhu was eating the sweet cake that Lu Tiannan had brought her; the carvings on it were quite exquisite. The hand that once wielded a sword and swept across the land was now being used by Lu Tiannan to make pastries—who knows what kind of uproar that would cause if word got out.

Lu Tiannan rested his chin on his hand, staring intently at Xi Mingzhu with an expectant look on his face.

"Brother, is it delicious?"

"good to eat."

Lu Tiannan smiled, his eyebrows curving upwards, looking incredibly handsome.

"I'll make it for my brother every day from now on. I've learned so much. When I get tired of it, I'll go out and learn more."

Xi Mingzhu paused, the pastry in front of his lips. "Sword practice must not be neglected."

Lu Tiannan raised an eyebrow and replied with a smile, "I know, I still have to protect my brother, so I can't neglect my duties."

"Ah."

Master Xi's reputation grew louder and louder, while Lu Tiannan remained relatively quiet.

Until one day, news came that Xi Mingzhu's rejection of the Chen family's branch's request to refine pills had been maliciously spread, damaging his reputation and causing people to say that he looked down on ordinary people.

Xi Mingzhu didn't care, but Lu Tiannan couldn't just sit idly by.

The massacre of a collateral branch of the Chen family overnight alarmed all the sects, and even the three upper sects began to investigate the matter.

Xi Mingzhu was always oblivious to what was happening outside his window. Apart from refining pills, he would drink tea and eat snacks with Lu Tiannan and casually practice his sword in the courtyard.

Life was ordinary, but not lonely.

Five years later, Xi Mingzhu took on a senior disciple, and Lu Tiannan had no objection to it.

The eldest disciple lacked aptitude, so Xi Mingzhu could only do his best to teach him. Lu Tiannan still preferred to quietly watch Xi Mingzhu from a distance, whether he was refining pills or doing something else.

The eldest disciple knew that Xi Mingzhu disliked contact with people and always maintained a good sense of propriety in everything he did.

So many people come seeking medicine that the selection process is always rigorous before a final decision is made on which elixir to refine. Xi Mingzhu focuses solely on alchemy and doesn't meddle in external affairs, which has led to new developments in old news from several years ago.

It is said that Master Xi failed to live up to his title of master, refusing to help someone in distress.

One person's words, embellished by a hundred, become increasingly outrageous. When Xi Mingzhu's name is mentioned again, it is often said that the Lin family was blind to the truth and worshipped a heartless alchemist, which is despicable.

Lu Tiannan is spending more and more time away from home.

However, he had many things to do for Xi Mingzhu every day, and sometimes when he couldn't manage them all, he would ask his eldest disciple to help him with some of them.

Until one day, the rumors of a murderous swordsman who appeared out of nowhere overshadowed the rumors of Xi Mingzhu's refusal to help those in distress, causing widespread panic.

The eldest disciple had only mentioned this matter casually to Xi Mingzhu.

Xi Mingzhu felt that something was amiss upon hearing this.

The person who never personally delivers medicine is planning to go out for a walk.

Upon learning of this, Lu Tiannan naturally wanted to go along.

Xi Mingzhu stared at Lu Tiannan, pursed his lips, and said in a deep voice, "You've been hiding something from me lately."

"What could I possibly be hiding from my brother? You're overthinking it."

Xi Mingzhu thought and thought but couldn't come up with any other reason.

"Do you have someone you like?"

Lu Tiannan was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "I do have someone I like, but I don't know where that person places me."

"..." Upon hearing this, Xi Mingzhu felt a strange discomfort in his chest.

Why isn't my brother saying anything?

"Sorry, lost my mind."

Lu Tiannan tilted his head and looked at Xi Mingzhu; he could never get enough of looking at that face.

like very much.

Xi Mingzhu couldn't understand what was wrong with him, but he didn't have time to think about it any further. So he said to Lu Tiannan, "Since you like her, you should put more effort into it. I'm just delivering pills, it's nothing serious, so you don't need to come along."

"My brother never thought that the person I like was right in front of him."

These days, Xi Mingzhu had indeed seen Lu Tiannan getting closer to his eldest disciple, but he never imagined that Lu Tiannan had such intentions.

"You actually like Meng Chang..."

"..." Lu Tiannan hesitated, and after a long while, he didn't say anything.

Seeing that he tacitly agreed, Xi Mingzhu understood without saying a word.

"Since I've already agreed to go, it's not easy to change my mind. I'll give you time to get to know each other on the way."

Lu Tiannan saw that the other party's thinking was getting more and more off track.

"How have I treated my brother? Can't he see it at all? All these years I've stayed by his side. What are my feelings? Is he pretending not to know, or is he just too oblivious?"

“I love you, brother. If I must become a Daoist couple, I will have no other choice but you.”

Lu Tiannan finished speaking in one breath, only then realizing what he had said.

Words spoken cannot be taken back.

Xi Mingzhu was so shocked that she couldn't speak, but she felt inexplicably at ease.

"…It's me?"

"Of course it's my brother. Meng Chang can be so infuriating when he's learning something that you just want to kick him a few times. Only my brother has the patience to teach him."

Lu Tiannan's words were true; Meng Chang's comprehension was indeed lacking, but he was truly diligent and kind-hearted.

“I was afraid my brother would misunderstand that I liked Meng Chang, so I didn’t want to force him to have anything with me. I just wanted to stay by my brother’s side and didn’t dare to ask for anything more.”

Xi Mingzhu thought to herself that her feelings for Lu Tiannan were different from those for others, as they had been together since childhood.

No matter what, Lu Tiannan is special.

"If I were willing to become your Daoist partner..."

Before Lu Tiannan's joy could even show on his face, he quickly restrained himself.

"Brother, are you perhaps pitying me?"

“There are many pitiful people in the world, why should I pity you alone? I have never felt pity before, but I made an exception for you back then. You are special to me.”

Xi Mingzhu was more clear-headed than expected, so he meant what he said.

Lu Tiannan hugged him tightly. "I won't give you any room for regret, brother. My Daoist partner will not change her mind until death. You should think it over carefully, brother."

"I will not change unless I die."