“I might as well help the little kitten.”
“Zemiao Zun, don’t make it sound as if this Art of Stargazing is highly sought after; everyone knows how tedious and boring it is. A-Yu is already bored enough as it is, so I might as well be the one to learn it.” Mo Yuan’s voice was languid, his brows slightly furrowed, and his face was full of disdain.
Upon hearing Mo Yuan, Zemiao Zun was instantly incensed and roared, “If you don’t want to learn, then don’t!”
“Don’t say that, Zemiao Zun! I really want to learn, I swear! I promise on my life!” Mo Yuan quickly raised two fingers in an oath, looking at Zemiao Zun with a flattering expression.
Zemiao Zun could see that Shi Yu truly had no intention of learning, so he sighed helplessly and ultimately chose Mo Yuan.
“Fine, fine, you it is. Since you are going to learn, spend these next two days packing your things properly. Don’t be forgetful or leave things behind.”
“Pack my things? Pack what?” Mo Yuan asked, looking at Zemiao Zun, full of confusion.
“What? You know the Art of Stargazing is tedious and boring, yet you don’t know that learning it requires moving to the Nine-Curve Valley behind the sect?” Zemiao Zun looked at Mo Yuan with a straight face, though his originally calm eyes now held a hint of imperceptible amusement.
“Zemiao Zun, I don’t want to move to the back mountain. Can’t I stay?” Mo Yuan said softly, cautiously observing the Zun’s expression.
“No! That is non-negotiable.”
The two people discussed the matter with Zemiao Zun and left the main hall. Shi Yu looked at Mo Yuan walking beside him, feeling a bit curious.
He had been here for quite a while, and this was the first time he had seen Mo Yuan so dejected and listless, so he could not help but stare at him for a good while.
Mo Yuan naturally noticed Shi Yu’s gaze and instantly became radiant again, his peach-blossom eyes curving.
“A-Yu must be reluctant to see me go, right?”
But as soon as he thought about leaving his little kitten, his expression wilted, and he returned to his previous listless state.
“Once I am at the Nine-Curve Valley, I will not have the chance to touch A-Yu’s cat ears anymore.”
Hearing this, Shi Yu frowned slightly, turned his head, and shifted his gaze away.
“If you like cats so much, just raise one at the back mountain.”
After saying this, Shi Yu felt a pang of annoyance. He did not know why, but he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
“How can A-Yu say that? It is you I like, not the cat ears.” Mo Yuan clutched his chest, looking at Shi Yu with a pitiful and aggrieved expression, as if his heart had been deeply pierced.
A hint of a faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed in the depths of Shi Yu’s eyes.
“Since you do not like cat ears, I will not bring them out next time.”
“Good A-Yu, I said the wrong thing. Of course, I like everything! I like both A-Yu and the cat ears!” After saying this, Mo Yuan nodded vigorously, affirming his previous statement.
The corners of Shi Yu’s lips curled up slightly; he seemed quite satisfied with this answer.
Observing Shi Yu’s pleasant expression, Mo Yuan’s eyes flickered, and he looked at Shi Yu with a pleading expression.
“A-Yu, for the sake of me leaving soon, let me see the cat ears one more time.”
Hearing this, Shi Yu instantly wiped away his smile, pressed his thin lips together tightly, and turned to leave.
But Mo Yuan persisted, and under his soft, unrelenting badgering, Shi Yu eventually agreed to show him once they returned to his room.
As soon as they entered the room, Shi Yu saw Mo Yuan looking at him like a large dog, staring with eager anticipation, which made Shi Yu feel quite helpless.
He really could not deny him anything!
“A-Yu just promised me, you cannot go back on your word.” Seeing that Shi Yu had not made a move, Mo Yuan grew worried and spoke up hurriedly.
To stop the person in front of him from making a scene, Shi Yu had no choice but to summon his cat ears.
As the glowing white light above his head gradually faded, Shi Yu’s small cat ears appeared atop his dark hair. The fluffy ears twitched from time to time, enough to capture Mo Yuan’s heart.
Mo Yuan was so charmed by the adorable sight that he reached out, only to be ruthlessly slapped away by Shi Yu.
“Mo Yuan, you can look, but you are not allowed to touch!”
“A-Yu, have pity on me! I have to move to the back mountain in a few days; you will not be able to see me for a long time.” Mo Yuan stared intently at the soft, tender little cat demon in front of him, his voice softening unconsciously, afraid of startling him.
“So what? It is better if you are not around.” Shi Yu looked up and glared at him; he was truly fed up.
Mo Yuan pretended to be hurt, slowly leaning closer, bewitching Shi Yu with his low, lazy voice.
“I know you cannot bear to see me go, so let me touch them just once, please!”
Shi Yu frowned and looked away. “Just once!”
He immediately regretted it. Why had his tolerance for Mo Yuan become so high?
Hearing this, Mo Yuan was overjoyed. He was about to pounce, his invisible tail wagging, when Shi Yu reached out to block him.
He looked at Shi Yu, his gaze slowly drifting upward, landing on those cute little cat ears. “A-Yu promised.”
“You… be gentle.” Shi Yu still felt awkward, but since he had already promised Mo Yuan, he could not back out.
Upon hearing this, Mo Yuan slowed his movements, gently brushing his fingertips against the fuzzy ears.
Shi Yu felt the slight sensation on his head; it was a bit ticklish. His cat ears twitched gently, patting Mo Yuan’s hand.
In the following two days, Mo Yuan did nothing but pack his belongings and run over to see Shi Yu, making a fuss about wanting to see the cat ears.
Only after truly sending Mo Yuan away did Shi Yu feel as if something was missing from his life.
This separation lasted for five years. During those five years, Shi Yu and Mo Yuan could only meet once a month.
Each time they met, Shi Yu felt that Mo Yuan had become even more restless, yet he still satisfied his unreasonable demands. The two seemed to have become each other’s only companions.
There had been no reminder that this mission was over, and there was no news of the side quests; Shi Yu even wondered if the system had abandoned him.
In just five years, Shi Yu had become the most powerful disciple in the sect, and everyone praised him highly.
Mo Yuan also finally finished his studies and returned one day before Shi Yu’s eighteenth birthday.
“A-Yu, I am back. Are you happy?” As soon as Mo Yuan stepped into the main hall, his eyes were locked onto Shi Yu’s back, filled with deep longing.
Shi Yu had now grown into a spirited youth, standing tall and straight in the center of the hall.
“It is alright.” Shi Yu raised an eyebrow toward the entrance and curved his lips slightly; he was indeed in a pretty good mood.
When Mo Yuan heard this answer, his peach-blossom eyes instantly lit up; this was the best answer he had received to this question in years.
“Enough, still as rude as before. Get in here already.” Zemiao Zun, watching Mo Yuan’s pathetic behavior at the door, shouted angrily.
Mo Yuan smiled unabashedly and walked quickly toward Shi Yu, standing beside him.
“Both of you have achieved success in your studies these past few years; it is time for you to go out and gain some experience. Tomorrow is Shi Yu’s eighteenth birthday. After tomorrow, take Fu Zhu with you and head down the mountain to train.”
“Take Fu Zhu?”
Fu Zhu was the Zun’s attendant and had never studied magic. Shi Yu did not understand why they had to bring him along.
Mo Yuan had been hoping he could travel the mountains and rivers with Shi Yu; he had not expected to bring a drag-along, and he looked at Fu Zhu with instant dissatisfaction.
Zemiao Zun noticed Mo Yuan’s expression and gave him a harsh glare.
“Fu Zhu has grown up in the mountains these past few years and has never seen the outside world. It is a good opportunity for you to take him out to see it.”
Fu Zhu had no desire to pay attention to the unreasonable Mo Yuan and simply ignored his dissatisfied glare.
“Yes, Zemiao Zun. Understood.”
Compared to Mo Yuan, Shi Yu appeared much calmer. He did not say anything more and simply agreed to the arrangement.