“Even if one day you really don’t want to be the so-called Heavenly Fate Girl, that doesn’t mean you’re a Bad Child. You don’t have to try so hard. It’s fine to just lie down next to your Master and rest. No shame in that.”
Yun Liu’s voice was gentle, speaking not just to Ji Shiyu, but also making peace with his past self.
How he wished someone had said those words to him back then, instead of endlessly demanding more with expectations set too high, never allowing him to stop.
“Master, that’s too cunning! Why now, of all times? I… I can’t hold it in anymore!”
Ji Shiyu bit her lips hard, sobbing as she clutched Yun Liu’s sleeve. Her fierce rebellious momentum had unconsciously softened.
“Actually, the useless Shiyu at the very beginning was adorable too. So you don’t need to care what Ao Tian says, and you don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself. Your Mister might not have any great abilities, but raising you is no problem at all. Even though you really can eat a lot.”
Before he even finished speaking, Ji Shiyu suddenly burst into tears with a loud “waaah,” completely breaking down.
“Oh dear, oh dear!?”
Yun Liu scrambled in a panic, rare for him to swallow his pride and comfort someone, trying to be a proper teacher, doing his best to compensate Little Yellow Hair for everything she never got.
How did he end up making her cry instead!?
“You’re cheating! You’re shameless! You’ve done every terrible thing! Why would you say all this to me? I was originally… I was planning to… uwaaah!”
She was so, so tired! Her pretty face was streaked with tears like rain on pear blossoms. Ji Shiyu collapsed limply into Yun Liu’s embrace, tears quickly soaking through his chest.
Her Mother was formidable, sure, but she only pushed her to grow stronger, strong enough to save the Nine Provinces and seize her fate firmly in her own hands.
Ao Tian was like a quest board, only giving orders, one commission after another, forcing her to never stop for even a moment.
But who ever cared about how she felt?
Even if she was a genius pretty girl, she was still just a girl. Her stomach growled when hungry, it hurt when she got hit, and she cried when she bled.
Why does everyone have to force me to find my true self and become that Heavenly Fate? What’s wrong with how things are now? I’m happy every single day.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Your Mister was wrong. Being able to eat is a blessing. Our Shiyu isn’t useless at all. She’s the cutest in the whole world.”
Yun Liu patted the girl’s back while coaxing her, afraid the crying would carry into other rooms. Then he’d never explain himself!
“Who said you were wrong? You’re not wrong! I’m the one who’s wrong! I’m seducing you! Can’t you see that!?”
Ji Shiyu wiped her cheeks and glared with wide, red-rimmed eyes, looking absolutely ferocious.
No one had ever said these things to her her whole life. It wasn’t until she met the Young Man before her that she found someone different.
Yun Liu’s mouth twitched. He wanted to laugh but didn’t dare, afraid the patient’s condition might worsen.
I can see it. And then?
And then the teary-eyed Blonde-haired girl lifted her foot and pounced on him, chomping down with an “ahm” on the culprit who made her cry, teeth clashing together.
Yun Liu’s whole body jolted as if struck by lightning. All he could see were those beautiful eyes shining like stars, sinking deeper and deeper.
She licked clumsily. Tears flowed down her cheeks and into her mouth, sour and green. To her, it was like a newborn cub opening its eyes for the first time, seeking milk. Ji Shiyu didn’t know how to kiss, so she treated it like food to cherish, carefully making soft “gluck gluck” sounds.
It was the sweetest honey in the world.
A single gentle push would easily free him from the Evil Disciple’s soft, boneless body, but Yun Liu couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Couldn’t bear to. Couldn’t let go.
Mwah!
In the end, Ji Shiyu was forced to pull away, annoyed by some bothersome thing that kept pushing her open. So irritating!
“Geez, you really are hungry.”
Yun Liu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he wiped the saliva off his face. His lips were already purple.
“Hm?”
Ji Shiyu looked down in dissatisfaction and noticed that Master had inexplicably grown a tail. It was even warm.
Where did this pole come from?
She pressed it down with her hand, about to pounce forward to keep looting the night’s most precious prize, when the thing bounced back up again.
Ji Shiyu didn’t think twice. She swung her leg over and straddled Yun Liu’s waist, using it as a support seat.
“Don’t move. Mmph!”
Yun Liu’s face flushed red as he hurriedly pressed the pecking little head onto his shoulder to soothe her. That wasn’t a toy.
“I like you.”
Ji Shiyu mumbled softly, as if waking from a dream.
Ao Tian was right…
That longing to eat Master’s soft rice day and night was liking. The bitterness of seeing him get close to others was liking. The wish to be together forever was also liking.
The fabric rustled wildly as she squirmed, the pole even getting bent crooked from sitting on it. Saying something important three times wasn’t enough. Little Yellow Hair announced loudly from his shoulder:
“Master, I like you! Like like like! I, Ji Shiyu, like Yun Liu.”
“Master, I like you! Like like like!”
“What did you say?”
“Fine, fine, go easy on me, you little terror.”
Ji Shiyu tilted her head and planted another fierce kiss on Yun Liu’s cheek, shy and overwhelmed.
So… do you like me?
“Li… like you.”
Ji Shiyu’s eyes brightened slightly, then she shook her head, unsatisfied.
“I don’t mean a Master’s liking for a Disciple, or a father’s liking for a daughter, or the liking between friends and family. I mean the kind of liking where I want to grow old with you!”
Breaking the Cauldron meant asking until the very bottom. She gave no one room to maneuver. Not the other person, not even herself.
“I…”
Yun Liu swallowed hard, his mind already blown by her assault, unsure how to respond.
The Filial Daughter’s confession was passionate and forthright, charging forward like her Sword Intent.
At least until tonight, the fatherly affection and tenderness he felt hadn’t been mixed with selfish desire. But now, that was hard to say.
The Sacred Fire burned his body, the furnace nearly dry, containing a little roasted girl with a Spiritual Bone!
“I understand. You still don’t like me.”
Ji Shiyu murmured to herself, already having her answer. But she wasn’t discouraged.
“Not liking me today doesn’t mean not liking me tomorrow. Not liking me tomorrow doesn’t mean not liking me the day after. You’ll fall for me eventually. I promise.”
She then bit Yun Liu’s ear instead, declaring her treasonous bold words.
“But… I’ll get you eventually, Ma~ster.”
Yun Liu was dizzied by the biting, his Heavenly Dao Heart that once held the upper hand starting to falter, tilting toward the parched craving for Bright Radiance.
“What a sin. Is this what they mean by wild punches beating the old master?”
“Hee hee, Shiyu will always be Master’s Bad Child. Please punish me more.”
Ji Shiyu cooed and giggled, twisting her soft body, pouring oil on the fire, dealing tons of damage.
“Hiss.”
Isn’t this just forcing me to commit a crime?
Yun Liu’s breathing grew heavy, veins bulging on his arms. Things seemed to be spiraling out of control.
Burning the Mountain, jail time guaranteed.
The worst part was that at the height of his dilemma—Riding a Tiger with no way down—he heard steady breathing from his ear.
Perhaps tired from all the crying and carrying on, Ji Shiyu had actually fallen asleep like that, tear tracks glistening on her pretty face.
“Tsk? Damn girl!”
Yun Liu stood there frozen, cursing under his breath.