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Ch132 - Eat, Drink, Play, Gamble




Xiaoxiao woke up late, only rising in the afternoon, still sleepy.
Under the companion tree in Hanmang Garden, Chongjue and Su Xuanlin sat cross-legged, playing a small game of Go.
Seeing Xiaoxiao splash cold water on his face and walk over, Su Xuanlin lazily flicked a chess piece with his chin. The white piece flipped in the air and landed on the board, blocking Chongjue’s attack.
“Were you out stealing last night?” he drawled. “You’re only waking up when dinner should be ready. Why not sleep until tomorrow?”
Xiaoxiao wiped his face, looking satisfied from a good sleep. He obediently knelt beside them and bowed. He wasn’t afraid of Su Xuanlin, his voice nasal. “I won’t do it again.”
Su Xuanlin narrowed his eyes, smiling. “Good boy.”
It was too late to practice swordplay in the afternoon, so Xiaoxiao sat quietly beside them, watching the game.
He didn’t understand chess, his head turning back and forth as they alternated moves. By the end of half a game, he was the most tired.
Su Xuanlin clicked his tongue, about to call his son to sit beside him, when Chongjue, focused on the board, casually reached out. The motion was so practiced, as if he’d done it countless times.
Xiaoxiao’s swaying body was pulled over, his head resting on Chongjue’s lap.
Su Xuanlin was stunned.
Xiaoxiao was also surprised, but Chongjue’s scent was so familiar. The feeling of sleeping with his head on Chongjue’s lap was like a memory, and his body instinctively relaxed, offering no resistance.
Chongjue, as if nothing was wrong, placed a piece and looked up at Su Xuanlin. “What?”
Su Xuanlin snapped out of it, shaking his head and continuing the game.
When Xiaoxiao was little, he always snuggled into Chongjue’s robes to sleep. Now that he was older, it should still be appropriate… right?
Chongjue wasn’t a beast. He wouldn’t violate ethics and try to seduce his best friend’s son.
How could he think such a thing?
Unforgivable, unforgivable. Repent, repent.
Chongjue glanced at Su Xuanlin, deciding not to provoke him further.
Xiaoxiao lay on the ground, his head resting on Chongjue’s leg. Every time Chongjue lifted his hand to move a piece, his wide sleeve brushed Xiaoxiao’s face. Through the gap in the white robe, Xiaoxiao could see the man’s stern features.
Chongjue remained focused on the game, barely glancing at him.
Xiaoxiao had been lying quietly, but suddenly grew unhappy. He reached up and tugged at the snowy sleeve that kept brushing his face.
Chongjue, about to place a piece, was startled by the sudden tug. His hand wavered, and the piece fell haphazardly onto the board.
Su Xuanlin, who had been about to lose, immediately perked up. “A move is a move!—My Xiaoxiao truly loves his father.”
With that, he happily placed a piece, turning the tide.
Chongjue looked down at Xiaoxiao, his voice gentle. “What is it?”
Xiaoxiao seemed only to want Chongjue’s attention. Once he got it, he obediently let go. “Nothing.”
Chongjue smiled and continued playing.
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Su Xuanlin, caught up in his excitement, didn’t notice Chongjue’s ulterior motive. Humming a tune, he packed up the board and was about to go find Xie Zhizhi, but then seemed to remember something. He turned to Xiaoxiao.
“Xiaoxiao, do you want to come with your father?”
In the past, Xiaoxiao would have eagerly followed, but today he hesitated. He looked at Chongjue, then at his father, frowning as if making a difficult choice.
Chongjue coughed.
In the end, Xiaoxiao stayed put. “I won’t go. I’ll just go to sleep.”
Su Xuanlin couldn’t help laughing. He leaned down and patted Xiaoxiao’s head. “Still sleeping? Your head isn’t smart enough as it is. Don’t sleep yourself silly.”
Xiaoxiao smiled faintly.
Su Xuanlin gave him a few reminders, then shot Chongjue a disgruntled look. “Don’t take him to places like Mount Sumeru. He’s so sleepy today, probably from the cold wind.”
Chongjue nodded absently.
Su Xuanlin strolled away.
As soon as his father was gone, Xiaoxiao clung to Chongjue’s arm, looking up at him expectantly. “Uncle, let’s go see the snow.”
Chongjue: “…”
This child was learning to be sneaky?
“Mount Sumeru is too cold,” Chongjue patiently explained. “Your cultivation is only at the Golden Core stage. If you play there too long, the cold will seep into your body.”
Su Xuanlin hadn’t realized that in the past, when Xiaoxiao bore the phoenix bone, the cold of Mount Sumeru couldn’t penetrate his meridians. Now, without the phoenix bone, Xiaoxiao was just an ordinary person, unable to withstand such biting cold.
No wonder he’d been so lethargic today—probably from the ancient, bone-deep chill of Mount Sumeru.
Xiaoxiao drooped his head, making no effort to hide his unhappiness. He’d never acted this way in front of Su Xuanlin, always obeying his father without question, but with Chongjue, he was completely open.
Chongjue found it amusing. “Repeat what your father just said.”
Miserably, Xiaoxiao parroted, “Don’t take him to places like Mount Sumeru…”
Chongjue smiled to himself, but kept a stern face. “Be good.”
Xiaoxiao reluctantly obeyed.
He was sulking, head down, when suddenly a white shadow covered his eyes. A warm hand covered his vision, plunging him into darkness, though the familiar scent lingered.
“Uncle?”
Chongjue chuckled. “Don’t tell your father.”
Xiaoxiao was still puzzled when a chill swept over him from all sides. He blinked, then brightened instantly!
Uncle really was taking him to see the snow.
Xiaoxiao quickly pulled Chongjue’s hand away, expecting to see the white expanse from yesterday. But when he looked up, he was still in Hanmang Garden.
Xiaoxiao was confused.
Suddenly, a snowflake drifted down and landed on Xiaoxiao’s nose, melting instantly. He looked up, puzzled.
Snowflakes fell from the sky, and in moments, the sweltering Hanmang Garden was transformed into a winter wonderland, with snow covering the companion tree.
Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up.
Chongjue wrapped a thick cloak covered in cold-repelling talismans around Xiaoxiao, gently fastening it and smiling. “Why do you suddenly want to see snow?”
Xiaoxiao caught a handful of snow, his eyes sparkling. “I don’t know. I just feel… someone took me to see snow before.”
Chongjue’s hands paused, his smile growing softer.
Once the cloak was fastened, Xiaoxiao joyfully played in the snow, even building two snowmen, one big and one small.
Chongjue sat on the veranda, watching the boy’s pure happiness. For some reason, a thought crossed his mind.
This wasn’t so bad.
Without memories, the suffering of past and present lives didn’t exist. Xiaoxiao’s memories were filled only with love and care.
No false Heaven’s Will, no phoenix bone…
No pain or tragic death from his previous life. He could grow up peacefully, never again breaking down in despair, never again driving himself to madness.
Chongjue’s eyes lowered, gazing at the string of Buddhist beads on his wrist. His fingertip gently rubbed the jade bead.
Perhaps…
Suddenly, Xiaoxiao called out happily, “Uncle!”
Chongjue was startled, lifting his gaze.
Xiaoxiao had built a tall snowman, grinning as he waved. “Look, does this look like you?”
Chongjue looked at the crooked features made of stones and twigs, and nodded. “It does.”
Xiaoxiao tilted his head, comparing the ugly face to Chongjue’s handsome one. Noticing something, he suddenly burst into laughter.
He laughed so freely, almost like he had before losing his memory.
Chongjue, who had been hesitating, softened at the sight of that joyful smile.
Never mind.
Even if he agonized over it, in the end, only Xiaoxiao himself could decide whether to recover his memories.
Xiaoxiao happily played until nightfall.
Before Su Xuanlin arrived, Chongjue used spiritual energy to restore Hanmang Garden to its original state.
Su Xuanlin didn’t know if he noticed anything strange, but he gave Chongjue a knowing glance.
He looked at Xiaoxiao and reminded him, “Tomorrow, no more sleeping in. You have to get up early to practice swordplay—Elder Xie scolded me all afternoon, telling me not to spoil you.”
Xiaoxiao drooped. “What time do I have to get up?”
“At dawn.”
Xiaoxiao’s eyebrows sagged. “Ah? So early?”
Su Xuanlin said coldly, “Too early?”
Xiaoxiao nodded.
“Then let’s make it a bit later,” Su Xuanlin changed his tone, smiling as he patted Xiaoxiao’s head. “Can you sleep an extra hour?”
Xiaoxiao: “A bit later.”
“One hour?”
“Half an hour?”
“Fine, fine.”
Chongjue: “…”
This man could never be a strict father.
After negotiating with Xiaoxiao to wake up at mid-morning to practice swordplay, Su Xuanlin cheerfully sent his son off to sleep.
Chongjue sat on the veranda of Hanmang Garden, slowly sipping tea, waiting for Su Xuanlin to leave so he could go see Xiaoxiao.
But when Su Xuanlin came out of the room, he raised an eyebrow at Chongjue. “Come, I invited Zhizhi for a night of drinking. You’re coming too.”
Chongjue: “…”
Chongjue looked at him coldly. “Excuse me, I’m a monk.”
“What are you pretending?” Su Xuanlin scoffed. “I see your good and evil thoughts are almost fused. One moment you’re a Buddha, the next a demon. You just need a trigger, and your evil desires for food, drink, women, and gambling will take over your mind…”
Chongjue glanced at the room where the light was still on, unusually flustered as he interrupted, “I’ve never gambled or indulged in women.”
Su Xuanlin: “…”
Chongjue: “…”
***