Chapter 136: Chu Xingran's Affection

Guarding through one cycle of reincarnation after another, accompanying him lifetime after lifetime.

Not long after Yezheng died, he began the cycle of reincarnation. Chu Xingran was able to find him accurately in every lifetime, staying by his side all along.

Time passed quickly. Chu Xingran still maintained her original appearance, but she had matured significantly.

The once arrogant and domineering little tyrant had now become quiet, gentle, and meticulous—a far cry from who she used to be.

Every year on the seventh day of the fifth month, she would return to Wumei Mountain and sit at the foot of the mountain for an entire day.

Once, due to various reasons, she had ventured into the mountains, though those memories were far from pleasant. Even so, it was then that she made her first friend.

She had felt truly desperate at that time, but fortunately, she met Chenyuan, a subterranean dragon spirit. It was thanks to Chenyuan’s appearance that she was given a chance to escape.

Afterward, the two of them spent much of their time together. She would take Chenyuan wandering about while continuously gathering records of various spirits and monsters.

Whenever she was too busy to handle everything alone, Chenyuan became her greatest helper, following persistently behind her and offering all the help she could muster.

"Ah-Ran, you've waited for so long and already gone through two lifetimes of this. Clearly, there's no result, so why keep going?" Chenyuan asked, swaying a piece of foxtail grass in her hand as she stared at Chu Xingran.

Chu Xingran gave a desolate smile. "He said he would come back to find me. It was only his physical body that died, not his soul."

Her smile was faint and soft. Her love had never changed, and her heart always belonged to Yezheng.

What did it matter if they weren't married? As long as she could accompany him, that was more than enough.

That master named Fanghe had also told her similar things—saying that she and Yezheng would never have a possibility of ending up together: meeting, knowing each other, understanding each other, falling in love, and ultimately missing each other lifetime after lifetime.

Now, she no longer cared about the outcome, nor did she want a conclusion. As long as Yezheng was the one present in this process, as long as it was him, that was enough.

Yezheng was not only her lover, but also the pillar that kept her going.

She knew what she was doing. She knew she loved Yezheng, and she knew Yezheng held her in his heart.

Having no ultimate result was already the best outcome. Even if she were to vanish into smoke and dust, Yezheng would return to being himself. Yet, cursed with a solitary fate, he would always remain alone.

Having each other in their hearts was enough. Having had so much time together made her truly happy; the ending no longer mattered.

"Ah-Ran, it's only been a century or two. How much longer are you going to wait for him?" Chenyuan's cultivation was not very high, nor did she fully understand human emotions.

However, recently, a certain person had been pestering her every day. Perhaps after spending a long time together, one simply grew accustomed to the other.

"Once time passes, the pain won't be so sharp. When you are waiting, time no longer feels so long." Chu Xingran suddenly smiled, taking Chenyuan's hand as they left Wumei Mountain.

The times she would return here in the future would become very few. She had things to do now—in order for him to be able to do what needed to be done immediately upon his return, she had to prepare everything in advance for him.

"Go play on your own. I need to go out on a trip recently, and when I come back, I'll bring you something delicious!" She smiled at Chenyuan, then stood up and left.

Loving someone is easy, but forgetting is simply too difficult.

Rather than forcing herself to forget, why not just let things flow naturally? Was the ending really that important?

……

"I've already told you, there is no possibility between us, and I don't like a woman who looks at me the way you do. Could you please stop bothering me?" The young man wore an expression of disdain and contempt, stepping back a few paces away from Chu Xingran.

Chu Xingran was not angry at all, maintaining her gentle demeanor. "I'm not here for you today; your father invited me over. You don't need to be so angry!"

Smiling at the young man, she walked past him toward the manor behind. She was here today to deliver some items and also to warn the young man's father.

Lately, a dark aura had gathered between the young man's brows—he was facing a calamity of bloodshed!

Either they protected the young man properly, or they could only let tragedy unfold and watch helplessly as he died.

It seemed that Yezheng's destiny after every reincarnation was never quite good; every time, he died a miserable death, and she had to watch him from birth until his departure.

"Elder, I am aware of everything you mentioned. These are the items you requested, but as for the young master's situation, you must decide how to handle it yourselves." Pushing the items on the table forward, Chu Xingran gazed naturally at everything around her.

Having guarded him for twenty-five years, in this lifetime he would once again die young; his life was ending just as it had barely begun.

Her gaze shifted outside the window. In the courtyard, the young man raised his head and cast a stealthy glance at her—he was someone with gentle features and a tame temper.

"Elder, I will go have a few words with the young master, and then I must be on my way. I hope you all live well in the future!" Since it was fate, there was no escaping it.

Stepping out into the courtyard, the young man suddenly changed his expression, looking at the approaching Chu Xingran with disgusted eyes.

"Ah-Zheng, this is the last time I will come to see you. You must remember: Ah-Ran truly, deeply loves you." As the words left her lips, a faint ache lingered in her heart.

Whether toward Yezheng or his reincarnations, Chu Xingran always wore a gentle and endearing expression.

The young man angrily flicked his sleeve, turning his back to Chu Xingran. "Stop joking around. You simply have something wrong with your head, always saying incomprehensible things every time you call me. Not seeing you anymore suits my wishes perfectly."

In truth, he had also grown fond of Chu Xingran.

Pity that he did not have many days left to live; how could he dare to delay her?

"Ah-Zheng, farewell. I will always wait for you." With a faint smile, she bowed slightly and lowered her head as she left.

Her figure instantly vanished within the manor. She hadn't left; she had merely concealed her presence.

Ever since his reincarnation, his birth, his departure—Chu Xingran had been present every single time.

This time was no exception. She quietly hid by his side to accompany him on his final journey before leaving.

In the next lifetime, she wondered where he would be, and how long it would take for him to successfully reincarnate!

Chu Xingran kept vigil for nearly three days, and the young man's life was set to end today.

Early this morning, a group of uninvited guests arrived at the manor, every single one of them fierce and formidable.

Because of this group of uninvited guests, the young man would lose his life right here in his own family's manor, bringing his short-lived existence to a close.

As noon approached, the sun blazed high, scorching everything in its path with intense heat.

Suddenly, the group of intruders grew restless, and chaos erupted across the manor.

The once-peaceful estate was consumed by cries and blood. The young man's family members remained safe and sound, but quite a few guards and servants had perished, and many casualties lay among the enemy as well.

When the young man stepped out to investigate, someone struck him from behind with a slash. With that single blow, the young man turned his head in a daze before being kicked far away.

"Ah... Ah-Ran, wait for me!" Gathering the very last shred of his strength, he stared up at the sky and uttered his final words for this lifetime.

Not far away, Chu Xingran wiped the frozen liquid from her face and smiled at him.

Soon. They would meet again very soon!