Qiguan Cheng Da adjusted his expression and knocked on the door with a pleasant smile. Jing Yi opened his eyes inside the room and looked over but didn't stand up to open. A sigh escaped his lips.
Had Qiu Ling still not given up? Just how long would he need to ignore him before he did? Or could it be that giving him the cold shoulder wouldn't help at all? Did he really need to be more direct? But that would hurt Qiu Ling even more, wouldn't it?
In front of the door, Qiguan Cheng Da frowned. What was this Zhong Jing Yi thinking? He opened his door for senior martial brother Qiu and senior martial brother Yu but not for him? Was he worth less in his eyes? But he was also one of the premier talents of the Yun Zou Sect! In fact, he was the third talent directly behind those two if one didn't count the disciples that had been secluded for several years to cultivate.
Qiguan Cheng Da knocked again. "Junior martial brother Zhong, are you in?"
Inside the room, Jing Yi's brows raised. "Senior martial brother Qiguan?" He leaped to his feet and hurried to the door, bowing as soon as he opened it. "Senior martial brother, I'm sorry for letting you wait this long. I … was cultivating just now and then when I heard you knock I thought …" He sighed and motioned into the room. "Please, come in."
Qiguan Cheng Da nodded and stepped in but when he passed Jing Yi there was a ridiculing smile on his lips. Sure, he had just been cultivating. There certainly wasn't any other reason.
He sat down at the table and folded his hands in his lap, taking a look at Jing Yi in the meantime. Well, after seeing him again now that a few years had passed he could at least understand why senior martial brother Yu would risk offending senior martial brother Qiu. Even though he couldn't be described as a stunning beauty, you could at least say he looked cute.
Qiguan Cheng Da put on a pleasant smile again. "It's good to see you again, junior martial brother Zhong."
"Mn, I'm also happy to be able to see you again, senior martial brother Qiguan. Do you want some tea?"
Qiguan Cheng Da nodded and watched as Jing Yi poured him a cup of tea. "I heard that you and senior martial brother Qiu broke up."
Jing Yi's movements stilled, his hands trembling a little so that some of the tea spilled over. "So you heard. I wouldn't have thought … somebody would find out so soon."
Qiguan Cheng Da narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure half the sect knows already. Everyone is talking about it."
Jing Yi lowered his head and frowned. Everyone was talking about it? Then Qiu Ling … Wouldn't he always be confronted with it? He sighed and placed the cup in front of Qiguan Cheng Da. Even if he wanted to change it, he couldn't. He couldn't stay with Qiu Ling, not now that he knew about Tian.
Qiguan Cheng Da used the opportunity to paint himself the good guy again. "Don't you worry. I'm sure people will understand that you had your reasons. Nobody would talk badly about you."
Jing Yi sighed. "Thank you but … actually, that's not it."
"No?" Qiguan Cheng Da raised his brows. He leaned forward and patted Jing Yi's hand. "I can see that this is weighing on you. Maybe you'll feel better if you talk about it?"
"I don't know. You probably —"
"Don't worry about me. We're from the same village. Naturally, I'd support you whatever happened."
"Thank you, senior martial brother Qiguan."
Qiguan Cheng Da smiled even more brightly and patted Jing Yi's hand. "It's a matter of course. So what happened? Did you find out that you and senior martial brother Qiu weren't suited for each other?"
"No. That's not it. Actually, I … I really … really liked Qiu Ling. I guess I still do even though I shouldn't say this."
Qiguan Cheng Da nodded sympathetically. Inwardly, he sneered. So he had been right all along. This boy had figured that senior martial brother Yu could give him more benefits since he was the favorite disciple of the Sect Master and might even take over his position in the future. On the other hand, he felt reluctant about leaving the possibilities behind that the disciple of Grandmaster Zhangsun meant to him.
"This matter is a little complicated. I don't know if …" Jing Yi looked up questioningly. He really would have liked to talk about this with someone and Qiguan Cheng Da and he had had a good relationship before he got trapped in the secret realm. If he really didn't mind listening, he would like to tell him about it.
Qiguan Cheng Da sighed. "Is it that junior martial brother Zhong doesn't trust me after being away for so long? Your matters are naturally my matters. So please, don't hold anything back. Tell me everything."
"Mn!" Jing Yi nodded gratefully. "This matter began shortly after senior martial brother Yu and I got trapped in the secret realm."
"You … got closer to each other?"
"Ah?" Jing Yi shook his head. "No, why would you think so?"
"Well, everyone knew you were trapped together. Some of the martial brothers and sisters wondered if maybe … being together for so long with only the two of you there to depend on each other might have led to something else. It wouldn't be surprising to develop feelings for each other in such a situation."
Jing Yi laughed. "No, that's not it. Senior martial brother Yu … He helped me a lot in that time and without him, I probably wouldn't have been able to survive in that place but we didn't fall in love with each other. But … there is somebody else." He lowered his head and rubbed the hem of his sleeve.
"So you actually weren't alone in the secret realm?"
"No, we … we were. But I found something and then I remembered some things."
"What kind of thing?"
Qiguan Cheng Da leaned back in his seat and Jing Yi started to tell him everything that had happened in the secret realm. And at Qiguan Cheng Da's prompting, he even told him all about the scenes he had remembered, not knowing that all this would be reported to his true lover's archenemy and used against him.