Mei Chao Bing didn't even need to ask. Yun Bei Fen had already promised that he would tell the story so he would tell him the whole story. He just was that type of obedient child.
"I've only ever heard my father talking about it so I don't really know how accurate it is but apparently, my mother was really fierce. At first, when he went up to confess to her that he liked her, she snapped at him and scolded him that he was a scoundrel and that she wanted nothing to do with him.
"Naturally, my father was devastated. He loved her so much. So he felt very bad after she did that. But since he loved her, he didn't give up either. He said he tried to become a better person for her and then every once in a while, he'd go and tell her again that he loved her. Unfortunately, my mother still wasn't satisfied for a long time. So … He was rejected again and again."
Mei Chao Bing had no words to react to a story like this. Just what kind of bad person had Yun Bei Fen's father been that his mother would reject him this vehemently? Or how fierce had she been that she was able to stay cold in the face of such a fervent chase? Well, whatever the case, he still wondered what this had to do with Yun Bei Fen not daring to approach him. Or could it be … "You couldn't have thought that you would experience the same as your father, would you?"
Yun Bei Fen pursed his lips. "Why not? My father was a really good person but my mother still rejected him so often. So since I wasn't as great as my father, wouldn't you have rejected me even more often? And I wasn't sure it would be able to take it so I thought I should rather wait. If you didn't like me, then it would still be better if I didn't know it. I could try to become a better person first and then approach you." He furrowed his brows at the thought. "I think I did wrong in the end though. I actually went over and hugged you when I wasn't a good enough person yet. I couldn't do the things that you could do. And I always thought that I should be at least able to do what you can do before I can approach you."
This time, Mei Chao Bing really chuckled. "Silly. Don't you know that cultivation is a long path? Starting early and spending many years on it would certainly give somebody an advantage. You'd have to have lots of luck to be able to make up for that gap. What were you doing chasing me like that? You should just have told me." Yes, if he imagined how things might have been if Yun Bei Fen told him earlier … It really was a sweet dream. Well, maybe nothing much would've changed. Yun Bei Fen had been there when things turned to the worst for him. Even though they hadn't been a couple yet and not even been friends, he had still been there for him and given him the strength to continue on.
So even if they met earlier, nothing much might have changed. At the most, the torturous years when he had waited for Yun Bei Fen to come out of his closed-door cultivation might not have existed. No, maybe they would have been able to spend these years together.
Then again, what Elder Baili had said back then was also true. It had been just right after his Master's betrayal. People had looked at him strangely wherever he went. His talent, his previous achievements, all of that had been like dirt on the ground. What did it count for in the face of his Master's wrongdoing? No, it might have been better that he hadn't known Yun Bei Fen before. If he had, he might have dragged his little bit bunny down unknowingly. He didn't want that.
Mei Chao Bing sighed. Things were in the past. There was no need to think about it any further. "Well, anyway, I'm very happy that you finally decided to go after me. I really would've missed out if you didn't."
Yun Bei Fen smiled happily. Actually, he was sure that it was him who would have missed out and not Mei Chao Bing but still, he was very happy that his senior martial brother wanted to humor him so much. "It's good that you're such a nice person. I really shouldn't have worried that much. There really was no need to wait so long."
Mei Chao Bing smiled and patted Yun Bei Fen's head. "It doesn't matter. The only thing that's important is that we've gotten together in the end. As cultivators, we can live forever so it's not a problem that it took a little longer. We have many, many years in the future that we can spend together.
"And who knows? There might be some benefit to starting out together late that we can't see right now. Let's just wait what will happen in the future." He leaned down and gently kissed Yun Bei Fen's temple. Yes, it was alright as it was. Whether they started earlier or later, it didn't matter as long as they were together.
The only thing that still bothered him was the upcoming mission and whatever that Yang Wu Huang would be able to come up with. Well, he would find out about that later today. And as long as Elder Baili could make true on his promise to Yun Bei Fen and allow them to do the mission together, then he could also make sure that Yun Bei Fen would be safe. There was no need to worry. Yes, there really was no need to worry.