"Wei Shidi, what are you doing?" Ling Xiao's voice broke through the silence. Since joining the sect, he had noticed Wei Yu becoming more distant, his usual warmth replaced by a subtle air of melancholy. Ling Xiao had finally decided to take the initiative and find him, only to discover his shidi in such a despondent state.
Wei Yu looked up, his expression unreadable. "Nothing." His tone was flat, almost as if the words themselves were forced out.
Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Stop lying. There's something bothering you. What is it? Speak up."
Wei Yu hesitated, his fingers nervously twirling a strand of hair. After a moment of silence, he muttered, "I want Yu Shixiong as my Shizun."
Ling Xiao froze. His eyes widened in surprise, and then, after a long pause, he let out a soft laugh. "Good luck with that," he said, his voice dripping with irony. "Your Yu Shixiong has rejected every disciple who ever asked to be taken in. Trust me, you're not the first."
Wei Yu's eyes brightened for a brief moment, but the flicker of hope quickly dimmed as he repeated quietly, "But he said he will think about it."
Ling Xiao blinked, clearly taken aback by that revelation. "Oh really? Well, that's... new. But don't get your hopes up too high. I've known him for years, and he doesn't take on disciples. Not even one." Ling Xiao's voice was tinged with surprise, but his expression soon hardened. "Still, if Yu Shixiong does decide to accept you... it would be a miracle."
Wei Yu clenched his fists, looking down at the ground, a mix of hope and doubt swirling in his chest. His feelings were so raw, so unspoken, that he wasn't sure how to process them. Ling Xiao could see that his shidi was still too young to fully understand the complexities of the situation.
Before Ling Xiao could continue, another voice interjected—Chen Yuxuan.
The older disciple appeared from the shadows, his elegant presence cutting through the air like the brush of a fan. In one hand, he twirled his ornate fan lazily, his eyes glowing with quiet wisdom. Despite the slight smile on his face, there was an underlying sharpness to his gaze.
"I see you two are having an interesting conversation," Chen Yuxuan remarked smoothly. He had been listening from a distance, his posture immaculate, as always. "Wei Shidi, you are quite ambitious. But it's not so simple with Yu Chen."
Ling Xiao crossed his arms, clearly annoyed by Chen Yuxuan's interruption. "What are you getting at, Yuxuan?"
Chen Yuxuan raised an eyebrow, the smile on his face almost mocking. "I'm merely pointing out that you're not the only one who has tried and failed. Yu Chen has a past. A rather... complicated one." He said this with a softness, as though it were something delicate, but the words carried weight.
Wei Yu looked between the two seniors, his brow furrowing. "What do you mean by that?" he asked cautiously.
Ling Xiao sighed, a touch of frustration in his voice. "If you really want to understand Yu Shixiong, you'll need to know more about his past. The man you're asking to be your Shizun is not just anyone."
Wei Yu was quiet, his curiosity piqued. Chen Yuxuan's cool demeanor was unchanged, but his words carried a sense of gravity. "Yu Chen was once a child with no family to call his own. His father died when he was young, and his mother... she took her life shortly after. His father's concubine sold him to a brothel, where he was left to live in the darkest corners of the world. It was only when Chen Jiu, my father, took him in that he found a new path."
Wei Yu's eyes widened as he listened. Ling Xiao added, his voice rough with a hint of bitterness, "But even after he was saved, Yu Chen has never been the same. He's always carried the scars of that past with him. Don't expect him to open up about it, because he won't."
Wei Yu swallowed, his heart heavy with the weight of the story. His own experiences were nowhere near as painful as Yu Chen's, but he could still feel the burden of his own loneliness and struggle. "So... because of that, he won't take a disciple?" Wei Yu's voice was barely above a whisper.
Chen Yuxuan nodded slowly, his fan swaying lightly in the air. "He doesn't trust easily, Wei Shidi. Trust, to him, is not something given lightly. And, truth be told, he doesn't think he's worthy of anyone's loyalty. That's why he refuses to take on disciples."
Before Wei Yu could respond, Ling Xiao cut in with a smirk, his playful attitude returning. "Of course, Yuxuan here also thinks that he knows Yu Chen's every thought. But don't get any ideas, Wei Shidi. Your Yu Shixiong doesn't do 'easy.' If you really want him to take you on, you'll have to fight for it."
Chen Yuxuan's eyes flickered with amusement, his tone sharp as he replied, "Oh, I'm sure he'll get what he wants... eventually." His words were tinged with something darker, as though the relationship between him and Yu Chen was more complicated than anyone knew.
Ling Xiao back straightened up as though he was ready to argue with Chen Yuxuan.
Wei Yu's frustration bubbled up. "Enough!" he shouted suddenly, surprising both Ling Xiao and Chen Yuxuan. The two seniors turned to look at him in surprise, but Wei Yu's usual politeness had disappeared. He was done with their bickering. "Why do you two always argue like this?! Can't you see how much this means to me?!"
His outburst was sharp, unexpected. For a brief moment, the tension between the three grew thick, but then, just as quickly, it dissolved. Ling Xiao scratched his head awkwardly, while Chen Yuxuan's expression softened, though only slightly.
"I suppose we've made you upset," Chen Yuxuan said quietly, lowering his fan. "We didn't mean to."
Ling Xiao chuckled, though it was forced. "Alright, alright. We're just teasing you, kid. But, honestly, if you want to get Yu Chen's attention, you'll have to show him you're worth it. He won't make it easy for you, that's for sure."
Wei Yu nodded, his face serious. "I understand. I won't give up."
The three stood there for a moment in silence, each contemplating their own thoughts. The wind rustled through the trees. Wei Yu looked at the two seniors that could not handle the tension in the air, and decided to leave.
As he walked away, Ling Xiao looked at Chen Yuxuan with anger. "Look what you did. Are you proud?"
"It wasn't my fault, your the one who started bickering overgrown rooster." Yu Chen replied.
"Why are you even here? Do you really enjoy fighting with me?" Ling Xiao was frustrated. Chen Yuxuan was basically everywhere he went. He started to believe this was not a coincidence.
"Hmph! As if! Shizun told me to call you. He's going to teach us a new sword play." With that Yu Chen flicked his sleeves and left. Ling Xiao followed shortly after.