Early the next morning, Wei Yu got up and headed to Yu Chen's residence. He had been debating whether to tell Yu Chen the truth, but fear gnawed at him—fear of rejection, fear of being abandoned.
When Wei Yu finally reached Yu Chen's door, he opened it and stepped inside. The room was eerily quiet, completely empty. He called out softly, "Shizun?" but there was no response. Frowning, he wandered deeper into the room, searching.
"Where could he be?" Wei Yu muttered to himself. His eyes landed on a large bookshelf. Curious, he walked over, noting how many books Yu Chen owned.
"Shizun sure loves books," Wei Yu mumbled as he scanned the titles. One book, in particular, caught his attention: The Secret of Mixed Blood. The odd title piqued his curiosity. He reached out and pulled it from the shelf, but as he did, the bookshelf shifted.
To Wei Yu's surprise, the shelves parted, revealing a hidden passageway.
Wei Yu stared at the opening, his instincts telling him to leave it alone. "Yeah… maybe I shouldn't go in there," he thought, but his curiosity got the better of him. Taking cautious steps, he ventured inside.
The hidden room was unlike anything he'd expected. It was lavish, like a miniature palace. The floors gleamed, polished to perfection, and a serene pond filled with blooming lotus flowers sat in the center.
Wei Yu walked further in and froze when he spotted Yu Chen, seated in meditation. Relief washed over him. "At least he's safe," Wei Yu murmured. He thought about approaching but stopped short. "I shouldn't disturb him."
Just as he turned to leave, Yu Chen coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His eyes snapped open, sharp and alert. He scanned the room, his gaze locking onto Wei Yu, who was sitting near the lotus pond.
"How did you get in here?" Yu Chen demanded, his voice cold.
Wei Yu blinked, startled by the sudden question. "Shizun! I—"
Yu Chen cut him off before he could explain. "Since you've found this place, you must not tell anyone," he said firmly, his tone brooking no argument. His aura was icy, sending a shiver down Wei Yu's spine.
"I understand," Wei Yu replied quietly, lowering his head.
After a moment, Yu Chen's expression softened slightly. He sighed and walked over to sit beside Wei Yu by the lotus pond.
Wei Yu couldn't help but wonder why Yu Chen had a pond in a hidden room. It seemed unnecessary. As if reading his thoughts, Yu Chen spoke.
"I built this pond because of someone I once cared for deeply—Hua Rong," he said, his voice calm but tinged with sadness. "She reminded me of the lotus flower's beauty. I thought, after we married, we could spend our days here together."
Yu Chen smiled faintly, gazing at the pond. "What a pity things didn't go as planned."
Wei Yu's chest tightened at the sadness in Yu Chen's tone. A mix of jealousy and sympathy swirled within him, but he chose to focus on lightening the mood.
With a chuckle, he said, "Well, at least you can keep fish here as pets… and eat them, too!"
The absurdity of the comment startled Yu Chen. He blinked at Wei Yu, then let out a rare, genuine laugh.
"Yeah," Yu Chen said, his smile lingering as the tension in the air eased.
"By the way, Shizu1 has recovered recently and is conscious now." Wei Yu remembered the real reason he had came here and told Yu Chen all about it, "He has been wanting to meet you, shizun."
"Well, we better go." Yu Chen got up and went outside, Wei Yu followed behind.
Wei Yu ran behind Yu Chen, "Shizun, I heard that a secret realm is opening!" Wei Yu screamed in joy. He had never seen a secret realm open before so it was normal for him being exited.
"Oh? What about it?" Yu Chen asked. Wei Yu stopped in his tracks, Yu Chen noticed his unusual behavior.
"What?"
"Shizun, are you not excited?" Wei Yu continued, "I've been waiting my whole life for this!"
"I have gone there once, so it's not that thrilling to me." Yu Chen rubbed Wei Yu's hair, for some reason he had developed this unusual habit. "So will we go there!?" Wei Yu looked at Yu Chen with anticipation in his eyes.
Yu Chen laughed, "If you want to, then sure."
Wei Yu jumped in joy. this was the best, he was sure to find a treasure in their. "Shizun is so kind!!"
Yu Chen face turned red at Wei Yu's sudden comment, sure enough this youth still knew how to make others pleased. "By the way, how did you know about shizun recovery?"
"Chen Yuxuan came." Wei Yu said, "He offered an apology and said that he needed to discuss something with you."
"Chen Yuxuan?" Yu Chen muttered, "God knows what he's upto now." Yu Chen furrowed his eyebrows.
"Shizun, can we first sign up for entering the secret realm?" Wei Yu asked, he was feeling very impatient and really wanted to go in.
Yu Chen smiled lightly, "How about we first go see your shizu first?"
Wei Yu pouted slightly but knew that meeting his shizu was more important, therefore he agreed.
Author's note: Shizu means one's teacher's teacher