The White Moonlight Disdained by the Male Protagonist of Redemption - Chapter 18.2

Ning Yao tried to persuade him, “We’re not getting married for a lifetime of love and harmony. It’s just about putting on the wedding clothes. There’s no need to be so particular. As long as it shows our intention, it’s enough.”

But Jie Zhongyi couldn’t just settle for “enough.” When she mentioned her father, he even got sad again. “How can it be just enough? You are Ran Qing’s only daughter. He loved you so much. Ran Qing… sob sob… Ran Qing was my best student, but I didn’t take care of him. His last years were so bitter, and he passed away looking like skin and bones…”

Every time she mentioned her father, Grandmaster would get emotional. Ning Yao was used to it, so she just quietly listened.

“Jing Zhuo, that kid… he’s just like him… gentle and thoughtful. When I think about him being all alone in the future, my heart… my heart…”

Jie Zhongyi wiped his tears shakily.

Seriously? He started crying again, and even brought Jing Zhuo into the conversation? Ning Yao tried to comfort him, “Jing Zhuo won’t be lonely. He’s such a good person—kind, smart, and clear-headed. No matter where he goes, people will like him. In the future, when he becomes a High Immortal, he’ll be respected and loved. He’ll have many friends with him, caring for him. He’ll be happy every day.”

Jie Zhongyi kept his head down and wiped his tears with a piece of his sleeve.

Ning Yao nudged him. “Grandmaster, you’re not young anymore. Try to be more calm.”

He whispered, “But I have feelings now…”

Ning Yao said, “Then what? Are we not ascending anymore? Just wait until the dragon clan from Cangyuan attacks, and we’ll all die together in Luoxiang Mountain on the same day?”

It sounded harsh, but it wasn’t wrong.

Jie Zhongyi pressed his lips together. “Say… is there still hope for Ning Tang’s husband? That whole ‘emotionless path’ of his doesn’t seem so real…”

Ning Yao let out a short laugh and stood up. She walked to the door. “Let’s put it this way: I was standing right here.” She pointed to the bedside. “The two of them were over there. That guy Yu Songting’s ‘emotionlessness path’ broke down, and he was barely alive. I copied what he said word for word: ‘Ah Tang, you did nothing wrong. It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have cultivated the emotionless path. That’s why you’re suffering like this today. Everything is my fault.’ Just like that. You tell me—can we count on him?”

Jie Zhongyi said nothing.

Ning Yao looked at him, her voice softening. “Grandmaster, if there were other options, I’d be willing to go back and forth with you. But there’s only one road ahead. Instead of being unwilling to let go, let’s treasure the time we still have together. We were never meant to stay a family for long. That’s just how it is.”

***

That night, Ning Yao called everyone for a meeting.

The topic was about working together to set up a protective barrier on Lake Zansnow—just in case something happened.

Everyone understood the real reason without saying it out loud. The meeting ended quickly, and since it felt like a waste to leave so early, Chu Xiao suggested, “The night’s beautiful, and we’re all here. Let’s have a drink. Jing Zhuo came to Luoxiang Mountain, and we haven’t even given him a proper welcome.”

Everybody agreed.

Chu Xiao brought the wine, Ning Yuzhu brought her homemade dried fruits, Tu Manxing laid out all the snacks he brought from outside the mountain, and Jie Zhongyi showed up with a big pot of roasted melon seeds.

Ning Yao looked at everything and realized—her life was kind of dull.

She turned to Feng Jingzhuo. “…I didn’t prepare anything to eat.”

Feng Jingzhuo replied, “Then we’ll just eat what they brought.”

Ning Yao laughed, but felt a little embarrassed too. After thinking for a moment, she slapped her forehead and said, “Wait here.”

She ran back to her room and soon returned with a big sack.

She dropped the heavy sack on the ground, sat down, and patted it. “This is from me, for your treasure stash.”

Feng Jingzhuo lifted the sack to feel the weight. “Yao Yao, this is…”

“Too biased! You only gave to his stash?” Ning Yuzhu reached out. “Brother Zhuo, give me two strings of coins.”

“What do you need money for?” Ning Yao asked.

“To waste it,” Ning Yuzhu said casually.

Ning Yao rolled her eyes. “I’ll give you two slaps. No sense at all. Pour me some wine.”

And just like that, the group started drinking and chatting.

Chu Xiao got tipsy the fastest. He hooked an arm around Jing Zhuo’s shoulder. “Jing Zhuo, listen, we plants… hic… and you animals, we all need to care for ourselves… Just remember this—always take care of yourself… hic…”

Jie Zhongyi looked away. “You better care for him soon. You’re about to suffocate him with your breath.”

Chu Xiao didn’t hear and downed more wine, muttering with blurry eyes, “I don’t like falling in love. It’s boring. Men are no good. Women are no good either.”

Ning Yuzhu snapped back, “Everyone here is normal, except for you.”

Tu Manxing nodded, “Yeah, totally. No good people, just you, our one and only.”

Of course, Chu Xiao caught the sarcasm and shot back. The two of them started bickering with lines like “you’re the worst,” “no, your ancestors are the worst,” and so on.

Suddenly, Chu Xiao punched Ning Yuzhu. “Can’t outtalk you, so I’ll hit your brother!”

Tu Manxing immediately smacked Ning Yuzhu’s head. “Alright then, you hit my brother, I’ll hit yours!”

The fight quickly became “hit your brother” back and forth.

Ning Yuzhu sat between them, face pale with anger. “Brother Zhuo, look! They’re bullying me! I want to switch seats with Ning Yao!”

But Ning Yao was sitting right across—a perfect spectator spot. No way she’d give it up. Ning Yuzhu pouted, and as expected, only Feng Jingzhuo tried to help. He walked over to protect him—and somehow still got hit twice.

Ning Yao laughed out loud and got ready to join in. But suddenly, a thought hit her.

A strange, shocking idea.

He said, I have no parents.

He said, The Lord of the Mulberry Clan rules one side, but I’m the son of his enemy.

He said, The Lord of the East placed a bone binding lock on me—I’m his enemy’s son too.