Chapter 136: My Father is Named Xu Kun

Xu Yunzhou looked at the young girl on the screen whose face was covered in tears yet smiling softly, his heart filled with warm and soft sour swelling.

Silly girl.

This is just the beginning.

He clicked the [Reward] button.

The warm halo, like an invisible palm, gently caressed the top of her hair and wiped away her tear marks.

"Stop crying."

His voice was gentle,

"Go look at the gifts. They are all for you, I hope you like them."

Xu Nuo forcefully and haphazardly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, and walked on her knees to those few exquisite gift boxes.

She first opened that longest, flat box.

Inside, was a grayish-black cashmere scarf.

The texture was fine, warm and generating heat to the touch, unbelievably soft.

Attached inside was a plain card, written on it:

[May your winters be warm, may your spring not be cold]

The second one was a flat dark-colored wooden box. Opening the clasp and lifting the velvet lining.

Lying quietly inside was a peace amulet carved from fine sandalwood.

The shape was extremely simple and archaic. The front was deeply carved with the two characters "Ping An" (Peace) using steady knife techniques; the back was carved with fine and smooth lotus flower patterns.

The plain card attached beside it noted: This amulet was specially requested to be consecrated and made according to ancient methods by a virtuous high priest of the ancestral court of Mount Longhu, and jointly chanted and blessed by several contemporary Heavenly Masters, containing spiritual resonance.

The card continued writing:

[May you perfect yourself, may you meet a good person]

The third one was the smallest, a dark blue velvet square box.

Lifting the box lid, inside was a string of dark brown sandalwood Buddhist prayer beads.

The card attached beside it noted: These prayer beads come from the millennium-old ancient temple, White Horse Temple in the Central Capital, and were personally consecrated and blessed by the highly respected abbot master of the temple. Listening to Sanskrit chants day and night, they contain the power of peace and auspiciousness.

The card continued writing:

[Warm colors float through the rest of your life, accompanied by good people]

Looking at these gifts and messages, Xu Yunzhou also felt a bit emotional in his heart.

This folk song that would become popular later hadn't been released yet at this time, otherwise Xu Nuo would immediately remember that the two unwritten preceding lines were:

"The young master goes north, the little lady looks south, this life parts here..."

(TL: The song is Not Exchanging This Life. The lyrics are a famous internet trend for parting.)

Fortunately, what he gave was "warmth," was "peace," was "companionship."

Xu Nuo tightly gripped the peace amulet and Buddhist beads in her palm.

She didn't know exactly where Teacher got these items, much less could she imagine how he crossed reality and illusion to deliver them so realistically before her eyes.

But she believed.

Believed that this peace amulet carrying the prayers of Heavenly Masters, this string of Buddhist beads soaked in the incense of a holy temple, could truly, as the messages said, protect her through the passing years.

She carefully looped the silk cord of the peace amulet around her neck, letting the wooden amulet be worn close to her body, feeling its slight heaviness falling on the position of her heart.

She also carefully slipped the Buddhist beads onto her slender wrist.

Then, she raised her head again, looking toward the void.

Tear marks on her face undried, her eyes and the tip of her nose still red, yet she smiled so her brows and eyes curved, like the sky clearing up after snow.

Xu Yunzhou also smiled, saying gently:

"Time to cut the cake, little birthday girl. Make a wish."

Xu Nuo looked at that beautiful cake, tears almost surging up again.

She hurriedly shook her head and said with a heavy nasal tone:

"Teacher, I want to... bathe first, and change into clean new clothes."

Mhm, dusty from the journey, walking out of bloodiness and calculation.

She wanted to welcome this first moment of her eighteenth year, which truly belonged to her, with the cleanest and most solemn posture.

Xu Yunzhou nodded understandingly:

"Okay, go ahead. I... will give you some privacy."

Xu Nuo, however, fell silent for a moment.

She raised her eyes, her gaze clear and persistent, looking toward the void, her voice very light, yet carrying a frankness like breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats:

"Teacher, today I am full eighteen years old."

She paused, her tone carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling, and the courage of risking everything:

"You can... not have a sense of guilt anymore..."

She bit her lower lip, but still asked that sentence pressed at the bottom of her heart:

"Or is it... you actually look down on me? Feel I am... too small? Or... you prefer... Song Jiaru's kind of... mature charm? Or... Gekka-ki's kind of... exceptionally... good figure?"

Outside the screen, Xu Yunzhou almost choked on a mouthful of air he abruptly inhaled, subconsciously rubbing his nose.

Uh, has this finally... unlocked the adult-oriented CG?

"This..."

Xu Nuo, however, didn't wait for him to answer, and continued speaking, her voice lighter, yet firmer, like handing over something crucially important:

"Teacher, actually... I have a matter, that I've never dared to tell you."

She raised her hand, gently pressing on the position of her heart, where that warm peace amulet was attached.

"About my true background, about... my everything."

She looked at the void, her eyes as clean as the sky clearing up after snow, so frank it was almost sincere, almost sacrificial:

"Today, I am full eighteen years old. I am an adult."

"I want to be... unreserved toward you. Show my everything to you."

She took a deep breath, her voice carrying relief:

"I don't want to... deceive you anymore. And I don't want to, lie to myself anymore."

Listening to this series of "confession declarations" from her, Xu Yunzhou felt somewhat puzzled in his heart.

Background? Does she actually have a deeper, more shocking secret?

Requiring such solemnity, even using a "sacrificial" posture to state it?

Although doubtful, he still followed her words:

"Okay, speak. I'm listening."

Obtaining permission, Xu Nuo seemed to have made her final determination.

She stood up and walked toward the private hot spring pool leading in natural spring water inside the suite.

Curling hot air rose from the pool surface, blurring light and shadow.

She stood by the pool, her back to the void, and began taking off all the clothes on her body one by one, extremely slowly.

First the coat, then the sweater, then the close-fitting cotton underwear... The movements had no teasing or hesitation, only an almost ritualistic solemnity and frankness.

A body belonging to an eighteen-year-old girl, as beautiful as a masterpiece of heaven, was unreservedly displayed in the background of curling hot spring water vapor.

Her skin was fair and delicate, moist and glowing under the light, full of vigorous vitality and pure temptation.

She took off the peace amulet and Buddhist beads she had just put on, lowered her head, and extremely cherishingly, almost piously kissed them once, then placed them together with the folded clothes.

Then, she took a step and stepped into the hot spring pool with exactly the right temperature.

The water rippled, gradually submerging her ankles, calves, knees, thighs... finally stopping at the position of her chest.

The warm spring water enveloped her, water vapor rising, making her figure add a hazy and fatal aesthetic feeling amidst the haziness.

She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, letting the hot water soak her shoulders and neck, as if drawing courage.

After a long time, she finally opened her eyes again.

Casting her gaze toward the void, mustering up the greatest courage of her life, she used a voice so clear it was almost chilling, and spoke that name that might change everything:

"Teacher, my father..."

She paused for a second; this second was as long as a century.

"...is named Xu Kun."

"Xu as in Xu Nuo, Kun as in Qiankun."

The words fell.

Inside the room, the candlelight flickered quietly.

Outside the window, snow fell silently.

The eighteen-year-old girl raised her face, waiting for an answer.

Or rather, waiting for a judgment.