Chapter 43: Words Flow Like a River, Tongue Blossoms Like a Lotus

As expected, about a week later, a messenger crane landed in front of the table, drawing the attention of Cao Chengyu, who was quietly playing the zither to calm his mind.

The unique emblem on the crane proved it was a message from Ning Wenjun.

The letter was brief, simply expressing a desire to meet again and inviting him to gather in a private room at the Five Flavors Pavilion.

Yet between the lines, Cao Chengyu could sense a certain resentment, as if she felt deceived.

These were minor issues, in his view. As long as a friend didn’t disappear and cut off all contact, he believed he could find a way to resolve things.

Before going to the meeting, he deliberately swallowed some poisons, merging them with the secret technique of Poison Eyes until the toxins within him nearly overflowed.

In this state, his pupils were tinged with violet, his lips darkened, and his face showed clear signs of poisoning.

Thanks to the cleansing power of the Jade Pure Lotus Platform, this condition could only be maintained for two hours before purification set in, so he had to make good use of the time.

He didn’t want the effect to expire.

This was his third time at the Five Flavors Pavilion.

It was the same private room as before, but this time Ning Wenjun arrived later, giving Cao Chengyu a taste of waiting for someone.

Gradually, his impatience ebbed away as time passed.

He even took out his jade bead zither and began to play.

The familiar and graceful melody filled the small room, the lyrics and tune laden with subtle meaning.

When the song ended, Ning Wenjun, who had been standing at the doorway for some time, entered without a word, her face expressionless, as if nothing mattered.

She picked up her chopsticks and began to eat in silence, saying nothing at all.

The last time she met Cao Chengyu, his words had moved her, and she came to regard him as a kindred spirit.

She had even tested his character while drunk, though her nephew had spoiled the experiment, and they had ended up in unexpectedly intimate circumstances.

All this gave Ning Wenjun much to ponder.

What’s more, Cao Chengyu had once spoken of “a gentle lady, a gentleman’s desire”—words that clearly placed him in the role of a suitor.

Now, hearing from her nephew that Cao Chengyu was being kept by Luo Yuzhu, she found it hard to believe.

She had thought it over for several days, deciding to probe Cao Chengyu herself, to test the waters.

Yet when she saw him, she found herself at a loss for words, bashfulness overcoming her like a young girl.

Little did she know, at her age, this was hardly necessary.

In the silence, Cao Chengyu suddenly drained a pot of strong liquor, his tone sorrowful.

“Wenjun, I suppose Que’er has told you about me. It’s all true…”

There was a loud clatter.

The sound of jade chopsticks striking the table was crisp and clear. Ning Wenjun’s lips parted slightly, her eyes wide in disbelief.

It was actually true.

For a moment, she felt a pang in her heart. Then, expressionless, she began to clear the dishes, clearly ill at ease.

Cao Chengyu sighed and complained bitterly.

“If you look at me closely, you’ll understand why I’ve ended up like this.”

Ning Wenjun glanced over at the sound of his voice.

Only then did she notice that his eyes were violet, his lips darkened, and a pale spot had appeared on his cheek.

“You’ve been poisoned?!”

Clever as she was, she immediately made the connection. Recalling Luo Yuzhu’s reputation as a venomous woman, she instantly thought of poison control.

But…

“Why would she bother with a mere Spirit-Refining cultivator like me?”

Cao Chengyu forced a bitter smile and revealed part of the truth about the Human Poison Pill—only saying his constitution was unique and useful to Luo Yuzhu’s cultivation of a certain poison art, and that the poison’s restrictions prevented him from revealing more.

Over time, he had come under her control, unable to act freely.

It was only by chance, upon meeting Ning Wenjun that day, that he realized there was still beauty in the world.

“Do you know, Wenjun?”

Cao Chengyu stood, looking out at the bustling street and the beautiful floating lanterns, his voice clear as crystal.

“I like you.”

These four words struck Ning Wenjun’s heart like a bolt of lightning. Unwittingly, her relationship with Cao Chengyu had changed—perhaps she herself hadn’t noticed.

The moment she saw him as a kindred spirit, the nature of their bond had shifted.

The “friendship” between a man and a woman, when it grows intimate, always contains such feelings—on one side, or both. It’s just that no one speaks of it.

Cao Chengyu went on.

“I’m telling you I like you, not because I must be with you, but so that in the future, on the road to your dreams, should you meet hardship or fall into despair, you won’t lose hope.”

“At the very least…”

“There was someone once drawn to your charm—there was, and there always will be…”

Such words left Ning Wenjun speechless, her feelings for Cao Chengyu undergoing a subtle transformation.

It manifested in a simple way.

Fondness +1, fondness +1, +1, +1…

The bottleneck at eighty points could not even slow the tide; it soon reached eighty-seven before stopping.

A new basic treasure chest was added to his account, and Cao Chengyu didn’t even blink, continuing his performance.

In stark contrast to his earlier impatience, he had grown.

The private room was silent for a long time.

Ning Wenjun’s voice came out hoarse.

“Chengyu, how can I save you from that venomous woman? How can we break the poison’s hold?”

Cao Chengyu thought for a moment.

“Luo Yuzhu has recently benefited greatly and announced she’ll seclude herself for a year. By the time she emerges, she’ll be at the Purple Palace stage. The two of us alone have no hope.”

“Then we should report to the Master of the Skydome Tower. I believe the Master will grant you justice.”

“Silly girl.”

Cao Chengyu gently stroked Ning Wenjun’s delicate cheek, his tone complex.

“Do you know why Master Miaodan accepted me as a disciple but never taught me any secret arts? Everything I have is just a wedding dress for Luo Yuzhu.”

“When my value is spent…”

At these words, Ning Wenjun’s shoulders trembled. She said nothing, simply embracing Cao Chengyu, conveying all she wished without words.

Cao Chengyu comfortingly stroked the beauty’s jade-like back.

“There are three Golden Core elders in the three branches of Skydome Tower. Just the two of us won’t suffice—even if your family’s Golden Core ancestor were willing, it would be difficult. The only hope is you.”

“Me? What can I do? If there’s any way, I’ll save you.”

Cao Chengyu was being more than a little manipulative now.

But for the sake of his path, even if his plotting were exposed and he became the object of scorn, he would accept it.

“You must break through to the Purple Palace!”

“If you reach the Purple Palace, and stand at the same level as Luo Yuzhu, it becomes a contest among juniors. The elders will not interfere. Then, you can challenge her—and if you win, you win me.”

“I see.”

Ning Wenjun gave Cao Chengyu a complicated glance, her mind racing.

Did he approach me just to escape Luo Yuzhu’s control? Of all the women in the capital’s third generation, only she and Luo Yuzhu were on the verge of reaching the Purple Palace.

By Cao Chengyu’s plan, only she could save him from this plight.

Taking into account his behavior, it was hard not to suspect as much.

Yet she could not know that all this was fabricated by Cao Chengyu.

Much of it was simply what he led Ning Wenjun to imagine for herself; many things seemed to be said, but were in fact her own conjectures.

This not only heightened the sense of reality, but also served to steer her thoughts away from the truth of his relationship with Luo Yuzhu.

As for what would happen if the two women did face each other one day—

Boss Cao thought, he’d simply take things one step at a time.

By then, perhaps he’d have reached the Purple Palace himself, and with true power, he’d have no fear of anyone coming after him…