After asking, Yue Chan lowered her gaze toward Li Haoran's wrist, studying the white heirloom jade bangle intently.
The seriousness of his question unsettled her, and being asked so directly left her momentarily uncertain about how to respond.
She looked up at him and offered a reassuring smile.
"I can't give you a specific answer. Your circumstances are rather unusual. If anyone knows the reason, it would be Elder Qing," she explained gently, hoping to spare him disappointment.
"I see."
"Perhaps... don't take it to heart. Both of us have so many constraints. If you think about it, our fates are quite similar."
Li Haoran sighed and offered Yue Chan another cup of wine. After she accepted, he drank his own wine in silence.
He realized that he and Yue Chan had never met before.
When he first awoke in this world, he found himself in a dim cavern, with a blurry figure inches from his face.
A hoarse voice greeted him—it was his original master, Elder Qing Yun.
That day, when his vision finally cleared, thoughts flooded his mind—even his own name escaped him.
Still, he felt as though he had been sleeping for a long time.
When he looked down at a small spring of clear water inside the cavern, he saw his swollen face reflected back at him.
Elder Qing Yun was always close behind, guiding him outside to see the world.
Beyond the cavern, he found only shady woods and a towering stone mountain reaching for the sky.
He savored the crisp air as it touched his face, a gentle breeze swirling around the summit.
At one point, as he relaxed, he accidentally touched his wrist.
He immediately checked under his sleeve and discovered a white heirloom jade bangle already there.
After a moment, he turned around and began asking his master some questions.
Some received clear answers, while others went unanswered.
The last question he asked was, "Who am I?" His master replied, "From now on, you will be known as Li Haoran."
So, in truth, the name he bore wasn't truly his own.
That was why he sought answers from his new master, Yue Chan, hoping she might offer a clue.
But such revelations were rare.
Perhaps the name given to him was something unusual—almost like a mark of grand integrity.
After a long pause, he finally broke the silence.
"Master, I think our identities are meaningful—dark or not, who can say?"
"Your master is doing this for your own good. Be grateful you are in his hands. It's rare to have a master with a genuine heart."
"I understand. If we compare it to Gong Xie's situation before, Xue Mo was cruel at his best. I truly pitied him."
Yue Chan remained silent.
Noticing her silence, Li Haoran gently nudged her, bringing her back from her thoughts.
"Why do I always feel that you're lost in deep thought? Did I say something unpleasant?"
"Lost in deep thought? That's normal. Even animals can sense the tides of life. We can't predict when they'll strike. Both you and I are part of this game," she replied with a loose shrug.
Li Haoran peered at her with a smile.
"How many cups of wine did you drink, Master? Are you drunk?"
At his question, Yue Chan stared at him with weary eyes.
"Weren't you the one handling the toasts? Why are you asking me? Pour it out!"
"But Master, you're already drunk."
"You brought me here to toast with you, so why are you backing out now?"
Li Haoran raised his hand in surrender.
"Alright, alright! I won't argue," he said, then poured a full cup of wine for Yue Chan, encouraging her to indulge. "Be careful, don't rush. With your stamina, I'd guess you're not used to this. Take it slow."
"This is my first time drinking," Yue Chan spoke up. "Also, my first time staying on top of the roof, my first time talking with someone for so long, and my first time travelling and sharing a meal. Li Haoran, thank you for bringing light to my shadow nature. You may be mischievous, but you're also warm and kind-hearted."
If anything, Li Haoran had become a significant influence on Yue Chan.
No one else dared approach her—people saw her as a tiger: quiet, observant, yet domineering toward her prey.
Since Li Haoran's arrival, she had tried to push him away many times.
Yet, in the end, who could have expected that they would now share a master and disciple relationship?
She was diligent in her daily cultivation, while Li Haoran quietly waited for her command whenever she wished.
Their relationship resembled that of nobility—Yue Chan maintained her composure, while Li Haoran served her needs without ever being asked.
This is utterly unbelievable!
Pressing her eyes shut, Yue Chan let out a heavy sigh.
"Forget it! Now, as a human, I finally realize what human nature is. Even though we share the same constraints, you excel in so many things. You know how to socialize with everyone, unlike me. People treat me as someone to fear and avoid offending. I envy you."
"Master... you shouldn't be. Remember what I told you before—I admire you. I don't deserve to be envied by anyone. If you ask me about excellence, you are incomparable."
She offered him a wry smile.
"You're impossible."
Li Haoran settled himself and downed a cup of wine in one go.
"But why would I say such shameless words if I didn't have the courage to stand by them? Since I've said it, I won't hold back."
Listening to him, Yue Chan was left speechless and just shrugged her shoulders, her cheeks turning crimson as the cold breeze billowed through her short hair, framing her soft, delicate face.
In that moment, as Li Haoran set down his cup, he noticed her silence and the soft illumination of the moon on her face.
It traced her captivating features, highlighting her long, lightly curled lashes.
When she turned her head to him, he froze instantly; even with half her face in shadow, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
For a moment, Li Haoran felt his surroundings blur and the world stop spinning.
If she didn't wear a mask, how could anyone not admire her otherworldly charm?
She wasn't just captivating—there was something undeniably alluring about her.
Li Haoran gulped, lost in thought, as the moonlight fell on the flawless skin of Yue Chan's neck.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Yue Chan leaned in, just inches from his face, scrutinizing his blank expression.
Her voice snapped him out of his trance.
His eyes widened as he realized how close Yue Chan was.
He quickly turned away, pretending to lift the tray of offerings beside him.
Setting it down on his lap, he began to pluck the purple grapes with practiced care.
"M—master, weren't you hungry?"
Yue Chan's brows knit together in a contemptuous smirk, her mesmerizing eyes glinting with mischief.
She grabbed the jar of wine at Li Haoran's side and took a long gulp.
"This wine tastes so brave," she said, lifting the jar and glancing over at Li Haoran.
Li Haoran was speechless.
Silence settled between them.
"Haoran... how old are you?"
Her question made Li Haoran attentive.
"I don't know."
"I think you must have met your parents before. It's a pity your memory abandoned you. Without a trace, how could you ever recognize them?"
"I believe that one day, I'll find them. How about you? Elder Yun told me you were just a child when he took you from tragedy. Speaking of being a child, what do you remember?"
"Master said that I was eighteen months old at the time. He was just a passerby who pulled me up and took me away from the village. That was twenty years ago. I don't remember anything."
"Then?"
"He said my parents hid me inside an empty well. When I was brought out, the only memory that stuck with me was of a destroyed village—that was my home. Crimson blood rained down, and I saw lifeless villagers lying on the ground. Master Yun carried me in his arms, wrapped in a thick blanket. I was alone, peeking through a small slit to see the devastation around me."
Li Haoran's brow furrowed as he listened to her devastating story.
"Elder Yun told me that your parents died along with the other villagers. That's the only detail that comes to mind—he never explained the outcome."
"He didn't tell me the whole story either. What I've told you is only what I witnessed."
"So cruel... So, this is what happened all those years ago, two decades past."
"Perhaps there's a reason Master Yun never revealed everything. The strange thing is, he knows exactly when I was born—every detail, without any mistakes."
"Are you saying you have suspicions about him?"
"Not exactly. But why have I been forced to hide for so long, hardly ever showing my face, always keeping my identity a secret? Why do I need to wear a mask? You once told me I seemed fearless, able to face anyone without worry. But haven't you ever wondered why, in reality, I keep hiding in the shadows? For what purpose?"
Li Haoran fell silent.
"If I find any clues, Haoran, will you help me uncover the truth?" she pleaded, her expression earnest and impossible to refuse.
Li Haoran looked at her, feeling as if he were floating.
"Don't you want to discover who you truly are? As master and disciple, we should shoulder this task together and seek out the truth."
"Master, you've thought this through."
"I trust you."
Li Haoran was stunned by her words.
"We're even now."
"Master, you shouldn't say that. I'm not competing with you."
"Who said you were competing with me? Didn't you say you admire me? Then there's nothing more for me to say in response, since you've never contradicted my plans and have always followed my rules. I should trust you—there's nothing better than that."
"I got it! I put it right here," he said, tapping his temple.
Unexpectedly, Yue Chan let out a soft chuckle.
"How I wish that smile would last," Li Haoran murmured, resting his cheek on his fist.
Meanwhile, Yue Chan took another drink, only to find the jar empty.
She shook it and turned it upside down before glancing at Li Haoran.
"It's... done."
Li Haoran blinked in surprise, his brows knitting together.
"It's done," he echoed, just as he heard Yue Chan's tiny hiccups one after another.
He smiled, watching her cheeks flush red from the wine's influence.
Just then, Yue Chan suddenly jabbed her finger at him.
"Haoran... you scoundrel!"
"How am I a scoundrel?" Li Haoran protested, eyes wide in disbelief.
"You... you didn't drink. I drank it all by myself."
Li Haoran was speechless.
Yue Chan moved closer, raising her index finger just inches from Li Haoran's face.
He didn't move, simply watching her drunken antics.
After a moment, Yue Chan wavered, touching her head.
"I feel dizzy," she murmured. "Li Haoran..."
"Master, what is it?"
"I'm drunk. Look at the moon—it's broken!" she squawked.
Li Haoran was stunned and quietly glanced up.
How could the moon be broken?
Slowly, he turned his gaze back to Yue Chan.
"Alright, the moon is broken," he said, simply going along with her.
As soon as she heard his response, her eyes began to close, and she nearly toppled over.
Fortunately, Li Haoran was quick to catch her.
"Master?" he asked, gently shaking her.
"Haoran..." Yue Chan whispered, eyes closed. "Thank you."
And with that, she drifted off to sleep against Li Haoran's chest.
As she slumbered, Li Haoran let her sleep and gently brushed her hair.
"Just rest and sober up. I'll stay right here," he murmured.