Once everything was tidied up, the three of them left the Yun residence together.
“Yun City is always rainy. Today, however, the weather is quite nice.”
Yun Duan said lightly, and Shang Can could feel the warm breeze blowing past her ears, along with the gentle sunlight falling on her, bringing a warmth more intense than before. Summer was approaching.
Suddenly, she realized that they had spent the late spring in the Ghost Realm, and she chuckled, “After all, it’s Jun Zhong returning home; the heavens must be giving some face.”
Even though Shang Can had already acknowledged her identity with Yun Duan, she still occasionally called her Jun Zhong, her tone playful, not much different from when she was still a “Can.” Yun Duan didn’t mind; she silently took Shang Can’s hand.
This was an act of kindness due to Shang Can’s inability to see. Although it had not been long since her eyes had gone bad, she had nearly grown accustomed to being led by Yun Duan whenever they went out. Thus, she obediently held on. However, with Wan Shao, who was new to the scene, beside her, Shang Can suddenly heard the flower spirit gasp, causing her to feel a bit awkward and inadvertently trip slightly.
“Oh dear, how careless!”
The flower spirit exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, theatrically supporting Shang Can’s elbow for a moment before quickly letting go, advising, “You need to stay close to Jun Zhong. It’s rare for her to be holding your hand.”
Shang Can’s ears turned red from her teasing tone. Initially, she thought it was perfectly fine to hold hands with Yun Duan under the current circumstances, but suddenly she felt warmth in her hand. Instinctively loosening her grip, she gritted her teeth and replied, “Since you’re so concerned about me, why don’t you carry me instead? Don’t trouble Jun Zhong.”
At her words, Wan Shao was instantly displeased, scolding, “You’re not injured in your legs, just your eyes! How embarrassing would it be to have someone carry you!”
Shang Can thought to herself that if that was the case, then Wan Shao should refrain from commenting on her holding hands with Yun Duan. Before she could respond, she felt Yun Duan tighten her grip and stop walking. “Do you want me to carry you?”
“…No need.”
What had only been a joke with Wan Shao seemed to be taken seriously by Yun Duan, and Shang Can hurriedly shook her head, awkwardly saying, “Just holding hands is fine.”
Yun Duan softly agreed and slowed her pace as she walked on, with Shang Can following closely behind. She could hear Wan Shao humming an off-key tune beside her, sounding in very good spirits.
Walking blindfolded on the street was only the second time for Shang Can, and it was quite a novel experience. With her vision obstructed, her hearing became sharper. The morning light was just right, and the street was starting to bustle. She heard familiar calls coming from both sides, all directed at Yun Duan.
This was a rare sight. Although Yun Duan would attract some attention when she was out in the smoky sun, few dared to approach her to say hello. In contrast, Yun City felt different; Shang Can heard many people affectionately calling Yun Duan’s name instead of “Jun Zhong,” along with warm conversations that didn’t carry the usual distance one would expect from a celestial being of the cultivation world.
After listening for a while, Shang Can leaned slightly toward Wan Shao and whispered, “What’s around us?”
Wan Shao readily acted as her eyes, describing, “It seems many people know Jun Zhong. Right now, the owner of the tea shop next to us is talking to her, and several others are gathered around greeting her. They all seem older than Jun Zhong, probably around her father’s age. There are many shops on this street, and I see a chestnut cake shop about fifty meters ahead—is that the one you mentioned before that’s delicious?”
Not fully understanding the flower spirit’s obsession with chestnut cakes, Shang Can decided to ignore the last sentence, nodding in acknowledgment, “It must be an acquaintance of Yun Duan’s father; naturally, they would know her.”
“Just like Aunt Wang from yesterday, I understand.”
Wan Shao was quite aware of Yun Duan’s popularity but began to feel a bit bored, so she tugged at Shang Can’s sleeve and suggested, “Why don’t we go check it out nearby? It seems like Jun Zhong will be chatting for a while.”
Her words hinted at a desire for the chestnut cake, and Shang Can felt helpless. Just as she was about to respond, she felt a tight grip on her hand, and she was unexpectedly pulled toward Yun Duan.
Shang Can stumbled a step, barely stopping before bumping into Yun Duan. She looked up in confusion and heard Yun Duan’s slightly flustered voice: “Are you okay? I—I just accidentally…”
It seemed Yun Duan had instinctively pulled her, but Shang Can didn’t mind and smiled, “I’m fine; just a bit surprised.”
Yun Duan replied with a low “mm,” but the lively conversation around them fell silent. Shang Can sensed something was off and quickly said, “Don’t mind me; Wan Shao and I will go check that out first and come back to find you.”
“…”
Her words did not elicit a response from Yun Duan. Instead, a middle-aged man who had been conversing with Yun Duan spoke hesitantly, “Who is this…?”
For some reason, Shang Can felt several pairs of eyes focusing on the hands that were clasped together. She awkwardly shifted her hand but couldn’t escape the steady grip of Yun Duan’s palm.
Not everyone could recognize her as a “little deity” like Aunt Wang did. In this situation, Shang Can’s mind raced, and after considering for a moment, she finally lowered her head politely and insisted, “I’m just an acquaintance of Jun Zhong’s, staying in Yun City for treatment of my eye condition. I’m troubling her.”
She felt inexplicably nervous, worried that her undisclosed thoughts might be discovered. The man opposite her, however, took her words at face value and quickly laughed heartily, “You’re joking! Jun Duan has never brought a friend home; it can’t just be an acquaintance. You must be very close friends!”
…That’s hard to say; she had only revealed her true identity to Yun Duan just a couple of days ago, and there was no way she could be considered a close friend with such hidden thoughts!
Shang Can felt a bit stuck. Seeing Yun Duan silent for some reason, seemingly unwilling to respond, she cautiously said after careful consideration, “…If we’re talking about how long we’ve known each other, we can be considered close friends.”
Behind her, Wan Shao stealthily reached out and pinched her hard for some unknown reason. Shang Can endured the pain and smiled at the man in front of her, feeling somewhat awkward, as if she were in the presence of elders.
The elders before her seemed unaware of her discomfort, all smiling and engaging her in small talk. Shang Can stiffly responded to each, and then one said, “If you’re treating your eye condition, you should come to my house; our medical clinic is very skilled at treating eye ailments.”
Shang Can’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could refuse, Yun Duan, who had been silent for a long time, said lightly, “A Can’s condition isn’t a regular eye ailment. We’re just planning to visit a herbal shop to see if there are any needed medicines, so we won’t trouble the clinic.”
“Oh dear.” The man sounded a bit regretful, but quickly chuckled again, “The herbal shop is right next to my clinic; let’s all go together so we don’t waste your time!”
Everyone around agreed, starting to head toward the herbal shop. It was clear that Yun Duan was a beloved figure in Yun City; aside from the clinic owner, many others decided to accompany them as well. Shang Can was continually led by Yun Duan’s hand, unable to escape this circle, and could only awkwardly respond when spoken to, resembling the atmosphere of visiting relatives during the New Year in her previous world.
On Yun Duan’s side, things were much more lively than her own situation. Shang Can was not very good at conversing with elders, but Yun Duan seemed accustomed to it; though still quiet, she responded politely and appropriately.
“I heard a while ago that you were traveling with that Can person. I was quite worried…”
While making small talk, Shang Can suddenly caught this sentence, and she divided her attention to listen in on the conversation with Yun Duan. She heard someone say with concern, “I heard that Can is extremely fierce. How could you interact with her? You haven’t been bullied, have you?”
“Eh, Yun Duan is already a renowned practitioner; how could she be easily bullied?” another person retorted. “But you both went silent last month, which indeed caused concern… Was something wrong?”
As he spoke, he suddenly hesitated, as if finding it difficult to say, “I heard some… quite unbelievable rumors…”
“…”
Listening in from the side, Shang Can shuddered, suddenly realizing what rumors he was referring to. She instinctively turned to glare at Wan Shao, who was leisurely following behind her.
‘People don’t know that Pei Chen is traveling with you, so they can only speculate about your whereabouts.’
In her memory, Wan Shao cheerfully revealed the answer: ‘They say you eloped.’
This unreliable rumor had spread so widely!
Shang Can’s face twisted in horror, hearing Yun Duan, who was unaware, ask in confusion, “What rumors?”
This question should not be asked!
But at this point, if she suddenly stopped Yun Duan from asking, it would seem too deliberate. Shang Can pounded her chest in frustration, only hoping for a misunderstanding, holding her breath and waiting for the person’s answer.
“Um… well…”
From the person’s hesitant demeanor, it was clear that she wasn’t overthinking things. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to fully believe the comments circulating around; after a moment of hesitation, he simply chuckled awkwardly and said, “There’s really nothing much to say. It’s all just nonsense.”
Both Yun Duan and Shang Can fell silent. Shang Can could somewhat guess why Yun Duan was quiet, especially since the so-called “nonsense” was something they had already heard plenty of in the Ghost Realm.
Even if it wasn’t spoken aloud, it was practically the same as saying it, and Shang Can felt a mix of emotions, deciding to pretend she hadn’t heard that part of the conversation. Just then, the owner of the clinic leading them called out, “We’ve arrived! Come in and take a look; they should have a good selection of herbs here.”
This voice was like a savior from her embarrassment, and Shang Can nodded eagerly, following him into the shop.
Since she couldn’t see, she was guided to sit down first. Yun Duan hesitated for a moment and gently said, “You sit here for a moment; I’ll go check on the herbs.”
Only after Shang Can nodded did she release her hand. Perhaps they had been holding hands for too long, but Shang Can felt a slight warmth in her palm; the rush of cool air as they separated brought a small relief. It might have been her imagination, but she felt that Yun Duan’s movement was slow, and her fingertips brushed over Shang Can’s palm at the end, stirring a hint of ticklishness.
Sitting up straight, Shang Can listened to the lingering bustle around her, quietly clenching her fists.
“I actually heard a bit about the rumors old Li mentioned earlier.”
The clinic owner walked over to Yun Duan with a smile and whispered, “The rumors are flying around that you and that Can person are having an affair.”
As she was sorting through herbs, Yun Duan paused momentarily, her eyes lowering a little awkwardly. The person beside her continued to chuckle, “Ah, I don’t believe those kinds of rumors.”
“But now that you’re an adult, it’s about time to consider marriage and relationships…”
The clinic owner, who had been a friend of Yun Duan’s father during his lifetime and regarded Yun Duan as half his daughter, began to worry. He found it hard to imagine what kind of person would be suitable for someone like Yun Duan. So he tentatively asked, “…Um, if I may pry a little… do you currently have someone you fancy?”
Knowing that Yun Duan had always been aloof and disinterested in such matters, the clinic owner didn’t expect much when he asked. To his surprise, he saw Yun Duan stiffen slightly, her face remaining composed, but the tips of her ears gradually turned a shade of red.
His heart skipped a beat; he was both shocked and delighted as he widened his eyes and indeed saw Yun Duan subtly nodding her head.
He almost let out an exclamation, filled with amazement and sentiment. But soon, he heard Yun Duan softly say, “But she doesn’t know yet.”
There was a hint of melancholy in her tone, causing the clinic owner’s heart to tighten. He quickly offered consolation, “It’s all right, it’s all right! With someone like you, once she knows, it will definitely work out!”
How could anyone possibly refuse Yun Duan? The clinic owner felt indignant inside, grumbling about which foolish boy had made her feel hurt. He soon noticed a slight shift in Yun Duan’s gaze, as if she was reminiscing about something, and she slowly tightened her left hand into a fist.
“…I appreciate your kind words.”
Her voice was soft and ethereal, tinged with a hint of shyness.
“I plan to… let her know in the coming days.”
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