Chapter 65: “Have We Broken Up?”

Ning Shuang had never seen the new clan leader from his clan.

He didn’t know what kind of person the other man was, and more importantly, any major announcements for the village were always prepared as official documents and distributed that way. Even temporary notices were just sent online.

Of course, everyone else in the village was perfectly happy with that arrangement.

The sudden meeting notice left Ning Shuang a bit puzzled, but at the same time, he realized it might actually be a great opportunity for him. He could ask the clan leader about the forbidden gu on his body.

With that thought, Ning Shuang deleted all the text messages he had drafted for his mother one by one.

Although he had promised her he wouldn’t investigate the “him” from his memories anymore, Huo Lan had said there was a forbidden gu on him, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Just as Ning Shuang had anticipated, the massive Staircase Assembly Hall at the center of the village was packed with people. Normally, a crowd like this would have been noisy enough to raise the roof, but inside, it was so quiet that the only sounds were footsteps and the scraping of chairs.

No one wanted to talk much.

Ning Shuang found a seat in the corner and sat down.

The hall’s ceiling was a transparent glass window, and the light filtering down from above barely illuminated the space. They hadn’t even turned on the lights inside.

Ning Shuang pulled his baseball cap low over his eyes.

Ten minutes or so later.

Several people emerged from the back of the hall and took seats up front.

They were clustered around a young man.

Unfortunately, the hall was pitch black, and Ning Shuang couldn’t make out the figures shrouded in darkness ahead.

Bored, he sprawled over his desk, fiddling with a pen. The voices from the front were soft, so he strained to listen.

They were talking about how, with the New Year approaching, the village banned fireworks and firecrackers. Then they mentioned strictly enforcing the forbidden gu policy… These were all things Fifth Uncle was saying. Ning Shuang perked up his ears for ages but didn’t hear the clan leader speak once.

For some reason, Ning Shuang felt like someone up front was staring right at him.

After a moment’s thought, he figured it must be Fifth Uncle, probably warning him to sit up straight or something. Under that gaze, Ning Shuang guiltily straightened his posture.

Sure enough, this meeting was as dull as any school assembly. He leaned back, tilting his head to stare forward.

Though he couldn’t make out their faces clearly, Ning Shuang still sensed that one of them had a familiar air about him.

Even after the meeting ended, the poised “clan leader” seated squarely in the middle hadn’t said a single word.

Ning Shuang stood to follow the crowd out, but Fifth Uncle suddenly called to him from up front. “Ning Shuang.”

“Huh?” Fifth Uncle was actually a relative of Ning Shuang’s—some uncle ranked fifth in his generation—and aside from the neighbors, theirs was the only family in the village he was on decent terms with.

“The clan leader wants you to stay behind,” Fifth Uncle said.

Ning Shuang had no choice but to obediently sit back down.

Once nearly everyone had left the hall, the people up front finally descended the steps. Fifth Uncle called out, “Ning Shuang, come here.”

After saying that, he left the hall along with the others who remained. Ning Shuang hurriedly called after him. “Fifth Uncle, wait—am I just supposed to stay here alone?”

“The clan leader has something to discuss with you. He won’t hurt you.” Fifth Uncle patted Ning Shuang’s shoulder, let out a long sigh, and departed.

If he won’t hurt me, then why sigh like that?!!!

Ning Shuang wailed inwardly. Had they found out about him sneaking into the Ancestral Hall with Huo Lan? No, wait—that didn’t make sense. There were no cameras in the Ancestral Hall, were there?

Feeling guilty, he turned to face the person on the highest seat but didn’t dare look up.

He twisted his fingers together and stammered, “Um, Clan Leader, did you need something?”

He had originally planned to ask the clan leader about the forbidden gu himself, but instead, he’d been singled out to stay. As Ning Shuang racked his brain for what he’d done since returning to the village, the only thing that came to mind was sneaking into the Ancestral Hall. He couldn’t imagine any other reason for being kept behind alone.

“You look thinner,” the man on the high seat said abruptly.

Ning Shuang’s long lashes trembled. Shock flooded his face as he lifted his head to gaze at the man seated above him.

From a distance before, and with the dim lighting, Ning Shuang hadn’t been able to get a clear look at their clan leader. Now that they were close—though he still couldn’t quite make out the other’s face fully—the voice alone hit him like a thunderbolt.

He knew that voice too well to mistake it.

He climbed the wooden steps one by one, drawing closer to the man who had spoken.

Who was this person sitting in the center?

In the dim light, that face grew brighter and clearer in Ning Shuang’s eyes—profound, cool features; long hair draped over one shoulder; a pair of earrings glinting coldly. Everything felt so familiar… yet so strange.

Ning Shuang’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor in a heap from sheer shock. The man in the seat could no longer stay put. Before Ning Shuang could react, he lunged forward and caught him as he fell.

“…” Ning Shuang didn’t know what to say.

Ji Huaizhi held his waist tightly.

He really had gotten thinner.

But he still smelled just as good.

“Long time no see,” Ji Huaizhi said.

Ning Shuang parted his lips, finding he could barely make a sound. After a long moment, he finally managed two words in return. “Clan Leader?”

Ji Huaizhi didn’t respond. He didn’t particularly like this identity, but he couldn’t deny it—without it, there would have been no Ning Shuang, the one who later fell in love with him.

“You knew…” Ning Shuang’s voice was barely a whisper, squeezed from his throat, so faint it could only be heard in the utter silence.

“Knew what?” Ji Huaizhi asked.

Ning Shuang pulled away from his arms and knelt on the ground, looking up at him. “The love gu. You knew I put a love gu on you.”

“I knew,” Ji Huaizhi nodded.

“You—I—no.” Ning Shuang was completely flustered. A love gu couldn’t possibly work on their clan leader, so why had they dated?

“Ning Shuang, can I explain?” Ji Huaizhi reached out and took hold of Ning Shuang’s hand.

“I… I don’t know.” Ning Shuang hadn’t processed it at all. But if Ji Huaizhi was from the Miao Frontier, then all his odd behavior before they dated suddenly made sense.

Ji Huaizhi had known this day would come. He had no intention of hiding it from Ning Shuang, and fortunately, he saw no disgust in the other’s eyes. “I am the clan leader, but I never meant to keep it from you.”

Hold on!

Ning Shuang held up a hand in a pausing gesture.

“I’m a little confused. It was wrong of me to use the love gu, but did it work on you?” Ning Shuang asked.

Ji Huaizhi shook his head honestly.

“Then why did you get together with me?” Ning Shuang pressed immediately.

A puzzled expression crossed Ji Huaizhi’s face as well. He explained, “Because I like you.”

Ning Shuang’s throat tightened, all his words caught in his chest. Then came an incredulous, “Huh?”

Ji Huaizhi emphasized firmly, “I like you.”

Ning Shuang slapped his forehead. “That doesn’t add up.”

“Why not?”

But Ning Shuang looked at him. “I still need you to tell me—why are you our clan leader?”

Ji Huaizhi knelt down to face him properly, just like Ning Shuang. “Because I underwent the clan leader’s coronation ceremony.”

“…” That checked out.

Ning Shuang: “You knew the whole time that I’m from the Miao Frontier?”

“Mm,” Ji Huaizhi nodded.

Ning Shuang: “Then why did you hide your identity from me at first?”

Ji Huaizhi: “You never asked.”

“…” That seemed fair too.

Ning Shuang: “When I put the love gu on you, why didn’t you call me out?”

Ji Huaizhi: “Didn’t you do it because you like me? I like you too.”

Ji Huaizhi’s expression as he spoke was earnestly innocent, without a trace of deception. Every answer was spot on.

“Let me take a minute.” The guy I’d put a love gu on was actually our clan leader. Wasn’t that a bit too explosive?

Ji Huaizhi nodded.

Ning Shuang bowed his head, mentally replaying every moment since he and Ji Huaizhi had met. Then he suddenly heard a sniffle from across from him.

He looked up quickly at the person before him.

Ji Huaizhi gazed back at Ning Shuang with a face full of grievance, tears pooling in his eyes before spilling over.

Crying with a face that gorgeous??

Ning Shuang straightened up instinctively, about to pull him into a comforting hug like he used to—but he caught himself and lowered his hand. “Don’t cry. Please don’t cry first.”

“Senior, are you mad at me for keeping secrets from you?” Ji Huaizhi asked.

Ning Shuang pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away the tears. “No, it’s just… I can’t quite accept…”

“Don’t you love me anymore?” Ji Huaizhi grabbed his hand and gently rubbed his fingers against it.

Ning Shuang’s entire hand went stiff.

His lips parted, but he didn’t know what to say. “It’s not like that, Ji Huaizhi. I just can’t figure it out.”

Ji Huaizhi gazed at him, tears streaming down even faster.

Ning Shuang’s heart gave a couple of painful twitches in response. In a very even tone, he said, “You deceived me.”

“I didn’t mean to. I just thought that identity of yours wasn’t all that important.” Ji Huaizhi explained.

Ning Shuang didn’t feel like crying so much as a simple ache from the betrayal. Keeping his tone flat, he went on, “You knew who I was all along. I thought I’d planted the Love Gu on you, so I spent every day drowning in guilt. That guilt made it impossible for me to refuse any request you had. That guilt gave me nightmares every night. The way things stand, it makes me look like… a bit of an idiot.”

“No.”

Ning Shuang blinked. “Hm? No to what?”

Ji Huaizhi’s expression grew utterly solemn and earnest. “You’re not an idiot.”

Ning Shuang: ………………

What was the point of arguing with Ji Huaizhi? Ning Shuang let out a sigh of resignation. “Fine. I won’t pester you anymore from now on. Using the Love Gu on you was my mistake. Punish me however you like.”

Ji Huaizhi looked at him. “Have we broken up?”

Ning Shuang replied, “Haven’t we? Didn’t you read my letter?”

“I don’t want to.” Ji Huaizhi enunciated each word as he rejected Ning Shuang’s suggestion.

“But the Love Gu has no effect on me. I like you, Ning Shuang. I love you.” Ji Huaizhi realized that unless he made Ning Shuang see his feelings were genuine, Ning Shuang would never love him again.

The heartfelt confession sent a shiver through Ning Shuang’s entire body. He looked toward Ji Huaizhi, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard, utterly at a loss for words.

Staring at Ji Huaizhi’s refined features and the long hair that fell past his shoulders, Ning Shuang suddenly realized something. “Did we know each other before this?”

Ji Huaizhi pressed his lips into a thin line. Ning Shuang pressed on. “Are you the one I forgot?”

“Then tell me, Ji Huaizhi—do you know about the Forbidden Gu inside me?” Ning Shuang’s voice turned much colder as he asked.

Ji Huaizhi lifted his gaze to meet Ning Shuang’s, blurting out on instinct, “Who told you?”

“So it really is true?” Ning Shuang asked.