2. Aunt

“Put your leg down first,” He Yimo said, leaning back on the sofa, his face inches away from the jade foot raised high under the girl’s skirt. He closed his eyes with a hint of helplessness.

Yuan Xinyao raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “Why?”

“People might see.”

“What are you thinking? I’m wearing shorts.”

“Oh, you should’ve said so earlier.”

Only then did He Yimo’s tightly furrowed brows relax. He opened his eyes and boldly looked up along the smooth, fair jade leg, attempting to uncover the truth beneath her skirt.

But just as he was about to reach the critical moment, Yuan Xinyao suddenly and silently withdrew her leg, hiding the mystery once again.

“Aren’t you wearing them?”

“And yet you’re still staring straight under my skirt?”

The girl puffed up her cheeks in mock anger.

He Yimo shrugged, sensing she was nitpicking. “What else should I do? If you’re not going to let me see anyway, what’s the point of telling me you’re wearing shorts? Is it just to reassure me that you won’t flash anyone tonight?”

“You!”

For some reason, Yuan Xinyao’s face turned red with embarrassment. She bit her lip lightly and placed her hands on her hips.

“He Yimo, stop trying to change the subject!”

“Now be honest and tell me—why did you run away from home without saying a word today?”

He Yimo sighed, knowing he couldn’t escape this interrogation. After a brief moment of emotional preparation, he put on a hopeless expression.

“I’m just a cultivation failure. Even if I go to Wuji Sect, what could I possibly change?”

“I’d still be at the bottom of the sect, looked down upon by everyone.”

“At least here in the Grand Tutor’s residence, I’m still the seventh young master. But if I go to Wuji Sect, I’ll be nothing. When others beat me up, I’ll have no choice but to swallow my grievances.”

“So what’s the point?”

His words were half-truths. He was reincarnated, not a soul possessing someone else’s body. After sixteen years of growing up in this cultivation world, how could He Yimo be content with being a failure?

He was merely playing the role assigned to him in the original story.

Being a “playboy young master” had two advantages: first, it wouldn’t disrupt the original timeline; second, it allowed him to keep a low profile while reasonably frequenting casinos and brothels.

These places were the largest gray areas in the cultivation world.

And as a veteran player of Fallen Immortal, He Yimo knew plenty of black-market tricks and shortcuts.

“So you ran away and hid because you were afraid of being bullied at Wuji Sect?” Yuan Xinyao blinked in surprise.

He Yimo felt no guilt because, in the original story, he really did die at Wuji Sect. This was a well-intentioned lie.

“Alright, alright, don’t feel bad!” Seeing the boy’s dejected look, Yuan Xinyao quickly cupped his face in her hands. Her scolding tone softened into one of concern and guilt.

“Auntie almost forgot—our little Yimo may have grown taller, but you’re still just sixteen. Deep down, you’re still a child~”

Her words were both teasing and comforting. She gazed at him for a long time, her heart heavy with unspoken guilt.

The truth was, she didn’t want He Yimo to go to Wuji Sect either.

But this was a decision made by the elders of the Grand Tutor’s residence. She had her own reasons and couldn’t reveal the truth to him.

Later, Yuan Xinyao took He Yimo away from the bustling Pin Feng Lou.

—

Under the cold and silent moonlight of the night, they walked without speaking.

Yuan Xinyao held his hand tightly the entire way, afraid he might slip away again. Only when they reached the peach tree in the backyard of the Grand Tutor’s residence did she finally let go.

Leaning against the tree trunk, she looked up at the moonlight with her golden phoenix eyes half-closed.

“He Yimo, do you remember?” she asked softly.

“Ten years ago, I stood under this peach tree watching you run over with tear-filled eyes. You hugged my leg and cried, insisting that Auntie teach you how to cultivate…”

“At first, I didn’t want to waste time teaching you.”

“But then you cried and clung to me, saying that the kids next door all knew how to cultivate. They thought you were clumsy and refused to play with you. They even bullied you by making you play the monster in their exorcism games…”

“At that moment, Auntie’s heart softened.”

“You were only six years old back then—just a tiny little thing who couldn’t even lift the lightest peachwood sword. You tried to show off in front of me and ended up falling flat on your face.”

She spoke with fond nostalgia and couldn’t help but laugh at the memory.

Looking at the handsome young man before her—now taller than herself—her lips curled into a smile filled with affection and doting warmth.

He Yimo’s expression turned awkward as he recalled those embarrassing moments from his past.

Back then, he was only six years old, having been reincarnated for just a few years. He hadn’t yet shed his childish nature or fully understood his role as a cannon-fodder villain in this new life. He still harbored fantasies and hopes about this world of cultivation.

Of course…

Maybe he was drawn to cultivation.

Or maybe he was just more drawn to his aunt’s soft and fragrant jade legs.

Yuan Xinyao chuckled softly. Standing on tiptoe, she patted his head before continuing her reminiscence:

“Later on, Auntie picked up a small branch under this tree and taught you some basic self-defense techniques.”

“Actually…”

“From the day you were born, I heard from the elders that He Yimo was a child without any aptitude for cultivation. They all advised me not to waste too much effort on you.”

“But your tearful pleas were so pitifully cute.”

“Auntie couldn’t bear to see you upset, so I decided to give it a try and taught you some physical techniques.”

“And who would’ve thought—you actually learned them!”

“Not only did you beat up all those kids who bullied you until they behaved and called you their big brother…”

“But later on, you even won first place in Luo City’s Children’s Martial Arts Tournament!”

“That day, Auntie sat in the audience watching as you used those self-defense techniques I taught you to knock down one opponent after another—each taller than yourself. I watched as you stepped onto the stage to claim your prize…”

“And when we got home, you gave me that bell as a gift.”

“He Yimo, do you know?”

“From the day you tied that bell around Auntie’s wrist, I knew you were destined for greatness. Maybe everyone else looks down on you—but Auntie has always believed in you. He Yimo, you’re not the useless young master they say you are!”

“It’s just…”

“Your opportunity hasn’t come yet.”

“Maybe if you go to Wuji Sect and cultivate for a few years, you’ll find your own chance.”

Her playful demeanor faded. She clasped her hands behind her back, her phoenix eyes shimmering with unprecedented sincerity.