Chapter 157: Saying Sorry When You Mess Up
At first, Young Master Sang was a bit worried about whether Nian Nian could successfully impersonate Chun Lan.
After all, with Qiu Ju, her sister who spent every day with her, it would be easy to spot any slip-ups.
But then he thought, as a system, Nian Nian seemed to know everything.
Since she was so confident, he had nothing to worry about.
In contrast,
What he really needed to focus on was how to deal with Chun Lan stuck in his head.
Ever since her consciousness had nested in his mind, Chun Lan had been making a racket, driving Young Master Sang crazy.
“You despicable demon cultivator! Let me out, and don’t you dare lay a hand on my sister or the palace master!”
“Ugh, you’re so loud,” Young Master Sang grumbled while scrolling through his communication device. “Even if you scream, I won’t let you out.”
“And stop cursing every day. Not all demon cultivators are bad, you know.”
“Hmph, you scheming villain! Trying to act all noble?”
“I’m not what you’d call noble,” Young Master Sang replied nonchalantly, “but if I were really the heinous, lecherous villain you say I am…”
“Then just now, you’d be lying around naked on the bed, crying like a little baby.”
Chun Lan fell silent.
Young Master Sang enjoyed the peace, quietly using his communication device until it was almost dark, then he got ready to wash up and go to sleep.
As he approached the bath, just when he was about to take off his clothes, a voice of embarrassment and outrage echoed in his head again:
“Wait… what are you doing?!”
“Taking a bath.”
Young Master Sang raised an eyebrow. “What? Don’t you bathe regularly? You’re so dirty!”
“Who’s dirty? You’re the dirty one!”
Chun Lan sounded flustered, imagining her blushing face in his mind:
“How can you just shamelessly undress in front of a girl…?”
“Well, what should I do instead?”
Young Master Sang retorted, “Can’t I take a bath? Why not?”
“Can’t you just close your eyes and not look?”
“I…” Chun Lan stumbled over her words.
Young Master Sang didn’t bother with her anymore and continued undressing, hopping into the bath and relaxing.
Leaning against the edge, he splashed himself with water, letting the droplets glide down his athletic build and chest.
It felt like he vaguely heard someone swallowing nervously in his head.
“Hey, Chun Lan.”
“What, what is it?”
“Do you really hate demon cultivators that much?” Young Master Sang suddenly asked.
“Of course,” Chun Lan stiffened, “aren’t all you demon cultivators bad?”
“While most aren’t wrong for thinking that,” he said, gazing at the sky above the bath, “there are also many demon cultivators like me who haven’t done anything heinous, yet still can’t find a place in this world.”
“Precisely because we have no place to go, no home to return to.”
“So we stick together, helping each other out.”
“Not everyone can live the calm and leisurely lives like you in Sword Flower Palace.”
“Just surviving isn’t easy for ordinary people.”
Chun Lan had no words to counter his statement.
But she reflexively huffed, mumbling, “That’s just nonsense.”
“Well, if that’s what you think, then so be it.”
Young Master Sang shrugged. “After all, my impression of you is still that proud, hot-headed girl who always has something to say to everyone.”
“You!”
Chun Lan was fuming, ready to retort, but Young Master Sang interrupted,
“Though I understand.”
“After all, you’ve lived and trained in the heavenly swordflower palace since childhood. Even when you came down with Sister Gu, no one dared to disrespect you.”
“You are a disciple of Sword Flower Palace. You really don’t need to belittle yourself or tiptoe around others’ feelings.”
“Even if you spend all day lost in your own world, you’ll still be fine.”
Young Master Sang softly added, “I understand. I can’t envy that.”
Chun Lan felt embarrassed and annoyed, wanting to argue back.
But no matter how hard she tried to muster her anger, she couldn’t find the words.
It was as though he made a good point.
“Don’t be so indignant,”
Young Master Sang suddenly chuckled at himself. “You were chosen by immortals to train up in the mountains.”
“My luck isn’t as good as yours; I couldn’t even come close to Sword Flower Palace.”
“I’ve had no place left for me.”
Being marginalized. Being bullied.
All by some privileged scions, with no one respecting a wild kid like him who had no background.
People naturally stick to their own little circles, excluding those who aren’t like them.
Few can genuinely embrace differences, far fewer than one would think.
“I can’t be like you, shielded by your palace master, doing whatever you please, without worrying about others’ opinions.”
“I have to live carefully, learn to read the room, learn how to protect myself amidst all the bullying.”
“Even so, I still count myself lucky.” Young Master Sang continued splashing water, “I at least got picked up by the demon path and have a stable job now.”
“There are others who are worse off than me, abandoned by companions, betrayed, imprisoned and persecuted, or even never chosen by celestial beings…”
“So many people are struggling far more than you can imagine.”
Chun Lan quietly listened till the end, unable to hold back her quiet voice: “W-what are you trying to say?”
“I want to say, if possible, don’t treat strangers with that high-and-mighty attitude anymore.”
“No one is born above anyone else.”
Young Master Sang blinked. “I’ve wanted to tell you this since the first time I saw you.”
“Do you remember our first encounter? On Pengxu Mountain? You all ruined the most important confession in my life and acted all high and mighty about it.”
Chun Lan seemed to recall, gasping, “That was you…”
“You might think that was just a trivial matter.”
Young Master Sang replied earnestly, “But that day was truly important to me.”
“It was a scene I meticulously prepared for confessing to the girl I liked.”
“Maybe I won’t ever have a second chance at such blissful scenes in my life.”
“Your thoughtless action could ruin something really important for someone else.”
Chun Lan fell silent.
Seeing her not speak, Young Master Sang also stopped.
“Forget it. You won’t listen anyway.”
“Let’s just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
He slowly stood up, dried off, and changed into fresh sleepwear.
Just as he was about to step back into the room, he suddenly heard a hesitant and weak voice beside him.
“Sorry…”
“I’m sorry…”
Young Master Sang paused.
“It’s fine.”
