Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 76: Wu Cheng’s Return

Afterward, her consciousness appeared here—according to the voice, this was the deepest recess of You Su’s mind.

She was relieved that she had been able to help You Su escape danger, even though it wasn’t through her own body.

When the matter was settled and she eagerly anticipated returning to her own body, the voice informed her that power came at a cost. Returning wouldn’t be so simple—it required this body to complete a task first. Only after finishing could she reclaim herself.

Moreover, the outside world was in chaos, and You Su was far from truly safe. He still needed its protection.

At first, she refused, stubbornly trying to reclaim her body, but she was met with excruciating pain.

The voice warned her: if she continued, not only might her consciousness vanish entirely, but she could also become fully corrupted, causing immense trouble for You Su.

It then revealed a terrifying truth—You Su had also been possessed by evil, and it had deceived him. In You Su’s eyes, it was still his junior sister.

It threatened her: if she didn’t want You Su to fall completely into corruption, she’d better obey.

Ji Lingruo had no choice but to agree.

And according to the voice’s demands, to prevent You Su’s perception from becoming confused, she desperately concealed the fact that she was no longer herself.

Thus, whenever You Su accidentally fell asleep and entered this layer of consciousness space, she stayed hidden in the room, speaking as little as possible. She didn’t want You Su to see her disgusting form, nor did she want him to recognize her.

Because she was in the depths of You Su’s consciousness, Ji Lingruo could feel what You Su felt.

Painfully, she discovered that the original owner of this grotesque flesh—using her voice and her body—was shamelessly intimate with You Su.

It unhesitatingly enjoyed the love and affection You Su freely gave to his junior sister.

They laughed, held hands, embraced… while all she could do was look at her reflection in the mirror—a lonely mass of repulsive flesh—and listen to the tender words in the air, imagining they were directed at her.

This strange, twisted feeling left her disoriented. She couldn’t tell if she was being loved or betrayed. Unable to endure any longer, she stepped out of the room and sat by You Su’s bedside.

But You Su’s earlier reaction astonished her—and melted her heart…

So even like this, you’re willing to embrace me, Senior Brother?

Ji Lingruo looked up and asked the sky, “Once I finish what you want me to do, will everything really return to how it was?”

The voice rang out again, but it didn’t answer her question. Instead, it became sweet and gentle: “Senior Brother, you’re awake?”

…

“Senior Brother, you’re awake?”

“Mm…” You Su rubbed his temples and blinked twice.

After confirming he was awake, You Su apologized, “Junior Sister, I’m sorry for falling asleep.”

“What are you apologizing for? If you’re tired, you should sleep. While you slept, I stayed awake,” Ji Lingruo said with a charming smile.

Warmth flowed through You Su’s heart. He then asked, “What time is it now?”

“It’s just past the Chen hour.”

A somewhat familiar voice suddenly answered before anyone else.

You Su sensed carefully—it was Zhou Li.

Zhou Li held a large oil-paper bag, pulling out six dry cakes as he walked over. He handed them to You Su and explained, “Breakfast is distributed every morning at the Chen hour, lunch at noon, and dinner at the You hour. If you need water, you’ll have to fetch it yourself from the water barrels on the east side of the Auspicious Cave, though it’s rationed daily.”

While regretting not extending his spiritual sense immediately upon waking and allowing someone to approach so closely unnoticed, You Su accepted the dry cakes and said, “Thank you.”

Zhou Li smiled and stepped back a couple of paces, creating some distance between himself and the pair. “Others get four cakes, but since you’re a cultivator and eat more, I gave you two extra. Don’t let anyone find out.”

Hearing this, You Su stored the cakes away and thanked him again.

“Does distributing food require your personal involvement?” You Su asked, puzzled. Cultivators’ strength should be reserved for more critical matters.

“Not necessarily, but I came specifically to find you.” Zhou Li sat down cross-legged.

You Su frowned slightly. “What do you need?”

“Last night, you went out too, right? I assume you know about Sect Leader Qi being possessed, the battle with the other sect leaders, and his eventual retreat with Wu Cheng and Wu Ping.”

“Mm.”

“But early this morning, Wu Cheng returned.”

“Wu Cheng returned?” You Su’s heart tightened again.

“Yes, but only him. Sect Leader Qi and Wu Ping haven’t reappeared. According to Wu Cheng, they’re dead.”

“And where is Wu Cheng now?”

“He’s resting in the Wu family’s area inside the cave. He crawled nearby, and Sect Leader Bai found and brought him in. After giving a brief account, he collapsed.”

You Su fell silent for a moment. He couldn’t understand why Wu Cheng, who had been so close to evil, was allowed to rest in the Auspicious Cave.

“I know what you’re thinking, but Wu Cheng is one of Chuyun City’s most outstanding youths. Besides, the Wu family’s patriarch went missing in the western part of the city while searching for him. If Wu Cheng were to die, the Wu family would surely cause an uproar. Moreover, Wu Cheng is the only one who knows the truth about Sect Leader Qi’s possession. Saving him was only logical.”

“So they think that since they can handle Sect Leader Qi’s possession, Wu Cheng’s potential issues don’t matter?”

“Mm. But I still feel uneasy, so I came to warn you.” Zhou Li stood up and prepared to leave.

You Su nodded slightly and expressed his gratitude solemnly.

After Zhou Li left, You Su finally began eating the dry cakes, his thoughts inevitably drifting back to Wu Cheng’s gaze before disappearing last night.

…

“Mother!”

Wu Cheng lay on a makeshift “bed” made of many robes, mustering some strength to call out to the beautiful woman in front of him.

The woman gazed tearfully at her long-lost son, her lips trembling as she whispered, “It’s good that you’ve woken up. If I lost you too, I wouldn’t know how to go on living…”

Wu Cheng buried his head, clenching his fists and pounding the ground in frustration. “It’s my fault—I couldn’t save my younger brother.”

His mother held his hand gently, comforting him. “It’s not your fault, Cheng’er. Don’t blame yourself. It’s enough that you’re alive. Your brother wouldn’t hold it against you.”

Wu Cheng’s expression stiffened imperceptibly before returning to normal. He continued sorrowfully, “Mother, where’s Father?”

At these words, his mother burst into tears, unable to contain her emotions. “Your father went to look for you after you disappeared… and hasn’t returned either…”

The mother wept bitterly, while Wu Cheng turned his head to hide his expression, his fists tightening as if hating something deeply.

After a moment of silence, Wu Cheng consoled her, “Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll stay with you from now on.”

The mother wiped her tears and nodded. “Mm, thank goodness I still have you, Cheng-er…”

“Thank goodness, huh…” Wu Cheng murmured.