Chapter 152: Slight Joy, No Joy

Gu Weilan glanced at Gu Weiyu, a peculiar expression crossing her face as her gaze instantly softened.

Before her eyes, it was as if a little girl in pink clothes had appeared, tied with adorable buns, holding a small rabbit lantern, skipping and hopping as she ran toward her:

"Fourth Sister, do you think this lantern is pretty?"

The little girl's figure gradually blurred, and Gu Weilan thought to herself: Little Nine, how are you faring now?

The next day, at the hour of Mao, at the Immortal's Welcome Inn.

"Sister Luyi, shall we set off now?"

Gu Weiyu had been waiting at the entrance of the inn since early morning, and the moment she saw Luyi appear, she spoke up.

Luyi nodded faintly, leading her out of Yun County, and the two of them stepped upon their flying swords, heading south toward the Acacia Valley.

Treading through the morning mist, the two of them arrived outside the Acacia Valley.

"Senior Sister Wuhuan is inside the valley," Luyi said softly before her figure vanished into the valley.

Gu Weiyu watched Luyi walk away before finally raising her foot and slowly walking into the Acacia Valley.

Outside was already late autumn, permeating a desolate air everywhere with withered branches, fallen leaves, and dried-up grass.

Yet inside the Acacia Valley, numerous exotic flowers and rare plants could still be seen blooming brightly, especially the acacia trees planted all over the valley, which were still blossoming brilliantly.

Walking among the flowers and trees, waves of floral fragrance assaulted the senses. Gu Weiyu looked around, searching for the figure of her Ninth Sister.

Suddenly, her footsteps paused, and her gaze fell beneath an acacia tree.

There, a graceful young woman in white robes was sitting alone on a rattan swing beneath the tree, swinging listlessly.

"Ninth Sister!"

Even with just a fleeting glance from the back, Gu Weiyu recognized that the young woman was none other than her Ninth Sister!

As expected of her Ninth Sister, even just a back view was so enchanting!

Hearing the voice, the young woman in white turned her head. At that very instant, even though Gu Weiyu had long known that her grown-up Ninth Sister would possess a peerless beauty, she still could not help remaining dazed for a moment.

The young woman before her had an otherworldly disposition, and her facial features were like works of art meticulously carved by the heavens. Amidst the morning light and mist, she possessed a breathtaking kind of beauty.

Gu We欢 tapped her jade feet lightly and leaped down from the swing. "Eleventh Sister, you've come?"

The words were very ordinary, sounding like old friends who had not seen each other for ages, meeting again after years apart, with a thousand things in their hearts they wished to pour out.

In the end, when the words reached her lips, they transformed only into, "So, you are here too?"

Looking at Gu Weihuan who was within arm's reach, for some reason, Gu Weiyu suddenly felt intensely sentimental, and tears uncontrollably slipped down her cheeks, her vision instantly blurring into a mess.

"Eleventh Sister, why are you crying?"

Seeing Gu Weiyu cry, Gu Weihuan's own eye rims could not help turning red.

She felt a sense of astonishment. In her memories, Gu Weiyu was strong and independent; when had she ever shown such a fragile appearance?

"Ninth Sister—sob—I thought I would never get to see you again—" Gu Weiyu cried even harder, sobbing breathlessly.

Gu Weihuan stepped forward, wanting to gently stroke Gu Weiyu's shoulder as she used to do when they were young, yet she hesitated.

Detecting her intention, Gu Weiyu wiped her tears while acting spoiled. "Ninth Sister, may she have a hug from you?"

Without waiting for Gu Weihuan's response, she threw herself directly into Gu Weihuan's arms, playfully wiping her tears and snot onto the other's shoulder.

Between laughter and tears, Gu Weihuan raised her arms and embraced the young woman in her arms.

With this embrace, it was as if they had returned to their youth, and the estrangement of many years vanished by more than half.

"Ninth Sister, will you return to Qin County with me?"

After a long while, Gu Weiyu's emotions finally stabilized. She raised her red, swollen, tear-stained eyes and asked pitifully.

Hearing this, Gu Weihuan's expression darkened instantly. She turned her back so she would no longer look at Gu Weiyu, and her voice became cold and detached:

"Little Eleven, there is no longer a Gu Weihuan in this world. Gu family's Little Nine died three years ago...

Now, in this world, there is only a disciple of the Acacia Sect—Wuhuan."

Wuhuan?

Gu Weiyu murmured the two names in her heart, feeling a pang of pain. "Ninth Sister, have you forgotten our past?"

Forgotten?

Gu Weihuan stood rigidly in the distance, unmoving, while bitterness brewed deep within her heart. How could she ever forget?

Over the years, those bygone youthful days were the only lingering warmth in her heart, the very reason she had been able to persevere until now.

"Ninth Sister, have you forgotten that year's Lantern Festival, when we guessed riddles and strolled through the night market together?

Look at this rabbit lantern; I accidentally spotted it last night and thought to myself that you would definitely love it!

Ninth Sister, may I give this lantern to you?"

With that, Gu Weiyu stepped forward, full of joy as she handed the lantern in her hand toward Gu Weihuan.

As she moved, she instantly ignited the lantern using a fireball spell.

The orange glow lit up in the morning valley, shining like a small sun upon both of their hearts.

Gu Weihuan lowered her gaze to glance at the lantern, but quickly raised her head again, looking straight ahead with an indifferent expression.

Her voice was cold and resolute, merciless like icy jade, ringing through the Acacia Valley without any fluctuation:

"We are all this old now, who would still care for such childish things?"

With those words, Gu Weihuan flicked her long sleeve. The lantern dropped to the ground, and the candle flame flickered a few times before suddenly extinguishing.

Gu Weiyu stared at Gu Weihuan in disbelief. "Ninth Sister?"

Gu Weihuan turned her head away and ignored Gu Weiyu completely.

Standing dazedly to the side, Gu Weiyu silently retrieved several plates of pastries from her storage bag and placed them on the small heart-shaped tree-stump table beside them.

"Ninth Sister, these pastries are the ones from Guyue Studio that you used to love. I've left them right here."

Gu Weiyu left, turning her head back every few steps. Only after walking out of the Acacia Valley did she send out a sound-transmission talisman to Luyi to inform her that she was leaving.

As Gu Weiyu's footsteps faded into the distance and her figure vanished within the valley, Gu Weihuan, who had been standing quietly all along, finally turned around.

She squatted down silently, carefully picking up the extinguished lantern and relighting it. The warm orange glow illuminated the valley once more.

Gu Weihuan stared at it fixedly for a long time before casting her gaze upon the pastries beside her.

The faint fragrance of spiritual food wafted through the air. She extended her slender jade fingers, pinched a piece of pastry, and popped it into her mouth.

The familiar taste from her memory danced upon her taste buds. Gu Weihuan chewed the pastry thoroughly and swallowed it, while tears silently slipped down...

Eleventh Sister, it is not that Ninth Sister is unwilling to leave, but rather...

At Qianji Peak, True Immortal Qianji, whose spiritual sense had been closely monitoring every move of Gu Weihuan, withdrew his consciousness, a playful expression appearing on his face.

He was quite satisfied with Huan'er's reaction; it made his meticulous training over the years well worth it.

After receiving the sound-transmission talisman, Luyi returned to the Acacia Valley in just a moment.

"How is it? Shall we return to Yun County?" Luyi glanced at Gu Weiyu and asked.

With a desolate expression, Gu Weiyu nodded silently without a word.

Luyi found it rather strange. Before coming, this little girl had been all smiles, calling her older sister at every turn.

However, recalling Senior Sister Wuhuan's moniker of "Cold Jade," she soon came to terms with it.

As she expected, Senior Sister Wuhuan had always been like this. The little girl had come full of anticipation, and now she was probably utterly disappointed in her heart.

The two of them walked out of the Acacia Valley one after the other. Pondering for a moment, Luyi offered some comfort:

"Junior Sister Gu, Senior Sister Wuhuan's personality has always been like this. Don't take it to heart; she is actually a very good person!"

So, Ninth Sister had always been like this all these years? A sharp pain pierced through Gu Weiyu's heart.