FLME Ch43

Yu Wen didn’t dare to confront his fiery teachers, so he closed his eyes, pretending that the chaos in the group chat didn’t exist.

Afterward, he went online and opened the drama super-topic, thinking, They should be pushing the main ship now, right? He watched for a while, only to find that the topic was still focused on friendship.

[Hmph.]

[Our XiYue is such a perfect official pairing.]

How can you ignore such a wonderful meal and instead cook something else?]

That night, Yu Wen went to sleep with a grudge, vowing that when he becomes successful, he will throw everyone who doesn’t ship the official pairing into jail!

This is a crime!

A heinous crime!

The first four episodes of “Legend of the Immortal Sect” premiered, with a total of seven consecutive days of updates, just reaching the tenth episode. There would be no updates over the weekend, and tonight the eleventh episode was about to be released.

Although the viewers had mixed feelings about this update schedule, “Legend of the Immortal Sect” had only twenty-four episodes in total, so to maintain exposure, they had to update slowly.

However, despite only one episode a day, each episode was an hour long and filled with solid content. When there was nothing new to watch, viewers could still rewatch and savor the details.

Today’s plot focused on Chu Zhiyao. From this episode onward, the story began to delve deeper into, fill in, and expand on each character’s past. The charm of ensemble dramas lies precisely in this.

[——Today’s weather is very nice.

Chu Zhiyao, as usual, patrolled the dense forest and wrote this sentence in his logbook.

He returned to the mountain gate and encountered his second senior brother on the way. The second senior brother was mending the chicken coop, sleeves rolled up, with a stern expression.

The second senior brother was the most reliable person on Yunxiao Mountain. He knew how to do everything—raising chickens, ducks, and fish, making tables and benches in his spare time, defending against demons, and keeping the mountain safe. He was as steady as a mother.

Chu Zhiyao felt particularly close to him today and couldn’t help but move closer, “Second senior brother~”

“Scram.”

“……”

Chu Zhiyao didn’t dare to say anything more and handed over the logbook—his second senior brother was meticulous, and almost all the documents of Yunxiao Mountain were under his care.

Taking the logbook, the second senior brother didn’t even glance at him.

Chu Zhiyao looked at him eagerly and said, “Senior brother, aren’t you going to check it?”

If he checked it, he would see that Chu Zhiyao had written that “the weather is very nice” today. If the second senior brother asked why he thought the weather was nice, he would tell him that today was his birthday!

“If you’re so idle, go practice.”

The second senior brother said sternly.

Sigh.

Returning to the courtyard, the fourth senior brother was cooking in the kitchen. Chu Zhiyao skipped in, his steps light.

“Fourth senior brother, what are we having today?” He leaned on the edge of the stove, glancing around with a hint of suggestion.

The fourth senior brother was an eight-foot-tall handsome man, suave and charming. However, no one on Yunxiao Mountain had a talent for cooking, so the fourth senior brother, who was used to holding a fan, had to pick up a spatula instead. He had been doing this for many years and often complained about it.

He glanced lightly at the little sixth, took a pair of chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat from the pot, blew on it, and brought it to Chu Zhiyao’s mouth. “Here, eat.”

“…” Chu Zhiyao, confused, opened his mouth.

After eating, the fourth senior brother waved him away, telling him to play somewhere else.

“Senior brother,” Chu Zhiyao mumbled, “I don’t want to eat rice today. I want to eat…”

Fourth senior brother: “What?”

“…Noodles.”

He wanted to eat longevity noodles.

The fourth senior brother served the dish from the pot and said dismissively, “The rice is already steamed. Maybe next time… Go get a bowl. We’ll save some for Jiang Qiuyue, so she doesn’t sneak into the second senior brother’s chicken coop tonight.”

Following instructions, Chu Zhiyao left the kitchen, suddenly deflated and listless.

As he was about to greet her, his third senior sister passed by the back kitchen door, head held high.

“What a lousy sword! My freshly dyed nails got scratched… I’m done! Anyone else wants to practice, go ahead!” The third senior sister cursed as she walked past him, her face still twisted in anger. “What? Did the second senior brother give me another task?!”

Chu Zhiyao quickly shook his head, not daring to say more.]

Today was Little Koi’s birthday, but it was also a troublesome day.

About twenty miles from the mountain gate, a village was hit by a natural disaster. The second senior brother took the fourth and fifth senior brothers down the mountain to help; just after noon, the defensive array to the north of the mountain gate was triggered. The third senior sister, looking for an outlet for her anger, snatched Chu Zhiyao’s sword and went to fight. Meanwhile, Pu Yangxi was trying to contact her two guardians, using some excuse to disappear.

Little Koi sat on the cliff at the back of the mountain, gazing at the distant scenery, and sighed wistfully.

Today, he was the only one left to guard the mountain gate.

The first part of the episode had the audience on edge, worried that everyone had really forgotten Little Koi’s birthday. But as soon as night fell, the nocturnal Jiang Qiuyue stood behind him, her expression cool, and handed him a plump peach.

[“Longevity peach,” Jiang Qiuyue explained.

Chu Zhiyao: “……”

After giving him the peach, Jiang Qiuyue lightly raised her hand, signaling him to follow.

They arrived at the chicken coop, where Jiang Qiuyue stared intently at the plump, fat hens, telling him to pick one.

Chu Zhiyao, uneasy, said, “Second senior brother said we’ve already eaten all the chickens this month; we can’t kill any more…”

Jiang Qiuyue: “It’s not for us.”

Chu Zhiyao: “Then who—”

Jiang Qiuyue: “It’s for the ghost.”]

With the second senior brother away, the eldest and the sixth ran amok, not only stewing a hen but also roasting a goose.

[The stars in the mountain sky were always beautiful, even more so tonight. Chu Zhiyao sipped the hot, fragrant chicken soup while admiring the sparkling sky.

Jiang Qiuyue asked him how he used to celebrate his birthday.]

These disciples were all orphans that Master Liu Zhenzi had picked up over the years, most of whom had never even seen their parents. Chu Zhiyao still remembered his birthday, but he had been so young that he couldn’t recall much.

[“I don’t remember.”

Jiang Qiuyue didn’t ask any more questions. After they were full, they returned to the peach orchard.

Chu Zhiyao sat on the cliff, watching the night view and sipping chicken soup.

His third senior sister came by, shocked to see the chicken soup in his hand, “Did you steal the second senior brother’s chicken?”

Chu Zhiyao immediately threw Jiang Qiuyue under the bus, “No, the eldest senior sister cooked it and left me a bowl.”

“She’s doomed.” The third senior sister shook her head and slipped a jade pendant into his hand, saying, “Happy birthday. I confiscated this from some idiots who broke in. Koi, it suits you. Keep it safe, don’t lose it.”

Then she hurried off again, clearly still in the middle of a fight.

Chu Zhiyao patted his chest, relieved at his quick thinking.

After a while, Pu Yangxi emerged from the bushes, looking disheveled, “Ahem, sixth senior brother, I almost forgot… Happy birthday. May you have many more to come… Ahem, ahem.”

Chu Zhiyao was touched, but he had a feeling Pu Yangxi had just been chased down by someone while wearing all black.

The third senior sister’s clear voice rang out from the north, “Damn it! Where’s that thief in black running off to?!”

Chu Zhiyao: “……”

Pu Yangxi: “……”

Chu Zhiyao was silent for a while, then carefully said, “Wearing all black to steal is not good.”

Pu Yangxi had no choice but to admit it tearfully and swear never to do such sneaky things again.

Later in the evening, the second senior brother returned with the fourth and fifth senior brothers. The second senior brother immediately noticed the half bowl of chicken soup Chu Zhiyao hadn’t finished and glared coldly, “Where did that come from?”

Chu Zhiyao didn’t think twice, “The eldest senior sister said a ghost stole it.”

The second senior brother stuffed several bags of candied fruit he’d brought back into Chu Zhiyao’s hands, quickly wished him a happy birthday, then turned around with a twisted expression and roared, “Jiang Qiuyue, you’re dead!”

The fourth senior brother, stretching, said it was still early, so he went to the kitchen to cook some longevity noodles for him, asking if he wanted an egg.

Chu Zhiyao said yes.

The sound of fighting echoed through the mountain. Chu Zhiyao had good ears and could hear at least three places where weapons clashed. He bit into a sweet, crisp peach, popped a piece of candied fruit into his mouth, and sighed to himself:

Today on Yunxiao Mountain, it’s another day of chaos.

The sky sparkled with stars, and a shooting star streaked across. Chu Zhiyao watched for a long time and forgot to make a wish.

When he snapped out of it, another thought crossed his mind.

He remembered how he used to celebrate his birthday.

It was a long, long time ago when the village often went hungry. His parents had a Buddha statue at home, and every day they would pray before it. On his birthday, they made him kneel in front of it, asking the Buddha to bless him with food, clothes, good fortune, health, and safety.

He would kneel for a long time, and his parents would kneel with him.

He didn’t remember what the Buddha statue looked like, only that it never showed any signs of divinity.

The food came from his father’s work, the salt from his mother’s labor, and his grandmother took him to the mountains to pick salty bark to eat as snacks…

None of these things were gifts from the gods.

Gods never reveal themselves.

People only have their loved ones.]

As soon as this episode ended, the internet erupted.

「??? What’s going on? Wasn’t this supposed to be a goofy, slapstick show?」

「I’m floored, it’s both hilarious and heart-wrenching.」

「After this, how am I supposed to take Chu Laoliu’s Laoliu means old six, since Chu Zhiyao was the sixth disciple lucky koi powers seriously?」

「Stop killing me with the family feels…」

「I never thought a lucky koi could have such a touching backstory!」

「This is surprisingly deep… I suddenly feel smarter…」

「My mom asked me why I was crying, and I told her it was from watching a slapstick show (smiling)」

Seeing the strong reactions from the audience, the official account released a four-minute blooper reel filled with Yu Wen’s various antics.

「Were you guys having this much fun on set? Why are you only releasing this now?!」

「I knew it, the vibe on a comedy set can’t be bad.」

「Shake the official account, is there more, is there more…」

「More, more.」

Less than half an hour after the eleventh episode aired, related topics were already trending with lively discussions. It was unclear if it was due to the show’s marketing, but the trending topic was buzzing with activity.

After the initial shock wore off, most viewers accepted today’s plot well and even praised it highly.

「I thought this was just a regular slapstick show, but that final line really hit me.」

「‘Gods never reveal themselves. People only have their loved ones,’ wow, what a powerful line.」

「I’m officially declaring this my top show of the year.」

「A side note, the first half of this episode was really funny. Laoliu deserved every bit of the beatings he got, hahaha.」

「My silly husband, I thought he was just simple, but I didn’t expect him to be so reckless. Even selling out his eldest senior sister, does he have a death wish?」

「For a moment, I was really worried everyone would forget about the little koi, but seeing them all feeding him while causing chaos made my heart melt.」

「They’re so cute, so cute, my silly husband, so cute, and so is Yunxiao Mountain.」

Yu Wen was scrolling through the trending topics when suddenly, he saw a new post from the female lead, Zhu Xinyi.

Jiang Qiuyue: [How did the second senior brother know I stole the chicken? Thoughtful.jpg]

The emoji at the end was a fan-made Q-version of the character, which was super cute.

The main actors all followed each other, and they were all keeping an eye on the new episode’s reactions. Within ten minutes of this post, the main cast members had already taken over the top comments.

Pu Yangxi: [Wasn’t me, I was busy stealing stuff. Honest.jpg]

Third Senior Sister: [Wasn’t me, I was chasing thieves. Sprinting.jpg]

Fourth Senior Brother: [Wasn’t me, I was cooking longevity noodles for Laoliu. Fried egg.jpg]

Fifth Senior Brother: [Wasn’t me, I was… Just pretend I don’t exist. Innocent.jpg]

Second Senior Brother: [Anger, anger, anger.jpg You should reflect on what you’ve done!]

Yu Wen joined in on the fun, happily leaving a comment.

Chu Zhiyao: [Wasn’t me, I was drinking chicken soup. Chin rest.jpg]

At first, no one noticed what was wrong with his comment, and everyone was just laughing. But after a while, some sharp-eyed fans realized the problem and started gathering under his comment.

「This is giving it away to the eldest senior sister! If she remembers you’re the only one who knows, it’s over!」

「Calling the lucky koi, calling the lucky koi! Delete, delete! Quickly delete!」

「Abracadabra—Memory wipe on netizens!」

「Stop drinking, stop drinking! The eldest senior sister is already on her way to kill you, and you’re still drinking!」

「As expected of my silly husband… It’s okay, I’ll protect you!」

「Eldest senior sister, if you must kill, kill me, not my lucky koi baby!」

Yu Wen was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized why they were panicking and laughed himself silly on his bed.

He quickly posted another comment.

Chu Zhiyao: [Koi possessed. Praying.jpg]

After interacting with netizens, Yu Wen changed his clothes and went downstairs for a night run.

The doctor did not recommend him to do anaerobic exercise, but appropriate aerobic exercise is beneficial to the body. Yu Wen believed that the fact he only lasted fifteen minutes on the treadmill last time was definitely not his problem. Either the treadmill didn’t suit him, or the indoor feng shui was off. In short, the fault couldn’t lie with him.

Therefore, this time, he specifically changed the venue and the time, determined to conquer the sport of jogging.

He energetically went downstairs. Chu Han and Xi Su were not in the living room, probably staying in their rooms doing who knows what.

The new aunties hired by the boss had already started working—two in total. The villa had recently become clean and tidy again, spotless, making Yu Wen feel very comfortable every time he looked at it.

He contentedly stepped out of the house, his figure merging into the vast night.

The greenery in the villa area was excellently constructed. About a hundred meters outside the door was a small park with an artificial lake. Running two laps around the lake in the evening, with fresh and cool wind brushing against his cheeks, felt especially pleasant.

Yu Wen wore earphones, jogging while enjoying the scenery.

A figure approached from the front, also dressed for a night run. From a distance, it wasn’t very clear; Yu Wen only felt that the other’s head was astonishingly bright. As they got closer, he realized the person had a cleanly shaved bald head, the shiny scalp reflecting under the streetlights.

Although bald, this uncle had a proper appearance with well-proportioned features and was likely an exceptionally handsome man in his youth.

The bald uncle smiled warmly, lightly nodding as a greeting when passing by.

So Yu Wen also curved his eyes and nodded back in acknowledgment.

Those who lived in this community were all big shots, Yu Wen thought. The big shots here were quite approachable.

After jogging three laps and sweating a lot, Yu Wen returned to the villa with a sense of accomplishment, seeing Chu Han sitting motionless in the living room like a statue.

“What’s he doing?” Yu Wen asked Xi Su, who was standing nervously nearby.

Although they were rivals, Yu Wen considered himself beautiful and kind-hearted and wouldn’t ignore Chu Han just because he shipped some tasteless CPs.

He had always been a generous person, unlike some tasteless individuals.

Xi Su turned his head and glanced over, his expression guilty, not daring to speak.

Based on Yu Wen’s understanding of the blue-haired guy… he probably caused trouble.

Yu Wen hurried over to the two of them, and upon looking closely, was startled. Chu Han looked like a soulless doll, sitting dazedly on the sofa, his eyes a bit red, as if he had just cried.

Yu Wen mouthed to Xi Su: What did you do?

Xi Su hesitated for a long time, but finally, under Yu Wen’s warning gaze, confessed, “I… I told him the ending of ‘Chu Zhiyao’…”

Yu Wen: “…”

This was exactly what Xi Su had planned yesterday; otherwise, he wouldn’t have specifically pulled Chu Han to binge-watch the drama. The only purpose of dragging someone else to watch was—to have others share his pain!

He was such an evil blue-haired guy!

However, yesterday he was interrupted by Chu Han’s random CP shipping. Today, remembering it, with old and new grudges combined, he waited specifically for Teacher Chu to finish watching the latest episode, brimming with joy from shipping CPs, to tell him this bad news.

At that time, Chu Han said nothing and silently returned to his room. After ten minutes, he came out again, and Xi Su found that he was walking while shedding tears.

Xi Su: ?

Huh?

So emotionally invested?

“I’m fine.” During the eye exchange between Yu Wen and Xi Su, Chu Han suddenly spoke, his voice calm and expression composed.

Yu Wen and Xi Su simultaneously looked at him.

Chu Han took a pillow from the sofa, handed it to Yu Wen, and asked him to hold it up steadily.

Yu Wen, puzzled, did as instructed.

The next second, Chu Han, in a head-butting posture, slammed his head hard into the pillow!

Then his body tilted, peacefully falling onto the sofa.

“…” Xi Su didn’t understand his intention and, after a long while, poked his arm and asked, “Teacher Chu, are you okay…”

“No problem.” The person on the sofa kept his eyes closed, calmly said, “I’m burying myself with my CP.”