Yan Huanglou heard him suddenly bring up the fan, so he asked, “What?”

“I was just asking,” Chen Changsheng said.

Yan Huanglou said, “It’s hidden in the inner room.”

After hearing this, Chen Changsheng said, “You, you spent half your life for this fan, and now you hide it?”

Yan Huanglou just laughed and said, “I treasure it dearly, can’t let it get the slightest bump or scratch.”

This was his stubbornness, and only he could understand it.

“As long as you like it.”

Chen Changsheng saw nothing unusual in Yan Huanglou’s expression.

Looking at it this way, perhaps he really didn’t know that Prince Yu was a cultivator.

Chen Changsheng stopped asking.

He thought, if Yan Huanglou really knew, why would he have lived so quietly over worldly little things his whole life? 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Chen Changsheng had nothing more to say, he just waved his hand and said, “Going to sleep, you rest early too.”

“Hey, you, we barely talked a bit.”

Chen Changsheng waved his hand again and then went into the room.

Yan Huanglou shook his head, he rubbed his somewhat aching temple, and then went back to his room.

Lying down, he just couldn’t sleep, and he didn’t know how long he would toss and turn.

…

Yan Huanglou, who usually woke early, slept nearly an extra hour that day.

In the morning, Wang Sanniang came by to call him and asked Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng just said he hadn’t gotten up yet.

Wang Sanniang left Ruyi and Ping An in the yard and then went to her street stall.

Yan Huanglou finally got up.

After getting up, he washed his face, but still felt very dizzy. Things looked a bit blurry.

His mind sank down, as if he foresaw something. After a long time, though, he acted like nothing happened and prepared to go out to his stall.

Chen Changsheng, who was teaching Ruyi and Ping An to read, called to him.

“Where to?”

Yan Huanglou said, “Set up stall to sell tea, where else.”

Chen Changsheng looked at him and said, “You don’t have to set up a stall. Can’t you ever rest in this life?”

Chen Changsheng’s words were very calm, but when they reached Yan Huanglou’s ears, they made him pause.

Yan Huanglou didn’t know if Chen Changsheng had noticed something. He just answered as usual, “I am resting.”

After saying this, he went out of the yard.

Chen Changsheng shook his head with a sigh and said nothing more.

He went on teaching Ruyi and Ping An to read.

Ruyi said, “Uncle Chen, grandpa seems very unwell, is he sick?”

Chen Changsheng said, “It’s nothing, he just didn’t sleep enough.”

Ruyi blinked and said, “Really?”

“Mm,” Chen Changsheng said. “Where were we? Let’s keep going.”

Ruyi didn’t ask more and went on learning to read with Uncle Chen.

She felt confused, as if there were too many words and she couldn’t keep up.

…

Old Huang had been out for less than half an hour.

He came back again.

Chen Changsheng saw him come back and asked, “Why are you back?”

Yan Huanglou’s face looked a bit bad. He shook his head and said, “Nothing, probably I got chilled by the wind last night, not feeling so good.”

“I’ll go back to my room and rest a bit.”

He said this, then went back to his room. After wrapping himself in the quilt, he closed his eyes to sleep.

Chen Changsheng glanced into that room. After a moment, he looked away.

He said to Ruyi and Ping An, “Watch for a bit, I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay,” Ruyi nodded and agreed.

Chen Changsheng stood up and walked into the room.

He closed the door behind him, then went to the bedside.

After lying down, Yan Huanglou felt weaker and much more tired.

Chen Changsheng sat down and asked, “A chill?”

Yan Huanglou opened his mouth a bit, nodded, and said, “Maybe yes.”

Chen Changsheng said, “I could see it, can’t you just say it straight?”

After hearing this, Yan Huanglou was stunned for a moment. He muttered, “Yeah, you know some martial arts, it makes sense you’d see it.”

He smacked his lips, stayed silent a bit, then asked, “So, am I really going to die?”

Chen Changsheng nodded calmly and said, “Your qi and blood are at their end, yes.”

Yan Huanglou took a deep breath and said absently, “So it is…”

He had felt unwell for some time.

At first, he thought it was minor, but later he slowly realized it was not.

He sensed he didn’t have many days left.

Yan Huanglou muttered, “Back then, they told me old folks could feel when their time is near. I thought it was a joke, but now I believe it.”

Chen Changsheng said, “When did you start feeling like this?”

Yan Huanglou said, “Before you even came, I had a feeling. I didn’t know how long I could last. The past couple days I could just manage to go out to my stall. But today, when I went out, I felt dizzy as if I’d faint any second—probably it’s coming soon.”

The room fell quiet.

Chen Changsheng’s gaze wasn’t on Yan Huanglou. He was looking at the junk in the room, seeming lost in thought for moments.

He thought only empty, silent things.

He slowly came back to himself and said, “I don’t quite want you to die.”

Yan Huanglou chuckled and said, “I won’t die the next moment, why say that?”

“Can’t I even say it?” Chen Changsheng said.

“I let you, why not?”

Yan Huanglou took a breath and said, “I’m weak now, no breath to banter with you.”

Chen Changsheng said, “Fine, you never say nice things anyway. I often guess what you’ll say next.”

“Really?”

Yan Huanglou laughed.

He seemed very calm, not sad or scared.

Chen Changsheng asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”

“Afraid of what? Afraid to die?”

Yan Huanglou said, “I’ve lived over seventy years, isn’t that enough? Nowadays, living past fifty is already a long life.”

He took another deep breath and said, “I’ve lived plenty long.”

Chen Changsheng said, “How can that be? You still owe me tea, we agreed on a hundred cups.”

Yan Huanglou scoffed and said, “I knew you were heartless. I’m about to die, and you want me to work.”

Of course, he knew Chen Changsheng didn’t want him to go like this. But if he went along with Chen Changsheng, it might be too sad.

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and asked, “If, I mean if, I could let you live a few more years, would you like that?”

Hearing this, Yan Huanglou froze, then said, “I’d like it, what’s there to not like?”

Chen Changsheng nodded and said, “Good, then live a few more years.”

Yan Huanglou laughed and said, “Sounding like you really could give me a few more years. How about making me immortal then?”

Chen Changsheng didn’t reply. He just said, “Go to sleep peacefully. I’ll go watch those two kids.”

Yan Huanglou didn’t say more. He quietly agreed, then closed his eyes to rest.

…

It wasn’t even noon yet when the sky suddenly turned dark.

A breeze blew into the alley now and then, chilly and a bit refreshing at this Huai Xu time.

“It’s going to rain.”

Chen Changsheng looked up.

As soon as he thought that, raindrops as big as beans fell.

Ping An yelled, “It’s raining, it’s raining!”

“Stop yelling, Ping An, come inside quickly.”

Ruyi took Ping An’s hand and brought him inside to avoid the rain.

Chen Changsheng also went back to the main hall. He watched the rain, then looked up as if he saw a shadow in the sky.

“It came just in time.”