Fairy, Don't Be Afraid, I Am Blind

Who is washing?

You Su expanded his Divine Sense and indeed found that He Kongyue’s original spot was now empty.

He chuckled to himself, thinking that Mr. He really is a person with high standards despite his complaints. Given Mr. He’s family background and upbringing, he was destined not to be a casual person. How could he resist the temptation of a clear river when he was completely filthy?

You Su had already contemplated a lot, so he simply opened his eyes sleepily.

Though he could not see, compared to his previously completely blind eyes, he could now vaguely make out things that were very close, so his sense of light was much stronger than before.

The Luminous Pearl could illuminate most of the cave. It was evidently very bright, yet when You Su opened his eyes, his sight was pitch black.

Had the Luminous Pearl been put away?

The Luminous Pearl was made of a special jade that could absorb daylight for nighttime illumination. The Luminous Pearl in He Kongyue’s possession was certainly not one of those substandard ones that brightens for only a moment after a whole day of sunlight, so it wasn’t a matter of the Luminous Pearl running out of stored light.

"Mr. He, why do you bathe in the dark? Can you see anything?"

You Su deliberately teased, after all, he had been the subject of many jokes by the other party.

You Su clearly heard a vigorous splash of water; it was evident that he had startled He Kongyue.

"Mr. You?! You’re... awake?"

"I wasn’t really asleep anyway."

Indeed, You Su hadn’t fallen asleep; he was merely sitting with his eyes closed, savoring the Sword Intent.

He Kongyue was submerged in the water, and with the cave in darkness, his eyes fluttered, unable to clearly see You Su’s appearance.

Even I can’t see him, he’s visually impaired... it’s unlikely he can see me, right?

Upon this thought, he seemed slightly reassured, his tense body relaxed a little, even his tone became much calmer:

"I thought you were sleeping, so I put away the Luminous Pearl, wishing for you to sleep more soundly."

Both of them had just gone through a fierce battle and had been exploring the mountain all day, indeed very weary.

You Su sighed, feeling that He Kongyue seemed to genuinely regard him as a little brother, always taking care of him.

If he truly were Master’s younger brother, what should I address him as?

Uncle?

You Su felt a bit awkward.

He Kongyue even turned off the light while bathing just to let him sleep better, so You Su naturally felt too embarrassed to continue joking, stating seriously:

"Mr. He, when I previously said you don’t like to bathe, I didn’t mean any offense..."

"Pfft..."

You Su raised an eyebrow: "What is Mr. He laughing at?"

"I laugh that you’re being overly cautious."

He Kongyue, with his back to You Su, gently rubbed his arm with the cool river water.

You Su pursed his lips, hesitantly saying:

"I was just..."

"Not brothers." He Kongyue interrupted You Su, laughing yet helplessly, "Is this how you interact with other friends as well? It was just a joke, why would I take it to heart?"

To You Su, the title of friend carried significant weight.

You Su actually wanted to say he didn’t really have friends, or rather, male friends.

In Chuyun City, Wu Cheng probably didn’t count, and Zhou Li was just someone he was on good terms with; he and Zhou Li might not even be considered familiar with each other.

On Divine Mountain, Shi Yan might count as half a friend; although they interacted a bit more than others, their personalities and interests differed too greatly. They were like people who happened to chat idly when they met on Divine Mountain.

And He Kongyue might really count as a friend; setting aside his initial intentional approach, this person truly seemed worth befriending deeply. He was excellent, passionate, generous, without any pretense, and full of righteousness; they even had fought off villains together. If there was a single flaw, perhaps it was simply his fondness for visiting brothels, though he never toyed with women’s emotions, doing everything with mutual consent.

Valuing this person, You Su inadvertently applied his cautious interaction style, which he used with the women around him. After all, he had always interacted more with women.

Now he realized, between men, there’s no need for such convolutions. His forced explanation only made him seem petty.

Seeing You Su silent, He Kongyue asked again:

"I often make fun of you, Mr. You. Have you held a grudge against me? If I have offended you, allow me to apologize first."

"No, no, Mr. He, there’s no need for that," You Su hurriedly stopped him.

When first getting acquainted, maintaining some decorum was necessary, but once you truly know someone well, there’s no need to be so cautious anymore. His interactions with Ji Lingruo followed a similar process, from initially posing as a gentleman in front of his junior sister to jokingly teasing her in bed with suggestive words without actually offending her.

You Su felt deeply embarrassed about this; He Kongyue had already considered him a friend he could joke with, yet he still treaded carefully, as if treating the other as an outsider.

Whether or not to call him Uncle wasn’t important; he was Master’s brother, thus family, and shouldn’t be treated so distantly.

"That’s good. I must say, Mr. You has a point; bathing in ice during winter seems more refreshing than a hot spring. After a busy day, I actually feel quite invigorated now."

He Kongyue, noticing You Su’s discomfort, smoothly shifted the topic.

You Su felt a sense of satisfaction seeing his friend enjoy the icy bath he had recommended, and he laughed:

"Hot water baths nourish oneself with external warmth, you just need to enjoy. But cold baths are different; they stimulate your inner energy with the cold. Cold baths are hard to bear at first, but once you adapt, you’ll find a unique charm."