There is no Redemption for A Scum Villain

Chapter 29

Shen Qingqiu froze for a moment. He hadn't been found out for a whole week. Just what had given him away? Whatever it was, he didn't have to hide anymore. Shen Qingqiu sighed happily and sat back to remove his mask. Yue Qingyuan immediately took in his features. He had indeed not been mistaken. No wonder he had reacted so strangely when he had seen Shen Qingqiu's face for that moment.

Shen Qingqiu smiled. "How did you figure it out?" he asked.

"It's always been a feeling of familiarity that I couldn't quite place. In the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you stand..." Yue Qingyuan whispered. His eyes were flickering all over Shen Qingqiu's face trying to see every little thing at once. He had changed so much and so little at the same time. "I should have realized sooner, but I wouldn't have thought that...you were right here. In the end it was such a plain thing. It may sound strange, but I recognized the way you smell. Although it was covered a bit by that smell of tea and incense."

"It's not strange at all," Shen Qingqiu said with a smile, "Even if you hadn't recognized me, I wouldn't have been mad. I changed a lot over the years."

"Outwards, maybe. To way you act outwards. But you've always acted this way on the inside," Yue Qingyuan replied.

The man was still not done staring at Shen Qingqiu and Shen Qingqiu would surely not stop him from doing so. It made his heart flutter a little being looked at like that. Yue Qingyuan had not seen him for years, at least in his memories, and now Shen Qingqiu was looking so much older. About twenty years had passed. That's what Shen Qingqiu had said. Yue Qingyuan couldn't help but think that he was looking even more beautiful than he remembered.

Shen Qingqiu recognized the look in Yue Qingyuan's eyes even if the man didn't recognize the feeling himself that started sparking in his chest. Shen Qingqiu hadn't thought that it would happen so quickly though. He wanted to see where this was going though. If Yue Qingyuan figured it out himself or if he would need some help.

When Yue Qingyuan had said that he just had to be himself he had thought this was just some cheesy line, but not that he truly meant it like that. Was it really enough as long as he was who he was? And had Yue Qingyuan meant it when he said just now that Shen Qingqiu had always been like this on the inside and had not really changed much? When he said that even now then it couldn't just what he says when he wants him to not be sad.

Shen Qingqiu leaned forward and hugged Yue Qingyuan again. He couldn't help himself. He needed that right now. Yue Qingyuan hugged him back immediately although he wasn't used to Shen Qingqiu being this affectionate. He had always been annoyed by him. They must really both have changed over the years.

"You are the Qing Jing peaklord now?" Yue Qingyuan asked.

"Yes," Shen Qingqiu replied, "For a few years now."

"So you're my Shen-shidi," Yue Qingyuan asked with amusement, "What's your new name?"

"Qingqiu," Shen Qingqiu replied.

"Qiu? That's..."

"Just my bad luck," Shen Qingqiu sighed.

"Since you're on Cang Qiong Mountain now, that must mean that I... I must have succeeded saving you from there after all, right?" Yue Qingyuan asked, his tone hopeful.

Shen Qingqiu didn't answer for a while. He didn't want to lie to him, but he also couldn't bear saying the truth. He chose to keep quiet.

"Right?" Yue Qingyuan asked, his voice breaking from the silence he received, "Xiao Jiu?"

"No," Shen Qingqiu replied at last.

Yue Qingyuan began to tremble faintly. "Because I messed up, right? Because I rushed it, right?" he asked "You had to free yourself, right? I failed to fulfill even such a promise..."