Transcending the Nine Heavens
chapter-304

“No! Sister Xiao Miao is still as gorgeous as ever!” Gu Du Xing emotionally exclaimed, “Nobody can compare to Sister Xiao Miao’s beauty!”

“Nonsense.” This young lady was indeed the Gu Miao Ling that had suffered greatly for Gu Du Xing. At present when she heard Gu Du Xing’s words, Gu Miao Ling didn’t portray a bashful reaction but instead snickered; as though she was a big sister teasing her little brother’s reckless gibberish.

That warm, tender smile of Gu Miao Ling seemed to have melted the chilling frost on her body, restoring an astonishing attractiveness to her icy pale countenance.

Gu Du Xing was momentarily stunned, as he felt the world spinning around him. His gaze had never left Gu Miao Ling. Dazzled, his tongue rolled out involuntarily as he unconsciously muttered out, “…….so pretty……”

“Little rascal!” Gu Miao Ling could no longer stand his lecherous expression as she stomped her feet bashfully and fumed at Gu Du Xing, “I am your sister! How can you speak in this manner to your sister?”

Gu Du Xing’s mouth was still wide with daze, that even his saliva leaked out. Finally, after getting a grip and wiping his mouth, he prepared to lunge forward.

A split second later, his body abruptly collided against a protective screen as he was sent crashing backwards, with a bloody nose and a swollen face; landing completely flat on his back, with his 4 limbs facing the sky. Gu Miao Ling giggled sweetly as she witnessed Gu Du Xing’s fiasco. It was as though all the torture she had endured inside this Prisoner cave had momentarily faded into oblivion, “You silly boy. If I could simply walk out, just based on your nonsense just now, sister here would’ve already gone out and immediately knock some sense into you. Hmph!”

Gu Du Xing climbed back up agilely as he raged out furiously, “Break it! Let me inside!”

“Young master……”

The miserable guard glanced at Gu Du Xing, and then glanced back to Gu Miao Ling as he felt exceedingly awkward from being in this tight spot.

“Stop being willful.” Gu Miao Ling gently urged. After speaking, she examined Gu Du Xing’s husky face for a good long while before quietly asking, “Little brother, have things been good for you all this while?”

Little brother, have things been good for you all this while?

These words instantly triggered a sour sensation in Gu Du Xing’s nose, as his tears began trickling down.

In spite of being locked inside the Prisoner Cave all this time, Sister Xiao Miao still remains concerned about me.

“Yes I have.” Gu Du Xing replied with a coarse voice.

“Mn, then…..you aren’t young anymore, hasn’t there been any ladies you’re interested in? Ah, you can get father to act as matchmaker.” Gu Miao Ling peered at Gu Du Xing with a gaze brimming with unspeakable emotions, a gaze that was both hopeful and fearful, “If you don’t find one soon, it will be really too late……”

“I do have a girl I admire……except…..” Gu Du Xing painfully replied.

“Except what?” Gu Miao Ling’s expression suddenly turned deathly white as her lips began to shiver. Glimpses of crystal brilliance welled in her eyes as she couldn’t resist but hastily turn around. After a brief while, she turned back to Gu Du Xing and smiled, “Oh? So this little brother actually has a girl he likes?”

“Mn, I do.”

“Who is it?” Gu Miao Ling clenched her teeth as she forcefully suppressed her rolling emotions, and flashed a sweet smile once again, “Say it, allow your sister to give this little brother of hers some advice. It’s a real pity though, sister won’t be able to attend your wedding feast…..”

“She…….is amazing, she treats me very very well. I can’t even think of a way to repay her……all along I had believed that I only felt gratitude and deep reverence for her because she had treated me well. Yet never did I expect myself to actually fall for her…..I wish for her to become my wife….”

Gu Du Xing lowered his head in agony, “It was on that one day, she left. That was the day I knew I had always loved her. That kind of immense yearning could only be satisfied by her! Sister Xiao Miao, I really want her to be my wife, is that possible?”

Gu Miao Ling shuddered lifelessly as she nearly slumped to the ground. Her lips had curled into a bleak smile of envy, as her eyes shone with despair.

He adores her, he loves her, he wishes for her to be his wife…….

Gu Miao Ling, ah……you……you you…..

At this instance, Gu Miao Ling’s heart shattered into fragments.

She even hated herself now; Why did I even decide to show myself? Having been locked inside, she had decided to resurface without much hopes. The only thing supporting herself, was undoubtedly an illusion, a daring desire. If she hadn’t gone out, she could still guard this fantasy and continue to live on, and continue lying to herself…….

She obviously knew it was just an illusion, but……One should still be allowed to dream!

Moreover, it was such a beautiful dream!

Yet, when she discovered that Gu Du Xing was visiting her, she still couldn’t help running over with overflowing joy. She only feared he wouldn’t fancy her appearance and even did her utmost to doll herself up; barely maintaining a pleasing appearance before daring to show herself.

Yet, the day she finally reappeared into the world, this devastating news struck her like a bolt from the blue sky.

He has someone he loves…He has someone he loves!

Gu Miao Ling frantically laughed in her distress.

This dream, she had finally awakened from.

In her distracted disappointment, she could scarcely hear Gu Du Xing inquiring of her with great apprehension and fright, “Sister Xiao Miao, do you think……she will agree?”

“Sister Xiao Miao, do you think…..she will accept me?”

The present Gu Du Xing was still immersed in his former memories. He could only hate himself; Why hadn’t I realized sister Xiao Miao’s feelings towards me earlier?

Why did I have to wait until sister Xiao Miao was banished into the Prisoner cave? Till she suffered such unfathomable misery?

Her body is so frail and delicate, how could she have endured this?

How could she have endured?

I am really a fool……

Gu Miao Ling bit her lips ferociously as she finally felt her drawn out consciousness returning to her. She was trying her best to support herself from collapsing to the floor as she issued a dejected smile, “She would definitely accept you……my brother is outstanding and capable……not only handsome, but young and confident too….if she doesn’t agree, wouldn’t that be completely beyond ridiculous?”

“Is that true?” Gu Du Xing lifted his head in delight.

“Yes it is. Just be brave and confess to the girl you love, Du Xing. Sister Xiao Miao is happy for you.” Gu Miao Ling’s countenance was now a deathly pale as she tottered weakly, “You will succeed. Sister Xiao Miao will be here wholeheartedly praying for your blessings.”

Forget it, forget it. When I return, I shall just die in this of old age in this Prisoner cave.

In this lifetime, I shall never dream again. I no longer have anything to dream about……

Gu Miao Ling silently slanted her face away as two pearl of tears quietly rolled down. She resisted bursting into tears to vent her emotions as she issued a bitter and astringent smile, “Du Xing, girls are always reserved. Even if they like you, they wouldn’t communicate it so easily. If you like someone, then you must take the initiative to confess your feelings……once you miss the opportunity, you will be left with nothing…….the most beautiful time of a human’s life is only those few fleeting years…….You cannot regret, you must never ever regret…….go fight for yourself! Hurry up and go, you will definitely succeed!”

While she spoke, her heart was a field of anguish and despair.

If not for my timidness in the past, if I had not suppressed the matters of my heart, if I did everything in a different manner………if I had told you earlier, would this outcome have been different?

If I tell him now, maybe he…….

Haai, what’s the use of thinking about that……he is about to be married and I’m imprisoned inside this Prisoner Cave for all eternity……my whole life is finished, why should I let him despair about my fate?

This secret, let me just bury it in my heart…….

“Sister Xiao Miao…..thank you for agreeing.” Gu Du Xing excitedly replied, “I……I’m just so happy……I……I’m about to faint from joy……”

“I agreed to you? Wh…..what?” Gu Miao Ling was still coming to terms with her grieve, she could still feel the pain of her heart bleeding. Yet suddenly in the face of such random words, her mind could not adapt momentarily.

“You just said yes to me!” Gu Du Xing leaned in as he exclaimed loudly, “You clearly just said yes to me!”

“What did I say yes to?” The blank Gu Miao Ling asked.

“You said yes to being my wife!” Gu Du Xing’s face was flushed with excitement as he leapt up with a joyous somersault. His tone was now yelling, “You just agreed, agreed to being my wife!”

In a split second, Gu Miao Ling was dumbstruck as her pretty eyes gazed widely at Gu Du Xing. She stammered in confusion, “You, you…….you, didn’t you……you, don’t you have a lady you love……you…..ah?!”

“That’s true! I do indeed have a lady I love!” Gu Du Xing chirped happily, “But that lady whom I love is you, Sister Xiao Miao……could it be someone else? Where would I find someone else?” Gu Du Xing gazed at Gu Miao Ling bewilderedly, not comprehending why Sister Xiao Miao was speaking in this manner.

Could it be that I, Gu Du Xing, would fall for someone else in this lifetime?

What a joke!

“You, you…..I…I…..” The flabbergasted Gu Miao Ling gazed at him for a good long while without speaking a word. Suddenly in this moment, two streams of hot tears came pouring out of her eyes.

Immediately, she squatted down and begun to sob loudly. Her wails were so intense it traveled far and wide. Regardless of that, Gu Miao Ling poured her heart out in tears as her tears dripped over her garments, bitterness and warmth intertwined within her heart as she no longer bothered about her own demeanor. Her warm tears slowly evaporating into thin white mist in this freezing environment…….

Her tears represented the abundant pain she had experienced, the manifold effort she invested. It was as though the floodgates sealing up her thousand grievances she had was opened, as her despairs dissolved along with her wails. Yet, in this moment, her wails rapidly transformed into amplified desperation and dismal, sorrow once again piercing her heart.

She had finally attained the desire she craved even in her dreams…….this gift of affection! These words were her endless nights of fantasies, the only comfort she could find solace in to live on, her greatest pillar of strength!

Everything time she visioned this scenario, Gu Miao Ling would no longer feel cold and discomfort. Only love filled that place in her heart.

However right now, she gravely abhorred herself; Why must I have this! I shouldn’t have! I shouldn’t!

A second ago she was pitying herself in resentment, but intense regret soon overwhelmed her.

Such was the contradiction of a woman’s heart.

She was unresigned that the person she loved dearly for years would jump into another’s embrace. If that had really happened, Gu Miao Ling would’ve simply lost meaning in life.

But now after receiving, she regretted dearly.

My punishment in this Prisoners cave lasts for all eternity! If Gu Du Xing obstinately chooses to love me…….then, wouldn’t this taint him forever?

He is still young! He doesn’t deserve to be lonely for all his life!

(TN: Du Xing (孤独) name means lonely in chinese)

“No! No!” Gu Miao Ling subbed as she shook her head wildly, her voice completely choked with emotions, “Sister Xiao Miao’s future is finished, I cannot return…….little brother you still have a boundless future ahead of you, why stumble yourself because of me? This is absolutely impossible!”

Dedition: Three things:

Sorry I haven’t been able to post any teaser chapters, I’ll start again by hopefully later this week or next week.

I know some of you don’t like the title being hidden regardless of it being a spoiler or not, but you lose so much more feeling once the title is able to be seen. Even if the conclusion of the chapter may be obvious, you have to admit, if you saw the title, it’d go from being a high possibility to a definite. Just trying to retain some of the magic of reading.

Most of you picked A last chapter, meaning all of you will now be receiving chapters Monday-Friday with an empty weekend. C was close, but not close enough, so apologies to anyone who would’ve preferred it to be on the weekend. Someone suggested I should’ve done a strawpoll; I’ll do it again in a month or so and see if the readers have changed their minds. Just think of it as a confirmation vote.