Chapter 588: Fine, Bless Them

"Why did you come?"

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang opened the door, and upon seeing his good brother's handsome face, felt inexplicably guilty.

You should know that he used Lian Ye as a shield…

I wonder whether Mito Lord told Lian Ye about this, and how I should explain it then.

These days, the person Tuan Cang most avoids facing is Lian Ye.

"Tuan Cang, did you follow the secret pouch I gave you?"

Lian Ye feared Tuan Cang wouldn't have the nerve, so he resorted to other unreliable means, which caused Mizuto Ayi to angrily seek Qianshou Feijian.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang was initially a bit guilty, but hearing that made his anger flare.

It was that lousy secret pouch that made him lose such a big reputation.

Compared to his own innocence, using Lian Ye as a shield didn't seem that terrible.

After all, who gave him this rotten idea?

Thinking that, Tuan Cang suddenly became defiant.

"What? What's wrong with you?" Lian Ye found his good brother's sudden change of expression left him stunned.

He was only here to ask about the situation; why did he suddenly change his face?

I don't think I provoked him, right?

"Come in and speak!"

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang looked around, saw no one, and without further ado dragged Lian Ye into the courtyard, closing the gate behind them.

He didn't notice, however, that a few pairs of eyes in the alley at the corner witnessed the whole thing.

"So Xiaochun wasn't talking nonsense; they really got together," Yuanfei Rizhan whispered in disbelief.

"I told you, a woman's sixth sense is always accurate!" Xiaochun Zhuanqin said proudly.

After finishing their discussion in the office, they planned to keep today's matter to themselves and then return to their own homes.

But Uchiha Jing thought something was off; Tuan Cang might simply have refused an arranged marriage, forcing him into this desperate scheme.

Yuanfei Rizhan and Nara Motoya also found it reasonable, so they prepared to form a group to side‑question Tuan Cang.

The few quickly agreed, set off straight from the Hokage Building, and before arriving they saw Lian Ye's figure appear in Zhi Cun Zu Di.

To avoid alerting anyone, they silently followed, intending to watch whether Lian Ye was indeed involved with Tuan Cang as they suspected.

Having witnessed Tuan Cang and Lian Ye's furtive behavior earlier, the few could hardly not interpret their actions as a secret rendezvous.

"Seems I guessed wrong," Uchiha Jing said with a wry smile; Lian Ye and Tuan Cang really were together.

Fine, let's wish them well.

After all, it's already like this; what else can be done?

The few cast complicated looks at the shut door, then turned and left without hesitation, fearing they might hear something unsuitable for children from inside.

Although they didn't understand same‑sex love, they were all friends and should at least show some respect.

The two inside the courtyard had no idea they were being misunderstood.

"Wait, what did you say?!"

Lian Ye learned his good brother had used him as a shield, and his feeling instantly soured.

No wonder when he met Mizuto Ayi outside, the old lady gave him a regretful look.

It must be that Xuanwo Mizuto thought, like Tuan Cang, that he liked not women but men!

The mastermind behind everything is that guy Tuan Cang!

Damn, didn't expect the truth to be like this…

Lian Ye initially wanted to use this excuse to dodge marriage pressure, but thought that once used, he'd never lift his head in the Village again.

So he persuaded Qianshou Feijian to help convince Mizuto Ayi, allowing him to avoid such a shameful excuse.

Thus Lian Ye generously gave the secret pouch to his good brother.

As the saying goes, when a fellow cultivator dies, the poor cultivator also dies.

Who could have thought the fire would end up burning himself.

"Then what can I do!" Zhi Cun Tuan Zang said dissatisfied: "When Mito Lord asked me who I liked, I couldn't just make up a name, could I? If the old lady had someone investigate, wouldn't the matter be exposed?"

"So… I had no choice but to use you as a shield!"

Lian Ye: "…"

It felt like lifting a stone only to smash one's own foot.

This matter truly couldn't be blamed on Tuan Cang; Ri Zhan and the others are already married, so they couldn't be used as shields, right?

If Mizuto Ayi asked then, she could spot the issue on their faces.

Thus Tuan Cang saying the person he liked was himself was the safest answer.

If it were me, I'd also use my good brother as a shield!

If there's blame, blame the solution I proposed; it's utterly unsolvable.

Although it could perfectly handle the elders' marriage pressure, the reputation built over the first half of life might be ruined.

"No one else knows about this, right…"

After an unknown length of silence, Lian Ye finally asked this question.

It's fine that only Mizuto Ayi knows this; if others found out, they'd have to live in a different time‑space.

Words can be terrifying; their current situation is like yellow mud falling into the crotch—it's just shit, pure shit.

No matter how they explain, they only choose to believe what they heard and saw.

At this moment, Lian Ye finally understood why Qimu Shuo Mao chose to commit suicide in the original work.

To be honest, he now barely has the face to keep living.

"Mito Clan said he would not tell anyone else."

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang said that regarding what Mito Clan said, he still believed it very much.

After all, Mito Clan is not a big‑mouth like Xiaochun Zhuanqin, so saying he won't tell others means he most likely won't.

If it were Xiaochun, Ri Zhan and the others might already know.

"That's good… that's good…" Lian Ye breathed a sigh of relief in secret.

As long as this matter doesn't become known to everyone, it's fine; otherwise they'd truly have to live in another time and space.

"For now, let's not meet, so others won't misunderstand!"

In the past the two often stayed together without noticing anything, but after this matter came out, Lian Ye constantly felt hidden eyes watching their every move.

It was as if everyone in the Village knew the two were gay.

It must be a psychological effect…

Lian Ye could only console himself that, aside from Mizuto Ayi, no one else knows about this.

So there's really no need to worry.

No, why should I worry about it being exposed?!

Lian Ye suddenly realized he wasn't actually gay, so even if the matter did spread, there was no need to be frightened.

As the old saying goes—one with a righteous heart fears no slanting shadow!

Only those with ghosts in their hearts feel insecure; Lian Ye doesn't need to care about others' eyes at all!

"Fine, I'm not actually having a problem with my sexual orientation, so why act so sneaky?"

Saying that, Lian Ye directly lay on the chair Tuan Cang had previously lain on, with no intention of avoiding impropriety.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang: "……"

This guy truly is a dead pig unafraid of hot water!

Although he didn't understand why his good brother's reactions were so extreme, he didn't ask further.

Instead, he brought another chair and lay beside him.

And so the two began sunbathing in the courtyard.