There is no Redemption for A Scum Villain

Chapter 7

When Yue Qingyuan got home, he was unable to find Shen Qingqiu. He assumed that he was still taking a walk, but when the sun was already standing very low and he had not yet returned, Yue Qingyuan grew worried. He shouldn't be. Shen Qingqiu was already a grown up man and he didn't need any protection, but still...

After pacing around the room about a hundred times he finally went outside. Yue Qingyuan grabbed the first person he saw and asked them if they had seen Shen Qingqiu. The youth denied it, but they said they knew who had seen him and pointed him to one of his disciples, a young girl whom he remembered to have always been rather timid.

"Shen-shishu?" she asked and her face lit up when she remembered the man, "Yes I saw him. He said he wanted to visit Qi-shigu. He's been away for a long time now. He promised to teach me how to let paper butterflies fly. Is he coming back again or did I annoy him by asking?"

"Don't worry. You didn't," Yue Qingyuan reassured, "He probably just forgot the time over a cup of tea."

Yue Qingyuan quickly went towards Xian Shu peak. It didn't take him long to find Qi Qingqi.

"Shen Qingqiu, eh?" she asked, "Yes, he was here, but he left a few hours ago already. Took all my sweets... I don't know where he went, but you can ask her. She was close to the gate when he left." She pointed at a girl who was currently practicing with her peers.

When Yue Qingyuan was redirected to Bai Zhan peak he started to really panic. He was about to guess what Shen Qingqiu's plan had been. Had he just memorized every person Yue Qingyuan had told him he had troubles with just to visit them specifically? Yue Qingyuan was surprised Qi Qingqi had looked so calm, maybe even a bit amused when remembering Shen Qingqiu's visit, but Liu Qingge... Yue Qingyuan expected the worst.

His heart dropped when he reached Bai Zhan peak. The moment he saw people he also heard them murmur. All he could make out was that there had been a fight and he didn't need to guess twice to know who had fought whom. Yue Qingyuan tried finding Liu Qingge and he found him meditating, looking deep in thought. When he got closer Liu Qingge's eyes snapped open.

"Shen Qingqiu?" Liu Qingge asked "Yes, he has been here. He wanted to talk. We sparred a little before we went to An Ding peak. Zhangmen-shixiong, why are you looking so troubled?" There was no disdain in his voice when he said the name of the other man. He spoke about him nonchalantly, as he would about any other of the peaklords.  Yue Qingyuan was deeply confused and almost missed the question.

"I... just heard there was a fight, so I naturally got worried," Yue Qingyuan replied "So, the two of you just sparred?"

"More or less," Liu Qingge answered, "We both got hit pretty hard by the other. He got pretty strong all of a sudden, did you know?"

Yue Qingyuan didn't need to hear more. As soon as he heard that Shen Qingqiu had been hurt, he needed to find him. He didn't even take the time to consider why Liu Qingge had spoken so positively and calmly about the man he always used to hate this much or why he admitted his rival's strength. The words 'got hit pretty hard' kept resounding in his head as he tried to keep himself from running all the way to An Ding peak out of worry.

On An Ding peak he went straight to the main house, but before he could get in, he saw two figures crouched on the side. It was Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu. The former turned around as soon as he heard him come closer and his eyebrows went up almost immediately as he laid eyes on him. Yue Qingyuan however had no attention to spare for him. He stopped himself from pulling Shen Qingqiu into his arms from feeling so relieved and only knelt down in front of him.

"Shidi, I finally found you," Yue Qingyuan sighed and looked Shen Qingqiu over. Shen Qingqiu held his fan open in front of his face, pretending it was to fan himself, meanwhile he looked over the rim with an upset expression. He knew he might never get Yue Qingyuan to call him differently in public and he was glad he had someone he could blame for that.