Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 502 He Xi’s Innermost Thoughts

There weren’t many customers coming and going in the store, it just seemed fewer, but in reality, those who came to buy oil were still the same people, with not much change. It seemed that only He Xi had changed.

Chen Nuo looked at He Xi, "You’re not young anymore, doesn’t living alone feel lonely? How about finding a companion?"

He Xi was startled, then realized what Chen Nuo was talking about and blushed, "I think I’m still young."

"You may feel that you’re still young, but here, someone your age would already be a wife and a mother."

Although this statement might seem odd to a twenty-year-old girl, in ancient times the age of adulthood was fourteen or fifteen, so what he had just said was actually quite common.

"You spend every day in the store, haven’t you encountered any man you fancy? You can tell me, and I will help you get him to propose to you," Chen Nuo said with a smile.

Taking He Xi away directly seemed a bit inappropriate, so Chen Nuo decided to first see what He Xi herself thought.

If He Xi had a man she liked, he would let her be with the man she loved, and he would arrange everything for her afterwards.

But if He Xi wanted to go with him, he would take her to the Mountain of Mind and Heart.

He had thought that saying this to He Xi would make her shy like before, but to his surprise, He Xi just widened her eyes, and after Chen Nuo had finished speaking, tears gradually filled them.

"Xi, what’s wrong?"

He Xi shook her head and simply said, "I don’t have anyone I like."

If there was no one, then so be it, why cry about it? Chen Nuo looked at the tears spilling from He Xi’s eyes and was suddenly at a loss.

"What’s wrong? Tell me if you have any problems, don’t keep it bottled up inside. Holding it in like this is bad for your health."

Chen Nuo pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to He Xi, "Haven’t we already agreed? No matter what happens, we can’t keep it buried inside, right?"

This agreement had been made back when He Xi was first adopted. Having lived a poor life, she always feared that one day Chen would abandon her. She wouldn’t even talk about missing her mother, and she was worried about eating too much and being a bother, so she always controlled her portion sizes.

Chen had thought she just wasn’t hungry because of her small appetite, but a child just over nine years old was at the age when they should be growing.

Not only did she clean the house every day, but she also wiped the windows several times over; in short, she did all the work that could be done in the house.

Chen had always told her not to do the work, but the child wouldn’t listen. Later, she stopped doing chores in front of him, always quietly finishing the work when he went to the store.

With not enough food and a high level of activity, she was always fainting.

At first, Chen thought she might have a disease, so he used spells to check on her, but nothing came up.

He then called upon Nuwa, who also said there was nothing wrong, she was just too frail, her body couldn’t take it.

Chen immediately understood what the problem was; the child had low blood sugar.

So, the next time He Xi was quietly doing chores, Chen stopped her.

If being gentle didn’t work, he would be tough. Chen spoke sternly, saying if she fainted due to hunger, he would immediately throw her out.

Chen didn’t eat regularly, but when he had spare time, he would cook a large meal for He Xi and command her to finish it, and if she didn’t, she was not allowed to go to bed.

Gradually, as time passed, He Xi understood that Chen was really considering her health, and she was no longer afraid of being thrown out for eating too much. Her low blood sugar stopped recurring due to hunger.

Back then, Chen had a talk with He Xi, asking her to truly consider herself a part of the family, to not keep anything from him.

With her mouth closed, He Xi said nothing. She was still having an internal struggle, pondering whether to tell Chen about the matter.

Chen Nuo didn’t speak, merely looking quietly at He Xi. After a while, Chen Nuo stood up, "If you won’t talk, it’s alright, you can live here by yourself from now on. I’m leaving."

"Wait, Chen, don’t go." He Xi hastily grabbed Chen Nuo, "I’ll talk."

It seemed that this tactic still worked. He Xi was already an adult; Chen Nuo didn’t have to worry that such methods would leave a trauma on her.

Chen Nuo sat down again and looked at He Xi, "Go on, I’m listening."

He Xi pursed her lips and then said, "Chen, do you think I’ve been staying here too long and want to hurry up and marry me off?"

"Is that what you think?"

"Then Chen, why did you ask me that question?"

Apart from thinking she was annoying and wanting to send her away, He Xi couldn’t think of any other reason.

"I didn’t think that way. I just thought that you have reached the age to marry, and if there is a man you like, I can help you be with him, so you won’t be alone," Chen Nuo explained.

"Does reaching the marriageable age mean one must get married?" He Xi retorted.

"Not necessarily, as I said, I am just afraid you are lonely," Chen Nuo explained, wondering what was wrong with this child, acting as if she had eaten gunpowder.

"If you are afraid I’m lonely, couldn’t you just spend more time with me? Why do you insist on me getting married?" asked He Xi.

Chen Nuo understood; she just didn’t want to marry yet, which was why she got angry upon hearing his words.

"I was just asking about your thoughts," Chen Nuo said, "If you don’t want to marry, that’s fine too. I won’t force you."

Hearing Chen Nuo say this, He Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Chen would not really make her marry.

She didn’t have any thoughts of marrying yet, primarily because Chen Nuo was too good to her. He was so good that she felt like no one could measure up to him.

It wasn’t that there were no suitors, but she had rejected them all.

Right now, she truly didn’t want to marry, and even if she did, it wouldn’t be now.

"Chen, when you are not here, are you in heaven?" He Xi asked.

Chen Nuo nodded, not explaining too much. Explaining too much might lead to confusion, so he simply said, "Pretty much."

"Why can’t you take me with you?" He Xi asked, "Is it because I don’t behave?" 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Why would you think that?" Chen Nuo helplessly rubbed He Xi’s head. "You’ve always been a good child, and even though you are grown up now, you have never done anything I forbid. I’m very fond of you."

The fondness Chen Nuo spoke of was that of a brother for his sister, and He Xi understood that.

"Then why can’t you take me to where you live?" she asked.

Chen Nuo looked into He Xi’s eyes, still wet with tears. When he had left her at the age of eighteen and didn’t return often, He Xi had only expressed her longing for him and never voiced any other complaints.

Indeed, just as Chang’e and Yang Chan had told him, had he not chosen to adopt He Xi when they met, perhaps she would be living her life according to a pre-ordained script, not alone and waiting in her small shop for him to return from his travels.

"It’s not that I find you disobedient," Chen Nuo stroked He Xi’s head, "but previously, I wanted you to live the life you were supposed to live, to marry a common mortal and have children, to teach them and live a secure life."

"But I don’t like that kind of life," He Xi countered, "That might be the ideal life for others. I didn’t think of anything, you brought me home, and I just wanted to always follow you wherever you go. I can be a maid who serves tea and water."