A Smile for Your Heart

*

"Senior Brother, in my next life, I wish to become a wind and carry all the laughter and joy of this world back into your arms."

Later, whenever the mountain breeze brushed past his ear, he would instinctively open his arms, hoping that one gust of wind might bring his little junior brother back to him.

*

Ten thousand years later, the immortal sects fell into chaos. Qi Zhong, a disciple of Changting, was branded an accomplice of demonic cultivators. The righteous cultivators were outraged and hunted him down without mercy, forcing Mu Yun, the current Immortal Venerable, to cut out his heart and destroy his soul with his own hands.

As Qi Zhong died with his name still cleared, he hated no one. Only Mu Yun's eyes held his gaze, and he could not bring himself to close his own.

He died amid snowfall in the height of summer. Everyone spat out the same words at his corpse: "Serves you right."

Only that man, heartbroken, wiped away the final bitter tear at the corner of his eye.

*

After being reborn, Qi Zhong despised Mu Yun with all his heart. He was willing to fall into the bitter path of abandoning all emotion, all for the sake of revenge!

But before he could put his plan into action, he accidentally heard about the forbidden story his enemy had written years ago.

He learned that the man who had always seemed so aloof and self-possessed had once lost all restraint for love:

Drunk and craving more, lovesick beyond cure.

Countless broken pens, after writing endless love letters.

Deeply in love, he gave up Buddhism and returned to the secular world.

This celebrated gentleman had even wasted away so badly for his beloved that he could not bear to watch the snow fall in winter.

Qi Zhong sneered at the sight of his enemy so humble and pitiful.

That was, until he unrolled the painting in his enemy's study.

The sword slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.

He stood there, dazed and teary-eyed: was he actually his sworn enemy's unattainable first love?!

*

After countless twists and turns, when Qi Zhong nearly missed that man again, his heart raced and he cried out in a panic, as skittish as a rabbit: "Stop right there!"

Mu Yun turned his head slightly and noticed the sword hidden behind Qi Zhong's back.

He knew the killing intent was upon him, and his heart sank.

But the other man suddenly held out his hand. "Um, do you want some sugar-roasted chestnuts?" [A gentle smile.jpg]

Mu Yun: ...

Reader's Guide:

1. A gentle, sensitive, courteous and learned Buddha-like gong X a soft, adorable, slightly goofy rascal shou who values loyalty and love.

2. Includes a female rival and a false-versus-true first-love trope. These are needed for the plot, so please don't flame me.

3. An ensemble story told in episodic arcs. Many original settings, and a slightly slow start.

4. Not a traditional past-life-and-present-life story.

Theme: The past has brought much sorrow, but the future is still within reach.