11 11 - Buried Feelings

" You!? Aren't you afraid your wife would hear those words? " Xiao Lingxi said as she trembled a littl and lowered her head.

Itachi still had his eyes closed as he enjoyed the breeze before he replied. " There is no one near us. Also I have already stated before that the marriage was not out of personal feelings. She even stated that in this lifetime she can't ever love someone"

"..."

Xiao Lingxi reached out her hand and forcefully pressed them against his lips, firmly sealing his next words. Only after a long time did she release him, once again resting her body against Itachi's shoulder, peacefully saying: "Little Che, even though I'm younger than you by a year, I am truly, without a doubt, your little aunt. There are some words that you can say to other girls, that you can not say to me… In this lifetime… you can not say them… I know in your heart, you really think like this… but that's enough…"

At the last two sentences, Xiao Lingxi's voice had become very, very quiet. Within her muttering contained a sense of bitterness and sadness that would break the heart of anyone listening.

Itachi merely remained quiet, as he enjoyed the breeze. He opted to listen to her story.

"When I was young, I was thin, dark, and short. Everyone called me an ugly duckling and always made fun of me, bullied me…" Xiao Lingxi snuggled against him, a dreamy voice escaping from her mouth: "Only you would play with me. When someone bullied me, little Che would always rush up to fight with them and chase them away. You were always covered in cuts and bruises… The injuries you received at that time were all because of me. I got used to, and also enjoyed the feeling of little Che's protection. I believed that you would always be able to protect me this way…"

Hearing her say that, flashes of memories appeared in Itachi's mind. The memories of her from Xiao Che's perspective. She was indeed what she had described, an ugly duckling. But because she was his little aunt, as a man, and also because he was older than her by a year, he would always, as if it was his mission, protect her with all his might. But as she got older she had gradually transformed into a swan. Who knows how many men from the Xiao Clan had longed for her.

"Afterwards, little Che found out that his profound veins were deformed. I started to bitterly cultivate my profound strength right away… because it was my turn to protect little Che. At that time, I thought whether it was little Che protecting me, or me protecting little Che, it was all one and the same. Either way we could be together… It wasn't until I slowly grew up that I understood. That little Che would find a wife, and that I would also have to get married. By that time, we absolutely could not be as we were before… In addition, out of all the girls in the world, the only one little Che could not marry was me… Out of all the boys in the world, the only one that I could not marry was little Che…"

"..."

"After such a long time, I thought I had already completely accepted it. Today little Che got married. I should be really happy, but from morning to evening, it was like something had been stuffed in my heart. It was an indescribable pain. When I wanted to sleep, I couldn't fall asleep, no matter what I did… And little Che, when you said those kinds of words to me… I was somewhat happy, yet also really sad… What has happened to me?"

It was sad really. She was correct out of all the people, Xiao Che and Xiao Lingxi could not marry. As they were Aunt and Nephew, but even so once he had gotten Xiao Che's memories he found out that Xiao Che had loved her more than that of a Little Aunt and saw her as a woman.

The dangerously hazy feeling between him and Xiao Lingxi was born a long time ago. When they became conscious of these kinds of dangerous, forbidden feelings, they still stayed together night and day, but never had even a bit of honest conversation about it. Rather, in their hearts, they blamed it on familial affection.

The Xiao Che who had neither the memories of Yun Che nor Itachi was worthless and a coward. Even until death, he would only try to escape the words that were impossible for him to say it out loud. Until those kinds of feelings were completely buried. Xiao Lingxi… had not revealed her feelings, before today, even once. But because he wasn't the same person as yesterday along with the loneliness plaguing his hear he had said words that the original Xiao Che would never admit to.

They both stayed there in silence. Enjoying each others company as Xiao Lingxi snuggled up onto his arm. She closed her eyes, quietly nestling on top of him with her entire body weight.

After who knows long in silence Itachi had found her breathing in rhythm as her chest rise and fall. Xiao Lingxi had finally fallen asleep, he looked towards her as he inwardly sighed. He had said all that at the heat of the moment. It was like Xiao Che's memories had influenced him, not to mention when he used his sharingan which boosts his memory he can momentarily recall all of Xiao Che's memories and emotions perfectly to the slightest detail.

At some point, Itachi had opened his eyes and decided it was time to leave. He gently picked Xiao Lingxi's body in a princess carry as he made it back to the Xiao Clan.

But as he was walking back he met with an unexpected person. Xia Qingyue stared at him as he calmly carried Xiao Lingxi in his embrace. They stopped in a distance in front of each other as long silence flooded the area.

{a/n: awkward}

Xia Qingyue had come out to look for Itachi. She originally thought he had just left to take a breath of fresh air. While he was out "taking a breath of fresh air", she had also left the bed and laid out the blanket in that corner so that he could safely sleep there upon his return. But after waiting a long time, he still had not come back.

Instead, from the direction of the earlier sounds, he seemed to have climbed over the wall toward the Xiao clan's rear mountains.

With his weak profound strength at only the first level of the Elementary Profound Realm(little did she know), he had gone to the rear mountains, for such a long time without coming back, in the middle of the night… Xia Qingyue finally was unable to hold back and came out to look for him. Thus, letting her witness this scene before her, that caused her to stare dumbfoundedly.

Today was her and Itachi's first day as a married couple. When he picked her up on the road to the Xiao clan, his tranquil and stoic expression. In the assembly hall, he held back his anger and hatred. In the bridal chamber, nothing of his expression had changes as he talked to her. He was cold faced as he talked to her in an uncaring and expressionless voice, while treating her as insignificant as air. Though there was even a desolate loneliness that even she could not understand. A mystery she could not solve.

But now, the same person who was previously cold towards her carried Xiao Lingxi in his embrace with a hint of warmth. The corner of his mouth was raised very slightly, clearly revealing a warm smile. His five sense were completely relaxed, his expression loose, tranquil and peaceful like how an older sibling would protect the younger one.

Suddenly, an uncomfortable feeling floated up in Xia Qingyue's heart… of course, this didn't mean that she had any feelings towards him. But she and Itachi had become a married couple. She had always believed that this marriage was just a formality for her, that the status as husband or wife were also mere titles, and that nothing could cause even the slightest ripple in her heart. However, in some things, the heart does not always follow a person's expectation. This was especially true for women, who, unless they had no heart, were more prone to sentimentality.

After all, she and Itachi were already husband and wife. Although, in her thoughts, she didn't care at all about this kind of union but the fact that he was now her husband would still be distinctly imprinted in her subconscious. Since he was her husband, he should rightfully belong only to her. Instead, on his wedding night, he had another woman in his embrace, with such a warm and content expression on his face… Her subconscious naturally would raise that kind of unfamiliar reaction.

{a/n: this biitch}

Even if the girl was his little aunt.

This kind of uncomfortable feeling caused her usually tranquil and frozen fairy-like heart to twinge slightly. This sense of irritation allowed her to immediately wake up from her reverie, and quickly focus all her attention to still her heart. After a long while, the prickly feeling gradually disappeared and her heart had already completely cleared.

" You had come to look for me? " Itachi replied

"...No... I merely could not sleep and felt like taking a walk" She said as her voice was cold. " But for you to be in such a place with your level of cultivation, isn't it dangerous?"

Hearing her question he merely shook his head as started walking. " Although maybe compared to yourself, I may indeed be weak. I still have many tricks up my sleeves. Farewell, I need to bring my little Aunt back to her home before I return" He said.

Xia Qinyue only said nothing as she watched his back fade from her view. The prickly feeling in her hear somehow came back as he watched him, but she forcefully suppressed it and left back to the shared room she had with Itachi. She had already found out that he was fine so it was no use staying out.

...

Itachi had snuck into Xiao Lingxi's courtyard as to make sure no one would see him. After all if he was found out to be with another woman in his wedding night, not to mention with his Little Aunt. Then many people might begin to talk about her in an unpleasant way.

After gently tucking her in bed and covering her with a blanket he returned back to his courtyard. Looking at the similar scene where Xia Qingyue laid on the bed he went to a corner as he gently sat down cross legged. In a meditating pose he leaned his back to the wall and closed his eyes.

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Alrighty authors time:

Author here, and I just wanna say that there will be a few changes now. He will no longer be expelled from the Xiao Clan but leave on his own journey on his own terms and on his own accord.