Hearing Lu Wuming's answer, Liu Buli's brow immediately furrowed.
He was his most important possession, his purest, most untainted treasure. How could he be dirty? Even if the entire world turned foul and rotten, Lu Wuming should be the cleanest one.
Liu Buli stared into the youth's eyes, wanting to speak, but found them filled with nothing but humility. He seemed to have accepted his own perceived impurity, and even now, his gaze towards Liu Buli was filled with despair and self-reproach.
A mix of anger and anxiety churned in Liu Buli's heart. He didn't know how to change Lu Wuming's inferiority complex. Gritting his teeth, he fell silent for a moment before finally taking a deep breath and saying, "Wuming, I want you to listen to every word I say now, and remember it firmly in your heart. Do you understand?"
Lu Wuming trembled slightly and slowly nodded.
He didn't even dare to guess what Liu Buli was about to say next.
Liu Buli stroked the youth's cheek, then lowered his head, pressing his forehead against the youth's. Their foreheads touched, and he asked, "Wuming, in your eyes, is Master also something dirty?"
Lu Wuming immediately shook his head nervously.
Master was the cleanest.
Nothing could compare to Master. That was why he diligently cleaned Master's body every day, because even dust falling on Master was a defilement to him.
Seeing his reaction, Liu Buli's eyes softened with a hint of a smile. He continued, "Then if Wuming gives his organs and eyes to Master now, does Master become dirty?"
Lu Wuming continued to shake his head.
How could that be?
Master was always the cleanest, without a doubt.
Liu Buli sighed.
Finally, he gently pinched Lu Wuming's cheek and said, "Ink dissolves in water. If the quantity is large, the water turns black. Even the cleanest, clearest things are like this. Now all my organs have been replaced with yours, and my eyes are yours too. With such a large amount, if I haven't become dirty, doesn't that mean you aren't dirty either, and therefore wouldn't contaminate me?"
Lu Wuming blinked.
Liu Buli spoke too quickly, and he hadn't fully understood.
But he had understood this: Master was saying he wasn't dirty, that his internal organs and eyes wouldn't make Master dirty.
Lu Wuming's lips trembled slightly, and he hesitantly said, "But, but..."
"No 'buts'," Liu Buli interrupted. "Wuming, I want you to remember that you are my most precious treasure. No one in this world can compare to you; you are what I cherish most. If you insult yourself, you are also insulting me. Are you saying I'm blind and can't discern reality, which is why I mistakenly consider you a treasure?"
Of course, that wasn't what he meant.
Lu Wuming's nervousness intensified, and he began to shake his head.
Liu Buli smiled with satisfaction, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "So, answer my question again: are you dirty?"
Lu Wuming hesitated.
He stared into Liu Buli's eyes, pondered for a long time, and finally slowly shook his head. He said, "I... I'm not dirty."
"Exactly!" Liu Buli nodded with satisfaction. "Remember these words. If you dare to call yourself dirty again, Master will punish you."
As he finished speaking, Liu Buli chuckled again and added, "Of course, if you're dirty from not bathing for a long time, that's absolutely not allowed. Wuming is a clean little treasure, so you need to bathe properly with Master, understand?"
Lu Wuming nodded vigorously.
He understood.
The panic in his eyes finally subsided. Lu Wuming looked at Liu Buli's face. He sniffled and asked, "Then... Master, Wuming's mistake was not listening to you, not waiting for you at home, and chasing after you by himself, right?"
"No," Liu Buli shook his head. "If you hadn't come looking for me, I would have died. So I should thank you for saving my life. And if you hadn't given me your internal organs and eyes, I would be dead now. Everything you've done is not wrong from this perspective, so why are you apologizing to me?"
Lu Wuming blinked.
So he hadn't done anything wrong?
Looking into Liu Buli's eyes, he once again fell into hesitation. His fingers clenched together, and he said somewhat nervously, "But, but Master was crying. If Wuming did nothing wrong, why would Master cry?"
"Because I thought of how much pain you were in, and I couldn't bear it," Liu Buli sighed. He ruffled Lu Wuming's hair and said, "And I cried for my own incompetence, for my own weakness. If I weren't so weak, you wouldn't have suffered so much pain. So I am the one who should apologize, not you. Wuming, listen to me, this time Master was wrong. Master's judgment was flawed, which caused you and me to suffer together. I promise you, it will never happen again."
Taking a deep breath, Liu Buli pulled the youth into his embrace again. He made a promise to the boy, saying, "From today onwards, Master will work hard to cultivate with you. Master will strive to become stronger, strong enough that I will never hurt myself again, nor will I let you get hurt, okay?"
Liu Buli expected his youth to nod obediently as usual, to nuzzle his chest like a kitten, and to softly respond with "Okay."
But this time, his obedient disciple surprisingly resisted him. He shook his head and firmly replied, "No."
Liu Buli frowned. "Why not?"
"Because Master is an ordinary human. Master bleeds, Master feels pain, Master..."
Dies.
The last two words were too ominous, and Lu Wuming bit his lip, unable to utter them. He clenched his fists again and continued in a small voice, "So from now on, I will become strong. I will protect Master. I never want to see Master get hurt again, never again..."
As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes again.
Looking up at Liu Buli's face, Lu Wuming sniffled and said, "Master, Wuming won't be obedient this time, so please punish Wuming. You can punish me as many times as you want, Wuming was disobedient."
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(Thank you, Tsuji Edamame, for the great treat. Thank you to all the babies for your rewards, requests for updates, watching videos, and comments. I'm truly warmed and touched by you all every day. qaq)