Chapter 017

So embarrassing.

She put on the mask and tried to casually talk to someone she hadn’t even wanted to see before—only to be recognized instead.

She had just been scrutinizing him like that, she didn’t know if he noticed.

Fortunately, the mask was still on her face, so Jiang Lingfeng couldn’t see her embarrassed expression.

“Thanks for your concern. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now,”

Zhaoxue said quickly, keeping her head down and not daring to look at him again.

“Sis—”

A voice came from far away.

Among the crowds and lantern lights, a young girl was waving her hand vigorously at her.

Zhaolan!

Zhaoxue waved back, letting out a sigh of relief.

She had been thinking about what excuse to use if she got called over—and now it was handed to her on a silver platter. Thanks, Zhaolan, you really came just in time!

“That’s my younger sister, Zhaolan. She’s here to find me,”

Zhaoxue turned back and offered an explanation, though a bit late.

The man was just looking at her.

The lantern light above them shifted, colorful candlelight shadows moving like mist over his cold, almost unapproachable face. The warm light fell on Zhaoxue’s head, illuminating her as she looked up.

Zhaoxue froze.

She met Jiang Lingfeng’s gaze directly.

His long eyelashes drooped, his brows no longer furrowed, unusually relaxed. Especially his long lower lashes resting against his eyelids. In his deep black pupils reflected the dazzling lanterns and the bustling crowd, as well as her—eyes wide open, frozen in place.

After a few seconds, Zhaoxue finally reacted.

…They made eye contact!

She casually turned her head away, relying on the mask to hide her slightly flushed cheeks, pretending to look toward the direction Zhaolan was running from.

After a moment, his gaze also shifted away from her.

Zhaoxue let out a breath and finally had the strength to calm the sudden racing of her heart.

What the heck, this guy really… kept staring at her and caused her to accidentally lock eyes.

Zhaoxue muttered complaints in her heart, but the moment her hand touched her chest, her thoughts somehow drifted back to that night.

The originally shameful, blurry memory she didn’t want to recall became clear at this moment.

The lake’s surface shrouded in hazy mist, the icy cold water, the suffocating grip on her throat… and the figure passing through the water ripples like moonlight, the strong and steady chest, the arms holding her tightly and lifting her above the lake’s surface, the warmth of those arms, and their overlapping body heat and heartbeat.

Fortunately…

Fortunately, she was wearing a mask.

Zhaoxue pressed the back of her hand against her burning cheek.

“Sis!”

Zhaolan came over noisily, linking her arm with hers.

“Sorry I’m late. Ran into some annoying people on the way, so I’m a bit late. Did you wait long?”

Zhaoxue shook her head.

Zhaolan also noticed Jiang Lingfeng behind them and said, “Huh?”

She furrowed her brows, “Are you two together?”

Zhaoxue replied, “He’s waiting for eldest sister.”

“Oh, oh,” Zhaolan said, as if suddenly remembering something, then added, “Hello, Senior Brother.”

Zhaoxue thought to herself that both of them were really equally perfunctory.

As she spoke, she turned her head and glanced at Jiang Lingfeng.

He had returned to his previous posture before seeing her—nodding slightly, eyes lowered, leaning against the railing with his sword in hand.

Zhaolan tugged her along and said, “In a little while, the annoying person will come. Let’s go walk around before he arrives.”

Zhaoxue replied “Eh, eh,” then asked, “Who’s the ‘annoying person’?”

Zhaolan said, “It’s Ji… that guy Xue… that Shou, from next door. I didn’t expect him to come. I thought that guy had been bedridden all this time.”

Her tone was very disappointed.

Ji Xueshou had come.

He kept his promise.

After only a few steps, Zhaoyang also arrived. She touched the heads of the two kids and said, “What a coincidence.”

Zhaolan happily said, “I came out to play with Second Sister. Eldest Sister, you too?”

“I’m out buying some things for the journey with Senior Brother,” Zhaoyang looked at Zhaoxue and slowed her tone, “Is your health better?”

“Yes, I’m fine now,” Zhaoxue looked up, “Thank you for your concern, Eldest Sister.”

“You probably already know everything that happened. Mother told you, right?”

“She saw me this afternoon.”

“Mm.” Zhaoyang touched the top of her head again. “Since that’s the case, then enjoy yourself today without any worries. We don’t know when we’ll come back next time.”

Zhaoxue lowered her head and obediently replied, “Okay.”

Zhaoyang nodded, then turned to Jiang Lingfeng and said, “Senior Brother, sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Jiang Lingfeng replied, “No problem.”

But Zhaoxue lingered there, quietly watching Zhaoyang. After hesitating for a while, she finally asked,

“Eldest Sister, on the way here, did you meet Ji Xueshou?”

“Mm. He was buying some things. He said he’d come to find you all soon.”

“Did he… say anything about giving you something?”

Zhaoxue asked shyly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just asking.”

“He gave it.”

Zhaoyang answered, “But I didn’t take it.”

Zhaoxue let out a sigh of relief.

That gift box he had kept with her for so many years was finally handed over at this moment of farewell.

Even though it was refused.

In Zhaoxue’s heart, this settled everything like a stone finally landing on the ground.

The gift given and the rejected confession meant that Ji Xueshou’s inner torment no longer had any solid reason to exist.

Zhaolan beside her glanced left and right, then poked Zhaoxue, confused. She leaned close to her ear and whispered,

“What were you and Eldest Sister talking about?”

Zhaoxue coughed twice, blinked at her, and said to Zhaoyang, “Then, Eldest Sister, we’ll head off first.”

Zhaoyang replied, “Mm, you go ahead and have fun.”

She looked toward the distance at a figure crouched quietly in a misty shadow, patiently waiting. “Someone’s waiting for you.”

Only after the two children—one lively, one quiet—gradually disappeared into the light did Zhaoyang slowly withdraw her gaze.

She chuckled softly, “Those two kids… really something.”

She and Jiang Lingfeng then walked in opposite directions—toward the shopping market.

Zhaoyang said, “On the way here, that kid from the neighboring Ji family found me and asked me to do him a favor.”

“He said he had a feeling that had been misunderstood for many years. Although it was his own fault, he’s now trying to slowly clear up the misunderstanding. So, he wants me to help explain things in front of that girl, Zhaoxue.”

Zhaoyang couldn’t help but smile, “It was the first time I’ve seen that kid speak so much at once, but it wasn’t slick words—every sentence was sincere. Even if he told many lies, that one part of his heart was true.”

Jiang Lingfeng listened quietly, then paused at the last sentence:

“The kid from the neighboring Ji family you met during the last battle to break the formation and exterminate the demons?”

“Yes.”

Zhaoyang recalled, “It’s impressive that you still remember. You must have seen him when Zhaoxue fell into the water. I wonder if you still remember.”

Jiang Lingfeng thought back to when Zhaoxue fell in the water and the gaze of that boy who held her like a fierce beast protecting its prey.

The naive, pure hostility, and the fleeting moment of fierce anger.

Of course he remembered—how could he forget?

During that battle to break the formation and exterminate the demons, after the formation was broken, Zhaoyang fought her way out to find Zhaoxue, while he held off the stubborn demons outside.

Not long after the injured demon escaped, that youth emerged looking disheveled, fresh blood flowing down his sword. Without saying a word, he left.

When Jiang Lingfeng went inside to look, in the corner where he had been before leaving, he found the body of a traitor who had previously been expelled from the Shen family and later kidnapped Zhaoxue.

The corpse lay there.

His eyes were wide open, completely without resistance or struggle, his expression fearful and shocked.

It seemed he realized the situation was hopeless and was preparing to flee, but he never expected to be killed by a seemingly harmless, sickly young master from the neighboring family.

Jiang Lingfeng asked, “Did he apprentice under Master?”

Zhaoyang thought for a moment, “Probably not. His health was weak like Zhaoxue’s since childhood, but he had an extraordinary talent for cultivation—an extremely rare spiritual root. He was always kept by the main family. Not to mention apprenticing under anyone, that battle was likely the first time he ever fought and got injured.”

“Hm.” Jiang Lingfeng was silent for a moment. “That really is exceptional talent.”

“Senior Brother, are you thinking about something?”

“No.”

He shook his head.

After all, it was not something he should interfere with—someone else’s private matters.

—

That figure crouched like a little dog in the flickering shadow beneath the blessing tree.

Hearing the voice, he looked up. His sharp black-and-white eyes shone brightly, immediately catching the young girl’s face.

“Been sitting there a long time?”

“Not really.”

His legs were a bit numb.

“Want to get up?” Zhaoxue reached out her hand to him.

Like a black cat, he was curled up alone in the shadows.

Ji Xueshou hesitated for a moment, then grasped her hand and used her strength to stand up.

“Torture! What did you say to Big Sister?” Zhaolan peeked out from behind Zhaoxue, half her head showing. “Big Sister didn’t tell me anything on the way.”

Ji Xueshou was startled and quickly withdrew his hand, hiding it behind his back.

“Nothing, just… delivering something…”

Zhaolan immediately interrupted, “And then you got rejected?”

“…”

“Don’t poke at someone’s sore spot,” Zhaoxue hurriedly stopped her. “Let’s eat shaved ice.”

A bright red strawberry shaved ice was handed over, steaming with cool, refreshing mist. Zhaolan’s interest was quickly drawn for a moment.

Taking advantage of the pause, Zhaoxue pulled Ji Xueshou close and whispered, “I thought you would back down again this time.”

“You told me to send it.”

The hand she held was wet and cool from the shaved ice, the chill soaking into her skin, carrying the fresh sweet scent of summer strawberries.

Ji Xueshou gently clasped her hand in return, cautiously, “You also said if I didn’t send it, I shouldn’t come this time.”

“I did say that, but didn’t you ignore it before?”

“This time, I feel like I have to do it. We’re… about to part ways soon, and I want to,”

He raised his eyes and looked at her, “see you one more time.”

Zhaoxue paused, then lowered her eyes.

It really was like that.

Zhaolan, Ji Xueshou—they were about to be separated.

Days like these, where they could see each other every day, probably wouldn’t come again for a long time.

A shadow suddenly covered her, and in Zhaoxue’s peripheral vision, it was obscured by a purple-red hue.

She looked up, and the slender fingers of the young man curled and reached out in front of her. Zhaoxue instinctively pulled back.

His palm relaxed, letting a purple cord hang down, hooked on his fingers, carrying a swaying white jade sword tassel carved into a curled-up cat. The jade was smooth and emitted a warm orange glow that refracted softly, while the purple-red tassels rippled in the wind.

Zhaoxue widened her eyes. “You’re not—”

“For you.”

Ji Xueshou finally spoke, cutting her off this time, his clear, contrasting eyes looking straight at her.

“This is a gift for you.”

What the…

Zhaoxue took the sword tassel dazedly.

They had been friends for many years. To be honest, exchanging gifts felt a bit embarrassing between them.

Her fingertip brushed the jade—it had no chips or cracks.

Right, it was meant for her, not something knocked on the stone steps.

“Why did you suddenly want to give me this?”

“Because I hope that after we part, you won’t forget me.”

Somehow… her feelings felt a little strange.

Zhaoxue clenched the sword tassel in her palm.

After the cool moisture evaporated from her hand, it somehow turned warm.