Chapter 159: Xiao Zhang’s Kiss

Xiao Zhang was stunned, then shook her head.

“My heart is still pounding.”

Ye Wenxin was speechless as she watched Xiao Zhang demanding more, as if she were infatuated with the kiss just now. Ye Wenxin did not hold back; she hugged Xiao Zhang again and kissed her for a while.

“My heart… is beating even faster now…”

“Of course, we were kissing,” Ye Wenxin said helplessly, but seeing Xiao Zhang finally cool off a bit, she separated from her a little.

She was no longer naive in matters of love. Under Ling Jue’s guidance, she realized that actions could speak louder than words.

Xiao Zhang’s love for her came with a sense of attachment and a hint of admiration, which Ye Wenxin could understand.

Ye Wenxin also confirmed that she did not dislike Xiao Zhang, but the feeling was not strong enough. Overall, Ye Wenxin’s fondness only stopped at fondness. She was willing to be friends with Xiao Zhang, but not to the extent of giving her life.

But Xiao Zhang was different. Her feelings were intense, and she had entrusted her whole world to Ye Wenxin. Ye Wenxin was touched by this, but left it at that, gently patting Xiao Zhang’s back to soothe her.

Xiao Zhang was breathing heavily in Ye Wenxin’s embrace, feeling a bit embarrassed. Despite being the older one, she felt so reliant on Ye Wenxin, almost afraid to look into her eyes. But when she thought about the fate Ye Wenxin would face next, she raised her head with determination.

“Whatever choice you make, I will fulfill my promise and become yours.”

Xiao Zhang hinted very clearly. She decided to trust that there was a purpose behind Ye Wenxin’s actions, and she would execute them with her life.

Ye Wenxin was moved by this, feeling even more affection for Xiao Zhang. Her hand rested over where Xiao Zhang’s heart was, and she sighed, “Your heart is still racing. I envy that. Look at mine; it’s not even beating much.”

Xiao Zhang giggled melodiously, finding Ye Wenxin’s words amusing. “Of course, I like you, but you don’t like me as much.”

Ye Wenxin finally understood her strange behavior but was surprised to find no displeasure in Xiao Zhang’s eyes. “You still like me, even like this?”

“In this world, there’s never anything fair. Look at those cultivators, with three or four wives and concubines. How many of them truly love each other? They’re just using each other for their own gains.”

Xiao Zhang spoke of the various facets of the world, where the weak clinged to the strong, and the strong pursued higher levels, gaining power and status; everything conformed to the law of the jungle, and Xiao Zhang was clearly struggling under this law.

“In this world, how many people can truly love each other? I like you, and you not rejecting me is already enough for me.”

However, she did not choose the strong, but rather the person she liked, even if that person was another woman.

Ye Wenxin still could not understand this kind of unconditional love. “What’s the point? Love without expecting anything in return. You don’t even know if I’ll end up liking you, or if I’ll end up with other wome- I mean, men…”

Ye Wenxin bit her tongue for a moment. She seemed to have been brainwashed. Her first thought was not of a man, but of a woman.

Basically, her sexual orientation as a straight woman was now in danger.

“Well, what’s the harm? I can’t be with you forever anyway. I have my mission. Is it wrong to seek temporary pleasure?” Xiao Zhang smiled and tidied Ye Wenxin’s hair, finding her words very gentle.

In such a chaotic world, who had the mood to consider others’ feelings? Ye Wenxin’s thoughts were different from those of other people in this world. Her actions and everything about her seemed to overturn Xiao Zhang’s comprehension.

It was refreshing and interesting; being with Ye Wenxin, she felt an unprecedented sense of ease, and that alone was enough.

“It just doesn’t sit right with me somehow, but I can’t come up with any rebuttals right now.” Ye Wenxin lightly shifted, giving Xiao Zhang a more comfortable space, and softly caressed her back, as if she were stroking a kitty.

Xiao Zhang did not resist; she greedily savored Ye Wenxin’s touch, noting down every little detail.

If there was a next life, she wished she could be an ordinary person and have a simple story with Ye Wenxin.

“It’s late,” Ye Wenxin suddenly spoke at this moment. Xiao Zhang listened with some shyness, thinking her words had finally made Ye Wenxin see the light.

Though fourteen years old was a bit young, Xiao Zhang could guide Ye Wenxin. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became, searching for countless words in her mind, but they seemed completely useless at this moment.

“Mm.” In the end, Xiao Zhang could only utter a single syllable, expressing her determination.

However, what happened next was completely unexpected for Xiao Zhang.

“Then go back and sleep.”

“Huh?”

The development was too sudden, and even the romance that had just been carefully brewing, disappeared.

“You should go back and sleep early; I’ll handle this,” answered Ye Wenxin, but inside, she was seething with hatred towards Long Qingyue.

Stirring up Xiao Zhang’s feelings for no reason, she made her confess in a moment of impulsiveness. Ye Wenxin really did not know how she should handle it, so she decided to wait until she confronted Long Qingyue before considering how to resolve it.

“You’ll handle it; Wenxin, you’re not planning something foolish, are you?” Xiao Zhang grabbed Ye Wenxin, deeply worried, momentarily forgetting that Ye Wenxin had not given her a direct answer yet.

“Do I look like that kind of person to you?” Ye Wenxin sighed. Xiao Zhang nodded earnestly, as if she did not believe Ye Wenxin’s character at all.

“You’re always late to class, you don’t like cultivating, and except for being gifted in Alchemy and medicine, you lack perseverance in other aspects.” Xiao Zhang analyzed; if it were not for her help back then, there would probably be no Cozy Gang.

In essence, Xiao Zhang was the Cozy Gang’s half-leader, yet at the time, she only paved the way for Ye Wenxin out of gratitude.

But she never dreamed that a few months later, she seemed to have wagered herself while someone else remained indifferent to her advances.

“Ahem, you make me sound so pathetic; then does that mean you don’t like me anymore?” Ye Wenxin said with a hint of hope that Xiao Zhang’s affection was only temporary infatuation.

“Impossible,” Xiao Zhang replied seriously, not giving Ye Wenxin any chance to evade. “You can take your time to consider, be it one year, two years… I can wait, but you absolutely, absolutely cannot reject me!”

Xiao Zhang was very serious and stubborn as she spoke.

Ye Wenxin shut her mouth. She knew she could not say anything more. If she did, Xiao Zhang might really hit her.

“Although I don’t believe you have the ability to solve this matter, I’m willing to trust you.” Xiao Zhang finally stood back up, donning her mask, while still in her night gear. She quickly blended into the dark, moonlit night and disappeared.

Ye Wenxin lay down again, but tonight’s events kept replaying in her mind. She, who usually slept well, found herself unable to sleep……

“Why do I feel like, I’ve been beaten up for the past few days? My whole body aches.” Baili Mu murmured as she woke up, completely unaware that she had been knocked out, at least twice every night recently.

Ye Wenxin felt a bit guilty, but remembering Xiao Zhang’s words from last night, she could not help but want to ask Baili Mu something.

“Baili Mu, do you think you could fall for me?” Ye Wenxin’s question was direct, causing Baili Mu to roll her eyes dramatically.

“Am I sick? With so many male cultivators around, do you think I’d fall for you? A female cultivator?” Baili Mu’s disdain was evident in her eyes, especially since she had been feeling sore all over recently, her emotions were even more unrestrained.

Ye Wenxin forced a smile, realizing Baili Mu had a point.

In this world, might made right, but beneath the powerful, there still existed deep-rooted male superiority. Perhaps it was only Ling Jue and Xiao Zhang’s unique circumstances that evoked such thoughts.

Ye Wenxin tried to reassure herself, but Baili Mu’s expression became increasingly strange.

“Was it you, who caused the trouble last night?” Baili Mu’s suspicion was evident.

“You’re talking nonsense.” This time, it was Ye Wenxin who rolled her eyes at Baili Mu. The girl was overthinking things.

“As long as it wasn’t you, that’s fine. I can’t stand it anymore. I’m skipping the tournament¹ today. It’s not like there’s anything for me there anyway.” Feeling uncomfortable all over, Baili Mu decided to stay in bed and immerse herself in a romance novel.

Ye Wenxin lost her companion for the event, but she still had to attend. There was a competition today.

‘It’s fine as long as I don’t win first place’, Ye Wenxin thought to herself as she stepped out. Navigating through the bustling crowd, she once again saw Ling Jue.

The strange feeling from Xiao Zhang’s confession last night resurfaced in Ye Wenxin’s mind as she looked at Ling Jue, who seemed to have something on her mind. But before she could say anything, the crowd had already separated her from Ling Jue. Ye Wenxin was left alone, once again. She wanted to say something but was unsure of whom to say it to or how to say it.

With a sigh, she continued forward, then sensed someone waiting for her in the distance.

“Big…Brother Ling.” Ye Wenxin was somewhat excited. She thought Ling Jue had not seen her, but to her surprise, not only had Ling Jue seen her, she had also found a place to wait for her.

“Come here.” Ling Jue waved to Ye Wenxin, looking somewhat guilty, as if she was doing something clandestine.

Surrounded by the bustling crowd, their actions seemed like a secret rendezvous. Ye Wenxin instinctively glanced around before approaching Ling Jue.

Before she could get close, she was pulled into her arms, and Ling Jue snuggled into Ye Wenxin’s chest, greedily taking in a few breaths.

It was a childish action, one that Ye Wenxin never expected from Ling Jue.

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Translator’s notes:

1. – I’ve edited Immortal Sect Summit to Immortal Sect Grand Tournament. All relevant chapters have been corrected. Really sorry for this mistake. ↩︎