Chapter 007

It was something she had always known clearly, yet at a moment like this, she couldn’t control her emotions and ended up saying it out loud.

Zhaoxue knew exactly what her purpose was.

But she also saw it clearly.

These past days, he had asked her to deliver the sword tassels to her eldest sister, delayed giving the gift because he didn’t want to be rejected, and even deliberately got caught in the rain just to see her eldest sister once…

It was precisely because Zhaoxue knew she had already regarded him as a very good friend that she couldn’t bear it.

Why did he have to like her eldest sister?

Her eldest sister’s heart belonged only to the Dao and the sword, to all living beings under heaven. She was Shen Zhaoyang, the future Immortal of the Sword Sect who would stand above the clouds and look down on the mortal world, her long sword drawing divine power from the east.

She would sever all emotions and love—no one was qualified to stand by her side.

This secret crush was doomed to end without a result.

Zhaoxue pressed her lips tightly.

Right now, her eldest sister had rejected her idea, and the system that had given her all the information at first had disappeared for a long time after she fell into the water. She didn’t know if her path was right.

Just getting Ji Xueshou’s promise was not enough. She felt no security, and continuing like this made her unable to see the peaceful life she wanted.

The rain gradually soaked her clothes, slowly seeping through her purple robe.

“I’m not cold.”

Zhaoxue’s eyes were red. She turned her face away and lowered her head again. Her damp long hair hung down in strands, covering the side of her face.

“It’s my fault.”

The young man lowered his head and walked closer, his voice muffled, “There won’t be a next time.”

As he spoke, he reached out, took her hand, and started running with her.

Zhaoxue didn’t expect him to suddenly run and almost lost her balance, wobbling as she hurried to keep up. Meanwhile, Taxue, who had been sheltering from the rain in the cave, meowed softly and bounced along behind them.

“Where are you taking me? I haven’t even finished talking yet!”

Afraid of slipping, Zhaoxue quickly held his hand tighter. Their damp skin pressed together, their body heat warming the moisture, blood pulsing through veins, conveying each other’s heartbeat.

Zhaoxue wasn’t used to exercise and breathed heavily, closely following Ji Xueshou as they dodged piles of stones and jumped over streams. The three light, youthful figures weaved through the forest.

Finally, they stopped.

Ji Xueshou came to a halt, and Zhaoxue almost fell when her foot slipped. The young man caught her steadily, and her nose bumped against his chest.

Zhaoxue breathed out uneven, warm breaths. For a moment, their chaotic heartbeats overlapped—the pounding indistinguishable from one another.

Ji Xueshou held her wrist, waiting for her to slowly stand upright.

Zhaoxue covered her nose, frowning, “Why are you in such a hurry…”

She opened her eyes wide.

Before her appeared a misty hot spring. Elegant and delicate pavilions and towers surrounded the area, while stone pillars of various shapes stood tall in the water. Just standing by the hot spring made one feel relaxed in body and mind.

“This is the hot spring behind my mother’s estate. I specifically asked to borrow it for a day,” Ji Xueshou said. “Because you just recovered from being sick, and you’ve been stuck at home for a long time, I wanted to take you out to soak in the hot spring and also visit the back mountain.”

Ji Xueshou was speaking so much all at once for the first time.

Zhaoxue was stunned.

So this was the real place he wanted to bring her today.

“This hot spring can dispel the cold and help nourish the qi and blood. So when you said you wanted to practice sword dancing earlier, it’s okay to do it later.”

Ji Xueshou looked at her. “You like to watch, and I want you to be happy. You haven’t been happy these past few days.”

After entering the back mountain hot spring area, the rain was blocked by a protective spiritual barrier. Zhaoxue could now hear the rustling and dripping outside, the rain seemed to have grown heavier, noisily tapping at her ears.

But suddenly, her heart found those sounds pleasant to hear.

—

Soaking in the hot spring felt completely refreshing.

Zhaoxue, with a towel wrapped on her head, curled up in the warm water, exhaling several puffs of steam. Taxue stood at the edge of the hot spring, licking its paws, reluctant to get in.

Zhaoxue tried to encourage it to come down, but the little creature retreated in fright.

“Can’t help it,” Zhaoxue sighed. “It just can’t enjoy the good life.”

Through the drifting white mist, she turned her head and saw a figure leaning against a stone pillar. After hesitating, she slowly approached with the towel on her head.

“Ji Xueshou.”

The sound of water splashing rose. Ripples reached the youth’s side, touching his skin, reddened by steam and heat. Ji Xueshou flinched as if burned, then saw her coming closer and slowly sank a little deeper, dipping his chin under the water.

“?”

Zhaoxue was a bit speechless. “What are you doing? This isn’t the first time we’ve soaked in a hot spring together.”

“Your family used to open the back mountain for your birthday every year. For several years we would sneak up the mountain to soak in the pools until your mother found out—”

She lowered her head, then was silent for a moment. After a while, she slowly said:

“Back then, I crossed a line, Ji Xueshou. Who you like is your own freedom, I shouldn’t have interfered.”

Zhaoxue kept her eyes down, so she didn’t see the slight stiffening of the youth’s figure in the white mist.

He was momentarily stunned.

“But—we’re friends, and you promised, right? No matter what, that won’t change.”

As she spoke, she moved a little closer, until she was right in front of him. The boy seemed startled by her approach, he grabbed the stone pillar beside him to steady himself, stood up, and stepped back. Zhaoxue caught his wrist, causing water to splash and a clear ringing sound to echo.

Their skin, soaked in the hot spring, was warm—almost hot to the touch. Seeing his reaction, Zhaoxue paused for a moment.

Was he so eager to avoid misunderstanding? To prevent any wrong assumptions?

“You… doing this is the right thing,” Zhaoxue said, releasing his hand with a slightly disappointed tone. “After all, we’re not kids anymore. It’s just that I think opportunities like this might not come again.”

She didn’t know if they would ever see each other again after he left, or if he would keep his promise to never forget her. She didn’t even know if they could remain friends.

Days like today—when they could sneak out freely without worry, secretly enjoy the scenery, get soaked in the rain, and soak in the hot springs—how much longer could they last?

Maybe even the chance to sit down and talk calmly would be rare.

Zhaoxue closed her eyes, and the dream was all she could see.

She was very afraid of that kind of ending. But precisely because she knew the ending, she cherished the moments even more.

The youth hesitated in the mist, then, seeing her expression, stepped forward on his own.

“Today, I was wrong. Zhaoxue.”

Zhaoxue lowered her head and softly responded, “Mm.” Under the water, her finger was quietly hooked.

It tickled.

Soon, her palm was quietly scratched a few more times—like a cat, always gently teasing and testing.

Thinking of Ji Xueshou’s personality being so much like Taxue’s, she couldn’t help but be both annoyed and amused. She bit her lip, hurriedly turned the corner of her mouth down to pretend she was still upset, then reached out to brush aside Ji Xueshou’s wet bangs.

He was caught off guard by her sudden action and froze for a moment. With clear, surprised eyes, he looked at her, water droplets sliding down from his long eyelashes.

“Do you still remember? When we were kids, if you made me angry, what did I make you do?”

Zhaoxue reached out her finger, her pale pink nail gently poking his forehead, causing Ji Xueshou a slight sting.

“When we were eleven, that spring when we first met, you secretly hid a game piece on the board while playing chess with me. You wanted to win, but I caught you.” Zhaoxue pressed her thumbnail firmly into Ji Xueshou’s forehead, leaving a faint pink mark. “You promised you wouldn’t do that again. I said words alone weren’t enough—I had to give you a lesson you wouldn’t forget.”

As she spoke, she twisted her finger, adding a vertical red mark crossing the pink one—together forming a cross.

“If you dare to make me unhappy again, I’ll leave a mark on your forehead.”

Looking at the pale, flawless cheek of the boy, now marked with a faint pink imprint, Zhaoxue couldn’t help but smile.

Her cheek was so close as she spoke, the warmth of her body, the sharp sting from her nail’s imprint—all made Ji Xueshou’s breathing irregular.

So close, he seemed to forget even the most basic things like breathing and heartbeat. His mind went blank. He could hear every word she said, but he couldn’t properly grasp the meaning.

Ji Xueshou wasn’t sure if it was the steam making him dizzy, but his head spun.

The moment she smiled, he distinctly felt everything stretch out.

The world blurred, and only her smile remained clear.

“…So hot.”

He murmured softly.

“What?” Zhaoxue didn’t catch it clearly.

“Hot.”

Ji Xueshou said, then stepped back a few steps and fell into the hot spring. He slipped under the water, blowing out a string of bubbles. Hearing the chuckling sounds above the surface, he felt as if he would evaporate into steam, drifting and lingering around her.

“Hey, are you okay?”

A faint, unclear voice came from the water’s surface. Zhaoxue grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the water. The moment Ji Xueshou breathed in fresh air, he felt like he was back in the real world. He pressed his hands to his ears, trying to squeeze out the water that had just flowed in.

The water pressing against his eardrums made the sounds from across the way slightly distorted.

“No matter what happens today, I still want to thank you,” Zhaoxue said. “…No one has ever said they wanted me to be happy.”

Ji Xueshou looked up and met Zhaoxue’s eyes. They were beautiful eyes—often dark and downcast—but this time they looked at him sincerely, curving like a clear spring filled with moonlight, flowing gently, casting flickering shadows, beautiful like a dream that made one willingly lose themselves.

Zhaoxue said,

“Because no one ever said it before, you are the first.”

Almost at the same time, the long-lost system voice came online:

【The favorability level of target Ji Xueshou has exceeded 60.】

【Please continue your efforts, host.】