The faint, alluring scent of something new drifted toward Jiang Huai’s nose again.
The quilt was warm and cozy. Chu Xianning had originally been lying on her side, but after Jiang Huai got into bed, she found herself lying flat on her back, her gaze fixed on the pitch-black ceiling. The light had already been extinguished, leaving only a few wisps of ethereal moonlight filtering in from outside the window.
Gentle moonlight spilled onto Chu Xianning’s cheeks. Jiang Huai, lying on his side, quietly observed her profile. Now he, too, was lying flat. Together, they stared at the dark ceiling. The room became incredibly quiet, with only the sound of their breathing and heartbeats breaking the stillness.
Jiang Huai quietly formulated a whole speech in his mind. The words were on the tip of his tongue, yet he faltered. After a long hesitation, he finally spoke, “Is Master asleep?”
“No,” Chu Xianning replied softly.
“I have something I’d like to discuss with Master…” Jiang Huai’s tone still carried a hint of hesitancy.
“Speak,” Chu Xianning’s response was cool, yet her tone was decisive and gentle.
“After Lin Qing’s death, all his cultivation was refined into a Green Vine Spirit Source. The efficacy of that Green Vine Spirit Source is nearly equivalent to a hundred leaves from the Life Divine Tree. I cannot refine it alone, so I wish to refine this Green Vine Spirit Source together with Master.”
After a moment’s pause, Jiang Huai quickly added, “This refinement, it, it refers to Dual Cultivation. But, but of course, I’m not saying, not saying Master should Dual Cultivate with me now or anytime soon. I, I mean… in the future, when the time is right and Master is willing, we can Dual Cultivate together to refine this… and then, and then heal each other’s injuries…”
“I’ll, I’ll do whatever Master wishes… Whenever Master wants, please don’t overthink it. I’m just mentioning it. It’s completely fine if Master doesn’t want to refine it with me for now. I won’t have any objections…”
Jiang Huai’s voice was hesitant.
Even though his skin was now as thick as a city wall, and he was unafraid in front of many people, he still became timid in front of Chu Xianning. It was as if Chu Xianning were a lazy cat, and he was a little mouse that always scurried around her, instinctively suppressed by his natural enemy.
Chu Xianning listened quietly to everything Jiang Huai had said. Her pupils trembled slightly, but her expression seemed to grow even cooler. After a long while, she finally spoke slowly, “When do you wish to refine it with me?”
Jiang Huai’s body suddenly froze.
Chu Xianning wasn’t refusing, nor was she shy or annoyed. She was simply asking him, coolly and quietly, when he wanted to refine it with her.
But this was not something he had anticipated. He had envisioned how he would smooth things over if Chu Xianning became thoroughly embarrassed. Now, his brain had crashed, and he was unable to answer for a long time. Fortunately, Chu Xianning wasn’t impatient and quietly waited for his answer.
Jiang Huai hesitated for another moment, then shifted the topic, slowly saying, “A few days ago, Jiang Zhi found some news about the Rebirth Church. The leader of the Rebirth Church is the now-deceased Lin Qing. The Rebirth Church also has three Evil Cult venerables, all at the Mahayana stage. They are very skilled at concealing their presence; even Jiang Zhi cannot easily find them. However, they all benefited from Lin Qing’s Azure Water Green Vine Divine Art. I am now cultivating the Azure Water Green Vine Divine Art as well, and I should be able to reach the sixth stage in about a week, by which time I can track them down.”
“I was thinking… if Master is free a week from now, would you like to accompany me to the Southern Region to eliminate these evil cultivators? I am now at the peak of Mahayana third stage, with Overlord Art at the ninth stage. Below the Ninth Realm, I have no equal. I will protect Master throughout this journey.”
“Alright, I will go with you,” Chu Xianning replied softly.
A brief silence fell over the room again. After about ten breaths, Chu Xianning finally spoke, “But you haven’t answered my previous question.”
Her voice had returned to its usual cool and unmatched tone. This tone was her protective shield. It wasn’t because she was unwilling, but perhaps because… at this moment, she was extremely embarrassed.
“This, this kind of thing… If, if Master is asking me, then, then after we have eliminated all the evil cultivators of the Rebirth Church in the Southern Region, it will be spring. Spring, you know, at that time, we can Dual Cultivate together to refine this Green Vine Spirit Source?”
Jiang Huai’s voice seemed to tremble slightly. Chu Xianning remained silent for a moment. It was only a few breaths, but Jiang Huai felt as if those few seconds had stretched into hundreds of years.
Until Chu Xianning’s reply echoed in the room.
“Good.”
If he weren’t tightly gripping the corner of his clothes, Jiang Huai suspected he would have instinctively jumped out of bed.
She, she actually agreed?
Chu Xianning had agreed just like that?
Jiang Huai took a deep breath, struggling to control his urge to dance with joy. He turned his head to look at Chu Xianning’s cool face, which was still bathed in moonlight. She had closed her eyes and Jiang Huai saw her lips move slightly as she whispered, “I’m going to sleep now.”
“Mhm, goodnight, Master,” Jiang Huai replied softly, watching her with unblinking eyes as her breathing gradually became light and steady. Countless thoughts swirled in his mind, making it impossible to calm down.
He couldn’t sleep.
If liking someone becomes a stubborn obsession, on the day that obsession finally dissolves, amidst the overwhelming joy, will there be a small trace of loss? Fortunately, Jiang Huai knew that at least the joy in his heart right now could set off fireworks for the entire night. He would be tossing and turning all night, thinking and thinking. Thus, each day leading up to spring would become incredibly long and arduous.
But what did it matter?
Moonlight cascaded onto Chu Xianning’s thick, long eyelashes, as if each one was bathed in radiance. He gazed at Chu Xianning’s face in the quiet, as if watching a statue of a goddess. He began to carefully slow his breathing, worried that his rapid heartbeat might wake her. The world became so, so quiet, and the night was still long.
Jiang Huai didn’t know how much time had passed. Chu Xianning, asleep, stirred slightly, seemingly turning over unconsciously. Her arm also landed on him inadvertently. In that instant, Chu Xianning’s eyes fluttered open as if in a daze. Their eyes met, and Jiang Huai was a little flustered.
After all, he had been staring at her blankly for so long. When Chu Xianning opened her eyes, he felt a little at a loss. Until he heard Chu Xianning’s very soft inquiry, “You’re not asleep yet?”
“I’m a little… unable to sleep…” he replied.
“Why?”
“Because, because Master agreed to refine the Green Vine Spirit Source with me…”
Jiang Huai answered truthfully. Chu Xianning’s eyes still held a hint of sleepiness, but from within the quilt, her hand gently reached out and touched his cheek. She leaned in slightly, her normally cool tone now filled with tenderness, “Even without this Green Vine Spirit Source, there would have been such a day sooner or later.”
“That’s true,” Jiang Huai replied softly. A moment later, he began to feel dissatisfied with himself. Why was he still in a state where Chu Xianning had to comfort him and coax him to sleep? So he quickly replied, “It’s fine, I’ll be asleep soon.”
Chu Xianning’s palm remained gently on his cheek. Her hand was now warm and soft. She had turned to face him, and Jiang Huai gazed into her sleepy eyes, at her hazy face in the moonlight. He suddenly leaned in slightly. Chu Xianning closed her eyes, but when Jiang Huai kissed her lips, she did not pull away. Perhaps due to sleepiness or languor, she gave up struggling. Her tender pink lips parted obediently. Even as her small, tender tongue was wantonly teased, she did not push Jiang Huai away.
When their lips parted, her lips were still slightly glistening. Jiang Huai hurriedly took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped them clean. Chu Xianning’s eyes remained closed, and she whispered softly, “Sleep.”
Jiang Huai leaned in again, choosing a more comfortable position for Chu Xianning, and gently drew her body into his embrace. Chu Xianning neither felt shy nor annoyed, nestling obediently against him before quickly falling back asleep.
********************
Early morning.
Chu Xianning sat in front of the dressing table mirror, while Jiang Huai stood behind her, carefully combing her hair.
This was a treatment he only received as a child. As he grew older, Chu Xianning had stopped him from doing it. Now, he could once again stand behind Chu Xianning, watching her face in the mirror as he combed her hair. Jiang Huai softly asked Chu Xianning what kind of hairstyle she wanted. Chu Xianning simply replied that any would be fine. So, Jiang Huai took out some hair accessories and meticulously braided and styled Chu Xianning’s jet-black hair, making her look gorgeous and elegant.
However, even these jewels and hair accessories could not conceal her naturally cool demeanor. Chu Xianning looked at herself in the mirror and let out a helpless chuckle. She then said softly, “Alright, you can go out now.”
Jiang Huai obediently walked out of the room and waited. After a while, Chu Xianning pushed the door open and stepped out. In that instant, not only Jiang Huai, but also Luo Yueguan, who was quietly sipping tea nearby, was momentarily stunned.
Even Bai Li and Su Qingyi’s delicate pink lips parted slightly.
It was hard to imagine that Chu Xianning, who was always so cool and dignified, usually clad in a Daoist Robe during the day, would now appear in a light purple satin sheath dress. The dress had an off-the-shoulder design, revealing her full, rounded shoulders and slender clavicles bathed in sunlight. Her calves, revealed beneath the skirt hem, were long and fair. She wore silver-gray high heels adorned with glittering embellishments, and the skin on her insteps was as fair as white porcelain with delicate blue veins like those on blue and white pottery.
Her stature was already tall, and this sheath dress further accentuated her slender waist and graceful, lithe figure. She was like a violet blooming in the heart of winter. Her shoe tips tapped on the wooden deck of the Spirit Boat, making a ding-dong sound. Her posture was light and elegant, a far cry from the awkwardness she initially exhibited when wearing high heels.
Even though everyone’s gaze was now fixed upon her, with slight surprise, her eyes remained indifferent and cool. She calmly walked to a seat opposite Luo Yueguan, gathered her skirt, and sat down, her slender waist held perfectly straight.
Luo Yueguan pouted slightly, looking at Chu Xianning. “Who are you dressing up so prettily for, Chu Xianning?”
“He braided my hair,” Chu Xianning replied softly.
Luo Yueguan, an expert at deciphering Chu Xianning’s words, understood perfectly. “He braided my hair” meant that since he had braided her hair so beautifully, she had decided to wear this gorgeous dress that was rarely seen. Luo Yueguan suddenly felt a pang of jealousy and immediately turned to Jiang Huai. “I want my hair braided too.”
Jiang Huai was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
