Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

She stood there, for an unknown amount of time, her cool eyes fixed on him and... Linglong beside him, silently and without blinking.

That gaze was eerily calm, like the surface of a frozen lake beneath which turbulent currents surged.

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and his scalp tingled.

Why is she here?

When did you arrive?

How much did you see?

Linglong also saw Lu Xueqi. Her gaze swept between Lu Xueqi and Jiang Xiaochuan. Her expression behind the veil was unclear, but her starry eyes flickered slightly, as if a barely perceptible understanding and... a faint, indescribable emotion were passing through them.

Lu Xueqi moved.

She walked over step by step, her steps steady, yet carrying an invisible pressure.

She walked closer, her gaze lingering on Jiang Xiaochuan's face for a moment (Jiang Xiaochuan felt inexplicably guilty), before slowly turning to Linglong and Long Nianchuan, who was peeking out from inside the door, curiously looking around.

Her gaze lingered on Linglong for a moment, then swept over Long Nianchuan, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

These two people... have a strange aura.

The woman was ethereal and otherworldly, unfathomable; the man appeared innocent, but within him lurked a terrifying, primordial power that made even her heart tremble.

Moreover, the way this woman looked at Jiang Xiaochuan...

Lu Xueqi's heart sank little by little, as if it were being squeezed tightly by something, making her feel suffocated.

She followed Jiang Xiaochuan down from Qingyun Mountain, watching him wander around the city like a headless fly, and finally enter this small shop.

She waited outside for a long time, and the longer she waited, the heavier her heart became.

As he walked out side by side with the masked woman, a satisfied smile on his face, and they chatted happily, she felt as if a block of ice was lodged in her chest, cold and suffocating.

"Senior Sister Lu, what brings you here?" Jiang Xiaochuan asked with a dry laugh, trying to break the suffocating silence.

Lu Xueqi ignored him, only looking at Linglong, her voice cold and emotionless, yet each word like an ice bead: "And you two are?"

Linglong met her gaze without the slightest fear. Instead, she bowed slightly in a traditional manner, her voice still clear and ethereal.

"A simple village woman, nothing to speak of. I only met Young Master Jiang by chance and exchanged a few words. And who is this young lady?"

"Qingyun Sect, Xiaozhu Peak, Lu Xueqi." Lu Xueqi announced her name, her gaze sharp as a sword, as if trying to pierce through the veil.

"Just a chance encounter? You chatted for a bit?" She glanced at Jiang Xiaochuan. "He seems to trust you quite a bit."

Jiang Xiaochuan quickly stepped between the two and explained to Lu Xueqi:

"Senior Sister Lu, please don't misunderstand!"

This girl really is just...

He was just a friend I bumped into by chance at the river last time...

She comforted me a lot, and I came here today specifically to thank her. It's just a meal. It's really nothing!

He then turned to Linglong and said apologetically:

"Please don't be offended, young lady. This Senior Sister Lu is a good friend of mine from the Qingyun Sect. She may be a bit cold-hearted, but she means no harm to anyone."

"Good friend?" Lu Xueqi repeated the three words, her cold eyes fixed on Jiang Xiaochuan, as if a crack had appeared in the ice layer inside, oozing out a trace of chill and... something else.

Linglong smiled softly, her laughter still melodious even through the veil:

"So you are a esteemed disciple of the Qingyun Sect. My apologies for my disrespect."

Young Master Jiang is sincere and kind-hearted; it is his blessing to have a "good friend" like Miss Lu.

She deliberately emphasized the words "good friend" slightly, her starry eyes sweeping over Lu Xueqi with a hint of barely perceptible inquiry and...understanding.

Lu Xueqi frowned even more deeply.

The woman's gaze made her extremely uncomfortable.

There was no hostility in it, but there was something deeper, a kind of...kindness?

No, not exactly the same.

The woman's eyes were deeper, more ancient, and also carried a kind of wariness towards Jiang Xiaochuan, a kind of... determination to have him.

"He's not my 'good friend'."

Lu Xueqi suddenly spoke, her voice not loud but incredibly clear, carrying a resolute tone. Looking at Jiang Xiaochuan, she said, word by word, "He is my fiancé."

Jiang Xiaochuan: "...???"

He suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Lu Xueqi, his mind going blank as if a thunderbolt had exploded.

Fiancé? When did this happen?

How could he not know? Did his master and mistress agree? Did Sect Leader Daoxuan approve it? Did he himself agree?

What, what, what... where do you even begin to explain this?

Linglong seemed to be taken aback for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in her starry eyes before she regained her composure. However, beneath that composure, something deeper seemed to be flowing.

She glanced at Jiang Xiaochuan, who was dumbfounded and whose face clearly showed "Who am I? Where am I? What happened?"

He glanced at Lu Xueqi, whose expression was aloof but whose ears were slightly red, and suddenly chuckled softly, his laughter like a clear spring striking a stone.

"I see. I was being presumptuous."

Linglong's tone was unreadable, but her gaze shifted to Jiang Xiaochuan, her voice remaining gentle.

"Young Master Jiang, it seems you and Miss Lu have other important matters to discuss. If you have some free time in the future, please feel free to come and sit here again. We'll have simple tea and meals ready for you anytime."

Her words were gracious and appropriate, yet they subtly carried an unmistakable invitation and... insistence.

Jiang Xiaochuan hadn't recovered from the shock of being called a "fiancé" yet. Hearing this, she just nodded mechanically, her mind a complete mess.

Lu Xueqi stepped forward, standing between Jiang Xiaochuan and Linglong, her cold eyes fixed on Linglong: "No need to trouble yourself. I will take care of him."

Linglong smiled and didn't say anything more. She just nodded slightly to Jiang Xiaochuan, then turned around, pulled Long Nianchuan, who was still peeking around and seemed very interested in Lu Xueqi, and returned to the small shop. The bamboo curtain fell, separating the inside from the outside.

Only Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi remained in the alley.

The air seemed to freeze, so quiet that you could hear each other's heartbeats, well, mainly Jiang Xiaochuan's heartbeat was like a drum.

Looking at Lu Xueqi's face, so close yet exuding a chilling aura, and recalling her earth-shattering words about "fiancé," Jiang Xiaochuan felt his scalp tingle and his back break out in a cold sweat.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat dry and couldn't utter a single word.

Lu Xueqi didn't speak, she just looked at him with deep, unfathomable eyes, like two bottomless pools of ice.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt uncomfortable under her gaze and was afraid that she might do something to Linglong and the others again (although he didn't think Lu Xueqi was that kind of person, her gaze just now was really frightening), so he subconsciously wanted to pull her away from this place of trouble.

He reached out, trying to grab Lu Xueqi's wrist.

The moment his fingers touched her slightly cool skin, Lu Xueqi flipped her wrist and grabbed his hand tightly.

Jiang Xiaochuan struggled, but couldn't break free.

He got a little anxious and pulled her harder, trying to drag her away.

Lu Xueqi seemed to be rooted to the spot, remaining completely still.

She just stared at him quietly, her eyes growing colder, and there was something else in them, like grievance, or... sadness.

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and that feeling of guilt and inexplicable irritation surged up again.

He looked at Lu Xueqi's stubborn, tightly pursed lips, and at his own somewhat flustered face reflected in her cool eyes.

In a moment of impulsiveness, or perhaps simply provoked by the word "fiancé" and her silence, he suddenly bent down, his arms slipping under Lu Xueqi's legs and back, and with a slight force...

"Eh?"

Lu Xueqi let out a very short, surprised gasp.

Jiang Xiaochuan had already lifted her up in his arms.

Jiang Xiaochuan was stunned.

He never imagined he would actually do it!

But since I've already picked her up, putting her down now would seem even more awkward.

He felt the soft, fragrant body in his arms, which suddenly stiffened, and her aloof, surprised face so close to his. His heart pounded, and his face flushed instantly.

He dared not look Lu Xueqi in the eye, turned around abruptly, and almost simultaneously grabbed Lu Xueqi and ran wildly out of the alley!

While running, he frantically made hand seals, and the Snow River Sword was drawn with a clang, hovering in front of him.

He grabbed Lu Xueqi and hurriedly jumped onto the flying sword, not caring about his posture at all.

He channeled all his spiritual power, wielding the Snow River Sword, transforming into a crooked, icy blue streak of light, and flew desperately toward Qingyun Mountain!

They moved so fast that they created a gust of wind, causing their clothes to flutter loudly.

Only after flying far away from Heyang City and reaching the desolate mountains did Jiang Xiaochuan finally breathe a sigh of relief, and his speed slowed down.

Only then did he realize that he was still holding Lu Xueqi!

In an extremely ambiguous posture!

Lu Xueqi, from the moment he picked her up until they sped off on their swords, didn't struggle at all. She just stayed quietly and stiffly in his arms, her hands even unconsciously and gently clinging to his shoulders.

Jiang Xiaochuan's face instantly turned bright red, and his hand trembled so much that he almost dropped Lu Xueqi! (Lu Xueqi: ???)

He quickly steadied his flying sword, looked down, and met Lu Xueqi's gaze.

Lu Xueqi was also looking up at him.

The astonishment on her face had faded, and she had regained her usual cool demeanor.

But those eyes, illuminated by the passing clouds, shone with an astonishing brightness, churning with complex emotions that Jiang Xiaochuan couldn't decipher.

Her ears were also tinged with a faint, alluring pink.

"Put...put me down," Lu Xueqi said, her voice hoarse and trembling slightly.

"Oh, oh! Okay!" Jiang Xiaochuan felt like he had been granted a pardon. He quickly found a relatively flat hilltop, landed his flying sword, and hurriedly put Lu Xueqi down.

His movements were still clumsy, and he almost tripped over himself.

Lu Xueqi landed, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes and hair, and turned her back to him without saying a word.

The mountain breeze blew through her moon-white Taoist robe and long black hair. Her back was straight, yet she inexplicably exuded a sense of tension.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood behind her, at a loss, his cheeks burning, his heart pounding like a rabbit's.

He felt like he must have gone crazy just now!

How could someone do such a thing?

He hugged Lu Xueqi!

Oh no, she's definitely angry!

Will he chop me in half with a sword?

He opened his mouth, wanting to apologize, but felt that anything he said would be pale and powerless.

After struggling for a while, he finally managed to squeeze out a dry, lifeless sentence:

"I'm sorry, Senior Sister Lu, I... I didn't mean to, I was just... I was just anxious and afraid you..."

"What are you afraid of me for?"

Lu Xueqi suddenly turned around, interrupting him.

The blush on her face had faded, and she had returned to her cool and aloof demeanor, though her eyes remained bright as she stared intently at him.

"Afraid I'll harm that woman? In your heart, am I such an unreasonable person who indiscriminately kills innocent people?"

"No, no! Of course that's not what I meant!" Jiang Xiaochuan hurriedly waved his hands, sweating profusely.

"I just... I just felt the atmosphere was a bit tense, and I wanted to take you away from there... I, I..."

"You wanted to take me away, so you picked me up?"

Lu Xueqi stepped forward, closing in on him, her cold aura washing over him. "Jiang Xiaochuan, who taught you to take people away like this?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was forced to take a step back, his back hitting a rough tree trunk, leaving him with nowhere to retreat.

He looked at her face so close to his, her cool eyes now burning intensely, reflecting his panicked and flustered state.

His heart pounded even faster, his mind went blank, and he blurted out, "Then... what do you want? I've already apologized!"

"Apologize?"

Lu Xueqi took another step closer, until there was almost no distance between them. She leaned down slightly, her cool breath brushing against his cheek, her voice low and carrying a dangerous undertone.

"An apology...can it just be said?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was stunned, not understanding what she meant: "No, not using your mouth... then, then what should you use...?"

He didn't finish his sentence.

Lu Xueqi suddenly lowered her head, and her cool, soft lips, carrying a faint fragrance of plum blossoms, pressed against his lips without warning.

Jiang Xiaochuan's eyes widened to their limit instantly, and his mind went completely blank with a "buzz".

What? What's going on? Lu Xueqi... is kissing him?

Jiang Xiaochuan was completely stunned. His body was as stiff as a stone, and he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

The touch on his lips was both cool and hot, carrying Lu Xueqi's unique scent, forcefully invading his senses.

He instinctively tried to push her away, but as soon as he raised his hands and touched her slender yet taut waist, he recoiled as if burned.

The kiss didn't last long, perhaps only a few breaths, but to Jiang Xiaochuan, it felt like an eternity.

Lu Xueqi only slowly backed away when he began to feel dizzy and weak due to extreme shock and lack of oxygen.

Her lips were rosy and moist from their earlier caresses, and her usually cool face was flushed with emotion. Her breathing became slightly rapid, and her chest heaved.

She looked at Jiang Xiaochuan, at his flushed face, vacant eyes, slightly swollen lips, and his foolish appearance—as if he'd been struck by lightning or was drunk. The ice in her eyes seemed to melt a little, and a barely perceptible hint of shyness flashed across them, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper stubbornness.

"From now on," she began, her voice low and hoarse, yet carrying an unquestionable tone of command.

"Call me Xueqi. You are not allowed to call me Senior Sister Lu or Junior Sister Lu anymore."

Jiang Xiaochuan was still in a state of malfunction; his lips moved, but no sound came out.

Looking at him like this, Lu Xueqi felt her embarrassment and annoyance dissipate, replaced by a strange sense of satisfaction and... a deeper flutter of excitement.

She reached out, her cool fingertips brushing against his burning cheek, her voice softening slightly, yet still retaining a firm edge:

"Did you hear me? Otherwise..." She leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe, sending a shiver down his spine. "...Hmph."

That soft, nasal "hum" was like a feather tickling Jiang Xiaochuan's heart, jolting him awake and finally bringing him back to his senses from his petrified state.

He blinked, staring at Lu Xueqi's magnified, blush-tinged, stunningly beautiful face so close to his own, his mind still a bit foggy. He instinctively, dumbfounded, asked, "Why...why..."

"Why?" Lu Xueqi seemed amused by his dazed expression, her lips curving almost imperceptibly, but she quickly straightened them again, looking at him earnestly, and asked, word by word, "Don't you like me?"

Jiang Xiaochuan: "..." He opened his mouth, wanting to say "I like you", but Tian Ling'er's bright smile, Xiao Bai's lazy and charming eyes, Bi Yao's stubborn green eyes flashed through his mind, and even... Linglong's gentle and deep eyes that contained the Milky Way just now by the river... The words got stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter them.

He didn't know, he really didn't know.

Do you like it? I think you do.

Lu Xueqi was so good to him and did so much for him, how could he be indifferent?

But... what about the others?

Was that affection clear enough, unique enough, enough for him to say "I like you" without hesitation, and to take on the corresponding responsibilities and... consequences?

He was silent.

His eyes darted away, avoiding Lu Xueqi's gaze.

Lu Xueqi looked at him in silence, the light in her eyes dimmed for a moment, but quickly brightened again, with an almost obsessive persistence.

She released her hand from his cheek, withdrew it, and then slowly raised a slender, white index finger in front of him.

"Just this little bit,"

She looked at him, her cool eyes reflecting his figure, her voice soft, yet carrying a stubborn, childlike questioning quality.

"Not even this little bit of liking...?"

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at the finger so close to his eyes, then at Lu Xueqi's eyes, which had lost their coldness and were now filled with only persistence and a hint of vulnerability.

It felt like something had hit me hard in the heart; it was a mix of sourness, bitterness, swelling, and pain.

He suddenly felt that he was a bastard, indecisive, timid, and had let down one good girl after another.

A strange surge of anger welled up inside him, unsure whether it was directed at himself or at Lu Xueqi, who had cornered him and left him with nowhere to hide.

He suddenly raised his hand, not to touch that finger, but... grabbed Lu Xueqi's waist!

Caught off guard, Lu Xueqi was pinched so hard that she let out a soft "hmm" and her body trembled slightly.

Her waist was slender and delicate, barely a handful. At this moment, it was held in Jiang Xiaochuan's hand, which was calloused and rough from practicing swordsmanship. The touch made her cool face instantly blush even more deeply.

Jiang Xiaochuan actually wanted to spank her!

Who told her to go so far! She forcibly kissed him! And then interrogated him!

But halfway through reaching out, he felt that spanking was too shameful, too ambiguous, and too much like flirting, so he changed it to pinching her waist instead.

He didn't pinch hard; it was more like an angry, powerless outburst.

"Shut up!" Jiang Xiaochuan roared fiercely, his face flushed, but his voice lacked confidence and instead carried a panic and embarrassment that he himself was unaware of.