Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

He had his hand on Lu Xueqi's waist, and the two were so close that they could hear each other's breaths.

She looked at Jiang Xiaochuan's face, which was as red as a boiled shrimp, and his eyes, which were exceptionally bright with embarrassment and anger.

Suddenly, I felt that he was much more pleasing to the eye, and even... much cuter, than his usual timid and conflicted self.

Far from being angry, a genuine smile appeared in her eyes. The smile was faint, yet it was like a spring breeze melting an ice lake, making her otherwise cool and aloof face come alive and bright.

Instead of breaking free, she took the position, slightly tiptoed, and got even closer to him, almost nose to nose, making the cool plum fragrance even stronger.

"Are you angry because you're embarrassed?" she asked in a low voice, with a rare hint of mocking laughter in her tone.

Jiang Xiaochuan was even more flustered by her sudden approach and smile. He tried to loosen his grip on her waist as if he had been burned, but Lu Xueqi pressed his hand down on him.

Her palm covered the back of his hand, slightly cool, yet with undeniable strength.

"You, let go!" Jiang Xiaochuan struggled, his face turning even redder.

"I won't let go." Lu Xueqi answered decisively. Seeing his ashamed and indignant appearance, the depression and unease she felt because of Linglong seemed to dissipate a lot.

At least, right now he only has eyes for her, only for Lu Xueqi.

Jiang Xiaochuan was furious but couldn't break free. In a moment of anger, the words he had been holding back burst out of his mouth without thinking:

"Who, who's getting angry!"

I... I don't like you at all!

I like Biyao! I like Xiaobai! I like Senior Sister Ling'er! Even if I liked that Linglong girl just now, I still wouldn't like you!

He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

Oh no, what nonsense is he spouting? Isn't this just adding fuel to the fire?

Sure enough, the smile on Lu Xueqi's face vanished instantly, and her eyes suddenly turned cold, as if frozen.

The air around us seemed to have dropped a few degrees.

She stared at him silently for several seconds, making Jiang Xiaochuan feel uneasy and break out in a cold sweat.

Then, Lu Xueqi suddenly released her grip on him. Just when Jiang Xiaochuan thought she was going to get angry or leave in sadness, she suddenly reached out and hugged him tightly again!

This time, it wasn't the "princess carry" from before, but a solid, face-to-face, and close embrace!

Her arms wrapped around his back, tightening them as if trying to pull him into her body.

Jiang Xiaochuan was caught off guard by her hug and almost couldn't breathe. Just as he was about to struggle, he felt Lu Xueqi's arm slide down and around behind him, and then...

"Snapped!"

A crisp, echoing sound rang out on the silent mountaintop.

Jiang Xiaochuan's body stiffened abruptly. Then, an indescribable feeling, a mixture of excruciating pain, shame, shock, and absurdity, exploded from a certain unspeakable part of his body, instantly sweeping through his entire body and rushing to the top of his head!

Lu Xueqi...spanked him?

She, she, she... how dare she?

Jiang Xiaochuan's face turned so red it was almost bleeding!

He suddenly widened his eyes, staring at Lu Xueqi's face, which was so close yet still expressionless (except for her ears, which were even redder). His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Only one thought kept flashing through my mind: She spanked me! She actually spanked me! Lu Xueqi spanked me!!!

"You, you..." Jiang Xiaochuan trembled with rage, feeling ashamed and indignant. He wanted to curse, but found his vocabulary extremely limited.

Looking at his expression as if the sky had fallen, Lu Xueqi's coldness melted away, replaced by a more complex, slightly mischievous, faint smile.

She didn't let go; instead, she hugged him even tighter, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her warm breath brushed against his earlobe, and her voice was low, slightly nasal, and even a little aggrieved: "Who told you to talk nonsense?"

"I...I'm not talking nonsense!" Jiang Xiaochuan was still in a state of shame and indignation, and subconsciously retorted, his voice even changing tone.

"Yes, it is." Lu Xueqi's muffled voice came from the crook of his neck.

"Who you like is none of my business. But saying you don't like me is just nonsense."

"I..." Jiang Xiaochuan wanted to be stubborn, but looking at Lu Xueqi's blushing profile so close to his, feeling her trembling body as she hugged him tightly, and remembering that humiliating slap from just now...

He suddenly realized that trying to reason with this woman was just asking for trouble! She didn't play by the rules at all!

A surge of anger, mixed with inexplicable emotions, rushed to the top of his head.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at Lu Xueqi's fair and slender neck, which was so close to his eyes, and the delicate collarbone that was faintly visible under the slightly open collar of her clothes due to her movements.

In a moment of madness, he suddenly lowered his head, opened his mouth, and viciously bit down on that beautiful collarbone!

"Ugh!" Lu Xueqi's body trembled violently, letting out a short groan. Her arms tightened around him instantly, almost choking Jiang Xiaochuan.

Jiang Xiaochuan bit down hard, his teeth sinking deep into the delicate flesh, and he even tasted a very faint hint of blood.

Hearing Lu Xueqi's muffled groan, he panicked and quickly let go.

Looking up, I saw two rows of clear, deep teeth marks on Lu Xueqi's collarbone near her shoulder.

Tiny beads of blood even seeped out, which looked particularly glaring and... particularly ambiguous on her fair and jade-like skin.

Lu Xueqi loosened her grip on his arm, stepped back slightly, looked down at the teeth marks on her collarbone, then looked up at Jiang Xiaochuan.

Her face was expressionless, her cold eyes quietly watching him, making Jiang Xiaochuan feel uneasy. The pleasure of revenge he had just felt vanished instantly, leaving only lingering fear and...guilt.

Oh no, he bit Lu Xueqi until she bled!

Will she kill him with a single sword strike?!

Just as Jiang Xiaochuan was sweating profusely, bracing himself for Lu Xueqi's wrath or the Tianya Sword, Lu Xueqi suddenly spoke, her voice calm, even carrying a barely perceptible...smile?

"You bit me," she stated.

"I...I..." Jiang Xiaochuan was speechless.

"There was also bleeding," Lu Xueqi continued, gently touching the teeth mark with her finger, where a little bright red blood was drawn on it.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a chill run down his spine. He wanted to apologize, but he also felt that it would be useless.

Then, he heard Lu Xueqi say something in that calm, even tone, that almost made him fall off his flying sword:

"You are responsible."

Jiang Xiaochuan: "...???"

Responsible for? Responsible for what?

Does taking responsibility for a single bite mean he has to take responsibility? She just spanked him! Who is he supposed to hold responsible?

He looked at Lu Xueqi, and Lu Xueqi looked at him.

The two stared at each other, the atmosphere both strange and ambiguous.

Jiang Xiaochuan's face was so hot it could fry an egg, his ears were ringing, and his mind was a complete mess.

He looked at the glaring teeth marks on Lu Xueqi's collarbone, then at her aloof and stunning face that now seemed to possess a magical quality, and suddenly felt that the world must have gone mad, or perhaps, he himself had gone mad.

A wave of immense shame, panic, helplessness, and a secret, unspoken thrill that he himself was unwilling to acknowledge overwhelmed him.

He could no longer bear Lu Xueqi's calm yet piercing gaze and abruptly lowered his head.

He buried his burning face in Lu Xueqi's shoulder, his forehead against her beautifully shaped collarbone (deliberately avoiding the teeth marks), his nose filled with the refreshing fragrance of plum blossoms emanating from her.

He stopped moving and speaking, like an ostrich, trying to escape reality in this way.

I might as well suffocate! I might as well just suffocate here!

He thought to himself in despair.

Surprisingly, it smells quite good.

Lu Xueqi was taken aback by his sudden, almost coquettish (?) action. Then, the frost in her eyes melted completely, and a gentle, captivating light rippled out.

She didn't say anything more, but simply reached out and gently wrapped her arms around his head, which was buried in her chest. With her other hand, she groped along his back, her movements clumsy yet carrying a strange tenderness.

The mountain wind howled, blowing the two people's clothes and long hair.

They stood on the flying sword, embracing each other on the desolate mountaintop.

One of them buried their face completely, wishing they could disappear on the spot.

A quiet embrace, a slight curve to the corners of her lips on her cool face.

Hmm... to be honest, this idiot is actually quite warm.

Lu Xueqi thought to herself, and hugged him even tighter.

As for his nonsense about "liking this and liking that"... there will be plenty of time to settle accounts with him later.