Chapter 123 Lovers, kiss one more time!

Just then, fireworks burst in the distance, sending forth delicate sounds, and the thoughts in the mind of the person being kissed exploded with a bang.

Their lips parted, and the increasingly rapid breathing carried the boy's pounding heartbeat to his ear. Qiao Yanshen sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Junior Sister is like a wooden statue."

As she tried to deepen the kiss, Shen Lixia remained frozen, her eyes misty with tears, looking at her as if she were looking at the moon, a lonely island, or anything beautiful enough to inspire longing but unattainable. Yet, just as the moon is subject to the tides, and a lonely island may sink, Shen Lixia was unaware that she too sometimes longed to be closer to her.

In my dream, I needed her reminder, and now I still need it. I tentatively touched her lower lip with the tip of my tongue, only to be met with a slight push from my shoulder, gently telling her that it was best to stop at this moment.

Shen Lixia belatedly realized what was happening, raised her hand to lightly touch her lips, feeling slightly dizzy, as if she had been violently struck by love. Everything before her seemed unreal, except for the person in front of her, who was like a piece of driftwood.

She reached out and tugged at Qiao Yanshen's sleeve, murmuring, "I miss you so much..." Her voice was very soft, yet it clearly reached Qiao Yanshen's ears.

I wish I could die right now.

Unlike a dream, it was a real, tangible kiss. Her life seemed to exist only for her, only to wait for this moment, needing no more room for anyone else; it was already complete.

But another voice said, "Not enough."

Not enough, not enough. She still wanted to continue giving Qiao Yanshen her love and receiving her love in return. If it ended at this moment, many things would never be possible to develop further. So—

"Kiss me again."

Qiao Yanshen blinked. "Hmm?"

Shen Lixia gripped her hand tightly, her eyes sparkling. She first nuzzled her nose against hers, her voice still soft as if she were about to cry, and gently said, "Qiao Yanshen...can I kiss you one more time?"

Even the most cold-hearted person couldn't refuse her earnest request, especially since Qiao Yanshen had always been the most soft-hearted towards Shen Lixia.

She heard herself say "yes" without hesitation, and then the warmth enveloped her. The boy's breath, as intense as a rose falling into burning embers, wafted from his hair, its rich fragrance coiling upwards like a snake, driving away all the chill of frost and snow.

Their lips met again, lingered for a moment, and then parted, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

As the night breeze blew by, Qiao Yanshen was about to raise her hand to cool her burning cheeks when she found that the person in front of her was even more exaggerated. Her entire face was flushed red, and with the cold surroundings, her breath was faintly visible, as if it were actually steaming.

"Leaving Summer".

"Senior Sister..."

She couldn't even speak properly after just one kiss. Qiao Yanshen's lips curled up, and he reached out and pressed his index finger to her lips, saying, "You called my name, and I like it very much."

Shen Lixia's gaze fell on the small mole on her wrist, and for some reason, he had the urge to kiss it again, as if it were a mark of incompleteness, a tear stain left on it by someone, and now he could finally get the answer, and he would no longer have to cry.

Her thoughts were hazy, and suddenly she seemed to remember—that's right, it was Hua Ying, it was her, holding the other's hand like this in her past life, tears falling drop by drop.

We must not repeat the same mistakes.

As if remembering something, Qiao Yanshen withdrew his hand and said with a smile, "I want to hear Li Xia say she likes me again, is that alright?"

Confess again? Of course, as many times as you like. Shen Lixia gazed into her eyes, his voice finally steady, no longer trembling, as he said, word by word, "I love you."

"I like you."

I like you so much.

Qiao Yanshen said, "Rejected. Think about it again."

After a moment's thought, Shen Lixia suddenly reached out and put her hand on Qiao Yanshen's shoulder, leaned forward, and hugged her. She pressed her lips to the other's ear and said tenderly, "I like you, I really like you so much. I like you the most, Qiao Yanshen. We want to be together tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and forever."

She spoke so many silly things, yet she did so earnestly, every word sincere, her tone rising and her voice resounding.

"Senior Sister, did you hear me?"

Qiao Yan closed his eyes, placed his hand on her back, and whispered, "I heard you clearly, I heard everything clearly."

"Did you feel it, Senior Sister?"

Their bodies were pressed together, their hearts intertwined, every pulse clearly transmitted, the burning heat still lingering. Whether in words or instinct, they were telling each other how much they loved each other.

"I can feel it." Qiao Yanshen lowered his head and buried his face in Shen Lixia's shoulder. The weariness seemed to have deliberately reserved time for the couple, and now it finally arrived belatedly.

Or perhaps she was just too at ease, too at ease. When people are at their most at ease, they feel a carefree drowsiness, without needing to suppress their fatigue.

She finally asked in a muffled voice, "Are you staying, Li Xia?"

Shen Lixia gently shook her head and said, "I'm leaving now. Senior Sister, please get some rest."

She couldn't explain why, but she knew she couldn't stay. At least not tonight, because she had already received an answer, and her joy was nearing its limit. If she stayed by her senior sister's side any longer—it would be tantamount to murder.

It's no exaggeration. Love burned like a bright fire in her chest, and she had fallen into a state of near-oxygen-deprivation intoxication; if she continued to drown, she would suffocate.

"Okay." Qiao Yanshen's voice was very soft, so soft that it only lingered in her ear for a moment before fading away. "Good night."

As soon as she finished speaking, her body suddenly slumped, and she leaned against Shen Lixia's shoulder. Shen Lixia carefully picked her up, never expecting that her senior sister would have such a moment. Looking at her face, which was bathed in the moonlight and snow, she whispered in response, "Goodnight."

Entering the familiar room, she placed Qiao Yanshen on the bed, tucked him in, and left.

He walked to the door, then turned back, took her hand, kissed her wrist, and then finally left.

-

Back in the house, Shen Lixia lay down on the bed and began to try to clear her mind.

But the night was long, and everything seemed to have come alive from that brief moment; every stillness and movement seemed to be perceived by her. Fine snowflakes fell, branches trembled slightly, and there was an unbearable commotion.

The loudest sound was her pounding heart. Shen Lixia took several deep breaths, but couldn't fall asleep, so she simply hugged the blanket and started rolling around.

The hairband held on for a while, then finally gave up and lay loose on the bed. A million groundhogs were screaming for her in my mind, and my own excited question echoed in my ears—she said she loved me, loved me? Me? It was me!

Qiao Yanshen's words echoed in her mind again. They were spoken so softly, yet they drowned out all other sounds.

I also love you.

Shen Lixia rolled around in the soft bedding.

I really liked it when you called my name.

This seemed to be the first time he had called her name in front of Qiao Yanshen.

Lightly bite your teeth, hold the sound in your throat, and move your tongue forward—Yan-Shen. Qiao Yan Shen.

"Yan Shen," Shen Lixia called softly.

The air couldn't respond to the boy, but she herself was already agitated by it. After rolling around once more, Shen Lixia finally let out a long sigh of relief.

My senior sister's name is so beautiful.

This is her favorite person, someone she cherishes dearly.

It snowed all night.

After falling asleep at some point, Shen Lixia had another dream.

In her dream, spring was in full bloom, beautiful and hazy. She returned to that bright meadow, lying among the green grass, no longer shedding tears. Qiao Yanshen placed his hands on either side, bent down, letting his long, black hair fall down like deep water, engulfing her and obscuring most of her vision.

The two looked at each other silently, both seeing smiles in each other's eyes.

A thousand words need not be spoken, they are gradually submerged in their intertwined gazes. Hair, eyes, breath, they feel each other everywhere, just like their destinies, perfectly intertwined.

Shen Lixia closed her eyes, like a piece of candy, melting peacefully and stickily under this gaze. The familiar flames slowly burned, enveloping her and engulfing Qiao Yanshen as well.

In her hazy state, she felt the other person holding her tightly, and she was no longer afraid of the scalding heat of the fire.

The soreness in her back surged again, and Shen Lixia buried herself in Qiao Yanshen's arms, groaning softly, "It hurts."

The soreness gradually subsided, only to be replaced by an even more intense pain, as if several bone spurs were being peeled from the bones, and the body was being pulled apart—a sharp, wet pain.

Growing pains.

When she opened her eyes again, it was just before dawn, and her back was drenched in sweat. Shen Lixia blinked, reached out to touch her back, and felt the pain still linger.

She was burning up with fever, and it took her a while to cool down to normal.

How strange, she's in her twenties, where did she get the idea that she has growing pains?

Shen Lixia rolled out of bed. Although she had only slept for a few hours, her drowsiness had already dissipated.

She yawned, stretched, and heard her bones creak. The morning was quiet; even the birds hadn't chirped yet, but if she wanted to cultivate herself, she lacked a moment of peace.

After thinking it over, an idea popped into Shen Lixia's mind. She made a hand seal to change her clothes and quickly walked out the door.

A moment later, a loud noise came from the window of the next room.

The woman in the dark blue dress sat in the main hall, already used to this. Steam rose from the hot tea room, wafting and curling; a sip brought a warm, comforting sensation.

When Shen Lixia sat down in front of her, Xi Mengsi said leisurely, "What's the matter this time? Emotional counseling costs one hundred spirit stones per session, excluding compensation for any emotional damages incurred during the process. Payment in advance is acceptable, thank you."

Shen Lixia shook her head, took a deep breath, and finally couldn't suppress her excitement: "Thank you, Senior Sister and I are now lovers."

Simmons's hand holding the teacup didn't tremble at all, as if she had expected it, and she calmly said, "Then congratulations."

“I think you should be more excited,” Shen Lixia thought for a moment, then changed to a tone that sounded boastful, “How did you know that Senior Sister said she also has feelings for me…”

"Alright, alright!" Simmons said, both amused and exasperated. "You two are like people who are blinded by their own feelings but see things clearly from the sidelines. It's a good thing that you're together. Take good care of each other from now on. I'll sign up to host the marriage ceremony first."

"The marriage ceremony... that's still a long way off." Shen Lixia blushed, poured herself a cup of tea and drank it, her face scrunching up from the bitterness.

She thought she had so much to say, but as it reached her lips, happiness melted away most of it, leaving only simple joy. She didn't need to tell anyone else; it was a private matter between her and Qiao Yanshen, but because of the special nature of the Simmons mattress, she wanted to tell her.

After fidgeting for a while, Simmons noticed her thoughts and chuckled, "Fellow Daoist, you should hurry up and find the person you need to find. She has a very regular schedule and should be awake by now."

Shen Lixia stood up and left Xi Mengsi one hundred spirit stones before leaving. The woman stared at the pile of spirit stones in thought, and finally put them into her storage bag.

It's like handing out wedding candy at a grand ceremony.

After drinking a cup of tea, she remembered that she had accepted Tang Huairou's invitation to spend the New Year with these students in a couple of days and join in the fun.

As for those two, let's just have a meal together. There will be many more years to spend together in the future, so it won't make a difference if we do it this time. Let's give them some space to enjoy their time together.

Thinking of this, Simmons let out a soft sigh, a smile spreading across her lips, and hummed an unnamed tune.

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Author's note: The next chapter will shift perspectives to focus on the main storyline.