5 Chapter 5

◎Shy on a date◎

That night, Pei Xueyan lay on her bed, still clutching the love letter tightly in her hand, looking at it over and over again.

She and Jiang Qiye had only met once, yet they were so in sync; it was probably a destiny bestowed upon her by heaven.

The girl's reserve and a sliver of remaining rationality prevented her from easily indulging in the relationship. Reason told her that she needed to spend more time with this young man to understand his feelings.

Analyze the pros and cons in your mind.

His family background is distinguished, so he certainly wasn't after the Xue family's money.

Is it because of lust?

Given that Young Master Jiang is exceptionally handsome, he must have no shortage of admirers, and it's unlikely that they are after her beauty.

If it weren't for these reasons, why would he fall in love with her at first sight?

I thought and thought but couldn't find the reason.

Are human emotions truly without any reason?

For example, her attraction to him stemmed from his talent and charm, which far surpassed those of the previous men.

A sixteen-year-old girl, just beginning to experience love, has no idea how deep or shallow people's hearts are; she only feels that this marriage suits her perfectly in every way.

This marriage seems like a match made in heaven.

Her father was satisfied; he had revealed his true feelings to her, and she had indeed developed some girlish feelings for that gentle and refined young master Jiang.

She dared not reply to the letter in private, for fear of being labeled as "shameless," and she dared not let her father know about the love letter.

The only opportunity to do so was to have the old steward subtly suggest, during a visit to pay respects to his father, that the poetry club had been quiet for a long time and suggested inviting Young Master Jiang to the residence again to discuss poetry.

However, this time, Master Xue did not invite him to the house, but went to Yuguan Temple to create the scene of a chance encounter with his daughter.

Jiang Qiye naturally understood Master Xue's thoughts, but he didn't point it out, and only pretended to agree happily.

The appointed day arrived five days after he sent the love letter.

He was unaffected in his meditation, quiet contemplation, and meals, unaware that he had disturbed Xue Lian to the point of losing her appetite, and that she had barely slept all night when she learned that she was to see him.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop in front of the Yuguan Temple, the curtain was gently lifted by a maid. The moment Pei Xueyan peeked out, her gaze was immediately drawn to the white figure not far away.

Jiang Qiye stood on one side of the temple gate, looking up at the plaque of "Yuguan Temple". The morning light shone through the treetops and fell on him, making his moon-white robe glow softly. His tall figure stood out among the pilgrims.

"Young Master Jiang?" Master Xue followed closely behind, got out of the carriage, and spotted him immediately. He quickly stepped forward, his face showing just the right amount of surprise. "What a coincidence! Young Master, you've also come to offer incense today?"

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Qiye turned around, his gaze first sweeping over Master Xue, and then landing on Pei Xueyan behind him.

He feigned surprise and cupped his hands in a smile, saying, "Master Xue, Miss Xue, it is indeed a coincidence. I heard yesterday that Yuguan Temple has been very popular lately, and that prayers made here are very effective. So I thought I would come and pay my respects. I never expected to meet you two here."

Pei Xueyan stood behind her father and secretly looked up at him. Their eyes met, and she hurriedly lowered her head.

Seeing his daughter's reaction, Master Xue was secretly pleased. He turned to the steward behind him and winked, then deliberately said, "The steward and I will go to the side hall on the east side first. You young people are fast on your feet, so you might as well go to the main hall to offer incense first. We'll meet up later."

After saying that, without waiting for their response, he quickly walked away with the butler, deliberately leaving them alone.

Only the two of them remained, and the atmosphere became somewhat quiet for a moment.

Jiang Qiye smiled faintly at Pei Xueyan and gestured for her to leave: "Miss Xue, let's go."

Pei Xueyan gave a soft "hmm" and they went up the steps together.

The two walked side by side up the stone steps of the main hall. Inside, incense smoke curled up, and worshippers whispered their prayers, creating a quiet and solemn atmosphere.

Jiang Qiye turned his head to look at Pei Xueyan beside him and asked softly, "Miss Xue, what do you wish to ask for today when you come to offer incense?"

Pei Xueyan lowered her eyes and prayed that her father and brother's careers would be successful and that her mother would be healthy and free from illness and disaster.

She was speaking from the heart. Having grown up under the care of her parents and brothers, her greatest concern was for the safety of her family.

Jiang Qiye was not good at talking to people, so after hearing this, he just nodded and didn't say anything.

When Pei Xueyan saw that he was silent, she thought he was angry. He had sent her a love letter so directly, but she hadn't mentioned him at all in her prayer. Would he think that she didn't care about him?

She added, "And... I also wish Young Master Jiang all his wishes come true and that everything goes smoothly for him in the future."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qiye paused slightly and turned to look at her.

At least in Pei Xueyan's illusion, she was indeed untainted and her mind was pure.

This also proves that his compassion was not wrong.

Jiang Qiye replied softly, "Thank you, Miss."

Pei Xueyan blushed. Could her earlier addition be considered an indirect response to his feelings?

Will replying so quickly make me seem too frivolous, and make him think I'm an unreserved woman?

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Her cheeks burned even more, and she didn't even dare to lift her head.

While he was secretly struggling with his decision, Jiang Qiye had already turned around and walked to the incense table in front of the hall. He took out some silver coins from his pocket and bought two sticks of incense from the temple keeper who was standing by.

He walked up to Pei Xueyan with the incense stick, handed one to her, and held the other in his own hand. His voice was softer than before, as if he were speaking to her or whispering to a deity: "I wish that you, Miss, may live an ordinary life and have a peaceful existence."

Pei Xueyan tightened her grip on Xiang's hand and looked up at him.

His gaze fell on the statue of the deity on the incense table, his expression serious, not feigning.

He didn't seek fame or fortune, nor did he ask for a marriage between the two of them; he only wished for her safety.

This pure prayer warmed and softened her heart, instantly dispelling her previous worries and leaving only shyness and joy.

Pei Xueyan closed her eyes and prayed silently for a while. After she finished praying, she opened her eyes and carefully inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner.

Jiang Qiye also lit the incense, and the two stood quietly in the hall for a while before walking out along the path behind the hall.

Pei Xueyan walked beside him, her heart filled with a thousand words, yet she didn't know where to begin.

Unlike the talkative man from that day, this man fell silent for a moment, and neither of them said anything.

After a long silence, she finally mustered her courage and softly broke the silence: "Young master, what books have you been reading lately?"

He slowed his pace and his voice was gentler than before: "I've been reading the Zhaoming Anthology lately, and occasionally flipping through some collections of landscape poems, but I haven't made any real progress."

Jiang Qiye studied diligently, just like usual in this illusion. Apart from planning how to help her condense her heart elixir, she read books and meditated.

"The prose poems in the Zhaoming Anthology are exquisite, but I find them dry. When I read the Return to the Countryside a few days ago, I realized that Tao Yuanming's state of mind was truly something to aspire to."

Jiang Qiye didn't react much after hearing this, and casually commented, "Miss, you have an elegant manner."

Pei Xueyan couldn't help but laugh, her voice becoming lighter as she recounted the amusing story of her master imparting knowledge through this article.

"When I first read this article, the teacher said, 'We can't change the past, but we can pursue the future.' I asked, 'Since we can't change the mistakes of the past, why bother pursuing the future?' The teacher laughed at me, saying, 'At such a young age, you've already become discouraged.' I guess I'm not a very ambitious person in my life."

When talking about her childhood anecdotes, Pei Xueyan's eyes crinkled into crescents, and she exuded a charmingly naive air.

Jiang Qiye listened quietly, occasionally responding with a word or two, but otherwise remaining silent, completely unlike someone who had written such a passionate love letter.

They chatted casually, and the atmosphere was fairly harmonious.

Pei Xueyan felt more and more comfortable and congenial as she spoke, and gradually discovered that this young master Jiang was not like the usual eloquent scholar; he was calm, self-controlled, and possessed both composure and tenderness.

I feel more satisfied with it.

Pei Xueyan had just realized her feelings for Jiang Qiye, but even so, she dared not spend too much time alone with the man.

A short while later, Pei Xueyan made an excuse that "father must be getting impatient" and suggested that she leave first.

As they were about to part, she mustered up her courage and spoke her mind.

For the first time, she dared to look Jiang Qiye directly in the eye and said with utmost seriousness, "Young Master Jiang, I have read the letter you sent a few days ago. If you have anything to say in the future, please discuss it directly with my father. I... I will agree to everything."

These words, though not explicitly stating her feelings, were the most straightforward agreement a woman confined to her chambers could give.

Saying that he was to discuss something with his father alone was tantamount to acknowledging his previous declaration of love in his letter.

Jiang Qiye looked at her shyness and determination, and his heart stirred slightly.

He knew that it took immense courage for a young lady who rarely interacted with men to say such a thing.

No longer with his previous indifferent demeanor, he solemnly bent over and bowed, performing a standard and sincere salute.

"Thank you for your kind words, Miss." Jiang Qiye straightened up, her tone sincere. "I will definitely discuss it with Master Xue as soon as possible and live up to your expectations."

Upon hearing this, Pei Xueyan's heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She hurriedly lowered her head, gave a soft "hmm," and walked away, lifting her skirt.

Jiang Qiye didn't expect things to go so smoothly; immature women are indeed easy to manipulate.

The next time they met, he would be able to use his magic to test the degree of Pei Xueyan's heart elixir's condensation. Then he would just need to wait for the right moment, and once the heart elixir was stable, he could proceed with taking it out.

If it's intact, you can take it directly, saving you from wasting more time here.

He calculated the time; the first time he had traveled through the illusion hadn't even been the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

This matter went more smoothly than he had expected. Generally, people with stable minds will have different thoughts when playing various roles in the illusion, and some may even be more vicious than the original.

The female tyrant fantasized that she was a young lady from a respectable family, which was novel but not out of place, saving her a lot of trouble in dealing with people.

The three time travels should take less than two hours, and it should be noon when we leave the dream.

With the major events now settled, Jiang Qiye could finally think about what to have for lunch after the dream ended.

Thinking this, he felt a pang of hunger. Since entering the illusion, he had been preoccupied with planning and hadn't paid much attention to food.

After lunch, we'll set off immediately. That evening, we can take this female demon's melting pill back to the Qing Sect to fulfill our master's orders.

Jiang Qiye straightened his clothes, turned around and walked out of the temple with a leisurely pace.