She didn't remember much after Chapter 21, when she fell into the secret realm...

She didn't remember much after that, only that she was caught off guard by Jiang Zhihe's words yesterday, so much so that she went back to her room in a daze, fell asleep in a daze, and then felt embarrassed and ashamed when she woke up the next morning.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I was so stupid yesterday, oh my god..."

Gu Xiaozhu grabbed the blanket and covered her face, wishing she could leave this world right now.

Yesterday, I was just like a teenage girl experiencing her first crush. I was completely smitten by Jiang Zhihe's sweet words and couldn't think straight afterward. I just nodded and agreed to whatever Jiang Zhihe said, and I almost got tricked into agreeing to his confession.

Fortunately, I realized what was happening at the last minute—and then, quite pathetically, I fled.

[Relax, host. I admit that guy is indeed handsome and has a pleasant voice. It's normal to be temporarily captivated by someone like that.]

"But...but..."

[It's alright, host, it's alright! Besides, if you said some nice things to him, he could be completely smitten.]

Gu Xiaozhu didn't want to listen; she just wanted to forget what happened last night as soon as possible.

"Knock knock knock".

A knock sounded at the door. She pulled down the covers, glanced at the door, hesitated for a moment, and then got up to open it.

At the entrance, Lin Yuanzhou and Wu Jiangxue stood one in front of the other, and next to Lin Yuanzhou was the conspicuous red-clad youth.

"Good morning, Xiaozhu!" Jiang Zhihe waved with a smile.

Gu Xiaozhu nodded stiffly, her mind still frantically trying to convince herself not to think about what happened last night.

"Senior Lin, you've emerged from seclusion?" Gu Xiaozhu decided to change the subject and divert her attention.

Lin Yuanzhou smiled, flipped his wrist, and a small white porcelain bottle appeared in his palm: "This is the Spirit-Concealing Pill that I developed. After taking it, it can suppress the spiritual power contained in your flesh and blood. That way, even if you are accidentally injured, as long as you treat the wound in a short time, the spiritual power will not dissipate."

“But if possible, we should try to avoid getting injured. After all, if the injury is too serious, even the Spirit-Sealing Pill cannot completely suppress it.” As he spoke, he handed the porcelain bottle in his hand to Gu Xiaozhu. “There are twelve pills in this bottle, and the effect of one pill can last for a month.”

Gu Xiaozhu accepted the porcelain bottle: "Thank you, Senior Lin."

Jiang Zhihe, standing nearby, exclaimed excitedly, "Quick, quick, Xiaozhu, take one and see the effect!"

Wu Jiangxue smiled and nodded at her.

Gu Xiaozhu poured out a pill from the porcelain bottle and swallowed it. The pill was very small, jade white in color, and melted in her mouth with almost no taste.

After taking the medicine, Gu Xiaozhu didn't feel any significant changes in herself for a while.

"System, has the pill taken effect?" she asked in her mind.

[It's working, host. The spiritual power within you has been suppressed. I didn't expect Lin Yuanzhou to actually have some skill.]

Outside, Jiang Zhihe also showed a hint of doubt: "This... has it taken effect or not?"

Wu Jiangxue glanced at him, then turned and left. A moment later, she returned, carrying a Spirit-Gathering Rabbit in her hand.

"Why don't you try and see?"

She brought the frantically struggling Spirit Rabbit in her hand close to Gu Xiaozhu's face. The rabbit slowly relaxed and sniffed the air. But soon, it began to struggle again.

The "fragrance" that used to attract it so much from Gu Xiaozhu was gone. Although it wouldn't attack her aggressively, it wouldn't be as affectionate as before.

Jiang Zhihe clapped his hands in admiration: "It seems to have worked. As expected of the senior sister of the Medicine Immortal Valley, she is quick-witted."

He then changed the subject and said to Lin Yuanzhou, "As expected of the Valley Master of the Immortal Medicine Valley, your medical skills and alchemy are truly unparalleled in the world!"

Lin Yuanzhou smiled faintly: "You certainly know how to say nice things."

Jiang Zhihe scratched his head: "No, no."

Lin Yuanzhou: "Now that this matter is settled, you may choose to stay or leave. I will not linger any longer."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Wu Jiangxue also said, "In that case, I will go and instruct my junior brothers and sisters first, and also tell them that they don't need to ask you for help with the spirit beast matter."

Wu Jiangxue also left.

Now only Gu Xiaozhu and Jiang Zhihe were left staring at each other.

Gu Xiaozhu: "..."

So embarrassing, so embarrassing, so embarrassing...

In the end, Jiang Zhihe spoke first.

He seemed completely unaffected by last night, his smile as bright as ever: "Xiaozhu, to celebrate this, shall I take you to the town market outside Healing Valley?"

… …

In the end, Gu Xiaozhu agreed.

Although she regretted it a little as soon as she agreed.

Of course, she regretted it not because she didn't want to go, but because every time she saw Jiang Zhihe, she couldn't help but think of her stupid behavior last night, and then felt embarrassed.

But as awkward as it may be, you can't spoil other people's fun because of your own problem, can you?

The two walked along a lush forest path, the bright sunlight filtering through layers of leaves and casting irregular shadows on the ground.

The two walked one after the other. The red-clad youth, with his bright eyes and stern expression, enthusiastically recounted his experiences from his previous travels, while the apricot-haired girl, a step behind, listened quietly to the story told by the person beside her.

The contrast between movement and stillness is striking, yet it feels strangely harmonious on the two of them, as if it were meant to be.

As for why the two of them are walking instead of Jiang Zhihe flying over with Gu Xiaozhu on his sword...

This town is indeed not far; it only takes about ten minutes to walk there.

Moreover, if she were to fly on a sword, Gu Xiaozhu would definitely be unable to resist grabbing the boy's sleeve, really.

She felt really insecure at that height, with nothing to hold onto!

But she was still feeling awkward. Agreeing to come out with Jiang Zhihe had already exhausted all her courage, and she really couldn't bring herself to grab him so presumptuously again.

However, after walking for a while and listening to the boy's endless narration, her heart gradually calmed down for some reason.

And by the way, it's currently summer, and traveling under the blazing sun would normally be unbearably hot.

But perhaps because Jiang Zhihe had an ice spirit root, his body was different from the surrounding heat, but rather had a refreshing coolness, which made Gu Xiaozhu unable to resist taking a few steps closer to him.

It was these few steps that made the corners of the boy's mouth curl up slightly again, and his steps became a little lighter.

However, this relaxed and pleasant atmosphere did not last long before it was interrupted by a sudden clap of thunder in the sky.

"Boom!"

The two paused simultaneously, then looked up at the sky.

The sky, which had been clear and sunny just moments before, was suddenly covered with dark clouds, and there were even faint signs that it was about to rain.

Jiang Zhihe: "..."

Gu Xiaozhu heard the person next to her mutter a few complaints. She didn't hear them clearly, but a few words vaguely reached her ears.

"Damn it... I'll be punished by Heaven..."

Before she could think it through, a white oil-paper umbrella appeared in the boy's hand.

He had just opened the umbrella when the raindrops began to patter down. The oil-paper umbrella was large enough to accommodate both of them, and looking out from under it, the surrounding scenery seemed veiled in mist.

Gu Xiaozhu: "Looks like today is going to be a bit unlucky."

Jiang Zhihe shrugged: "Maybe, but..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, causing Gu Xiaozhu to look at him involuntarily.

Jiang Zhihe smiled and handed her the umbrella: "Would you like to take a look at the umbrella?"

Gu Xiaozhu was a little confused, but she still took the umbrella.

Because Jiang Zhihe was a head taller than Gu Xiaozhu, the umbrella naturally lowered in height the moment she took the handle. However, he didn't say anything, just smiled and bent down slightly in response.

The moment Gu Xiaozhu grasped the umbrella handle, she sensed something had changed around her.

Raindrops fell on the leaves, splashing up in circles; the chirping of insects, which had faded away, began again; the scent of rain and vegetation filled the air…

"How about it? Isn't this feeling quite unique? Well then, it's yours!" Jiang Zhihe said with a smile. "This umbrella is a mid-grade defensive magic artifact, but it also has the added effect of enhancing the five senses."

"However, this additional effect can only be applied to the person holding the umbrella."

Gu Xiaozhu nodded after a long pause: "It's amazing, I've never felt this way before..."

Every raindrop was clearly visible, and she could even see the veins of leaves a hundred meters away.

And there were more sounds around me: the patter of rain, the chirping of insects in the forest, and the faint sound of breaking apart...

etc.

A cracking sound?

[Host! Get out of where you are standing right now!]

……What?

Before Gu Xiaozhu could react, she suddenly felt a piece of empty space beneath her feet, causing her to lose her balance and fall uncontrollably!

In a daze, a rich floral fragrance vanished in an instant, as if it were just her imagination.

She instinctively gripped the only umbrella she could hold onto, then felt a dizzying spin, followed by the sound of her body hitting the ground.

Fortunately, she happened to be holding a defensive magic weapon, so she wasn't seriously injured.

She opened her eyes, still somewhat shaken, and what came into view was a lush bamboo forest.

Gu Xiaozhu: "???"

She sat up, still clutching the umbrella tightly in her hand, as if that would give her a sense of security.

Looking around, this was no longer the grove of trees she had been in before!

How did she inexplicably go from a rainy forest to a sunny bamboo grove in the blink of an eye?!

"System, where am I? What's going on?"

[...Host, do you still remember the Lingyao Secret Realm?]

Of course she remembered that the Lingyao Secret Realm was a major plot point in the book. Moreover, one of the tasks previously issued by the system was to obtain something called a "fragment" from the Lingyao Secret Realm.

As if she had just realized something, Gu Xiaozhu's face stiffened: "You don't mean to say..."

[That's right, host.]

The place you are in now is the Lingyao Secret Realm.

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Author's Note: Fixed a minor bug.