Chapter 39, page 39: Besides me, did you invite anyone else? ...
There was no chair by the bed. Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, then walked over, lifted a corner of the blanket, sat down, and took off her shoes and socks.
The medicine from Mount Shu is truly effective; it's cooling, relieves pain, and works quickly. The wound on her foot looks much better now, but the pale pink new flesh still reveals the extent of the damage it caused.
Yin Xiaozhu propped her head up and looked at the pair of scarred feet. The mocking smile on her lips faded. After looking for a while, she asked, "Anything else?"
"There's another one, on the knee."
Lu Yuanyuan pulled up her silk pants. Because she was bending her knees and her left foot was on the bed, and the pants were very loose, once she pulled them past her knees, they slid down her thighs to her groin under the influence of gravity.
The bruises were slow to dissipate, so my knee was still a bluish-purple color, which looked scary, but it was actually much better than a broken heel; it was a dull, aching pain.
As Lu Yuanyuan looked up, she felt a shadow approaching. Yin Xiaozhu leaned close to her knee, his thick eyelashes and downcast eyes magnified. His breath on her skin sent shivers down her spine. For a moment, she even thought Yin Xiaozhu was about to kiss her knee.
Fortunately, the other person's face only hovered above her knees, his nose twitched slightly as he sniffed, and then he sat back down: "This medicine isn't very good."
Lu Yuanyuan blinked: "All the disciples use the same medicine."
A dark shadow flew through the air, and Lu Yuanyuan immediately caught it with both hands, discovering it was a box of ointment. It wasn't the kind commonly used by Shushan disciples when injured, but rather something taken from Yin Xiaozhu's bedside drawer. It was clearly something he used personally.
No wonder so many outer disciples are vying to become servants. This position certainly offers the advantage of being close to the source, allowing them to obtain things they wouldn't otherwise have the chance to use.
Lu Yuanyuan tucked the ointment into her sleeve and thanked them.
Yin Xiaozhu watched her movements and suddenly said, "Are you blaming me? If I hadn't brought you here this time, you wouldn't have encountered so much trouble."
"Of course not. Yuanjun brought me here to broaden my horizons. Besides, if I hadn't come along, I probably would have missed the once-every-ten-day Bone-Penetrating Detoxification. Although some unexpected things happened that resulted in no harvest, there are risks in everything. It's already a blessing to have survived..."
Before she could finish speaking, a hand pinched her cheek: "Yuan Yuan."
The other person's fingers pressed hard, sinking into her soft cheek. Lu Yuanyuan was slightly startled, leaning forward to meet an androgynous beauty's face: "Haven't you noticed that whenever you're not telling the truth, you become particularly talkative and talkative?"
Lu Yuanyuan's heart skipped a beat, and her spine stiffened inch by inch.
What did she mean by that?
Before she could think of a response, there were two restrained and polite knocks on the door, and Qi Chang's voice came through the door: "Senior Sister, I have something to ask you."
Someone had arrived. Yin Xiaozhu glanced at the door and released his grip on her. Lu Yuanyuan quickly rubbed her face, realizing they were still sitting on Yin Xiaozhu's bed. She hurriedly pulled her trousers back into place and tried to climb off the bed to put on her shoes.
Unexpectedly, Yin Xiaozhu didn't give her time to get out of bed, and directly answered the doorman's call: "Come in."
Not only that, her hand also pressed down on Lu Yuanyuan's ankle. Lu Yuanyuan couldn't get down, and over there, Qi Chang had already pushed open the door. Fortunately, Yin Xiaozhu still had some sense of propriety and lowered the bed curtains before the door opened.
The gauze curtains hung down, covering the bed, but two figures could be seen inside, one of whom was Lu Yuanyuan.
Seeing this, Qi Chang paused and didn't get too close. He had come to talk to Yin Xiaozhu about the return journey and also mentioned his concerns about Master Xugu's health.
Yin Xiaozhu said, "Master Xugu is a lucky man and will surely be safe and sound."
Lu Yuanyuan secretly glanced at the other person's expression.
Speaking of Master Xugu, this person showed not a trace of guilt, after all, this behavior could be considered as betraying one's master and ancestors...
Perhaps noticing there were two girls in the room, Qi Chang finished his business and quickly left. As soon as he left, Yin Xiaozhu withdrew her hand. Lu Yuanyuan was uneasy, worried that the person beside her would bring up the previous topic again. As soon as she was free, she immediately put on her shoes and got up as if fleeing.
But halfway there, he was stopped again: "You haven't taken your things yet."
Lu Yuanyuan froze in place, pursed her lips, and turned around.
Yin Xiaozhu gestured with her chin towards the medicine box next to her.
Under the other person's gaze, Lu Yuanyuan defied the pressure and quickly went back to retrieve the medicine box. Fortunately, this time, Yin Xiaozhu didn't say anything strange to stop her. Lu Yuanyuan successfully escaped.
.
This year's Heavenly Treasures Gathering was marred by several casualties, aside from the bat demon attack on Mount Shu on the first day. Fortunately, the demon-slaying efforts were remarkably successful, and the surviving disciples generally reaped the rewards, with some even obtaining desirable treasures.
Of course, all of this had nothing to do with Lu Yuanyuan. While others were doing in-depth travel, she was just aiming for a quick visit to the entrance of the scenic area. What frustrated her even more was that the hidden storyline of "Bitter Night" wasn't finished yet!
System: "Yes. Hidden storylines are divided into long-term and short-term. Obviously, [Bitter Night] is a long-term hidden storyline."
Lu Yuanyuan: "..." I really don't dare to think about what awaits me next. Sigh, I'll just have to take it one step at a time.
Not long after returning to Mount Shu, Lu Yuanyuan overheard people discussing the news that Master Xugu was seriously injured and in seclusion, but no one suspected there was more to the story. The matter was thus easily dismissed.
Before we knew it, it was early November, the winter solstice.
In modern times, Lu Yuanyuan remembers that the winter solstice was always December 22nd. It turns out that in ancient times, before the Gregorian calendar, the winter solstice was a flexible festival. People calculated the date of the winter solstice by observing the shadow cast by the sun on a pole. This year, the winter solstice came particularly early.
The Shu Mountain sect gave its disciples a day off. Except for those disciples who had important matters to attend to, everyone was happy to have a day of leisure.
After Zhou Que and Lu Yuanyuan became acquainted, two days before the Winter Solstice, Zhou Que awkwardly extended an invitation to her, saying it was his birthday on the Winter Solstice and inviting her to go to Chunshan City. He also mentioned that he had invited a few friends, all of whom were outer disciples and got along well, so they could have a lively hot pot meal together on the Winter Solstice.
Chunshan City is the closest city to Shushan. With such a powerful clan protecting it, it is very prosperous and stable.
Lu Yuanyuan readily agreed.
On the winter solstice, she dressed up specially, took out a dress she rarely wore from her wardrobe, and even applied lipstick. As dusk fell, she slung her small bag over her shoulder, took the gift she had bought for Zhou Que, and went out.
The doors and windows of the room next door were closed, and Yin Xiaozhu was not there.
On such an important holiday, the other party is most likely having dinner with her father.
However, before she even left Danqing Peak, she suddenly triggered a scene from the original story.
In the original story, today there was a scene where she invited Duan Lansheng to spend the winter solstice together, but was ruthlessly rejected by him.
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
Fortunately, there's still some time before departure. We can still go through the formalities.
Lu Yuanyuan learned from the system that Duan Lansheng was currently at the Sword Sect's Sword Trial Grounds, so she rushed over there.
It was the winter solstice, after all, and the sword-testing arena, usually bustling with the clash of swords, was nearly deserted. So, she easily found Duan Lansheng, who seemed to have just finished his training and was standing to the side, wiping sweat with a cloth.
Hearing footsteps, Duan Lansheng turned around and saw her. In the setting sun, a deep emotion flashed in her dark eyes, which were tinged with a bluish-green.
Since their conversation, the two haven't spent any time alone together. She hasn't taken the initiative to see Duan Lansheng, and Duan Lansheng seems to be busy with something, rarely seen.
Upon meeting, Lu Yuanyuan quickly composed herself, tugged at her bag, and greeted him without any change in expression: "Lansheng, today is the Winter Solstice. Are you alone? Would you like to spend it together?"
Next, Duan Lansheng will likely reject her cleanly and decisively. Then, she can leave.
Unexpectedly, Duan Lansheng's gaze lingered on the gift bag in her hand, his eyelashes fluttered, and he said something completely unrelated: "Besides me, you... had plans with other people today?"
Why didn't he refuse as is the norm?
Lu Yuanyuan paused for a moment, then thought for a second before denying it: "Yes, I also invited a few outer disciples to go to Chunshan City for hot pot later. It's the Winter Solstice, so it should be lively and festive."
Anyway, this kid is practically autistic. Hearing that so many strangers are there will definitely make him even less willing to go.
With the departure time drawing ever closer, Lu Yuanyuan, eager to finish the storyline, patted him on the shoulder in a friendly manner, hinting, "It's okay, it's okay. If you're busy, it's fine. We can reschedule for another time. I think you don't like crowded or noisy environments, right?"
...
How did Lu Yuanyuan make new friends so quickly during the time they hadn't met?
In the past, this person was single-mindedly determined to be his friend. Between most people and him, she would always choose him first. Even if she were isolated, she would still stand by him.
After arriving at Mount Shu, before she had even settled in, she brought him medicine. When they went to Fengdu for a mission, she volunteered to ride with him on the cargo cart. When they stayed at an inn with a terrible atmosphere, she picked up her chopsticks and sat down with him in the courtyard to eat, chatting and making him laugh.
However, after that incident, she seemed to have silently drawn a line between them and returned to the world of most people.
Although she appears completely unconcerned, those who have experienced the warmth of her kindness towards others can naturally sense her current distance.
An inexplicable feeling of anxiety welled up inside Duan Lansheng. He pursed his lips and put down the cloth in his hand: "I have time."
"..." Lu Yuanyuan's eyes widened: "Huh?"
Let's go together.
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