Chapter 119 Xiao Xi and Yi Weiqin: The dance of three people is still too difficult to perform...
After settling into her lodgings at the sect, Simmons settled in temporarily. Her belongings were simple: a long table, a chair, and a bed—nothing else was needed.
"Embracing minimalism"—this novel phrase always pops into Shen Lixia's mouth.
From then on, two families lived in the bamboo grove.
In contrast to Simmons' leisurely pace, Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen had no time to rest: on the second day after returning to the sect, Si Changxi sent a letter asking if they would be willing to go to the Chaos Rift with him before the competition.
The chaotic rift, a chasm dividing the realms of humans, demons, and monsters, was, in Shen Lixia's understanding, roughly like the ocean in the modern world, cutting through different landmasses. Its depths were unfathomable, shrouded in thick fog, concealing unknown creatures.
Si Changxi simply explained the situation: there might be time turbulence, or monsters that have long since disappeared from the land, or even ancient ferocious beasts like Qiongqi and Yazi; in addition, apart from many people who went in and disappeared without a trace, the Chaos Rift has probably been untouched for thousands of years.
Even those at their wits' end wouldn't dare venture in. Over time, the story became increasingly fantastical.
But Si Changxi said, "There is what I have been looking for; and my young friends, you may also find what you desire."
It sounded incredibly tempting, but the conditions were also stringent: Si Changxi would only be confident of protecting them from being torn to shreds in the blink of an eye if he reached at least the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.
The young man added after this sentence: "Just kidding, but you'd better improve your strength as much as possible before you set off."
Both of them naturally wanted to go and immediately agreed. After that, they each followed Yan Xueya's instructions and went into seclusion in the courtyard.
For several reasons, Shen Lixia chose to move out of her original courtyard and live next to Simmons.
On the day she made up her mind, she asked Qiao Yanshen, who simply nodded calmly in acceptance and asked if there was anything she could help with.
Shen Lixia gazed into her eyes, unable to articulate her feelings, only hoping to find a ripple in those deep pupils—even just for a moment, a fleeting instant, a slight unease would suffice. She knew this was wrong of her, like testing her senior sister's heart by creating distance.
Qiao Yanshen didn't show anything more, only gently meeting her gaze. Their eyes met, and then they fell silent. But the depth of their understanding made the brief silence not awkward, only causing the young man to catch his breath for a moment, almost melting into a handful of snowflakes in the gaze of the person before him.
She chose an inopportune time; perhaps earlier, she wouldn't have happened to be there on this moonlit night with few stars. Under the pure white moonlight, even the calmest face would be tinged with a gentle tenderness, like a light mist brushing against fingertips, falling thinly and warmly enveloping everything.
Those eyes, though seemingly filled with affection, also reflected her image with unparalleled clarity, as if seeing through her skin to understand all her thoughts. Her caution, her hopes, her tentative attempts were all exposed, leaving nothing to hide in Qiao Yanshen's eyes, yet she received a gentle acquiescence in return.
Does it mean I like it or I don't?
Whatever the answer may be, she has no way out. No matter how passionate the declaration of love, it cannot compare to the burning passion in her heart; the words she speaks and the actions she takes are merely a small part of it.
But shouldn't the senior sister try to keep her here?
Or do you think it's unimportant, and that you're the only one who wants to stay by your senior sister's side all the time?
The girl pursed her lips, blinked several times, and tilted her head back slightly before forcing back her tears. After whispering "See you tomorrow," she hurriedly turned and stepped out of the house, unable to bear the thought of being so nakedly exposed to Qiao Yanshen's gaze.
Even turning around felt like being pricked by thorns; her every thought was seen through. In addition to feeling sad, a wave of shame surged up her spine, making her ears and cheeks turn red.
After the other person disappeared from sight, Qiao Yanshen blinked and softly replied, "See you tomorrow."
She waited a while before walking out of the courtyard and saw that the seed had already sprouted into a small sapling under the nourishment of spiritual energy, struggling to grow taller and stretch out its branches.
It will surely bloom in early spring next year. She reached out and touched the bare branch, lowering her head to stroke it thoughtfully.
It would actually be a good thing to separate before that. But the boy was always in a hurry, and even the words he left behind, tinged with a hint of grievance, were "see you tomorrow" instead of "goodbye," as if he wanted to make sure they would meet again tomorrow.
That's cute too.
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In the blink of an eye, it was late autumn. In the desolate forest, a few green bamboos and tree trunks left behind a fine sword aura, which slowly dissipated when they swayed slightly in the wind.
Besides quiet meditation, seclusion also involves sparring. Today, with its clear autumn skies, it's an auspicious day for a fight.
In the forest, the girl walked on air, flipping up a tree in the blink of an eye, her figure disappearing among the deep red leaves. She held a talisman in her hand, infusing it with spiritual power to further conceal her presence and evade the divine senses of those below.
This was their first sparring session since they went into seclusion. For the past month, they hadn't seen each other at all, as if they were sulking.
Yan Xueya had come once to teach her how to properly nock a bow and shoot an arrow. She practiced for two weeks straight, and her hand still felt a bit sore. Shen Lixia took a deep breath, recalling the strength her master had shown her by holding her hand. She tensed her arm and drew the longbow to its full extent.
The arrow whistled through the sword energy barrier and hurtled straight toward Qiao Yanshen.
The attack came suddenly, giving Qiao Yanshen a chance to pinpoint his location. Shen Lixia immediately channeled her inner energy, shifting her position and moving to another location.
The azure sword light sliced through the arrow, shattering it into dust. Qiao Yanshen looked up at a spot among the leaves above, then suddenly raised his hand and unleashed a sword aura.
It came as fast as lightning. Before Shen Lixia could even land on the next tree, she felt a chilling cold rushing towards her face. She immediately used the momentum to leap into the air, her eyes flashing with sharp golden light, and in an instant, she shot out another arrow.
The brilliant fireworks burned like a shooting star, colliding with the sword energy and scattering bright light in the air. A few remnants of sharp, pale golden spiritual energy transformed into fine needles, silently piercing towards Qiao Yanshen.
The young man landed quickly on the ground, pleased with his performance, when he saw Qiao Yan take a deep breath. As he raised his sword, the spiritual energy around him rippled like water, shimmering with a faint blue light in the dim light of the forest, as if pulling him into the deep sea.
She has made great progress in learning the Luoshui Technique, and she is much more composed when making moves.
Shen Lixia could tell at a glance that she had made great progress. She should have focused on her strength, but she couldn't help but let an absurd thought pop into her head—
How can someone possess such a surging, sharp, and awe-inspiring beauty even when drawing their sword?
She had seen Qiao Yanshen in many different states, whether joy, anger, sorrow, resentment, or even bleeding and pain. Having spent so much time together, she knew what he needed when he raised his hand, how he habitually spoke; she knew how he would slightly hold his breath when he was flustered, and how he would always raise an eyebrow before teasing someone. She had seen it all.
But I still don't find it cloying.
It's as if every smile, every frown, every movement of hers is beautiful, and you want to look at her a little longer, to keep looking at her like this forever.
This kind of impulse is actually quite unreliable—casually saying "forever" or "until the seas dry up and the rocks crumble" only makes one seem fragile. So, just go for tomorrow.
See you tomorrow. I want to see you tomorrow too.
That was all she felt.
Coming to her senses, she found the blade had already lifted her chin, a cool touch washing over her. Shen Lixia closed her eyes, but the sword's owner chuckled mischievously and then gently patted the boy's slightly flushed face with the flat of the blade.
It wasn't forceful, but in the settled silence, the soft sound was exceptionally clear. Shen Lixia opened her eyes in near collapse, meeting Qiao Yanshen's smiling gaze, and knew without a second thought that her face must be even redder.
The cool, metallic touch pressed against my cheek, with a faint, burning sting.
“You were daydreaming,” Qiao Yanshen said, sheathing his sword. “Don’t let this happen again.”
Shen Lixia lowered her head, shame and other complex emotions surging in her chest.
She said softly, "Yes, thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister."
Qiao Yanshen nodded and turned to leave. Shen Lixia wanted to follow her, but suddenly remembered that they no longer lived together, so she stopped and lingered for a while before returning to her own courtyard.
She felt a sense of emptiness inside.
Then he went to climb through the window and found the Simmons mattress.
At that moment, the woman was fast asleep, her head resting on the table. The culprit that had awakened her drowsiness was a thick scroll of documents on the table, with beautifully written characters and symbols that exuded a mysterious aura.
Even if she understands Garan, she can't handle working on 500 pages a day. She's over 30; she should rest. Her old bones can't handle overtime anymore.
With that thought in mind, Simmons drifted off to sleep peacefully.
Immediately afterward, a muffled thud came from the other side of the window. Like a startled cat, she immediately sprang to her feet and nervously looked in the direction of the sound.
Shen Lixia patted her robes, and seeing Simmons looking over, she waved and said, "Hi."
Seeing Simmons looking sleepy, she seemed to have finally found her chance and grinned maliciously: "I see that Simmons is also not asleep..."
"Get to the point." Simmons sighed, "See that broom? If it's not important, I'll use it to throw you out."
Shen Lixia shut up. She thought for a moment and asked directly, "What kind of words do you think would increase the chances of success during a second confession?"
Simmons choked, "What did you say? A second time? A confession?"
If she hadn't been dreaming so much, she really wouldn't have understood what Shen Lixia meant. But what the heck was this "second time"?
“Yes,” Shen Lixia said calmly, “I guess you could say I was politely rejected the first time.”
"If you know what's good for you, you should just leave," Simmons kindly reminded her.
Shen Lixia sighed, resignedly found a chair and sat down, frowning as she said, "Senior Sister didn't explain it clearly either... I don't know what she's thinking."
Actually, she likes you too; you two are just torturing each other. Simmons thought this to herself, but didn't say it aloud.
"Didn't you ask how to confess your feelings? I'll teach you." She cleared her throat. "First, make fists with both hands and place them next to your cheeks; second, sway them from side to side; third..."
Shen Lixia calmly replied, "No, it's a bit disgusting."
"You've even picked one." Simmons crossed her arms unhappily. "Why use your brain when you can solve things by acting cute?"
"I'd like to... but our relationship isn't at that stage yet, is it?"
She really wanted to stay close to her senior sister, nestle in her shoulder, and whisper her heartfelt affection to her.
Simmons was still offering suggestions: "Why don't you do what you did when you broke into my window today? Put on your best clothes, sit by the window with three-quarters of your body facing her, and bite a bunch of flowers..."
As she spoke, she stood up, then suddenly turned and strode gracefully to sit by the window, leaning against the side. She bit the pen in her mouth and whispered, "Senior sister, the night is truly beautiful tonight..."
A gentle breeze stirred, ruffling the woman's hair.
It was unbearable to look at; what a waste of such a handsome face with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Shen Lixia raised her hand to cover her eyes, deciding to stop messing with the Simmons mattress.
She said, "Never mind, let nature take its course."
Seeing her somewhat dejected look, Simmons sighed and walked up to her.
"Actually, all you need to do is be sincere," she said helplessly. "Just tell her how you feel. After knowing her for so long, don't you know why she's hesitating?"
Shen Lixia paused for a moment, then suddenly recalled many details.
For example, the young man's slightly evasive gaze that night they drank together; her worried tone when it was always an adventure.
Could it be that they are still afraid of repeating the mistakes of their past life?
...She should have understood long ago.
Seeing that the young man remained silent for a long time, Simmons knew he had understood. She patted his shoulder with satisfaction, then said coldly:
"Go back to where you came from, I'm going to sleep."
Shen Lixia blinked her bright eyes, stared at her for a while, and then suddenly smiled.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m starting to think that she might like me a little bit too.”
"That's just how it is." Simmons didn't say that, but just shook her head with a bit of a laugh.
After the boy left, she closed the window and began tidying up the documents on the table. The thin cloth wrapped around her body felt stuffy, but if she untied it, she would see bright red thread marks.
Neck, chest, limbs, waist, abdomen.
Like ugly centipedes, they crawled all over the body.
Simmons yawned, her fingertips tracing the fabric for a long time, but she ultimately didn't unwrap it. She lit a candle and was about to walk into the bedroom with it.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, extremely restrained and careful; if she were asleep, she certainly wouldn't hear it.
But I didn't sleep.
It was as easy as God making her life miserable.
Simmons wondered if Si Changxi had come to supervise the construction. She braced herself and opened the door, only to be met with a pair of calm, deep blue eyes.
The young man in white with black hair looked at her somewhat awkwardly, as if he knew he had disturbed her. Her voice was full of apology: "Could I take up a little of your time?"
Simmons remained silent for a long time before finally letting Qiao Yanshen in.
She thought—will this ever end?
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Author's Note: As expected, the Wu Liu side story should be updated in the next couple of days.
I drew some pictures on Weibo, feel free to check them out!
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