Chapter 211 Subtle and Unfamiliar.
Qiao Yanshen gazed quietly at Shen Lixia and said softly, "I understand."
She took the feather and carefully stroked every inch of its delicate feathers.
Some things don't need to be said explicitly. Interspersed in the boy's pitiful nasal voice after he had just cried, the tender and sentimental tone was gone, but the emphasized words made it sound exceptionally loyal and unwavering.
The most important feather.
Like a small fragment peeled from the heart, trembling under one's own touch, the tip of the feather warm and soft.
Shen Lixia's feelings were always so ardent, and knowing that she didn't need to hide them from Qiao Yanshen, she let them bloom to the fullest.
Since ancient times, divine birds with spiritual powers have always been known for their loyalty, and the gods they admire are no exception. Perhaps the world does not understand whose gaze she is looking at, but Qiao Yanshen does.
Through two lifetimes, she still watches over her.
But that gaze was taken away the next moment.
After Qiao Yanshen took the feather, Shen Lixia pursed her lips, her eyes sparkling, and then turned over, facing away from her.
"..."
Qiao Yanshen couldn't help but smile, and he leaned in to wrap his arms around Shen Lixia's waist. He lowered his head slightly and kissed the back of her neck. "Why don't you want to look at me again?"
Shen Lixia remained silent.
Her breathing was steady, as if she had fallen asleep immediately after being extremely tired, but it became slightly erratic for a moment when Qiao Yanshen approached, before settling down. That instant was enough for Qiao Yanshen to know that she was still awake.
The young man's voice held a hint of grievance as he softly whispered in her ear, "Li Xia..."
She paused, then called out:
"Xia Xia".
His voice was like clear glass, slightly low and husky, captivating the heart.
Shen Lixia's heart softened.
"I'm still angry..."
When she finally spoke, her ears were burning from his calls, and her voice was low and muffled, "No matter how much I call you, it's no use, I'm just angry."
She closed her eyes and muttered, "From now on, I won't talk to you anymore, since you don't talk to me about anything anyway."
"My senior sister is upright and honest, but I'm very petty."
Qiao Yanshen's eyes darkened, and he sighed inwardly.
She wrapped her arms around Shen Lixia's waist, and after a moment of silence, she was about to pull them back when a pair of warm hands covered hers as she moved, the calluses on her fingertips gently rubbing against the back of her hand.
The calluses on Shen Lixia's hands were not in the same location as hers, perhaps because the way a bow and a sword exert force is different, so each has its own place to be rubbed.
The heat was transmitted through her skin. Shen Lixia didn't say anything, but grabbed her hand to prevent her from taking it away.
A continuous stream of warmth was transmitted.
Her movements were careful and gentle, completely different from the meaning behind her words just now. Realizing that Qiao Yanshen's hands were still a little cold, Shen Lixia habitually changed her position and snuggled into Qiao Yanshen's arms.
Her calves pressed tightly against Qiao Yanshen, sharing her warmth without reservation with the young man who was feeling cold.
"Li Xia..." Qiao Yanshen hugged her tightly and called out softly.
Shen Lixia ignored her and did all this on her own. As if to make sure Qiao Yanshen was no longer cold, she carefully rubbed her ankles a while later, and only after feeling the warmth spreading did she feel relieved and let out a soft sigh of relief.
Some people experience cold hands and feet in winter, which can even cause insomnia or wake them up in the middle of the night due to the cold. My senior colleague said she felt cold, and perhaps she hadn't been sleeping well these past few days, which was something she had neglected.
I have a long way to go tomorrow, so I need to get some rest.
They were lost in silence, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, yet their bodies were intimately familiar with each other's habits when they were close together, nestled together perfectly.
Shen Lixia could even feel a faint breath falling on her neck from behind, and soft lips that seemed so close, about to brush her hair aside and kiss her tenderly.
This was extremely painful. All the words she wanted to say to Qiao Yanshen were suddenly scattered, and her beautiful thoughts vanished.
The two people were physically close, but their hearts were farther apart than the ends of the earth.
In a few months, we will truly be separated by distance.
Shen Lixia almost regretted her decision to remain silent just now. Only a few moments later, she couldn't help but want to respond to Qiao Yanshen's unanswered call.
She calls herself by nicknames, whether it's her real name or something like "Little Bird" or "Xia Xia," and they all sound so pleasant, her pronunciation brimming with affection.
She wanted to hear it again and again, never satisfied.
I still want to look her in the eye.
My senior sister is so cunning; she asks questions she already knows the answer to—she clearly knows that looking into those eyes would only make her more upset.
...I really hate it.
She was so anxious and distressed that she was almost trembling all over.
Qiao Yanshen will not back down.
What she said made sense. Shen Lixia was safer in the human realm, and the attitude of the demon soldiers was enough to show that the entire Demon Realm was not a peaceful place for her.
Qiao Yanshen, however, was different. In her previous life, she was the master of the place where all demons came from, and she was not corrupted by the demonic realm, nor was she afraid of demonic energy.
Furthermore, the storm has not yet passed, and this battle has deepened the cultivators' hatred for the demon race. Their inaction is simply because they are still rebuilding their sects and mourning the dead. Strictly speaking, there is no longer a place for her to stay here.
They should have gone to the Demon Realm to avoid it.
But who knows what will happen when she goes there?
Amidst her jumbled thoughts, Shen Lixia snapped back to reality and realized that she had involuntarily taken a small breath because of the tightness in her chest and the soreness in her nose; it sounded like a sob.
...The lights were too bright.
As if hearing the voice in her heart, Qiao Yanshen raised his hand and extinguished the flickering lamplight, his voice gentle:
Good night. Get some rest and don't think too far ahead.
...a crybaby.
Still being stubborn.
How could she not smell the damp, salty scent? How could she not know that Shen Lixia had shed tears again? But remembering that she had said she didn't want to talk to her, she simply tightened her arms around her.
Hearing the gradually steady breathing behind her, Shen Lixia finally couldn't hold back her barely suppressed anxiety. She sniffed, bit her lip, and let the tears flow until they dried.
She couldn't sleep soundly. Before she knew it, she turned over, biting her lip, and cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
In the still of the night, someone sighed softly. With a rustling sound, the blanket that had fallen on the boy's upper abdomen was tucked back up.
One night passed.
At dawn, there was a knock on the door, and a young man's low voice came from outside: "Miss Qiao, it's time to set off."
Shen Lixia woke up groggily, struggling to open her eyes. She hadn't slept well, having only chaotic dreams.
Late into the night, she vaguely felt a hand reach out, wiping away her cold sweat and gently patting her back.
It contains boundless tenderness, yet it sends shivers down one's spine.
What met her eyes was the young man's smiling face. Shen Lixia belatedly realized that she was now facing her, her hand tightly draped over her body, perhaps more tightly than an octopus clinging to Qiao Yanshen. She had decided to take her anger out on her senior sister, but as soon as it was light, she instinctively moved closer to her.
“Junior Sister seems to have a habit of hugging something to sleep,” Qiao Yanshen kindly helped her out. “The first time we slept together, you hugged her in your dream too. Do you remember?”
She smiled and said, "Yes, I was actually a little bothered by it back then."
Hearing her recount the past felt like a lifetime had passed, even though it hadn't been that long. Now that she knew more about Qiao Yanshen, Shen Lixia could even guess what she was thinking when she was bothered by it back then.
Shen Lixia's face turned as red as if it were burning hot, her eyes sparkling. She wanted to tell her that she had seen her rather unnatural appearance when she got out of bed, and to make her laugh at this person. Then she suddenly remembered what she had said last night, gave a muffled hum, and with a determined heart, pulled her arm back and slipped out of the quilt.
I don't talk to her.
She tidied her slightly disheveled hair, straightened her clothes, and opened the door a crack so that no one outside could see what was inside. Su Jiang stood in the corridor and saw a face that shouldn't be there. She glanced at the other rooms in surprise, and when she realized she was in Qiao Yanshen's room, she seemed to understand something and blushed.
"I'm sorry," she said in a barely audible voice, "I don't know you..."
She often saw groups of people in the Kingdom of Garan, kissing and caressing each other, calling each other by affectionate nicknames. Simmons had previously told her that Shen Lixia and Qiao Yanshen had the same kind of relationship.
Although Su Jiang didn't understand the specifics of this relationship, she knew it belonged to two special people in each other's eyes. Moreover, those kisses and caresses carried a different meaning; though equally gentle, they were not the same as the caresses her mother had given her.
Miss Shen's face turned very red... Did she interrupt their kiss?
Su Jiang's skin was naturally fair and smooth, which became even more noticeable when her face turned red. Shen Lixia's expression changed slightly, and she was about to explain when the boy, with a blush spreading down to his neck, said "We'll wait for you in the front hall" and hurriedly ran off.
A moment later, I heard her call out again, "I'm so sorry!"
Shen Lixia raised her hand to cover her face.
A soft laugh came from behind her, making her heart burn even hotter. Shen Lixia pulled the door shut and quickly walked back to her room in her wooden clogs.
When they finished tidying up and went downstairs, breakfast had already been prepared and served in the back room. Simmons and Su Jiang were sitting at the long table, eating with the other guests. The two of them seemed to be talking about something when they heard the sound coming from the stairs and looked up at the same time.
Shen Lixia adjusted her belt a couple of times, then jumped down the last two steps, landing steadily before walking briskly towards them. Qiao Yanshen followed behind her, slowly swaying down the stairs, his complexion seemingly better than yesterday, and his fatigue considerably gone.
Simmons greeted them, "Fellow Daoists! You've had a good rest!"
“It’s very quiet here,” Shen Lixia nodded. “There’s not much noise at night. What were you talking about just now?”
She vaguely heard her own name and became curious. When she asked, Simmons smiled and replied, "You've come at the perfect time. Su Jiang, how will you address us from now on?"
Hearing this, Su Jiang, who was about to drink her porridge, put the bowl down again. Seeing that she was quite hungry, she still looked up and said honestly, "Sister."
After saying that, she hesitated for a moment before calling Shen Lixia "Sister Xia." But when it came to Qiao Yanshen, she called her "Sister Qiao," as if she had her own set of terms of address.
She was very young and short; calling them "girl" before was nothing compared to the warmth of this "sister" she was calling now. Shen Lixia widened her eyes and teased Simmons with a smile, "You're a bad influence on the children."
“A child? She’s probably older than you.” Simmons shrugged. “But she looks so young that she won’t find it strange to call her that.”
“I just turned sixteen,” Su Jiang retorted.
Recalling what happened in the ancient kingdom of Liusha, Shen Lixia asked curiously, "Why don't you call us elder sister?"
Su Jiang shook her head repeatedly, her eyes, which were as calm as a piece of purple jade, finally showing ripples: "Elder sister... Elder sister cannot be called that casually. The same goes for Ami. It can only be called that within the same clan. To be stricter, it can only be called by blood relatives."
"Why?"
Qiao Yanshen, who was listening nearby, nodded thoughtfully.
She had read in documents that the Kingdom of Garan was different from the Garan people in the Chaotic Rift, possessing its own unique system. They had a strict hierarchy, and although they treated their own kind well, their etiquette was numerous, even to the point of being a harsh constraint. Language, behavior, and writing all had their own intricacies.
A few travel writers define this place solely based on legends and a glimpse from afar, describing it as a pure white land adorned with chanting Buddhist hymns.
But the outer walls of this sacred land are forged from centuries of fear, and countless mottled bloodstains and skeletons are buried beneath the snow-capped mountains.
Inside, there are also countless shackles binding its inhabitants.
Su Jiang said softly, "The 'Ah' sound that you usually use means 'equal to the sun and moon' in our past language."
This is an ancient prefix meaning shining like the sun and sacred like the moon, symbolizing the unparalleled position of the person being called in the other's heart.
In the legends of Garan, the moon is their revered supreme deity, Taiyin Jun, while the sun is the original leader of the tribe.
The sun and moon shine together, supreme and unparalleled.
Shen Lixia realized why Su Jiang reacted that way when she called out "A Jiang".
“But you don’t understand, it’s alright to call me that. It’s just that as a saintess, I have to abide by these rules, even outside of Garan,” Su Jiang said softly. “Besides… does calling me that mean that I’m a good person to you?”
After she finished speaking, as if realizing that she had crossed the line, she hurriedly buried her head in the steaming porridge and awkwardly began to eat.
After breakfast, the four of them discussed their plans for visiting Tianchi.
Simmons had traveled many roads, but he had never been to Tianchi. He suggested, "How about we rent horses to cross the mountains first, and then rent boats to cross the Third Region? Would you like to visit the Southern Kingdom?"
Shen Lixia shook her head: "No, there's probably nothing to worry about over there." Xihe Palace should send someone to take care of things.
Strangely enough, they encountered quite a few evil spirits along the way. Even in neighboring Jingzhou, a monster with a human head and a snake's body appeared in the ancient temple.
But Qingzhou doesn't have such things.
Perhaps, it was Ba protecting her daughter. Shen Lixia recalled the woman in green in her dream and couldn't help but smile slightly, thinking that it was indeed possible.
After making their decision, they returned to the temple where they worshipped the goddess, and took one last look from afar. After all that back and forth, it wasn't even noon yet, but considering they were about to leave Qingzhou, the group sat down in a restaurant.
Two pots of hot soup, one white and one red, simmered in separate pots, with a hint of emerald green emerging as bright red slices of meat slurped into them.
After being taught by Shen Lixia, they had already started calling it "hot pot," and found it quite fitting. They wondered where this person got so many new words from. Simmons was already used to it, but Su Jiang was still curious. In the end, Shen Lixia brushed it off with the phrase "the mysterious Central Plains culture."
Qiao Yanshen hadn't said much the whole way, and now he just lowered his eyes, quietly picking up food and taking small bites of bamboo shoots.
They don't seem to have much of an appetite.
Her eyes flickered, and she seemed a little distracted.
Seeing that the vegetables in the spicy soup were cooked, which was one of Qiao Yanshen's favorites, Xi Mengsi called out, "Fellow Daoist Chen, pick up a piece for your senior sister."
Seeing that Qiao Yanshen hadn't touched her chopsticks for a while, Shen Lixia knew she was thinking about something else. She reached out and used her chopsticks to scoop up the tender, blanched green vegetables and transfer them to Qiao Yanshen's bowl.
Qiao Yanshen snapped out of his reverie, looked up at her, nodded, and said in his usual gentle voice, "Thank you."
The chopsticks that were being put away suddenly stopped in mid-air. Shen Lixia pursed her lips, and after a long while, she finally put the chopsticks away and set them down.
She pondered Qiao Yanshen's words over and over again.
......Thanks?
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Author's note: I wonder if anyone can get the subtle meaning behind this "thank you" ( )
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