What is the one-character name (13)
A sweet feeling rushed straight to her head. She suppressed the strong urge to vomit and said, "Thank you, Master."
Zhu Ming seemed very happy and said something, but Li Zhaoyue didn't listen. She just kept stuffing snacks into her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Zhu Ming kept looking ahead and didn't notice she was crying.
"Well, it's getting late, so Master won't disturb you to rest. I'll leave now." Zhu Ming stood up and walked out of the yard. Li Zhaoyue didn't see her off as usual, and Zhu Ming didn't seem to notice anything was wrong with her, so he left in a hurry.
The plate of snacks fell from the table. Li Zhaoyue couldn't hold it in any longer and vomited all the snacks with a "wow". Intermittent sobbing echoed in the yard, and it took a long time for it to subside.
The night was boundless and the courtyard was silent. Li Zhaoyue's empty eyes circled around the huge pear tree in the courtyard, and finally returned to the wall.
Childhood memories suddenly emerged at this moment.
"Does Ah Yue like pear blossoms?" Zhu Ming asked with a smile, patting the girl's head. The girl was beautiful and lovely, wearing a goose-yellow silk dress embroidered with gold thread, a gold collar around her neck, and a hairpin adorned with glittering gemstones. She looked like a pampered little princess.
That was her when she was a child.
"I like it. Didn't Master say that spring comes when the pear blossoms bloom?" The little girl asked naively, blinking her big watery eyes.
"Yes," Zhu Ming smiled even softer, "Spring is a good time."
"Then let's plant a pear tree in this yard."
"good!"
But the Zhu Ming in her dream was cold and heartless, and never greeted her with a smile.
Li Zhaoyue walked into the room in a daze, lit the lamp, and looked at the compass that sat quietly on the table by the window. She could see the Tree of Destiny, and she had also strayed into those branches and seen other people's memories.
Just like today, find back the remaining memories and become a complete self.
Isn't it good? she asked herself.
But……
She recalled Zhu Ming's warm expression and suddenly felt completely exhausted.
She didn't dare.
For the first time, Li Zhaoyue fully felt his cowardice.
If the remaining memories came back, how would she face everything now? All the love and happiness she had believed in for decades would be completely shattered.
Li Zhaoyue lay on the bed and closed his eyes in pain.
*
"There was an earthquake last night. Did you feel it?"
"What earthquake? You didn't really believe the Black Cult's rumors about the fall, did you?"
"I felt it too. Suddenly, everything in the house started shaking. I almost thought the sky was falling."
"If you ask me, the rumors of our fall are spreading like wildfire outside, but we at the Yiziyuan are not allowed to talk about it. Isn't that a sign of guilt?"
As soon as Li Zhaoyue entered the Feng Shui courtyard, she heard people arguing in the distance. It sounded like rumors of a fall. After a moment's thought, she joined the crowd.
"Let me ask you, before the rumors of the Floating Island's fall, weren't the spiritual people causing more and more trouble? Those spiritual people aren't stupid. They not only practice cultivation but also have brains. If the rumors of the Floating Island's fall weren't true, how could they have launched such a massive attack?"
"It is said that a few days ago, a spiritual person sneaked into Elder Zhu's Qingfeng Courtyard. This is really incredible."
"Why do you believe these unfounded things? They're just rumors, why are you so sure?"
"You said it was just a rumor, and you won't let us talk about it? You're really overbearing."
"you!"
As they chatted, a few people even started pushing and shoving. Li Zhaoyue quietly walked away and entered the school. For some reason, no elders had come to class today. Not even Xu Xing showed up.
Wang Kun emerged from the group of disciples and approached Li Zhaoyue. Her appearance yesterday had been truly worrying, but Wang Kun couldn't ask any further questions, so he could only greet her.
"The elder didn't come to teach today. Brother Wang, do you know anything?" Li Zhaoyue asked.
Wang Kun suddenly put on a mysterious look, looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he gestured for Li Zhaoyue to come closer.
"I really felt a tremor last night. It was the ground shaking! And..." His eyes widened as he spoke exaggeratedly, "Someone was attacked by a spirit last night, right in Lixiangyuan. That spirit came in a strange way, no one knows how it entered the disciples' quarters without making any sound. It is said that blood was seen on the spot. I don't know which unlucky person had to encounter such a thing."
Li Zhaoyue almost immediately thought of Xu Xing. He didn't come today and was staying at Lixiangyuan...
She lifted her skirt and ran out.
"Hey, hey hey hey, where are you going? Junior sister? Junior sister?!" Wang Kun shouted, trying to remind her that class was about to start, but Li Zhaoyue ran too fast and he disappeared before he could finish his words.
"Oh, they are all so troublesome." Wang Kun stood where he was and sighed heavily.
Li Zhaoyue hurried towards Lixiangyuan. The students she met along the way all stared at her with strange eyes. They probably couldn't understand why someone would run in the opposite direction during class time.
Li Zhaoyue no longer cared about that. Her only thought now was to make sure Xu Xing was safe.
No one knew what had happened, but suddenly, a thunderclap echoed through the clear, blue sky. Dark clouds slowly gathered, obscuring the sun. The entire world suddenly darkened. Li Zhaoyue desperately ran forward, and finally, he arrived at Lixiangyuan.
In a panic, she rushed open Xu Xing's door, but when she saw his pale face lying on the bed, she suddenly stopped and held onto the door frame, gasping for breath.
At one moment, Xu Xing's eyes were filled with murderous intent, as if he was about to chop off her head with a sword. Li Zhaoyue breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the door frame to relax. At this time, Xu Xing had already looked away.
He lay weakly on the bed with his bandaged hands behind his back.
"No need to hide, I saw everything." Li Zhaoyue held onto the door weakly and managed to stand steady.
Xu Xing was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's not serious, just a minor injury."
It was the same smile he often saw on his face, and he looked so nonchalant, but Li Zhaoyue still felt uncomfortable, extremely painful.
She closed the door carefully, walked to the bed and sat down, staring at him silently.
Ever since Xu Xing first met her, her eyes had always been bright and carefree. She was always happy, like a sunflower in full bloom, forever bathed in sunlight. But now, that light was fading, and he could see an unfamiliar sadness and struggle in her eyes.
But he just looked away and smiled, "Today is my birthday, Ah Yue, you should be happy."
Li Zhaoyue asked, "Does it hurt?"
Xu Xing was stunned.
"I heard from Wang Kun that someone in Lixiangyuan was attacked by a spirit yesterday. Was it you?" She stated the facts calmly.
Xu Xing shook his head: "Why would it be me? I'm just too tired recently, so..."
"Xu Xing, you're lying." She didn't call him Ah Xu. Her eyes seemed to be misty, and the sight of them made him feel heartbroken.
Xu Xing lowered his head, took his injured hand out of the quilt, and said softly, "I told you it's just a minor injury, Ah Yue, don't worry."
Li Zhaoyue didn't say anything. After a long while, he finally heard her forced cheerful voice: "Today is your birthday. Do you want to eat anything? I'll make it for you."
"Ayue can cook? I never knew that." He teased her habitually. Li Zhaoyue was silent for a moment, then looked at him seriously and said, "I can. As long as you want to eat, I can learn to cook."
This was a bit overwhelming for him, and he stammered for a long time before finally managing to say something like "longevity noodles." After hearing his words, Li Zhaoyue immediately stood up, glanced back at him before leaving, and whispered, "Have a good rest. I'll do my best."
Xu Xing stared blankly at the door for a long time, until the figure disappeared. After a while, a man walked out from behind the screen of the room. It was Lou Daoyan, carrying the Chu Ri Sword.
He looked at Xu Xing sympathetically and said, "If she found out the truth, she would be very sad, right?"
Xu Xing put away the gentleness on his face and said coldly, "Then speed up the plan and don't let her find out."
"That's exactly what I want." Lou Daoyan shrugged and was about to leave when his waist suddenly tightened, and then the sword in his hand was suddenly hooked away.
He turned around angrily and shouted, "What are you doing?"
"I said from the beginning that this sword is not yours." Xu Xing glanced at him indifferently.
"Give it back to me!" Lou Daoyan made an attacking gesture. Xu Xing didn't even look at him, but just stroked the dent on the scabbard and said softly: "Without me, you wouldn't have made it this far. I accept this sword as a reward."
"You are a robber!" Lou Daoyan roared.
"Everything is just a matter of exchange. I helped you realize your wish, so you should reward me," Xu Xing said. The two of them remained deadlocked for a long time, but Lou Daoyan finally gave in.
Before leaving, he looked at Xu Xing and the sword in his hand with great fear, and left angrily.
*
Feng Shui Courtyard Kitchen
Li Zhaoyue was kneading the dough in his hands, his face was covered with white and black spots, looking quite funny.
"Junior sister, are you here to learn cooking?" A disciple came in and asked curiously.
"Yes, making longevity noodles." She said with a smile.
"Is it someone's birthday? Who deserves such care from Junior Sister?" the man asked again. Li Zhaoyue took the time to push back the hair that had drifted into her eyes and smiled, "It's a good friend's birthday, so I should show my care."
The man smiled and said a few more words before leaving. Li Zhaoyue clumsily cut the dough, recalling the method the cook had taught him, and began to slowly stretch the dough.
Noodles were a real pain to make. It was only towards evening that she managed to manage a bowl. This was probably the best she'd made that afternoon. Li Zhaoyue repeatedly checked the noodles, only putting them into the pot after she was sure they weren't broken.
"Add eggs, vegetables, meat..." She was putting things in non-stop when the cook came over behind her and burst out laughing when she saw this.
"You, do you hope that people who eat noodles can eat everything?" The cook came over and said with a smile.
Li Zhaoyue blushed and said, "I... I originally wanted to make some side dishes, but I didn't have enough time, so I put everything in the pot..."
"This is probably the most sumptuous longevity noodles I've ever seen. Don't worry, he'll definitely like it."
Summer nights always bring a lazy feeling. Xu Xing set up the table and chairs in the yard and couldn't help laughing as he watched Li Zhaoyue bring over a large, tightly covered bowl.
"I think I know what's inside," he said with a smile.
Li Zhaoyue blushed, coughed lightly a few times, and said seriously, "I... This is the first time I make longevity noodles for someone else. Of course... Of course it's different from ordinary ones. You... You can just make do with it."
The lingering echoes of dusk dyed the entire courtyard a pale yellow. Li Zhaoyue faced the sun, the golden hairpin in her hair reflecting a dazzling light. She tilted her head to look at him, the lily of the valley flowers at the end of her hairpin swaying gently, making a crisp sound like a flowing mountain spring. Her large, distinct black and white eyes flickered, blending with the hazy, psychedelic twilight, leaving him dazzled.
Plop—plop—
Someone's heart was beating so fast that it seemed like it was about to jump out of the body in the next second.
The wind was cool and there were many shadows of trees. His eyes were hidden in the darkness, and a surging, uncontrollable darkness gradually grew.
Li Zhaoyue didn't notice it, she just looked at him expectantly and said with a smile, "Try it quickly."
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