The first quarter moon rising over the lake is like a broken jade ring, embedded in the ink-splashed night sky, its light is cold and clear. On the shimmering lake, the new lotus leaves also borrow the moon's meaning, and the lotus leaves seem to be light and crisp colored glass.

Jiang Mi sat cross-legged on a flat, dry rock by the lake, holding a half-full jar of wine in his right hand, resting it on his knees, his head slightly lowered, his black clothes hidden in the swaying shadows of the trees and unable to be seen clearly.

"——I thought you were locked up in the Sutra Library. So you're secretly drinking here?"

Gu Bufan ran to him breathlessly, but the man seemed not to hear him. He raised his hand and tilted his head back, and the wine fell straight into his throat. A few drops of wine flowed down his chin, over his Adam's apple, and soaked his collar, leaving a bright trail. The hot wine cut his throat like a knife, but he seemed to feel nothing, and even his eyebrows didn't move.

Finally, the young man turned his head to look at the person who came. His face was like a morning star, but his eyes were filled with endless desolation.

"You can go back."

Gu Bufan looked at him in surprise. In his impression, Jiang Mi had always been aloof and calm, but now he was dejected and depressed, as if he had lost his soul.

"Are you worried?" Gu Bufan sat down next to him, patted his shoulder, and asked casually, "You were acting strange after meeting Yan'er this morning. Could it be that you fell in love with that girl?"

"It has nothing to do with her."

Just as he was about to continue asking, Jiang Mi asked back, "If... someone doesn't contact you for three months, does that mean... she doesn't want you anymore?"

Hearing the word "want", Gu Bufan was shocked: it seems that she is hurt by love! And this girl is probably from a high-class family, and she has Jiang Mi under her thumb.

"Maybe she was stuck on something. You really don't have any news about her?"

"Yes." Jiang Mi stared at the lake in a daze. His five fingers holding the wine jar tightened, and a nearly transparent green hue shone through them. "She is with someone else."

——He would buy a copy of the Immortal Alliance tabloid every day, hoping to get some information about her from it. But the four words "Bai Li Yao Yue" always appeared together with Xing Yuan. He was jealous, angry, and helpless. Every time he read it, his heart felt like it was being kneaded in someone's hand, and it hurt. But the next day, he would almost self-abuse and buy a new tabloid, drinking poison to quench his thirst.

"This..." Gu Bufan looked embarrassed. He knew very little about the relationship between men and women and it was difficult for him to give advice to others.

"You go first." His face was slightly red due to the influence of alcohol, which added an indescribable, bright and eye-catching charm. "I will go back after I finish this jar of wine."

Gu Bufan remembered that he had an early class tomorrow and there was no way there would be any danger at the foot of Wanjian Mountain, so he brushed off the fallen leaves and stood up: "Okay, then when you come back, walk around Ling Wujie's room, otherwise that guy will cause trouble again."

He nodded and heard Gu Bufan walking away. The wine jar was emptied again, and the strong liquor splashed into his mouth. The cool taste made his heart even more burning. He felt inexplicably irritated and restless, with nowhere to vent.

He suddenly caught sight of the moon in the sky, and was mesmerized by the crescent moon. He didn't know how long it had been, when a cool breeze suddenly blew him back to his senses. With a shudder in his heart, he realized that Gu Bufan had returned without him noticing.

Jiang Mi looked at the person who suddenly turned back in confusion: "Why did you go and come back?"

"Because I forgot to ask you something," Gu Bufan smiled and sat next to him, supporting his chin with his left hand, "What is your relationship with Miss Yan'er?"

"...Last time I went back to the village, I met a young man from Wuguang City who wanted to take her as his concubine. She refused, and those people almost beat her father to death. I saved their lives." After saying that, he looked over suspiciously, "Is that why you ask this?"

Gu Bufan didn't answer, but continued to ask, "Then how does she want to repay her gratitude?"

"She asked for a talisman from the temple for me."

Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, Jiang Mi's head felt heavy and he felt that everything around him became strange.

Gu Bufan said "Oh" indifferently, then turned his eyes and asked again: "You just said that the girl in your heart is with someone else. Where did you hear that?"

"The Immortal Alliance tabloid."

"...The Immortal Alliance tabloids love to talk nonsense, don't you know that?!"

He must have been really drunk, with a layer of red on his cheeks, like a crabapple. He didn't know whether the redness in his eyes was tears or drunkenness, but the wine he drank seemed to have turned into fire and burned his limbs and bones, making his heart sour and bitter, and he even felt that the air he exhaled from his nose was so hot that even his voice was shaking.

"I only know that she never looked for me..."

Gu Bufan sighed, and suddenly said in a very soft and clear voice: "Then look, who am I?"

Jiang Mi turned his head, and the next second his eyes widened, his heart was beating so fast that it was about to explode from his chest, his mind was blank and his whole body was hot, he couldn't say a word -

Under the bright moonlight, a fairy-like girl in red was smiling at him.

She stretched out her arms to hook around his neck and gently kissed him on the cheek. Seeing that he was still in a daze, she couldn't help but teasing him, "It seems that you are very drunk."

The irritability that was suppressed suddenly disappeared without a trace. He felt light and confused, and an indescribable numbness spread to the root of his tongue. After a long while, he heard himself mumbling "Yaoyue".

——It was as if he had entered his dreams every night again. If the sound was a little louder, everything in front of him would be shattered.

"It's me."

Beside him was the genuine Baili Yaoyue!

Jiang Mi's blood suddenly rushed to his head, and his heart seemed to be immersed in the strong smell of alcohol and beat wildly. He immediately hugged the person he had been thinking about day and night into his arms and kissed her with a force that seemed to devour her.

But after just a few bites of her flower-like lips, she pushed me away fiercely, frowned and said "Pah" twice with some disgust, "This wine tastes bitter and spicy, I won't kiss you anymore."

Jiang Mi felt a little aggrieved, and slowly retracted his hand that was holding her. The emotions that had just disappeared resurfaced in his heart, and he pursed his thin lips and said nothing.

Seeing this, the teasing she had prepared was already on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it back in a hurry, her arms around his waist and gently leaning closer: "Are you angry?"

"No."

Looking up, I saw that pair of misty eyes were very close to me. Her lips were still tightly pursed, but the corners of her lips were a little lower than before, as if she was thinking of something even more sad.

"…It's been three months since we first met, why haven't you been drinking to drown your sorrows like this?"

Jiang Mi lowered his eyes and looked at her intently.

"Because at that time, I had not yet given rise to any false thoughts."

At that time, he knew his own limitations and did not dare to ask for the fairy's favor. Even in his dreams, he was very cautious and did not dare to show any disrespectful behavior.

——She is the moon in the water and the flower in the mirror, within sight but out of reach.

But the bright moon seemed to have heard his prayers and fell into his arms, so he tried his best to hold on to that ray of moonlight - even if the dream would wake him up and be shattered, he would rather drink poison to quench his thirst.

Yao Yue was slightly stunned. This pair of familiar eyes was now filled with a strong emotion that she could not understand. The next moment, Jiang Mi suddenly lowered his head and gently kissed her hair. A faint but unusually clear voice floated in her ears, like a drunken whisper.

"Just like me... please..."

Although the voice was low, every word hit her heart, and she was suddenly entangled by a warm and sad emotion. It seemed that a soft spot in the deepest part of her heart was collapsing at an uncontrollable speed. But she didn't want Jiang Mi to be too proud, so she suppressed the smile that was about to overflow and pretended to hesitate:

"Alas... I will reluctantly agree to it."

Like a spell, all the anxiety, jealousy, and irritability that weighed heavily on my heart disappeared with her words. It was as if the tension that had been so tense for a long time could finally be relaxed; it was as if all the suppressed grievances in my heart finally had nowhere to go.

Jiang Mi seemed to come back to his senses, remembering what he had just said. He smelled her fragrance, his cheeks flushed and he couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips.

"Invite the moon..."

——He has sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and his expression is cold, which makes people feel afraid; but as soon as he relaxes a little, he becomes very friendly and makes people like him naturally.

"Are you happy?" She rubbed the man's waist with a mischievous smile on her lips, "You've lost weight because of jealousy. Do you still have the energy for the sect assessment in three days?"

He suddenly sat up straight: "You want to come?"

"Of course." She said word by word, "I came to see you specially."

Jiang Mi's breathing hitched, his heart was pounding, his muscles were as tight as rocks, and he was unable to speak.

Yao Yue couldn't help laughing at his silly look, and then she brushed the fallen leaves off his shoulders: "Okay, go back and rest."

He was unwilling to let her go, so he hugged her tightly and refused to let go: "I don't need to rest!"

She had kissed him to comfort him, but he suddenly kissed her hard, as if he had not had enough fun just now and now wanted to make up for it. The strong smell of alcohol penetrated into her mouth, as if her internal organs were poured with kerosene, and a little spark dripped gently, instantly igniting a violent fire in her limbs.

"Okay, go back. I'll come find you after the assessment is over."