Chapter 3 Jiang Zhihe: She touched me on her own initiative! The boy in red...
The boy in red stood tall and straight, his long black hair tied into a high ponytail, his brows furrowed with seriousness.
Wu Jiangxue turned to look at the boy at the door, her eyebrows slightly raised: "After eavesdropping at the door for so long, you're finally willing to come in?"
The boy's face stiffened for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and became assertive: "How can you call it eavesdropping... I was doing this to... uh, to ensure your safety."
Wu Jiangxue:...?
You've already killed all the demonic cultivators, so what danger are you facing now?
Wu Jiangxue's gaze lingered between the two for a moment before she finally stood up and walked towards the door: "Then I'll go out first. I'm sure you two have something to say to each other."
Reaching the door, she paused, glanced at the boy standing beside her, and drawled, "Don't worry, I won't be like some people who stand at the door eavesdropping."
Jiang Zhihe: "..."
The door closed, leaving only Gu Xiaozhu and Jiang Zhihe in the room.
Neither of them spoke first, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.
Finally, Jiang Zhihe was the first to break the silence:
"sorry……"
Sitting on the bed, Gu Xiaozhu was startled and looked up at the red-clad boy at the door.
His face showed unease and anxiety, and he seemed even more nervous the moment he noticed the girl looking at him.
Jiang Zhihe took a deep breath and continued, "I'm sorry, when I killed the demonic cultivator, I... um... handled it inappropriately, and it frightened you."
I'm so sorry!
Upon hearing this, memories that she had almost forgotten flooded back into her mind.
The dead demonic cultivator, the splattered blood, and the chillingly indifferent expression on the boy's face as he killed the demonic cultivator.
In a daze, she seemed to feel again the nauseating smell of blood splattering on her, and the sticky, uncomfortable sensation.
Her face turned pale, and she gradually clenched the blanket covering her with her hands, so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
This was the first time a living person had died right in front of her.
Although the woman truly deserved to die, she would inevitably feel a chill run down her spine whenever she recalled the scene.
I feel a bit nauseous.
That's what she thought.
Suddenly, a fist with distinct knuckles was presented to her.
Interrupted from her thoughts, Gu Xiaozhu also pulled herself out of her memories and looked up blankly.
Jiang Zhihe had somehow walked to her bedside. He sat on the edge of the bed, one hand clenched into a fist and extended in front of her.
The boy's face was no longer awkward; instead, it was full of smiles, his clear eyes brimming with laughter.
Like the warm winter sun, it gradually dispelled the chill around her.
He was completely different from the cold and aloof person she remembered.
He winked playfully, his voice slowly drawing out, "Want to guess what I have in my hand?"
Gu Xiaozhu looked somewhat bewildered, completely unable to understand what the boy was doing.
But this did indeed pull her completely out of her thoughts, and she didn't even realize that her hands, which had been tightly gripping the blanket, had relaxed considerably.
Looking into the boy's bright eyes, she swallowed back the words "I can't guess" that she was about to say.
Although I don't know what he's doing, I can't just spoil his fun, can I?
So she tentatively asked, "Um... wild fruit?"
She really just guessed randomly.
Since no range has been given, it's almost impossible to guess.
Jiang Zhihe smiled, leaned slightly closer to the girl, and opened his palm at the same time: "Ta-da!"
In his palm were several pieces of candied fruit lined with oiled paper.
The candied fruit is coated with a layer of white icing sugar, making it look very tempting.
"It's candied fruit!"
Gu Xiaozhu was a little stunned, but still subconsciously said, "Ah, then I guessed wrong."
Jiang Zhihe looked up at Gu Xiaozhu in front of him.
Her long, soft, apricot-colored hair was draped obediently over her shoulders, and her bright almond-shaped eyes were still somewhat bewildered, as if she hadn't yet realized what had happened.
The girl looked down at his palm. Her fair hands were still clutching the blanket, as if it were the source of her sense of security.
……so cute.
Jiang Zhihe felt his heart pounding wildly, and he even had an urge to press his hand against his chest to prevent his heart from jumping out.
...However, he still held back.
However, the expression on his face would still soften unconsciously, and his eyes and brows would be full of an irrepressible smile.
"Can I put my hand out?" Jiang Zhihe asked, suppressing a laugh.
Gu Xiaozhu did as instructed, somewhat bewildered.
Then, a weight that was neither too light nor too heavy appeared in his hands.
Her gaze refocused, looking at her palm.
It's candied fruit.
Jiang Zhihe placed the candied fruit in his hand into her palm.
She looked at the boy with some confusion, but when she met his smiling eyes, she couldn't help but be taken aback.
Why does he look so happy?
"It's okay if you guessed wrong! These are still yours!"
The boy's clear voice, filled with joy and laughter, rang in her ears.
He paused, then added cautiously, "Well... consider it an apology."
"Can...you forgive me?"
Gu Xiaozhu looked at the candied fruit in her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly. After a moment, she suddenly smiled.
Her eyes curved upwards, as if something had vanished from them, revealing a softness and a smile: "Of course."
"Well... to be honest, I've never blamed you."
She understands that in a moment of urgency, one cannot attend to everything.
Hearing this, Jiang Zhihe finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking at him, a thought inexplicably popped into Gu Xiaozhu's mind:
His every move was as if he were treating a child.
It involved riddles and candied fruit...
But as soon as the thought popped into her head, she quickly dismissed it.
No, no!
This was clearly our first... no, to be more precise, our second meeting.
Why is Jiang Zhihe... so... affectionate towards me?
Although she was reluctant to admit it, the only word she could think of right now was "intimate" to describe the current situation.
She was just a mortal without spiritual roots, while Jiang Zhihe was a once-in-a-century prodigy in the cultivation world in the original story. There shouldn't be anything about her that he would covet.
At this moment, the system, which had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
【Um… host, is there something you've forgotten?】
Gu Xiaozhu was taken aback.
Did you forget something?
[Before you passed out, this kid said something to you.]
[Oh, it's that line, "Girl, do you believe in love at first sight?"]
Gu Xiaozhu: "..."
Just then, Jiang Zhihe across from them spoke up: "Oh right, do you remember what I told you before?"
He looked into Gu Xiaozhu's eyes, his gaze full of sincerity: "I'm telling you the truth, without the slightest bit of pretense."
Gu Xiaozhu's mind was in a bit of a mess.
Wait, what does that mean?
What's the truth?
What is without the slightest bit of pretense?
"Oh right, maybe you didn't hear me clearly at the time?"
"My name is Jiang Zhihe, what's yours?"
Gu Xiaozhu's mind was still in a state of confusion, but she still subconsciously said, "My name is Gu Xiaozhu."
Jiang Zhihe's eyes lit up slightly, and he continued with a smile, "Then may I call you Xiaozhu?"
Gu Xiaozhu: "Huh? Okay... wait, what?"
But the moment the words left his mouth, the boy's eyes lit up, as if he had received permission, and he spoke even more enthusiastically:
"That's great! By the way, since I'm calling you that, you can call me whatever you want!"
"I don't mind names like Zhihe, Jiangjiang, or Ahe!"
"Oh, right! And this too! Here you go."
As he spoke, he lowered his head, took off the jade pendant from his waist, and placed it in the girl's other empty hand.
The jade pendant is white in color, with auspicious cloud patterns carved in it, and butterflies can be vaguely seen leaping among them.
The moment she held it, she could still feel the lingering warmth of the boy on the jade pendant.
“I am the young master of the Hehuan Sect, so this jade pendant is actually a symbol of my identity. Seeing this jade pendant means seeing the young master himself.”
Gu Xiaozhu's hand holding the jade pendant trembled almost imperceptibly.
But Jiang Zhihe seemed oblivious and continued talking non-stop: "Moreover, it contains three sword intents of my father at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. With it, you won't have to worry about encountering danger!"
Gu Xiaozhu's hand trembled again.
Her face was contorted with emotion, and her voice was hoarse: "This...isn't it too valuable? I can't accept it."
It was more than just valuable; she even felt unworthy of it.
To everyone's surprise, Jiang Zhihe's expression turned serious, and he asked earnestly, "Why can't you have it?"
Gu Xiaozhu was stunned: "Why...why can I accept this?"
Jiang Zhihe: "Of course it's because I like you!"
"You're the person I like, so isn't it only right that I give you this jade pendant?"
Gu Xiaozhu: "???"
For a fleeting moment.
She felt like her brain had shut down.
Jiang Zhihe's face was full of self-righteousness. Seeing that the girl in front of him was still in a daze, he continued to speak:
"If you didn't hear me clearly, I can say it again."
"Xiaozhu, I like you, I really, really like you!"
"This is the truth, without a trace of pretense!"
"If you don't understand, I can repeat it several more times~"
"Xiaozhu, I like you, I really like you... um."
Jiang Zhihe blinked, his gaze shifting slightly downwards, and he saw a pair of hands covering his mouth.
His body froze instantly, and the tips of his ears began to burn.
But he remained outwardly calm, still trying to appear composed.
The girl in front of him had put down what she was holding at some point. She lowered her head, her shoulders still trembling slightly. Her outstretched hands, unusually forceful, covered the boy's mouth, choking him with his words.
Jiang Zhihe did not resist. Instead, he sat there quietly, letting those hands cover his mouth, and looked at the girl in front of him with a puzzled expression through his slightly narrow eyes.
"No, there's no need to say anymore..."
Her voice trembled slightly, and she raised her head slightly, revealing a face that was already flushed.
When her gaze fell upon the hand she had used to cover the boy's mouth, she quickly withdrew it as if burned.
"Um... I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to..."
Seeing Gu Xiaozhu's helpless expression, Jiang Zhihe smiled, but his voice was a little hoarse: "...You don't need to apologize, I don't care about these things."
Gu Xiaozhu hurriedly took out the jade pendant and handed it to the person in front of her: "I'm sorry, but I still can't accept it."
She hesitated for a long time before cautiously speaking, "Um... although you said you like... like me, but..."
“I know you don’t like me,” Jiang Zhihe suddenly said.
He looked at Gu Xiaozhu and suddenly smiled: "After all, for you, we've only met twice, haven't we?"
He glanced at the jade pendant that was handed to him, and after a moment, he reached out and took it back.
"I'm telling you this simply because I want you to know how I feel, nothing more."
"Whether you like me or not is your own freedom. The choice is yours, not mine."
As he spoke, he shook the jade pendant in his hand, his eyes crinkling into a smile: "If this jade pendant bothers you, I will take it back."
"but……"
He changed the subject, and as if by magic, another red lucky charm appeared in his hand.
Its surface is embroidered with golden auspicious cloud patterns, and in the very center, the four characters "Peace and Joy" are embroidered in black silk thread.
Jiang Zhihe waved the peace charm in his hand, his smile turning sly: "You'll accept this peace charm, won't you?"
Looking at the smile on the boy's face, Gu Xiaozhu always had the feeling that she had fallen into a trap.
Seeing that Gu Xiaozhu did not answer, Jiang Zhihe put on a pitiful look again: "Please, please~ just think of it as...making friends, how about it?"
Gu Xiaozhu remained silent for a while, but finally reached out and accepted the blessing.
"Thanks……"
She whispered.
Seeing this, Jiang Zhihe revealed a satisfied smile.
He stood up, picked up the candied fruit that had fallen on the quilt, and placed it back on the oiled paper on the wooden table next to the bed.
"Then I won't bother you anymore, you should get some rest."
After saying that, he paused, then added, "Oh, and I hope you can consider Fellow Daoist Wu's suggestion. It's true that the sooner the poison in your body is cleared, the better."
"If you've made up your mind, you can find me by the big tree outside the door. I'll always be there."
After saying that, he smiled at Gu Xiaozhu and then left the house.
… …
Wu Jiangxue was waiting under a tree not far outside the house, holding a communication jade pendant that emitted a faint light in her hand.
She had just finished talking with her master when she saw Jiang Zhihe walking out of the house, looking lost in thought.
She turned off the communication jade pendant and looked at Jiang Zhihe, who was walking towards her: "Have you finished talking?"
Jiang Zhihe remained serious and did not answer immediately.
After a long pause, he looked at Wu Jiangxue and asked, "Do you know?"
Wu Jiangxue: "What?"
Jiang Zhihe: "She just touched me on her own initiative!"
Wu Jiangxue: "..."
Are you sick in the head?
She held back for a long time before finally lowering her throbbing fist.
"Be serious!" She took a deep breath, her expression becoming increasingly serious: "Miss Gu's body... is very strange."
Seeing Jiang Zhihe turn her gaze towards her, she continued, "Miss Gu is a mortal, that's beyond doubt. But... she possesses an extremely large amount of spiritual power that shouldn't exist within her."
"This immense spiritual energy, which startled even me, flowed through her flesh and blood. Instead of bursting her body, it remained obediently dormant."
"This is illogical."
"That's why the toxins that could instantly kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator only kept her unconscious for two hours. And the remaining toxins, combined with my wood-attribute spiritual power, will allow her to move freely for seven days."
After speaking, she looked up at the boy in front of her, whose expression remained unchanged and whose face still wore a smile, a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
Jiang Zhihe blinked innocently when he saw Wu Jiangxue's gaze: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Wu Jiangxue's gaze gradually darkened as if she had thought of something: "You knew all along."
"Since that's the case, you must also know—"
"Miss Gu is now equivalent to a top-grade spiritual herb or a top-grade elixir."
Her eyes were fixed on the boy in front of her, as if trying to see through his true thoughts.
She parted her lips slightly and said, word by word:
"Eating it can break through your cultivation level..."
"...Even more so, one can ascend to heaven."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com