Chapter 3: It was his scent.
Sang Ying had prepared an explanation for this question long ago, but when she was suddenly asked it, she was caught off guard and her mind went blank.
"Well..." she hesitated for a moment, then suddenly had an idea when she caught sight of his sword, "I came to see Xu Baishen."
The young man paused slightly. He was taking out the cool white ointment and opening it. With his head down and eyelashes lowered, he naturally didn't see the girl's unnatural expression.
Dipping her fingertip in the ointment, Xie Lingyu wrapped one arm around the girl's slender, white ankle, lifted it slightly, and rubbed the ointment onto it with her fingertips. After a few seconds, she spoke, seemingly casually, her voice calm and clear.
"What brings you here, junior sister?"
His ankles were itchy, and his palms were warm; years of sword practice had left a thin layer of calluses on his fingertips and the base of his thumb.
My dry fingertips loosely circled my ankle and rubbed it, and an itch spread through me.
Sang Ying was extremely ticklish, so she endured the strange sensation, her fingers clenching the dress under her cloak, and replied easily: "Recently, there have been rumors in the cultivation world that Xu Baishen, the son of the Grand Elder of the Wuwen Sect, has received the elder's true teachings and has already reached the peak of the Golden Core stage at the age of no more than thirty. He is truly a genius created by heaven."
"Compared to the previous sect leader, who was a useless sickly fellow who hadn't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he is more suitable to inherit the position of sect leader."
Xie Lingyu suddenly raised her eyes, her calm, dark eyes looking over.
Sang Ying's eyebrows curved slightly as she smiled, her beauty as radiant as a red rose. "However, after seeing him today, it seems the rumors are not true. You are ten years younger than him, yet he can't even beat you. How can he compete with me for the position of sect leader?"
Xie Lingyu gave a soft "hmm," lowered her head, and closed the medicine box. "What did Junior Sister want to say just now?"
With her gaze withdrawn from the empty sword hilt, Sang Ying stopped smiling, turned her face away, and looked at the darkening snowy sky in the distance.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to say I'm sleepy and want to go back."
The young man said calmly, "Okay."
A pale blue sword light flowed out, and Xie Lingyu stood on the sword light, reaching out her hand to Sang Ying.
Looking at the well-defined knuckles in front of her, Sang Ying hesitated. There was only so much space on the sword, and if the two of them were to travel together on their swords, they would inevitably have to stand very close.
Her feet hurt and she couldn't stand steadily. It didn't matter if she was with Leng Mian; he could support her if she stumbled. But with Xie Lingyu... what if she stumbled and fell on him? Would he think she did it on purpose?
"Junior sister?"
Sang Ying shook off the jumbled thoughts in her mind. It took Leng Mian a quarter of an hour to bring her here, Xie Lingyu would definitely be faster, it would only be a quarter of an hour, she could just bear with it!
Thinking this, Sang Ying placed her hand in his palm.
The young man slightly closed his knuckles, his long, dry, and warm fingers enveloping hers. With a slight pull, Sang Ying stood atop the sword light.
Once she had regained her footing, the hand released her at just the right moment. Sang Ying felt a chill on her fingertips, followed by a feeling of emptiness.
The young man stood with his back to her. Sang Ying buried her face in the fox fur, lowered her head, and awkwardly rubbed her fingertips together.
She was puzzled. They had held hands before and had even closer physical contact, so why did she feel something was off now?
Sang Ying fluttered her eyelashes. She had been weak since childhood, and her father made her attend classes and practice with her senior brothers to improve her physique.
But she was really weak and lazy. She would lose all her strength and feel sleepy after practicing for less than 15 minutes. She could only walk down the mountain by herself every day. She always needed someone to carry her back up the mountain.
Of the three senior brothers, the eldest is gentle but principled and won't let her slack off. The second senior brother is a free-spirited and unrestrained playboy who goes out to fool around after class and disappears without a trace.
So she always made Xie Lingyu carry her on his back.
At that time, the boy was already a quiet and reserved person who didn't like to talk. In Sang Ying's eyes, he was easy to bully.
She jumped behind him, hooked her arms around his neck, and threatened him not to tell his father. He then silently carried her up the mountain, day after day.
The lingering sunlight on the horizon momentarily dazzled Sang Ying, bringing her back to her senses and making her realize that this had happened a long time ago.
They haven't had anything like this since they got married three years ago.
Sang Ying's ankles were aching from standing for so long, and even after applying ointment, they weren't getting better quickly. She pursed her lips, about to move, when the young man in front of her suddenly sat down.
...Who's some kind soul who flies around on a sword?
Sang Ying muttered to herself, then pulled at her skirt and sat down. After all, standing alone would look too awkward.
The space was already cramped, so the two of them inevitably had to sit close together. Sang Ying turned around and sat back to back with him.
Unlike her, the young man's back was warm, and the warmth came through the cloak, slowly warming up Sang Ying's cold hands and feet.
Rubbing her nose, which had come back to life, Sang Ying was slightly taken aback. The calming and tranquil scent of sandalwood filled her nostrils. It was his scent.
Neither of them spoke.
The scenery flowed past in reverse, and she sat quietly for half an hour. When the sky completely darkened, Sang Ying, who was feeling drowsy, realized that something seemed amiss.
"Xie Lingyu, how much longer until we get home?"
Perhaps it was because of the darkness of night, but the young man's voice behind him sounded somewhat low and somber, "It will be a while longer."
Sang Ying realized something was wrong. It should only take Leng Mian a quarter of an hour to get to her, but he had taken half an hour and still hadn't arrived.
Then, recalling him sitting on the sword light and his slightly hoarse voice just now... Sang Ying suddenly understood.
"Xie Lingyu, were you injured in today's competition?"
The air was still for a few seconds.
The young man paused, then said, "No."
With all the evidence laid out before her, Sang Ying completely disbelieved him. She tapped the sword beneath her with her knuckles and asked, "Luo Qing, is your master injured?"
The pale blue sword flashed, and a childish voice came out, sounding somewhat sad, and sighed softly: "Just now, Master suffered a very serious injury... um!"
The voice of the Fallen Azure Sword Spirit was abruptly and ruthlessly cut off.
The young man coldly closed his eyes, his voice indifferent: "Don't listen to its nonsense."
Sang Ying understood the meaning of what Luo Qing Sword Spirit hadn't finished saying: Xie Lingyu had indeed suffered serious injuries in the competition.
But judging from Xie Lingyu's expression, she clearly didn't want to say more, or perhaps... it should be said that she felt Xie Lingyu had overstepped her bounds and was meddling in other people's business.
Sang Ying was very familiar with this kind of talk. When irrelevant people asked her about her affairs, she would impatiently brush them off.
Sang Ying felt a surge of annoyance and didn't want to talk to him anymore. Since he said there was nothing wrong, why should she presume to care and go out of her way to show concern?
Sang Ying buried her face in the fluffy white fox fur and angrily closed her eyes to rest.
The girl behind him quieted down.
Perhaps it was the approaching dusk, or perhaps she had exhausted herself going out today, but soon her breathing became lighter and slower. Her body, which had been tense and not close to him, relaxed and she leaned softly against his back.
She fell asleep.
With a flash of sword light, they arrived at the courtyard pavilion.
Xie Lingyu turned around, and the girl, having lost her support, was about to fall backward. He raised his hand, gently caught her, and carried her into the courtyard.
The cold-faced man, who had already returned, stood in the corner beside the crabapple blossoms, holding his sword, looking at the two of them expressionlessly without saying a word.
The maid Jingxi, being sensible, did not go to disturb them, and watched as Xie Lingyu carried the girl through the flower corridor and into the room.
Jingxi smiled and said, "How was the delivery of the sword tassel today? Judging from this, Madam and Sword Lord have made up, haven't they?"
"Oh dear, the moon is so beautiful tonight. The two of you must have been looking at the moon so late. As the saying goes, a romantic night under the moon, a long spring night..."
He gave her a cold look and said, "Then you are underestimating the young lady too much."
As soon as he finished speaking, the aloof young man in white walked out of the room, closed the door, and returned to his usual residence in the side courtyard.
With a cold expression, he said calmly, "See that? The hilt of the sword is empty."
Jingxi asked in surprise, "Didn't Madam send it?"
Lengmian turned and walked towards his room, a hint of pride in his calm tone: "Of course."
Jingxi: "..." No, what's so great about that?
...
In the middle of the night, Sang Ying woke up groggily. Her consciousness was hazy for a moment, but when she remembered that Xie Lingyu was still beside her, she suddenly became clear-headed.
She opened her eyes abruptly and saw the familiar sheer bed curtains; it was her room.
The room was as cold and deserted as ever, with only her there.
Sang Ying remained quiet for a few moments, then parted the bed curtains and sat up. She saw a jade box on the table, picked it up, and opened it. As expected, it contained a pill.
She is frail and has been taking various herbal decoctions since childhood; even now, she needs a bowl of herbal medicine every day.
Since their marriage three years ago, Xie Lingyu has often had Jingxi bring her nourishing pills, and this one was clearly one of them.
There was another item in the box. Sang Ying picked it up and saw that it was a glass mirror.
...Xie Lingyu's glass mirror? Was it mistakenly placed inside? Sang Ying opened it curiously, only to find some strange chat.
White Cat Swordsman: [Mimi has run away from home again! Fellow cultivators, has anyone seen any trace of Mimi?]
Delivery God: [What does it look like? When I delivered an order in Yaochi, I saw a tabby cat that had been dyed white, cursing while taking a bath. After I finished delivering it, it...]
White Cat Swordsman: [What's wrong?]
White Cat Swordsman: [Hey hey hey? Where are you, Celestial Venerable? Is Mimi alright?!]
Tianhu Jushi: [Fellow Daoist White Cat, don't panic. The delivery person is probably going to be late. I'll get back to you after I finish the delivery.]
Delivery Master: [I'm back]
Delivery Master: [That cat kept cursing and swearing for a while, calling it a bastard. A fairy saw it couldn't rub its back and helped it. When I came back after delivering the food, it...]
White Cat Swordsman: [What?]
White Cat Swordsman: […Heavenly Venerable, next time stop with the nonsense and get straight to the point!]
Tianhu Jushi: [Fellow Daoist White Cat, don't be anxious. Relax and take everything lightly. It's like fishing; the more you rush, the less you'll succeed.]
Master Bukong: [Sharing a photo (a 33-jin (approximately 16.5 kg) plump and spirited carp)]
Tianhu Jushi: [Fake]
Tianhu Jushi: [It's obviously fake; where could there be such plump carp and spotted fish?]
Tianhu Jushi: [Fellow Daoist, please delete the photos. I don't really care, I don't feel anything about it, but a friend of mine is sweating a lot. He's not feeling well and wants to sleep. Of course, it's not me, but I just want to be considerate of my friend's feelings, so I still suggest deleting them.]
Sang Ying watched these people chat, and before she knew it, she was engrossed in it and couldn't help but laugh out loud. These people were quite interesting.
However, she also discovered something: the glass mirror did not belong to Xie Lingyu, but to a cultivator in the group named [Bixu Zhenren].
Why is the glass mirror of the True Person Bixu in her medicine box?
Sang Ying was about to ask his contact when she saw a new message in the group chat.
Master of Caixia Cave: [I'm so angry! I went with a friend to catch her cheating today, only to find out the other woman was a man! And a man who already had a partner!]
With just one sentence, Sang Ying was remembered.
She continued watching and enjoyed the fresh, hot melon.
The friend of the Master of Caixia Cave had been married for two years but had never consummated the marriage. One day, the friend noticed a mark on his partner's clothes and became suspicious. So, he deliberately plotted to have the Master of Caixia Cave catch him in the act, only to discover that the man was a third party.
Coincidentally, the male mistress's partner also came to catch them in the act, and the two sides just happened to bump into each other.
Master of Caixia Cave: [I knew it! Two years of marriage without sleeping together definitely indicates a problem!]
The group members all agreed and joined together to condemn the two male cultivators.
Sang Ying rested her chin on her hand and looked at it, her little face puffing up a little.
Does "同房" mean sleeping together in the same room?
Her thoughts drifted, and she began to daydream.
Yes, I heard that after marriage, the couple should sleep on the same bed. But she and Xie Lingyu have been married for three years, and they only slept together on their wedding night. In the past three years, Xie Lingyu has lived in the side courtyard.
The glass mirror suddenly started vibrating incessantly. Sang Ying snapped out of her daze and saw that everyone in the group was shocked by something and sending messages.
White Cat Swordsman: [Holy crap, this is an earth-shattering revelation!]
Tianhu Jushi: [Old Man Bixu, when did you secretly get married?! Is this what they mean by "silent until the moment of truth"?]
Master of Rainbow Cloud Cave: [Wait, husband... Holy crap, the old man is really unpredictable! I never knew he had this kind of fetish.]
Bixu Boy: [Master, you...]
Sang Ying wondered what had suddenly happened, and quickly swiped her finger upwards to see the cause of the storm.
A person using the name "Bixu Zhenren" posted the following message:
What does it mean if the husband has been sleeping in a separate room for three years after marriage?
Sang Ying: ?
Wait, what did she post?
A fraction of a second later, Sang Ying realized what was happening and her ears burned. As if she had grabbed a hot potato, she frantically threw the glass mirror out of her hand.
The glass mirror rolled twice on the ground before hitting something and stopping.
"What is Junior Sister doing?"
Sang Ying was startled by the sound and suddenly looked up to see the person she had just been thinking about standing at the door. Moonlight streamed down from behind the young man in white, clear and cool like jade.
What is he doing here?!
No, what's more important now is—
The glass mirror rolled to his feet, and the young man lowered his eyes and reached out to pick it up.
"Bang—!"
The moonlight shone slowly and softly at the doorway.
Before her brain could even process it, Sang Ying's body had already acted, rushing over to snatch the glass mirror back from Xie Lingyu's hands.
Thank goodness, I got it back; he didn't see it.
She breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked up, only to find the young man's face so close that she could smell the cool and calming sandalwood scent emanating from him.
At that moment, Xie Lingyu bumped his back against the door, while she sat between his legs, one hand on his shoulder and the other clutching the glass mirror.
He looked at her, his usually calm, dark eyes showing a hint of surprise.
Sang Ying belatedly realized that she seemed to be...
He tackled Xie Lingyu to the ground?!
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