Chapter 71 Itch, what am I to you?
The lingering meaning in those words, like a finely woven spiderweb, enveloped her.
The nightmare completely collapsed and dissipated, and a gentle breeze swept through the temple courtyard, yet Yan Jin suddenly felt a pang of unease. She didn't answer again; a wise woman always knows how to feign ignorance at the right moment, without being taught.
Yan Jin suddenly felt a pang of regret. Why hadn't she kept the umbrella for herself?
The drizzling rain made it impossible for her to open her eyes.
Those words echoed intermittently in her heart. She clenched her hands, afraid that her heartstrings would snap suddenly during those abrupt stops.
Lu Xiaofeng's gaze fell on her trembling eyelashes, and a long-lost bitterness finally welled up inside him.
It turns out there are mysteries that even Lu Xiaofeng couldn't solve.
He only now realized that silence was such a soft knife. A few moments of silence were enough to leave him so disoriented and dejected.
His heart sank, plunging into the deep sea, where the atmosphere would be too gloomy without the vibrant smoky pink skirt.
When you hold her hair, why can't you also hold her heart and soul?
Lu Xiaofeng looked dejectedly at the hairpin in her hair and silently thought, "Let it ring one more time. I'm willing to give anything for it."
A soft tinkling sound reached his ears, and his eyes lit up. He quickly looked up and saw a ghostly creature, resembling a mosquito, climbing up the hairpin into Yan Jin's hair.
Lu Xiaofeng's pupils contracted, and his palm swept out, shouting, "Watch out!"
The force, accompanied by a strong wind, rushed towards Lu Xiaofeng. The ghostly creature suddenly flapped its wings and pounced towards him.
Its speed was as fast as lightning, and it flew into his sight in an instant.
A foreign object got into his eye, and Lu Xiaofeng suddenly closed his eyes.
A sharp, needle-like pain shot through my eyes. A thick film had formed in my left eye, and the ghostly creature kept trying to burrow into my pupil. Hot tears, mixed with traces of blood, uncontrollably spilled from my eye socket.
His vision was already blurry, and he could only endure the pain and ask in a panic, "Jinjin, are you alright?"
His frantic and urgent inquiries finally received a response, but what he got in return was a short sword.
The fragrant hidden dagger pierced his left eye, blood gushing from the socket, sliding down his cheek, dripping onto the barren ground, drop by drop... drop by drop... melting a large hole in his heart, completely penetrating it.
The action of fixing his gaze on something was swift and decisive, like a butcher slaughtering a fresh fish on a chopping board.
He was just a fresh fish on her chopping board.
Lu Xiaofeng gritted his teeth, enduring the cold pain all over his body, and trembled as he wiped the tears from his right eye.
His knuckles turned white from rubbing too hard, and he rubbed his eyes vigorously until they were red and swollen, as if he were rubbing off a layer of skin.
Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, her right eye met those fox-like eyes. She remained unmoved, showing no extra pity or hesitation, merely observing from a distance, a stark contrast to the sweetness she had felt in the nightmare realm. Lu Xiaofeng even wondered if this was a new layer of nightmare.
The hidden sword that had pierced her left eye suddenly melted away. Lu Xiaofeng looked at her and for the first time felt an overwhelming urge to escape.
Run away, run as far away as possible.
It's too cold here.
He fled in panic, practically tumbling and crawling away from the dark temple.
Throughout his life, Lu Xiaofeng fled in disarray many times. In the past, it was always others who came to him for help, and he would run away because he was afraid of getting into trouble.
This was the only time he felt he could survive by running away.
Blood splattered in the air, and Yan Jin stared blankly at his retreating figure, the words she hadn't uttered remaining unspoken.
After a long while, she tentatively wiped away a few drops of blood from her face.
Thick and scalding hot, burning red, and thick and murky.
As she looked at it, she suddenly wiped the drop of blood off her fingertip hard, as if she had seen something extremely disgusting and something she absolutely did not want to face.
She told herself it was because the color was too dark and too thick.
Such a bold red is too unrestrained; how can it compare to the wavering pink? The fox spirit is a seductive demon born of desire; why should desire become entangled with love?
Of all the millions of people in the world, only the pair of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai could transform into butterflies. So many people are entangled in love and affection for half their lives, yet the resulting wine of wisdom is bitter and painful.
Moreover, we are all cold-hearted, destined to indulge in sensual pleasures and live a life of indifference.
She knows best how to talk about love with a philanderer.
She knew best that they were the same kind of people.
Yan Jin straightened up, exhaled the stale air from his mouth, and turned around to descend the mountain from another direction.
Lu Xiaofeng was desperately leaping and bounding through the mountains, wanting to go down to a place with people, a lively place. Whenever he was in a bad mood, looking at those lovely people would cheer him up.
He was eager to force himself to drink this bowl of medicine in order to soothe the pain in his heart.
He has always been very lucky. Today, a flower market and temple fair is being held in the small town at the foot of the mountain. This fair is organized by the townspeople for the Twelve Flower Goddess Temple in Hexi Town.
A stage was erected at the narrow street corner, where a performance was being held to celebrate the Goddess of Flowers. A crowd gathered below, their eyes burning with pure joy and hope.
The warmth and vibrancy of everyday life washed over him, and he suddenly felt so good, so very good.
Lu Xiaofeng stumbled into the market, his body covered in crimson blood, which rubbed against him like rust, but he no longer cared.
In this peaceful and remote town, even the bloody battles of the martial arts world rarely reached him. At the temple fair, passersby were terrified when they saw his bloodied eyes and covered in blood.
Fear, disgust, incomprehension, curiosity, and worry—good and evil intertwined—yet he remained completely oblivious to these gazes.
He wandered around the bustling temple fair like a shadow, trying to absorb the vitality of the people to make his own medicine.
He felt less and less of the stinging pain in his left eye, and the sense of loss and pain in his heart had already surpassed that.
Why is he still a solitary will-o'-the-wisp?
After walking for an unknown amount of time, his faltering steps finally came to a stop.
A long, thin, dark shadow fell to the ground, all alone. He hid behind a pile of lanterns, his remaining right eye silently fixed on the person before him.
A faint fragrance wafted to the tip of her nose. Yan Jin suddenly turned around and saw a person passing by wearing a moon-white brocade robe. His back was slender and graceful, and even as he walked through the bustling city, his steps were still very slow.
Yan Jin released his hand, lowered his eyes, and suddenly said, "Young master, please wait."
The man paused, then quickly turned around, smiling, and said, "Was the young lady calling me?"
A gentle smile played on his lips, his eyes were warm and jade-like, and he exuded elegance. Just one glance from him felt like a spring breeze caressing one's face.
This man was handsome and refined, with a gentle and courteous manner, yet his gaze was sincere and kind. In an instant, Yan Jin thought of smooth and delicate jade.
As he approached, she took out an orchid from her sleeve and said with a smile, "A gentleman is like an orchid, so I present this orchid to you, sir."
Hua Manlou was taken aback, took the flower branch, and slowly said, "I am deeply grateful for the orchid gift from you, Miss. I am just a blind man."
He was still smiling, his expression still so pleasant and calm, with only a slight wrinkle on the tip of his nose.
He had smelled that scent before, and the memory was still very vivid.
This was truly strange. Just as he was about to ask aloud, he heard Yan Jin say softly, "Young master, you may be blind in your eyes, but not in your heart."
As soon as she said those words, she paused, then frowned.
Yan Jin subconsciously bit her lip, trying to suppress the previous sentence, and said softly, "Although you are blind, there are still flowers in the world. Young master is no ordinary person, and my orchid is no ordinary one either. Why don't you smell it?"
Hua Manlou gently touched the petals, feeling the silky smooth texture of the flower. If this orchid were to bloom in the spring breeze, its vitality would surely be even more beautiful.
Before he could hear it clearly, a man's voice suddenly came from not far away.
"Let me smell it too," the voice rang out coldly, like jade shattering.
"Lu Xiaofeng!" Hua Manlou called out softly, his voice filled with worry. He knew Lu Xiaofeng too well; how could he not sense that something was wrong with him?
Yan Jin's heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head as if drawn by a thread.
He stood under the lamp, not like a human being, but only like the reflection of a lantern. His green robe was stained with blood and dust, making him look quite disheveled.
Dark red blood clots clung to his unruly, handsome face, dripping from his eyes like tears.
Their eyes met silently for a moment, and his gaze held an immeasurable coldness and sorrow.
Yan Jin turned her face away, enduring the dampness and stuffiness in her chest, and refused to look at him. Her mind felt like a thousand different noises were playing out simultaneously; it was so noisy.
She frowned and endured it, remaining silent.
The wind carried the smell of blood, and Hua Manlou asked anxiously, "Lu Xiaofeng, where are you injured?"
How many people in this world could possibly harm Lu Xiaofeng? The situation must have been extremely serious for him to be injured.
Lu Xiaofeng sighed and said calmly, "Hua Manlou, I'm fine. If I had to say something's wrong, it's probably because you're too handsome."
Hua Manlou was silent for a moment, and after a long while, he said, "I'll be waiting for you in the small building."
After he finished speaking, he walked away unhurriedly, but a hint of unspeakable worry was hidden on his calm face.
Lu Xiaofeng walked towards Yanjin, the sparks in his eyes long since extinguished, leaving only a dark shadow.
He stared intently at those drooping fox eyes, and a sudden pang of sadness welled up in his nose. Why wouldn't you look at me?
Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but grab her chin, his voice choked as he coldly asked, "What am I to you, really?"
His voice trembled; Lu Xiaofeng had never imagined that he would utter such humble words.
According to his previous thinking, what was the point of asking such a question? Whether it was a man or a woman, saying such a thing was tantamount to admitting that they had lost completely.
But now, he is no longer able to weigh the pros and cons or understand people's hearts. He can only use the most primitive method, helplessly trying to express himself with this question—love me.
Yanjin, my heart has long been yearning for you.
Can your gaze linger only on me?
His gaze almost melted her, but Yan Jin suddenly pushed his hand away and gasped, "It was just a fleeting moment of pleasure."
A slight tingling sensation in her wrist made her shrink back, as if afraid he would say something else she couldn't handle. Yan Jin suddenly looked up and said, "Aren't we the same kind of people? Why are you talking about love?"
The one who once wanted his heart and soul was clearly herself.
But of course she was unwilling to admit that she was cowardly.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the indescribable itch, and said coldly, "It's just wishful thinking on your part."
Her eyes and brows were still adorned with heavy, vibrant makeup, yet Lu Xiaofeng felt a profound emptiness within her. She was like a sheet of paper unwilling to be stained with ink; he opened the envelope, only to find it forever empty.
He was empty-handed.
He gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile, his clothes fluttering, and only a muttered self-talk echoed in the air.
"I thought we were in love."
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Author's Note: Protect our eyeballs~ The eyeballs are safe!! Little chick, promise me you won't wear green anymore!
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