pertwk Page 28
Page 28
"I've come to find you." Mu Qinghan took a step forward, her voice clear and firm.
These four words struck Ya Ya like a thunderclap, and her fox ears stood up straight.
Her cheeks were so red they looked like they could bleed. She turned her face away, but couldn't help stealing glances at him out of the corner of her eye: "W-what? What...why did you look for me?"
"Didn't you say... we have nothing to do with each other?" Her voice softened, carrying a hint of barely perceptible grievance.
"I was ignorant back then!" Mu Qinghan hurriedly defended himself, his voice rising slightly before quickly lowering again, "But now I regret it... I want to get to know you better."
"Hmph, you think you can just back out like that? That won't do."
Ya Ya raised her chin, putting on an arrogant look, but her heart was pounding.
"You have to make it up to me. Take me to eat all the delicious food of your human race, like sugar paintings, osmanthus cakes, candied hawthorns... you have to buy them all!"
"Okay, I'll do whatever you say." Mu Qinghan nodded in agreement, her eyes overflowing with tenderness.
Ya Ya was overjoyed, but she still maintained her composure, stretching out her little hand with her fingertips slightly curled.
"Then take my hand first. The road from Tushan to the human world is long. What if those humans bully me?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Mu Qinghan reached out and took her small hand in his.
His palms were warm and dry, enveloping her slightly cool fingertips, conveying a reassuring strength.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here, no one can hurt you."
"Hmph, then I'll reluctantly believe you."
Ya Ya forced herself to remain calm and turned her face away so he wouldn't see her burning cheeks.
My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, as if it wanted to break free and jump out.
But the next moment, she suddenly felt the figure in front of her getting closer, and Mu Qinghan's face slowly came closer.
His breath grew closer, carrying a faint scent of ink, and his lips drew ever closer to hers.
Ya Ya's mind went blank for a moment, as if "buzzing" in her head.
No, no! This...this...
This is too fast!
We have to wait, we have to wait, at least until we're sure of our feelings, we have to wait... we have to wait until we're married!
She wanted to push him away and say "too fast," but her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't make a sound.
I could only watch helplessly as his face drew closer and closer, until I could clearly see the light and shadow on his eyelashes.
The moment those warm lips gently touched her, Ya Ya suddenly opened her eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the window and shone on her face as she lay in her bed, clutching a doll in her arms.
My heart was pounding and my cheeks were burning.
She was startled by the laughter of a little fox demon coming from outside the window. She paused for a moment before realizing what was happening.
It was all just a dream.
She smiled faintly, but then a deep sense of loss welled up inside her.
It was a tremendous disappointment…
If this isn't a dream...
If... he really does come looking for her...
..............................
An old friend enters my dream, showing me how much I miss him.
Chapter 36 Thoroughly
Mu Qinghan slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples with his fingertips.
He stared at the uneven rocks on the cave ceiling, his eyes filled with astonishment.
Is he...drunk to the point of unconsciousness?
This loss of composure... shouldn't be happening to him.
His gaze swept over the people lying haphazardly in the cave. Some were fast asleep with wine jars as pillows, while others were curled up in corners muttering to themselves, their faces still bearing lingering smiles.
A faint smile slowly spread across his tense lips.
Such uninhibited abandon is quite rare.
This seems like a good solution.
He slowly rose, moving very gently so as not to wake his sleeping companion.
Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in the rocks outside the cave, casting long patches of light on the ground.
The blinding light made him squint instinctively. After a while, he finally stepped out of the cave.
On the open ground at the cave entrance, a green shadow stood quietly.
The girl wore a light green silk dress, and her long, black hair was loosely tied up.
She was looking up at the warm sun slowly rising in the east, its golden rays shining on her and outlining her soft features.
"You're awake, Qinghan."
Aoki Hiromu's voice came through, trembling slightly.
Her voice trembled slightly at the end, revealing her barely concealed nervousness.
She didn't turn around; her gaze remained fixed on the rising sun.
It's as if only in this way can I muster enough courage to speak.
"Yes, I just woke up."
Mu Qinghan walked to her side, his gaze falling on the morning mist in the distance, his tone still as calm as ever.
"What are you trying to say to me? Your breathing is erratic."
Aoki Hime's breath hitched, then she gave a helpless, faint smile, her voice tinged with self-mockery: "As expected of you, nothing can be hidden from you."
She slowly turned around, her clear eyes meeting Mu Qinghan's gaze directly.
The boy's eyes were clear and bright, like the purest spring water in a mountain stream, without a trace of impurity or ripples.
Her calm demeanor... reflected her slightly uneasy appearance at that moment.
Aoki Hime's smile gradually turned bitter. She lowered her eyes slightly and gently twisted the hem of her skirt with her fingertips.
Sometimes, she really hoped that those clear eyes could ripple with a ripple for her, that her presence could ignite even a tiny bit of passion.
Even if it's just a fleeting fluctuation, that would be fine.
But the boy in front of her still had that calm and collected demeanor.
It was as if all her worries were just ordinary things in his eyes.
"You know what? Qinghan, when I first heard about our engagement, I was really angry."
“I felt like a tool being manipulated at will, without even the right to choose. At that time, I even felt that this marriage made me lose my dignity as a monk.”
She took a deep breath, slowly stepped forward, and stopped in front of Mu Qinghan.
The two were so close that she could smell the faint scent of pine and ink from his clothes. The morning breeze ruffled her hair and brushed against her cheek, causing a slight itch.
Mu Qinghan looked down at her, his eyes remaining calm.
He simply nodded slightly in response.
"But when I first saw you, everything was different."
Aoki Hiromu's voice softened, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.
"When I looked at you that day, my heart was beating so fast, it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest."
"Your appearance, talent, strength, and your open and honest manner are all fatally attractive to me."
"At that moment, I forgot all my previous displeasure and even felt a secret joy—it turns out that my fiancé is such a good person."
She stopped talking and looked at Mu Qinghan expectantly, but the boy remained standing still, his eyes showing no emotion.
It was as if she was recounting... just an ordinary past event that had nothing to do with her.
Aoki Hime's gaze dimmed slightly, but she still mustered the courage to continue speaking.
"The longer we spent together, the more certain I became that I might have really fallen in love with you. I even secretly imagined what it would be like to become your wife and accompany you in your cultivation and to see all the mountains and rivers."
"But you are so dazzling, like the stars in the sky, shining ever brighter, while I, standing beside you, seem so ordinary. I..."
Her voice choked, and before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Mu Qinghan's calm voice.
"Among your peers, you are all the most outstanding geniuses I have ever seen. In terms of the sophistication of your magic, no one can match you."
"You are very strong, not mediocre."
"Um... thank you, Qinghan."
Aoki Hime forced a smile, but there was no joy in her eyes.
"But how can I not feel inferior in front of you? I work hard to improve myself, to catch up with you, to become someone who is worthy of you."
"No matter how hard I try, the gap between us keeps widening until I can barely see your back anymore."
She looked up, her clear eyes filled with pleading. "I know you've never liked me."
"I'm not saying all this to force you to do anything. I just want to know if, in all these days, you've ever had even a fleeting, different feeling towards me?"
"It's that feeling... where your heart races, and you want to take another look?"
The air seemed to freeze for a moment, and the morning breeze rustled through the trees.
"No." Mu Qinghan's answer was crisp and calm, without the slightest hesitation or euphemism.
"Ah...that's it."
Aoki Hime stared at him blankly for a few seconds before managing a self-deprecating smile.
A wave of disappointment washed over her, extinguishing even the light in her eyes. "Yes, I should have thought of that sooner."