Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

The night was deep, the sea was black, and the sky was black.

A soft yet concentrated white light, like an eye awake alone in the night, hangs faintly above a dark reef.

Upon closer inspection, it was a plain lantern held by Youji. The light was not large, just enough to cover a small patch of flat rocks below. The rocks were smooth from being washed by the sea and had a damp, cold, dark color.

Biyao landed first, her water-green skirt brushing against the reef.

She turned around, and Youji, carrying a lantern, gestured with her other hand, causing Jiang Xiaochuan, who was tightly bound by the black rope and floating to the side, to slowly land on the reef. He was unsteady and swayed.

The sea breeze was strong, carrying a biting salty and damp feel, and it blew fiercely.

Biyao's hair and dress were blown backward by the wind. She walked up to Jiang Xiaochuan and stared at him.

Jiang Xiaochuan's mouth was still stuffed with that soft, light green cloth, making it bulge.

He looked at Biyao without moving, his eyes calm, even a little...dazed, as if he had resigned himself to his fate, or as if he was too lazy to react anymore.

Biyao looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly reached out, grabbed a corner of the fabric, and pulled it outwards.

"puff."

The fabric came off the opening, glistening with moisture.

Jiang Xiaochuan subconsciously let out a "ho" sound, taking a deep breath of the cold, salty air. He didn't speak, but simply moved his stiff cheeks, then closed his mouth and lowered his eyes to look at the dark rocks at his feet.

"Speak," Biyao said, her voice slightly distorted by the wind.

Jiang Xiaochuan remained silent, not even lifting his eyelids.

"I'll let you speak." Biyao took a step forward, almost touching him.

She looked up, and in the dim light of the lantern, she could see the stubble on his chin and his tightly pursed, pale lips.

He remained silent, like a stone.

Biyao's chest heaved slightly. She reached out, pinched Jiang Xiaochuan's cheek with her fingers, and used a little force to turn his face towards her, forcing him to look at her.

"Jiang Xiaochuan, are you mute?"

Jiang Xiaochuan turned his face following her force, looking at her, but his eyes were empty, unfocused, and devoid of emotion. After two seconds, he slowly turned his face away, turning to the endless black sea beside him.

Biyao tightened her grip on his cheek, her nails digging into his skin.

"Are you doing this on purpose? Are you trying to make me angry?"

Jiang Xiaochuan gave a soft "hmm" in his throat, admitting it.

Biyao was furious and pinched him harder, making his cheeks cave in.

"Can't you...can't you say something nice? Do you have to be like this?"

Jiang Xiaochuan finally turned his face to look at her. He tugged at the corners of his mouth, probably trying to make a smiling expression, but because his cheeks were being pinched, the curve looked a bit strange and mocking.

"What should I say? 'Miss Biyao, you're so good to me, tying me up and gag me'? Or should I say, 'This sea breeze feels so good, thank you for the treat'?"

His tone was flat, but every word was like a needle pricking Biyao's heart. Her fingers trembled slightly, and she slowly loosened her grip on his cheek, leaving several obvious red finger marks.

She stared at him, and her eyes suddenly reddened. It wasn't the kind of redness that comes with tears, but rather the kind that comes with extreme anger, grievance, and an inability to vent.

She suddenly raised her hand, as if to slap him, but stopped abruptly mid-air, her fingers curling into a fist.

After a few moments of stalemate, she suddenly stood on tiptoe and moved her face toward Jiang Xiaochuan's lips.

The movements were swift, brimming with a ruthless, reckless intensity.

The moment she leaned closer, Jiang Xiaochuan jerked his head back sharply, and at the same time, his waist twisted extremely awkwardly, as if he were bound like a rice dumpling, and he bent backward several degrees.

Biyao's lips brushed past his chin, touching only a bit of his hard, stubble-covered skin.

She missed her target, and her body lurched forward due to inertia. Jiang Xiaochuan stepped aside to let her stand up, and she turned around to glare at him, her eyes seeming to spit fire.

"Why are you hiding!" Her voice was sharper and trembling.

"You're not going to dodge my kiss?" Jiang Xiaochuan finally spoke again, his tone even more mocking. "I still have your 'fragrance' on my breath. If I kiss you again, I'm afraid it will mix with the scent."

Biyao was taken aback, not quite understanding: "What do you mean, 'mixed flavor'?"

Jiang Xiaochuan gestured with his chin toward Youji, who stood silently beside him like a shadow, a hint of reminiscence on his face. He smacked his lips, as if making a critique: "Speaking of which, the piece of material that Senior Youji gave me before... hmm, the taste seemed rather special. It was cool and had an indescribable fragrance. Tsk, it had more layers than yours, which was sweet and refreshing."

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence on the reef.

Only the sea breeze howled and the waves crashed.

Biyao's eyes widened little by little, as if she didn't understand, or as if she understood but couldn't believe it. She slowly, very slowly, turned her head to look at Youji, who was carrying a lantern to the side.

Yu Ji's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly as she gripped the lantern pole. Her face was still completely covered by the black veil, but her posture seemed a fraction stiffer than before, and the lantern's glow swayed slightly.

Jiang Xiaochuan seemed to realize he had misspoke, and quickly exclaimed "Ouch!" He plastered a fake smile on his face and said to Biyao, "Just kidding, just kidding! Miss Biyao, please don't take it seriously! I was so dazed from being stuffed with food that I couldn't tell what the scents were. It's all nonsense, just kidding!"

His explanation only made things worse; it caused Biyao's face to turn from red to white, and then from white to green.

She stared intently at Jiang Xiaochuan, then abruptly turned her head to glare at You Ji. Her chest heaved violently, her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word. She looked as if she was about to explode, or as if she was about to shatter at any moment.

Jiang Xiaochuan blinked as he looked at her, then suddenly added, his tone more serious. His gaze swept over her face, which was turning blue with anger but still couldn't hide her stunning beauty: "But to be honest, you look quite pretty when you're angry."

The raging fire that was about to explode in Biyao's chest was inexplicably provoked by these words, and "poof," most of it leaked out.

She froze, her face alternating between pale and flushed, staring at Jiang Xiaochuan's seemingly sincere yet slightly mocking expression. A lump formed in her throat, unable to escape. Finally, she stomped her foot hard and forced out a heavy "Hmph!" through her nose.

The voice was muffled, but the murderous aura had diminished considerably.

At this moment, You Ji moved.

She didn't look at Biyao or Jiang Xiaochuan. Instead, she walked to Jiang Xiaochuan's side with the lantern in hand. She raised her free hand, and a faint light flashed at her fingertips. The black rope that was wrapped around Jiang Xiaochuan and exuded an ominous aura automatically untied itself as if it were alive. It slid down and piled up at his feet, then flew back into Youji's sleeve as if it had a spirit.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a sense of relaxation throughout his body, and the sluggish spiritual energy began to flow slowly again. He moved his stiff neck and wrists, making a slight "crack" sound.

"This is an isolated island, surrounded by the sea." Yu Ji's voice was indifferent, devoid of emotion. "If you want to swim back, feel free to try."

Jiang Xiaochuan looked around. The dark seawater churned and whimpered beneath the rocks. He shrank back and didn't reply.

Biyao was still sulking to the side, her back to them.

Yu Ji put down the lantern, took out a few hard, tasteless pieces of dry food from her personal storage artifact, and placed them on a slightly flat rock.

Jiang Xiaochuan glanced at it, frowned, and ignored the dried rations. Instead, he walked to the side and, with a thought, a plump, cleaned gray wild rabbit appeared out of thin air in his hand. Next came iron skewers, a knife, several simple spice jars and bottles, and even a small bundle of dry firewood.

Youji's gaze fell on his hands, then moved to his calm face, a faint hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes behind the black veil.

This kid probably has far more secrets than he has revealed.

Jiang Xiaochuan ignored her gaze, skillfully started a fire, skewered the rabbit, and roasted it on the makeshift stone stove.

The orange-red flames lit up, dispelling some of the chill of the sea night. Oil dripped into the fire, sizzling, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the spiciness of seasonings quickly spread, forcefully diluting the salty smell of the sea breeze.

Biyao's nose twitched, and her shoulders relaxed a bit. But she still didn't turn around.

The rabbit was roasted to a perfect crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Jiang Xiaochuan cut it into three pieces with a knife. He carried the largest piece on a clean leaf, walked behind Biyao, and poked her shoulder with a skewer.

"Hey, want some or not?"

Biyao's shoulders twitched. Without turning around, she reached behind her, precisely grabbed the piece of meat, and took it away.

She took a small bite, then turned around, her eyes still red, glared at him, and mumbled, "...It tastes awful."

Despite saying that, they ate quite quickly.

Jiang Xiaochuan handed the other piece to You Ji.

Youji silently took it, walked to the edge of a slightly farther reef, turned her back to them, and ate it in small bites, almost without making a sound.

Jiang Xiaochuan squatted by the fire, gnawing on the last piece of meat. The meat smelled delicious, but he ate it somewhat absentmindedly.

His gaze would occasionally drift towards the darkness to the southeast, where, beyond this icy sea, lay Mount Liubo.

After finishing his meal and cleaning up, Jiang Xiaochuan rummaged through his storage space and found a thick, slightly worn wool blanket, two plain-colored cotton quilts, and two fluffy pillows. He spread out the blanket and quilts in a sheltered spot in the rocks.

Biyao walked over naturally, took off her embroidered shoes, and crawled into the innermost quilt. Then she patted the empty spot next to her and looked at Jiang Xiaochuan, who was still dawdling.

Jiang Xiaochuan's lips twitched, his face showing his usual disdain: "Here we go again. I say, Miss Biyao, don't you have any sense of the difference between men and women? In this desolate wilderness, a lone man and a lone woman..."

"Shut up." Biyao interrupted him, her voice still carrying a hint of anger, but more so an undeniable authority. "Come here. Go to sleep."

Jiang Xiaochuan glanced at her, then at You Ji, who stood like a statue in the distance, clearly on night watch.

He sighed resignedly, slowly took off his outer robe and shoes, and crawled into bed.

As soon as he lay down, Biyao's arm came across and skillfully wrapped around his waist. She pressed her body against him and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Jiang Xiaochuan stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.

He didn't hug her back, nor did he push her away. He just stared at the rocky dome above him, which was slightly illuminated by the firelight. Biyao's breathing quickly became even and long.

He didn't move, listening to the rhythmic sound of the waves and the soft breathing of the girl in his arms. The hard shell he had deliberately erected in his heart quietly cracked open, letting in a little something complicated and bittersweet.

He closed his eyes.

……