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

The night is deep.

In the cave on the north side of Liubo Mountain, several animal fat lamps were burning, casting dim yellow light and flickering shadows on the rough stone walls.

Biyao lay on a thick brocade quilt embroidered with intricate dark patterns. It was soft and warm, but she still felt cold.

The sea breeze howled outside the cave, like someone was crying, and the sound of the tide rising and falling never stopped, whether near or far.

She was turned to the side, facing the cold stone wall, her eyes open.

She stared for a long time, until her eyes ached. Then, slowly, something warm slid out from the corner of her eye, down the bridge of her nose, across her other eye, and finally into her hair, feeling cool.

She didn't move or make a sound, but tears kept flowing, quickly wetting the small patch of smooth brocade fabric beneath her cheeks, darkening its color.

Her arms felt empty. Even in the Blood-Dripping Cave, at the inn in Changhe City, and on the island, she had always lay on her side like this, her arms wrapped around a cool yet gentle waist.

She pressed her face against his back, listening to his steady, even breathing, and felt at ease. Even if he was sharp-tongued and always wanted to run away, he was in her arms, and that was real.

Now it's gone; all that's left in my arms is her own slightly curled-up body and the cold brocade.

She recalled the news she had heard during the day, told by several Holy Sect disciples returning from patrol. They were drinking and cursing on the beach, saying that Lu Xueqi's lover from the Qingyun Sect, the killing god, had returned. He had destroyed Wild Dog Taoist's magic weapon with a single shot and broken his arm. His tone was resentful, yet tinged with lingering fear.

Mistress. That's the word they use.

Biyao stood in the shadows, listening, her fingers digging into her palm until they bled.

She knew who they were talking about. Besides him, who else could use a gun? Besides him, who else could make someone like Lu Xueqi...

His heart felt like it was being slowly cut by a dull knife, not sharp, but the pain was so intense it was hard to breathe. He went back. Back to his Qingyun Sect, back to his fellow disciples, back to… Lu Xueqi.

He didn't even look back at her before running away, using such despicable means to deceive her, taking advantage of her concern for him, and running away without looking back.

The tears flowed even more fiercely. She bit her lip to keep herself from making a sound, but her shoulders still trembled slightly uncontrollably, and her soft gasps were particularly clear in the silent cave.

The footsteps were very light, and they stopped beside me.

A black robe, still warm from her body, was gently draped over her. Then came Youji's voice, low and tinged with a barely perceptible hint of bitterness: "Miss, it's chilly at night."

Biyao didn't move or respond.

Youji sat down on the rock beside her and remained silent for a long time. The firelight in the cave cast her long, swaying shadow on the stone wall.

"He... is too cunning." Youji spoke again, her voice even lower, as if carefully choosing her words, "Miss, he's not worth it."

"I know," Biyao finally spoke, her voice hoarse and nasal.

"I know he's not worth it. I know he lied to me, used me, and treated me like a fool." She paused, tears welling up again. "But I just... I just feel so bad."

Youji reached out, seemingly wanting to pat her back, but her hand stopped halfway up and finally just gently landed on the outer robe covering Biyao.

"Sect Master... is very worried about you."

"Father, are you worried about me?" Biyao suddenly laughed, a laugh more unpleasant than a cry. "Father, are you worried about the first volume of the Heavenly Book? Are you worried about the secret it holds?"

You Ji remained silent, offering no denial.

Biyao buried her face deeper into the blankets, her voice muffled: "Aunt You, tell me... was there even a little bit of real feeling he had for me? In the Dripping Blood Cave, when he held me, when he listened to me tell those stories, when he... shed tears for me... was there even a little bit of real feeling?"

Youji remained silent for a long time, while the sound of waves crashing against the shore surged in from outside the cave.

"...Perhaps there is. But in some people's hearts, some things are far more important than that little bit of 'truth'."

Biyao fell silent. She knew what Aunt You was referring to: the Qingyun Sect, the identity of a righteous disciple. It was about that girl named Lu Xueqi.

Those things were all heavier than Biyao.

She closed her eyes, but tears still seeped out from between them. "Never mind, I don't want to think about it anymore. I'll sleep. The pain will go away when I'm asleep."

But she couldn't sleep. Her arms felt empty and her heart felt heavy. She could only lie on her side, motionless, pretending to be asleep, letting her tears flow silently.

Yu Ji remained seated beside him, not leaving. The firelight illuminated her veiled profile, her eyes deep and unfathomable as she gazed at the dark night outside the cave entrance, lost in thought.

In a deeper cave, Ghost King Wanrenwang stood with his hands behind his back in front of a stone wall. The flickering firelight reflected on the wall could not illuminate the depths in his eyes.

The first volume of the Heavenly Book... The Hehuan Bell... The strange aura and powerful physique of that kid... And Yao'er's appearance...

He tapped the stone wall gently, producing a dull sound.

……

The cave is located on the south side of Liubo Mountain, occupied by Xiaozhu Peak.

A small fire was burning in the corner; the firewood was damp and crackled as it burned, emitting wisps of blue smoke.

Lu Xueqi leaned against the stone wall by the fire, holding Tianya in her arms. The scabbard was cold, but she felt a burning heat in her heart and couldn't calm down.

Wenmin sat next to her, mending a moon-white Taoist robe. It had been torn by a demonic weapon used by a junior sister of the Demonic Sect during the day. Her fingers were nimble, and she moved the needle and thread swiftly, occasionally glancing up at Lu Xueqi.

Lu Xueqi's eyes shone brightly, like stars falling in the flickering firelight. The corners of her mouth unconsciously curved slightly, a very faint smile, but Wen Min noticed it. She hadn't seen her junior sister like this in a long time.

"Don't you want to sleep yet?" Wenmin finished the last stitch, lowered her head, bit off the end of the thread, and asked softly.

Lu Xueqi shook her head: "I'm not sleepy, Senior Sister. Do you think... this is a dream?"

Wenmin paused for a moment, looked up at Lu Xueqi, the firelight reflecting off her junior sister's cool profile, the light in her eyes so bright that it made Wenmin's heart ache slightly, yet she also felt genuinely happy.

"It's not a dream." Wen Min's voice was very gentle, as if she were coaxing a child. "Junior Brother Jiang really came back, and he's alright. I saw him from afar during the day, and although I couldn't see his face clearly, I couldn't mistake that spear."

Lu Xueqi hummed in agreement, lowered her head, and unconsciously stroked the crooked, dark blue tassel on the hilt of the Tianya Sword. It was old and faded, but she had never replaced it.

"We'll see each other again tomorrow." Wenmin folded the mended Taoist robe and placed it aside. "Get some rest and recharge your energy. Liubo Mountain is not peaceful; there might be another fierce battle tomorrow."

Lu Xueqi shook her head again: "I can't sleep. He seems... a little different."

"Um?"

"You feel warm inside. You used to be cold, but now... when I hug you, you feel warm."

Wenmin's heart stirred. She remembered what the disciples of Dazhu Peak had told her during the day: that Junior Brother Jiang had gained some opportunities after falling into the Abyss of the Dead.

Was it this chance that warmed his body? Then why was he so cold before? She didn't ask aloud, but simply echoed Lu Xueqi's words: "It's better to be warm. Before, holding him felt like holding a block of ice, it was kind of scary."

Lu Xueqi didn't reply. She recalled the unfamiliar, sweet scent emanating from him in the bamboo forest.

The little bit of joy in her heart was quietly overshadowed by a very faint shadow, but she quickly suppressed that shadow.

At least, he came back; at least, his arms were warm; at least... in the end, he went with her.

As for the rest, take your time; she has plenty of time to figure it out.

"Senior Sister," Lu Xueqi suddenly called out to her again.

"Um?"

"Thank you," Lu Xueqi said softly, but earnestly.

Wen Min paused for a moment, then smiled gently: "Why thank me? It's because Junior Brother Jiang is lucky and blessed."

Lu Xueqi shook her head without explaining. What she was thanking was the silent companionship of these senior students, the seemingly casual words of comfort, and the outer robe that was quietly draped over her at night. Some kindness doesn't need to be spoken, but it's remembered in the heart.

"Go to sleep, I'll watch over you and wait until you fall asleep."

Lu Xueqi glanced at Wen Min and finally nodded.

She held Tianya close, leaned against the stone wall, and closed her eyes, but the smile on her lips never faded.

Outside the cave, the sea breeze and waves remained the same, but tonight, the night seemed less cold.

The caves at Dazhu Peak are even more crowded because there are fewer people and the caves are smaller. Seven or eight people are crammed inside, and there's hardly any room to turn around. Fortunately, everyone is used to it and it's warm to be huddled together.

The fire in the middle of the cave burned brightly, dispelling the damp chill. Several people lay sprawled around the fire, snoring loudly, one after another.

Tian Buyi lay at the very back, his belly rising and falling with his snores, fast asleep. Song Daren, He Dazhi, Du Bishu, and the others were also fast asleep, sprawled out on their backs. Zhang Xiaofan curled up by the stove, breathing evenly.

Jiang Xiaochuan lay down near the cave entrance. It was windy there, but he didn't feel cold. The Xuanhuojian was pressed against his chest, warm and cozy, like a small stove. He was covered with a thin blanket that Su Ru had insisted on giving him; the blanket was clean and smelled of sunshine.

He stared with his eyes open at the uneven cave ceiling illuminated by the firelight, his mind a jumble of images playing over and over in his head.

The last look in Biyao's eyes was filled with anger, despair, disbelief, and deep despair.

The burning pain from that slap still seemed to linger on my face.

Then there was the warmth of Tian Ling'er's embrace on the beach, Zhang Xiaofan's red-rimmed eyes, his master's stiff "It's good that you're back," and his master's wife's tight, trembling hug.

Finally, there was the bamboo forest, the force with which Lu Xueqi threw herself into his arms, the cool fragrance emanating from her, the way she stubbornly insisted he call her name with her face upturned, the look in her eyes when she said, "If you die, I will never live alone," and... the last kiss, sweet with the scent of candied hawthorn, that was fleeting and brief.

He suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, uncomfortable with his arms empty, uncomfortable with the absence of another warm, slightly stubborn body pressed against him, arms wrapped around his waist, face buried in his neck, and uncomfortable with the absence of that soft, dependent breathing in his ear.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he paused for a moment, then he cursed inwardly. How pretentious.

"Oh, you little ingrate." Hong Li's lazy, chuckling voice echoed deep within his mind. "It's only been a few days, and you're already longing for the warmth of someone else's arms? When you were holding that little vixen in the Dripping Blood Cave, why weren't you this homesick?"

Jiang Xiaochuan froze, thinking to himself, "Sister Hongli, could you please not make that sudden noise? It scared me to death."

"Scared you to death?" Hong Li scoffed. "I think you're just feeling guilty. Holding this one while thinking about that one, hugging that one while eyeing this one. Kid, you're not that old, but your mind is quite fickle."

"I didn't..." Jiang Xiaochuan subconsciously retorted, then paused, realizing he wasn't even sure himself.

Hongli seemed to see right through him, and slowly said, "Whether it is or not, you know in your heart. But let me remind you, greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. That little vixen has a fiery temper; she can cry for you today, and she can kill for you tomorrow. As for this Lu Xueqi... she looks aloof, but deep down she's probably even more stubborn than that little vixen. You're caught in the middle; be careful, or you might get torn in two one day."

Jiang Xiaochuan remained silent; Hong Li was right.

He had already felt that suffocating feeling of being "caught in the middle" today. Tian Ling'er's tears, Lu Xueqi's calm yet unyielding gaze...

"Then... Sister Hongli, what should I do?" He rarely asked, but he did seem genuinely confused.

Hongli seemed taken aback by his directness. After a pause, she lazily said, "What to do? Just let it be. Things will work themselves out. But..."

Her voice held a hint of mockery, "I'd like to see how long you, with your small frame, can manage to navigate between these two girls. Just watch the show, it'll be quite interesting."

Jiang Xiaochuan: "...You really are my sister."

"Call me wife," Hongli corrected.

"...Wife." Jiang Xiaochuan readily complied; after all, he could just call her that in his head, so it wouldn't hurt.

Hong Li gave a satisfied "hmm" and fell silent again, her breath returning to stillness.

The footsteps were very light, and Su Ru stopped beside him.

Su Ru sat down on the rock next to him, reached out to tuck the blanket around him, and asked in a low voice, "Why aren't you asleep yet? Is your wound hurting? Or is something else bothering you?"

Jiang Xiaochuan shook his head and lowered his voice, "No. It's just... I'm too excited, I can't sleep." This was half true and half false. He was indeed excited, but his insomnia was more due to the tangled mess in his mind.

Su Ru looked at him, the firelight reflecting her gentle eyes. She didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently patted his back, just like she used to do when he woke up from nightmares at night, patting his back and humming lullabies to lull him to sleep.

Her fingers were soft and her touch gentle. She began to hum a tune, old and calm, one that Jiang Xiaochuan had grown accustomed to hearing since childhood.

Jiang Xiaochuan stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. He closed his eyes, feeling the gentle pats on his back and the familiar, reassuring humming in his ear. The tangled mess in his heart seemed to be soothed little by little by this gentle force.

After a while, he said in a muffled voice, "Master's wife, I'm not a child anymore."

Su Ru stopped humming, but her patting hands didn't stop. Her voice was soft and smiling as she said, "To your teacher's wife, you will always be."

Jiang Xiaochuan fell silent, burying his face further into the blanket, leaving only his eyes visible. After a moment, he suddenly reached out, grabbed Su Ru's wrist as she patted his back, and sat up.

"Master's wife, go to sleep," he said, his voice returning to its usual tone. "I'm really fine. I just got back and am having trouble sleeping in this new bed. With you here, I'll have even less time to sleep."

Su Ru held his hand without struggling, but looked at him with a knowing tenderness in her eyes, and a hint of sadness that was hard to detect.

She didn't expose him, but simply nodded: "Alright. Then, Master's wife, go back. You lie down properly, close your eyes, and don't think about anything. If you really can't sleep... just call me again."

"Okay, okay." Jiang Xiaochuan let go, lay back down, pulled the blanket up to cover half his face, leaving only his eyes showing as he looked at Su Ru.

Su Ru tucked the blanket around him again before getting up, walking back to Tian Buyi's side, and lying down next to him. Tian Buyi's snoring paused for a moment, he mumbled something indistinctly, turned over, and started snoring again.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at the cave ceiling again.

The teacher's wife's singing voice still seemed to echo in my ears, and the gentle touch on my back still lingered. The slight discomfort I felt from the emptiness in my arms was replaced by a more solid warmth. This is home.

There's a snoring master, a gentle master's wife, a boisterous senior brother, a silent but reliable Xiao Fan, and... in the bamboo forest outside, the girl who waits for him, hugs him, and kisses him.

He closed his eyes, deciding to stop thinking about it. If he couldn't sleep, closing his eyes to rest would be good.

Unbeknownst to him, Tian Ling'er, who was right across from him, had also been awake the whole time.

She lay on her side, facing him, her eyes sparkling in the dim firelight, fixed on him.

Seeing him tossing and turning in bed, seeing his mother go over to comfort him, seeing him take his mother's hand and tell her to go to sleep.

As he closed his eyes for the last time, his quiet profile appeared almost unreal in the flickering firelight.

Tian Ling'er's mind was in turmoil; she was terrified, terrified to death. She was afraid that Xiao Chuan's heart would change after his return.

She feared that he would only see Lu Xueqi, that talented, highly skilled, and aloof senior sister who could make him look at her differently.

Why should she? She bit the corner of the blanket, her heart filled with bitterness.

She was the one who met Xiao Chuan first. They grew up together on Dazhu Peak, practiced martial arts together, fooled around together, and got scolded by their father together.

She's not bad looking, her cultivation is not weak, and her personality... is quite likable, isn't it?

Why can't Xiaochuan see her?

Or perhaps, he saw her, but only treated her as a younger sister, a little girl who needed to be taken care of?

But Lu Xueqi... what's so good about her?

He always has a cold face, rarely says a word, and all he does is practice swordsmanship. Apart from his face and his cultivation level...

Tian Ling'er felt more and more aggrieved as she thought about it, and her eyes welled up with tears.

But she forced back her tears. She couldn't cry; if she cried, she would lose. Tian Ling'er wouldn't give up so easily. Even if... even if Senior Brother Xiao Chuan really liked Lu Xueqi, she would still fight for her.

Being in a good position makes it easier to get what you want. She refused to believe that he could remain indifferent to her every day, no matter how much she showed him kindness.

……

Further away by the stove, Zhang Xiaofan, huddled facing the stone wall, kept his eyes open. He didn't turn around, but his ears were perked up, listening to every sound coming from inside the cave.

The sound of Master's snoring, the soft rustling of Master's wife's footsteps, Senior Brother Jiang's suppressed breathing, and... from Senior Sister Ling'er's side, the faint, suppressed gasps.

He clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm. He was happier than anyone else that his senior brother Jiang was back.

But he also saw the stiffness and awkwardness Jiang Shixiong felt when Tian Shijie hugged him on the beach during the day, and he saw Lu Shijie waiting by the bamboo forest. Some things were different. He didn't understand, but he could feel it.

All he knew was that Senior Brother Jiang was back and doing well, and that was enough. He didn't care about anything else, nor could he care about it.

All he needs to do is hold his sword tight, cultivate diligently, not hold Jiang Shixiong back, and be able to stand by his side when needed.

Outside the cave, the waves relentlessly crashed against the rocks.

Under the same night sky, some people are sound asleep, snoring loudly; some are lost in thought, tossing and turning; some are heartbroken, their tears soaking their quilts; some are happy and excited, unable to sleep all night; and some are filled with worry, secretly making resolutions.

Ultimately, it's all because I overthink things.

But how can a person who is alive not think about it?