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

He blinked, didn't refute, and simply silently put one of the pieces of cloth away.

"Oh... okay."

Lu Xueqi walked over and sat down next to him. The two were very close, their arms almost touching. The sea breeze carried her cool fragrance.

After sitting for a while, Lu Xueqi suddenly spoke, her voice very soft: "How can you put so many things in your arms?"

Jiang Xiaochuan's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He scratched his head and mumbled, "This... is a secret."

"Can I know?" Lu Xueqi turned her head and looked at him, her eyes clear and filled with pure doubt.

Jiang Xiaochuan met her gaze, his throat moved, and he looked away.

"I'll tell you later... later."

Lu Xueqi didn't ask any further questions, but simply hummed in agreement and looked back at the sea.

After a while, she suddenly asked, "Have you and Junior Sister Tian... made things clear?"

Jiang Xiaochuan's relaxed expression vanished instantly. He remained silent for a moment before whispering, "...Not yet. I can't find a suitable opportunity. And... I'm afraid of hurting her."

"We still need to make things clear." Lu Xueqi's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. "The longer it drags on, the deeper the damage will be."

"I know," Jiang Xiaochuan said with a wry smile. "I will."

Lu Xueqi stopped talking, and her hand on her knee twitched almost imperceptibly.

She was actually afraid. She was afraid to make things clear, afraid that once she confessed, this brief, peaceful time together would shatter like a bubble. She was afraid that he didn't care about her, afraid that like Tian Ling'er, after confessing, she would only be met with estrangement and embarrassment.

She felt that things were fine as they were, at least she could still be by his side, watching him, talking to him, and occasionally... she could get a little closer to him like she had just done.

Let's wait a few more years, maybe a few more years, until he grows up a bit more, until she's more skilled, until he... can see her more often.

What if he never sees it? What if he has someone else in his heart? Like... that woman who left her scent on him.

Lu Xueqi's eyes darkened, but soon that darkness was replaced by a deeper stubbornness. It didn't matter; if he didn't like her, she would try her best to make him like her.

If that still doesn't work... then lock him up in a place where only she is, so that all he sees, hears, and thinks about is Lu Xueqi. In time, he'll eventually come to like her.

While she was lost in thought, Jiang Xiaochuan was also in turmoil. Looking at Lu Xueqi's serene profile, the joy he had felt from the delicious food sank back down.

He knew that Lu Xueqi was like the bright moon in the sky, pure and noble, the paper-doll goddess he had loved countless times in his memory.

And what about him? A lost soul of unknown origin, a cold heart, a body kept warm by external objects, and burdened with a mess of romantic entanglements—what right does he have to yearn for that bright moon?

But the coldness in my heart would involuntarily startle again when I got close to her.

Was that throbbing because of Tianya, or because of... her?

He couldn't tell the difference, nor did he dare to investigate further.

The two sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Only the monotonous sound of waves crashing against the rocks could be heard.

After a while, Jiang Xiaochuan couldn't resist and secretly turned his head to take a look at Lu Xueqi.

Unexpectedly, he met Lu Xueqi's gaze. She seemed to be lost in thought, her eyes somewhat vacant, staring straight at him.

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly tried to look away.

"What are you hiding from?" Lu Xueqi spoke first, her voice very soft.

"I...I didn't dodge." Jiang Xiaochuan forced a smile and met her eyes. "I was looking."

"What are you looking at?"

"Look at you," Jiang Xiaochuan blurted out, then realized it was a bit flippant and added, "...You're beautiful."

Lu Xueqi paused for a moment, then her lips curved upwards clearly.

The smile was faint, yet it instantly brightened her cool and aloof features, like spring water suddenly rippling beneath the ice, clear and captivating. She didn't speak, but simply looked at him, her eyes shining as if they were bathed in dappled sunlight.

Jiang Xiaochuan stared at her smile, momentarily stunned.

Everything in the world seemed to blur and fade, leaving only the beautiful, smiling face before me.

He forgot to look away, forgot to breathe, and just stared blankly.

Seeing his expression, Lu Xueqi's smile deepened.

She even tilted her head slightly, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at him openly and playfully, her eyes filled with undisguised pleasure and a hint of... smugness.

Jiang Xiaochuan's face flushed under her gaze. He finally snapped out of his daze, awkwardly turning his face away, his heart pounding erratically in his chest.

After resting for a while, Lu Xueqi stood up and patted off non-existent dust from her robes.

"It's time to go."

"Hmm." Jiang Xiaochuan also stood up and put away the coarse cloth.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "This time... I'll control the spear. You spent so much time controlling the sword this morning, take a break."

Lu Xueqi glanced at him, didn't refuse, but simply nodded and said:

"it is good."

Jiang Xiaochuan summoned the God-Slaying Spear. The dark red spear hovered about a foot off the ground. He jumped up, steadied himself, and then reached out to Lu Xueqi.

Lu Xueqi naturally grasped his hand and used it to leap onto the gun.

The gun dipped slightly before stabilizing. She took a half-step forward, her arms naturally wrapping around Jiang Xiaochuan's waist, her body pressed against his back.

Jiang Xiaochuan's body stiffened visibly. This posture, this feeling of being hugged from behind... it was all too familiar.

In the Dripping Blood Cave, on the small island, at the inn in Changhe City... Biyao always held him like this.

His throat felt a little dry.

"What's wrong?" Lu Xueqi's voice came from behind him, very close, her breath brushing against his ear.

"...It's nothing." Jiang Xiaochuan took a deep breath, suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, and activated his spiritual power. The God-Slaying Spear emitted a low hum, carrying the two of them slowly into the air.

Lu Xueqi hugged his waist tightly and gently rested her face against his back.

She could feel his sudden stiffness, and the secret joy that had risen in her heart because of their intimate contact that morning was now shrouded in a faint shadow.

But soon, that shadow was replaced by a deeper weariness and relief. For more than a month, since he disappeared, she hadn't had a good night's sleep. Although she was excited because he came back last night, she didn't actually sleep very soundly.

At this moment, leaning against this warm and reassuring back, listening to the whistling wind in my ears, and surrounded by his clean scent (that unfamiliar sweet fragrance seemed much fainter), my tense nerves gradually relaxed. Sleepiness washed over me like a tide, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

She gently rubbed against his back, found a more comfortable position, closed her eyes, and her breathing gradually became even and long.

Jiang Xiaochuan was concentrating on controlling the spear when he suddenly felt the weight on his back increase, and the arms around his waist loosened their grip.

He turned his head slightly and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He saw that Lu Xueqi was leaning against his back, her eyes closed, her long eyelashes drooping, and she had actually fallen asleep. She was sleeping very soundly, and her mouth was even slightly open. Her cool face was full of unguarded tranquility.

He was stunned. This was only the second time he had seen Lu Xueqi asleep. She was still so quiet, so... fragile.

She was completely different from the aloof and stubborn Lu Xueqi she usually was.

Something inside him felt like it had been gently tickled by a feather, and he slowed down his spear's speed to make the flight more stable.

A dark red spear flash pierced the leaden gray sky and flew towards Liubo Mountain. The two people on the spear were pressed close together, one sleeping soundly and the other stiff and afraid to move. Only the sea breeze blew tirelessly, tangling their robes and hair together.