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

Xiaobai looked at him without saying a word; the firelight flickered on her face, obscuring her expression.

After Jiang Xiaochuan finished speaking, he also felt that what he said was a bit far-fetched. He touched his nose, looked away, and took out some more things from his storage magic treasure: two neatly folded, thick rolls of cloth, two thin blankets, and a tent.

He unfolded the tents, found a relatively flat and dry spot, and began to set them up. Soon, the two small tents, side by side, were set up, and he put thin blankets into the two tents respectively.

Xiao Bai watched quietly without saying a word or offering any help. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the tent and bedding he had taken out before shifting to his busy back.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" she asked after Jiang Xiaochuan finished his work and sat back down by the fire.

Jiang Xiaochuan patted the ash off his hands, looked at the leaping flames, thought for a moment, and said, "Eat, drink, and have fun."

Xiao Bai raised an eyebrow: "Didn't we say we were going to exorcise demons and monsters?"

Jiang Xiaochuan glanced at her, his eyes seeming to say, "Are you stupid?"

He said irritably, "The most powerful monster in the world is sitting right next to me. What kind of monster am I supposed to subdue or exorcise? Do you have a death wish?"

Xiao Bai paused for a moment, then slowly curved her lips into a smile, as if amused by his words. The firelight reflected on her upturned eyebrows and eyes, which diluted the lingering weariness of vicissitudes and revealed a fresh and vivid beauty.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at her smiling, paused for a moment, then turned his face away somewhat awkwardly, muttering under his breath, "What are you laughing at? It's true."

Xiao Bai ignored him, just smiled, watching the leaping fire. She laughed for a while before slowly stopping and whispering, "Hmm, it's pretty impressive."

Jiang Xiaochuan didn't reply. He got up, dusted himself off, and walked towards one of the tents.

"I'm going to sleep. Do as you please." He said without turning his head, bent down and went into the tent, and drew the curtain.

There were rustling sounds coming from inside the tent, then silence returned.

Xiaobai sat for a while longer, until the fire gradually died down, leaving only a pile of dark red embers that flickered in the night wind. Only then did she get up, walk to another tent, lift the curtain, and crawl inside.

The tent was lined with hay, covered with a thin blanket, and smelled of sunshine mixed with the fresh scent of grass and trees. It was simple, but very clean.

She sat down on the bedding, hugging her knees, not lying down, but just sitting quietly, listening to the steady, long breathing coming from the tent next to her.

As night deepened, a breeze stirred in the woods, rustling the leaves.

Little White sat in the darkness with its eyes open for a long time.

……

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

Xiao Bai opened his eyes. The tent was dark, with only a little grayish-white sunlight filtering through the gap in the curtain.

She sat up and listened intently.

There was no breathing sound from the tent next to us.

It's very quiet.

A thought crossed her mind, and she lifted the curtain and slipped out.

As dawn broke, a thin mist hung in the air, the air crisp and cool, carrying the scents of dew and vegetation.

She walked to the tent next to her, reached out, and lifted the curtain.

The room was empty, the bedding was neatly folded, as if no one had ever slept there, except for a shallow, human-shaped indentation on the hay.

Jiang Xiaochuan is gone.

He left without saying goodbye.

Xiaobai stood in front of the tent, looking at the empty bunks inside. She stared for a long time. The morning breeze blew her moon-white skirt and her unbound long hair, brushing against her cheeks, feeling a little cool.

Last night's events flooded my mind: his awkward concern, his clumsy application of medicine, his furious dodges, his stunned reaction after being bitten, his focused profile while roasting the pheasant, the fleeting glint in his eyes when he spoke of his fellow disciples, and finally, his words, "The most powerful monster in the world is sitting right next to me"...

Vibrant people, vibrant emotions, vibrant... temperature.

The darkness, heat, cold, and loneliness of the Xuanhuo Altar, which had stood for three hundred years, receded like the tide.

Instead, there was the cool morning breeze in the forest, the lingering warmth of the unburnt ashes, the smell of sunshine in the tent, the warmth of the Xuanhuojian still lingering in her palms, and... a slight blush on her cheeks.

Fresh and alive.

She hadn't felt this "vibrant" feeling in a long time.

Xiao Bai's lips slowly, very slowly, curved upwards into a very faint arc.

Then, she gave a soft hum, a sound so faint it dissipated in the morning breeze, making it impossible to tell whether it was anger or something else.

She turned around, not looking at the empty tent again, nor tidying it up. Instead, she followed the faint, lingering scent of youth in the air, a blend of grass and a faint medicinal aroma, and walked towards the edge of the forest.

Its steps remained light, like a true white fox strolling in the morning mist.

Southern Xinjiang is mountainous and dotted with scattered villages. These villages are mostly built along mountains and rivers, and are not large in scale. The villagers rely on the mountains and rivers for their livelihood, and their customs are either simple and honest or fierce and rugged.

Several days have passed since the strange incident at Incense Valley, but the restless atmosphere still lingers in the air of Southern Xinjiang. However, for ordinary people in remote villages, no matter how strange the red and yellow clouds on the horizon are, they are not as reliable as three meals a day.

This is a small village, nestled in a valley between two mountains, connected to the outside world by only a dirt road. It was nearly noon, and the village was bustling with activity, as it was market day.

Although it's called a "market," it's just a few stalls scattered across an open space at the edge of the village, selling mountain products, wild game, coarse cloth, salt, and the like. There aren't many villagers; they gather in twos and threes, haggling over prices in low voices with a distinctive, slightly awkward accent characteristic of southern Xinjiang.

Jiang Xiaochuan squatted in front of a stall selling candied hawthorns.

The stall owner was a thin old man who had made a frame out of straw, on which dozens of strings of bright red candied hawthorns were stuck.

The sugar coating is crystal clear, gleaming enticingly in the dim sunlight. The hawthorns are large and plump, coated with a thick layer of sugar, making one's mouth water just looking at them.

Jiang Xiaochuan stared intently at the candied hawthorn, not blinking. He had changed into a clean blue cloth robe, the kind worn by ordinary people in southern Xinjiang. The tooth mark on his face had faded, leaving only a very faint red mark.

His hair was casually tied back with a strip of cloth, with a few stray strands hanging down his forehead, making him look like a handsome, slightly naive boy next door.

"Uncle, how much is this?" he asked, pointing to a string of hawthorns with the thickest sugar coating and the largest size.

The old man held up three fingers, gestured, and said something in his local dialect.

Jiang Xiaochuan didn't fully understand, but he roughly knew it was three coins. He looked down, took out three shiny copper coins from his pocket, and handed them to the old man.

The old man took the money, grinned with his missing front tooth, and pulled off the largest candied hawthorn skewer, handing it to him.

Jiang Xiaochuan took it, his eyes lighting up. The candied hawthorn felt heavy and cool in his hand, with a crisp and hard sugar coating and a sweet aroma. He couldn't wait to bring it to his mouth, open his mouth, and bite off the top one.

"Click—"

The sugar coating crumbled between my teeth with a crisp sound. The sweetness instantly filled my mouth, followed by the slight tartness of the hawthorn, which perfectly balanced the sweetness.

He squinted contentedly, his cheeks puffed out, and he chewed slowly. Sweet, sour, cool, and with a hint of the unique fragrance of wild mountain fruits, simple joy spread from his taste buds all the way to his heart.

He held up the candied hawthorn, turned around, and prepared to eat it as he walked, while also checking what other snacks were available at the market.

Just as he turned around, before he could even take a step, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and snatched the candied hawthorn from his hand with lightning speed!

The movement was so fast and the force so skillful that Jiang Xiaochuan didn't even see where the hand came from. He only felt his hand go empty, and the sweet taste was still in his mouth when the candied hawthorn was gone.

He froze, half a hawthorn still in his mouth, cheeks puffed out, eyes wide, staring at his empty hands. Then, a surge of anger shot up to his head!

broad daylight!

Under the clear blue sky!

How dare you steal my candied hawthorn!

It's the biggest and sweetest skewer that I just took a bite of!

Absolutely outrageous! This is utterly absurd!

He whirled around, glaring angrily, and was about to yell, "Who dares to steal from me?!"

The words stuck in his throat.

Behind him stood a woman.