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

Five years have passed just like that.

Jiang Xiaochuan wasn't stupid; he could tell that Linglong was interested in him.

But he couldn't respond.

Firstly, he has someone in his heart.

Xiao Bai was still waiting for him outside, and Lu Xueqi was still waiting for him in Qingyun.

Although he didn't know if Lu Xueqi was waiting for him, he was thinking about her.

Secondly, Linglong is a witch goddess, so she must be a virgin and cannot fall in love.

Thirdly... he wants to go back, but he won't be able to.

So he pretended to be stupid.

But Linglong wasn't stupid; she could tell he was hiding.

Once, she cooked a whole table of dishes, all of which were his favorites.

She observed him for a long time and knew that he loved to eat meat, spicy food, and sweet food.

Braised pork ribs, spicy diced chicken, sweet and sour fish, Mapo tofu, and hot and sour soup filled the table. She set out the bowls and chopsticks and called him to eat.

Jiang Xiaochuan sat down, buried his head in his food, and didn't say a word.

Linglong served him food, piling it high in his bowl.

"That's enough," he said. "I'll do it myself."

Linglong put down her chopsticks and looked at him.

"Jiang Xiaochuan," she said, "do you hate me?"

Jiang Xiaochuan, with his mouth full of meat, mumbled, "No."

"Then why do you always avoid me?"

"I didn't dodge."

"You do have it," Linglong stared at him, "Look, you don't even dare to look at me now."

Jiang Xiaochuan looked up at her.

Her eyes were large and bright, reflecting his image. Today she wore a light green dress, which made her skin appear even whiter. Her hair was loosely tied up, adorned with a wooden hairpin with a delicately carved flower on the tip.

He suddenly thought of Xiaobai. Xiaobai also loved to dress up and wear bright colors, but Xiaobai's beauty was flamboyant, like a ball of fire.

Linglong is a quiet beauty, like a pool of water.

And what about Lu Xueqi?

He thought that Lu Xueqi was ice, a piece of ice on a snow mountain, so cold that no one dared to approach, but once it melted, it would become a clear spring, a stream, capable of drowning people.

"I wasn't avoiding you," he said. "I just..."

"Just what?"

"I just don't know how to treat you," he said, lowering his head and picking at the rice in his bowl.

"Linglong, you are the priestess, you have your responsibilities. I... I am not from here, I will leave sooner or later."

"Where to?"

"Go back to where I belong."

"Take me with you," Linglong said, her voice soft but firm. "Wherever you go, I'll go."

Jiang Xiaochuan paused for a moment.

"You're insane," he said. "You're a witch, you can't leave."

"I'm not going to do it anymore," Linglong said. "Whoever wants to can do it, I'll go with you. We'll go outside, see the sea, see the desert, see lots of people. We...we can find a place to settle down, grow some land, raise some chickens, and have a few children..."

She spoke very quickly, as if she were reciting something she had already thought of.

But as she spoke, her voice lowered and her eyes reddened.

She must have thought about these words countless times in her heart. In countless sleepless nights and countless daydreaming afternoons, she chewed over these words again and again, polishing each sentence until it was smooth and shiny, just waiting for the day to tell him.

But when I actually said it, I realized that every word I uttered hurt my heart.

"Jiang Xiaochuan," she looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes, "I like you, and I want to be with you."

Jiang Xiaochuan fell silent.

The room was very quiet.

He felt a burning sensation in his chest, so intense that he wanted to reach out and touch it to see if it was on fire.

"Linglong," he said, his voice a little hoarse, "I'm not worthy."

Whether it's worth it or not is up to me.

"I have someone I like," he said. "More than one. My heart is full of other people, there's no room for you."

Linglong looked at him, tears falling, one by one, onto the table.

She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out loud. She was a proud person and never cried easily in front of others.

But at this moment she couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls, unstoppable.

"Then I'll squeeze in," she said, her voice trembling but her tone stubborn. "I don't take up much space, just give me a corner."

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a lump in his throat.

"Are you stupid?" he said. "You are the Witch Queen, the most talented person in the Witch Clan in a hundred years. You deserve a better future, you shouldn't..."

"Shouldn't what?" Linglong interrupted him, her tears flowing even more fiercely.

"Shouldn't I like you? Shouldn't I want to be with you? Jiang Xiaochuan, it's my own business that I like you, it has nothing to do with whether you like me or not."

She stood up, walked to him, squatted down, and looked up at him.

"I know you're leaving, I know you have someone in your heart, I know I might not be able to wait for you," she said, her voice choked with emotion, but clear.

"But I still like you. I like it when you wash the blood-stained cloth for me, I like the way you look when you're angry with me, I like the serious look on your face when you listen to me. I like you, so much so that... I'll accept it even if you don't like me back."

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at her, speechless.

Linglong reached out and grasped his hand; her hand was cold and trembling.

"Jiang Xiaochuan," she said, tears streaming down her face, "please hug me, just for a moment."

Jiang Xiaochuan didn't move.

Linglong waited for a while, but received no response. She let go, stood up, and walked towards the door. When she reached the door, she stopped but did not turn around.

"Tomorrow is the day I succeed as the Priestess," she said. "Will you come?"

Jiang Xiaochuan remained silent.

"Never mind," Linglong said softly, "Don't come. I'm afraid if I see you, I won't want to be this empress anymore."

She pushed open the door and went out.

The door wasn't closed, and a breeze blew in, carrying the chill of the night. Jiang Xiaochuan sat at the table, looking at the dishes for a long time.

Then he picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of meat, and put it in his mouth.

The meat was salty, so salty it tasted bitter.

……

The next day, before dawn, the outside was already bustling with activity.

The sounds of drums, horns, and voices mingled together, creating a great commotion. Jiang Xiaochuan didn't sleep all night, sitting on his makeshift bed on the floor, listening to the noise outside.

Linglong was picked up early in the morning. Several witch maids came in to dress her up, put on gorgeous witch clothes and heavy headdress. She didn't look at him or say anything. She just sat there and let them do as they pleased.

After she finished getting ready, she was surrounded by people and led out. When she reached the door, she stopped and looked back at him.

Just one glance.

It was short and light, like a feather brushing across the water, leaving no trace.

Then she left.

The room was empty and quiet, except for the untouched dishes on the table, which had gone cold.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

Outside, in the direction of the altar, was brightly lit and filled with shadowy figures. He could see Linglong being escorted up the platform, kneeling before the statue of the witch god, and the elders handing her the scepter symbolizing power.

Then everyone knelt down and shouted "Your Majesty".

The sound was so loud that it shook the mountains.

Jiang Xiaochuan watched for a while, then closed the window and went back inside.

He started packing his things.