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

Jiang Xiaochuan's initial thought of rejection melted away silently, like snowflakes in the sunlight.

"...Fine, anyway...I don't have anything else to do."

Lu Xueqi slightly curved the corners of her lips, then turned around and slowly walked along the path by the stream into the depths of the bamboo forest.

Jiang Xiaochuan quickly followed.

The two walked side by side, an arm's length apart.

The bamboo rustles in the breeze, and the wind carries the unique fresh scent of bamboo leaves through the forest.

The sunlight was cut into countless tiny spots by the dense bamboo leaves, dancing at their feet and on their bodies.

No one spoke. Only the rustling of footsteps and the tireless bead in Jiang Xiaochuan's chest continued to beat its drum.

The more he tried to quiet it down, the closer he got to her, the more boisterous it became, as if it were deliberately trying to provoke him.

After walking for a while, the wind picked up, causing Lu Xueqi's skirt and hair to flutter backward, and she suddenly stopped.

Jiang Xiaochuan also stopped and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Lu Xueqi turned to face him.

Then, she reached out and naturally took his hand, which was hanging at his side.

Jiang Xiaochuan froze, as if a tiny electric current had instantly shot from his fingertips to the top of his head.

Almost instinctively, I tried to pull my hand back.

Lu Xueqi held it tightly; her fingers were slender, but her grip was strong. Her palm was warm, but her fingertips were a little cold.

"Senior Sister Lu?" Jiang Xiaochuan's voice changed, his face flushed, and his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode.

"Why is it still so cold?" she whispered, her voice very soft, as if talking to herself.

Then she leaned closer, lowered her head, and gently breathed on his fingers.

Jiang Xiaochuan was stunned, his mind went completely blank.

After exhaling, Lu Xueqi loosened her grip a little, then used both of her hands to cup his cold hand and slowly began to rub it.

Her hands were very soft, warm, and her touch was neither too light nor too heavy, one stroke after another.

Jiang Xiaochuan froze, not daring to move. Her hand was held and rubbed, and the warmth seeped into his skin, but it couldn't dispel the coldness of the bead, nor could it suppress his frantic heartbeat.

He felt his face burning hot, his ears ringing, and he couldn't hear anything except his own pounding heartbeat and her breath so close to his.

After a while, Lu Xueqi seemed to feel warm enough, and then she stopped.

She loosened her grip, but not completely; her fingers slid up, gently brushing away the stray hairs on his forehead, and then... landed on the top of his head.

Jiang Xiaochuan's hair had grown quite a bit in the past few years. Although it still didn't reach his waist, it was already long enough to be tied back with a hairband, with a few strands hanging down in front. The feeling of her gently rubbing it at that moment was... extremely strange.

Lu Xueqi rubbed it a couple of times, then withdrew her hand and took a step back.

She glanced at the stunned Jiang Xiaochuan, said nothing, turned around, and summoned Tianya.

A deep blue sword light appeared.

She stepped onto the sword, soared into the air, and her light blue figure quickly blended into the sunlight and clouds above the bamboo forest.

Only one sentence came through intermittently.

"Don't forget..."

"The agreement."

"……I'm waiting for you."

The sound dissipated into the rustling of the bamboo.

Jiang Xiaochuan was still standing in the same spot, maintaining the stiff posture from before, his hand still slightly raised, and there seemed to be a slight soft touch still lingering on the top of his head.

After a long while, he suddenly came to his senses, his face flushed red, and he shouted angrily at the empty bamboo forest above:

"Touching your head won't make you grow taller!"

The sound echoed through the bamboo grove, startling a few resting birds.

……

Xiaozhufeng, that simple bamboo house.

Lu Xueqi stood with her back against the door for a long time.

Her face remained expressionless, but her cheeks were flushed with a peach-blossom pink.

She raised the hand that had been holding his, held it up to her eyes, and stared at it blankly.

The icy touch seemed to linger in my palm.

His fingers were thin and bony, yet cold to the touch; his hair... was somewhat soft.

She didn't know what had just happened to her.

It was just... watching him stand by the stream, sunlight falling on him, him clutching his chest as if he were feeling unwell, watching the moment he stiffened and panicked when I grabbed his hand, watching him...

Something inside me felt like it had been gently bumped.

It's not heavy, but it has a tingling, numb feeling.

Then he stretched out his hand.

Then the breath escaped.

Then... I rubbed it.

Now that she's calmed down, every action she took is so clear in her memory that it terrifies her.

It was so bold that it made her cheeks burn.

If Master sees this, or if the senior sisters find out...

She shook her head violently, trying to shake those images out of her mind.

The more you shake it, the more stubbornly those images remain, becoming even clearer.

Lu Xueqi raised her hand and covered her burning cheeks.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The cool air in the bamboo hut filled my lungs, slightly suppressing the little flame of inexplicable rage in my heart.

But... it doesn't seem to be of much use.

My heart is still pounding, thumping against my eardrums. My face is still burning; I'm probably too red to show my face in public.

She walked to the simple table, sat down, and wanted to pour herself a glass of water.

The cold water went down, but it couldn't extinguish the little flame in my heart that was burning ever brighter.

She put down the cup and looked down at her left wrist.

The jade bracelet's warm luster flowed quietly in the sunlight streaming through the bamboo window. It was gentle and understated.

She looked up at the Tianya Divine Sword hanging quietly on the wall. At the end of the hilt was a brand-new light blue tassel, which swayed slightly in the breeze blowing in from the window.

After watching for a while, she reached out and took out the plain white brocade pouch from her bosom. Inside were the candies she had made over the past half month. She thought they were delicious, but he didn't want them.

I can't quite put my finger on whether it's disappointment or something else.

It felt like there was a slight emptiness somewhere in my heart.

And it seems... because of his words "I'm not after your return gift," a hard corner in my heart silently softened and became a little sore and aching.

She clutched the brocade pouch, her fingers unconsciously tightening.

I don't know... whether he understands or not.

Actually... she wasn't after anything from him.

I just... wanted to give it to them.

I want to give him the best things.

……

Zhang Xiaofan spent three years chopping bamboo and two and a half years working in the kitchen. No one expected that the disciple whom Tian Buyi once considered a hopeless case would quietly break through to the second level of Taiji Xuanqing Dao in his fourth year of study.

It only took a year, which is incredibly fast compared to his first three years, which were like a tortoise crawl.

Everyone on Dazhu Peak was shocked. Even Tian Buyi glanced at Zhang Xiaofan a couple more times while eating.

Zhang Xiaofan was so excited that he found Jiang Xiaochuan and stammered, "Senior Brother Jiang, I... I've reached the second floor! I've really reached the second floor!"

Jiang Xiaochuan was sunbathing in the yard with his legs crossed when he heard this, he squinted his eyes, and had an expression that said, "I already knew that."

"See, what did I tell you? Even a tortoise can run."

Zhang Xiaofan's eyes sparkled as he said, "It's all thanks to Senior Brother Jiang's excellent teaching! If it weren't for Senior Brother Jiang's constant encouragement, his guidance in building my foundation, and his transmission of his skills..."

"Stop, stop!" Jiang Xiaochuan waved his hand, interrupting him.