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

They walked hand in hand up the stone steps.

Sunlight bathed them, casting a pale golden halo around them. One was as aloof as an immortal, the other as gentle as jade. They walked side by side, so natural, so perfectly in sync, as if it were only natural.

What a perfect couple they are!

Tian Ling'er stood frozen in place, her hands and feet ice-cold.

His mind was buzzing, and Zhang Xiaofan's words from before exploded in his ears once again.

"Senior Brother Jiang... he came back three years ago."

"I married Senior Sister Lu."

"The children are over two years old, twins, a boy and a girl..."

It turns out it was true; every single word was true.

She thought that after she came out of seclusion, she would see a Senior Brother Jiang who might have changed a bit, but was still the same gentle, smiling man she remembered, who would call her "Ling'er" and let her do whatever she wanted.

She even thought that perhaps when he returned from his trials, his brows would be weathered, but so what?

She can stay by his side and soothe his hardships.

But she never expected to see such a scene.

I never imagined someone like that would stand beside him, I never imagined he would look at others like that, I never imagined he would be surrounded by such an aura...

The scent of another home, another person.

He is a husband and a father.

These words were like red-hot needles, piercing her heart with fine, dense lines.

"Junior Sister?" Song Daren called out worriedly when he saw her standing still with a frighteningly pale face.

Zhang Xiaofan looked at her with concern, wanting to say something, but his lips moved and he swallowed it back. He looked at the two figures on the stone steps and sighed in his heart.

What's meant to come will come.

Tian Ling'er suddenly came to her senses.

She took a deep breath, straining until her chest ached, then lifted her foot and walked towards the Jade Purity Palace.

Her steps were steady, her back was straight, and the color in her face gradually returned. She even managed to force out a smile that was as charming as usual, but the smile looked somewhat stiff.

She walked very fast, passing Song Daren and Zhang Xiaofan in a few steps, and even Zeng Shushu who was talking to Wen Min and the others, heading straight for the palace gate.

Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi were about to step over the high threshold.

As if sensing something, or perhaps because Tian Ling'er's gaze was too direct, Jiang Xiaochuan paused slightly, subconsciously turning his head to glance to the side.

In that one glance, he saw Tian Ling'er.

That bright, familiar face, which now seemed to be trying hard to hide its paleness, came into his view.

Jiang Xiaochuan's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a fleeting moment, so brief that perhaps no one except Lu Xueqi, who was holding his hand tightly, would notice.

Lu Xueqi's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly, but only for a moment, before slowly loosening again, though still holding on tightly.

Tian Ling'er had already walked up to her.

She looked at Jiang Xiaochuan, at the face she had depicted countless times in her dreams.

Eight years have passed, and his features have become more defined, with his jawline so clear it looks like it was cut with a knife.

Her skin was still white, but not the sickly pale kind of her youth; it was a moist, well-maintained white.

Most importantly, it's the eyes.

That gentle, calm gaze, immersed in a kind of peaceful happiness, is like a pool of water warmed by the spring sun, shimmering yet unfathomably deep.

This is not the Jiang Xiaochuan she remembers.

In her memory, Senior Brother Jiang had a lively and slightly cunning look in his eyes. He would occasionally look away, blush, and his ears would turn red when she got close. He would stammer, "Ling'er, stop fooling around."

It was unripe and uncertain, like an unripe plum, sour and astringent, yet it made her want to take a bite.

And the person in front of me... is someone I know.

They were ripe, picked, placed on a jade plate, and pickled in honey, soaked in sweetness that seeped from their very bones, permeating every glance, every smile, and every breath.

Tian Ling'er heard her own heartbeat, one beat after another, hitting her eardrums so hard it felt like they were about to burst.

But she couldn't let the smile on her face falter, nor could her voice tremble. She even forced herself to raise her tone a little more, adding a touch of the natural coquettishness that belonged to "Tian Ling'er":

"Xiao Chuan, it's been a long time!"

She waited.

Waiting for that familiar, somewhat helpless yet indulgent "Ling'er".

Waiting for Senior Brother Jiang, who would ruffle her hair and sigh with a smile, saying, "You're being silly again."

Then she heard him say:

"Senior Sister Ling'er."

The four words were clear and gentle, conveying just the right amount of respect for her fellow disciple. There was no helplessness, no indulgence, and none of the feelings she had waited eight years for that went beyond those of a fellow disciple.

There was only "senior sister".

The smile on Tian Ling'er's face froze almost imperceptibly.

It was so subtle, so subtle, that only she could feel the twitch in the corner of her mouth for a fleeting moment, but she quickly regained her composure, even deepening her smile, her eyes curving into crescents.

"You've changed so much! I almost didn't recognize you!"

As she said this, her gaze swept quickly over his entire body.

My gaze swept over his meticulously groomed sideburns, over the impeccable wrinkles at the collar of his shirt, and over his hands clasped tightly with Lu Xueqi's.

Lu Xueqi's fingers were clenched tightly, with distinct knuckles, as if she were declaring something.

Then she saw Jiang Xiaochuan smile, a smile that contained apology, emotion, and something else...

The natural closeness that only comes when talking about family. He said:

"No, it's all because my wife is good at taking care of people."

"My wife".

"My wife".

The four words, like four red-hot needles, pierced the softest part of Tian Ling'er's heart.

She could even hear a soft "hiss" sound, the sound of flesh being burned, but the smile on her face didn't change. Only the light in her eyes dimmed for a moment, so quickly it was like an illusion.

She forced herself to let the light shine again, making it shine abruptly and glaringly.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say, "Senior Sister Lu is so good to you," or "You two look so well-matched," or "How old is your child? He must be very cute."

Any normal, appropriate thing a fellow disciple should say.

But she couldn't say it.

My throat felt like it was being choked by something, and I couldn't make a sound.

She could only maintain that smile, looking at Jiang Xiaochuan, at his warm, apologetic eyes, and at her own face, which looked like it was about to crack, reflected in them.

Just then, the bell rang.

"when--"

The deep, clear sound of the bell came from the depths of the hall, like an invisible hand, pulling her out of that near-collapse stalemate.

She snapped out of her daze, turned around with the others, composed herself, and faced the depths of the hall.

Dao Xuan Zhenren and Xiao Yicai walked out of the back hall one after the other.

Dao Xuan Zhenren was dressed in a dark green Daoist robe, with a long beard reaching his chest. His face was thin and his gaze was gentle and peaceful, yet he possessed an aura of profound and majestic majesty. Xiao Yicai was half a step behind, his expression respectful.

Everyone bowed in unison: "Greetings, Sect Leader, Senior Brother Xiao."

Dao Xuan Zhenren's gaze slowly swept over the group of young disciples in the hall. When it passed over Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi, it seemed to linger for a moment longer, and a very faint, almost imperceptible smile flashed deep in the depths of his eyes.

He raised his hand slightly and said in a calm voice, "Please stand up, everyone. There's no need for formalities. Please sit down and talk."

The crowd responded with "Yes," but most remained standing. With the younger generation of disciples gathered in the Jade Purity Hall and the sect leader personally summoning them, no one dared to sit down casually.