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

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback by the question.

What is love? Many images flashed through his mind:

In the original novel, after Tian Buyi's death, Su Ru did not hesitate to commit suicide for love.

Biyao shielded Zhang Xiaofan from the Zhuxian Sword, her soul scattered;

Song Daren and Wen Min silently stayed together for decades; one was honest and clumsy, the other waited patiently.

Zhang Xiaofan and Lu Xueqi were on opposing sides of good and evil, and ten years later they were separated by life and death. One became the Blood Prince, and the other waited bitterly at the Moon Gazing Platform.

The two lovestruck foxes in Little Pond Town finally embraced each other and turned to ashes.

And then there's the witch Linglong and the beast god, entangled in creation and destruction for millennia...

What is love?

Is it to follow each other to the death? Is it to silently protect each other? Is it to be unforgettable? Is it to yearn for something you can't have? Or is it to live a passionate life, only to turn to ashes in an instant?

He opened his mouth, but found that those shocking stories could not be distilled into a simple answer at this moment.

Finally, he could only shake his head and honestly answer, somewhat bewildered, "I...I don't know."

Su Ru looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, like pity, or something else entirely.

She didn't press him further, but simply sighed softly, reached out, and, just like when they were children, smoothed his slightly disheveled hair.

"Go."

She said, "I'll go see Ling'er tonight. You... don't go to Yunhai Square for now. I'll say some things for you."

"Master's wife..." Jiang Xiaochuan felt relieved, but also a little guilty.

"fine."

Su Ru smiled, a weary smile on her face. "Ling'er is my daughter, I know her. Some things she has to figure out herself. It might not be a good thing for you to talk to her."

She paused, looked at him, her gaze becoming more serious, and asked, "Xiao Chuan, what about you? What are you thinking?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was stumped again.

What was he thinking? To Tian Ling'er, she was like a younger sister.

He instinctively pressed his hand to his chest, where a cold, silent place lay.

It seems a little different, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.

Moreover, given the current chaotic situation, he didn't have time to think things through.

"I... right now, I just want to have a good competition and improve my cultivation," he said in a low voice, with a hint of escapism in his tone.

Su Ru looked at him for a while, then didn't press him further, simply nodding: "Okay, go and rest first. There's a competition tomorrow."

"Yes, Master's wife." Jiang Xiaochuan felt as if he had been granted a pardon, bowed, and quickly left.

After taking a few steps, he couldn't help but turn back and see Su Ru still standing there, her figure appearing somewhat frail in the night.

He felt a strange tightness in his chest and quickened his pace.

……

As night fell, Yunhai Square was deserted.

Tian Ling'er was waiting there early, her fiery red dress appearing dark and somber in the moonlight.

She stood ramrod straight, her fingers gripping her sleeves tightly, her eyes fixed on the direction of the square entrance.

Footsteps sounded.

Tian Ling'er's eyes lit up, and she turned her head sharply.

But it was Su Ru who arrived.

"mother?"

Tian Ling'er froze, disappointment flashing across her face, then turning into panic. "You... why are you here?"

Su Ru walked up to her, the moonlight illuminating her gentle face, but her eyes held complex emotions.

She sighed softly and reached out to pat her daughter's head.

"Ling'er, Xiao Chuan told me everything."

Tian Ling'er froze, her face turning deathly pale. She bit her lip and turned her face away, asking, "What...what did he say to you?"

Tell him you like him.

Su Ru looked at her daughter, her eyes filled with heartache and helplessness. "Ling'er, you're still young. There are some things..."

"I'm not young!"

Tian Ling'er abruptly interrupted, her eyes reddening, "I'm eighteen already! Mother, I really like him! It's not just childish nonsense!"

Su Ru was silent for a moment, then gently asked, "So, do you think Xiao Chuan likes you?"

Tian Ling'er choked, her lips moved but she couldn't say anything.

She recalled the way Jiang Xiaochuan looked at Lu Xueqi during the day, his blurted-out words "Of course Lu Xueqi wins," and his back as he left with Lu Xueqi without looking back.

Tears welled up uncontrollably, but she forced them back.

"He...he just hasn't figured it out yet."

Tian Ling'er's voice choked, but she stubbornly raised her face: "I will make him understand. I will be good to him, better than anyone else..."

Su Ru looked at her, her heart aching.

She recalled that when she was young, she was also full of courage and determination, and once she set her mind on someone, she would never look back.

But when it comes to matters of the heart, can it be achieved by one side's desperate efforts alone?

"Ling'er," she said softly, pulling her daughter to sit down on the stone steps by the square, "I ask you, what do you think... is love?"

Tian Ling'er was stunned.

What is love?

She remembered Jiang Xiaochuan's impatient yet earnest manner when teaching her swordsmanship, how he always remembered to bring her snacks when he came back from the mountain, the heartache she felt when he was injured, and the bitter anger she felt when she saw him standing with Lu Xueqi.

"Love is... it's wanting to be with him."

Tian Ling'er said softly, tears finally falling down her face, "I miss him when I can't see him, I feel sad when I see him being with someone else, I worry more than anyone else when he gets hurt... I just want to be with him for the rest of my life, like my father and mother."

Su Ru gently put her arm around her daughter's shoulder without saying a word.

In the shadows, beside the bamboo grove.

Lu Xueqi stood quietly, watching the mother and daughter in the square.

The moonlight shone on her cool face, and a fleeting emotion flashed across her eyes before returning to calm.

She heard what Su Ru said.

What is love?

She remembered the hug by the Rainbow Bridge, the shining eyes in his eyes when he held the Tianya sword, his quick nod when he agreed to prepare a gift for her, and the sharp pain in her heart when she saw Tian Ling'er hug him.

She pursed her lips, turned around, and left silently.

……

The next morning, Yunhai Square was still bustling with people.

Jiang Xiaochuan found Zhang Xiaofan and patted him on the shoulder: "Xiaofan, don't be nervous, just fight normally. Senior Sister Lu... well, she's careful with her strength, just do your best."

Zhang Xiaofan nodded, his face tense and his palms sweaty.

The area around the arena was packed with people.

Zhang Xiaofan jumped onto the arena and saw a light blue figure standing quietly opposite him.

Lu Xueqi held Tianya in her hand, her expression cool and aloof as she looked at him calmly.

Zhang Xiaofan's heart skipped a beat.

The referee gave the whistle.

Zhang Xiaofan roared, and the lightning on the Abyss Thunder Sword surged as he launched the first attack!

He fought harder than ever today, his swordsmanship fierce, each move aggressive and relentless.

Lu Xueqi did not draw her sword, Tianya, but her figure was elusive, weaving through the lightning and sword shadows, dodging at the last second.

Her gaze was calm, occasionally sweeping towards a certain direction in the audience.

Zhang Xiaofan fought exceptionally fiercely today, completely unlike his usual steady and methodical style. Several of his strikes were extremely dangerous, almost injuring Lu Xueqi.

The audience gasped in surprise.

Tian Buyi and Su Ru were also standing below the stage, their brows furrowed. Su Ru whispered to her husband, "Xiao Fan is acting... a bit strange today."

Tian Buyi snorted: "Young man, full of vigor, it's normal to fight to the death when you run into a tough opponent."

On the other side, at the Kanwei arena.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood on the stage, waiting for a while. The audience below gradually became impatient, and a buzz of discussion arose.

"Why haven't you started yet?"

"Where is the opponent?"

"Could it be that he's scared?"

Tian Buyi was also getting impatient, his small eyes darting around. Elder Fan from Tongtian Peak frowned and beckoned a senior disciple over, asking him a few questions in a low voice.

The disciple leaned close to his ear and whispered something.

Elder Fan's expression changed, and he blurted out, "What?!"

Tian Buyi turned to look at him: "Senior Brother Fan, what's wrong?"

Elder Fan shook his head and sighed, "Chang Jian was seriously injured in his match with Song Daren of Dazhu Peak yesterday. His internal organs were damaged and his spiritual energy was disordered. He really couldn't go on stage today and had to give up."

The audience erupted in uproar.

"They abstained?!"

"This...this actually works?"

"We've waited all this time for nothing!"

Jiang Xiaochuan stood on the stage and touched his nose.

He forfeited? Good, saves him the trouble of fighting. He jumped off the stage and squeezed his way towards the Qian position stage.