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

Morning light shone through the window paper, spreading a blurry white across the blue brick floor.

Jiang Xiaochuan slept soundly. He dreamt that he was still on the arena, the sky was dark red, thunder rolled in the clouds, and the sound was muffled and unsettling.

Lu Xueqi stood opposite, dressed in light blue, her Tianya sword pointing to the sky.

Her lips moved as if she were saying something, but he couldn't hear her.

Then the lightning struck, not just one bolt, but hundreds and thousands, weaving a blinding net that covered him from head to toe. It didn't hurt, just numb, and his bones felt like they were oozing acid.

He frowned, trying to turn over, but his shoulders wouldn't move. Something was pressing down on them.

He opened his eyes groggily.

My vision was blurry at first, but it gradually cleared up.

First, you see the familiar, somewhat old roof beams overhead, with varying shades of wood grain.

Then, a face came very close, looking right at him.

Her skin was very fair, almost translucent in the morning light. Her eyebrows were thin and slightly furrowed.

His eyes were a clear, deep black, unfocused at the moment, as if he were lost in thought.

Her nose was straight, her lips were pursed, and her color was very pale. A few strands of hair were not tied up properly, slipping down from her temples and brushing against her own cheeks, as well as Jiang Xiaochuan's nose.

It's a little itchy.

Jiang Xiaochuan blinked, then blinked again. It was Lu Xueqi.

She lay on the edge of the bed, one hand still on his shoulder, her chin resting on her other arm, watching him sleep. They were so close he could count her eyelashes, one, two…

His mind went blank for a moment, and he instantly became clear-headed. His body reacted before his mind could process it, and he recoiled.

"Y-you...what are you doing here?!" His voice was a little hoarse, slurred from just waking up, but mostly filled with shock.

Lu Xueqi seemed startled by him, her body stiffening slightly. Her dazed eyes instantly focused back on his face.

She showed no expression, just stared at him for two seconds before speaking, her voice calm: "You're awake."

"nonsense!"

Jiang Xiaochuan propped himself up on the bed and pulled the blanket over himself, even though he was wearing clothes.

"I'm asking you, what are you doing in my room? And so close?"

"Look at you," Lu Xueqi said, straightening up as well.

Today she wore a light blue dress, the fabric soft, with delicate silver bamboo leaf patterns embroidered on the cuffs. She tidied her hair that had fallen loose at her temples, her movements natural.

"I'm afraid you'll have nightmares."

Jiang Xiaochuan choked. A nightmare? He seemed to have...dreamed of thunder just now.

He stole a glance at her; her face was clean and her eyes were open and honest, as if it were perfectly natural for her to lie there and watch him sleep.

"I...I'm fine," he said dryly, lifting the covers to get out of bed.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she heard Lu Xueqi say, "Don't move."

He paused.

Lu Xueqi turned around and walked to the wooden shelf in the corner of the room, where a copper basin and water were placed.

She tested the water temperature, then took out a small porcelain bottle from her bosom and poured some powder into the water. The powder dissolved instantly upon contact with the water, releasing a very faint grassy scent.

She picked up the cloth draped over the edge of the basin, soaked it, wrung it out until it was half dry, and walked back to the bedside.

"Wipe your face." She handed me a cloth.

Jiang Xiaochuan took the towel in a daze. It was warm and carried a refreshing fragrance. He wiped his face haphazardly a few times and felt somewhat more refreshed.

"Here you go." Lu Xueqi handed over another glass of water. She didn't know when it had been poured, but the water temperature was just right.

Jiang Xiaochuan took it and drank it. The warm water slid down his throat, it felt very comfortable.

He put down his cup and looked up at her. Lu Xueqi stood by the bed, watching him quietly, neither urging him nor saying a word.

The morning light shone from behind her, giving her silhouette a fuzzy golden edge, and her light blue dress was as soft as the sky after the rain.

The slight annoyance he felt from being startled inexplicably dissipated. Oh well, let him watch.

Anyway... they are indeed quite pleasing to the eye.

He touched his nose, a little embarrassed: "Um... thank you."

"Mmm," Lu Xueqi responded, took the towel he had used, went back to the basin to wash it, wrung it out, and draped it over her head. She then picked up the wooden comb from the table and returned, saying, "Your hair is messy."

Jiang Xiaochuan subconsciously touched his head. His hair had indeed been messy after sleeping all night, with clumps here and there, and it was also a bit scorched from being struck by lightning that day, so it didn't feel very good to the touch.

He was a little embarrassed: "I can do it myself..."

"Your hand isn't fully healed yet," Lu Xueqi said, her tone flat but carrying an undeniable air of authority.

She walked behind him, gently brushed aside the tangled strands of hair at the back of his neck with her fingers, carefully inserted the teeth of the wooden comb, and slowly combed down along the strands of hair.

The movements were light and slow. The comb teeth brushed against his scalp, bringing a subtle tingling sensation. Jiang Xiaochuan's back stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed. He lowered his eyes, looking at his hands resting on his knees.

His fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, and his skin was pale from years of lack of sunlight, revealing the bluish veins underneath.

The room was quiet, with only the rustling of a wooden comb through hair and the two people's soft breathing.

"Um..." Jiang Xiaochuan found the silence a bit unbearable, so he tried to make conversation, "You...you don't need to go back to cultivate? What about Senior Uncle Shuiyue...?"

"Master has granted permission," Lu Xueqi said, stopping the comb at a knot on the back of his head and patiently untangling it with her fingers. "I'll take care of you for the next month."

Jiang Xiaochuan's throat bobbed. A month...

He opened his mouth, wanting to say, "I'm really fine, you don't need to take care of me," but the words caught in his throat. Never mind.

"Oh," he finally managed to utter only that one word.

My hair is combed smooth.

Lu Xueqi pulled out a light blue hairband from somewhere and deftly tied his half-length hair into a simple ponytail at the back of his head.

After tying it up, she took a half step back to look at it, and nodded as if satisfied.

"Okay," she said.

Jiang Xiaochuan raised his hand and touched the ponytail at the back of his head; it was tied quite tightly, neither loose nor sagging. He twitched the corner of his mouth: "Not bad."

Lu Xueqi didn't reply, and turned around to start tidying up the house.

Actually, the room wasn't messy to begin with. She just folded the quilt more neatly, moved the stool back to its original position, and picked up the broom to gently sweep the almost invisible dust on the blue brick floor to the door.

Jiang Xiaochuan sat by the bed, watching her busy herself. Shui Lan's figure moved around the not-so-spacious room, her movements unhurried yet methodical.

The sunlight gradually moved in, illuminating the tiny dust particles dancing in the air, as well as her lowered profile and the occasional pursed corners of her lips.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind: If things could stay like this... it might not be so bad.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he immediately dismissed it. "Pah, what am I thinking?"

Footsteps sounded at the door, very light, with a hint of hesitation. Then, a head peeked in.

It is Tian Ling'er.

Today she wore an apricot-red dress, her hair was styled in two buns and tied with a matching ribbon, which made her face look even whiter.

Her eyes were a little swollen, and there were faint dark circles under them, as if she hadn't slept well.

She first saw Jiang Xiaochuan sitting on the edge of the bed, and her eyes lit up for a moment. But then she saw Lu Xueqi sweeping the floor behind him, and that light dimmed instantly, and her lips tightened.

"Senior Sister Ling'er?" Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a little flustered. He hadn't figured out how to face Tian Ling'er yet.

The words she spoke that day, the way she looked at him, and the way she ran away crying... were like a thorn stuck somewhere in his heart, not deep, but painful to the touch.

Tian Ling'er walked in, carrying a vermilion lacquered food box in her hand.

She glanced at Lu Xueqi, who stopped what she was doing and looked back at her. Their eyes met, and something seemed to tense up in the air.

"Xiao Chuan," Tian Ling'er placed the food box on the table, her voice trying to be cheerful, but with an undisguised bitterness, "I...I brought you breakfast. It's porridge that Senior Brother Du...uh, it's porridge that Xiao Fan cooked this morning. I tasted it, it's so delicious. There are also pickled bamboo shoots and pickled cucumbers, your favorites."

As she spoke, she opened the food box lid, and steam wafted out, carrying the aroma of rice and the salty, savory scent of pickled vegetables.

It was indeed Zhang Xiaofan's skill; the porridge was thick and sticky, the rice grains were blooming, the pickled bamboo shoots were finely chopped, and the pickled cucumbers were glossy.

Jiang Xiaochuan's stomach growled unexpectedly. He felt a little embarrassed and rubbed his stomach.

Tian Ling'er smiled slightly, ladled out a bowl of porridge, added some side dishes, and brought it over: "Eat it while it's hot."

Jiang Xiaochuan reached out to take it. Just as his fingertips touched the rim of the bowl, another hand reached out and took the bowl from him.

It's Lu Xueqi.

"It's hot," she said, her voice flat.

She carried the bowl to the table and gently stirred it with a spoon to cool it down.

Then, she took out a white porcelain jar from a cloth bag she had brought, opened the lid, scooped out some ingredients with a clean spoon, and added them to the porridge.

It was finely chopped, bright green scallions, with a few golden drops of oil. Instantly, a richer aroma of scallion oil, with its unique fragrance, filled the air.

"This is..." Jiang Xiaochuan sniffed.

"Scallion oil," Lu Xueqi said, walking back with the bowl and handing it to him. "I made it. Mix it with your porridge."

Jiang Xiaochuan glanced at the porridge in her hand, then at Tian Ling'er's face, which flushed instantly, and the tears welling up in her eyes. A chill ran down his spine. How... how was he supposed to choose?

He braced himself, took the bowl from Lu Xueqi's hand, and forced a smile at Tian Ling'er: "Um... Senior Sister Ling'er, there's a lot of porridge, I... I'll try it all."

Tian Ling'er didn't speak, but just bit her lip tightly and looked at Lu Xueqi.

Lu Xueqi didn't even look at her. She turned around and ladled out another bowl of porridge that Tian Ling'er had brought, adding some scallion oil as well. She placed it on the table and then said to Tian Ling'er, "Junior Sister Tian, ​​please sit down and eat with us."

Tian Ling'er's chest heaved twice, and she abruptly turned her head away: "I'm not hungry!" She turned to leave.

"Ling'er." Jiang Xiaochuan called out to her, his voice softening, "Don't go. Let's...let's eat together."

Tian Ling'er stopped in her tracks, turned her back to him, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

After a long while, she slowly turned around, her eyes terribly red, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall. She walked to the table, sat down on the stool furthest from Jiang Xiaochuan, lowered her head, and twisted her clothes belt tightly with her fingers.

Jiang Xiaochuan sighed inwardly. He first scooped a spoonful of Lu Xueqi's porridge with scallion oil and put it in his mouth.

The porridge was warm, and the rice grains were soft and mushy.

The aroma of scallion oil is very special; it's not just the smell of oil. The scallions are clearly sautéed, their caramelized aroma mixed with the richness of the oil, and there's a very faint, indescribable sweetness that perfectly permeates every grain of rice. The crispness of the pickled bamboo shoots and the salty umami of the pickled cucumbers are all stimulated by this scallion oil, instantly enriching the flavor layers and exploding on the tip of the tongue.

Jiang Xiaochuan's eyes widened. This taste... He couldn't resist taking another spoonful.

Lu Xueqi looked at him, her lips curving slightly before she pursed them back.

She sat down, picked up her bowl, and ate in small bites. She ate very politely, making almost no sound.

Jiang Xiaochuan ate half a bowl, then went to try the bowl that Tian Ling'er had brought.

He knew Zhang Xiaofan's cooking skills; the porridge was cooked to perfection, and the side dishes were refreshing. But... how to put it? Compared to Lu Xueqi's exquisite bowl, this one seemed a bit... bland. It wasn't that it was bad, but it lacked that whetting, exciting flavor.

He ate silently, but muttered to himself:

So Lu Xueqi is such a good cook. It wasn't mentioned in the original story... Oh, she didn't seem to cook much in the original story.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. With her personality, she'd probably be more serious than anyone else when it comes to cooking.

Zhang Xiaofan is also a good cook, the kind of delicious, hearty, and homely kind of delicious. If these two were to get together, wouldn't it be a daily feast?

The thought made his heart skip a beat for no apparent reason.

Fan Xue... is indeed quite a good story. Two cooks, one aloof and ethereal, the other a simple and honest young man, working in the kitchen, one chopping vegetables and the other cooking, occasionally glancing at each other, one blushing and the other looking down...

Stop! Cease! Jiang Xiaochuan, what are you thinking about?!

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those chaotic thoughts. When he looked up, he saw Tian Ling'er secretly watching him, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

When she saw him looking over, she hurriedly lowered her head again, picking at the porridge in her bowl, but barely ate any.

Breakfast was finished in an almost stagnant atmosphere. Tian Ling'er cleared away the dishes, said "I'm leaving" with her head down, and hurriedly left with the food box, her back view somewhat flustered.

Jiang Xiaochuan watched her walk away, and the guilt he felt welled up again. He knew Tian Ling'er was upset, but he didn't know how to comfort her. Nothing he said seemed right.

"She likes you," Lu Xueqi suddenly said. She was wiping the table with a clean cloth.

Jiang Xiaochuan's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the bowl.

"What...what did you say?"

"Junior Sister Tian." Lu Xueqi stopped what she was doing, looked up at him, her eyes clear and emotionless, "The way she looks at you is different from how she looks at others."

Jiang Xiaochuan was speechless. Of course he knew.

But Lu Xueqi's bluntness made him feel a little embarrassed. "I...I know. But..."

"You don't like her," Lu Xueqi said, not as a question, but as a statement.

Jiang Xiaochuan remained silent. After a long while, he finally let out a soft "hmm".

"Then let's make things clear with her." Lu Xueqi continued wiping the table, her voice still calm. "The longer it drags on, the deeper the damage will be."

Jiang Xiaochuan smiled bitterly.

Explain it clearly? How can he explain it? The image of her running away crying that day is still vivid in his mind. He's afraid that if he tells her, the girl will be even more upset. Besides... he always felt that Tian Ling'er was still young, perhaps it was just a momentary impulse?

"I'll look for an opportunity," he finally said.

Lu Xueqi glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

After wiping the table, she went to make the bed. Jiang Xiaochuan sat at the table, watching her back as she walked away, his mind a jumble of thoughts.