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

"I'm fine. What's wrong?"

"I'll take you out for a walk," Lu Xueqi said. "It's not good to stay cooped up inside all the time."

Jiang Xiaochuan thought about it and agreed. He was indeed so lazy from lying down that he felt like his bones were going to give out.

In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly, and the breeze was gentle. Jiang Xiaochuan followed Lu Xueqi, slowly walking towards the back of the mountain.

He knew the back of Dazhu Peak all too well; the bamboo forests were deep, the paths were winding, and the streams were babbling. In the past, when he was lazy, he would hide here most of the time.

They came to a sheltered slope with a large, flat blue stone on it, warmed by the sun. Beside the stone was a patch of fuzzy grass, dotted with some unknown wildflowers.

"This is fine." Jiang Xiaochuan plopped down on the bluestone and stretched.

The sunlight warmed him, seeping through his clothes and dispelling the lingering chill within him. He sighed contentedly.

Lu Xueqi sat down next to him, an arm's length away.

She didn't speak, but just looked at the undulating bamboo forest in the distance and the azure sky further away.

"I used to be so lazy," Jiang Xiaochuan said suddenly, looking at the familiar scenery with a touch of nostalgia. "When Master was pushing me too hard, I would run off here and lie around for most of the day. Watching the clouds, listening to the wind, catching bugs, time flew by."

Lu Xueqi listened quietly.

"Now," Jiang Xiaochuan smiled, "I just finished the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament, so I'm rewarding myself and taking a break. Master shouldn't scold me."

Lu Xueqi turned to look at him.

Sunlight shone on his profile, casting a warm hue on his pale skin. His eyes were slightly narrowed, and a familiar, somewhat lazy smile played on his lips.

"You used to..." she paused, her voice very soft, "...during those three years when you were avoiding me, did you often come here too?"

Jiang Xiaochuan's smile froze for a moment. He touched his nose, a little embarrassed: "Well... not entirely. Sometimes it's elsewhere. The back mountain is so big..."

"Oh," Lu Xueqi responded, without asking any further questions. She turned her head and continued to look at the distant mountains. Unconsciously, her fingers slowly clenched.

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat when he saw that she was silent and that the lines of her profile seemed to be tense.

Oops, he misspoke. He quickly tried to cover it up: "Um... I was just kidding! I didn't really dodge, it's just... it just happened that we didn't bump into each other! Yes, we didn't bump into each other!"

Lu Xueqi didn't turn around, but the corners of her mouth curved almost imperceptibly before she quickly pursed them. She loosened her fist and gave a soft "hmm".

Jiang Xiaochuan breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned back and lay down on the bluestone. The stone was warm from the sun, and although it pressed against his back, it felt quite comfortable. He put his hands behind his head and watched the clouds in the sky slowly change shape.

Lu Xueqi glanced at him, then followed his example and slowly lay down. The bluestone was cold, and she frowned slightly as she lay down.

Jiang Xiaochuan caught a glimpse of this, immediately sat up, took off his outer robe, which was a slightly worn blue cloth shirt, and spread it on the blue stone beneath Lu Xueqi.

"Put something down on it, the stone is cold," he said.

Lu Xueqi paused, looking at him.

His face showed no particular expression, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

She lay down, the rough, soft texture of his outer robe beneath her still warm from his body, and carrying the faint, clean scent of soapberry mixed with sunlight.

very warm.

She closed her eyes. A gentle breeze rustled the bamboo leaves, carrying the faint scent of grass and wildflowers. Sunlight streamed through her eyelids, casting a warm red glow. She could hear his steady breathing.

It's very quiet. Very good.

She suddenly felt that lying there like this, not thinking about anything, not doing anything, was also very good.

Jiang Xiaochuan lay back down, his hands behind his head. He looked at the sky, his mind blank, feeling very relaxed.

Without realizing it, I started humming a tune. There were no words, just a melody, melodious and gentle, carrying a hint of indescribable melancholy and tenderness.

He hummed very softly, almost a whisper. But in the quiet of the mountain forest, it was as clear as a whisper.

Lu Xueqi listened. The tune was strange, unlike any music she had ever heard before, yet it was unexpectedly beautiful.

Like a mountain stream, murmuring softly, or like the sound of pine trees under the moon, rising and falling. As I listened, the turmoil and heaviness in my heart seemed to slowly dissolve and flow away with the melody.

She gradually relaxed, her consciousness becoming somewhat hazy.

She hadn't been sleeping well these past few days, constantly dreaming of the arena, of thunderbolts, and of him falling to the ground, his body charred black. Now, in this warm sunshine, listening to his unfamiliar yet peaceful melody, drowsiness slowly crept in.

She fell asleep.

Jiang Xiaochuan finished humming a verse and turned to look at her. Lu Xueqi had her eyes closed, her breathing even and deep, her long eyelashes casting quiet shadows beneath her eyes.

Sunlight danced on her face, her skin so white it was almost translucent, revealing pale blue veins beneath. Her lips were slightly pursed, their color very pale, like a newly blossoming cherry blossom.

She slept soundly and peacefully. Even her usually slightly furrowed brows were relaxed.

As Jiang Xiaochuan watched, a strange impulse suddenly arose in his heart.

He reached out, his fingertips hovering above her cheek, paused for a moment, and then, very lightly and quickly, touched her cheek with the pad of his finger.

The skin felt smooth, slightly cool, and warmed by the sun. The texture was unbelievably wonderful.

He recoiled as if burned, his heart pounding wildly, his face instantly burning.

He cursed himself inwardly: Jiang Xiaochuan, what the hell are you doing! Shameless! Vulgar! Bastard! Someone was kindly taking care of you, and you actually touched their face while they were sleeping!

He raised his hand and slapped himself across the left cheek without hesitation. The crisp sound echoed clearly in the silent mountain forest.

His face stung. He slapped his right cheek again. It wasn't enough; the shame and guilt weighed heavily on him. He pinched his thigh hard, wincing in pain.

It took him a while for his wildly beating heart to gradually calm down. He dared not look at Lu Xueqi anymore, turned his head and stared at the bamboo in the distance, his mind in turmoil.

Lu Xueqi had actually woken up the moment he touched her cheek. Cultivators have keen senses, especially when touched so closely.

She didn't open her eyes, but felt a slight, cool touch on her cheek that was gone in an instant, and then heard him slap himself.

At first, she felt confused, then a subtle, inexplicable flutter in her heart. He...touched her face? Why? And hit her?

She didn't move, continuing to pretend to be asleep. Only when she felt his breathing become steady did she stir slightly, pretending to have just woken up, and slowly open her eyes.

"I... fell asleep?" Her voice was slightly hoarse from just waking up as she sat up.

Jiang Xiaochuan stiffened, but without turning around, he mumbled an "Mmm".

Lu Xueqi noticed that his face was turned to the side, and the tips of his ears were bright red. Her gaze lingered on his face.

"What happened to your face?" she asked.

"Huh? N-nothing!" Jiang Xiaochuan hurriedly covered his face with his hands, his eyes darting around. "There were mosquitoes! Yes, mosquito bites! I swatted them a few times!"

Lu Xueqi looked at his blatant attempt to cover up his misdeeds, then at the crisp autumn air on the hillside where not even a flying insect could be seen, and remained silent for a moment. She didn't expose him.

"Oh," she replied, standing up and picking up his robe from the stone, handing it back to him. "Thank you."

"No, you're welcome." Jiang Xiaochuan took the outer robe and hurriedly put it on. He stood up, brushed the grass clippings off his clothes, and said, "Um... it's getting late, shall we go back?"

"Okay." Lu Xueqi nodded.

On the way back, Jiang Xiaochuan deliberately walked faster, keeping a greater distance from Lu Xueqi than usual. He didn't dare look at her; his mind was in turmoil.

That brief touch, and the unfamiliar emotions surging within him, made him panic. He was afraid. Afraid that he might really…

The thought sent a chill down his spine. No, he had to keep his distance. He absolutely had to keep his distance.

Lu Xueqi walked behind him, watching his back. He walked quickly, his back ramrod straight, yet with a stiffness about him. She pursed her lips, said nothing, and simply followed silently.

In the evening, Lu Xueqi returned to her room.

She closed the door, walked to the chest of drawers, and pulled out the blue cloth bag from the bottom.

That erotic picture book is still inside.

She took it out, held it up to the evening light outside the window, and turned a few more pages. Her face was still hot, her heart was still racing, but this time, she didn't close it immediately.

She recalled Zeng Shushu's furtive behavior earlier that day, and Jiang Xiaochuan's bewildered expression when he mentioned the "Blue Book."

He was unaware of the book's existence and had never read it.

This realization inexplicably relieved her.

She turned to a certain page. Two people were facing each other, embracing tightly, their expressions one of blissful intoxication that she couldn't understand.

She stared at it for a long time.

If... if it were her and Jiang Xiaochuan...

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she slammed the book shut, her face burning as if it were on fire.

I can't think about it anymore.

She quickly packed her schoolbag, stuffed it back into the bottom of the closet, and weighed it down tightly with clothes. But her heart was still racing.

She walked to the window, opened it, and let the night breeze in. The heat on her face slowly faded, but she couldn't suppress the flutter in her heart.

She gazed in the direction of Dazhu Peak and gently bit her lip.

That book... I should keep it. Just in case... just in case it comes in handy later.