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

The days passed by.

Lu Xueqi continued to come every day to take care of his daily needs, and to accompany him on walks and talk to him.

Jiang Xiaochuan began to avoid her intentionally or unintentionally. He would bury his head in his food and eat very little; when they went for walks, he would always walk ahead, deliberately keeping his distance; when she handed him something, he would take it quickly, trying to avoid touching it with his fingertips.

Lu Xueqi noticed. She didn't ask, but her eyes would occasionally dim for a moment before returning to calm.

She continued doing what she was supposed to do, but she spoke even less.

Tian Ling'er still came every day, but the light in her eyes grew dimmer and her smile became more and more forced.

But she still came, bringing food made by Zhang Xiaofan, and trying to find various topics to talk about with Jiang Xiaochuan.

Although Jiang Xiaochuan's responses became increasingly perfunctory.

Zhang Xiaofan also came often, but he usually just left his things there.

On several occasions, Su Ru came over and happened to see Lu Xueqi changing Jiang Xiaochuan's dressing.

Su Ru stood at the door, watching quietly. Lu Xueqi lowered her head, her fingers dabbing at the ointment, and gently applied it to the scar on Jiang Xiaochuan's chest, which had faded to the point of being almost invisible.

Her movements were light and focused; her profile, bathed in the soft, yellowish afternoon light, looked almost unreal. Jiang Xiaochuan, meanwhile, tilted his head, gazing out the window, his ears slightly red.

Su Ru stared at it for a long time. Her eyes were deep and complex. She didn't go in; instead, she quietly turned and left.

Only Hongli watches the drama unfold in Jiang Xiaochuan's mind every day, occasionally offering her comments, which infuriates Jiang Xiaochuan to the point of jumping up and down, yet he can't do anything about it.

That evening, Lu Xueqi brought dinner to Jiang Xiaochuan, but did not leave immediately as usual.

She stood by the table, her fingers unconsciously stroking the tassel of the Tianya sword at her waist.

"Xiao Chuan," she suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Jiang Xiaochuan was drinking soup when he looked up at her.

"The jade pendant I gave you," she looked at him, her eyes shining, "do you still have it?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback, then put down his soup spoon: "Yes, I'm here. What's wrong?"

"Can... I take a look?" Lu Xueqi asked in a lower voice.

Jiang Xiaochuan found it a bit strange, but he still got up and walked to the bedside, taking out a small cloth bag from under the pillow.

He opened it, and inside was the jade pendant that Lu Xueqi had given him. The jade was warm and lustrous, and the character "川" (Chuan) engraved on it had clear strokes.

He walked back and handed her the jade pendant.

Lu Xueqi took it, ran her fingers over the character "川" (Chuan), then flipped it over to the back and looked at it.

The jade pendant was perfectly intact, without even a scratch. She pursed her lips and looked up at him: "Why...why aren't you wearing it?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback by her question and paused for a moment: "This... is too precious. I'm always running around, I'm afraid it will get bumped or broken, it would be such a waste."

"It's broken, it's broken," Lu Xueqi said, her voice soft but clear. "I'll make you a new one."

Jiang Xiaochuan was stunned.

He looked at Lu Xueqi, whose eyes were fixed on him, unwavering, with an emotion he couldn't decipher. His throat went dry, and he opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The room fell silent. The only sound was the faint crackling of the oil lamp's flame.

After a long while, Jiang Xiaochuan finally looked away and said in a low voice, "That won't do either. You carved it yourself; the sentiment behind it is different. If it breaks... it's gone."

Lu Xueqi looked at his lowered eyelashes and slowly clenched her fingers around the jade pendant.

The coolness of the jade seeped into her palm. She didn't say anything more, gently placed the jade pendant back on the table, and turned to leave.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at the jade pendant on the table, its surface gleaming warmly under the lamplight. His heart felt heavy.

Two days later, Lu Xueqi came again. This time, she held a small brocade pouch in her hand and handed it to him.

Jiang Xiaochuan took it and opened it. Inside was another jade pendant. It was almost identical to the previous one, made of warm, lustrous green jade, with the character "川" (Chuan) engraved on the front. However, the carving seemed more refined, and the jade quality appeared to be slightly better.

"This..." Jiang Xiaochuan looked up at her.

"Here you go," Lu Xueqi said. "Wear this one. The old one... you can keep it too."

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at the new jade pendant in his hand, then at Lu Xueqi's calm face. The heavy feeling in his heart turned into a more complicated feeling.

He remained silent for a moment, then closed the brocade pouch and handed it back to her.

"Xueqi," his voice was a little dry, "this... I can't accept it."

Lu Xueqi didn't take it, but just looked at him, her eyes dimming: "Why?"

"It's too precious," Jiang Xiaochuan said. "Besides... I don't have much to give you. Sword tassels and candies are just cheap trinkets, nothing special. This jade pendant... I can't accept it."

Lu Xueqi pursed her lips. She looked at him for a long time. The light in her eyes dimmed little by little, until only a silent gray remained. She didn't speak, but silently took the brocade pouch and held it in her palm.

"Those..." she finally spoke, her voice so low it was almost inaudible, "are not trinkets."

After saying that, she didn't look at Jiang Xiaochuan again, turned around and walked out. Her back was straight, but it revealed an indescribable frailty.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood there, staring at the empty doorway, feeling a heavy weight in his heart. Had he... said something wrong again?

A few days later, Wenmin came with Lu Xueqi.

Wenmin carried a small basket of fresh fruit, saying it was freshly picked from the back of Xiaozhu Peak and brought it to Jiang Xiaochuan to try.

Wenmin is gentle and speaks very considerately.

She sat at the table, chatting with Jiang Xiaochuan, asking about his injuries, the current situation of his fellow disciples on Dazhu Peak, and the details of the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament. Her voice was soft, and her eyes crinkled when she smiled, making one feel as if bathed in a spring breeze.

Jiang Xiaochuan had a good impression of this gentle and kind senior sister, and he talked to her with a smile, occasionally praising her with phrases like "Senior Sister Wenmin is getting more and more beautiful" and "She has such a good temperament."

Lu Xueqi sat beside her, silently peeling the fruit. The peel was strung together in a long, thin string. Only her lips were pursed tightly.

Upon hearing Jiang Xiaochuan's praise, Wen Min's face flushed slightly. Her eyes sparkled as she glanced at Jiang Xiaochuan before quickly looking away. She smiled and said, "Junior Brother Jiang is so eloquent. How can my humble appearance compare to our Junior Sister Xueqi?"

As she spoke, she looked at Lu Xueqi with a mischievous glint in her eyes: "Junior Brother Jiang, what do you say, is it or not?"

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and the hairs on his body stood on end. This problem...

He chuckled twice, trying to sound casual: "They're both beautiful, both beautiful! Senior Sister Wenmin is gentle and charming, Junior Sister Xueqi is elegant and refined, each has her own merits, they are both flowers of our Qingyun Sect!"

Wen Min chuckled, covering her mouth with her handkerchief, her smile deepening: "Junior Brother Jiang's mouth is truly sweet as honey. I wonder how many girls he'll steal the hearts of in the future."

She paused, looking at Jiang Xiaochuan with a hint of curiosity, yet also a tentative gaze: "Speaking of which, Junior Brother Jiang is not young anymore. Is there someone you admire in our Qingyun Sect?"

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a chill run down his spine.

Not again? Why is everyone asking this? He quickly waved his hands, "No, no! Absolutely not! Right now, I just want to cultivate properly and improve my cultivation level. I haven't thought about anything else..."

"Oh?" Wen Min raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on her lips. "Our most outstanding junior sisters in the Qingyun Sect are all hovering around Junior Brother Jiang. Why isn't this one here?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Lu Xueqi beside her, seemingly casually.

Lu Xueqi finished peeling the fruit, cut it into small pieces, placed it on a white porcelain plate, and pushed it in front of Jiang Xiaochuan. She didn't look up or say anything, but simply picked up another fruit and continued peeling. Her movements remained steady, only her lips were pursed even more tightly.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and cold sweat was about to break out on his back. He coughed dryly and forced himself to say, "Senior Sister Wenmin is joking. With my meager cultivation, how could I dare to think about such things? Cultivation is the most important thing, cultivation is the most important thing."

Wenmin looked at his flustered appearance, then glanced at the silent Lu Xueqi beside her. A hint of understanding flashed in her eyes, which quickly turned into a faint, complex emotion. She smiled, didn't press further, and changed the subject.

After sitting for a while, Wenmin got up to say goodbye. Lu Xueqi saw her to the door.

"Take care, senior sister," Lu Xueqi said.

Wenmin looked at her, reached out and tidied a non-existent stray hair at her temple, and said softly, "Xueqi, you're simple-minded. Don't get too hung up on things. Sometimes, seeing things too clearly is exhausting."

Lu Xueqi looked up at her. Wen Min's eyes were gentle, filled with pity, and a hint of melancholy that Lu Xueqi couldn't understand. She pursed her lips and softly hummed in agreement.

Wenmin smiled, turned around and left.

Lu Xueqi stood at the door for a while before turning back into the house. Jiang Xiaochuan was staring blankly at the plate of fruit when he saw her return, and quickly sat up straight.

Lu Xueqi walked to the table, sat down, picked up a piece of fruit, and held it to his lips.

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback. Feeding him again?

"Eat." Lu Xueqi said only one word, her eyes fixed on him.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked into her clear eyes, but he couldn't decipher the emotions within them; he only felt a chill run down his spine. He opened his mouth and bit down. The fruit was sweet and juicy.

Lu Xueqi watched him eat, then suddenly asked in a low voice, "Do you like someone like Senior Sister Wenmin?"

Jiang Xiaochuan almost choked on the fruit and quickly shook his head: "No! I just... think Senior Sister Wenmin is a nice person and speaks gently, that's all!"

Lu Xueqi said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions. She picked up another piece of fruit and ate it in small bites. The room became quiet again.

Jiang Xiaochuan stole a glance at her. Her face was turned to the side, her eyelashes drooping, revealing no emotion. The initial panic in his heart slowly turned into helplessness. What kind of mess is this?

Qi Hao and Lin Jingyu also wanted to visit, and had asked someone to pass on their message. However, Daoist Cangsong seemed to have doubts about Jiang Xiaochuan's ability to withstand the heavenly lightning, or perhaps he was dissatisfied with the glory of Dazhu Peak this time; in any case, he did not agree to their visit. He only asked them to pass on a message wishing Junior Brother Jiang a speedy recovery.

Time flowed by at a leisurely pace. Jiang Xiaochuan's "injury" had long since healed, and his cultivation level had stabilized at the third level of Jade Purity. Although it was low, his foundation seemed exceptionally solid, and the spiritual energy within his body circulated smoothly without any stagnation. Hong Li said that this was the result of her, the Bloodthirsty Pearl, and the Soul-Seizing Pearl working together to modify his body. This body was now a top-grade furnace, making cultivation twice as effective with half the effort.

Jiang Xiaochuan was skeptical, but he tried cultivating for a while and found that the speed at which he absorbed spiritual energy was indeed much faster than before. However, his cultivation level increased extremely slowly, as if most of the spiritual energy was absorbed by his body for deeper tempering. Hong Li said that this was laying the foundation and could not be rushed.

He wasn't in a hurry anymore. Besides his regular cultivation, he spent his days sunbathing, taking walks, weaving sword tassels, and dealing with Lu Xueqi, Tian Ling'er, and Zhang Xiaofan. He lived a leisurely life.