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

After the meal, the four returned to the West Garden. Lanterns hung under the eaves in the courtyard, casting dim light that made their shadows appear longer and shorter.

Qi Hao stopped in front of their respective rooms and said to the three, "That's all for today. Please rest early. We will set off for Kongsang Mountain early tomorrow morning."

After saying that, he nodded to the three of them, pushed open his door and went inside, closing the door gently behind him.

Zeng Shushu stretched and yawned, then turned to Jiang Xiaochuan, winking as if to say something: "Old Jiang, the moonlight is nice tonight, how about...?"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck, and a familiar, cold gaze was fixed on his back.

His neck stiffened, and he slowly turned his head. Lu Xueqi was standing at her bedroom door, her hand on the door frame, quietly watching him.

The dim light from the corridor illuminated half of her face; her expression was blank, but her eyes...

Zeng Shushu's remaining words caught in her throat, and she gave a dry laugh: "...Haha, I meant, the moonlight is nice, perfect for sleeping! Sleep! Goodnight, Senior Brother Jiang! Goodnight, Senior Sister Lu!"

He spoke rapidly, and after finishing, he darted into his room with a "whoosh" and slammed the door shut, all in one fluid motion.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at the tightly closed door and shook his head. He walked to his own door, and just as his hand touched the latch, footsteps approached from behind.

Lu Xueqi followed and stopped a step behind him.

Jiang Xiaochuan turned around, a little puzzled: "Xueqi? Is there something else?"

Lu Xueqi didn't speak, she just looked at him. Then, she took a step forward, reached out, and gently pushed open the door that Jiang Xiaochuan hadn't had time to open, and went inside.

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback, and subconsciously followed him inside: "Hey, you..."

Lu Xueqi turned around and closed the door. The door hinges made a slight creaking sound.

The room was dark, with only the faint moonlight filtering in from the window and the faint glow of a distant lantern, vaguely outlining the furniture and the figures of people nearby.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood behind the door, looking at Lu Xueqi's blurry profile in the darkness, his mind a little dazed.

"what?"

Lu Xueqi turned around to face him.

The two were very close, close enough to smell her cool, slightly tinged fragrance. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes shining brightly in the dim light, looking directly into Jiang Xiaochuan's eyes.

"That woman in green," she began, her voice unusually clear and cold in the quiet room, "is she pretty?"

Jiang Xiaochuan hadn't expected her to ask that, and instinctively replied, "It looks good."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the air around him seemed to get even colder.

Lu Xueqi pursed her lips, remaining silent and simply looking at him. Moonlight streamed through the window paper, illuminating half of her cheek, making her features appear taut.

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly tried to salvage the situation: "But, uh, compared to you..."

Lu Xueqi waited for him to continue.

Jiang Xiaochuan licked his slightly dry lips and forced a smile, saying, "They each have their own beauty. She's lively, you... aloof. Both are beautiful. But if it were me..."

He paused, his voice lowered, carrying a seriousness he himself didn't realize, "Of course I... prefer someone like you."

In the darkness, Lu Xueqi seemed to pause for a moment. Then, Jiang Xiaochuan saw the corners of her mouth slowly curve upwards into a clear, gentle arc. The moonlight reflected on her smiling lips, making her look breathtakingly beautiful.

She laughed for a while before slowly stopping.

Then, she reached into her robes and took out an object. It was the Six Directions Mirror that Dao Xuan had bestowed upon her. The bronze mirror gleamed faintly and warmly in her palm.

"Here," she said, handing the Six Harmonies Mirror to Jiang Xiaochuan, "you take it."

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback: "Give it to me? Why?"

"For self-defense," Lu Xueqi said succinctly.

"No, no," Jiang Xiaochuan quickly waved his hand and took half a step back.

"This is a treasure bestowed upon you by the sect leader. How can I take it? Besides, with my current cultivation level, I can't unleash much of its power. It would be a complete waste."

What he said was true; the spiritual power of the third level of Jade Purity was indeed barely enough to drive such a magical treasure.

Furthermore, he vaguely felt that his bones, which had been modified by the Blood-Devouring Bead and the Soul-Seizing Technique, were probably even harder than the Six Harmonies Mirror... Of course, he couldn't say that out loud.

"Your cultivation level is low, so you need to protect yourself even more." Lu Xueqi insisted, and extended her hand forward again.

"Really, there's no need," Jiang Xiaochuan said with a wry smile. "I'll just stay with you and be careful. Besides,"

On a whim, he made a joke to ease the tension: "Why don't I just cling to your leg? With you here, it's more effective than any magic weapon."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized something was wrong. "Clinging to someone's coattails"... that phrase seemed a bit ambiguous?

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Lu Xueqi subconsciously glanced down at her legs, then quickly lifted them back up.

In the darkness, Jiang Xiaochuan seemed to see a faint blush rise on her cheeks. Although he couldn't see it clearly, he could clearly sense the subtle embarrassment.

"I...I didn't mean that!" Jiang Xiaochuan quickly explained, his face a little hot. "I meant, I'm relying on you, depend on your protection! I didn't mean anything else!"

Lu Xueqi glanced at him, then stopped insisting and silently put the Six Harmonies Mirror away.

Jiang Xiaochuan wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the corners of her mouth seemed to curve slightly when she put the mirror away.

The room fell silent. Silence filled the air, carrying with it an indescribable, subtle awkwardness, and something else entirely.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt his heart beating a little fast. He cleared his throat and said, "Um... it's getting late, you should go back and rest."

Lu Xueqi hummed in agreement, but didn't move. She remained standing there, her face slightly tilted upwards, looking at him.

My gaze slowly moved down from his eyes, to the bridge of his nose, and finally settled on his lips.

Her gaze was focused, filled with an inquisitive, almost pure curiosity.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt extremely uncomfortable under her gaze, his throat went dry, and he wanted to look away, but he felt as if he were frozen in place.

Then, Lu Xueqi suddenly stepped forward.

The distance between the two instantly shortened.

Jiang Xiaochuan was so close that he could count her trembling eyelashes and feel her light breath on his face, slightly cool and carrying her unique scent.

Jiang Xiaochuan's mind went blank with a "buzz". He saw Lu Xueqi's face looming large in front of him, her clear, cold eyes shining brightly at such close range, clearly reflecting his dazed expression.

Then, a warm, slightly cool sensation came over my lips.

It's very light.

Like a snowflake, it lands on your lips, melts instantly, leaving only a cool, moist trace.

Jiang Xiaochuan froze completely.

His eyes widened as he looked at Lu Xueqi's slightly flushed cheeks and gently trembling eyelashes, which were so close to his face.

He completely lost the ability to think; all the blood seemed to rush to his head, and his ears were ringing.

Lu Xueqi took a half step back, raised her hand, and gently touched her lips with her fingertips, her blush deepening. She looked at the petrified Jiang Xiaochuan, pursed her lips, and whispered, "Sweet."

She recalled those picture books, where talented men and beautiful women would act this way when their love was at its peak.

She tried it and it felt...good. It's just that his lips felt a little cold.

She glanced at Jiang Xiaochuan again and added, her voice soft but each word clear: "It is... an apology for the bumpy ride on the sword today."

After saying that, she turned around, opened the door, and quickly walked out. The door closed gently behind her, shutting out the dim light from the corridor outside.

Outside the door, a barely audible, long, trembling exhale could be heard.

Jiang Xiaochuan remained standing still. After a long while, like a rusty puppet, he slowly raised his hand and touched his lips.

There seemed to be a lingering cool, soft touch there.

"My...my first kiss..." he murmured, his voice trembling, "Even Tian Ling'er never kissed me like this..."

The last time Tian Ling'er kissed him, she only kissed his cheek.

The door was suddenly pushed open again.

Lu Xueqi returned and stood at the door, one hand still holding onto the door frame.

The blush on her face hadn't faded, but her eyes were clear as she stared straight at Jiang Xiaochuan and asked, "How did Tian Ling'er kiss you?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was still in a state of shock and confusion when he heard this, and subconsciously replied, "She...she kissed my cheek..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Xueqi walked back a few steps and stood in front of him.

Looking down at him, before Jiang Xiaochuan could react, she lowered her head again, her cool lips pressing against his once more.

This time, it seemed to linger a little longer than before. It was still very light, but the sensation was distinct.

Then, she stepped back, looked at Jiang Xiaochuan who was completely dumbfounded with his eyes wide open, and slightly curved the corners of her mouth upward.

"Goodnight," she said. There seemed to be a faint, triumphant smile in her voice.

After saying that, she really turned and left this time, even closing the door behind her.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood in the dimly lit room, his hand still touching his lips.

Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?

In her mind, Hong Li sighed softly, her tone complex, a mix of annoyance and amusement: "...Your first kiss, just like that, is gone. I haven't even had one yet..."

She paused, then snorted, "That girl, she's quick on her feet."

Jiang Xiaochuan didn't hear what Hong Li was saying at all.

He leaned against the door, slowly slid down to the ground, hugged his knees, and buried his burning face in them. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, so hard it hurt his eardrums.

He couldn't sleep anymore.

He sat in the room for what felt like an eternity before the heat on his face subsided slightly. He stood up, feeling parched and stifled in the room. He gently opened the door and went outside.

Outside the West Garden is the central garden in the back garden of the Mountain and Sea Garden.

It was late at night, and all was quiet except for the chirping of summer insects in the grass.

The moonlight was faint, like a layer of light gray gauze, shrouding the pavilions, rockeries, flowers, and trees in the garden, making everything hazy and indistinct.

Jiang Xiaochuan wandered aimlessly along the cobblestone path.

The cool night breeze brushed against my face, slightly easing the heat in my heart. A clump of unnamed flowers swayed gently in the wind by the roadside. On a budding flower, a round dewdrop clung, gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

He suddenly remembered the bouquet of wild chrysanthemums that Lu Xueqi had given him.

Golden and small, blooming vibrantly. Though ordinary, he liked it very much.

For some reason, he started humming a song softly.

He hummed very softly, almost in a breath, with a hint of inexplicable melancholy and a touch of tenderness that he himself was unaware of.

"What tune are you humming? It's really nice."

A clear, cheerful voice suddenly rang out in front of me.

Jiang Xiaochuan was startled, and his humming stopped abruptly.

He looked up abruptly and saw a person standing beside a cluster of roses in full bloom ahead of the path.

Dressed in light green, with bright eyes and white teeth, and a smile as beautiful as a flower, she was none other than Biyao, the girl in green whom I had seen at dinner.

She held a pink rose she had just picked in her hand, tilted her head, and looked at him with a smile.

The moonlight shone on her face, making her skin look like jade and her eyes sparkle with undisguised curiosity and inquiry.

Jiang Xiaochuan snapped out of his daze, feeling a little embarrassed. He had no idea how long she had been standing there or how much she had heard. He coughed lightly and touched his nose: "Just humming, not very catchy."