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

Qi Hao forced himself to remain calm, glanced a few more times at the bottomless darkness, took a deep breath, and turned to the others, saying, "In that case, let's go in and investigate."

Everyone looked solemn and nodded silently. Faxiang continued, "Senior Brother Qi is absolutely right. However, the situation inside the cave is unclear and the dangers are unpredictable. To guard against any unforeseen circumstances, I hope everyone will bring out their personal magical artifacts or treasures, just in case."

With lives at stake, no one dared to be negligent.

In an instant, various lights shone brightly. Qi Hao's Frost Sword shone with a bright white light, Zeng Shushu's Xuanyuan Sword was faintly purple, Fa Xiang offered up a string of dark brown prayer beads that hung above his head, and Fa Shan had a huge golden wolf-tooth club that was planted on the ground. Li Xun and Yan Hong each held a uniquely styled magic weapon, which shimmered with light.

Although Lu Xueqi's Tianya sword was not yet drawn, a faint azure halo had already appeared around her.

Just as everyone was about to step into the dark cave, Jiang Xiaochuan suddenly had a jolt of realization!

He recalled the description of the path leading to the cave entrance in the original story! It was knee-deep, filled with bat guano that had accumulated for who knows how many years!

Almost without thinking, he reached out and grabbed Lu Xueqi's slender wrist.

"etc!"

Lu Xueqi paused, turning back to look at him in surprise. Qi Hao, Faxiang, and the others also stopped, casting puzzled glances at her.

Jiang Xiaochuan's mind raced, and he forced a natural smile as he spoke to Qi Hao and Faxiang, "Senior Brother Qi, Senior Brother Faxiang, this cave passage might be long and narrow. Senior Sister Lu and I will cover the rear, just in case anything happens, so we can look out for each other."

Qi Hao and Fa Xiang, unsuspecting, nodded: "Alright, Junior Brother Jiang and Junior Sister Lu, be careful."

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone turned away and focused their attention on exploring the darkness ahead, Jiang Xiaochuan leaned close to Lu Xueqi's ear and whispered quickly in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Xueqi, I bet the ground inside this cave is probably covered in... bat droppings. It's filthy and smelly, and it's probably quite deep. You definitely can't stand it. If... if you don't mind, I'll carry you there so you don't get dirty."

The entrance to the cave was extremely dark, and Jiang Xiaochuan couldn't see the expression on Lu Xueqi's face. He only felt the hand holding his wrist tremble slightly, almost imperceptibly.

He was afraid she would misunderstand or find it abrupt, and was about to say something more when he heard...

"it is good."

The voice was soft and calm, right next to his ear. Without hesitation, without doubt, and without even the slightest surprise or embarrassment, he simply agreed.

Jiang Xiaochuan was taken aback for a moment. He released her hand, turned around, and squatted down slightly: "Get on."

Lu Xueqi naturally leaned against his back, her arms wrapped around his shoulders. It was very light; even through his clothes, he could feel the softness of her body, the warmth emanating from her through the fabric, and her cool, unique scent, which instantly enveloped him.

Jiang Xiaochuan steadied himself, supported her knees with both hands, lifted her up slightly to make sure she was stable, and then took a step forward, following the others who had already entered the darkness, and stepped into the cave.

The weight behind her was light, like a feather. Lu Xueqi lay quietly, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, her face close to his neck. Her breath gently brushed against his skin, warm, carrying her clean scent that seemed to dispel some of the foulness.

Through two layers of not-so-thick clothing, he could clearly feel the warm, soft body temperature coming from his back, and a certain... soft, full-elastic touch, which brushed against his back as he walked.

Jiang Xiaochuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and his face felt a little hot.

He quickly composed himself, cursing himself inwardly: What am I thinking! This is about escaping for my life... uh, crossing a cesspool! Be serious!

But the thought still popped up uncontrollably, Naiqi... cough, no, Senior Sister Lu... she really... um.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of those jumbled thoughts. His foot stepped on a slightly hard protrusion, and he swayed slightly.

"Be careful." Lu Xueqi's voice came softly, her breath brushing against his earlobe, and the arms around his shoulders tightened a little.

"It's nothing," Jiang Xiaochuan replied softly, steadying himself as he continued walking forward. The warm, soft feeling on his back became even more pronounced.

Qi Hao, Fa Xiang, and the others walked ahead, their attention focused on exploring the unknown darkness ahead and guarding against potential dangers. In addition, the echoes in the cave were chaotic, so they did not notice the "indecent" behavior of the two people behind them.

Zeng Shushu occasionally glanced back, but because the light was too dim and the magic weapon's light only illuminated a limited area, he only saw that Jiang Xiaochuan seemed to be very close to Lu Xueqi, and did not see the specific situation clearly. He thought the two were discussing something in hushed tones.

The group groped their way forward, and sure enough, just a few feet into the cave, the sensation under their feet suddenly changed!

"Ugh!" Zeng Shushu cried out first, her voice filled with pain and nausea. "What...what is this thing! It's soft, sticky, and stinks!"

Qi Hao, Fa Shan, and the others also let out muffled groans.

With the help of the magic artifact's faint light, one could see that the ground was indeed covered with a thick layer of black, sticky bat droppings!

Stepping on it produced a disgusting "plop plop" sound, and the sticky filth clung tightly to the shoes and socks. The indescribable, extremely foul stench, a mixture of decay, fishy smell, and ammonia, instantly spread, almost suffocating people!

Yan Hong, who was also a woman, turned pale instantly, covered her mouth and nose tightly, and despair appeared in her eyes.

Lu Xueqi, who was being carried on Jiang Xiaochuan's back, had her feet off the ground and was completely clean.

Her arms were around his neck, and her face rested against his shoulder. The scent of his clean body, carrying the warmth of the sun and the scent of soap, lingered around her nose, along with a faint trace of his body heat.

Although it was still a bit cooler than usual, it felt warm and comforting against her cheek.

The sound of his steady footsteps and slightly suppressed breathing filled my ears, as if the stench and the filthy world beneath my feet were separated from me.

She could even feel the slight undulation of his back muscles as he walked, and the powerful heartbeat that emanated through his clothes.

Thump, thump, thump. Steady, powerful, with a strange, reassuring rhythm.

She buried her face in his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Darkness and stench were kept out; only this back, this heartbeat, this small, clean, and warm world remained.

And so, amidst the nauseating stench and sticky texture, the six people in front struggled forward for dozens of feet, each second feeling like torture!

Finally, the sensation underfoot suddenly changed! It went from soft and sticky to hard and rough rock!

"We've reached hard ground!" Qi Hao breathed a long sigh of relief, his voice filled with a sense of liberation.

Everyone quickened their pace and stepped onto the relatively clean and solid ground inside the cave, eagerly cleaning the dirt off their feet.

Jiang Xiaochuan also stopped. He turned his head slightly to the quiet face so close to his shoulder and said softly, "Xueqi, we've reached the hard ground."

Lu Xueqi's eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

What came into view was Jiang Xiaochuan's profile, slightly damp with sweat, so close to his face, with his straight nose and slightly pursed, pale lips.

Then, her gaze fell to his feet and saw his shoes... almost completely covered in black grime, obscuring their original color, and the splattered stains on his trouser legs.

Her heart felt as if something had gently squeezed it; it was a little sour, a little bitter, but more than that… a surging, unfamiliar warmth rushed up and blocked her throat, and her eyes welled up with tears.

She didn't speak, but her arms tightened unconsciously.

Jiang Xiaochuan gently put her down. Lu Xueqi stood still, her feet firmly planted on the hard, clean rock.

Then, before Jiang Xiaochuan could react, Lu Xueqi suddenly stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, and gently pressed her cool, soft lips to his lips.

They separated very quickly, after just one touch.

Jiang Xiaochuan froze completely, his mind going blank.

All I felt was a slightly cool and soft touch on my lips, and the sudden, rich, crisp scent of hers at the tip of my nose.

Lu Xueqi took a half step back, looking at his completely stunned expression. Her cheeks flushed slightly, but her eyes were clear. Her voice was soft, yet each word was clear: "Thank you."

Jiang Xiaochuan opened his mouth, his face flushed instantly, and he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

He subconsciously raised his hand and wiped his mouth roughly with his sleeve, stammering, "B-no need! What...what is this..."

Lu Xueqi watched him wipe his mouth, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly: "You're disgusted with me?"

"No!" Jiang Xiaochuan immediately denied, his voice rising slightly before lowering again, tinged with embarrassment: "No... I mean, this... kissing, it's... it's only for extremely intimate people..."

"Aren't we close enough?" Lu Xueqi interrupted him, looking at him with a stubborn gaze, her clear eyes reflecting his flustered face.

Jiang Xiaochuan choked. He looked into her eyes, which were clear and empty, containing only questions and a hint of barely perceptible... grievance?

He opened his mouth, his throat was dry, and the words "ordinary friends" and "fellow disciples" rolled on his tongue, but he couldn't utter them.

He was silent.

The eerie wind blowing from the depths of the cave howled past, and in the distance, the rustling sounds of Qi Hao and his companions cleaning up the filth, and the flickering light and shadow cast by the magical artifacts, all became blurred and distant.

A brief, silent silence lingered between the two of them.