Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Chapter 133 Writing Our Story

Jiang Xiaochuan's mind was still buzzing.

He looked at her back, which appeared particularly thin and even fragile in the moonlight. The night wind made her clothes flutter, as if she might be carried away by the wind at any moment.

As if possessed, he reached out, somewhat stiffly and hesitantly, and slowly, tentatively, wrapped his arm around her waist.

Lu Xueqi's body trembled almost imperceptibly, but she neither dodged nor turned around.

Following that slight force, she leaned back into his arms, surrendering the weight of her entire back to him.

Jiang Xiaochuan wrapped his arms around her slender yet surprisingly strong waist, his nose filled with the crisp plum blossom scent from her hair, and a faint... very faint scent mixed with soapberry and snow.

He lowered his head, his chin almost touching the top of her head.

From this angle, you can see her lowered eyelashes, casting small shadows in the moonlight, trembling slightly.

Then, he saw a crystal-clear drop of water silently slide down her pert nose and disappear into her clothes.

she cried?

Jiang Xiaochuan's heart clenched suddenly, as if he had been hit hard by something.

Will Lu Xueqi cry?

Lu Xueqi, who was aloof and proud, seemingly forever standing on a cloud, untouched by the dust of the world, who swept across Liubo Mountain with a single sword and made the ancient beasts of the prehistoric world submit with a smile, was actually crying.

He instinctively tightened his arms, holding her even closer in his embrace.

But an inopportune thought popped into my head: when she cries... she seems... more beautiful than when she's usually so cold.

Her eyelashes were wet, the tip of her nose was slightly red, and her lips were pursed; the stubbornness of her trying to hold back tears was intertwined with her vulnerability at that moment...

Jiang Xiaochuan! What are you thinking!

He immediately despised himself in his heart.

She's heartbroken! Where the hell are you focusing your attention?!

He loosened his arm around her waist, awkwardly raised it, and used his fingertips to wipe away the tears on her face.

It feels slightly cool and moist to the touch.

"Don't cry." His voice was a little hoarse as he tried to sound gentle. "You'll look ugly if you cry. If you're ugly, then I... I won't want you anymore."

He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

What a terrible consolation!

Sure enough, the person in his arms stiffened, then abruptly raised their head, their eyes still red, tears still clinging to their eyelashes, but those cold eyes were already glaring at him, two small flames burning within them: "You dare!"

His voice had a nasal quality, yet it sounded fierce.

Looking at her seemingly heartbroken yet fierce demeanor, Jiang Xiaochuan felt a strange sense of unease and a slight urge to laugh.

He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that was both helpless and reassuring.

"Xueqi," he whispered her name, tightening his arms around her again, gently resting his chin on the top of her head, gazing at the churning sea of ​​clouds in the distance, his voice slightly ethereal in the wind, "Do you know... never mind, you should know."

Lu Xueqi leaned against him and could hear the steady heartbeat in his chest.

She didn't speak, but buried her face even deeper, absorbing the warmth emanating from him.

She knew, of course she knew.

She understood his current struggle, confusion, and that ridiculous "kindness" of wanting no one to get hurt better than he did.

"You're saying you don't want to hurt anyone, so you just let things take their course, afraid to respond, afraid to choose, thinking that this way you can maintain a facade of peace, offending no one and hurting no one, right?"

Lu Xueqi's voice came muffledly from his chest, yet it was clear and jarring.

"You're trying to say that you thought this way you wouldn't hurt anyone, but now you realize you've already hurt me, haven't you?"

Jiang Xiaochuan stiffened, and his arm around her tightened slightly.

He turned his face away, avoiding her all-seeing gaze.

She cried out in her heart: Lu Xueqi, are you a mind reader? How do you know everything I'm thinking?!

"Are you thinking, 'Is Lu Xueqi a mind reader?'" Lu Xueqi accurately repeated his thoughts.

Jiang Xiaochuan: "..."

He fell completely silent, speechless.

The night wind seemed even colder, chilling him to the bone.

A long time passed, so long that Jiang Xiaochuan thought she wouldn't speak again, before Lu Xueqi spoke again, her voice soft, yet it exploded in his ears like thunder:

"Xiaochuan, I know. Maybe this world is fake, maybe it's just a book, a story."

Jiang Xiaochuan was startled and looked down at her in disbelief, his arm unconsciously loosening its grip.

Lu Xueqi raised her face, her tear tracks dried, only her eyes slightly red. She looked at his shocked and speechless expression, reached out, and gently stroked his cheek, her palm slightly cool.

"Don't be so surprised," she said, forcing a faint, bitter smile. "You told me. In my past life."

"You told me that according to the plot of that 'story,' in the end, Lu Xueqi and Zhang Xiaofan would end up together."

Lu Xueqi's voice was calm and even, as if she were talking about someone else's affairs, "But now, I have no connection with him at all. A lot of things have changed, haven't they?"

She pressed her fingers slightly, making him look into her eyes.

"All of that is someone else's story, a predetermined plot written on paper."

But we are not.

We are living, breathing human beings; we have flesh and blood, we can cry and laugh, we can love and we can feel pain.

Our path, the one we forge ourselves, is the only one that counts.

Her gaze was intense, with an almost obsessive determination, looking deep into the depths of his eyes:

"So, Jiang Xiaochuan, can we write our own story together?"

Regardless of whether this world is real or fake, regardless of how many people lie ahead, my love is real. Only for you.

Jiang Xiaochuan opened his mouth, but his throat felt blocked, and he couldn't utter a single word.

The overwhelming amount of information and emotional impact left him dizzy, his heart pounding, and he could barely breathe.

She wanted to write a story with him?

Their story?

In this world that might be "books" or "stories"?

Just as he was deeply shaken and almost lost himself in her eyes, which burned with fire and showed a desperate determination, he was stunned.

"Hey, so late at night, a lone man and woman here, gazing at the stars and moon, discussing everything from poetry and literature to the philosophy of life?"

A lazy voice, tinged with undisguised mockery, abruptly broke the almost stagnant atmosphere on the cliff top.

Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi were both startled and turned to look.

Suddenly, Xiao Bai was seen leaning against the stone wall at the entrance of the Moon Gazing Terrace.

She seemed to have just taken a bath; her silver hair was still damp and loosely draped over her shoulders. She wore only a thin, moon-white nightgown and was barefoot, her skin shimmering in the moonlight.

She crossed her arms, her peach blossom eyes narrowed, her gaze sweeping over the two embracing figures before finally settling on Jiang Xiaochuan's hand, which hadn't yet withdrawn from Lu Xueqi's face, and Lu Xueqi's slightly reddened eyes.

The air fell silent instantly, save for the howling wind. An invisible, subtle tension began to build.

Jiang Xiaochuan reacted as if he had been burned, abruptly releasing his grip on Lu Xueqi and instinctively taking a half-step back. His face felt hot, and he was also embarrassed by being caught.

"Little...Little Bai? You...how did you get up here?" This Moon Gazing Platform is a forbidden area of ​​Little Bamboo Peak; ordinary disciples are not allowed to enter. How did she...?

"I wanted to come, so I did."

Xiao Bai lazily straightened up, his bare feet stepping on the cold stone surface, and walked over step by step, his gaze still locked on Lu Xueqi's face, a half-smile curving his lips.

"Junior Sister Lu, what a lively scene! In the middle of the night, you brought our little Chuan Chuan to this desolate wilderness. Look how scared he's become!"

She said the last sentence while looking at Jiang Xiaochuan, her eyes filled with a teasing tone.

Lu Xueqi had regained her usual aloofness, and the tear stains on her face were long gone. She met Xiaobai's gaze, her expression calm, and even nodded slightly: "Xiaobai."

Then, she looked back at Jiang Xiaochuan, who was still in shock and embarrassment, and reached out to take his hand.

Her hands were a little cold, but very firm.

"It's alright," she looked at him, her voice regaining its usual clear tone, yet carrying an undeniable gentleness, "We can take it slow. No rush. Okay?"

It was as if she was asking him, or as if she was talking to herself.

Jiang Xiaochuan looked at the seriousness in her eyes and the unease she was suppressing, and then looked at Xiaobai next to him, who was watching the show with his arms crossed and looking relaxed. He felt like he had a splitting headache.

Take your time? How slow? What are you going to do?

Lu Xueqi seemed not to be waiting for his answer, or rather, she didn't care about his chaotic thoughts at the moment.

She released his hand and instead unfastened the azure-blue celestial sword, Tianya, from her waist.

"Here you go." She handed Tianya to Jiang Xiaochuan.

Jiang Xiaochuan was stunned. He looked at Tianya, then at her: "This...this is Tianya! Why are you giving it to me?" Wasn't Xuechuan Sword with her?

"Xuechuan has absorbed new materials and needs time to stabilize, so it is not advisable to use it for the time being."

Lu Xueqi, without changing her expression, gave the reason she had already prepared, "Use Tianya for self-defense first."

"Me? Use Tianya?" Jiang Xiaochuan pointed to himself, finding it absurd. This was a divine weapon from the heavens, Lu Xueqi's natal immortal sword! How could he use it?

"Give it a try." Lu Xueqi placed Tianya in his hand, her eyes filled with encouragement and a hint of barely perceptible expectation.

Upon handling the Tianya, the texture is warm and smooth, not as cold and heavy as I had imagined. Instead, it has a strange sense of harmony with my hands.

The sword trembled slightly, emitting a low, pleasant hum, as if it recognized its "temporary master."

Jiang Xiaochuan was surprised and tried to inject a trace of Taiji Xuanqing Dao spiritual power.

"Buzz—!"

The Tianya sword shone brightly with a deep blue light, and its clear sword energy flowed naturally without any stagnation, even more smoothly than when he used Xuechuan!

The sword light seemed to resonate with his thoughts, as if this divine weapon was born to belong to him.

"this……"

Jiang Xiaochuan was both surprised and delighted, and subconsciously waved his hand a few times.

The azure sword light, like autumn water, swept across the sky, drawing a beautiful and sharp arc under the moon. The sword energy was menacing, yet it blended seamlessly with his spiritual power, as if it were his own arm!

"Haha! It really works!"

He momentarily forgot the embarrassment and chaos of the previous moment, and like a child who had received a new toy, he enthusiastically controlled Tianya to fly and soar in the air, the azure light illuminating his excited face.

Lu Xueqi stood quietly to the side watching him, the moonlight shining on her cool profile, her eyes softening.

She already knew that Tianya had recognized him.

In her past life, after her, he was the only one who could truly unleash the power of Tianya.

In this life, it's just returning things to their rightful owner... or rather, adapting in advance.

Xiao Bai looked at Jiang Xiaochuan, who was having a great time, and then at Lu Xueqi, whose eyes were so gentle they could melt your heart. She raised an eyebrow and gave a soft snort.

"Alright, alright," she said, interrupting Jiang Xiaochuan's interest.

"No matter how good Tianya is, it's still someone else's sword. Having a couple of rounds is enough; it's time to go back. Aren't you cold in the middle of the night?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was engrossed in the game and felt a little reluctant to part with it. He controlled Tianya and twirled the sword again, the azure light drawing a magnificent trajectory in the night.

"Let's play a little longer, this is the Heavenly Jade! A divine weapon from the Nine Heavens!"

His eyes were bright and he was completely oblivious to the silent exchange between the two women.

Xiao Bai rolled her eyes, her alluring appearance under the moonlight was simply captivating.

She strolled over slowly, reached out, and seemingly casually patted Jiang Xiaochuan's shoulder, but in reality, a gentle force came through, lightly dispersing the spiritual power within him that was activating the Tianya.

The brilliance of Tianya faded, and it obediently fell back into Jiang Xiaochuan's hands.

"You like it? If you like it, I'll ask Junior Sister Lu to let you play with it for a few more days."

Xiao Bai leaned closer to him, her breath as fragrant as orchids, carrying the fresh scent of someone who had just bathed.

"Now, go back with your sister. It's late and the dew is heavy; be careful not to catch a cold."

As she spoke, she glanced at Lu Xueqi with a half-smile, then grabbed Jiang Xiaochuan's wrist and was about to leave.

"Hey, wait a minute..." Jiang Xiaochuan tried to struggle, but Xiaobai pulled him down the cliff without giving him a chance to speak.

After taking a couple of steps, Xiaobai turned back and waved with a smile to Lu Xueqi, who was still standing on the cliff edge in the moonlight:

"Junior Sister Lu, I'll take the person back now. You should get some rest too, goodnight."

After saying that, without waiting for Lu Xueqi's response, he grabbed Jiang Xiaochuan, who kept looking back, and their figures quickly disappeared at the end of the winding mountain road.

Silence returned to the Moon-Viewing Terrace.

The night wind rustled Lu Xueqi's clothes and long hair. She stood alone on the edge of the cliff, gazing at the surging sea of ​​clouds below, and then looking down at her empty waist.

The faint light of Tianya seemed to still linger in his palm.

She stood there for a long time, until the moon began to set in the west, before she gently exhaled, turned around, and her pale figure disappeared into the darkness.

……

On the mountain path, Jiang Xiaochuan was being pulled along by Xiaobai, his wrist held tightly by her warm, soft hand, unable to break free.

"Xiaobai, what are you doing? I haven't even..."

"Not yet? Haven't you and your Senior Sister Lu been enjoying romantic moments and pledging your lives to each other yet?" Xiao Bai interrupted him, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"I...I didn't!" Jiang Xiaochuan's face flushed as he protested, "We just...we just talked for a bit!"

"You can talk so much that she cries?" Xiaobai stopped and turned around, her peach blossom eyes fixed on him intently in the moonlight. "You can talk so much that she gave you her natal immortal sword to play with?"

"I..." Jiang Xiaochuan was speechless.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Xiaobai suddenly sighed, reached out and ruffled his hair, her movements unusually gentle, yet also somewhat helpless.

"Little Chuan Chuan," she said, her voice lower, "I won't stop you. You two can handle your own affairs. But..."

She paused, her silver eyes shining brightly in the night: "Don't make things too difficult for yourself, and don't keep them...waiting too long. Some choices have to be made sooner or later. Dragging it out isn't good for anyone, you know?"

Jiang Xiaochuan was stunned. Looking at her unusually serious expression, the excitement he felt from obtaining Tianya gradually cooled, replaced by a heavy sense of bewilderment.

A choice? Does he even have a choice? How can he choose?

Seeing his expression, Xiaobai knew he was getting stuck on something again, so she didn't say anything more and took his hand again.

"Let's go back. Your sister will warm your bed."

"Who, who wants you to warm their bed!" Jiang Xiaochuan's ears turned red as he struggled.

"Don't want to? Then I'll warm myself up, you'll freeze to death." Xiaobai snorted, but didn't loosen her grip at all, pulling him to continue down the mountain.

Their voices could be faintly heard in the night breeze, gradually fading into the distance.

"I have my own blanket..."

"Your blanket is as thin as paper..."

"Then go back to your room and sleep!"

"No, I'm scared to be alone..."

"What are you, a fox spirit who's been around for thousands of years, afraid of the dark!"

"So what if you're scared? Go ahead and bite me if you dare..."

The sounds gradually faded. Moonlight shone on the winding mountain path, cool and clear.