Water Reflects Peach Blossoms

Walking among the bellflowers, Jiang Ruan felt calm.

She seemed to have returned to the pure and innocent time of a baby, walking on a pure land.

"Jiang Ruan." A familiar cold voice came from behind.

Donghua, who was standing behind her, was surrounded by an aura of loneliness and desolation.

Jiang Ruan was startled. When she turned back, he stopped her: "Don't turn back."

Hearing the sound coming close, Jiang Ruan stopped turning around.

Looking at her back, Donghua shifted his gaze to the lake-like emerald green spring in front of him: "This is Bihai Cangling, the place where I was born."

"It was here that I transformed and cultivated, heading to the Water Swamp Academy to study and cultivate. After my father's death and dissipation into the heavenly way, I couldn't bear to see the suffering of the people in the four seas and eight wastelands as they fought for territory and the law of the jungle. So I put an end to the unrest by killing and fighting. I assumed the role of Lord of Heaven and Earth, established the laws of the immortals and gods, and when everything was settled, I abdicated to the Taichen Palace."

"I have my own responsibilities and I have compassion for all living beings, including you."

"But my heart is too heavy for you, so heavy that I can't control myself. I want to see you every day. If you can smile happily, it will make me happy."

"Jiang Ruan, I have never thought of hurting you. I just want you to live happily. Maybe I am too domineering and don't know how to love others, but I hope you know... I am already learning how to love you."

Listening to Donghua's calm confession, Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes and said, "Love must be mutual."

"Do you hate me?" Donghua forced a smile.

"I don't hate it." Jiang Ruan shook his head, then added: "But I can't accept your behavior."

"It's true that you saved me, but that doesn't mean you can decide my life."

As if finding a glimmer of hope, Donghua's eyes quickly flashed with light: "Initially, I just wanted you not to be looked down upon in the Heavenly Palace, so..."

"After this incident, I understand my shortcomings. Don't worry, from today on, I won't force you, nor will I force you to marry me. You can do whatever you want."

Jiang Ruan said: "I want to go back to the mortal world."

"Then I will send you back to the mortal world." Donghua's rare gentle voice came: "But Jiang Ruan, I want you to stop avoiding me."

"I also want you to know that there's nothing wrong with liking someone and wanting to do your best to treat her well."

"I want to be good to you, and I also want you to stop avoiding me like a snake."

Jiang Ruan didn't believe it: "But you still brought me here."

Bi Hai Cang Ling, she heard Donghua mention it. When she was trapped in the Heavenly Palace by him, he once said that if she didn't like the Heavenly Palace, he would bring her to live in Bi Hai Cang Ling.

Donghua knew that she didn't like him and his domineering behavior, but he still brought her to Bihai Cangling.

Donghua's hand clenched suddenly at his side, the wound on his hand bursting open again. He forced a smile and said, "I just wanted to bring you to see it."

"I want you to see my birthplace, and I also want to have a quiet conversation with you, just the two of us. If we were in Shenshui Town, Zheyan and Mo Yuan would be there, so it would be inconvenient, and I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to hear me."

Jiang Ruan's eyes lit up slightly: "You...what you just told me is true?"

Hearing the cautious tentativeness and expectation in her tone, Donghua replied affirmatively: "Of course it's true."

Jiang Ruan still didn't turn around, she stood there quietly, and Donghua didn't say anything else. He stood behind her with all his attention focused on her.

Wherever Jiang Ruan is, Donghua's eyes are always on her.

It was like this in the Heavenly Palace, it was like this in Chenshui Town, and it is like this now.

After a long pause, Jiang Ruan asked in a low voice, "Did you assign someone to look after my home and my parents' graves?"

"Yes." Donghua admitted.

Jiang Ruan rubbed the fingers hanging at his side, and after a moment of hesitation, he decided to say thank you: "Thank you."

Donghua's breathing hitched, his eyes filled with affection trembling slightly. He had brought her to the Heavenly Palace for nearly two months, but he didn't expect that she would thank him for what he was supposed to do.

Jiang Ruan has always been gentle.

They can distinguish between good and evil, and know when to refuse and when to say thank you in their relationships.

But... it's too distant.

Jiang Ruan made a very clear distinction between her and him.

"Gu..."

The sound was not loud, but it was unusually obvious because of the quiet atmosphere between the two of them.

Jiang Ruan immediately covered her stomach with both hands, and the sadness she had felt before disappeared. Her fair little face instantly turned red, and she was so embarrassed that she wanted to burrow into the ground!

Donghua's smiling voice came from behind: "I'll call Siming and ask him to bring a cook who can cook."

Bihai Cangling is the birthplace of Donghua. Normally, not to mention the gods from outside, even the spirits practicing in Bihai Cangling are under his control. The fact that he can allow gods from the outside to enter Bihai Cangling is enough to show how much Donghua values Jiang Ruan.

"No need." Jiang Ruan didn't want to bother anyone. She looked at the lotus bushes in the distance and said, "I can make lotus leaf cakes. Lotus seeds and lotus roots can also be made into food."

Jiang Ruan finally agreed to speak to him in a gentle manner.

Donghua's voice softened as well: "I'll go pick some lotus leaves, lotus seeds, and lotus roots."

Suddenly, a streak of red flashed across the sky, and a phoenix cry was heard. The barrier above Bi Hai Cang Ling was instantly broken by a powerful divine power!

As soon as Jiang Ruan turned around, he saw Donghua, who was hit in the chest by Zheyan's palm and flew backwards several meters, hitting the bellflower tree, and half-knelt on the ground with one hand supporting himself.

Donghua's face was pale, with a hint of crimson seeping from the corners of his lips. He looked so weak that he was about to break.

Jiang Ruan was surprised and ran over to help him up, but he was so weak that he didn't know how to start. "Are you...are you okay?!"

Wasn't Donghua the former ruler of heaven and earth, the most exalted god in the universe? How could he, with his immense magical powers, be beaten so badly by Zheyan's palm?

Zheyan, dressed in a pink robe, looked unhappily at Donghua, who was so weak that he had to be helped up by Jiang Ruan.

This old guy Donghua did it on purpose!

The palm strike he'd just received was because he'd attacked him first, and he'd been forced to fight back to protect himself. Who would have thought Donghua would drop his guard and take the blow, and even act so exaggeratedly pitiful in front of Jiang Ruan?!

Following Zhe Yan, Mo Yuan, who saw through everything, remained silent.

Donghua changed his behavior, and perhaps the fight he was worried about would not happen in the end.

"Cough... cough cough..." Donghua put his fist to his lips and coughed twice. He tried not to put his weight on Jiang Ruan, keeping his hands around her. He said weakly, "I'm fine. I thought you wouldn't worry about me anymore..."

Jiang Ruan felt that Donghua's words were rather sad and angry: "You saved my life, of course I won't just watch you get hurt."

Donghua looked at the hand that was injured by the phoenix feather hairpin. The gauze on his hand was torn and scattered, revealing the hideous wound on the back of his hand, and purple-gold blood was flowing out.

He was so weak that he could hardly hold on.

Jiang Ruan also noticed the wound on his hand that had broken open again: "How come... there's no way to heal it with magic?"

"The hairpin's power is too strong. The phoenix's divine power nearly tore through the meridians in my entire arm," Donghua lowered his eyes, his tone extremely weak. "I used up all my divine power to suppress it earlier, and just got hit by a palm strike. All my efforts were wasted."