Oops, the princess is surrounded by the male protagonists

"no, I'm fine!"

Rakshasa quickly grabbed her and said urgently.

"Although I don't have the antidote here, I do have some medicine to alleviate the side effects and temporarily suppress their pain. You rest well and leave everything to me. I'll send it to them right away."

Fearing that continuing the conversation would expose her secret, she quickly volunteered to get up and head outside.

"Don't worry, I will take good care of them."

"Okay, then I'll leave it to Aunt Luo!"

Bai Yue, unsuspecting, nodded.

After the door closed again, Shen Xingmian picked up her teacup, took a sip, and looked at Bai Yue with a hint of inquiry in her eyes.

"Xiaoyue, do you think Shuang'er is telling the truth?"

Bai Yue looked up and met Shen Xingmian's gaze. Suddenly, she smiled, her tone indifferent.

"Whether it's true or not, Aunt Luo meant well. She doesn't want everyone to be entangled in past grievances, so why bother making a fuss about it?"

She wasn't unaware of the strangeness in Rakshasa's words, but sometimes it's better to see through things but not say them.

"..."

Shen Xingmian stared blankly at the clear smile on Bai Yue's face for a moment, then smiled with relief and shook her head, "You child, you live more clearly than anyone else. Your great-aunt underestimated you!"

The two exchanged a smile and said nothing more.

Sometimes, taking things too seriously can be exhausting; it's better to let things take their natural course.

As the night deepens, everything becomes silent.

Outside Qingfeng Courtyard, Ming Jingxing moved a stool and sat at the door, humming an off-key tune, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily as he dutifully kept watch.

Suddenly, a cloak was gently draped over his shoulders.

When Ming Jingxing turned around, he saw Shen Xingmian looking at him with a smile, her eyes full of tenderness.

"Brother Ming, it's chilly at night, you must be tired."

Shen Xingmian's voice was gentle.

"But I think after your lesson during the day, no one should dare to bother Xiaoyue anymore. You should go inside and rest, don't catch a cold."

"Xingmian, you have no idea how despicable these kids are."

Ming Jingxing touched the cloak he was wearing, and felt a warm current spread from his shoulders to his heart.

"They're all eyeing Yue'er; we can't afford to be careless!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Xingmian didn't try to persuade him any further. Instead, she turned around, closed the door, sat down beside him, and gazed at the night sky together.

“Then I’ll stay here with Brother Ming. That way we can talk to each other and not be lonely.”

"Xingmian!"

Ming Jingxing was deeply moved and looked at the woman beside him, speechless for a moment.

Just then, Shen Xingmian suddenly pointed to the sky, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"Brother Ming, look! It's a shooting star!"

"meteor?"

Ming Jingxing looked up and saw a dazzling streak of light piercing the night sky. He quickly covered Shen Xingmian's eyes and said urgently.

"That's not a shooting star, it's a jinx! Xingmian, don't look at it, it'll bring you bad luck!"

Shen Xingmian gently took his hand, slowly moved it away, shook her head with a smile, and her eyes held a trace of distant memories.

“Brother Ming, that’s not a jinx, it’s a shooting star. When I was born, there were shooting stars all over the sky, it was quite a sight.”

As she watched several more shooting stars streak across the sky, she spoke softly of the past.

“At that time, some court officials came to see my mother and said that I was the reincarnation of a jinx and would bring disaster to the country, and should be expelled from the royal family. But my mother said that I was her daughter, her precious darling, and that those stars were not jinxes, but stars from the sky who came down to earth to accompany her.”

As soon as Shen Xingmian finished speaking, she suddenly felt her body lighten as Ming Jingxing lifted her up by the waist.

She gasped in surprise and looked up to see Ming Jingxing leaping up and landing steadily on the roof with her.

A cool night breeze ruffled their hair.

Ming Jingxing gently held her in his arms, letting her lean on his shoulder, his chin resting on the top of her head, his voice low and gentle, "Xingmian, your mother was right, you really are a star descended from heaven. Thank you for being willing to stay by the side of this old man, for letting me accompany you and protect you."

Shen Xingmian's eyes reddened slightly. She raised her hand to hug Ming Jingxing's neck, buried her face in his shoulder, and felt the other's steady heartbeat.

The two embraced quietly on the rooftop, watching the shooting stars streak across the night sky. The starlight reflected in their eyes, filling them with tenderness.

Behind them, a dark figure silently slipped out from the top of the Qingfeng Courtyard wall.

His movements were light and elusive, like a startled swan in the forest. His toes touched the tiles on the wall without making a sound, and he quickly disappeared into the night.

The shadowy figure avoided all the visible and hidden sentries within the Zixiao Temple, and in a few leaps, arrived at a secluded bamboo hut on the back mountain of the Zixiao Temple.

After confirming that no one was around, the shadowy figure gently pushed open the door and slipped inside.

Inside, a dim lamp flickered, casting a faint light. Master Yinian sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes closed.

"Master!"

After sneaking into the room, the shadowy figure knelt down without hesitation before the seated Master Yi Nian, who was sitting quietly in front of the prayer mat.

His distinctive heterochromatic eyes, which appeared particularly clear in the dim light, were now shimmering with tears.

Master Yinian slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the person kneeling before him. There was no surprise in his eyes. He sighed softly and spoke kindly.

"Lingxu, it really is you. Where have you been all this time? Why have you been so reluctant to return to the temple?"

"Your disciple is unfilial, causing Master great worry!"

Upon hearing this long-awaited concern, Ling Xuzi's pent-up guilt instantly overflowed, and he choked up, barely able to utter a complete sentence. "Disciple... Disciple..."

He suddenly remembered something crucial, abruptly raised his head, and a hint of urgency flashed in his eyes.

"Master, did Ruoxu not present the sect leader's seal to you when he returned?"

Upon hearing this, Master Yinian showed a complex expression and slowly shook his head.

"Ruoxu... was in a very bad state when she came back. Although she only had some external injuries, she suffered a great mental shock. She was like a madwoman, locking herself in the Tranquil Pavilion and practicing martial arts day and night. She hardly communicated with anyone."

He paused, his tone tinged with heartache.

"Lingxi came to tell me the details of what happened to her, Ruomiao, and Ruochi while they were away. As for the sect leader's seal you mentioned... Lingxi never mentioned it."

Upon hearing this, Ling Xuzi was overwhelmed by immense guilt.

He slammed his head to the ground, his voice filled with self-reproach.

"It's all my fault! If I hadn't separated from them that day and had stayed by their side... Ruomiao might not have died tragically at the hands of the Voodoo Cult, Ruochi wouldn't have been kidnapped and her fate unknown, and Ruoxu wouldn't be in this state now... It's my dereliction of duty, it's my incompetence! Please punish me, Master! Even if you strip me of my martial arts and expel me from the sect, I will have no complaints!"

Master Yinian slowly stood up, bent down and helped Lingxuzi up with his own hands. Looking at his tear-streaked face, he gently wiped away the tears on his cheeks with his fingertips and comforted him softly.

“Foolish child, things in this world are unpredictable and can never go as planned. This was a premeditated act of violence and scheming by the evil followers of the Voodoo Cult. How can you be blamed for it? Do not blame yourself too much or get stuck in a rut, or you will only disappoint your teacher’s expectations.”