Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

The large round table was packed with people.

Tian Buyi sat at the head of the table, slowly sipping his porridge, his expression unchanged.

Su Ru sat next to him with her usual gentle smile, but her gaze lingered for a moment longer on Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi, who was sitting quietly beside him, slowly picking at her pickled vegetables.

Song Daren, Wu Dayi, Zheng Dali, and Lü Daxin all buried themselves in their food, occasionally exchanging glances.

He Dazhi and Du Bishu sat opposite Jiang Xiaochuan, exchanging winks and grins that stretched almost to their ears.

His eyes darted back and forth between Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi, the meaning clear: Well done, Seventh Brother, you must have had a tiring "practice session" last night? You even had Junior Sister Lu carry you back?

Lin Jingyu sat upright, his eyes fixed straight ahead, though his ears were a little red, probably because he had heard something.

Zhang Xiaofan held the bowl of porridge, looking at this and then at that, his honest face showing a bit of confusion.

But she seemed to sense something was different and quietly pushed a plate of pickled cucumbers that Jiang Xiaochuan liked toward him.

Tian Ling'er sat on the other side of Jiang Xiaochuan, sipping her porridge, but her eyes kept glancing at Lu Xueqi next to her.

Then he looked at Jiang Xiaochuan, who was absent-minded and staring blankly at the bowl of white porridge.

His cheeks were slightly puffed out, and the knuckles of his fingers holding the chopsticks were a little white.

She was wearing a bright red dress again today, which made her face look radiant, but her eyes lacked sparkle.

Jiang Xiaochuan had no appetite at all.

He couldn't tell what the porridge tasted like, or whether the pickled vegetables were salty or bland.

The scene from when I woke up that morning kept replaying in my mind: Lu Xueqi's face so close to mine, her fragrance, the warmth and touch of her holding me, and her last words before she left...

He didn't dare look at Lu Xueqi at all. Even a glimpse of her moon-white sleeves made his face burn and his heart race.

He picked up the spoon and mechanically put the porridge into his mouth, but the spoon almost hit his nose.

"Ahem." He Dazhi cleared his throat, adjusted his glasses, and spoke slowly.

"Seventh Brother, why do you look a little pale? Didn't you sleep well last night? Or... did you spar too hard?"

Du Bishu immediately chimed in, chuckling:

"That's right, that's right, Junior Sister Lu too, look how calm and composed she is."

If you ask me, cultivation also requires a balance of work and rest; you can't push yourself too hard, right, Seventh Brother?

Jiang Xiaochuan's face flushed red, and the spoon in his hand fell into the bowl with a "clatter," splashing a few drops of porridge.

He frantically tried to grab the spoon, burying his head even lower, as if he wanted to crawl under the table.

"One should not speak while eating," Tian Buyi said calmly without even lifting his eyelids.

He Dazhi and Du Bishu immediately fell silent, lowered their heads and ate their rice, but their shoulders were still twitching suspiciously.

Lu Xueqi seemed not to hear the teasing. She calmly picked up a piece of green vegetable, put it in her mouth, chewed it slowly, swallowed it, and then picked up the cloth next to her. She very naturally reached out and wiped the little bit of porridge stain that Jiang Xiaochuan had accidentally gotten on the corner of his mouth.

"Be careful," she said, her voice calm, but her actions were jarringly intimate.

Tian Ling'er tapped her chopsticks lightly on the rim of the bowl with a "snap".

She suddenly raised her head, glared at Lu Xueqi, her eyes a little red.

Jiang Xiaochuan froze, as if burned by the cloth, and shrank back abruptly, his face turning even redder, stammering:

"Thank you, Junior Sister Lu... I can do it myself, I can do it myself..."

Lu Xueqi glanced at him, said nothing, withdrew her hand, and continued to eat quietly.

Breakfast was barely finished in this strange, awkward, and tense atmosphere.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt that this was probably the longest and most unbearable meal he had ever eaten.

The back hill, an open space for practicing swordsmanship.

The sunlight was bright and golden, casting dappled shadows of bamboo leaves on the ground.

But Jiang Xiaochuan couldn't find his rhythm at all.

Holding the Snow River Sword in his hand felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. His movements became stiff, his breathing became disordered, and he almost tripped over himself several times.

One moment his mind was filled with images of Lu Xueqi sleeping beside him that morning, the next with her wiping his mouth, then the ambiguous glances from He Dazhi and Du Bishu, and finally Tian Ling'er's puffed-up face.

"My wrist feels heavy again."

Lu Xueqi's voice rang in his ears, still clear and cold. She had somehow appeared beside him again, reaching out to support his wrist as he gripped the sword, lifting it slightly upwards.

"When the mind is unsettled, the sword intent dissipates. What are you thinking about?"

The cool fingertips touched his skin, and Jiang Xiaochuan felt as if he had been electrocuted, almost dropping his sword.

He abruptly pulled his hand back, took two steps back to create distance, lowered his head, and said in a muffled voice, "N-nothing."

Seeing his avoidance, Lu Xueqi's eyes darkened, but she didn't approach him again.

She just stood there quietly, looking at him for a long while, before letting out a soft sigh.

The sigh was so soft that it was almost inaudible in the wind, yet it inexplicably tugged at Jiang Xiaochuan's heartstrings.

"Don't overthink it," Lu Xueqi said, her voice softer than usual.

"If you can't accept what happened yesterday right away, take it slowly. As I said, there's still a long way to go. But you can't slack off in your training. The Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament is just around the corner, so you need to concentrate."

Don't overthink it?

Jiang Xiaochuan smiled bitterly to himself.

Is something like this something you can just stop thinking about and not think about?

Take it slow... How slow?

He doesn't even know how to talk to her normally anymore!

"I..." He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Apologize?

To avoid her in the morning?

Or for something else?

None of them seem right.

grateful?

Thank you for carrying me home last night, and... for holding me and sleeping all night?

This is even more outrageous!

A deep sense of powerlessness washed over him, leaving him feeling incredibly exhausted. What kind of mess is this?!

He was just an ordinary disciple who wanted to cultivate immortality peacefully and chop bamboo in his spare time. How did he inexplicably get caught up in this deadly emotional vortex?

Lu Xueqi, Tian Ling'er, Xiaobai... each one more troublesome than the last.

Lu Xueqi seemed to see through his frustration and helplessness.

She took a step forward, but this time maintained a proper distance.

She raised her hand, but instead of touching his wrist, she reached for his furrowed brow.

Her fingertips, slightly cool, gently pressed against the crease between his brows, and then, with her fingertips, slowly and with a soothing force, massaged it.

"Frowning doesn't look good," she said, her voice soft, like a feather brushing against your heart. "Relax."

This action caught Jiang Xiaochuan off guard even more than any previous touch.

It wasn't a correction during sword practice, nor was it a possessive embrace; rather, it was a pure touch, imbued with tenderness and comfort.

He froze, forgetting to dodge and forgetting to react, just staring blankly at her face so close to his, at the rare softening of the ice in her eyes.

The cool and gentle touch from between his eyebrows seemed to have some kind of magic, actually relaxing his tense nerves a little.

But it was only a little bit.

What followed was deeper chaos and a subtle tremor that even he himself was unaware of.

"Ogawa!"

Tian Ling'er's voice, clearly displeased, came from the bamboo path.

She carried a bamboo cup and walked over quickly, her steps somewhat hurried.

She was dressed in a bright red outfit, with a tall and straight figure, radiating youthful energy, but there was little smile on her face.

She walked closer, her gaze first falling on Lu Xueqi's fingers, which were still resting on Jiang Xiaochuan's brow. Her eyes turned cold, and she shoved the bamboo cup into Jiang Xiaochuan's hand.

"Here you go! My freshly squeezed bamboo sap, it's good for calming the mind and reducing internal heat!"

Her tone was stiff, and she turned to Lu Xueqi, forcing a smile that wasn't really a smile.

"Senior Sister Lu, are you done giving your guidance? My mother asked me to come and see Xiao Chuan; she said she has something to discuss."

Lu Xueqi slowly withdrew her hand, her fingertips seemingly unintentionally brushing against Jiang Xiaochuan's forehead. She looked at Tian Ling'er, her eyes calm and unwavering, and nodded.

"That's about enough for today. Senior Brother Jiang is restless; forcing him to practice swordsmanship will be pointless. Since Junior Sister Tian has something to attend to, please take him with you."

After saying that, she stopped looking at them, turned around, and with a flash of blue light from the Tianya Sword, she transformed into a streak of light and headed towards Xiaozhu Peak.

His back remained straight and aloof, as if the gentleness of the moment before was merely Jiang Xiaochuan's illusion.

Tian Ling'er stared at the direction Lu Xueqi had disappeared in, bit her lip, then gave a heavy snort, grabbed Jiang Xiaochuan who was still holding the bamboo tube in a daze, and left. "Let's go! What are you daydreaming about! Drink the bamboo juice while it's hot!"

Jiang Xiaochuan stumbled as she pulled him along, and the liquid in the bamboo tube spilled out, splashing onto his hand. It was slightly warm and carried the unique, slightly bitter fragrance of bamboo.

He looked down at the bamboo tube, then at Tian Ling'er's angry profile, and the tangled mess in his heart seemed to tighten even more.