Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

However, just as the red ribbon flew halfway out, another cold, azure sword light arrived first, like an ice shard appearing out of thin air, and with a crisp "clang," it accurately struck the tip of the red ribbon!

It is Lu Xueqi's Tianya Divine Sword.

The sword was not fully drawn, only half a foot of its blade protruded, but that glint of cold light carried a chilling sword aura and undeniable power, forcefully deflecting the rapidly shooting amber crimson silk ribbon. It grazed Jiang Xiaochuan's clothes and fell limply to the ground.

The cold, heavy force emanating from the sword made Tian Ling'er's arm go numb. She staggered back half a step, looking at Lu Xueqi in disbelief: "You!"

Lu Xueqi slowly pushed the Tianya Sword back into its sheath, making a soft "click" sound.

She didn't even glance at Tian Ling'er; her gaze remained fixed on Jiang Xiaochuan's retreating figure, who walked away without turning back.

His eyes were unfathomable, devoid of anger or surprise, only displaying a knowing calm, as if he had long anticipated such a reaction.

Yes, that's the real him.

When pushed to the limit, they won't explode; they'll only choose to escape.

Use indifference and aloofness to protect your bewildered heart.

In my past life, I was the same way. When faced with emotional problems, my first reaction was to hide or run away.

She needs to be proactive, assertive, and even a little forceful to pull him out of his shell.

She's not in a hurry.

He has his shell, and she has her patience.

Today's events have already forced out some of his true emotions.

It's a good thing.

"Let him go."

Lu Xueqi finally turned her gaze away from the end of the path where Jiang Xiaochuan had disappeared and turned to Tian Ling'er, whose face was pale and whose chest was heaving violently. Her voice was calm and undisturbed.

"He doesn't want to talk or choose right now. What's the point of forcibly pulling him back, except making him more annoyed and wanting to escape even more?"

"What do you know!"

Tian Ling'er's eyes were red-rimmed as she stared intently at Lu Xueqi, her voice choked with sobs.

"It's all your fault! You're the one who drove him to this! If it weren't for you... if you hadn't shamelessly clung to him, how could he have..."

"Did I force him?"

Lu Xueqi raised an eyebrow slightly, interrupting Tian Ling'er's tearful accusation. Her tone remained calm, yet each word was clear, like ice beads hitting the ground.

"Tian Ling'er, how old are you this year?"

Eighteen years old? Not eight.

Some things need to be understood.

Why did he leave just now?

Was it because I pressured him, or because he himself didn't know what to do or how to say it, so he chose to run away?

She took a step forward. In the moonlight, her face was exquisitely beautiful yet cold, her eyes sharp as knives, cutting through Tian Ling'er's feigned anger and grievances.

"He can't say it because he hasn't thought it through yet. Also, because he's soft-hearted and kind, and doesn't want to hurt anyone with blunt words. Including you."

Tian Ling'er's body trembled, her lips quivered, she wanted to refute, but couldn't find the words.

Lu Xueqi looked at her, her eyes devoid of victor's smugness, only a calmness bordering on pity, and continued, her voice low, yet striking Tian Ling'er's heart like a heavy hammer:

"But that doesn't mean he likes you, Tian Ling'er. At least, not the kind of liking between a man and a woman that means wanting to spend his life with you and that he can't live without you."

"You—!" Tian Ling'er, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly raised her head, tears finally welling up in her eyes, her voice shrill.

"Lu Xueqi! What nonsense are you spouting! What gives you the right to say that! How much do you even know about him? You've only known him for a few years!!"

"Based on my understanding of him."

Meeting her angry, tearful eyes, Lu Xueqi spoke with unwavering conviction, without the slightest hesitation.

"I know more than you do. Much more than you think you know."

Your understanding of him is limited to the level of "a junior brother of Dazhu Peak", "a childhood friend", and "a gentle and kind person".

Do you know what he likes to eat...?

Do you know what he likes to do...?

Do you know how he reacts when he's sad...?

Do you know how he is when he's happy...?

... "

With each question she asked, Tian Ling'er's face paled a little more. Some details she vaguely remembered, while others she had never noticed before.

"He treats you well, takes care of you, and goes along with you. Many times, he'd rather suffer a loss himself than let you have your way."

Lu Xueqi's voice softened slightly, but it sounded even more cruelly real.

"It's because you are his senior, his childhood playmate, someone he considers family, someone he wants to protect, and someone he doesn't want to hurt or disappoint."

But that wasn't romantic love, Tian Ling'er.

You actually know the answer in your heart, but you're unwilling to admit it, or unwilling to accept the possibility.

You use the concepts of "childhood sweethearts" and "love that grows over time" to convince yourself, and use my "interference" to shift the focus.

But in matters of the heart, it's not about who comes first or who stays the longest that determines who belongs to whom.

Tian Ling'er's face was deathly pale, and tears streamed down her face silently. She bit her lip so hard that it almost bled.

Lu Xueqi's words were like a cold awl, prying open the self-deceiving shell in her heart and revealing the bloody reality she didn't want to face.

Yes, Xiao Chuan is good to her and indulges her, but that kind of goodness is different from the way her father treats her mother, and the way her senior brother looks at her senior sister Wen Min... it seems really different.

It's more about habit, family ties, and responsibility.

It wasn't the possessive, almost overwhelming, desire that Lu Xueqi showed him when she looked at him, nor the subtle, uneasy flutter hidden in his panic when Lu Xueqi occasionally got close to him.

"And what about you?"

Tian Ling'er raised her head, glaring at Lu Xueqi with all her might, her voice hoarse, filled with her last bit of resentment and defiance.

You say you understand him!

You keep saying he doesn't like me!

Then tell me, is it true that he doesn't have romantic feelings for me, but he does for you?

Did he tell you he liked you?

Has it ever been admitted?

Did they ever make you any promises?!

Lu Xueqi, stop deceiving yourself!

If he really liked you, he wouldn't be acting like this today!

He avoids you even more than he avoids me!

Lu Xueqi fell silent.

The moonlight flowed silently, and the mountain wind howled.

On the desolate cliff edge, only the figures of two women facing each other remained, along with the faint sound of pine trees in the distance.

After a long while, Lu Xueqi spoke softly, her voice carrying a strange, unshakeable power:

"no."

She readily admitted it.

"He hasn't figured it out yet."

Or rather, he was subconsciously afraid and dared not open his mind to this idea.

He comes from a place...not quite like ours, and he has his own concerns and fears about relationships.

She paused, raised her eyes, and looked at Tian Ling'er. Her gaze was calm and serene, yet it was so deep it was unsettling.

"But it's okay."

I like him, and I've made up my mind about him.

This is enough.

If he doesn't tell me, I can wait.

One year, ten years, a hundred years—I have plenty of time and patience.

He doesn't understand what love is or how to love, but I can teach him slowly in a way he can accept.

He's afraid to take that step, afraid of taking responsibility, afraid of change. I can push him, push him, even... make the decision for him.

Her tone was flat, yet it sent a chill down Tian Ling'er's spine.

"I'll be the bad guy."

I'll take responsibility for the consequences.

All he needs to do is follow me.

hide?

Where can he hide?

Whether in heaven or on earth, in the deepest abode or the deepest hell, I will always find him.

In this life, I will never give him another chance to run away to someone else.

Hearing her calm yet extremely domineering and even somewhat obsessive declaration, Tian Ling'er felt a chill run down her spine.

This is not the infatuation of a young girl in love; it is a declaration to her prey by a mature, determined woman with great strength and terrifying patience.

She wasn't asking for consent; she was stating a fact that was about to happen.

"Madman...you really are a madman..." Tian Ling'er murmured, taking a step back, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at Lu Xueqi.

Lu Xueqi remained noncommittal, simply saying:

"Say what you will."

There's no logic to matters of the heart.

If I've set my sights on something, it's mine.

As for you, Junior Sister Tian.