For one thing, she feared Xie Yanci might return.
For another, she was afraid of running into other disciples and inadvertently revealing that something had happened.
After straightening her disheveled robes, she carefully concealed every trace of emotion in her eyes, leaving behind only exhaustion and a pale complexion. Then, step by step, she followed the narrow bamboo path back toward her residence.
Along the way, lanterns gradually lit up throughout the sect.
A few disciples returning late passed by and greeted her cheerfully.
Su Wan forced a faint smile, nodded politely in response, and continued walking without slowing down.
No one knew…
That only moments ago, she had stood at death’s door.
The instant she closed the door to her courtyard residence, every ounce of composure collapsed.
Leaning against the door, she slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor.
She instinctively touched her neck.
The pain was still there.
The memory of Xie Yanci’s dark, icy eyes resurfaced, filling her with both fear and resentment.
She hated him for being so ruthless.
The original Su Wan had committed all those sins, yet she was the one paying the price.
More than that…
She feared the poison called Half-Month Devourer.
One careless mistake, and she could end up dying a slow, agonizing death.
But after a long silence, she sighed.
Still…
I’ve inherited this body.
That means I’ve also inherited its karma.
Since I’ve been given a second chance at life…
No matter what happens…
I have to survive.
Walking to the table, she poured herself a cup of cold tea and emptied it in one gulp.
The icy liquid soothed the panic threatening to overwhelm her.
As her fingers absentmindedly traced the rim of the cup, she carefully replayed everything that had happened that night.
The demonic aura surrounding Xie Yanci…
The blood soaking through his left shoulder…
The way he had desperately suppressed the demonic energy leaking from his body…
He had obviously been seriously injured.
That was why he had hidden himself in the bamboo forest to recover without anyone discovering the truth.
Has his demonic aura already become this unstable?
Can the ending really be changed?
Her heart sank.
The original novel had focused almost entirely on the male and female leads.
By now, Luo Qingyuan should already have reached the middle stage of the Golden Core Realm.
Ling Chen, the most outstanding disciple of their generation, had already advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm.
But the novel had rarely described the supporting characters in detail.
Had Xie Yanci already begun losing control of his demonic aura at this point in the story?
During the later expedition, had he been silently enduring this same struggle while protecting Luo Qingyuan…
Only to ultimately fall into demonic corruption after his love remained unreturned?
Su Wan couldn’t allow the story to continue down that path.
She had to make Xie Yanci let go of his obsession with Luo Qingyuan.
He had wandered through hardship and suffering since childhood.
To him, Luo Qingyuan had been the only light in an otherwise hopeless world.
But…
Was that really love?
Even if it was…
Luo Qingyuan belonged with Ling Chen.
They were the destined couple.
Sooner or later, Ling Chen would realize his own feelings as well.
Perhaps…
Xie Yanci simply needed someone to help him understand.
Sometimes…
Loving someone also meant letting them go.
Now her own life was literally in Xie Yanci’s hands.
Every half month she would have to seek him out for the antidote.
Avoiding him was no longer possible.
If that was the case…
Then she would stop running.
She would take the initiative.
She would help him understand that Luo Qingyuan would never belong to him…
And maybe, someday…
He could find someone else worthy of his heart.
Standing beside her bed, Su Wan pressed a hand against her chest.
She could clearly sense the faint, sinister presence sleeping deep within her body.
The poison from Half-Month Devourer lay dormant there, waiting.
She let out a helpless sigh.
As long as I stop courting death…
I shouldn’t die anytime soon.
After taking a bath, Su Wan dried her long hair with spiritual energy before happily diving beneath the blankets and falling asleep.
The next morning, warm sunlight streamed through the lattice windows, driving away the night’s lingering chill.
Outside the window stood a lush apricot tree.
According to the original Su Wan’s memories, she had always loved eating apricots.
Because the apricot tree near the Spiritual Herb Garden was too far from her residence, her master had personally planted one inside her courtyard just for her.
After washing and dressing, Su Wan examined herself in the bronze mirror.
The finger marks around her neck had faded considerably, but they were still visible.
She sighed helplessly.
All she could do was pull her collar a little higher to hide them.
Before leaving, she casually picked several green apricots from the tree and headed toward the sword training grounds.
Today was Elder Li’s swordsmanship class.
As soon as she arrived, she spotted the familiar figure dressed in black.
Xie Yanci stood among the disciples, tall and straight, his robes fluttering lightly in the breeze.
His usual carefree smile rested on his handsome face, distant yet relaxed.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of demonic energy leaking from him.
He looked no different from any other disciple of the Qingyun Sect.
It was impossible to connect him with the cold, bloodstained man she had encountered in the bamboo forest the previous night.
Sensing her gaze, Xie Yanci looked over.
His dark eyes remained perfectly calm.
If anything, there was the faintest trace of mockery hidden within them.
His gaze briefly swept across the fading marks on her neck before shifting away as though she were nothing more than a stranger.
Su Wan’s heart tightened.
She quickly lowered her head and pretended to listen attentively as Elder Li lectured on swordsmanship.
Meanwhile, her fingers unconsciously clenched into fists.
How am I supposed to get on his good side?
This man…
was simply too good at hiding his true self.
Not far away, Xie Yanci appeared to be listening to Elder Li just as attentively.
Yet from the corner of his eye, he continued watching the top of Su Wan’s bowed head.
His expression remained unreadable.
No one knew what he was thinking.
The entanglement that had begun in the bamboo forest…
had only just begun.
While Xie Yanci was momentarily distracted, Su Wan quietly shuffled over beside him.
“Senior Brother…”
“Did you sleep well last night?”
Without even looking at her, he replied lazily,
“Naturally.”
“I slept quite well.”
“What about you, Junior Sister?”
“Didn’t sleep well?”
Su Wan let out a pitiful sigh.
“There were so many mosquitoes last night.”
“They bit my neck all over.”
“Look.”
“It’s still red.”
She pointed at the bruises on her neck—the very marks Xie Yanci himself had left there only hours earlier.
“Senior Brother…”
“Do you happen to know any mosquito-repelling spells?”
“If you have time today…”
“Could you help me?”
Trying to win his favor, she unconsciously added a hint of coquettish pleading to her voice.
Xie Yanci looked down at her.
The pleading expression on her face carried an unexpected trace of vulnerability.
For the briefest moment…
he froze.
Then he looked away.
“I’m very busy.”
“I don’t have time to catch mosquitoes for you.”
With that, he turned his attention back to Elder Li’s lecture.
Su Wan wasn’t discouraged.
It’s fine.
This won’t happen overnight.
If it doesn’t work today…
Then next time.
Or the time after that.
Eventually… one of my attempts will succeed.
By the time Elder Li’s class finally ended, Su Wan felt utterly drained.
Having been an ordinary college student in her previous life, she wasn’t exactly blessed with endless energy.
The moment class was over, she returned to her courtyard and enjoyed a long, satisfying nap.
When the sun dipped behind the mountains, she finally headed to the dining hall.
At last, she got to enjoy the delicious meal she’d been craving ever since missing dinner the previous night.
After eating, she wandered leisurely around the sect before returning home.
By then, the sky had already turned pitch black.
She picked a full plate of fresh apricots from the tree in her courtyard before heading inside.
As she nibbled on one thoughtfully, she sighed inwardly.
Looks like Xie Yanci really isn’t coming tonight.
She had even prepared healing herbs and medicine to stop bleeding.
Her original plan had been to treat his injuries and earn a little goodwill while she was at it.
Just as she was absentmindedly eating another apricot—
Creak…
The window slowly opened with a soft sound.