Xu Fan scratched his head, looking a bit troubled as he stared at the little girl in front of him whose face was smudged with dirt, yet her big eyes never left him. “Qinghe, I’m still young. Can we talk about that stuff later…?”
There was no helping it—being handsome had its own troubles.
He had only just said goodbye to Ji Hanyue, and the village flower Qinghe had already locked onto him.
Although she was born in a poor backwater like Huangsha Village, Qinghe was a real beauty with the gentle charm of a traditional girl.
Hearing Xu Fan’s words, she only gave a faint smile with a shy dimple, twirling her braided hair around her finger. Though she stole glances at Xu Fan with bashful admiration, she said softly, “We can start by just being good friends…”
Xu Fan raised a brow. “Just friends?”
Qinghe’s eyes sparkled. “Mm.”
Thinking of the unfinished work waiting in the fields, Xu Fan absentmindedly nodded. “Alright then!”
Qinghe beamed and extended her pinky toward Xu Fan’s still-youthful face, saying seriously, “We’ll be good friends. Pinky promise—hang for a hundred years, no take-backs.”
Xu Fan thought about it. It didn’t seem like much of a flag—just friends, after all. So he agreed without hesitation.
He extended his pinky and moved it slowly toward hers.
Closer, closer…
Just as her fair little finger was about to touch his—only 0.01 centimeters away—a hand far smoother and fairer than Qinghe’s suddenly shot out and forcefully pulled Xu Fan’s hand back.
Xu Fan turned and saw Ji Hanyue, her forehead lightly covered in sweat from rushing over, gasping for breath. His expression turned a little odd.
Qinghe froze like a startled bunny, retracting her hand. Staring at Ji Hanyue’s god-tier beauty, she lowered her head in shame. “You… who are you?”
Ji Hanyue suppressed the inexplicable sour feeling rising in her chest and calmly said, “I’m Xu Fan’s master. I don’t approve of this.”
Xu Fan and Qinghe widened their eyes in unison.
Xu Fan: Master? When did I suddenly get a master?
Qinghe: Why does Xu Fan’s master even interfere in who he befriends?
Xu Fan scratched his head in confusion. “Sister Hanyue, when did you become my master? How come I didn’t know?”
Ji Hanyue’s face looked as if it were cloaked in light frost, yet her smooth, delicate hand firmly gripped Xu Fan’s. “Not yet. But very soon.”
Xu Fan: ( ?_?)???
A quarter of an incense stick later.
Xu Fan’s parents stared in shock at the small flame Ji Hanyue had conjured in her palm, their faces instantly overwhelmed with fear. They almost fell to their knees. “Immortal, please forgive us! We didn’t recognize a great figure when we saw one…”
“And there’s one more thing I’d like to discuss with you both. I wish to take Xu Fan as my disciple…”
Her tone suddenly turned serious, using a barrage of lofty cultivation terms to fool the two illiterate villagers.
Xu Fan stood to the side, half amused and half speechless.
After Ji Hanyue finished, his parents were completely swayed. They eagerly looked at Xu Fan. “Fan’er, this is a great blessing! You should accept this Immortal as your master!”
Xu Fan twitched at the corner of his mouth and protested, “Father, Mother, there’s still so much work to do in the fields…”
The two were momentarily hesitant. Having worked the land their whole lives, their agrarian mindset was deeply rooted.
Ji Hanyue remained expressionless as she stomped on Xu Fan’s foot.
Without missing a beat, she placed a beautifully carved jade pendant on the table, smiling warmly. “If you agree to let Xu Fan become my disciple, I’ll gift you this pendant. Its worth is equivalent to at least ten years’ worth of harvest.”
This was a keepsake from her late father, one of the few mementos she had left.
Of course, compared to the pendant, what Ji Hanyue truly couldn’t leave behind was something else—taking little Xu Fan to see the outside world!
Xu Fan’s parents said nothing. They simply accepted the jade and began urging him to call her Master.
Xu Fan couldn’t take it anymore and pulled Ji Hanyue aside with a helpless expression. “Sister Hanyue, it’s not that I don’t want to go with you. It’s just that my parents are getting old, and I really want to spend more time with them…”
Ji Hanyue stared into his eyes, unwavering and resolute. “I promise, I’ll bring you back every year to visit them.”
Xu Fan was speechless, his face even more helpless. “Sister Hanyue, why are you going this far?”
“It’s not like I’m never going to come find you…”
Ji Hanyue didn’t respond. But in her mind, an image had already begun playing out.
[Ji Hanyue’s Mental Theater]
[Ten years later: Xu Fan’s face has darkened from years in the sun. He stands beside a pretty woman from the village and a child.]
[Seeing her, Xu Fan smiles politely but with unfamiliarity and humility. He pulls the child forward, saying, “Come now, little Xu Fan, call her Fairy Sister.”]
[She wants to help him, but Xu Fan nervously waves his hands, head bowed low, “Fairy Hanyue, I’m just here to borrow some money… the drought’s been bad these past few years…”]
Just imagining that made Ji Hanyue shiver. Her expression turned stern as she looked at Xu Fan. “No! You must agree to become my disciple!”
“If not, I’m not leaving your house!”
Xu Fan was caught between laughter and tears, unable to grasp Ji Hanyue’s thought process.
But he didn’t know—her reasoning was, in fact, very clear.
She’d been thinking about it for some time: she wasn’t anyone special to Xu Fan, yet he treated her so well. How was she supposed to repay that? This chapter was taken from novelping.com without permission.
Material rewards couldn’t measure up to that kind of care. Offering herself… well, even thinking about that made Ji Hanyue uncomfortable.
But!!!
If she became Xu Fan’s master, then everything changed!
She could justifiably treat him well!
After all, if a master doesn’t care for their disciple, who else would?
Naturally, Xu Fan would also stay by her side. And she could prevent him from becoming that bitter stranger in the future!
It was perfect!
Revived by this thought, Ji Hanyue’s eyes gleamed like a starving wolf staring at a feast, fully intending not to let Xu Fan leave until he agreed.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Xu Fan let out a bitter laugh. In the end, he had no choice but to accept.
On the road leaving Huangsha Village, Ji Hanyue felt like her waist didn’t ache, her legs weren’t sore, her eyes didn’t sting, and her heart felt completely at ease. She was full of energy.
The beautiful curve of her lips never faded as she chirped cheerfully, “Fan’er! Fan’er!”
Xu Fan’s mouth twitched. For the thirty-seventh time, he replied patiently, “I’m here.”
Ji Hanyue frowned, stopping in her tracks. She pinched his cheek like dough, gently scolding, “How many times have I told you, call me Master!”
Xu Fan forced a smile. “Master, I’m here.”
Only then did Ji Hanyue beam with satisfaction.
While resting by the roadside, Ji Hanyue gently patted Xu Fan’s fluffy head, speaking softly, “Since you’ve sincerely acknowledged me as your master, I won’t treat you poorly.”
Xu Fan glanced up at her, side-eyeing her suspiciously, feeling like she was about to sell him a dream.
Then Ji Hanyue shoved a white mantou into his hand, thumping her chest proudly. “You took care of me all winter. From now on, it’s my turn to take care of you!”
“As long as you never do anything to betray me, I’ll take care of you for a lifetime!”
Xu Fan laughed, neither amused nor annoyed, and nodded obediently.
Of course, in his heart, he didn’t take Ji Hanyue’s words seriously. After all, he had said similar things in the past.
In every lifetime, just before dying, he would comfort his heartbroken ex-girlfriends with promises like: if there’s a next life, we’ll be together forever—just hollow words to ease the moment, nothing more.
But what he didn’t know was—
Ji Hanyue wasn’t just painting a dream.
And that seemingly insignificant promise would become a chain of love and sorrow… one that followed him across a thousand years.