Yun Miao led Xie Jue by the hand for quite some distance before she suddenly realized something—the warmth in her palm did not belong to her. She abruptly halted her steps and released Xie Jue’s hand.“What’s wrong?”Only after letting go did Yun Miao meet Xie Jue’s questioning gaze, and she belatedly realized that her reaction just now might not have been entirely appropriate either.Surrounded by lush, emerald-green bamboo, the leaves rustled gently in the breeze, swaying like a person’s unsettled heart.Yun Miao paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. “It’s nothing…”Yet the hand that had just held Xie Jue’s, now hidden within her sleeve, curled slightly, as if still retaining the lingering warmth of Xie Jue’s touch.This realization made Yun Miao avert her gaze somewhat guiltily. Catching sight of a creeping ivy climbing from a nearby courtyard, she quickly seized the opportunity to change the subject, pointing into the distance. “That’s where I live.”Xie Jue’s gaze remained fixed on Yun Miao, not shifting away until he sensed she was about to turn her head. Reluctantly, he withdrew his gaze and cooperatively leaned closer to Yun Miao, following the direction of her finger toward the small courtyard not far away.At the end of the bamboo-lined path stood a round stone archway, with ivy climbing all over the walls. Through the archway, a small courtyard faintly visible, its architectural style matching that of the Main Peak.The courtyard did not appear large, but it was certainly more than enough for one person to live in.Seeing that Xie Jue remained silent for a long while, Yun Miao couldn’t help but tilt her head slightly to glance in his direction.But as soon as she turned her head, her lips brushed lightly against something soft and warm.What came into Yun Miao’s view next was Xie Jue’s face, magnified and startlingly close.His dark lashes fluttered slightly, and Yun Miao snapped back to her senses like a startled butterfly.She belatedly realized that her lips had just grazed his cheek.Yun Miao hastily took a step back, only to accidentally step on the uneven boundary between the cobblestone path and the soil. Losing her footing, she stumbled backward, colliding with a bamboo stalk behind her.Xie Jue had already turned his gaze toward her, the feather-like sensation on his cheek still lingering.Watching Yun Miao’s cheeks flush crimson in an instant, he quietly observed her flustered and awkward movements, the smile at the corner of his lips deepening.But the next moment, as he saw Yun Miao lose her balance and tilt backward, the smile on his lips vanished abruptly.He quickly reached out, grabbing Yun Miao’s hand and pulling her toward him, trying to counteract the force of her backward fall.Although Xie Jue acted swiftly, there happened to be a bamboo stalk right behind Yun Miao, and she inevitably fell against it.Fortunately, Xie Jue’s pull helped balance the forces, allowing Yun Miao to steady herself.Yet, as if propelled by inertia, Xie Jue took two steps forward, stopping just in front of Yun Miao.Yun Miao’s eyes widened in surprise as she stared at Xie Jue’s face, now magnified before her, momentarily forgetting to move.The bamboo Yun Miao had bumped into swayed gently, and many of its leaves rustled down.Some landed on Yun Miao’s hair, some on Xie Jue’s shoulder, and others drifted down between their interlocked gazes, settling on the overlapping sleeves of their robes.At that moment, the two of them seemed to be standing amidst a rain of bamboo leaves.Yun Miao watched the falling leaves, blinking slowly before hurriedly straightening up and preparing to move aside, deliberately trying to widen the distance between herself and Xie Jue.However, her hand was still held in Xie Jue's grasp, forcing Yun Miao to halt her steps.Yun Miao glanced at her hand, still clasped in Xie Jue's palm, then raised her eyes to look at him. With some awkwardness, she withdrew her hand and, feigning composure, placed it behind her back. "Thank you…"Xie Jue lowered his gaze, taking in every subtle movement Yun Miao made.But he said nothing, instead lifting his eyes to look at her. "Are you alright?""I'm fine," Yun Miao patted her clothes, the earlier unease not yet fully dissipated as she met Xie Jue's gaze. "Let's head over first."Without waiting for Xie Jue's reply, Yun Miao brushed past him and quickly walked toward the direction of her small courtyard.Pushing open the door, everything inside the room remained as familiar to Yun Miao as ever.Though she had only been away for a few days, it felt as if she had been gone for a long time.Yun Miao walked into the room and went straight to the window, pushing it open.The sight of towering green mountains and swirling mist outside immediately filled the room.The breeze from the mountain valleys, now cooled and carrying a refreshing chill, swept into the room, dispersing much of the weariness from Yun Miao's journey.Yun Miao allowed the gentle wind to brush over her, closing her eyes contentedly as she stretched her arms.But before she could lower them, the sound of approaching footsteps came from behind.Suddenly remembering that Xie Jue should still be following her, Yun Miao quickly dropped her hands and turned to face him. She took a few steps toward him and began to explain, "This is where I live.""On this Main Peak, aside from my master, there are only my two senior brothers—the two you just met. They were concerned that it might be inconvenient for me as a girl, so they specifically gave me this small courtyard. They live on the other side. In front of my courtyard is a bamboo grove, behind it are vast green mountains, and to the side, there's a small hot spring pool." Yun Miao smiled as she spoke. "If you're interested, I can take you there later. Weren't you feeling unwell a few days ago? The spring water there is very helpful for recovery."Xie Jue's gaze swept over the room's furnishings, which felt strangely familiar, while his eyes remained fixed on Yun Miao's lips as they moved with her words.It was as if all his thoughts had frozen, leaving him to stare blankly at everything before him, letting Yun Miao's voice wash over his ears.Xie Jue was afraid to move, fearing that even the slightest motion might shatter this beautiful dream.Everything before him would vanish once more, leaving only himself and the empty, yet unmistakably Yun Miao-filled, traces of life in the forest cabin."Xie Jue?"Seeing his distant gaze, Yun Miao couldn't help but take a few steps closer, waving her hand in front of his eyes.Perhaps because her waving hand obscured her face, Xie Jue instinctively reached out to grasp it.But as soon as his hand extended, he seemed to snap back to reality, letting it fall back to his side, his fingertips leaving faint crescent marks in his palm.The insignificant pain now spread infinitely across Xie Jue's palm, reminding him that the person before him was truly real.Yun Miao withdrew her hand, her gaze filled with concern as she looked at Xie Jue and asked again, "Xie Jue, what's wrong?"Xie Jue forced a slight curve at the corner of his lips and shook his head."I'm fine. I was just captivated by the scenery outside earlier."Yun Miao turned around and looked out through the open window behind her. Outside, mist drifted among the clouds, and the green mountains remained unchanged.She turned back to Xie Jue. "Do you also like the scenery outside?"As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Miao led Xie Jue to the luohan bed beneath the window. They sat on either side of the small table in the middle.Yun Miao rested her arm on the small table, propping her cheek on the back of her hand as she gazed sideways at the view outside the window, her voice gentle. "I also fell in love with the scenery outside the first time I came here."Xie Jue had long been curious about why Yun Miao had disappeared back then and why she had lost her memory, but he had never found the right opportunity to ask.Now, hearing Yun Miao mention the past he had not been part of, he quickly followed up with a question. "When was that?"Upon hearing Xie Jue's question, Yun Miao glanced once more at the scenery outside before turning back to him. After a moment of thought, she gave her answer."It's been quite a while… probably over ten years now."Yun Miao's answer surprised Xie Jue.Only over ten years?But it had been over a hundred years since his sister left Qingya Mountain.Where had she gone before coming to the Xuantian Sect? Could it be related to her memory loss?Xie Jue rubbed his fingertips under the table, lost in thought.He raised his eyes to meet Yun Miao's gaze, feigning nonchalance. "And before coming to the Xuantian Sect, where are you from, Miao Miao? Do you still have family? Will they object to our Soul Binding?"Xie Jue skillfully used the pretext of their Soul Binding to continue his inquiry."I don't remember any of it. I don't remember where I'm from or whether I have any family," Yun Miao shook her head. "My master found me. When I woke up, I was already at the Xuantian Sect. Later, I stayed for a while in Dui Courtyard with the new disciples, and after becoming my master's last disciple, I've been here at the Main Peak ever since.""So that's how it was." Suddenly, Xie Jue thought of something else. "Was the name Yun Miao also given to you by your master?"In truth, Xie Jue had pondered this for a long time without finding an answer.If she had forgotten everything from the past, why would she still remember her own name? And if she didn't remember, where did this name come from?The wind outside grew stronger, howling as it rushed through the window. Though it was summer, it carried a chill as it brushed against them.Remembering that Xie Jue had only recovered from a fever a few days ago, Yun Miao leaned forward from the luohan bed and reached out to close the window slightly."My master gave it to me," Yun Miao withdrew her hand, her gaze returning to Xie Jue. "But that's not entirely accurate either. My master said it was engraved on a pendant I was wearing, so it must have been my name from before.""So that's how it was."Xie Jue's mind once again conjured the image of Xu Songmian's face from the main hall earlier.Was it a coincidence?He stole the Soul-Binding Lamp and just happened to save his sister, who had lost her memory?Although Xie Jue had no concrete evidence at the moment, his answer was clearly negative."What about you? Where did you live before, and do you still have family?"Prompted by Xie Jue's earlier questions, Yun Miao couldn't help but ask in return.It wasn't about prying into the other's background, but she realized she might have overlooked something important.Though she didn't know how things were in the Demon Realm, in the mortal world, marriage was indeed a significant matter for mortals—one that should be discussed with family.
Chapter 17
Mistakenly Believing I Was Given the Substitute Lover Script