Upon hearing this, Xie Jue, sitting opposite, visibly stiffened.Yun Miao quickly realized, recalling his awkward identity as a "half-demon" and the self-loathing he had shown when revealing his half-demon form to her in Peach Blossom Village. She guessed that this might be a memory he was extremely reluctant to revisit."If you don’t wish to speak of it, you don’t have to.""It’s fine," Xie Jue murmured, his lowered eyelids lifting slightly as his gaze met Yun Miao’s. He shook his head and slowly parted his lips. "After my parents separated, my mother married someone else due to family arrangements. Only after the marriage did she discover she was pregnant with me. She passed away when I was five or six, and not long after, I ran away from that place."Xie Jue omitted many complicated details, sharing only the most essential parts with Yun Miao. "A few years ago, my father found me and brought me back, but he has since gone to a faraway place. Now, we rarely keep in touch."Yun Miao had never imagined Xie Jue’s origins to be like this.The lifespan of a half-demon is similar to that of the Demon Race, so a mere five or six years is but a fleeting moment to them.Yet Xie Jue before her was already an adult, meaning over a hundred years must have passed since then.He had just mentioned that his father had only found him a few years ago.Yun Miao wondered how he had lived as a "half-demon" among humans during those hundred years after escaping.Suddenly, Yun Miao recalled the words "A-Jie" that Xie Jue had murmured in his sleep."What about your A-Jie? Where did she go?"Hearing Yun Miao’s question, Xie Jue’s gaze froze, clearly not expecting her to ask about this now.His eyes rested on Yun Miao, as if reminiscing or pondering.A breeze slipped through the window, lifting the stray strands of hair by their ears, and time seemed to stand still for a moment.After a long pause, Xie Jue’s voice finally echoed in the room again."She also went to a faraway place."Yun Miao looked at Xie Jue, who spoke calmly and slowly, but an emotion called "heartache" silently welled up within her.Though she could not remember her own origins or whether she still had family, her life in Xuantian Sect had been warm, with a kind master and caring senior sisters and brothers.Now, Yun Miao seemed to understand why Xie Jue had chosen to leave with her that day.Perhaps it was because he had experienced too many people leaving and never returning."Xie Jue, from now on, this place is also your home. You can stay here peacefully."Yun Miao met Xie Jue’s gaze, her eyes curving into a smile as if to dispel his unease.A mountain breeze gently brushed between them.But Xie Jue paid no attention to the strands of hair stirring by his cheeks; his gaze was fixed solely on Yun Miao’s bright eyes.With just one glance, they pierced straight into his heart.A hundred years ago, when he had fled the royal palace of Xun Kingdom and collapsed unconscious in the forest outside the city, the eyes he had seen upon waking were just like these.Only, compared to now, those eyes had held more concern as they faced his weakened self.It seemed as if nothing had changed, as if the hundred years between them had never existed."Alright."Looking into Yun Miao’s eyes, Xie Jue gave his answer almost instinctively.And Yun Miao, receiving his affirmation, smiled even brighter than before.At this moment, the sky was clear and radiant, and the summer breeze was gentle and soothing.The room was filled with warmth, each person's eyes reflecting the other's image./The golden hues of dusk gradually descended, dyeing the mountains a translucent orange, and night soon followed.A bright moon hung among the shadows of the trees, its soft light filtering through the gaps in the branches and leaves, falling upon the pond where ripples scattered starlike glimmers with each movement.In the circular pond beneath the trees, a man stretched his long arms, leaning against the pool's edge. His long hair cascaded into the water, the ends dampened and floating on the surface.His moon-white inner robe was already soaked through, clinging tightly to his skin and faintly revealing the color of his flesh beneath.The man tilted his head slightly back, his amber-hued eyes half-closed and veiled in the steam rising from the warm water, their expression ambiguous.His fair complexion was tinged with a flush of crimson, yet his expression held no warmth, a stark contrast to his usual gentle demeanor.He turned his head slightly, water droplets falling from his hair, tracing a path down his neck, across his chest, and disappearing once more into the pool.Xie Jue felt the gentle Spiritual Power from the water slowly nourishing his meridians, eventually gathering within his internal organs, as he pondered the man he had seen in the great hall earlier that day.He thought that perhaps the Soul-Binding Lamp was here on the Main Peak.He needed to find an opportunity to investigate.Xie Jue closed his already half-shut eyes completely, leaning back quietly.Just as he closed his eyes, Yun Miao's voice came from nearby."Xie Jue."Hearing the voice, Xie Jue opened his eyes almost simultaneously, withdrawing his outstretched arms and sitting up straighter from his reclined position against the pool's edge.He lifted his gaze toward the source of the voice, and as his eyes met the figure approaching from behind the trees, he had already reverted to his earlier gentle demeanor. Even his brows and eyes unconsciously carried a faint smile as he replied softly, "I'm here."Yun Miao had come over because she hadn't heard any movement from Xie Jue for a while and was worried.But now that she had heard his response, she felt it would be awkward to leave without saying anything else, so she walked further inside.As Yun Miao approached the edge of the pool where Xie Jue was, she saw the man sitting quite properly, almost rigidly so, with a faint blush coloring his face.Noticing her approach, he glanced down at the robe in front of him and, as if embarrassed, reached to pull his collar tighter.However, the already soaked robe clung to his body like a transparent layer, and even when pulled together, it faintly revealed the color of his skin beneath.Xie Jue seemed to realize this as well, and he subtly sank a little deeper into the water.Though this action served little purpose, Yun Miao did not call him out on his small attempt.Seeing Xie Jue's reaction, Yun Miao, who had initially felt somewhat awkward, relaxed a little. She walked to the edge of the pool, crouched down, and looked at Xie Jue, a smile in her eyes. "Xie Jue, are you feeling better?"As Xie Jue lifted his gaze, he happened to meet Yun Miao's eyes as she crouched beside him.He was momentarily taken aback, then nodded slowly. "Much better."With her question answered, Yun Miao found herself at a loss for words, and an inexplicable awkwardness settled over the atmosphere.Yun Miao withdrew her hand from her knee. "That's good, then. I'll take my leave now. Don't soak for too long either."With that, Yun Miao stood up, preparing to retrace her steps.Perhaps she was already somewhat distracted, and just then, there happened to be a small puddle of water underfoot. Unnoticed, her foot slipped, and her body lurched violently forward.Yun Miao reacted instantly, trying to steady herself, but it was already too late. Warm water from the pool surged from all sides, enveloping her body. Within the warm water, a pair of arms unmistakably lifted her up, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around the other person's neck.Those arms emerging from the water naturally belonged to Xie Jue.Yun Miao knew this, yet she still instinctively turned her head to look toward the source of the arms.In the water, the hems of their robes floated and intertwined, rippling out in a wide expanse.As Yun Miao turned her head, her gaze collided with Xie Jue's nearly bare chest, and one of her hands happened to be resting right on it.In that moment, the body heat she hadn't noticed before suddenly surged into the palm of her hand.She hurriedly wanted to withdraw her hand, but her other arm was still wrapped around his neck. Pulling back now would seem too deliberate.The robes of both were soaked through by the pool water, steaming as they clung to her body. Outside her own drenched garments were Xie Jue's equally wet robes.Yun Miao felt that the places where they touched seemed even warmer, and she couldn't help but grow somewhat flustered.However, before Yun Miao could decide on her next move, Xie Jue's gaze shifted first, meeting hers.Already unsettled by the situation, Yun Miao grew even more flustered. The sound of a heartbeat, quickening again and again, pounded against her eardrums. She could hardly tell whether it belonged to Xie Jue or herself.But she had no time to ponder it.Because for some reason, the surroundings had grown exceptionally quiet. Apart from the occasional chirping of insects from the trees, all that remained were the intermingled sounds of their heartbeats and breathing.Both seemed to have forgotten to move, staring blankly at each other. It was unclear whose breathing grew rapid first.A scorching breath brushed against Yun Miao's neck, and she felt the skin there burn. Jolting back to her senses, she was the first to avert her gaze."Thank you."Intentionally avoiding Xie Jue's eyes, Yun Miao murmured softly.As she spoke, she silently prepared to put some distance between herself and Xie Jue.Though Yun Miao didn't understand much about matters of love between men and women, she could still sense that the atmosphere at this moment was not quite right.Not to mention, she had clearly perceived a dangerous intensity in his eyes, like a storm about to break.Xie Jue's gaze remained fixed on Yun Miao, closely following her movements.From the moment he first held Yun Miao, desire had struck his rational nerves again and again.The impulses of a beast's mating season surged and clamored within his body, eager to break through the cage Xie Jue had imposed on them.Sensing Yun Miao pulling away from his embrace, Xie Jue restrained the urge to pull her back into his arms.Xie Jue lowered his gaze, allowing the sound of water to echo in his ears. He curled his now empty hand slightly and softly uttered an "Mm."Yet, compared to before, his voice was noticeably much deeper.Yun Miao noticed it too.She hesitated for a moment before turning around. "Xie Jue, are you alright?"
Chapter 18
Mistakenly Believing I Was Given the Substitute Lover Script