Seeing this, Yun Miao instinctively stepped back, but the other showed no intention of stopping.Thud—Yun Miao’s back unexpectedly collided with the courtyard gate, producing a muffled sound.Clearly, there was no further room for retreat.The cold, hard texture of the wooden door pressed against her palm, and the warmth from her slightly sweaty hand quickly dispelled the chill of the wood.Her heels were also pressed against the door behind her, yet she still instinctively glanced back swiftly before tilting her head to look up at the figure looming over her.“Xie Jue, what are you doing?”Feeling her heartbeat quicken as he drew closer, Yun Miao tried her best to suppress her panic as she spoke.But a facade could never become reality. No sooner had the words left her lips than Yun Miao realized her voice had already changed tone.She immediately wanted to cover her mouth with her hand, but it was already too late, so she gave up.Moreover, the person before her continued to advance. The scent of early snow and pinewood, mingled with a faint hint of lotus fragrance, enveloped her from all sides, as if intending to wrap her within it.Just as the fragrance seemed about to encircle her completely, Yun Miao abruptly reached out and pressed her hand against Xie Jue’s chest, halting his further approach.The force in Yun Miao’s hand was not strong, yet Xie Jue obediently stopped in his tracks.However, Xie Jue leaned down, drawing a little closer to her. His amber eyes fixed intently on Yun Miao’s, as if trying to peer into the depths of her gaze.Yun Miao’s hand remained pressed against his chest, creating a barrier between them, and in the next moment, her eyes shifted elsewhere.A smile still lingered at the corner of Xie Jue’s lips, but now it had shed the restraint and politeness he had shown when Pei Qingji was present, revealing a touch more youthful spirit.His gaze did not waver, yet he did not press further, allowing her some room to breathe.Xie Jue softened his tone slightly: “Miaomiao, you still haven’t given me an answer to my earlier question.”The earlier question…Yun Miao couldn’t quite recall what question she had left unanswered at the warm pool earlier. She couldn’t even remember what question he had asked.What remained vivid in her memory was instead the confession of affection he had whispered against her shoulder.Fortunately, Yun Miao’s gaze fell upon the food box in Xie Jue’s hand. The hand that had been pressed against his chest now reached out to take the box from him. “Senior Sister Su’s iced milk pudding is the most delicious. If we don’t eat it soon, the ice will melt.”With that, she deftly sidestepped him, carrying the food box to the table, where she began unpacking the iced milk pudding on her own.It was a clear attempt to change the subject.How could Xie Jue not understand Yun Miao’s intention at this moment? Yet he knew when to stop, not rushing to close the distance further.After all, they now lived together. Sooner or later, he would become the most important person in her heart, not that Senior Brother Shen, or Senior Brother Pei… or even this Senior Sister Su.At present, there were too many people in his sister’s heart, but he wished for her heart to hold only him.Xie Jue’s gaze rested on Yun Miao, who stood a few steps away. He watched as she took the porcelain bowl from the food box and, before even sitting down, leaned over to scoop a spoonful into her mouth.As soon as that spoonful of iced milk pudding entered her mouth, the person by the table closed her eyes in satisfaction.A flicker of amusement stirred in Xie Jue's eyes, yet beneath the gentle surface, turbulent emotions surged, nearly overflowing.However, Yun Miao, half wanting to escape the earlier atmosphere and half genuinely fond of the chilled milk pudding before her, did not notice the unfamiliar emotion in Xie Jue's gaze just a few steps away."Miaomiao, is this chilled milk pudding truly so delicious?"Xie Jue concealed the emotions in his eyes and walked to Yun Miao's side.Yun Miao turned her head at the sound, feeling it somewhat improper to enjoy it alone.She hastily scooped a spoonful: "Would you like to try?"But as soon as she extended her hand, Yun Miao seemed to realize something and paused, even preparing to withdraw it.Because she had just used this spoon, and it would naturally be improper to offer it to Xie Jue: "Wait a moment, I'll fetch a new spoon."Before Yun Miao could finish her words, the man leaned forward in her line of sight and bit onto the porcelain spoon in her hand, taking the chilled milk pudding into his mouth. Yun Miao's intended withdrawal halted because of Xie Jue's action.Xie Jue straightened up and looked at Yun Miao, his eyes sparkling with a bright smile, as if completely unaware of any impropriety in sharing the same porcelain spoon.His Adam's apple moved lightly as Xie Jue swallowed the chilled milk pudding in his mouth: "It is indeed delicious."Yun Miao's hand holding the porcelain spoon remained frozen mid-air, her lips parting and closing.She seemed to have much to say, yet did not know what to say.Yun Miao withdrew her hand awkwardly, placing the porcelain spoon back into the bowl. She stared at it, unsure whether to use it again or not, as neither seemed appropriate.She simply pushed the bowl of chilled milk pudding in front of her toward the other: "If you like it, you can have this entire bowl.""I've been tired lately, so I'll go to sleep first."Like a fleeing rabbit, Yun Miao vanished in the blink of an eye.Xie Jue naturally did not miss the flush on the ears and neck of the one who turned to escape, and the smile on his lips deepened.Xie Jue did not immediately follow but bent down to pick up the porcelain spoon from the bowl, taking another mouthful of chilled milk pudding.He shook his head; the pudding was overly sweet, lacking in creaminess, and rather ordinary. If he learned to make it, his elder sister would surely prefer his version.He had no intention of eating more, but suddenly remembering something, he picked up the porcelain spoon again and, bite by bite, finished the entire bowl of chilled milk pudding…In the inner chamber, Yun Miao pulled the quilt over herself, burying her entire body beneath it.She was somewhat confused about her current state, only that her ears burned fiercely, and her restless heart made it difficult to fall asleep.Fortunately, the one who had caused her such agitation did not follow, leaving her some space to sort out her thoughts and calm down.Yun Miao closed her eyes and regulated her breathing for a while, but the burning heat behind her ears still did not subside.Whether due to the stifling heat of the summer quilt or some other reason, the scorching sensation even seemed to spread.Yun Miao took a deep breath, abruptly sat up clutching the quilt, and leaned forward to push open the wooden window by the bed. The night wind from the valley, filled with coolness, swept over her, instantly carrying away most of the heat from her body.Her heart gradually settled as well.Yun Miao sat cross-legged, her hands resting naturally on her knees, breathing in and out the essence of heaven and earth. After several cycles, her spiritual platform regained clarity and peace, and her entire body relaxed completely.She settled back to sleep, but carefully pulled her thin quilt over, leaving half the bed empty before lying down properly.When Xie Jue entered the inner chamber, he saw a small mound under the thin quilt on the bed, neatly observing that invisible boundary line, leaving half the bed vacant. Another thin quilt, still folded, lay at the foot of the bed.The person on the bed, wrapped in the thin quilt, had already fallen into a deep sleep, though she seemed somewhat cold, curling her body slightly.Night wind slipped through the window, bringing another wave of chill. Following the direction of the breeze, Xie Jue noticed the half-open wooden window.He approached, quietly closing the partially opened window, then turned his gaze back to the person on the bed.After a while, he pulled the thin quilt Yun Miao had left for him from the foot of the bed.Intentionally or not, the corner of his quilt crossed the invisible boundary between them first, and he shifted slightly closer to Yun Miao’s side, though not excessively, still maintaining an appropriate distance.The faint, unique fragrance of the person beside him drifted softly from the pillow. Xie Jue tilted his head to look, just as Yun Miao, warmed by the returning heat in the room, stretched her body and turned over to a more comfortable position.Xie Jue watched the soundly sleeping Yun Miao. Everything seemed to have returned to a century ago, to their days in that small cottage on Qingya Mountain.Back then, he had also slept on her bed like this, secretly observing her as she slept.However, at that time, due to his severe injuries, he struggled to maintain his human form and had transformed into the shape of a small wolf. She had even mistaken him for a little stray dog.Xie Jue gazed steadily at the person before him, his eyes tracing Yun Miao’s features bit by bit, as if completely ignoring the still-flowing time, letting everything pass slowly.In his eyes, within this small world, there were only Yun Miao and him.He liked this summer.He thought./The summer heat in the room once again dispelled the coolness brought by the night wind, yet the chilly breezes among the mountains continued to rush and howl, sharpening the already steep cliffs even further.The Main Peak was enveloped in silence, with only a few lanterns casting faint glows, dimly illuminating the peak and dispersing the night. Among them, fireflies occasionally flitted past like stars.A tall figure, concealed under a cloak with a wide hood covering his entire face, pushed the door open and quickly vanished into the night.Amidst the mountains and darkness, a person suddenly appeared.With a wave of his hand, the mountain wall before him transformed abruptly—the rock face vanished, replaced by a Barrier that appeared before his eyes.The man stepped forward, passing through the Barrier and walking deeper into the cave.Though it was still the height of summer outside, the interior of the cave was adorned with icicles. A bone-chilling cold permeated the entire space, as if it were the depths of winter.The man, however, seemed entirely unaffected. Dressed lightly and without using Spiritual Power to ward off the cold, he calmly proceeded forward.Before long, he reached the center of the cave—where a translucent Ice Jade Bed stood.The closer he got to the Ice Jade Bed, the lower the surrounding temperature dropped, cold enough to freeze the blood in one’s veins.And on the Ice Jade Bed lay a woman.Her features were gentle, her skin as fair as snow, with a touch of crimson on her lips. Her long eyelashes rested peacefully beneath her eyes, as if she were merely in a deep slumber.Yet the exquisitely crafted bronze lamp beside her glowed with a crimson light, continuously channeling spiritual power toward the woman on the ice jade bed, enveloping her form in a faint halo of the same hue.That bronze lamp was none other than the Soul-Binding Lamp Xie Jue sought.The man approached the ice jade bed and removed his hood, revealing the face of Yun Miao’s master—Xu Songmian.
Chapter 20
Mistakenly Believing I Was Given the Substitute Lover Script
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