Birds skimmed low, their wings quietly unfurling, reflected in the slightly parted pupils of Shi Ying.
Her fingers, resting on her lap, twitched slightly as her long lashes slowly fluttered down and then lifted again.
The touch had been fleeting so light it barely grazed the corner of her lips, carrying with it a restraint of seventy percent.
Yun Jinghe’s palm cradled her cheek as she slowly withdrew.
Shi Ying had kept her head tilted upward, watching her all the while, her heart briefly stirred by something that vanished as quickly as it came.
Yun Jinghe waited, but no sound came from her, and unease crept into her thoughts.
Had she been too impulsive? Had she startled her?
But then again, compared to the things Shi Ying had done before each more outrageous than the last, this was nothing.
She had merely… followed her example.
Yun Jinghe justified it to herself this way, yet the unease did not lessen in the slightest.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” She lowered her gaze to Shi Ying, her voice lacking its usual composure, now tinged with uncertainty.
“Why did you kiss me?” Shi Ying blinked, shaking off that strange feeling, her lips curling back into a smile. “Does this mean you agree to be my partner? To marry me?”
Yun Jinghe stiffened at her blunt words, turning her face away slightly as she pressed her lips together. “The reason I did this is the same reason you did what you did back then.”
Shi Ying tilted her head. “Really?”
But her own motives hadn’t been pure. Did that mean Yun Jinghe’s weren’t either?
She stole a glance at her. That couldn’t be right.
“Are you hungry? There are still some fruits left from yesterday. I’ll wash them for you.”
Afraid that Shi Ying might press further and who knew what she’d say next Yun Jinghe quickly steered the conversation elsewhere.
But Shi Ying wasn’t so easily fooled. She caught up to her immediately. “No, you haven’t answered my question yet.”
Yun Jinghe picked up a few fruits and dropped them into a basin of clear water, silent.
“If you don’t tell me, I won’t let this go today.”
Shi Ying had noticed something Yun Jinghe couldn’t handle being pestered. She seemed rigid, even dull at times, always speaking and acting with strict propriety. But whenever faced with Shi Ying’s relentless teasing, she always faltered.
At first, Shi Ying had approached her with an agenda. But over time, a mischievous playfulness had taken over. Now, she wasn’t even sure which impulse was stronger.
Yun Jinghe’s lashes lowered slightly. “Yingying, I will take responsibility for my actions.”
“Huh?” Shi Ying leaned in, tilting her head. “What does that mean?”
Yun Jinghe lifted her hands from the water, her slender, pale fingers glistening as she lightly tapped Shi Ying’s lips. For once, her eyes held a rare, relaxed amusement.
“I know exactly what I just did.”
The cool touch made Shi Ying instinctively purse her lips, brushing against the tip of her finger.
Yun Jinghe froze, quickly withdrawing her hand before suddenly asking, “Do you still have elders in your family?”
Shi Ying hesitated, unsure why she was asking. After a moment, she shook her head. “Not really. Why?” She didn’t like talking about herself, especially not this part.
Although Yun Jinghe had anticipated this situation earlier, upon learning that she was truly alone, a pang of pity welled up in his heart.
“My family may be gone, but I do have a mentor. However, she has been traveling the world in recent years, and I haven’t heard from her in a long time.”
Yun Jinghe had actually hesitated about whether to reveal his identity now. While many in the world boast about the status of cultivators, in reality, it’s rare for the two worlds to intertwine.
After all, their lifespans differ, and the world of cultivators is fraught with all kinds of dangers. No one can guarantee their own safety or even that of their partner from one moment to the next.
“Why are you telling me this?” Shi Ying found it strange.
“If the two of us,” Yun Jinghe paused, as if carefully considering the next word, “were to marry, wouldn’t mutual understanding be the most basic requirement?”
Upon hearing her words, Shi Ying’s eyes widened suddenly, as if struck by surprise, her mind momentarily dazed.
But remembering Yun Jinghe’s mention of “mutual understanding,” she quickly spoke up to stop him. “It’s just marriage, we don’t actually need to know too much about each other. I only want you as a person; the rest I neither wish to know nor care about.”
Shi Ying was afraid he might delve deeper into her circumstances. She didn’t want to fabricate more lies.
These past few days had made her acutely aware of one thing: a single careless lie would require countless deliberate lies to cover up.
Her words halted Yun Jinghe, who had been planning to explain his identity in detail. He corrected her, “Marriage is no trivial matter. Aren’t you afraid I might be a dangerous person?”
“I’m not afraid.” After all, Shi Ying wasn’t even human herself, who was afraid of whom?
Seeing that she truly showed no trace of fear, Yun Jinghe frowned. “Don’t tell me you’re this unguarded with everyone?”
“Of course not. I’m not stupid,” Shi Ying retorted.
Yun Jinghe sighed softly. In the past, he had seen his peers in the sect struggling to teach their disciples, often frustrated and helpless. Now, he felt he could understand a little of that sentiment.
As for his identity, there was no rush. He would tell her eventually.
If she was willing to return to Taicang Mountain with him, they would go together.
If not, a mortal life was but a hundred years. He wouldn’t mind accompanying her for that time.
Autumn was a rainy season, the skies gloomy and unpredictable. The rain came and went as it pleased.
In the afternoon, Yun Jinghe followed his usual routine of meditating to recuperate, while Shi Ying played with cats and dogs outside in the post-rain air though it wasn’t long before she came back to find him.
At first, Shi Ying was a bit restless, fiddling with his hand as if tying something around his wrist. Gradually, she grew quiet.
Yun Jinghe sat cross-legged on the bed, while Shi Ying lay curled against his lap, fast asleep, one hand still gripping his tightly.
Like a clingy cat though Shi Ying was far bolder.
Another cycle of cultivation ended, and the spiritual meridians that had been faintly aching finally began to channel spiritual energy smoothly again.
Yet for some reason, Yun Jinghe slowly pressed a hand to his chest. Occasionally, a sharp, needle-like pain would flare there, always fleeting, impossible to examine.
Other than that, there was no discomfort. So Yun Jinghe didn’t pay it much mind, dismissing it as a minor aftereffect.
Now that some time had passed since her “disappearance,” she wondered how things were back at Taicang Mountain. However, her life token was still intact, so they probably wouldn’t be overly worried.
Every disciple of Taicang Mountain had their own unique life token. If its owner faced imminent danger or perished, the token would react accordingly.
What she really needed to focus on now was Shi Ying.
At this thought, Yun Jinghe slowly opened her eyes. When the clearer, brighter scenery came into view, she couldn’t help but freeze in surprise.
Her vision seemed sharper now. She looked down at her palm, it was almost indistinguishable from normal, save for the occasional fleeting dizziness, more like an unfamiliar sensation than anything else.
Her gaze fell on the red-braided bracelet around her wrist, which Shi Ying had just fastened for her. She seemed particularly fond of fiddling with such things.
Before, Yun Jinghe hadn’t been able to see it, this was her first time seeing the finished product.
Instinctively, she wanted to look at Shi Ying, who was curled up asleep on her lap. But for some reason, even though the girl was right in front of her, Yun Jinghe suddenly felt a reluctance, a hesitation akin to the trepidation of returning home after a long absence.
Her long lashes lowered slightly, but she still looked.
The first thing that caught her eye was a cascade of jet-black hair, spread out like clouds, with a few delicate braids intertwined among the strands, adorned with red threads like bold strokes of ink on a dark canvas.
The girl’s eyes were closed, her expression serene. Shifting light and shadow played across her long lashes, casting faint shadows beneath her fair skin.
A few stray strands of hair draped over the bridge of her nose, and below them, her lips soft and full, the color of pale cherry blossoms.
It was a strikingly beautiful face. At first glance, her delicate features seemed fragile, yet they exuded a vibrant, lively energy.
Yun Jinghe found herself momentarily entranced. She reached out to brush away the strands of hair from Shi Ying’s face, revealing it fully.
But her fingers didn’t stop there, they lingered, tracing lightly over Shi Ying’s brow.
With a face like this, no wonder Shi Ying had been so indignant that day when Yun Jinghe claimed not to have seen her properly, misunderstanding it as disdain for her appearance.
Perhaps too absorbed, Yun Jinghe didn’t immediately notice the slight flutter of those long lashes before they quietly parted, revealing eyes still hazy with sleep.
Yun Jinghe’s movements paused, her heart skipping slightly like the flustered panic of being caught doing something improper.
Shi Ying frowned, lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the light. She hadn’t expected to fall asleep, she didn’t even need sleep. She remembered coming here to “hasten the process,” but Yun Jinghe had kept brushing her off.
She must be starving, she thought. Lately, Yun Jinghe had been restricting her, not letting her freely go out to feed on dreams.
But soon, she sensed something different about her surroundings. Lowering her hand, she squinted and saw Yun Jinghe looking back at her raven hair, red lips.
In the quiet stillness, she was like a stick of ebony incense, burning gently with a faint, elegant fragrance, simple yet refined.
“Did you not sleep well last night?” Yun Jinghe’s hand rested naturally in her hair, fingers lightly combing through the strands.
Her gaze lingered on Shi Ying’s eyes just as bright and beautiful as she had imagined.
The moment Shi Ying heard that, irritation flared. Who did this woman think was responsible for her poor rest? If only Yun Jinghe would just have a dream worth feeding on!
At that moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew in from outside, swinging the half-open window wide.
The sky outside was dark and gloomy, as if a heavy rain was about to fall.
So, Yun Jinghe got out of bed to close the window. On the way, she noticed something on the floor and bent down to pick it up.
Shi Ying watched her back as she picked it up, then saw that what Yun Jinghe had placed back on the table was a strand of red thread she had casually discarded earlier.
In such dim light, a slender red string, this could only mean one thing: Yun Jinghe could see again.
Shi Ying wasn’t happy about it. She flopped face-first into the neatly folded bedding beside her.
How had this person managed to thrive so well under her care?
Meanwhile, Yun Jinghe, who was indeed thriving, returned to the bedside after closing the window, only to find a lump curled up under the covers.
She “dug” the person out from the pile. Shi Ying’s hair was a mess, so Yun Jinghe gently smoothed it down with her fingers. “What’s wrong?”
The next moment, Shi Ying suddenly grabbed her arm, her gaze as resolute as if she were about to embark on a path of immortality. “Let’s get married! Right here, right now!”