22 - Dungeon Growth Log

The refreshing scent of sandalwood wafted through the air. A fallen white porcelain wine glass was caught between two slender jade fingers. The liquid in the glass gently swayed, and the aroma of the peach wine intertwined with the cold sandalwood fragrance, creating a heady scent. A delicate white wrist emerged from the voluminous red maple sleeves, the jade-like fingers holding the cup even whiter than the porcelain itself. The exquisite red maple embroidery on the near sleeve was close enough to touch. The girl bent down to catch the fallen glass, then straightened up, her gaze cool and distant; the red-sleeved maple leaves fluttered dreamily. Xia Ge stiffly raised her head. From her angle, she could only see the other girl's snow-white neck and a beautifully curved chin. Her mind went blank. …What, what is this? Caught red-handed skipping class to play games?! No, this seemed even more disastrous… The two were very close. The girl's demeanor was ethereal and frosty as she placed the wine glass on the peachwood table. The moment the porcelain touched the wood, Xia Ge met the girl's indifferent black eyes. Only slightly shadowed beneath. To add elegance, the small tavern had placed a budding peach blossom in a small green ceramic vase on the table, accentuating the girl's jade-like beauty, her fingers as white as green onions. "…Good…good evening, Senior Sister." Xia Ge said sheepishly, "Haven't seen you for a few days, but you seem to have lost a bit of weight…" Ignoring her usual greeting, Gu Pei Jiu put down the wine glass, retracted her hand, and her red maple sleeve hid her delicate fingers as she stared at Xia Ge with deep black eyes. "Why weren't you there?" Cold sweat ran down Xia Ge's back. Jesus, isn't the head disciple of Danfeng Peak supposed to be extremely busy all the time?! How did she have the time to catch a truant from the outer sect?! How free must you be! Suffocating! Xia Ge laughed awkwardly, trying to play dumb, "Huh? Where was I supposed to be?" Gu Pei Jiu wasn't buying it, her gaze cold and filled with a threatening aura. The surrounding curious, prying, and odd glances were immediately withdrawn, with the entire tavern becoming utterly silent the moment she arrived. Her voice was soft, "The creek." Xia Ge: "…" Gu Pei Jiu's voice was faint, "Xia Wuyin, I waited for you at that creek for three hours." Xia Ge: "…?" Xia Ge: "???!!!" Jesus, were you waiting for your lover?! Three hours?!! Normally, if someone doesn't show up in an hour—not even that, isn't half an hour too long to wait for someone?!! What is this three-hour nonsense?! "…That’s indeed a long time… hahaha, I mean, Senior Sister, why don't you sit down and I’ll buy you a drink as an apology?" Xia Ge said through gritted teeth, noting that the eyes of the people around them held a peculiar, almost amused look— Damn it!! Are those pitiful glances meant for a heartless man?! I'm only thirteen!!! Gu Pei Jiu looked at her, her black pupils like deep stones, not agreeing but not refusing either. Xia Ge glanced at this celestial beauty out of place in the rowdy tavern, her inner turmoil palpable. She sighed, pushing the white porcelain cup towards the empty seat across from her, "Senior Sister, I really need to explain this one—please sit down. It'll take a long time, let's talk slowly?" Gu Pei Jiu examined the truancy-prone kid who’d been caught drinking. He was dressed in the same coarse hemp robe as other outer sect disciples, black hair lazily tied at the end with a light green ribbon, two locks of hair framing his face. Before she arrived, he’d had one leg crossed over the other, holding a small wine cup in one hand and hiding the other in his sleeve, looking both lazy and content. When she appeared, he was so startled that his wine glass fell. When she caught it, his expression was a mix of panic and a subtle world-weariness. Now, as he looked at her sideways, his cat-like black eyes were helpless but had a faint hint of a smile. Even when facing many unhappy things, even with a bitter expression, this kid's eyes always held a trace of laughter. Living both worldly-wise and carefree. So… Let's hear his explanation. For some reason, as Xia Ge looked at the expressionless Senior Sister sitting across from her, this odd idea popped into her head. —The proud and cold red maple leaf, caught in her hand. "Explain." Gu Pei Jiu's voice was level. Xia Ge: "…" What wild ideas, the important thing now was to come up with a good excuse! Xia Ge laughed awkwardly, "Well… how do I put this, if I explain it fully, it'll be a long story…" "Summarize it." Seeing the ethereal beauty sit down, not intending to make a scene, the tavern slowly returned to its lively state with people chatting and laughing again. The whole place was filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Xia Ge felt like only the space around the two of them was uncheerful—cold, rigid, suffocating. Like the freezing Siberian winter. "Um, a few days ago, an enchanted puppet attacked…my little hut…" Xia Ge began to delicately explain the heartbreaking story of a heaven-sent scythe attacking her, leading to her selling valuable assets, but she was quickly interrupted— "I know." The girl's voice was as gentle as a clear spring. One sentence cut off all possible extensions of Xia Ge's story. Xia Ge stared at her blankly, what…what do you know? Do you know her dilapidated old house was partly cleaved by a scythe, or that she ran around desperately, bleeding money to fix the roof? Or that she spent the remainder of her savings on a stick of candied haws? Or maybe you know that she kept the scythe for protection instead of selling it and ended up dirt poor, having to travel three kilometers to a peach blossom village for cheap wine? And on top of that, she still got caught skipping class! Is there any justice?! System: "…" The more she thought, the more aggrieved she felt... Just as Xia Ge was consumed by grievance and confusion. Gu Pei Jiu quietly looked at the hand Xia Ge had hidden in her sleeve, and her gentle voice broke the silence. "You’re hurt, I know.”