124 - Confession (Ying Cheng)

Chapter 124: Jiangnan Once Yan Jue delegated the weightlifting contest to Zhu He, she was relieved. After all, the leisure and entertainment matches were just a side dish, so it was fine to let Little Pig enjoy herself. Afternoon. Yan Jue wore a light, green pleated dress and met with Qi Xianqing at the mountain gate. The latter half of the Five Dragon Summit, while an essential segment, was far more leisurely compared to the tightly scheduled individual events. Thus, Qi Xianqing and Yan Jue still had plenty of time to do other things. As Yan Jue stepped onto the green stone steps at the entrance, Qi Xianqing was already waiting for her. Qi Xianqing donned a black, sleek outfit, her dark hair tied up with a jade hairpin, her stance tall and composed, her face exceptionally elegant. Yan Jue couldn’t help but smile, running over in a couple of steps to cling onto Qi Xianqing. Qi Xianqing raised her hand, gently supporting Yan Jue’s back, her eyes glittering with amusement, “The junior sisters in my sect have been observing the stars at night. It’s been cloudy, and the moon won’t be visible for a few days.” “It seems the team competition can’t proceed either.” “I must seize the time to deal with something in Jiangnan.” Qi Xianqing was truly preoccupied, with numerous responsibilities to handle regularly. Attending to personal matters required carving out precious time. Upon hearing the mention of Jiangnan, Yan Jue had a vague suspicion. She frowned slightly, "Sister..." Qi Xianqing turned to look at her, speaking softly, “I’m going to find the Echo Pavilion disciples, to use the music of the qin to console the souls of my deceased parents.” Yan Jue knew that for Qi Xianqing, the deaths of her parents might forever be a heartache. How much pain the memory of them caused Qi Xianqing was unspeakable. As they descended the mountain, they didn’t talk much, Yan Jue following behind Qi Xianqing, instinctively holding her hand. – Once out of the mountain, they traveled on their swords. By the time they reached Jiangnan, it was nearly dusk. Jiangnan indeed lived up to its fame, with its exceptionally beautiful lands and waters. Pavilions and buildings lined the streets bustling with people. Countless waterways crisscrossed, fishing boats coming and going, the waters crystal clear. Yan Jue held Qi Xianqing’s hand and strolled slowly along the riverbank, marveling at the surrounding scenery. The gold collar around her neck swung with a crisp, clear ring. After observing for a moment, Yan Jue turned to find Qi Xianqing watching her. Yan Jue asked, “What’s the matter, Sister?” “You once mentioned that you’re from the north.” Qi Xianqing gazed at her tenderly, “But you always seemed like someone from Jiangnan to me.” Not just her demeanor, but even her way of speaking. Like a Jiangnan girl, with that soft and coquettish voice and such naturally charming manners... Yan Jue replied, “My grandmother was from Jiangnan, my father from the north. I grew up in the north.” Regarding her origins, Yan Jue spared no detail, sharing all she knew with Qi Xianqing. She wasn’t lying; in a previous life, she indeed grew up in Jiangnan. The two wandered the lively streets for a long time. As they casually conversed, Yan Jue and Qi Xianqing bought many peculiar trinkets. Yan Jue’s attention soon was caught by a sugar painting stall. Letting go of Qi Xianqing, she moved over to look. Qi Xianqing initially intended to follow, but then her peripheral vision caught an old man under a nearby tree, setting up a small table with a large banner in front. On the banner were the words “Fortune Telling.” Qi Xianqing slowly ambled over to the fortune teller. The old man looked up, smiling warmly at her, “Mistress, would you like a fortune told?” Qi Xianqing typically didn’t believe in such things—being too busy day-to-day, she rarely indulged in whims—and always abided by the principle that human effort determines fate, usually unaffected by omens. This was her first time stopping at such a fortune-telling stall. She glanced back at Yan Jue, who was engrossed with the sugar paintings, ensuring she hadn’t noticed, and asked the old man for a reading. “Trigrams of quake below, mountain above, represent the image of nurturing…” After a moment of contemplation, the fortune teller continued, “Mistress, your future spouse stands beside you.” Qi Xianqing’s heart skipped a beat, and the hand hanging by her side tensed involuntarily. The old man smiled, “If you seize the opportunity, you could have a grand wedding this year.” Qi Xianqing never regretted her actions. Even though she and Yan Jue hadn’t been together for long, she had already contemplated things in great detail. Sometimes, in the depths of night, when she woke and saw Yan Jue peacefully sleeping in her arms, she always thought of this. Although it might sound sudden, Qi Xianqing intended to spare no effort in giving Yan Jue a sense of security. Hearing this, a subtle blush spread across Qi Xianqing’s pale cheeks. She whispered, “I hope what you say is true.” Qi Xianqing placed a silver ingot on the table and turned away. The fortune teller, eyes wide, stared at the substantial silver coin in disbelief. It was far too much... Qi Xianqing rejoined Yan Jue, who was watching a group of children spin sugar works with a cheerful smile. A skilled craftsman sat amongst the children, deftly pouring gleaming syrup onto a board with his spoon. Child: “Boss, my dad says you rigged this sugar painting wheel.” Boss: “Child, don’t talk nonsense. When have I ever rigged anything?” The young boy pouted, “If not, why can’t I ever spin a dragon?” Boss: “It’s your own bad luck, blaming me for rigging the wheel. I’m wrongly accused.” Seeing Qi Xianqing, Yan Jue laughed and pulled her forward, “Little brother, let this sister spin it for you.” “She’ll definitely spin something good.” Qi Xianqing, usually reserved and not one to chat with strangers unless absolutely necessary, was unprepared for Yan Jue’s spontaneous suggestion, drawing all the children’s eyes to her. “…” Qi Xianqing glanced over her shoulder, an amused yet slightly dangerous softness in her tone, “Why would you say that, junior sister?” Yan Jue, oblivious, cast a sidelong, sparkling glance, smiling, “I don’t know about anything else, but I know your luck is as good as a koi fish, sure to spin something wonderful.” Seeing Yan Jue’s eyes crinkle with laughter, Qi Xianqing conceded. Resigned, Qi Xianqing reached out and ruffled Yan Jue's hair. A boy who had been observing for a while nervously asked, “Sister, can you spin it for me too?” Qi Xianqing grasped the pointer on the spinning wheel, quietly channeling her inner strength. Being a sword cultivator, her energy was formidable. She silently calculated the rotations and gently nudged the pointer. The pointer spun, the surrounding children’s eyes spinning with it. Eventually, it landed on a distinct position. Dragon! The area erupted in cheers, “Look! This sister spun a dragon for me!!!” Suddenly, all the kids crowded around. “Sister, I want a dragon too…” “I want a monkey.” “I want…” Qi Xianqing turned to look at Yan Jue, her gaze faintly accusatory. There were over a dozen children here; if she helped each one, who knew how long it would take. Yan Jue laughed awkwardly and pointed elsewhere, “Look, that sugar figure on the other side looks better; why don’t you try that instead?” The children glanced back. Yan Jue quickly grabbed Qi Xianqing, and they sprinted away. “Hey, where are you going?” “Sister, you haven’t spun for me yet!” “I want…” “Don’t go!!!” In the brief confusion, Yan Jue, swift as the wind, had already pulled Qi Xianqing dozens of steps away. Some children, unwilling to give up, gave chase. Jiangnan’s streets thronged with people. Yan Jue, holding Qi Xianqing’s hand, turned several corners, hurriedly apologizing to vendors along the way before slipping into a quiet alley. The children, not noticing the alley, ran straight past. Finally, they were clear. “Huff... huff...” Yan Jue stood in the alley, hands on her knees, breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed. … Qi Xianqing: “Look at how you look now.” Although she was speaking, she kept her gaze firmly on Yan Jue. Quietly, Qi Xianqing asked, “Couldn’t you simply tell them we couldn’t spin more?” Yan Jue caught her breath and straightened up, “Some things shouldn’t be said outright. They’re just children; it wouldn’t be appropriate to refuse them directly.” Qi Xianqing, speechless, remarked, “And running away was appropriate?” Thinking back to the earlier scene, Yan Jue began to laugh again. Qi Xianqing watched her, and joined in with a smile. Yan Jue, laughter spent, leaned onto Qi Xianqing, speaking softly, “Sister, I want a sugar painting. I want a butterfly.” Qi Xianqing wrapped her arms around Yan Jue’s waist, her hand gently patting her back, “I’ll spin one for you later.” – It was still quite early, and Qi Xianqing mentioned that their friend was still meditating, so they didn’t rush to the Echo Pavilion. The two spent some time picking through stalls on the street, eventually stepping into a tavern along the way. The tavern was packed with customers. As Yan Jue navigated through the crowd, she overheard snippets of conversation from a nearby table. “I heard King Luan Tai has fallen ill and didn’t attend the recent Immortal Sect meeting…” “Fallen ill?” “I heard that the Luan Tai Princess ran away, but nobody knows why…” “Luan Tai has always been arrogant, flaunting her phoenix lineage and looking down on others. Could the princess have run away during her wedding? Only Luan Tai knows the reasons for her escape.” “The court is currently evaluating the latest immortal sect ranking. If Luan Tai doesn’t attend the Myriad Immortal Meeting, it might just be replaced by Lotus Island…” Yan Jue instinctively turned her head, wanting to hear more, but felt someone touch her shoulder. Qi Xianqing gestured for her to head upstairs. Yan Jue followed Qi Xianqing up to their private room. Once inside, Qi Xianqing ordered a bottle of Luo Fu Spring, a speciality wine from the Jiangnan region. Considering Yan Jue, Qi Xianqing chose not to order anything too strong. While waiting for the wine, Qi Xianqing opened the curtain and glanced at the bustling street below, “I told Master about the little phoenix.” The day they returned from Luan Tai, they had brought the divine beast phoenix back to Five Dragon Mountain. Since the phoenix was a divine beast, Qi Xianqing had to report to her Master. Yan Jue asked, “What did Master say?” Qi Xianqing replied, “Master heard about the events at Luan Tai and said that the phoenix can temporarily stay at Five Dragon Gate. However, once Luan Tai recovers and comes to claim it, we’ll have to let the little phoenix go.” Given that the phoenix belonged to Luan Tai, Yan Jue nodded in agreement. “Of course, whether it returns with them depends on the little phoenix’s own decision.” Yan Jue rested her chin in her hand, letting out a sigh. What those at Luan Tai did was truly indefensible; no matter how destitute they might be now, Yan Jue couldn’t muster any sympathy for them. The waiter soon brought the Luo Fu Spring up. Qi Xianqing stopped discussing other matters and sat opposite Yan Jue, enjoying the drink together. The subtle aroma of the Luo Fu Spring wine lingered in their mouths. Yan Jue held her cup, closing her eyes comfortably as she savored its delicate fragrance. Qi Xianqing watched her from across the table, noticing the girl’s fair cheeks gradually flush a gentle red, her slender throat bobbing slightly with each sip. The emotion in Qi Xianqing’s eyes darkened, her mouth suddenly dry. Recently, she found herself increasingly losing control when around Yan Jue. It seemed the longer she spent with Yan Jue, the stronger this inexplicable feeling became. When alone with Yan Jue, she didn’t want to miss a single move she made and wanted to make her wholly hers. Yet… This feeling was rather troublesome. Qi Xianqing was someone who preferred gentle steadiness, not discussing such matters so early, as it might make Yan Jue doubt her sincerity. Tipsy from the drink, Yan Jue felt light-headed. In this state, embarrassment ceased to exist for Yan Jue. She suddenly opened her eyes, fixing an intense gaze on Qi Xianqing. Qi Xianqing, dressed in black, sat upright across from her, her skin appearing snow-white in contrast. With almond-shaped eyes, the corners turned downward, long and restrained, she too was watching Yan Jue intently. Yan Jue swallowed, then slowly crawled over to Qi Xianqing, supporting herself on her hands. Qi Xianqing turned, her gaze tender like a hunter awaiting prey to step into a trap. Yan Jue, her face slightly flushed, coyly murmured, “Sister…” Qi Xianqing raised her hand, gently stroking Yan Jue’s luminous lips with her fingertip, “What is it?” Yan Jue’s waist and abdomen instinctively tensed; perhaps because her period was ending, even this light touch from Qi Xianqing made her heart race, rendering her entire body limp. Her almond eyes fluttered briefly, a misting of tears appearing within. The room fell silent, the surrounding air seemed to heat up. Qi Xianqing gazed deeply at Yan Jue, absentmindedly letting her hand come to a stop. Suddenly, a commotion erupted downstairs, accompanied by scattered footsteps. “It’s Du Xue Tang!” “No way, I heard Du Xue Tang’s been in seclusion lately, what’s she doing out today?” “Quick, quick, it’s rare for the Echo Pavilion disciples to be on tour in Jiangnan—front row seats!” Yan Jue quickly snapped out of her daze, crawling to the window to peer outside. Qi Xianqing: “…” Qi Xianqing slowly lowered her hand, nearly laughing in exasperation. The atmosphere had been so delicately poised moments before; Yan Jue must have known what she was intending. Yan Jue pulling away so suddenly, pretending nothing had happened—was she really trusting in her willpower too much? Kneeling by the window, Yan Jue seemed engrossed in watching the scene below, yet, in truth, her heart was pounding. Nothing happening downstairs managed to capture her attention. That was close… Any longer, and Qi Xianqing would have seen right through her. If Qi Xianqing discovered that rather than simply wanting a genuine relationship, her mind was often filled with dreams of being intimate with her... Who knows what Qi Xianqing would think…!