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Two slender figures gracefully made their way through the crowd.
Chu Yan handed over a beautifully crafted bamboo basket, looking up gently at Chuxiong, who was now much taller than her, and smiled, "I heard the news and rushed to make these. I'm late, but I hope you like them, Junior Brother."
The large basket was filled with exquisite pastries, a testament to Chu Yan's exceptional skills that she had honed since childhood.
Chuxiong exclaimed dramatically, quickly grabbing the pastries with both hands and tossing them into his mouth. In the blink of an eye, he had devoured nearly half the basket. He praised, "Delicious! I kept thinking about the pastries Sister Chu Yan makes while in seclusion; they made my mouth water. Sister Chu Yan has always treated me the best. Of course, I love them. Thank you, Senior Sister!"
Chu Yan smiled, her warmth and kindness becoming even more evident.
Chuxiong tightly hugged the basket as if afraid someone might snatch it away from him. He then turned his big head toward Chu Xi and asked, "What about you, Xia Girl? What gift did you prepare for Senior Brother?"
Chu Xi smiled warmly and handed over a small box. "You've been borrowing it from me for a while, so I simply asked Master for it to give to you."
Chuxiong opened the small box to reveal red velvet lining, on which lay a sharp dagger with a faint yellow hue, five inches long, crafted from Eternal Dragon Tooth. It was perfect for cutting Soul Maple. Chuxiong laughed and tucked the box into his embrace, saying casually, "Thank you very much! Please be sure to thank Ling Xiangzi, Master Uncle, for me."
Chu Xi smiled and assured him it was no trouble before shifting her gaze to Li Hong.
Li Hong had been silently observing this scene from the side. With Chuxiong emerging from seclusion amidst laughter and chatter, the pain in his heart had eased considerably. However, seeing Chu Xi at this moment caused a familiar ache to resurface.
Chu Xi smiled and said, "It's nice to see you again."
"Yes, nice to see you again."
"You must be very happy about Chuxiong's promotion to Elder."
"Yes, I am very happy."
Li Hong felt a sense of disinterest. At this moment, he couldn't just turn around and leave, but it was also impossible for him to engage in lighthearted conversation with Chu Xi. The familiar face before him seemed to drift further away, so far that Li Hong began to feel a sense of strangeness. However, strangely enough, the pain in his heart lessened as he felt this unfamiliarity.
Li Hong smiled politely and said, "You all enjoy yourselves." He walked over to Jiang Xuanzi and Green Lotus and started chatting with them.
When Chu Xi stepped into the Green Pavilion, Green Lotus saw Li Hong approach her and nearly burst into tears. However, when Li Hong left Chu Xi and returned to Green Lotus, she could hardly believe her eyes. She was filled with joy, her face glowing. Gathering her courage, she lifted her chin and said to Li Hong, "Chu Hongzi, if—I'm saying if—I invited you to come back to the Jingwei Clan with me, would you go?"
Although Li Hong was facing Green Lotus, for some reason, his peripheral vision kept following the figure that moved like moonlight. Hearing Green Lotus say this, he absentmindedly nodded, "Sure, I already said I wanted to visit you again."
Green Lotus was overjoyed. With Jiang Xuanzi's obvious hint, she mustered her courage and tugged at Li Hong's sleeve, whispering, "There are too many people here; I feel stifled. Would you accompany me for a walk in the woods behind?"
Li Hong's "no" was almost on his lips when he happened to catch Chu Xi's gaze directed toward him. Instead, he found himself saying, "Okay, let's go."
The two walked out together and headed toward the Green Forest through the back corridor.
Li Hong could feel various gazes following him from behind, one of which was certainly Chu Xi's. Watching himself and Green Lotus together, would she be angry? Li Hong suddenly wanted to know this very much; he wanted to turn back.
Even if Chu Xi were to angrily scold him, it would be better than her calmly observing him with that wise yet detached expression. She had always been a well-mannered girl growing up; however, had she been too composed? He secretly hoped to see her lash out like a village girl in the wild—at least that would give him some insight into what she was thinking. But no, she could never be like that. In the past, there would still be expressions of sorrow or longing on her face; now Chu Xi seemed to wear a mask that concealed her true thoughts beneath her calm demeanor.
Li Hong continued walking forward, making a great effort not to look back.
After a long while, Green Lotus's voice drifted into his consciousness: "We've been out for a while; I miss home. How about we just go back tomorrow? Can you ask your master for leave? I want you to come back with me."
Li Hong was taken aback. What had he just said? Why did Green Lotus speak as if they were close friends? He quickly came up with a bunch of excuses to decline.
Green Lotus looked disappointed and lowered her head; tears began to glisten on her eyelashes.
Li Hong couldn't bear it any longer and said, "I really can't find the time right now. As soon as I have a chance, I'll definitely come see you. Please don't cry."
A single sentence instantly brought a smile back to Green Lotus's face. She lifted her head and joyfully asked, "Really?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Never, you have never lied to me." Green Lotus was overjoyed, stretching out her arms and dancing lightly in place like a large bird.
Her long black hair was not styled in the usual way for girls; instead, she simply wore a pearl and jade headband across her pristine forehead. The softly curled black hair flowed behind her, and the light green hem of her dress swirled around her. Her eyes sparkled like gems, and in the dark of night, Green Lotus looked like a fairy, incredibly beautiful and delicate, evoking a sense of pity.
Her happiness was infectious, and Li Hong couldn't help but chuckle.
Behind them, about ten feet away, a pair of As Water eyes watched everything with a blank expression. He turned away, raised his golden goblet, and the finest Lin'an Imperial Wine flowed like water into his Cherry Lips, his gaze gradually dimming.
As the night deepened, the crowd slowly dispersed.
After bidding farewell to Green Lotus, Li Hong entered the Green Pavilion. It was chaotic inside, with leftover food and dirty dishes scattered everywhere. Li Hong rolled up his sleeves and began to clean up.
Voices floated down from upstairs; it was Chuxiong and Chu Xi.
Chu Xi was clearly drunk, her voice wavering with strange excitement: "Wine is truly a wonderful thing; no wonder you all drink it so often. I really want to get drunk; one drink can relieve all sorrows."
Chuxiong replied calmly, "Stop drinking; you're already intoxicated. If you're truly in pain, talk it out with your brother. You two are making others feel heartbroken."
Chu Xi giggled uncontrollably: "I have nothing to do with him."
"That’s only something you can convince yourselves of."
Chu Xi fell silent. Li Hong, however, stood frozen, the dirty bowl slipping silently from his hands.
"What is going on? You clearly have feelings for him, and he has had feelings for you for a long time as well. Why do you have to torment yourself and him?"
"You wouldn't understand," Chu Xi said after a long pause.
"You care too much about him, afraid that if you get together now, you'll still feel pain and lose him later, right? I assure you, he is not that kind of person; he values loyalty above all else. After all this time, don't you know his character?"
"I do know, which is why I don't want to be a burden to him."
Li Hong suddenly looked up, confused by what that meant.
"A burden? How could you possibly be a burden to him? He would be overjoyed; if you continue to treat him coldly like this, I'm worried someone else might take advantage of the situation. His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness—he is too responsible. Chu Xi, I really don't want to call anyone else sister-in-law."
Chu Xi took another large sip of her drink, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She sighed softly, "If that were to happen, it would mean he doesn't love me. In that case, I would be relieved and wouldn't have to suffer like I do now. I could just deceive myself."
"Why go through this?" Chuxiong said with a frown, puffing out his cheeks. His massive frame squatted on the ground like a small mountain. Despite his rugged appearance, Chuxiong's thoughts were quite delicate.
Just as he was about to persuade her further, White Shadow flashed before them, and Li Hong appeared.
Looking at the beautiful face before him, flushed like blossoms after rain, Li Hong felt a surge of emotions and said solemnly, "What did I do wrong? Chu Xi, you must clarify this; otherwise, I won't find peace for the rest of my life."
Chu Xi gazed into Li Hong's sincere, dark eyes. She involuntarily set down her cup and felt an urge to touch his face, but her hand only reached out a short distance.
It seemed as if there was fire burning beneath her fair skin; her gaze was intense and bright. However, gradually that strange mask of numbness and pallor resurfaced. Chu Xi put down her drink and said lightly, "It's late; you should rest. I need to go back."
She turned to leave when Li Hong firmly grabbed her sleeve and insisted, "You must clarify everything today! Otherwise, I won't let you leave!"
"Do you trust me?" Chu Xi lifted her head and looked into Li Hong's bright eyes with curiosity.
"Of course, we've been together since we were young. You and the second brother are the people I trust the most, just like I trust myself!"
"Alright, then trust me one more time. When the time comes, I will definitely tell you." Chuxi Jing's bright eyes held a spark of wisdom, but deep within them lay a pain that only Li Hong could understand.
Slowly releasing her grip, Li Hong resolutely said, "No matter what happens, no matter your reasons, I will wait for you, for a lifetime."
Chu Xi was finally moved. The mask she wore faded away as she looked at Li Hong. Her red lips trembled, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved upward, blossoming into a sweet smile, fair and delicate like a white camellia with dew.
At some point, Chuxiong had quietly left.
Li Hong and Chu Xi exchanged glances, their pupils reflecting only each other's figures. Their hearts resonated with one another—both stubborn and unwavering.
"I'm leaving."
"Okay, take care."
Chu Xi floated away, her figure much lighter as if she had shed a heavy burden.
Li Hong felt the same way, an unintentional smile appearing on her face.
She hadn't changed her heart; she just needed time. She had secrets but didn't want to involve herself in them; she wanted to resolve them on her own.
So give her time. Sometimes lovers don't need to ask too many questions; they just need to trust each other.
Chuxiong climbed up and glanced at Li Hong, understanding in his heart. He smiled and said, "Has your heartache been resolved?"
"It hasn't."
"Ah?" Chuxiong was puzzled. "Then why are you so happy?"
"It's because I have confirmed her feelings; I'm very sure," Li Hong replied confidently.
"Nonsense!" Chuxiong exclaimed in dissatisfaction.
"I used to think she had changed her mind, but now I know her feelings haven't changed. I don't care about anything else. You wouldn't understand unless you've liked a girl before."
Chuxiong rolled his eyes at Li Hong and tossed him something.
It was the Dragon Tooth Dagger that Chu Xi had given him.
Chuxiong laughed, "It's clearly meant for you. I'll just return it to its rightful owner."
Li Hong tightly gripped the Box for a moment before solemnly placing it into the Cosmic Bag.
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