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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing him say that, Ouyang Zixin instantly felt embarrassed, standing there at a loss for how to respond. It seemed incorrect to say she wasn't concerned, but why had she been so agitated earlier? She found herself struggling to remember.
— Master, face your own heart.
Nameless chuckled to himself; these two were truly awkward. When they were together, their interactions were completely different from how they behaved with others, yet neither of them would admit it. Even he found it amusing to watch.
"Shut up!" Ouyang Zixin snapped. After living two lives, she couldn't believe she needed this non-human being, Nameless, to educate her about feelings. A sense of defeat washed over her. When had she started treating that iceberg differently, no longer wanting to avoid him? Was it after her body was reforged by Rong Yi, during their time in the secret realm, when he helped her refuse a marriage proposal, or perhaps after he saved her life?
Could this be what they called love growing over time?
Ouyang Zixin shook her head vigorously; the chaotic feelings were uncomfortable. She remembered when she used to see him as a proud young boy. How old was he back then? Just a teenager. Meanwhile, she was over forty years old. How could she have feelings for a boy...
Ahhh! Something within Ouyang Zixin was collapsing; this unexpected emotion made her hesitant to confront it.
"It's getting late." Yun Tianmo took a few steps toward the other side of the Water Pavilion and turned back to say, "Make sure to rest whenever you can." They didn't know when the Underground Palace would stir again; since things were calm now, it was best to rest early.
Having entered the Millennium Ruins for just one day, Ouyang Zixin felt as if she had experienced so much already. She agreed that it was time to rest. Although she had the Mirror Guardian to replenish her energy, it was still an external force and couldn't compare to her own recovery.
"Let's eat." Ouyang Zixin instructed Nameless. She had already handed over all her belongings to him and needed to fill her stomach before resting.
The three of them quickly ate something and drank some Azure Leaf Tea. Then they rested under a stone corridor on the right side of the Water Pavilion. Nameless returned to Ouyang Zixin's body, leaving space for the two of them to be alone together.
"Come here." Yun Tianmo noticed Ouyang Zixin sitting far away from him and felt displeased. He pursed his lips and looked at her, expressing his dissatisfaction.
"Why?" Ouyang Zixin didn't want to go over. She was feeling quite confused about her feelings for Yun Tianmo and hadn't figured it out yet. So she decided it was best to keep her distance for now. At the same time, she cursed Nameless in her heart for being such an unreliable teammate. At a critical moment, he actually hid away and wouldn't come out no matter how much she called.
In the vast Underground Palace, only their breathing could be heard, creating a silence that felt like night even though it wasn't. The two of them stared at each other, wide-eyed. Eventually, under Ouyang Zixin's compromise, the standoff came to an end.
"What are you doing?" Reluctantly moving closer to Yun Tianmo, Ouyang Zixin asked irritably, "Does it really matter where I sit?"
Leaning against the stone corridor, Yun Tianmo glanced at the Little Woman beside him. There was still a distance of about three to five steps between them. He patted the space next to him, signaling Ouyang Zixin to come a little closer. His gaze was filled with undeniable authority, as if he would not let it go if Ouyang Zixin didn't follow his instructions.
So domineering!
Ouyang Zixin muttered in her heart before shifting closer, finally sitting near him.
"The Underground Palace is ancient; although you can't see the night sky, it gets quite cold at night." They were sitting closer not just for Yun Tianmo's sake but also for Ouyang Zixin's comfort. Seeing how scared she had been of those souls earlier, Yun Tianmo felt he was being kind.
Calculating the time, it was indeed deep into the night now, but being in the Underground Palace made it hard to feel that way. Ouyang Zixin didn't quite agree with Yun Tianmo's statement; there was no wind or anything here, so how could it be so cold? However, thinking about those souls made her a bit worried. She looked around to ensure there was nothing she shouldn't see before feeling slightly relieved.
The two began to chat casually. It was Ouyang Zixin's first time talking like this with Yun Tianmo, and it felt quite strange. The surrounding silence made their voices echo softly; she could hear his breathing and heartbeat clearly. She had never noticed before that Yun Tianmo had such an approachable side; his previously aloof demeanor seemed to vanish in this moment.
"Why are you always so cool?"
"Cool?" Yun Tianmo was taken aback; he remembered her mentioning this word but had never asked what she meant by it.
Ouyang Zixin nodded, resting her cheek on her knee as she looked at Yun Tianmo. "Cool, well, how should I put it? There are many interpretations—like cold-hearted, handsome, stylish..."
As they talked, Ouyang Zixin wondered if she had perhaps exaggerated a bit. Wasn't it her who had asked him in the first place? How had it turned into her telling him instead?
"If you've been struggling in a web of conspiracies since childhood, what attitude can you have towards others besides being cold and indifferent?" Yun Tianmo picked up on the key point in Ouyang Zixin's words, even if she herself might not have articulated it clearly. "The more glorious your present is, the more painful your past must have been, perhaps even much more so."
"Is your brother the same as you?" In Ouyang Zixin's two lifetimes, there hadn't been such darkness. Even though workplace competition involved various tactics, it never reached the level of what Yun Tianmo described. She remembered seeing his brother outside the Millennium Ruins; he didn't seem as indifferent as Yun Tianmo.
Was Yun Tianying the same as herself?
Yun Tianmo remained silent for a long time. Deep down, Yun Tianying was actually the same kind of person as herself; he just presented a state that was completely opposite to his inner self. And what about herself? She had grown too lazy to pretend, so was Yun Tianying really the same or different from her?
This was a question she had never considered before because both of them had only one goal: revenge! As for what kind of people they were, they didn't care, and even less did they care about how others viewed them.
"We..." Yun Tianmo was about to respond to the earlier question when she realized that Ouyang Zixin had actually fallen asleep on her lap. The steady breathing indicated that she had been asleep for quite some time.
Being able to sleep so peacefully in front of others was something Yun Tianmo could not do. Watching Ouyang Zixin sleep so soundly, he felt a twinge of envy.
Since he couldn't achieve that level of calmness, he would protect her tranquility instead...
"Sleep well; I'll be here for you," Yun Tianmo said softly, pulling Ouyang Zixin closer to him before closing his own eyes to rest. (To be continued.)
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