The Moon

He cut off a piece of meat, skewered it on a fresh branch, and handed it to Yun Yun. Xiao Heng hugged the entire leg and gnawed on it directly. How could tiny bites compare to this? An old friend had told him that meat only tasted good when eaten in big chunks.

A sudden melancholy washed over him. Without realizing it, he had been in this world for nearly sixteen years. He wondered how the people from his old world were doing. He had only been in his twenties when he arrived here. If he had stayed there, he probably would have married, had children, and bought a house by now. Or maybe he still wouldn't have been able to afford one.

My mother must have been heartbroken. Big Brother should be taking good care of her, right? Xiao Heng's previous life had been in a single-parent family. His father had died in a car accident when he was very young. He had an older brother, just one year his senior. Xiao Heng had never been good at school, nor was he particularly remarkable in other ways. But his brother was different. He had been accepted into the police academy, and by his early twenties, he was already earning over ten thousand a month.

Xiao Heng looked outside. The waterfall flowed with a constant rush, and he missed home. He missed the friends who always joked around with him, the elder brother who had outdone him since childhood, and his mother who nagged him from time to time. But he could no longer return.

"Hey... I wonder how they're doing."

"What?" Yun Yun hadn't heard him clearly.

He shook his head and forced those thoughts down. Xiao Heng flashed his white teeth in a wide grin. "Nothing."

He truly loved to smile. Most of the time, there was a smile on his face, because he knew that putting on a miserable expression couldn't change anything. A person's life was limited; if he could be happy for one day, then that was one day worth being happy.

Watching the young man suddenly smile, Yun Yun felt a little emotional. It wasn't because she liked him or anything; it was simply that a trace of pity stirred within her. He looked about the same age as Yan Ran, yet he was cultivating alone in the Monster Mountain Range. It was one thing to have no one accompanying him, but he also had to face mortal danger at any moment. Once this was over, I'll help him out a little, Yun Yun thought.

After cleaning up, Xiao Heng sat down cross-legged. Closing his eyes, he resumed cultivating. Cultivate! If he cultivated, he wouldn't feel lonely!!

Sitting on the stone bed in her black robe, her hands braced against her legs and her head held straight, she watched this rather handsome young man. Perhaps he wasn't so annoying after all!

Naturally, Xiao Heng, immersed in cultivation, couldn't sense Yun Yun's thoughts. Dou Qi surged within his body. He could break through to Dou Shi at any time now, but he wanted to wait a little longer, until his injuries had healed more thoroughly. His current cultivation was to continue accumulating Dou Qi and make his foundation as solid as possible.

Cultivation made one forget the passage of time, and several hours soon passed. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Yun Yun had fallen asleep. He walked over and looked at her peerlessly beautiful face. His gaze slowly settled on her enticing lips.

If I secretly kiss her once, she probably won't know, right? Xiao Heng thought. At that moment, a black angel and a white angel in his mind were engaged in a fierce battle!

The black angel grinned wickedly. "It's fine, kiss her! Kiss her! She definitely won't notice!"

The white angel wore a solemn expression. "Right. She's asleep right now, so she won't notice."

"Pah, pah, pah! Get lost! Am I that kind of person?"

The two little angels stared at Xiao Heng in astonishment. "Aren't you?"

Xiao Heng's young face reddened as he slapped the two angels away. "I ain't!"

Even as he thought that, his head had already moved closer. He could clearly see each of her eyelashes trembling slightly. He quickly slapped himself and backed away, going to start a fire and cook instead!

Yun Yun, who appeared to be asleep, had actually woken up just then. She had only closed her eyes again after seeing Xiao Heng stop cultivating. Just now, she had already felt Xiao Heng's breath. She had thought he was about to lose control of himself! Yet in the end, she merely heard a smack.

She pretended to wake up groggily, secretly glanced at Xiao Heng, and saw that he had already left. She let out a sigh of relief.

She walked over to Xiao Heng, crouching beside him and pretending to look at the ground.

When Xiao Heng saw Yun Yun come over, he thought of what had just happened... and felt intensely awkward. Good thing I didn't kiss her just now, otherwise...

Keeping his expression calm, he said, "Awake? Sleep well?"

Yun Yun nodded. "Not bad. I just had a dream."

"What dream?" Xiao Heng asked curiously.

"I dreamed that a little thief actually wanted to kiss me!" As she spoke, she smiled at Xiao Heng. Then she added, "Fortunately, he didn't go through with it in the end. Otherwise, I would definitely tear him to pieces!"

As she spoke, she raised her little fist threateningly.

Xiao Heng gave an awkward laugh. "Hehe! Yeah! Good thing it was just a dream!"

At this point, how could he not know she was talking about him? But he absolutely couldn't admit to something like that!

When he turned back and saw Yun Yun still staring at him, he laughed awkwardly a few more times. He quickly picked up the leg and said, "I'll go wash it!" Then he hurriedly ran off.

"I really wonder who that little thief was. He'd better not let me find him!"

That sentence scared Xiao Heng so badly that he tripped over a small stone and nearly fell. Embarrassed and irritated, he kicked the stone away and cursed, "Where did this stupid stone come from? So annoying!"

(Small Stone: "What did I do? Why did I get kicked? You're someone who's about to become a Dou Shi—could I really trip you?")

Seeing Xiao Heng flee in such a panic, Yun Yun's lips curved upward. "That's what you get for trying to take advantage of me!" After saying that, she thought of something else, and her face reddened again.

Xiao Heng splashed his face with cold water to calm himself down. He dawdled for a while before returning with a serious expression.

As he set the leg over the fire, Xiao Heng casually asked, "How are your injuries?"

Yun Yun glanced at this guy trying to change the subject. "The external injuries are basically fine. It's just that seal that's troublesome. It may take another day or two."

"Is there anything you need me to help with?"

Yun Yun nodded. "There is, but with that little body of yours, can you handle it?" After speaking, she gave him a disdainful look.

Xiao Heng was immediately displeased. What did she mean, that little body of his? He was at the peak of Dou Zhe and could break through to Dou Shi at any time. At his age, there was probably no second person in the Jia Ma Empire with cultivation close to his! So he said indignantly:

"I'm about to break through to Dou Shi!"

Yun Yun didn't even look at him. "Oh."

What was this? This wasn't how it had been written in the original novel. A Dou Shi! He was talking about a Dou Shi! What? Yun Yun was a Dou Emperor! Oh. Then that was fine.

Unable to find any reason to argue back, Xiao Heng lowered his head weakly and continued roasting the meat. He would break through to Dou Shi tomorrow! He could break through whenever he wanted anyway!

Seeing Xiao Heng lower his head helplessly, Yun Yun wore another victorious smile. Yay! I won again! So happy!

The two chatted idly about this and that for a while. Before long, night had fallen.

Yun Yun furrowed her brows, looking rather bashful. "Um, I want to go... there."

"Go beside the cave! It's not like you didn't go yesterday!" Xiao Heng looked at Yun Yun curiously.

That bastard. Yun Yun raised her little fist, wanting to punch him, but remembering that she needed his help, she had no choice but to lower it. Blushing, she said, "Um, I want to go outside!"

"Oh! Sure! I'll carry you!" Only a fool would pass up such an advantage! As he spoke, he stood up and opened his arms with a grin. The cave was not far above the ground, but without Dou Qi, jumping down directly would still be rather difficult! Besides, the waterfall was rushing fiercely! Without Dou Qi to protect them, they would be swept away in an instant!

Seeing Xiao Heng already posing like that, Yun Yun bit her lip. This guy was clearly trying to take advantage of her, but if he was going to take advantage, could he at least not wear that kind of expression?

Gritting her teeth, she opened her arms and threw herself into his embrace! The moment she drew close, she felt a strong arm tightly wrap around her waist, nearly pressing their bodies together!

"You..."

Before she could finish, Xiao Heng leaped down with the beauty in his arms. "Here we go!"

Hearing the rustling from the grass, Xiao Heng chuckled and turned to look at the moon in the sky! Tonight's moon was white and round. It seemed to be the fifteenth today! No wonder the moon was so far away!

By his reckoning, he had already been away from the Xiao Family for two months! Xiao Yan's strength should have improved quite a bit by now!

"Are you looking at the moon? The moon is quite beautiful tonight!" As Yun Yun spoke, she too looked toward that bright moon and found it truly beautiful!

Xiao Heng turned to look at her. "Beautiful? Then I'll take you up there to have a look! Hold tight!" Without caring whether Yun Yun objected, he directly picked her up and jumped toward the top of the waterfall. Stepping on several rocks beside the falls, he reached a boulder at the top in just a few leaps and set Yun Yun down!

He sat down first. This was where he practiced swordsmanship, and the spot was pretty good. It was only because he had been injured these past few days that he had not practiced!

Yun Yun had been caught completely off guard by him! She shot him an embarrassed, annoyed glare, only to find that he was already seated on the rock. She could only sit down helplessly as well!

"Tell me, after someone dies, how long does it take for the living to forget them?"

Xiao Heng asked as he gazed at the moon.

Yun Yun frowned. Had he thought of his deceased relatives?

"I don't know either! But I do know that those who are alive should live well. After all, this world is still very beautiful!"

Hearing the woman's clumsy comfort, a smile appeared on Xiao Heng's face. "Mm! I will!"

"Mm!" Yun Yun replied.

After that, neither of them spoke. They simply gazed at that white, radiant moon!

A cold breeze swept past, making her beautiful, delicate body shiver. Suddenly, Yun Yun felt a robe draped over her shoulders. She looked at the young man beside her. He might not have been breathtakingly handsome, but he was certainly refined and good-looking!

"Thank you!"

"No need!" After draping the robe over Yun Yun, Xiao Heng continued looking at the moon!

The forest was quiet at night, though many insects still chirped and the water flowed with a rushing roar! Xiao Heng liked such sounds; they made his heart feel especially tranquil!

Before he knew it, Xiao Heng felt a head rest against his shoulder! Just as he was about to speak, he heard the beauty's bashful voice. "Don't overthink it. I'm only borrowing your shoulder for a moment!"

Xiao Heng smiled softly and said nothing more, merely looking at the moon!

After a while, Xiao Heng felt the breathing of the person beside him gradually slow and soften, her body completely relaxing. Looking over, he realized that she had fallen asleep!

She was too tired. For many years, she had not had a proper night's sleep!

Gently lifting Yun Yun into his arms, Xiao Heng unfurled his Purple Cloud Wings. Dou Qi formed a sphere around them, shielding them from the water! He gently placed her on the stone bed, brushing aside a lock of her hair!

Xiao Heng walked to the side, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating!