Love

She couldn't help but feel a little shy as I stared at her, lowering her beautiful head. Yun'er, seeing her young lady finally meet the man she'd longed for, immediately stepped aside. She didn't want to be scolded by her young lady when they returned home. However, she still stood not far away, watching them. She wanted to see what would happen when her young lady was with the person she loved.

I smiled, looking at her shy demeanor. Her neck, flushed with a rosy hue, made me like her even more. I spent ten lonely years in seclusion. It would be a lie to say I didn't miss her, but for the pursuit of cultivation and the future development of my career, I suppressed my longing. I knew that there were definitely cultivators at the Golden Core Stage, and quite a few at that. If I couldn't reach the Nascent Soul Stage and gain enough power to overwhelm them, expanding my business alone would be a pipe dream in a few decades. Building the Star Peak Family would be like a fool's fantasy.

"What kind of person are you? You're acting like this the moment we meet," Yuwen Rou couldn't stand my gaze any longer and protested. But in her flustered state, her tone unconsciously became like lovers flirting, and only after speaking did she realize the intimacy of her words. She buried her head even lower, her jade-like fingers incessantly fiddling with the hem of her clothes, clearly uneasy.

"What did I do? How did I act? I'm just looking at you. I haven't seen you in so long, I want to make up for all the lost time." After I said that, I realized my words had come out without thinking, like a wandering rogue from the jianghu. Even my profound spiritual cultivation couldn't hold back my longing for her. It seemed I was deeply poisoned, beyond saving.

But I was willing. I was willing to be poisoned by her. Looking at her flushed face, my heart was filled with intoxication. For her, what couldn't I do?

"You, you..." Yuwen Rou had received a proper lady's education since childhood. How could she withstand my teasing? She was both ashamed and angry, yet a faint sense of joy lingered in her heart.

It was also because of my cultivation that I had regained a childlike innocence. One must understand that cultivation is about comprehending the Heavenly Dao. Without a childlike heart, one cannot go far on the path of cultivation. This is how I am now; everything comes naturally (Since I love her, what's there to be embarrassed about?). There's no trace of hesitation, and of course, my long-held longing for her is also a very important reason.

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Tomatoes: Let me tell you, if you like someone, you have to act fast. You have to chase girls, whether they're ordinary or exceptionally beautiful. If you don't chase them, you'll have no hope. If you do chase them, your chances are pretty good. The guys in my dorm aren't even as handsome as me, but wow, their girlfriends are amazing! My roommates only have one strength: they're good at expressing themselves. To all you guys who like girls, make your move now! If you're too late, they'll be gone. I'm just not good at expressing myself, and I've been alone ever since. Heh, I'm only twenty this year! That's enough for now, back to the story~~~

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"Stop talking, it's my fault. I apologize, is that not enough? I hope the young lady can be magnanimous and forgive my transgression this once, giving me a chance!"

Yuwen Rou saw that I was apologizing verbally, but my tone held no hint of seeking forgiveness and was far from serious. Yet, she found herself unable to blame me.

"Come, sit here with me." I grabbed her hand and led her towards the stone bench by the river.

We sat together, and a silence fell between us. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward and uncomfortable.

Rou seemed to notice then that I had been holding her hand and immediately pulled hers back, lowering her head and gazing at the river before us. She remained silent.

"Why did it take you so long to appear in the Capital City?" Rou's voice echoed softly.

I looked at her. She was still watching the river, but I could feel her attention focused entirely on me.

"Me? It's nothing. I was just practicing a very powerful martial art and didn't have time to come out. We haven't seen each other in ten years. How did you recognize me at a glance?" The moment I saw Rou, I felt it was her. Although Yun'er's presence further confirmed my judgment, I believed Rou also relied on her heart's intuition. I believed it, and I looked forward to it, hoping my guess was true.

"Young Master Zhang..."

"From now on, don't call me Young Master Zhang. Call me Xingfeng, or Feng." I looked at her, gazing steadily. I didn't want to look at anything else. With her, I had enough.

Rou's body visibly trembled. The blush on her face hadn't faded and seemed to be deepening. But she still agreed.

"Feng, perhaps this is fate. The moment I first saw you, I knew you were that child from back then. My heart told me. On the way here, I felt your call, and it grew stronger when I arrived. I knew heaven had sent me here. I believe in fate, I believe in heaven, so I stopped my carriage here. And then I saw you." Rou seemed a little embarrassed at first, but soon became emotional. By the end, she was staring directly at me.

"I will never let you leave me again," she said firmly, looking at me. Yuwen Rou looked at me. She had had enough of living without Zhang Xingfeng. Ten years had passed with no news, ten years of longing. She didn't want to live like that anymore. She wanted to be with her Feng, no matter what happened.

My heart suddenly trembled. What gave Rou, a delicate woman educated in a noble family, such courage? Perhaps this was true love. Suddenly, I felt ashamed. Rou, a weak woman, dared to pursue love like this. And I, a cultivator who had reached the Nascent Soul Stage, an invincible master who had cultivated the Golden Buddha Venerable, a proper man, dared not?

My heart surged with emotion. The longing for Rou, the deep affection I had suppressed for so long, immediately welled up from the depths of my soul, threatening to drown me. I couldn't resist, but why would I want to resist?

I pulled Rou into my arms, holding her tightly, leaving no space between us. I wished I could merge her into my body, to be with her forever. We quietly savored this sweetness and happiness, holding each other silently...

It felt like a moment, and yet like an eternity, when Yun'er came to our side.

"Miss, it's time to go back. It's very late now. If we don't leave soon, Master will be angry."

Rou lay in my arms, looking at me. Unbeknownst to me, tears had streamed down her face as we embraced. Her eyes looked at me, seemingly brighter than ever. She said nothing, just looked at me, wanting to imprint my image deeply in her memory. She couldn't bear our separation, not even for a moment.

I suddenly lowered my head and kissed her moist lips, gently, softly. I raised my head and helped her up, looking at her.

That faint, indescribable fragrance lingered between my lips and teeth, leaving me with endless aftertaste.

"Rou, I love you, so I will definitely marry you. Wait for me. Soon, very soon," I said with determination, making a promise, or rather, acknowledging a responsibility. For her, I would spare no effort.

Rou looked at me, her brow showing both delight and a hint of shyness. Amidst Yun'er's laughter, she entered the sedan chair. The moment she looked back before getting in, her smile sent a jolt through me.

I stared blankly as she left, until the sedan chair disappeared from my sight. I lowered my head and smiled, the fragrance between my lips and teeth still very clear.

"Young man, if you leave Miss Yuwen, you are not worthy of being with her." A very old and powerful voice sounded in my ear.

"Who?" I looked towards the dark corner not far away.