A Girl's Heart; Lotus Root Heart

Awkward.

An embarrassing situation that sends chills down your spine.

Ji Xueruo and You Su had been walking side by side for a long time, but neither of them had spoken to break the silence.

It's just that all the words I wanted to say turned into an empty bubble when they reached my lips; once I opened my mouth, I couldn't say anything at all.

"Is Miss Ji alright?" You Su tried to sound as casual as possible.

"Uh-huh!"

Ji Xueruo was like a little page who was woken up from daydreaming in class; no one knew what she was thinking.

"Hehe, it's good that you're alright, I'm fine too."

As if to prove her good health, You Su even jumped around a couple of times.

Ji Xueruo glanced at him and suddenly retorted, "But I didn't ask you."

Upon hearing this You Su nearly tripped over herself, wishing she could dig her toes through the soles of her shoes, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Ji Xueruo blinked her clear, charming eyes and couldn't help but smile, her smile as bright as an autumn chrysanthemum in September.

You Su also smiled slightly, joining in the laughter.

All the words needed to be said were lost in that sweet smile; there was no need to explain them in detail.

Ji Xueruo also felt that her awkward silence was not her true self. As a woman who aspired to become Empress, such a timid and hesitant manner was inappropriate.

Looking back, it had only been a little over half a month since the two first met. From being complete strangers to being at odds, then sharing hardships and facing life and death together, and finally supporting each other and rising from the ashes, it all felt like a dream.

But can this dream withstand the impact of reality?

Separated between the two were Ji Lingruo, the difference between humans and demons, two continents thousands of miles apart, and even more so, the pride that Ji Xueruo could never let go of. She could not abandon her snake clan to follow a man forever; if she could, she would prefer You Su to follow behind her.

"Hey, what are your plans after you get the Lotus Root Heart?"

The proud Ji Xueruo chose to face reality.

You Su was taken aback for a moment, but he was well aware of the hardships of reality; this was a problem he had to face.

"Back to Lotus Peak... And you?"

"Return to the Eastern Ying Continent," Ji Xueruo replied calmly.

You Su could not possibly leave Lotus Peak; compared to the Snake Clan, it was a more suitable place for him.

They were destined to part ways, and it was uncertain when they would meet again.

Both remained silent, even though they had surging emotions they wanted to express, but reality weighed heavily on their hearts, making them unable to utter a word.

You Su suddenly clenched his fist. He had been restraining himself from calling her Miss Ji, but now he could no longer hold back and solemnly called out:

"Xue Ruo."

Ji Xueruo stared blankly at his face, then recalled that night when he stood by her window calling her 'You Su'.

She could see through the illusion at a glance because she understood You Su. Like her, he was used to suppressing his emotions. Upon meeting him, he would never utter the name 'Xue Ruo'. It was a title he could only use in a dream where he didn't need to consider reality.

But at this moment, You Su still shouted it out, Ji Xueruo knew that he could no longer contain his emotions.

Alas, he shouldn't have done that.

"I..."

"Young Master You"

Ji Xueruo interrupted You Su's next words in time, and smiled freely:

"I know what you're trying to say, something like in your dream, making some vows of eternal love. But unfortunately, I don't buy into that. In our snake clan, these kinds of empty promises to deceive our people are things I do myself."

The vast distance in time and space, the insurmountable barriers of identity and ethnicity, and the sensitive ethical obstacles—these issues will continue to fester after the separation, each posing a tremendous test to this brief fifteen-day period.

Just because You Su can make vows of eternal love now doesn't mean he'll remember this relationship in the future. Even Ji Xueruo herself can't guarantee that...

In the hundreds of years of immortals' lives, these fifteen days are as short as a moment.

You Su felt a pang of pain in his heart. In the illusion, he was the one who was more clear-headed, but back in reality, Ji Xueruo was the one who was truly awake.

"Stop dawdling. We can talk later. After all this trouble, let's get the Lotus Root Heart first."

Ji Xueruo put her hands behind her back and quickly walked in front of You Su.

She also saw further ahead in this relationship than You Su.

This awkwardness even affected the two kind and venerable elders.

Venerable Chengtao and Venerable Cuihe exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with doubt.

They were kissing so passionately last night... why are they arguing today?

"Ahem." Venerable Chengtao coughed twice and said slowly, "Young Master You and Miss Ji not only broke the illusion of the Hidden Earth, but also thwarted the conspiracy of the Hidden Water. They are truly a pair of outstanding individuals."

This statement is not only praise, but also subtly implies a desire to bring them together.

"Thank you for the Venerable Chengtao, but this is all thanks to Young Master You. Xue Ruo dare not take credit for it."

Ji Xueruo spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, and simply raised her hand in a gesture of respect.

Even though the snake clan is in decline, she is still the head of a clan, and there is no reason for her to be subservient to others, even if the other party is the lord of a spiritual land.

"Miss Ji, what makes you say that?" You Su frowned, not wanting Ji Xueruo. "This is the result of our joint efforts; how can You Su claim all the credit?"

Venerable Cuihe was a woman with a keen mind; she could discern the situation between the two men from just a few words.

She added, "Yes, Xue Ruo is too modest. This victory was indispensable for both of you. Without Young Master You, none of us would have discovered the clue of the mung bean cake you left behind. It is thanks to your mutual understanding that we were able to save Jade Ring Pool from disaster once again."

"Thank you for your kind words, Aunt Yuhe." Ji Xueruo clearly already had a close relationship with Venerable Cuihe.

Seeing that the girl no longer refused, Venerable Chengtao smiled and flicked his sleeve, from which two Universe Bag suddenly appeared. They were actually two Qiankun bags, each embroidered with half a lotus flower. Even though they were the lowest grade, they would still be sought after in the outside world.

"You two have shown me immense kindness, and I have no way to repay you except to offer you the Jade Ring Pool Lotus Root Heart you requested, along with this small token of my appreciation. I, Jade Ring Pool, promise that you will always be Jade Ring Pool most honored guests. Now, please come with me to retrieve the Lotus Root Heart."

After saying that, the two dao companion -style Universe Bag floated towards the two of them. Ji Xueruo hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took them.

The two then followed the two venerable ones to the depths of Chengtao Palace.

This place leads directly to the bottom of the pool, offering a clear view of the scenery below, including the clam shells crawling on the Five-Colored Soil. The pool water seems to be blocked by an invisible membrane, unable to penetrate even a fraction of this underground area.

Venerable Chengtao raised his hands, and two places on the Five-Colored Soil at the bottom of the pool slowly broke open, revealing two smooth, white spiritual pearls the size of eggs.

The pearl shimmered with light, radiating a vibrant life force; its extraordinary nature was evident even from a glance.

"These are the Lotus Root Heart Jade Ring Pool, which ripen only once every hundred years. Although Shen Xi is possessed, he didn't lie to you. Jade Ring Pool dried up, so the Lotus Root Heart naturally had problems. Of this batch, only these two are fully formed... After these past few days of nourishing them with other spiritual treasures, we've finally managed to cultivate them successfully. But, there's still a problem."

"What's the problem?" You Su asked with concern.

"One of them has some cracks, which doesn't affect its efficacy, but makes it more difficult to preserve. We simply can't remove it using our usual methods."