On Jade Maiden Peak, after Ouyang Biting and Dong Xiaojie had finished arranging for the female disciples to secretly gather information the next day, they walked side by side up the Winding Mountain Path toward the summit. The cool moonlight spilled over the stone steps, casting their long shadows.
The mountain path was silent, save for the sound of their footsteps and the occasional murmur of conversation.
"To be honest," Ouyang Biting suddenly said, her voice carrying its usual calm, "even now, I still find it hard to believe. After everything that's happened these past two days... do you think Master has truly fallen for Boss Yang, or is it just... a passing whim?"
Hearing this, Dong Xiaojie, walking beside her, didn't answer right away. Out of habit, she fished a cigarette from the cloth pouch at her waist, embroidered with an orchid-grass pattern, and held it between her lips. With a click, she lit it with her Lighter. A tiny orange-red glow flared in the night, followed by wisps of blue smoke. She took a deep drag and slowly breathed out. The smoke blurred her profile, as though her thoughts were drifting far away.
"Life is long, Senior Sister," she began, her voice rasped slightly by the smoke. "Some people make your heart flutter at first sight, and you can't forget them. I've heard that perhaps you loved them deeply in a past life, and that's why a single glance can feel like a thousand years."
She flicked away the ash and continued, "That feeling isn't a momentary impulse caused by someone's looks, nor is it a reckless rush of hotheaded passion... It's more like your soul recognizes him, and chooses him of its own accord."
Ouyang Biting turned to glance at her junior sister. She knew perfectly well