But Only Him, Sister Cannot

After leaving the Empress Dowager's residence, Xiao Mo returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and entered the Book of a Hundred Lives once more.

He sat in the courtyard.

Xiao Mo took out a crystal-clear snake scale from his chest.

Bai Ruxue had already strung the snake scale into a necklace, and it was currently hanging around Xiao Mo's neck, carried with him.

Xiao Mo put down the book in his hands and looked up in the direction of She Mountain.

It was about time for him to pick her up.

Yesterday, Bai Ruxue had said she would pack her things and wait for him on that small path at noon today.

Estimating the time, she should be coming down the mountain.

"Sister, are you really leaving?"

At the entrance of the cave, Xiao Qing looked at her sister, her nose twitching.

"Xiao Qing, don't worry," Bai Ruxue patted her sister's shoulder. "Sister will definitely come back to see you often. Once I'm familiar with the world down the mountain, I'll bring you along too. Xiao Mo is a very good person."

"Alright," Xiao Qing wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Then sister, you must be careful when you go down the mountain. Humans are all bad! Sister, you're so naive, you'll easily be tricked."

"I won't be," Bai Ruxue proudly lifted her fair chin. "Sister is very smart, and besides, Xiao Mo will be there."

I'm just afraid he'll sell you, sister, Xiao Qing thought with a sigh.

"Sister, after you go down the mountain, you absolutely must not reveal your true form in front of people. Remember, remember," Xiao Qing warned again.

"Mmm-hmm, sister knows," Bai Ruxue nodded. "Xiao Qing, you also need to eat more mice and take care of yourself. Sister will bring you down the mountain as soon as possible."

"Xiao Qing will wait for sister."

After bidding farewell to her sister, Bai Ruxue happily walked down the mountain.

Before long, Bai Ruxue reached the mountainside.

Beside a rock on the small path, Bai Ruxue saw him dressed in a green robe.

"Xiao Mo," Bai Ruxue called out and ran over.

Xiao Mo turned around and saw Bai Ruxue holding a chicken in one hand and a rabbit in the other.

"What's this?" Xiao Mo asked.

"This is our lunch today~" Bai Ruxue shook the prey in her hands. "I'll cook it for you after we get down the mountain."

"Okay," Xiao Mo smiled. "Then I'll have to see Miss Bai's cooking skills."

"Hmph hmph~ This lady's cooking is very good~~~"

"I believe in Miss Bai," Xiao Mo said with anticipation.

The two walked down She Mountain side by side and entered the village.

"Mr. Xiao, the young lady by your side is truly beautiful."

"What a beautiful young lady."

"This girl looks like an immortal. Mr. Xiao, who is she?"

As Xiao Mo brought Bai Ruxue into the village, Aunt Li, Aunt Wang, and the others praised Bai Ruxue upon seeing her.

They weren't flattering her; they had genuinely never seen such a beautiful woman.

This woman was fair and tender, as clean as snow, like a fairy from legends.

"She is the daughter of a friend my father had before he passed away. She usually lives in the State of Chen. Due to the war in Chen, Ruxue fled with her parents. Not long ago, Ruxue's parents passed away. I recognized Ruxue in town today. With nowhere to go, I brought her back with me for now."

Xiao Mo told the village gossips the story he had prepared long ago.

Hearing the girl's tragic background, the village elders felt immense sympathy and fussed over Bai Ruxue, asking about her well-being.

Before long, the villagers of Shiqiao Village all knew that a beautiful girl, more stunning than a fairy, had come to the village.

"Miss Bai, please make do with staying here. If you need anything, just tell me."

Back in the courtyard, Xiao Mo led Bai Ruxue to a small wooden house nearby.

Originally, this wooden house was used to store miscellaneous items, but Xiao Mo had cleaned and tidied it up, replacing the bedding and pillows with new ones.

"I won't make do, I won't make do," Bai Ruxue waved her hand and sat on her bed. "This is so comfortable! I usually sleep on rocks."

Xiao Mo: "..."

"Um, I mean, my sister and I's bed is very hard, like rocks," Bai Ruxue quickly corrected herself.

"As long as Miss Bai likes it," Xiao Mo continued to pretend he didn't know.

"I like it very much!"

Seeing how easily Xiao Mo was fooled, Bai Ruxue thought to herself that there was no way she would expose her identity. Xiao Qing's worries were completely unnecessary.

"Xiao Mo, I'll go prepare a meal for you."

"Thank you, Miss Bai."

"You're welcome, you're welcome~"

Bai Ruxue cheerfully hopped out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen.

Xiao Mo sat in the courtyard flipping through a book.

Before long, Xiao Mo smelled a thick scent of smoke.

He looked up and saw a soot-covered Bai Ruxue running out of the kitchen in tears:

"Xiao Mo, it's on fire, the kitchen is on fire!"

In the kitchen of the backyard of the Zhou Kingdom's Minister of Rites' mansion.

Yan Ruxue was cooking.

The maid Xiao Chun stood by her mistress's side, assisting her.

Although it was said she was assisting, Xiao Chun had no real part in it.

Whether it was chopping vegetables or tending the fire, the mistress did it all herself.

Watching her mistress's skilled knife work, and her swift, decisive way of stoking the fire and adding fuel, Xiao Chun always marveled at how such a perfect woman could exist.

Accomplished in both domestic and social spheres, talented and beautiful.

This could only be her own mistress.

After finishing the meal, Yan Ruxue asked Xiao Chun to take it out.

In the courtyard sat a woman dressed in a green skirt.

This was her mistress's good friend. Xiao Chun had never known where this woman came from.

She always appeared and disappeared without a trace.

But Xiao Chun didn't say much, nor did she ask many questions.

Xiao Chun only knew that this woman's beauty was only slightly inferior to her mistress's.

And her mistress called her "Xiao Qing."

After placing the food on the table, Xiao Chun bowed as usual and retreated.

Yan Ruxue sat opposite Xiao Qing. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair arms, and handed a bowl of chicken soup to her:

"Xiao Qing, it's been a while since you've had my cooking, hasn't it? Come, try my skills and see if they've gotten rusty."

"Sister." Xiao Qing looked up, her eyes complex as she gazed at the woman before her, "You haven't returned to the Dragon Palace in a long time."

Yan Ruxue scooped a piece of braised rabbit meat for Xiao Qing: "Once things are settled, I'll go back."

"Sister! It's useless!"

Xiao Qing's tone carried a hint of anger.

"Even if you find his third reincarnation this time, so what? He's still an ordinary person in this life, his lifespan is still less than a hundred years, and he will eventually turn to dust!"

Yan Ruxue remained silent, only serving her sister rice.

"Sister! Have you forgotten what he said to you before he died?" Xiao Qing suddenly stood up, looking at her sister, her chest heaving violently.

Yan Ruxue: "."

Seeing her sister's obsession that had lasted for thousands of years, Xiao Qing seemed to lose all her strength: "Sister. Let it go."

"Xiao Qing."

Yan Ruxue looked up, her gaze gentle as she met Xiao Qing's eyes.

"I can let go of anything.

But him.

I can't."