Two-Person World

After breakfast, Wen Min volunteered to do the dishes and carried the plates and bowls to the backyard.

Master Shuiyue stayed where she was, watching the two people in front of her.

Lu Jiuyuan and Lu Xueqi sat side by side, a fist's width between them.

Neither said a word, yet a faint, ambiguous atmosphere hung in the air.

The corners of Master Shuiyue's mouth lifted. She watched them, but said nothing.

She rose slowly and said calmly, "I'm going to tidy up a few things. Make yourselves at home."

Only the two of them remained in the hall.

Silence.

Morning light streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows across the floor.

Lu Jiuyuan turned his head to look at Lu Xueqi.

She still had her head lowered, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes.

The morning light fell across her profile, outlining its gentle, lovely features.

He suddenly remembered the scene from when he'd woken up that morning.

That flushed face.

Those glistening eyes.

That soft little hum, almost too quiet to hear.

And the last thing she'd said.

"That slime... be gentler when you rub it next time."

Lu Jiuyuan's Adam's apple bobbed. A teasing glint appeared in his eyes. "Xueqi."

Lu Xueqi's fingers paused. "Hm?"

"About last night..."

"Nothing happened last night." She cut him off at once. Her voice was still soft, but carried a hint of barely perceptible fluster.

Lu Jiuyuan wasn't surprised by her reaction. He chuckled. "All right. Nothing happened last night."

Lu Xueqi lifted her eyes and shot him a quick glance before lowering them again.

The tips of her ears were red as if they might drip blood.

Watching that flush, Lu Jiuyuan felt his heart go soft.

He thought of the two women in the group.

Bibi Dong and Feng Qing'er.

Each one was a peerless beauty, each one had a remarkable status, and each one refused to accept him as their group leader.

But at that moment, he didn't want to pay attention to either of them.

He only wanted to look at the person before him.

The woman who was as cool as frost, yet blushed because of him.

Lu Jiuyuan called softly, "Xueqi."

"What is it now?" Lu Xueqi frowned.

"I heard there's an interesting spirit beast in the Southern Border. Do you want to know about it?" Lu Jiuyuan asked with a mischievous grin.

"What spirit beast?"

Lu Jiuyuan leaned close to her ear, breathed a warm puff of air against it, and whispered, "It's called a slime!"

Lu Xueqi's head snapped up, and she glared at him.

Her glare held embarrassment and annoyance, along with a hint of coyness she couldn't hide.

Lu Jiuyuan laughed, his eyes crinkling. "I'm only joking."

"You did that on purpose. Senior Brother, you're such a big bully!"

Lu Xueqi bit her rosy lips and glared at him for a while before snorting and turning away.

But at the corner of her mouth, where he couldn't see, a faint smile appeared.

Lu Jiuyuan still saw it, though, and tucked it away in his heart.

"All right, all right. I'll stop teasing you!" Lu Jiuyuan drew Lu Xueqi into his arms and said gently, "My most beautiful and precious wife, how about accompanying your husband for a walk to clear your mind?"

Wife?

Husband?

Lu Xueqi froze for a moment.

By the time she came to her senses, Lu Jiuyuan had already led her out of Jingzhu Pavilion. They crossed the bamboo-lined mountain path on Xiaozhu Peak and headed down the mountain.

As they made their way down, the disciples they passed stopped to greet them, but couldn't help glancing at their clasped hands.

Once the two had passed, a flurry of whispers rose behind them.

"Was that Senior Brother Lu and Senior Sister Xueqi?"

"Looks like it. Senior Brother Lu and Senior Sister Xueqi are such a perfect match. They look just like a pair of immortals!"

"Exactly! I think so too!"

Lu Xueqi's face burned. She tried to pull her hand free, but his grip tightened.

"Senior Brother..."

"Hmm?"

"...You did that on purpose."

Lu Jiuyuan looked back at her, smiling broadly. "That's right. I did it on purpose. Don't you like it?"

Lu Xueqi: "..."

How could this man be so shameless?

At the foot of Qingyun Mountain lay a lake called Yueya Lake, named for its crescent-moon shape.

The water was crystal clear, and willow branches swayed along the banks. It was a favorite spot for Qingyun Disciples to visit in their spare time.

Lu Jiuyuan led Lu Xueqi to sit by the lake.

They sat side by side, fingers interlaced.

Her hand was soft, her fingers slender and distinct, her fingertips cool. It fit perfectly in his palm.

Lu Xueqi gazed at him affectionately, at the man who had entered her life.

They sat together like that, speechless for a while.

A breeze skimmed over the lake, raising ripples across its surface.

A few egrets flew in from the distance and landed on a small islet in the middle of the lake, leisurely preening their feathers.

"Xueqi."

"Mm."

"Do you remember when we first met?"

Lu Xueqi paused.

She lifted her head and looked out over the lake, her gaze turning distant.

"Twenty years ago," she said softly. "The day Master brought me up the mountain."

Lu Jiuyuan smiled. "You remember?"

"I do." She paused. "You were... covered in dust, standing at the mountain gate. When you saw me, you smiled."

"What kind of smile?"

Lu Xueqi turned her face toward him, glanced at him, then quickly looked away.

"You smiled... like you'd found a treasure."

Lu Jiuyuan froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.

His laughter startled the egrets in the middle of the lake. They flapped their wings and flew toward the horizon.

"That's right. Back then, I was thinking..." He looked at her, his gaze tender. "This little girl is so pretty. It'd be wonderful if I could marry her someday."

Lu Xueqi rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

"You're so slick with your words."

"Only with you." Lu Jiuyuan gazed into her eyes, his expression earnest.

The breeze over the lake grew gentler, brushing her cheek and stirring her hair into a soft flutter. The scene was like a painting.

Ripples spread across the lake, like the waves of love between them.

Lu Jiuyuan somehow produced two fishing rods and handed one to Lu Xueqi.

"Fishing?" Lu Xueqi asked in surprise. "Where did you get these?"

"I picked them up from a storage room we passed earlier," Lu Jiuyuan said matter-of-factly. "How could I take my wife out to clear her mind without planning an activity?"

Lu Xueqi took the fishing rod without saying anything.

They sat side by side, their lines dangling in the water as they waited quietly.

Sunlight filtered through the willow branches and fell across Lu Xueqi's profile, giving it a faint golden glow.

"Senior Brother."

"Hmm?"

"What you mentioned earlier... What is a slime?"

Lu Jiuyuan hadn't expected her to ask. He paused.

"It's... something very soft."

"How soft?"

Lu Jiuyuan considered the question, his gaze unable to help drifting toward her ample breasts.

Lu Xueqi noticed where he was looking, and her face flared red.

"Y-You... What are you looking at?"

"I wasn't looking!" Lu Jiuyuan denied it at once. "I was trying to think of how to describe it!"

"You clearly were looking!"

"I wasn't!"

"You were!"

They stared at each other for a moment, then both froze.

Lu Xueqi turned away first, biting her lip, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Only then did Lu Jiuyuan realize she was laughing.

The usually frosty Lu Xueqi, who kept everyone at a distance, was now biting her lip and trying to suppress her laughter, her shoulders shaking like a sieve.

Lu Jiuyuan stared at her, dumbstruck.