A World for Two

After breakfast, Wen Min took the initiative to handle the dishes, carrying them to the backyard.

Master Shuiyue sat where she was, watching the two people before her.

Lu Jiuyuan and Lu Xueqi sat side by side, with a distance of one fist between them.

Neither of them spoke, yet a faint, lingering atmosphere of intimacy drifted through the air.

The corners of Master Shuiyue's mouth curled up; she saw it all but chose not to point it out.

She stood up slowly and said indifferently, "I am going to pack some things. Make yourselves at home."

Only the two of them remained in the main hall.

Silence.

Morning light filtered through the windows, casting mottled shadows upon the floor.

Lu Jiuyuan turned his head to look at Lu Xueqi.

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

The morning light fell upon her profile, outlining a soft and beautiful silhouette.

He suddenly recalled the scene from when he woke up this morning.

That face flushed with a rosy glow.

Those eyes shimmering like water.

That soft hum, so quiet it was almost inaudible.

And, the last thing she had said.

"That Slime... be gentler when you knead it next time."

Lu Jiuyuan's Adam's apple bobbed, and a playful glint flashed in his eyes: "Xueqi."

Lu Xueqi's fingers paused, "Hmm—?"

"About last night..."

"Nothing happened last night." She interrupted quickly, her voice still soft but carrying a trace of imperceptible panic.

Lu Jiuyuan was not surprised by her reaction and chuckled, "Fine, nothing happened last night."

Lu Xueqi lifted her eyelids, shot him a quick glance, and lowered them again.

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

Watching that flush, Lu Jiuyuan's heart suddenly softened into a complete mess.

He thought of the two women in the group.

Bibi Dong, Feng Qing'er.

Each was a stunning beauty, each possessed an extraordinary status, and each refused to submit to him as their group leader.

But at this moment, he didn't want to pay attention to any of them.

He only wanted to look at the person before him.

This woman, as cold as frost, yet capable of blushing because of him.

Lu Jiuyuan called out softly: "Xueqi."

"What is it now?" Lu Xueqi frowned.

"I heard there is a very interesting exotic beast in the Southern Border? Do you want to know about it?" Lu Jiuyuan looked at her with a mischievous grin.

"What exotic beast?"

Lu Jiuyuan leaned into her ear, exhaling a puff of hot air, and whispered: "Its name is Slime!"

Lu Xueqi jerked her head up and glared at him fiercely.

In that look, there was shyness, annoyance, and a hint of unhidden coquettishness.

Lu Jiuyuan laughed, his eyes curving into crescents, "I'm just joking."

"You did that on purpose, Senior Brother, you big villain!"

Lu Xueqi bit her rosy lips, glared at him for a long moment, then huffed and turned her face away.

But at the corner of her mouth, hidden from view, a faint arc curled upward.

Yet Lu Jiuyuan saw it, and he etched it into his heart.

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore!" Lu Jiuyuan reached out and pulled Lu Xueqi into his embrace, saying softly: "My most beautiful and important wife, how about accompanying your husband out for a stroll?"

Wife?

Husband?

Lu Xueqi was slightly stunned.

By the time she regained her senses, she had already been pulled by Lu Jiuyuan out of Jingzhu Pavilion, through the bamboo forest paths of Xiaozhu Peak, and all the way down the mountain.

As they descended, the disciples they encountered along the way stopped to bow, though their gazes couldn't help but drift toward the hands the two were holding.

As they walked past, hushed whispers broke out behind them.

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

"It seems so. Senior Brother Lu and Senior Sister Xueqi are such a perfect match, truly like a divine couple!"

"Yes, yes, I think so too!"

Lu Xueqi's face flushed red, and she tried to pull her hand back, but it was held even tighter.

"Senior Brother..."

"Hmm?"

"...You did that on purpose."

Lu Jiuyuan looked back at her, his eyes curving into crescents as he smiled: "That's right, I did it on purpose. Don't you like it?"

Lu Xueqi: "..."

How could this man be so brazenly righteous?

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

The lake water was crystal clear, and the weeping willows along the shore swayed gently; it was the favorite spot for Qingyun disciples to visit during their leisure time.

Lu Jiuyuan pulled Lu Xueqi down to sit by the lakeside.

The two sat side by side, their fingers interlaced.

Her hand was soft, her knuckles delicate, and her fingertips slightly cool—it felt just right held within his palm.

Lu Xueqi gazed at him with deep affection, looking at the man who had burst into her life.

The two sat there like that, silent for a moment.

A gentle breeze brushed across the lake, stirring up ripples.

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

"Xueqi."

"Hmm."

"Do you remember when we first met?"

Lu Xueqi was slightly startled.

She raised her head, looking out at the lake, her gaze turning distant.

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

Lu Jiuyuan smiled: "You still remember?"

"I remember." She paused. "You were... covered in dirt and grime, standing at the mountain gate, and you smiled the moment you saw me."

"How did I smile?"

Lu Xueqi turned her head to glance at him, then quickly looked away.

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

Lu Jiuyuan froze for a second, then burst into hearty laughter.

The sound of his laughter startled the egrets in the center of the lake, sending them flapping into the sky.

"That's right, that's exactly what I was thinking then." He looked at her, his gaze softening. "This little sister is so beautiful; it would be wonderful if I could marry her."

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

"Smooth talker."

"Only to you." Lu Jiuyuan gazed deeply into her eyes.

The breeze at the center of the lake grew softer, brushing against her cheeks and lifting her hair to dance gently in the air, as picturesque as a poem.

The ripples on the lake surface swayed slightly, spreading out like the ripples of love.

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

"Fishing?" Lu Xueqi was a little surprised. "Where did you get these?"

"I just grabbed them while passing by a utility room," Lu Jiuyuan said as if it were only natural. "I'm out here to keep my wife company; how could we not have an activity?"

Lu Xueqi took the fishing rod and said nothing more.

The two sat side by side, their fishing lines dangling into the water, waiting quietly.

Sunlight filtered through the willow branches, landing on Lu Xueqi's profile and gilding her with a faint halo.

"Senior Brother."

"Hmm?"

"That thing you mentioned before... a Slime, what is it?"

Lu Jiuyuan hadn't expected her to ask this and was momentarily stunned.

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

"How soft?"

Lu Jiuyuan thought for a moment, his gaze unable to help but drift toward the lush, rounded peaks on her chest.

Lu Xueqi noticed his line of sight, and her face flushed crimson in an instant.

"You... where are you looking!"

"I wasn't looking!" Lu Jiuyuan immediately denied, "I was thinking about how to describe it!"

"You were clearly looking!"

"I wasn't!"

"You were!"

The two stared at each other for a moment, then froze simultaneously.

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

Only then did Lu Jiuyuan realize that she was laughing.

That Lu Xueqi, who was usually as cold as frost and kept everyone at a distance, was currently biting her lip, stifling her laughter, her shoulders shaking like a sieve.

Lu Jiuyuan was momentarily stunned by the sight.