Xianyu had met two Aeons in succession and had a heap of memories forcibly crammed into his head. For the moment, he had forgotten the lie he had told.
He looked at Jingliu in bewilderment.
"Didn't you say earlier that you lived very close to my house?"
Perhaps because of her martial training, Jingliu was decisive in everything she did. Her everyday speech was concise, and she rarely slowed down.
Now, having enjoyed a laugh at her companion's expense, she was in a cheerful mood. With her deliberately slower delivery, her voice sounded strangely alluring.
Only, there was something odd about her tone. Why did it feel as though she was teasing him?
Xianyu belatedly remembered saying, "It's on my way," when he had walked Jingliu home.
A smile tugged at Jingliu's lips, but her expression made it clear she wasn't letting this go. She waited for Xianyu to offer a reasonable explanation.
Xianyu: "..."
He racked his brains but couldn't come up with a suitable excuse, so he could only tell the truth.
"Sorry. I lied to you. It wasn't on my way. I just wanted to walk you home."
Xianyu looked straight into Jingliu's eyes, his tone utterly sincere.
Jingliu stared at him with a look he couldn't describe. Then she gave a laugh, though there wasn't a trace of amusement in her voice:
"You seem very good at looking after girls. Have you really never been in a relationship?"
Xianyu froze.
He hadn't even noticed that himself. Could the child he had taught in his previous life have been a girl?
The thought flashed through his mind, but he didn't dwell on it. He answered helplessly, "I really haven't."
Why would he need to lie about something like that?
Wait, isn't this topic Jingliu brought up a little too intimate? What I just said didn't sound quite right either...
Before Xianyu could figure it out, Jingliu reached out and took hold of his sleeve as naturally as could be. Her tone changed, as though she were in quite a good mood:
"One good turn deserves another. This time, I'll walk you home."
Xianyu instinctively took a step in the opposite direction.
"There's really no need. I can get home in a few minutes."
Still holding his sleeve, Jingliu raised an eyebrow slightly without a word, as though silently asking why he wasn't coming along.
She seemed completely unaware of how close they were standing. There was no awkwardness in her expression; she looked perfectly at ease.
When Xianyu remained rooted to the spot, Jingliu stopped too. With unhurried composure, she said, "What, are you the only one allowed to walk someone home?"
For a moment, the two stood at an impasse.
The Sword Champion herself remained calm and collected, as though she were prepared to wait him out until the end of time.
Seeing that Jingliu wouldn't give up until she had walked him home, he could only yield first. Temporarily suppressing his awkwardness at being escorted home by a girl, he stepped forward to close the distance between them.
They stared at each other for a while before Jingliu laughed. She cast him an amused glance. "What are you standing there for? Show me the way."
Xianyu: "...Oh. My place is this way."
Jingliu headed in the direction he pointed. After following her for a few steps, he finally caught on and guessed her intention.
Does the Sword Champion think I don't trust her, that I'm underestimating her abilities?
After all, she was the Sword Champion!
If those who joined the Cloud Knights were talents chosen from ten thousand, then Jingliu was a supreme genius who appeared only once among hundreds of billions.
No matter how outstanding someone was, once they witnessed the Sword Champion's techniques, they could only sigh in awe and bow in complete admiration.
When it came to combat prowess, no one on the entire Luofu could match her.
So this "one good turn deserves another" business is about letting me experience being escorted home too?
Xianyu thought it over and decided to be honest. He said candidly, "Sorry. I only said it was on my way because I wanted to walk you back. I wasn't trying to underestimate you."
"Hmm?" Jingliu chuckled and turned his own words back on him. "I didn't feel underestimated. I just wanted to walk you home."
The Sword Champion turned her face toward him, her smile deepening as she took in his slightly embarrassed expression. Then she praised him in an exceedingly sincere tone. "You're very good at being considerate of others."
"I'm all right, I guess."
Xianyu didn't see anything wrong with taking others into consideration. To him, empathizing with people was as easy as breathing.
Jingliu shook her head in disagreement and gave him an affirming look.
"I rarely meet someone like you, someone who both looks after people and puts himself in their shoes."
Xianyu instinctively rubbed his nose and gave an awkward smile. "You're exaggerating. Please stop, Sword Champion. You're going to embarrass me."
Jingliu seemed to enjoy watching Xianyu squirm. After studying his expression for a while, she became serious again and said sincerely:
"I'm only telling the truth. How am I exaggerating? Take the Fleece Lamb Milk from before, or today's milk tea-"
Xianyu: "..."
For a moment, he was at a loss for words, unsure what to say.
He hadn't thought he had done anything remarkable, but after Jingliu praised him like this... he actually felt a little happy.
It was like taking a big gulp of ice-cold sparkling water; even his heart seemed ready to bubble with delight.
It was like having someone remember a preference he had casually mentioned, or something he had said, and bring it up one day.
He turned his face slightly aside, avoiding her gaze.
Far older and more mature than he was, Jingliu knew when to stop. She changed the subject. "Besides, your swordsmanship is quite good. You managed to spar with me without a scratch. Your talent is far better than Jing Yuan's. When shall we practice again?"
At that, Xianyu forgot all about his embarrassment and hurriedly pleaded for mercy. "Let's not. I'm only a Diviner from the Divination Commission-I don't deserve the Sword Champion's praise."
"Still calling me Sword Champion?" Jingliu shook her head in disapproval. "We're friends. There's no need to be so formal."
Xianyu gave a stiff "Oh," then remembered the rumors circulating within the Divination Commission and asked, "Jingliu, is there some misunderstanding between you and our Diviner?"
He felt that the Diviner was prejudiced against Jingliu. Otherwise, how could he believe such an absurd rumor?
Jingliu immediately recalled what had happened earlier.
She had gone to see the Divination Commission's Diviner to ask about Xianyu. Upon learning that he had taken leave, she had immediately asked for his address.
To her surprise, the Diviner had firmly refused and wouldn't tell her no matter what.
Perhaps it was an internal rule of the Divination Commission.
Something about not disclosing staff information to other departments.
That was what Jingliu thought, unaware that her cold-faced questioning had frightened him. She shook her head, denying Xianyu's suggestion.
"That's really strange, then." Xianyu was quite surprised. "When I woke up today, someone had spread a rumor that you had a grudge against me and had even beaten me up."
Jingliu: "..."
If Xianyu's swordsmanship had been just a little worse, he probably really would have taken a beating.
Drinking really does cause trouble, she thought, while keeping her expression perfectly composed. "Yes, how strange."
"Unbelievable. How could anyone spread such a ridiculous rumor?" Xianyu sighed with feeling. "It even reached the Lord Diviner's ears. Today, the Lord Diviner told me he'd give me three days off..."
Jingliu: "..."
Could the Diviner have refused to give me the address because he thought I was going to show up seeking revenge?
She was struggling to keep the smile on her face.
Before you continue