The sky grew late,
Stars and moon hung high.
Two horses walked side by side, both chestnut, like a young couple who had fallen in love at first sight, utterly wrapped up in each other.
Hormones ran wild through the two horses, stirring a little passion in their riders as well.
Oh, little stallion, you really are my ultimate wingman.
Zhang Qingyuan valued Baolai more and more. He could hardly help it-the situation now was clearly that her little mare was deliberately drawing closer to his Baolai.
You barely give me the time of day, but your horse is deeply in love with mine.
Baolai had redeemed the humiliation of being ignored that afternoon, and he, as the owner, felt proud too.
Zhang Qingyuan did not even hold the reins. He simply sat there, letting Baolai go wherever he pleased, running or jumping as he wished.
In his previous life, he had been a simp and a nice guy. After starting work, he had also hooked up with young married women and tried being a scumbag.
So Zhang Qingyuan understood girls fairly well. Being a simp was out, and being a nice guy was even worse.
As the saying went, nice guys ranked below dogs-meaning they ranked even below simps.
Especially with an aloof woman like this, trying too hard would only annoy her and backfire.
So ever since she had ignored his introduction, Zhang Qingyuan had not taken the initiative to chat with her again.
Dragging a topic into existence was too deliberate. Conversation was all about letting things take their natural course.
Besides, when pursuing girls, Zhang Qingyuan preferred a gentle stream that flowed on and on, steering his boat with the current, then catching her off guard at a crucial moment and finding his way into her heart.
The horses kept walking. Who knew what they were saying to each other?
Glancing at the young woman now and then, Zhang Qingyuan felt that the more he looked, the more he liked her.
It seemed he had fallen in love at first sight.
Wait...
Zhang Qingyuan froze for a moment. He knew he was no Liu Xiahui, who could hold a woman in his lap without wavering, but surely he would not fall for every older woman he saw.
What sort of internet beauty haven't I seen in my previous life? There were so many actresses on television. Besides, my mental age is long past the first stirrings of love. Why do I feel such strong affection for her?
She's beautiful, sure, but however beautiful she is, it shouldn't be like this, right?
Zhang Qingyuan pondered this silently and stole another glance at Li Qiuran.
The young woman looked three or four years older than him...
Zhang Qingyuan was eighteen, so she was only twenty-one or twenty-two.
Older than me?
In an instant, a possibility occurred to Zhang Qingyuan.
Guo Xiang had also been older than Zhang Sanfeng, and Old Zhang had fallen for her at their very first meeting.
So I'm fucking being influenced by Old Zhang?
He liked older women, so I do too?
But the template is only a talent template, not a character template. Can talent alone carry emotions over too?
Surely not?
The female Daoist glanced at him, and Zhang Qingyuan mustered a smile, one of utter innocence.
It was so genuine that even this cold-faced female Daoist had to admit it was the most innocent smile she had seen in her five years roaming the jianghu.
Zhang Qingyuan patted Baolai, who stopped. Zhang Qingyuan shrugged; her little mare had stopped too, waiting for him.
The female Daoist tried tugging the reins, but the horse that had followed her for years would not budge, intent only on following this big brother of a horse.
Her brows gradually drew together, and her hand looked ready to crush the reins in its grip.
Zhang Qingyuan shrugged and tapped the horse's belly with his heels. Baolai understood at once and continued forward.
"Don't look at me like that. Your horse has taken a fancy to mine. Baolai is quite handsome, after all."
Seeing him like this, especially that roguish, wicked face and his devil-may-care tone, made her even angrier.
Zhang Qingyuan reached into the bundle hanging from his horse, took out a flatbread, and held it in his hand, taking great mouthfuls.
The fragrance of sesame flatbread, its soft, chewy texture-utterly delicious.
Little did he know that the young woman beside him was nearly grinding her teeth to pieces.
Watching him wolf down the flatbread, her eyes seemed ready to spit fire.
His horse had already seduced hers into disobeying her, which was irritating enough. Seeing him behave this way now made her even more furious.
Zhang Qingyuan felt killing intent sweep toward him. Turning his head, he saw the young woman staring at him with fire in her eyes.
"Want some?" He took out another flatbread and offered it to her.
"Why didn't you wash your hands?"
"Huh?"
"I said, why didn't you wash your hands?" the woman said, enunciating every word, her voice cold enough to send a shiver down one's spine.
Zhang Qingyuan looked around, then said with an innocent expression, "There's no water."
Seeing her chest heave, he continued, "Are you a clean freak?"
"What is a clean freak?"
"Someone who feels very uncomfortable when they see filthy, messy surroundings."
"Yes."
"That explains it." Zhang Qingyuan nodded and continued taking large bites of flatbread. As he ate, he added, "Actually, I am too, but not as bad as you."
"Hah!"
The woman drew a deep breath and barked at Zhang Qingyuan, "In that case, take your horse and get lost!"
Zhang Qingyuan froze, then suddenly smiled. After swallowing the flatbread in his mouth, he said, "Come on, this is a public road."
"If you don't leave, I won't be able to stop myself from killing you."
Her cool eyes held murderous intent. Zhang Qingyuan smiled and shook his head, indicating that he did not believe her.
When had she ever suffered such humiliation? She was an exceedingly proud woman. Ever since she had entered the jianghu, everyone who provoked her had ended up either dead or injured.
Yet today, the first time she had shown great mercy, she had been met with provocation.
Zhang Qingyuan continued watching her. In her apricot-yellow Daoist robe, her every movement carried a sense of otherworldly grace.
"Do you know who I am?" As though something had provoked her, she trembled all over.
Zhang Qingyuan said, "No, but I think I've guessed. You're Bamboo Green Fairy, Li Qiuran, aren't you?"
Li Qiuran sneered. "Then do you know what Li Qiuran means?"
"I've heard a little. Rumor has it that Li Qiuran is cold-faced as frost and mercurial. People who encounter her are often killed before they even know how they offended her.
"Like a green bamboo viper lying in hiding, beautiful but deadly venomous."
In fact, Zhang Qingyuan had indeed guessed her identity long ago. It was not difficult.
They were only a few dozen li from Qinghe County, and a few days earlier, the people from Cloud Dust Manor had said Bamboo Green Fairy was in the county town.
The woman he had met today matched the legendary Li Qiuran perfectly, whether in looks, bearing, or features. If she was not Li Qiuran, who else could she be?
Li Qiuran said coldly, "Then do you think you've offended me?"
Zhang Qingyuan shook his head and said with certainty, "No."
"Wrong. Of all the things you should never have done, you should never have behaved so disgustingly in front of me."
"You mean eating without washing my hands? Then I'm sorry, but I can't help it. I really can't find any water to wash them."
Zhang Qingyuan continued doing as he pleased, stuffing the rest of the flatbread into his mouth. He dusted off his hands and continued, "But I've noticed something. You're not quite like the rumors."
"How am I different?" Li Qiuran's hand was already on her sword. It hung from her horse, ready for her to draw and strike him at any moment.
But hearing his words, she decided to give him a little more time.
Facing her murderous expression, Zhang Qingyuan's eyes brimmed with tenderness as he murmured sincerely, "Green Bamboo Fairy, this humble Daoist has felt your sorrow and seen the vulnerability wrapped beneath your icy exterior.
"The lovely woman, her hair in a tilted bun, lies down late at night; the breeze stills among pear blossoms, and birds perch on branches. Her heart's troubles are hard to share with others; she tells them to the blue heavens and the bright moon."
Whether or not Old Zhang's emotions were influencing him, he did not want to be Zhang Sanfeng anyway.
At least when it comes to marriage, I can't be like Old Zhang, growing old alone, never marrying because of Guo Xiang. I can't do it!
Since these emotions have carried over and made me like her, all I can do is pursue her.
He had to act when the time was right. Old Zhang had acted too late, leaving both of them with lifelong regrets.
So, to prevent this tragedy, Zhang Qingyuan drew a deep breath and first suppressed Old Zhang's thoughts. Now I'm turning into Chu Liuxiang!
As Li Qiuran listened to Zhang Qingyuan recite the poem, it seemed to speak straight into her heart.
Her frozen emotions seemed to be drawn forth, beginning to stir restlessly.
Looking into his eyes again,
She saw regret,
She saw tenderness.
Seeing her lost in thought, Zhang Qingyuan felt he had a chance. Sure enough, girls in ancient times liked literary boys. His plagiarism of ancient poetry had not been in vain.
Being a simp would never work. To pursue a girl, he had to enter her heart.
And here's my chance!
"With girls, apart from those strange ones who are cold by nature, the more dangerous an ordinary woman appears, the more fragile she actually is inside.
"I don't know your past, but I can sense that this isn't the real you. You've made yourself look this way simply because, like a hedgehog, you want a body covered in spines to protect a tender soul.
"You really don't need to be so guarded around me."
While she pondered, Zhang Qingyuan continued, "I think you should try letting yourself go and opening your heart, Fairy.
"If you truly fear the dangers of this world, you can find someone to lean on.
"If you wouldn't mind, this humble Daoist would gladly help you untie the knot in your heart."
Li Qiuran, still savoring that line of poetry, suddenly froze. She raised her head and looked into Zhang Qingyuan's sincere eyes, which held regret.
Watching him reach out his hand, Li Qiuran felt nothing but fury blazing within her.
Is he... pitying me?
He's flirting with me!
Li Qiuran's gaze turned icy. Her right hand swept out with the sword hilt in its grip, drawing the blade with a ringing cry as she snapped furiously, "You deserve to die!"