Meeting Candidly

The furthest distance in the world is when you and I could have faced each other honestly, yet we insist on having a wall between us.

Bai Heng never expected that Jingliu would bring him to a hot spring bathhouse called Tanghai Dust Bathhouse.

But regrettably, the men's and women's baths were separated by a bamboo wall covered in wooden patterns.

Most importantly, the soundproofing of this wall was extremely effective.

This meant that you didn't even have the space to imagine things by listening to the sound of water.

Before entering the bath, you needed to rinse your body clean, then change into the disposable moon-white silk bathrobes provided by Tanghai Dust Bathhouse, and only then could you enter the bath.

Beside the bath, either white or smoky-blue narcissus flowers were planted, and several osmanthus and cherry blossom trees leaned over the edge of the bath, which was built from gray stones.

Looking from afar, the pink cherry blossoms and golden-yellow osmanthus would fall in a scattered manner.

At first, Bai Heng was worried that these petals might affect the bathing experience, but upon closer inspection, the cherry blossoms, osmanthus, or narcissus were just projections.

After Bai Heng entered the bath, a golden automaton attendant would bring a basket of fresh eggs into the hot spring room.

Hot spring eggs were a common activity when soaking in hot springs. Perhaps the taste of hot spring eggs wasn't necessarily great, but as long as it was fun enough.

However, after only peeling four eggs, Bai Heng received a message from Jingliu.

Wuxia Feiguang: "I have finished bathing and am waiting for you at the entrance."

Looking at this message on his phone, Bai Heng peeled the last egg in his hand and put them all into the jade dish holding the hot spring eggs.

Five white and pink, flawless hot spring eggs nestled together.

Bai Heng nodded in satisfaction, then stood up from the bath while wiping his wet hair.

After changing into his usual clean casual clothes, he arrived at the entrance of Tanghai Dust Bathhouse.

There, he saw Jingliu, her arms crossed, her long silver hair tinted with a faint golden glow by the sunlight.

Even with the black veil covering her eyes, her aloof temperament and otherworldly appearance still attracted the attention of many passersby.

However, the chill she constantly emitted made those who tried to strike up a conversation hesitate, not daring to approach.

As Bai Heng approached, Jingliu turned her head, slightly flicking her cold-scented silver hair, and said softly:

"Let's go."

"Don't be in such a hurry." Bai Heng stopped Jingliu, then took out the eggs he had just peeled and said:

"I cooked these inside, Master."

Bai Heng handed the jade dish to Jingliu, the hot spring eggs inside still retaining wisps of mist.

Jingliu looked at the jade dish being offered, her lips slightly moving, and said:

"Why give them to me?"

This question stumped Bai Heng.

But after a moment, Bai Heng said very naturally:

"Maybe... it's because I want to share things I find interesting with people I want to share them with."

Upon hearing this, Jingliu understood, her fair hand gently lifting, her smooth fingertips pinching a white and pink boiled egg, then bringing it to her lips.

No matter what kind of food she tasted, Jingliu's face would not reveal any expression.

Therefore, she simply carried the jade dish with extraordinary calmness, walking on one side of the street.

Bai Heng stood to her left, able to smell the faint cold fragrance of Jingliu after her bath, occasionally glancing at Jingliu as she swallowed the boiled eggs in small bites.

After a long while, Jingliu finished eating the eggs, returned the jade dish to Bai Heng, and then said:

"Not tasty."

"Ah? Then you ate all five eggs?" Bai Heng asked in confusion:

Jingliu's expression was calm, and she said in a matter-of-fact tone:

"You gave them to me, so I ate them."

Bai Heng was stunned upon hearing this, a smile on his face, but a faint ache in his chest.

He asked his somewhat "clueless" Master to wait there while he went to a nearby tea shop to buy a cup of Immortality Joy Tea.

Now, the Xianzhou was in early autumn, the autumn wind rolling golden leaves, the plane trees stretching for miles, shading the streets of the city, yellow plane trees falling endlessly from the clear blue sky, making for a unique flavor.

In this season, the tea shops had long advertised the first cup of Immortality Joy Tea of autumn.

But for Jingliu now, she probably wouldn't go, and no one would take her to taste this so-called "first cup of Immortality Joy Tea of autumn."

After returning to Jingliu's side, Bai Heng handed her the warm Joy Tea and said:

"Five boiled eggs didn't choke you, Master, have a cup of Immortality Joy Tea. Let's stroll around nearby later, and skip the training ground today."

Hearing Bai Heng's words, Jingliu said with a cold face:

"Military preparedness cannot be abandoned for even a day. Today is the first day I teach you swordsmanship, how can you be so lazy."

"Some people also say that martial arts practice requires a combination of work and rest, and Master, you can treat today as our first date in seven hundred years." Bai Heng said gently:

"Dating?" Jingliu's eyes flickered beneath her dark veil, seemingly puzzled.

Bai Heng, seeing her confused expression, was initially perplexed.

His Shifu-jie was an old netizen like him; she shouldn't be unaware of the meaning of such a word.

But suddenly, he remembered something else... she seemed to have forgotten many things.

"The meaning of dating..." Bai Heng thought for a moment, then said:

"It's when two people who like each other spend time together doing things that are meaningful to them, like we are now."

"Like each other..." Jingliu repeated silently, pursing her lips, and asked:

"How can I know if someone likes another person?"

Bai Heng listened to Jingliu's questions, patiently answering:

"Hmm... let me think. Suppose you were holding two ice creams, waiting for me for a long time, the petals of the Begonia flowers draped over your shoulders, the melting ice cream staining the carefully chosen dress you wore today, and I still hadn't arrived. Even then, you wouldn't be angry, and you'd even wait for me like that again next time. That would mean you like me. It's just that kind of liking is a little... humble."

"..." Jingliu imagined the scene Bai Heng described, and said, "If that were the case, I would still wait for you next time. But this time, I would be angry, and I would cut you with my sword."

Bai Heng smiled faintly and said:

"That also means you like me."

"Why?" Jingliu asked.

"Because..." Bai Heng, acting recklessly, placed his hand on Jingliu's smooth silver hair, smiling gently:

"Because I like you too, Shifu-jie."

"Between us, no one needs to be humble."