Qian Renxue was completely unaware of someone's ulterior motives. She was focused entirely on controlling her flight altitude, afraid that turbulence would worsen her injuries. As they flew over a lake, she suddenly heard Huo Yuhao's faint voice behind her:
" Xue'er Girl... did you cry?"
Qian Renxue then realized that her clothes were already soaked with tears. She stubbornly turned her face away. "What nonsense! It was the wind."
Afterwards, Huo Yuhao said, "Miss Xue'er, this is dangerous. Let's go down first. I'm really fine. Let's go down first, and I'll explain to you."
"Okay," she said slowly.
Qian Renxue carefully landed on a soft patch of grass. The Six-Winged Angel's wings gently folded, yet remained in a state of readiness, ready to unfold at any moment.
"Rest here." Her voice was much gentler than usual, but her hands stubbornly refused to let go. "Your injury..."
Huo Yuhao smiled weakly, a trace of color barely showing on his pale face. "Miss Xue'er, my Martial Soul... has self-healing abilities..." He paused deliberately, then raised his right hand with feigned difficulty, a faint green light flickering within it, "As long as... I rest for a while..."
Qian Renxue released his hand with some skepticism, but kept her eyes fixed on his wounds. Only when she saw that the gruesome scars were indeed healing at a visible speed did her tense shoulders relax slightly.
"Really?" She crouched down, her golden eyes fixed on him, as if afraid to miss any trace of pain.
Huo Yuhao leaned against a tree, sunlight filtering through the leaves and casting dappled patterns on his face. He deliberately made his voice sound light, "Of course it's true. If I were really that badly injured, would I be joking with you?"
Qian Renxue was slightly relieved. She knelt down beside him, gently pressing her slender hands on his back, and slowly channeling her gentle Soul Power into him. "Don't push yourself. Let me help you recover."
She immediately reached out and supported his shoulder, a warm stream of Soul Power flowing from her palm. Huo Yuhao could feel that this Soul Power contained an extremely pure, holy aura of light, carrying the warmth of sunlight.
He closed his eyes, savoring this rare moment of care. After a while, as if suddenly remembering something, he abruptly opened his eyes. "Oh no, I almost forgot about Brother Xue! He... I wonder how he is now, I haven't heard from him yet, I wonder if he left the Star Dou Great Forest safely."
" Xue Qinghe is alright." Qian Renxue interrupted him, her voice somewhat unnatural. "I... I just ran into him. He has safely returned to Heaven Dou City and specifically asked me to tell you."
Huo Yuhao secretly raised an eyebrow. This lie was truly clumsy—it was clearly the same person, yet they fabricated a scene of their encounter. But on his face, he wore a relieved expression. "That's good... that's good..."
Qian Renxue gazed at the boy's relieved expression, a warm feeling welling up in her heart. Despite being so badly injured herself, he was still worried about the safety of others... Such pure sentiment was so rare in her calculating world.
He deliberately lowered his voice, pretending to be exhausted. Qian Renxue fell for it and quickly increased her Soul Power output. "Don't talk, rest well."
Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes, noticing the girl's focused profile appearing exceptionally soft in the morning light. Her long eyelashes cast soft shadows, and her tightly pursed lips revealed a hint of stubbornness. For some reason, he suddenly found Qian Renxue rather adorable.
"Thank you..." he said softly, this time with genuine emotion.
Qian Renxue paused for a moment, then continued to channel her Soul Power as if nothing had happened, "No need to thank me. You... you did it to save me too..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but Huo Yuhao clearly saw a suspicious blush rise to the tips of her ears. The sunlight seemed warmer, and even the breeze in the forest seemed gentler.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed Heaven Dou City in gold. Huo Yuhao and Qian Renxue walked side by side on the streets bathed in the evening glow. Huo Yuhao's wounds had almost healed, but Qian Renxue's gaze still occasionally swept over his right arm with concern—where dried bloodstains still remained.
"Miss Xue'er, thank you for taking care of me along the way." Huo Yuhao stopped and turned to face her. The soft light of the setting sun cast a golden glow on his sharply defined profile. "Let's part ways here."
These words pierced Qian Renxue's heart like a fine needle. She instinctively clenched her sleeve, not understanding why a simple farewell would make her breath catch in her throat. But Huo Yuhao's next words made her heart race again:
"I'm going to the Moonlight Pavilion tomorrow to check on Brother Xue's safety. Would Miss Xue'er be free to come along?"
Qian Renxue lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a soft shadow on her face. She felt a strange emotion churning in her chest—heartache when he said they had to part, and inexplicable joy when she heard they would see each other again.
As she said these words, Qian Renxue felt a Sisi heartache, but the thought of him going to find Xue Qinghe eased her anxiety. "Why do my emotions change with his words? It's so strange," she wondered.
Is this feeling what love is?
"Okay, I'm free." She heard herself say, her voice lighter than she had imagined. "Brother Huo, I'll take my leave now."
As she turned to leave, Qian Renxue didn't see the smile that flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. She quickly crossed the street, and only when she reached the corner did she turn back and find that the tall figure was still standing there watching her go, the setting sun casting a long, long shadow of him.
Douluo Hall
Qian Renxue knelt on one knee before the Great Enshrined Qian Daoliu. The old man listened to his granddaughter's account and looked at her with loving eyes.
"Grandpa, that boy... he's really special."
Qian Renxue's voice carried a rare hint of hesitation, "He wasn't afraid of the beast tide or the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. He went to cover the rear. He could have left alone, but he still told me to escape first. At that moment, my heart was pounding, and I could see his death wish. Tell me, do you think I've fallen for him?"
Qian Daoliu's deep gaze seemed to see right through people's hearts. " Xue'er, you've fallen for her."
This was not a question, but a statement. Qian Renxue suddenly looked up, wanting to deny it, but fell silent under her grandfather's knowing gaze.
Qian Daoliu sighed and looked in Qian Renxue's direction, saying, " Xue'er, that young man is indeed very outstanding, as you said, but you must also remember your mission. Grandpa doesn't want to interfere with your feelings, but if he is not the inheritor of the gods, you also know the gap between you."
You may not be from the same world.
"By then, it will be too late for regrets and heartache."
The unfinished words hung in the air. Qian Renxue clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms. She remembered Huo Yuhao's blood-stained smile, and the light in his eyes when he said, "I promised I would come back alive."
"I understand, Grandpa," she said softly, her voice trembling slightly.
Qian Daoliu slowly forward, affectionately ruffling her hair. "You're a girl, the mission you bear is truly too cruel for you. If you want to come back, then come back, child."
"Or, bring that kid back for me to see."
P. S.: Ah, the story will soon turn to Qiu'er's storyline, after all, there's the Sea God's Fate and stuff...