It was unclear how long Ling Chongxiao had been standing behind them or how much of their conversation he had overheard.
Chen Luanzhu froze. "Brother!!"
Chen Xuan had always been strict and authoritative in front of Chen Luanzhu. Getting involved in her brother and sister-in-law's affairs made Chen Luanzhu so embarrassed that her face burned. She quickly made up an excuse and fled the scene, leaving without a second thought.
Once Chen Luanzhu was gone, the young man turned to her. "I wasn't aware that you had a habit of gossiping about others behind their backs."
It was worth noting that this young man had jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall, skin as smooth as jade, and delicate features—sharp eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips. He exuded an air of elegance, like moonlight beneath the snow, but his personality was fiery and intense, with a temper as explosive as a firecracker.
He had the delicate appearance of Lin Daiyu but the heart of a fierce warrior, handling matters with ruthless efficiency and an unyielding precision that left no room for error.
As it turned out, even someone as refined as Ling Chongxiao couldn't tolerate incompetence. Despite never having used certain abilities since birth, he was no different from the average person in that regard.
The young man pressed his lips together, his gaze fixed on the ground, clearly displeased.
Xia Lianqiao: "..." No matter how you looked at it, getting caught gossiping was undeniably awkward.
"Friend, let me explain."
Ling Chongxiao raised his eyes expressionlessly. "What if I don't want to listen?"
Xia Lianqiao was momentarily speechless: "..."
If Ling Chongxiao refused to listen, she really had no way to defend herself, did she?
Discussing matters below the navel was out of character for Ling Chongxiao. Perhaps he found the topic too frivolous and didn't want to waste any more words on it. With a furrowed brow, he turned and walked away.
Xia Lianqiao hesitated for half a second before following him.
Noticing her footsteps behind him, Ling Chongxiao's lips tightened into a stubborn line, but he neither spoke nor slowed his pace.
Thanks to this awkward misunderstanding, Ling Chongxiao didn't say a word to her for the next hour.
A single dim oil lamp flickered in the room.
The young man had just finished bathing, his black hair cascading down his back. The faint light illuminated his features, which were as serene as moonlight beneath the trees, or like the last remnants of snow. His demeanor was cold and ethereal, his jade-like face glowing softly.
He sat with his eyes lowered, flipping through a book he had pulled out from somewhere. His slender fingers rested on the edge of the page, and a faint, cool scent of soap and flowers lingered around him.
Xia Lianqiao quietly crept to the edge of the bed and glanced at Ling Chongxiao. Confirming that he was still engrossed in his book and ignoring her, she quickly climbed onto the bed.
Ling Chongxiao continued reading.
...
Xia Lianqiao had been a little nervous at first, but seeing Ling Chongxiao, the cultivation fanatic, fully absorbed in his book, she gradually relaxed.
It wasn't until there was no movement behind him that Ling Chongxiao closed the book and stood up. The Taoist texts in the Chen family's collection were riddled with errors and false teachings, offering him no benefit whatsoever.
The girl in front of him slept restlessly, her smooth black hair spilling over the pillow like flowing water, revealing a slender, pale neck.
Her cheeks were flushed with a faint pink, glistening slightly under the moonlight.
It was an undeniably alluring scene, but the young man's heart remained steadfast. He merely glanced at her indifferently, as if she were nothing more than a pile of dry bones.
The weather was getting hotter, and Xia Lianqiao had only just fallen asleep when she woke up from the heat.
She quietly slipped her arm out from under the blanket and took a deep breath of fresh air.
Good, Ling Chongxiao probably hadn't noticed.
She then carefully stretched out her leg as well.
She swore she had tried to move as quietly as possible.
But Ling Chongxiao's cold voice rang out like a demon's whisper. "Friend Xia, can't sleep?"
Xia Lianqiao was silent for a moment before muttering, "...I'm hot."
It wasn't her fault. Who would have thought Ling Chongxiao was such a light sleeper?
The young man remained unmoved. "A calm heart brings natural coolness."
Being so close, Xia Lianqiao could clearly feel the steady heartbeat emanating from Ling Chongxiao's chest. Contrary to his current weakened state, his heartbeat was strong and steady, much like the man himself—sharp, unyielding, and brimming with a fierce, youthful energy.
Even when his body was frail, he still radiated an indomitable spirit.
Xia Lianqiao's face grew warm, and her entire body followed suit. Wanting to put some distance between them but also craving the coolness, she quietly shifted closer to the wall, letting her arms and legs lightly touch its surface.
Ah, so refreshing.
Before she could relax, she felt Ling Chongxiao move behind her. Startled, she hurriedly adjusted her position but accidentally bumped into a cool chest.
In an instant, Xia Lianqiao froze, her breath catching. She didn't dare move.
She had fallen into Ling Chongxiao's embrace.
Xia Lianqiao: "..."
Ling Chongxiao: "..."
Xia Lianqiao: "I swear I didn't mean to take advantage of you!"
Why did that sound so much like an excuse?
But before she could finish, Ling Chongxiao swiftly and decisively pushed her away.
With a thud, Xia Lianqiao hit the wall again, too stunned to even cry out in pain.
Feeling like she had turned into some sort of lecherous woman in Ling Chongxiao's eyes, she sighed and rubbed the spot on her forehead that was about to swell. "Friend Ling, I think I'll go out for a walk."
After all, she didn't have Ling Chongxiao's ironclad composure.
Ling Chongxiao immediately sat up, and Xia Lianqiao, feeling as if she had been granted a pardon, quickly slipped out of bed.
Not daring to look at Ling Chongxiao directly, she kept her head down as she crawled out. But as Ling Chongxiao sat up, her gaze inevitably fell on his snow-white undergarments.
More specifically, a little higher than his pants.
Xia Lianqiao instinctively glanced over. The blanket covered everything, so she couldn't see anything unusual, but it was better to be cautious. Sharing a bed was risky, even if it was with Ling Chongxiao.
What she didn't realize was how her gaze could be misinterpreted.
Ling Chongxiao: "..."
The young man closed his eyes coldly, as if trying to endure it, but eventually snapped, "If you don't value your eyes, I can help you remove them."
How did he even know where her eyes were wandering?!
Xia Lianqiao's scalp tingled, and she hastily backed away. "I-I was just being cautious."
Ling Chongxiao glared at her, furious. "Are you satisfied now?"
"Yes, yes, but now I'm worried about something else."
"What is it?"
Xia Lianqiao put on a concerned expression. "Are you okay?"
"..."
Xia Lianqiao: "...Pfft."
Ling Chongxiao's expression froze.
The young man's face turned a mixture of green and white, a truly spectacular sight.
Teasing a teenage boy was addictive, and Xia Lianqiao couldn't help but burst into laughter. Before Ling Chongxiao could draw his sword, she hurriedly slipped on her shoes and made a quick escape.
Life in the Mirror of Shattering Illusions was incredibly dull, especially with Ling Chongxiao as a companion. After spending a few days with him, Xia Lianqiao finally understood why Li Langhuan was so afraid of him.
The young man was truly difficult to deal with. Ling Chongxiao was meticulous and aloof, with little tolerance for anything beneath his standards.
She always felt that Ling Chongxiao disapproved of her lifestyle, but since it didn't concern him, he refrained from commenting.
Chen Xuan was frail, and his mother had been scheming to ensure he fathered an heir while his health was still relatively stable.
Unfortunately, her plans were doomed to fail, for she was not Xiao Lingbo, and Ling Chongxiao was not Chen Xuan.
Despite spending several days with Ling Chongxiao, his attitude toward her remained cold.
That evening, the servants of the Chen household set up dinner. Xia Lianqiao, with her Sichuan tastes, loved spicy and salty food, while Ling Chongxiao, who had long since stopped eating regular meals, only occasionally consumed spiritual foods with an unbearably bland flavor.
A single oil lamp flickered as the two sat across from each other.
The young man in white sat with a stern expression, his back straight, silently adhering to the rule of not speaking during meals. He only touched the two dishes in front of him and nothing else.
Xia Lianqiao gripped her chopsticks and couldn't help but glance over. What she saw made her face pale.
In front of Ling Chongxiao were only a plate of stir-fried greens and a plate of bitter melon.
Not just bitter melon, even the vegetable stems tend to taste bitter, but the young man lowered his gaze and seemed to eat with relish.
Xia Lianqiao began to miss the times when she used to eat in the cafeteria with her roommates. It was lively, and eating with a crowd always made the food taste better. She thought that if she continued eating like this with Ling Chongxiao, she would eventually end up with indigestion.
Back at home, Xia Lianqiao had always been the one responsible for livening up the atmosphere.
Eating such bitter food, he must lead a pretty bitter life too, right? Thinking of Ling Chongxiao's eventual fate, Xia Lianqiao felt it necessary to take on the role of a psychological counselor for this ancient young man. She set her chopsticks down and asked curiously, "Brother Ling, don’t you feel like your taste buds have gone numb from eating such bland food every day?"
Hearing the rather blunt mention of "numb," Ling Chongxiao's hand holding the chopsticks paused slightly, and he unconsciously frowned, but he had no response.
Xia Lianqiao picked up a piece of spicy chicken with her chopsticks and was about to put it in her mouth when a voice as cold and clear as shattering ice and jade spoke up, "Spicy food is frivolous by nature."
Xia Lianqiao: "…?"
She gripped her chopsticks and looked at Ling Chongxiao.
After saying this, Ling Chongxiao lowered his gaze again and continued eating, as if those words had never come from him.
Xia Lianqiao: …I feel offended.
If she couldn’t eat the spicy chicken, she could at least have the non-spicy braised pork. These two dishes had only been added to the menu after her strong insistence. Otherwise, given Ling Chongxiao’s dietary restrictions, she would have been stuck eating the natural flavors of the ingredients with him.
But before her chopsticks could even touch the braised pork, Ling Chongxiao’s voice rang out again, "Heavy, greasy food is turbid by nature."
Xia Lianqiao: "…"
Xia Lianqiao: "So that’s why you don’t eat these things?"
Ling Chongxiao didn’t respond.
Xia Lianqiao, who had always been in excellent health and enjoyed all kinds of food, finally experienced the feeling of indigestion for the first time when faced with Ling Chongxiao’s expression.
Her gaze unconsciously fell on the wine cup in front of her. The cup contained Huanggan wine, made from Dongting citrus, also known as "Dongting Spring." Due to the limited distillation techniques of ancient times, the alcohol content was low, but it was sweet and tangy, served chilled. She often enjoyed a cup whenever she felt like it.
But before her hand could even reach the cup, Ling Chongxiao’s indifferent voice echoed like a persistent ghost, "Wine enters the heart meridian, leading to excessive speech."
Xia Lianqiao: …
The young man remained unmoved and continued, "It enters the kidney meridian, leading to indulgence."
Xia Lianqiao: "Brother Ling, you—"
Ling Chongxiao: "It’s better to speak less. Excessive speech harms the vital energy."
Xia Lianqiao: "Oh, what I meant to say was, no one would think you’re mute if you didn’t speak."
Ling Chongxiao: "…"
"Don’t you think life is a bit dull for someone like you?" Xia Lianqiao wasn’t really angry, but she asked out of genuine curiosity, blinking her eyes. "You can’t eat well, and you can’t have fun either."
The young man’s expression was calm, but when it came to cultivation, his eyes sharpened like a sword being unsheathed, cold and resolute. "Indulging in pleasure only leads to a chaotic life."
"Well, I’m different from you," Xia Lianqiao said with a playful smile, picking up the fruit wine again. "I’m just an ordinary person."
Ling Chongxiao’s clear, black-and-white eyes quietly watched her.
Xia Lianqiao rested her chin on her hand, looking at him. Her almond-shaped eyes seemed to shimmer like the spring colors of Dongting Lake. Her delicate brows arched slightly, giving her a somewhat smug look. "I know you must disapprove of my carefree attitude, but what’s wrong with being ordinary? Eating when hungry, sleeping when tired, living happily without worries, crying and laughing freely—isn’t that more enjoyable than the Daoist ideal of 'a body like withered wood, a heart like dead ashes'?"
Surprisingly, Ling Chongxiao didn’t criticize her behavior or make any harsh comments. "Everyone has their own path."
Xia Lianqiao: "Brother Ling, you really know how to say things that annoy people."
Ling Chongxiao: "Honest advice is often hard to swallow."
After a few more lighthearted exchanges, Ling Chongxiao added, "I’ve already met that old Daoist today."
At the mention of serious matters, Xia Lianqiao straightened up. "You mean the old Daoist who gave Chen Xuan the elixir? How was it? Is there something wrong with him?"
Ling Chongxiao shook his head. "The Mirror of Shattering Illusions showed no issues, but from his behavior, I think he’s just an ordinary cultivator."
"And how’s your body? Do you feel better?"
The young man pursed his lips. "I’m fine."
Since the old Daoist had appeared, it meant the plot was finally moving forward. But thinking of this, Xia Lianqiao remembered something. Currently, due to the influence of the illusion, she had some inexplicable feelings for Ling Chongxiao. But what about Ling Chongxiao, who had been influenced by Chen Xuan…
"Brother Ling, do you hate me now because of Chen Xuan’s influence?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Xia Lianqiao realized how silly the question was. What if Ling Chongxiao had hated her from the start? That would just be a cruel joke.
The young man met her gaze but slowly furrowed his brows, lowering his eyes. After a moment of silence, he gave her a cautious and measured answer. "It’s tolerable."
The answer was clear without being spoken.
Although she had expected this, hearing it directly from Ling Chongxiao still made Xia Lianqiao’s heart feel as if it had been punched. "…" So, Ling Chongxiao really did hate her now?
"It must be hard for you to put up with me despite your disgust."
Ling Chongxiao: "…"
"But I thought someone as strict as you would have no patience for me. I never expected you to still care about my fragile self-esteem."
The young man paused for half a second. "…"
Then, with an expressionless face, he fired back, "Because you’re not entirely hopeless."
Xia Lianqiao: "Should I say thank you?"
