Emerging from Esteemed Spirit Valley by noon the next day, Xin Mei found that the fine wine gifted by the Youhu Clan must have been exceptionally strong—Zhen Hongsheng had downed two jars alone the previous night and was still too drunk to rise. Left with no choice, Xin Mei bid farewell to Zhang Dahu, mounted the Fierce Cloud Colt, and departed.
She raced across the skies once more to Meishan Jun’s residence at White Head Mountain to deliver mooncakes, only to be informed by the Spirit Guard at the gate that he was away with no set return date. Leaving two boxes of egg yolk-filled mooncakes for him, Xin Mei remounted the Fierce Cloud Colt and turned back toward the Imperial Mausoleum.
"Little Cloud, what do you think Lu Qianqiao is doing right now?"
The journey was a bit dull, so Xin Mei hugged the colt’s neck and chatted idly. If only Qiu Yue were here—though it couldn’t speak, it would at least react to whatever she said. Not like this horse, which just kept charging forward with wide-eyed determination.
"You’re so much dumber than Qiu Yue, ignoring me like this."
This was slander! The Fierce Cloud Colt snorted indignantly. It was a horse, not a human! If any horse could talk, that would be downright supernatural!
"Oh? Are you saying Lu Qianqiao must be missing me? So much that he can’t eat or sleep?" Her eyes sparkled.
I never said that! The colt let out a long whinny.
"Are you implying he’s reflecting on his mistakes and preparing to apologize to me?"
I really didn’t say that! The colt shed silent tears.
"You mean he’ll come begging me to return, weeping all the way?"
...Brother Qiu Yue, you are truly remarkable. The Fierce Cloud Colt gazed wistfully at the distant clouds, feeling nothing but supreme reverence for Qiu Yue in the face of this utterly mismatched conversation.
Suddenly, a large bank of clouds ahead parted as several enormous Paradise Birds, singing melodious tunes, flew against the wind, pulling a resplendent Long Carriage behind them. Faint golden light shimmered into ancient script, drifting and scattering—a sight of extraordinary grandeur.
The Fierce Cloud Colt deftly moved aside, bowing its head respectfully mid-air to let the carriage pass. Spirit beasts instinctively submitted to such pure and noble auras.
The Long Carriage glided to a halt beside Xin Mei. A slender hand lifted the white bamboo curtain, revealing a young man in dark robes who leaned out with a friendly smile.
This person... seemed to be some High Priest of the Youhu Clan? Xin Mei studied him curiously as he returned her gaze. After a long pause, he smiled again.
"Ah, this lovely maiden," he began, his voice gentle but tone frivolous, "I’m hungry. Could you spare a box of mooncakes?"
...Such an imposing carriage, such magnificent Paradise Birds, only to stop and ask for mooncakes.
Baffled, Xin Mei handed him a box of nut-filled ones, but he shook his head, eyes gleaming green. "I want the meat-filled ones."
...What kind of priest eats meat?!
She swapped it for a box of meat-filled mooncakes. The bamboo curtain dropped back down as his voice floated out: "Many thanks. You’re as kind as you are beautiful."
The Paradise Birds resumed their song, and the Long Carriage continued against the wind. Xin Mei scratched her head and patted the colt’s neck. "Alright, let’s go too. Quickly—to the Imperial Mausoleum."
Since Lu Qianqiao’s awakening, the cloud mist array around the Imperial Mausoleum had been restored. The lesser demons had retreated from the Underground Palace, returning to the green mountains and clear waters above ground. The mausoleum, once desolate, had regained its former splendor—peach blossoms and willow greens, birdsong and floral fragrance.Si Lan was nowhere to be seen, Ying Lian was napping in the pond, while Tao Guoguo and her younger brother were playing hide-and-seek in the eerie apricot grove—it seemed Lu Qianqiao hadn’t arrived yet.
Xin Mei tied the Fierce Cloud Colt outside to graze and quietly slipped into Zhao Guanren’s small cave. Sure enough, he was there with a white headscarf tied around his head, scribbling furiously while tears dripped down his beard.
“Ah, you’re here, young lady!” He wiped his nose and looked up at Xin Mei, his tear-filled eyes suddenly brightening. “Come, come! I’m just writing about your first encounter with the General—a spark that ignited like thunder and fire, unstoppable from the start!”
Huh? Her first meeting with Lu Qianqiao? If she recalled… it was on a quiet night when she knocked Tao Guoguo unconscious, and then Lu Qianqiao slapped her… Well, that certainly was a thunder-and-fire kind of moment.
She took the script Zhao Guanren handed over and saw the flamboyant words scrawled across the page: That one glance, like a thousand ships passing through storms, sifting sands just for you; that one glance, as if from three thousand weak waters, I took but one sip—only you; that one glance, as though fate had carved our names upon the stone of three lives…
Silently, she put the script back down and hesitated under Zhao Guanren’s eager gaze. After a long pause, she finally spoke, “That one glance… I actually didn’t see anything clearly…”
All she knew was that it was a man—a man who hit her, stole her Spirit beast, and whom she just wanted to smack away.
Zhao Guanren sighed dramatically. “How can that be? Love at first sight, followed by passion, is what makes a good story!”
“…Well, there wasn’t much of a story between us anyway. Lu Qianqiao always treats me like a child, doesn’t he? I’m not his daughter.”
Her tone was unusually resentful, a stark contrast to her usual lively demeanor. Noticing this, Zhao Guanren immediately adopted the role of a wise uncle, sitting across from her and asking gently, “Miss Xin, did you and the General have a fight?”
Xin Mei placed the mooncakes on the table. “No, I just came to deliver mooncakes.”
“If something’s bothering you, you should say it. Otherwise, small issues turn into big ones, and things spiral out of control.”
She thought for a moment, then pouted. “We don’t act like real husband and wife at all. Every time I touch him, he ties me up with the Demon Binding Rope. And even though we’re already married, he refuses to acknowledge it and insists on doing it all over again. It’s such a waste of time—he’s just making excuses.”
…General, oh General! The War Ghost Clan may be clumsy when it comes to matters between men and women, but you can’t possibly be this dense!
Zhao Guanren shook his head in exasperation.
“Miss Xin, though the General holds the title of a military leader, he is first and foremost a member of the War Ghost Clan. He has no real loyalty to the Emperor of Qiong, so the imperial decree of marriage means nothing to him. The fact that he refuses to acknowledge the arranged marriage and insists on proposing to you himself proves that he truly cares. He sees you as a woman worthy of respect.”
Xin Mei fell silent for a moment before murmuring, “I know that.”
“But there’s something you don’t know. The War Ghost Clan has served the Heavenly Gods since ancient times and is deeply conservative. Engaging in intimacy before marriage is considered improper. He doesn’t touch you out of reverence, not disregard.”
She remained quiet.Zhao Guanren cleared his throat. "You see, the general may appear thoughtful and attentive on the outside, but he's actually quite rough around the edges. Since childhood, he received neither fatherly affection nor motherly love, and no one ever taught him how to interact with young ladies. On ordinary days, he either wears a cold expression or simply walks away. As for the Demon Binding Rope... he just didn't think that far ahead. Find a chance to have a proper talk with him—the general will surely understand. People have mouths for speaking—what misunderstanding between two people can't be resolved through words? Keeping things bottled up would only waste the purpose of having a mouth, wouldn't it?"
Xin Mei silently broke off a piece of lotus seed paste mooncake, eating while sipping tea, and didn't utter another word.
Seeing he'd made his point, Zhao Guanren promptly picked up his brush and resumed writing furiously, scratching out everything he'd written earlier. He then asked her, "Miss, how did you and the general first meet? Could you tell me again?"
Just as she was about to speak, the Fierce Cloud Colt outside the cave suddenly let out a long whinny. Immediately after, the large leaves covering the cave entrance were abruptly pushed aside, and Lu Qianqiao—absent for two days—strode in. The moment he saw her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
Zhao Guanren swallowed a piece of mooncake with tears in his eyes. General, now that's the way to do it!
Xin Mei was practically dragged out like a kite, her feet barely touching the ground. Dizzy and disoriented, she felt herself being tossed onto Qiu Yue's back. By the time she regained her senses, they were already high in the air. Qiu Yue lazily flapped its wings, deliberately flying at a leisurely pace, while the Fierce Cloud Colt followed far behind, tactfully giving them space.
Xin Mei looked up at him. His expression was dark and brooding, his silence heavy as he turned his head away, avoiding her gaze.
"Um... Lu Qianqiao," she ventured first, "where... where are we going?"
Still not looking at her, he finally spoke after a long pause. "Taking you back to the Sinister Clan."
Mention of the Sinister Clan made her realize he was still wearing the same clothes he'd worn when he came there. Only now, his white robes were dusty and stained with grass and dirt at the hem. His hair was slightly disheveled too. Though his face showed no signs of fatigue... had he been searching for her nonstop these past two days without rest?
After a moment's thought, Xin Mei said softly, "Lu Qianqiao, do you want to sleep for a while?"
No response.
"...Don't be angry. I was just delivering mooncakes to everyone."
He finally moved, raising a hand to rub his temples.
"Lu Qianqiao." Xin Mei leaned closer, carefully grasping a corner of his sleeve. When he didn't shake her off, she grew bolder, inching nearer until her head rested against his shoulder.
"Say something. Anything at all."
Her voice was soft, her entire body pliant against him—enough to dissolve even the greatest anger.
Lu Qianqiao hesitated before raising his hand to lightly encircle her shoulders. "...I'm sorry. It was my fault," he murmured.
She grinned, showing her teeth. "Let's say we both made mistakes, okay?"
His dark expression gradually softened. His fingers combed through her thick hair, smoothing out her little braids. "Where did you go?"
"Delivering mooncakes to everyone."
"Xin Mei."
"Hmm?"
"In half a month, I'll come personally to fetch my bride. Don't run away then."
"Okay."
His fingers withdrew from her hair, gently tracing the smooth curve of her cheek before he suddenly bent down, pressing a kiss to her full forehead. So close, their skin touching, he caught an unsettling scent emanating from her. Frowning, he leaned in further, inhaling deeply the fragrance of her hair."Lu Qianqiao, I'm going to kiss you. Don't use the Demon Binding Rope on me."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him.
His face instantly flushed red as he obediently closed his eyes. After waiting for what felt like forever, two soft lips landed on his cheek instead.
He seemed... somewhat disappointed.
Xin Mei brushed his tousled hair back behind his ears and said with utmost seriousness, "We'll save the rest for next time."
"Naughty."
He flicked her forehead with his finger, then immediately lowered his head to sniff her hair twice, his brows furrowing.
An extremely unpleasant scent lingered faintly about her entire body, only detectable at extremely close range. Had she encountered someone?
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