The night gradually deepened, and the drunken laughter of the disciples faded into the distance. Baili Gelin quietly observed Lu Li before her. Perhaps unwilling to let their fellow disciples notice their discord, he had ultimately stayed without a word, yet he refused to even glance at her, standing there as silent and immovable as a mountain.
She frowned, scrutinizing the man before her with unprecedented seriousness. Upon closer inspection, he did indeed differ slightly from the other locals of the Eastern Sea—his skin was darker, his features more pronounced. The tribes near the Eastern Sea were as numerous as stars in the sky, and the so-called Nine Phoenix Clan must have been one of them. No wonder he always wore a Nine-Headed Bird pendant around his neck.
After a moment of contemplation, Baili Gelin spoke, "Senior Brother Lu, I know nothing about the Nine Phoenix Clan. If I’ve done anything that violates your customs, please forgive my ignorance."
Lu Li’s gaze remained fixed on the lantern tassels behind her, unmoving and silent.
Baili Gelin took a few steps back and bowed deeply to him with utmost respect. "I know my frivolous attitude disgusts you, and I know I was unreasonable last time. This is my last sincere apology to you—my remorse is genuine. After this, I won’t bother you again."
She waited briefly, but when no reply came, she finally exhaled a long breath, glanced at the moon on the horizon, and turned to leave.
"Women from the Central Land—do you all enjoy imposing your will on others?"
Lu Li’s cold voice suddenly cut through the silence from behind. After a month, his first words to her were almost accusatory. Baili Gelin turned back in surprise. "Your words are profound. I don’t quite understand."
Lu Li crossed his arms and studied her. After a long pause, he finally murmured, "Why keep chasing after me to apologize? What do you want me to forgive you for?"
Baili Gelin thought for a moment. "I offended you, so you’ve been treating me as if I’m invisible. That’s why I’m apologizing."
Lu Li replied indifferently, "You haven’t offended me. You’re forcing my forgiveness just to ease your own conscience."
Baili Gelin’s brows furrowed again. After a long silence, she said softly, "If I haven’t offended you, then we simply don’t see eye to eye. It seems I really was presumptuous. Senior Brother Lu, do you truly dislike me?"
"How do you want me to answer? What do you want me to do?" Lu Li’s tone was eerily calm.
"Of course, I’d like us to laugh and joke like normal fellow disciples, to return to how things were before. But my wishes don’t matter—that’s for you to decide."
Suddenly, Lu Li strode toward her, stopping so close they were nearly touching. He leaned down, his eyes locked onto hers. Baili Gelin met his gaze silently, struck by the unfathomable depth in his eyes—so deep it sent an involuntary shiver through her.
After a long moment, he suddenly laughed softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. In a low voice, he said, "You’ve been deliberately chasing after me to apologize, and now you’re spouting ambiguous words. Did we ever joke around before? Do my actions bother you? What—do you care about me? What do you want from me to ease your conscience? Do you think you can manipulate my goodwill to comfort yourself? Is this how you’ve always flitted between men? You’re just a petty little girl, barely sixteen or seventeen. Do you really think you understand people’s hearts?"Baili Gelin instantly flew into a rage, glaring at him coldly for a long moment before speaking icily, "Senior Brother Lu, since we can't see eye to eye, let's go our separate ways from now on. I won't exchange another word with you."
She turned to leave, but Lu Li grabbed her shoulder and spun her back around, his dark eyes mocking her. "If we're going to talk, let's lay everything out. You're just using anger to escape because I've hit the mark. So this is the extent of your courage."
Baili Gelin's face turned ashen. "I have no idea what nonsense you're spouting! Is framing others amusing to you?"
"Whether what I say is true or not, you know best."
She avoided his piercing gaze coldly, yet deep down, she felt the shame of having her secret exposed.
Perhaps he wasn't wrong—it was a cause-and-effect even she hadn't considered. Unlike Li Fei's wooden head, she'd gradually become aware of Lu Li's unusual attitude toward her over time. She couldn't explain why she kept demanding apologies from him—was it because she knew he liked her and hoped he could soothe her loneliness? Or was she using him to distance herself from her unresolved feelings for Ye Ye?
Even when she had begged him to hold her that time, it must have been the same mindset. Deep down, she knew Lu Li wouldn't refuse—he liked her.
Her subconscious harbored such despicable thoughts that she couldn't believe, didn't want to believe, and refused to dwell on.
Baili Gelin rubbed her temples wearily, her voice hoarse and tired. "...I'm sorry."
"All apologies in this world are just for one's own peace of mind. Guess whether I'll forgive you or not."
Baili Gelin smiled bitterly. "How won't you forgive me? Beat me up?"
Lu Li didn't answer. His hand on her shoulder suddenly lifted her chin as he whispered, "What do you want to hear from me? That I like you? That I'm willing to be trampled by you, coming and going at your beck and call, loving you like a lowly servant?"
Baili Gelin pulled away from his touch, frowning deeply. "Why say more? Let's just go our separate ways from now on."
Lu Li watched her silently before suddenly pinching her chin lightly. Without another word, he left with a cold laugh.
Ji Tongzhou pushed open the window. The sky was still painted with the faint, translucent blue of dawn. He meticulously adjusted his collar and belt before the bronze mirror. The Star Rectitude Hall disciple uniform was pure white, with gold trim on the collar and cuffs, exuding an air of elegance that suited him perfectly.
From his pocket, he took out a slightly worn wooden comb and carefully smoothed his long hair. Having stayed up all night, faint shadows lingered under his eyes, lending the reflection of the eighteen- or nineteen-year-old youth a trace of gloom.
After tying up his hair, he opened the door and instinctively glanced toward the upstairs corridor—the No Moon Court disciples resided there, and so did she.
Ji Tongzhou paused, leaning on the railing as he lost himself in thought. The inn gradually grew noisy as the day brightened—it was time for the Mountain Sect disciples who had come to the Eastern Sea to return. Disciples from other sects descended the stairs one after another.
Soon, he spotted Jiang Li Fei and Lei Xiuyuan.She probably didn't sleep well last night, constantly rubbing her eyes and walking unsteadily. Lei Xiuyuan was speaking to her with his head lowered, and she nodded and shook her head intermittently. When going down the stairs, he wrapped an arm around her waist to support her.
No matter how you looked at it, they were a young couple that made others envious. Passersby kept stealing glances at them, either with admiration or awe.
Ji Tongzhou watched them for a long time before finally descending the stairs slowly.
Li Fei's eyes felt dry and sore. She had been dead drunk the night before and felt like she had barely fallen asleep when Lei Xiuyuan dragged her up to wash and dress. She was so tired she could barely walk without dozing off. They still had four or five days of flying to return to their sect—this was terrible. What if she fell off mid-flight?
The inn's lobby was packed with people. Li Fei leaned against the wall, her head bobbing downward repeatedly. Despite the noisy crowd, she felt like she was about to fall asleep again.
Suddenly, two plain steamed buns wrapped in oiled paper appeared before her—likely bought by Lei Xiuyuan. Li Fei took them with a word of thanks and took a big bite, only to choke and start coughing. She whined playfully, "I need water."
Soon, a cup of warm tea was handed to her. After finishing a bun and a bowl of tea in one go, Li Fei gradually regained her energy. She turned to hand the remaining bun to Lei Xiuyuan with a smile, saying, "You too—"
But before she could finish, she realized the person standing against the wall next to her was Ji Tongzhou. Stunned, she looked around and spotted Lei Xiuyuan standing beside Guangwei Zhenren, deep in conversation.
"Oh, it was you who bought them," Li Fei said with a smile, offering the remaining bun to Ji Tongzhou. "Thanks. Have you eaten?"
Ji Tongzhou shook his head and pushed the bun back to her. He didn’t speak, just kept his head lowered, staring at her. As Li Fei took another bite, she felt his gaze fixed on her. Suddenly, Baili Gelin’s words from last night echoed in her mind. Instinctively, she took a step back and forced a laugh. "I—I’ll go over there."
Before she could take another step, Ji Tongzhou grabbed her arm. Li Fei panicked and immediately tried to pull away, but hesitated, thinking it might be rude. She tugged lightly, but his grip didn’t loosen. Sighing inwardly, she turned back with a bright smile and asked, "Ji Tongzhou, is something wrong?"
Ji Tongzhou’s gaze drifted from her face to her neck, where faint red marks peeked out from behind her collar. His hand tightened abruptly, as if he wanted to crush her arm, but he quickly loosened his grip.
Around them, people laughed and chatted. Outside, someone called for the Star Rectitude Hall disciples to depart. To him, all these sounds seemed distant, as if muffled. In his life so far, there had never been anything he wanted but couldn’t obtain. He had already lost her once in an illusion—should he let go of her again now? She wasn’t his woman, but someone else’s. That man was both his rival and his friend.
Ji Tongzhou felt an unfamiliar hesitation. He couldn’t tell if this was right or wrong. He had been pondering it for days, yet still couldn’t decide.
The struggle in his grip grew more insistent. Ji Tongzhou snapped out of his thoughts and saw that despite Li Fei’s smile, there was a hint of rejection in her eyes. She was trying subtly but firmly to free herself. After a long silence, he suddenly spoke: "Jiang Li Fei, will you remember me?"Li Fei didn't expect him to say that so suddenly and was momentarily stunned. After thinking for a moment, she answered cautiously, "You're both my friends, so of course I'll remember you."
Ji Tongzhou smiled, released her hand, and stood up to leave. "I'm returning to Star Rectitude Hall. Farewell."
Li Fei sighed in relief and smiled as well. "Go ahead. See you next year."
Ji Tongzhou stepped out of the inn and paused, staring intently at a wisp of drifting cloud in the sky. The elders were still urging him on. Suddenly, he turned back swiftly, gripping Li Fei's shoulders firmly, and pressed his lips heavily against hers in a kiss that caught her completely off guard.
The sounds around them faded, only to quickly grow noisy again. Ji Tongzhou kissed her fiercely, his time running desperately short, yet his desires far too many. The wild urges awakened deep within him gnawed at his soul like venomous snakes. The blazing fire in his heart had been ignited—no one could extinguish it, no one at all.
He bit down hard on her lower lip, breaking the skin almost instantly. Blood welled up and spilled over.
"...Remember this more vividly." Ji Tongzhou gave her a strange smile, placed the Purple Jade Cricket into her arms, then turned and walked away without looking back.
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