Later, she would often wonder why Lu Li had saved her in such an absolutely disadvantageous situation. Was it camaraderie among fellow disciples? Or was it that tiny bit of affection he held for her in his heart?
A woman who has fallen in love cannot endlessly dissect and overthink a question, because the more she thinks, the more she tends to bend it toward the answer she desires, sinking deeper into her own illusions.
That day, Lu Li had fought one against five to save her. Though he emerged victorious, it was a pyrrhic victory—he was so severely injured he nearly died.
Ge Lin remembered holding him, barely able to breathe herself as she frantically searched for a safe place. His blood had soaked through his clothes, warm against her skin. Furious and bewildered, she could only shout at him, "Who asked for your help?! Who told you to show off?! What if you died? What if you died?!"
Lu Li had already passed out. He didn’t hear a single word of her yelling, and even if he had, he likely wouldn’t have answered. His head hung limply against her arm, and a broken string of jade forehead ornaments slipped off, scorch marks from the Li Fire Art still visible on them.
Lu Li didn’t wake until three days later. She had barely slept in those three days, tirelessly channeling spiritual energy into the healing net without even changing her clothes. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was her bloodshot eyes and the deep shadows beneath them. Even in such a haggard state, she glared at him fiercely, her first words being, "What were you trying to prove, playing the hero?! Did you think you were invincible?!"
She had called out to him many times afterward, urging him to cooperate with her—two people working together would always be better than one stubbornly pushing through alone. But he had pretended not to hear her. Stupid man!
Lu Li watched her quietly for a long moment before shifting his gaze away and murmuring, "You should rest."
She nearly laughed in frustration. "Should I thank you? Thank you for saving my life! Thank you for caring so much about me! Today, you’d better give me a reason! Otherwise, don’t even think about leaving!"
With that, she summoned Vine Entanglement, binding him tightly.
Lu Li didn’t struggle. He simply turned his gaze back to her face, his voice still soft. "What reason?"
Bai Li Ge Lin was momentarily at a loss for words. Over those three days, she had constantly pondered why Lu Li had risked his life to save her. Every conclusion she reached was the same—because he liked her. She knew Lu Li had feelings for her. She had once thought to exploit those feelings shamelessly, only to have him ruthlessly expose her, leaving her utterly humiliated.
Yet now, she still wanted to hear him say it. Deep down, she longed for him to confess, not feign ignorance with this detached act.
She stared at him and asked, word by word, "Why did you risk your life to save me?"
Lu Li replied calmly, "Do I need a reason to save you?"
She was stunned for a long time. This ambiguous, inscrutable answer made her heart flutter. A cliché hero-saves-the-damsel scenario—she had always scoffed at such tropes in operas and stories. Yet when it truly happened to her, she found herself trembling with emotion.
She yearned for someone to love her as much as their own life, to pull her out of the mire of her past. She wanted to love someone earnestly, to have mutual affection. If it was him, she was willing to try.
"You almost died," she chuckled, unable to resist a sarcastic jab. "Didn’t you say you wanted to be a stranger? Who asked you to do this?"
Lu Li didn’t answer that question. Instead, he said quietly, "You, on the other hand, would risk your life for Ye Ye."Baili Gelin continued to smile, "Of course, wouldn't you fight for your family?"
Lu Li still didn't answer, merely closing his eyes and saying, "Time to sleep. You look exhausted."
She really couldn't hold on much longer, so she lay down on the other side, turning to face him. "If I sleep, will you run away?"
"Why do you ask that?"
She giggled, "Because I'm afraid you'll run off. How about we team up? Senior Brother Lu is so strong—don't leave me all alone."
"...Just sleep."
Those were truly wonderful days. Unconsciously, she grew closer and closer to Lu Li, always sticking to him out of habit. She no longer flirted ambiguously with other senior brothers or junior brothers; her eyes and heart held only Lu Li, just like when she first met Ye Ye—back then, her eyes and heart had held only him.
Lu Li didn’t reject her closeness. He interacted with her cautiously and gently. Sometimes, she even thought they really seemed like a loving couple. Is this what mutual affection feels like? She had never experienced it before and could only imagine, but every day was filled with happiness and ease. Before sleeping, she would replay every word Lu Li had said, his expressions, his voice—she always fell asleep smiling.
Perhaps this was mutual affection? That night when Lu Li had been sarcastic and sharp felt like a dream, and the fragile, extreme version of herself from back then also seemed like a dream.
Ge Lin remembered it was during a friendly magical combat session with the Wenji Society that they ran into Senior Sister Yan Fei and her fellow disciples. The enthusiastic Yan Fei immediately rushed over to kiss cheeks as usual—first Ge Lin, then Lu Li. Watching him make no move to avoid it, Baili Gelin suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
She thought of Lei Xiuyuan. Though that guy was always so arrogant it made her dislike him, the one thing worth praising was how he kept clear boundaries with women—he would never let Li Fei worry or feel upset over such things. If it were Ye Ye, he would definitely refuse too; he wouldn’t let her sister feel jealous over something like this.
But Lu Li was a man from the Eastern Sea. In these matters, he was different from the reserved people of the Central Land. If she let herself get bothered by such things, she’d never stop. So she simply pretended not to see it.
Then she heard Yan Fei laugh and say, "Senior Brother Lu, you and Ge Lin look so close—are you two already lovers?"
This straightforward Eastern Sea girl! Baili Gelin felt both embarrassed and oddly expectant. How would Lu Li answer?
Lu Li replied calmly, "No, we’re merely fellow disciples. Don’t overthink it."
Yan Fei laughed heartily, looping her arm through his and tilting her head coquettishly. "Then I still have a chance?"
The question was so bold and innocent that even Lu Li was amused. Yan Fei chattered away with him, but her voice sounded like it was coming from miles away to Ge Lin’s ears.
Her mind was muddled now, unable to process anything. Was she dreaming again? Mutual affection?
The more she stood there, the more confused she became, so she slowly walked away, thinking about her and Lu Li. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make sense of it. What was he doing?
Ge Lin couldn’t see through his heart at all. Everything about him, she instinctively interpreted in a way that favored her—unconsciously, uncontrollably. She thought he liked her, but she suddenly realized it was because she wanted it to be true. So every move he made, every word he spoke, was twisted by her into "affection."Between the two of them, she had always been the one clinging to him. Looking back now, Lu Li had never once taken the initiative to seek her out. When she dragged him into conversation, it was always her chattering away about amusing anecdotes from their time in the Central Land. He had never once mentioned anything about the Nine Phoenix Clan or similar matters to her.
Baili Gelin listened to the smooth, intimate flow of conversation behind her and couldn't resist turning back to look. They were still talking, and as if sensing her gaze, Lu Li glanced her way. Suddenly, she felt flustered and embarrassed, as though some secret of hers had been discovered by him.
Instead of backing down, a stubborn surge of defiance rose from deep within her. She smiled at him, calmly shifting her gaze away, but everything before her eyes began to blur slowly.
She was surprised by how deeply sad she felt—an indescribable sorrow, a heart-wrenching despair.
During that day's sparring session with the Wenji group, Baili Gelin performed miserably, earning her a stern scolding from Shen Xiansheng that lasted a long time. She hadn't even managed one-third of her usual skill level, completely distracted—something Shen Xiansheng despised seeing the most.
Tearfully, she returned to her small courtyard, unable to stop the flow of tears no matter how hard she tried. And there, for the first time, she saw Lu Li waiting for her in the shadows of the courtyard gate. Noticing her tear-streaked face as she approached, he slowly moved closer.
Baili Gelin lowered her head to wipe away her tears and forced a bitter smile. "Master scolded me too harshly..."
Lu Li reached out to embrace her shoulders, but she immediately took a step back, avoiding his touch. With a hint of a sniffle, she said, "I'm fine, don't worry. I'll be alright in a moment."
Pushing open the courtyard gate, she politely invited him in. "Would you like to come in and sit for a while? Senior Brother Lu, this is your first time visiting me here, isn't it?"
Lu Li thought for a moment. "Alright."
The water on the small stove boiled quickly, and Baili Gelin brewed him a cup of tea. As she poured, she asked, "What brings you here today with some free time to spare?"
Lu Li hesitated uncharacteristically, as though contemplating something. "There's something... you..."
Before he could finish, an envelope suddenly appeared under the lamplight, its cover gleaming with a golden Celestial Spell Mark. Baili Gelin's eyes lit up instantly. She tore open the letter eagerly, first reading her sister's words—always concise and to the point, urging her to take care of herself—before moving on to Ye Ye's lengthy account of amusing incidents during his training. She laughed as she read, and once finished, immediately got up to fetch shadow ink to write them a reply.
"That fool Ye Ye actually thinks he can break through the third bottleneck in three months—ha!" She dipped her brush into the shadow ink and began writing on the table. "Senior Brother Lu, do you have anything you'd like me to pass along to them?"
Lu Li seemed stiff, staring blankly as she pulled open a drawer, revealing stacks of Earth Treasury Gate letters neatly arranged and spotlessly clean inside. Just moments ago, she had been crying, her eyes blurred with tears, her mind wandering all day—yet now, all of that had vanished, replaced by radiant sunshine on her face.
All because of a single letter?
"Senior Brother Lu, what's wrong with you?" Baili Gelin waved her hand in front of his face, then flicked his forehead—a gesture she had grown accustomed to these days. "Did you eat something bad?"Her hand was suddenly gripped tightly by him. Baili Gelin was slightly startled, only to see Lu Li staring at her with a trace of coldness in his eyes as he whispered, "Let me ask you, do you like me?"
She was utterly dumbfounded. What had he just asked? Was this something that could actually come from Lu Li's mouth? This straightforward Eastern Sea style didn't seem like him at all.
Baili Gelin stared at him in astonishment, suddenly remembering how he had told Yan Fei they were merely fellow disciples.
She had thought she would fly into a rage, but then realized she couldn't even find a reason to be angry. It was her own wishful thinking that his saving her meant he liked her. She couldn't bear to lose face like this in front of him again.
She smiled and tried to pull her hand back. "Are you joking?"
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