Sometimes, Baili Gelin would think about the endless stream of boys who had surrounded her since childhood. Among them, there must have been some who truly liked her, but in the end, her flirtatious and unrestrained nature scared all that affection away.
She had always longed for someone to love her the way Ye Ye loved her sister. Yet, her own actions kept pushing genuine feelings away.
She was selfish—she knew all these unbearable flaws of hers and had already been bluntly mocked by Lu Li for them. So this time, she was determined not to repeat the same mistakes.
What did it really feel like to have mutual affection? Her youthful infatuation with Ye Ye was nothing more than a shadow play in her memories—no one to pick flowers with her, no one to share moonlit nights, no one to stand by her through life and death. Then she met Lu Li and thought, this was the one. She liked him.
But it seemed she had walked the same old path again. A woman in love saw everything through a hazy lens, but once she cooled down and reflected, she realized it was just another solitary intoxication. She was the only one rejoicing, the only one tossing and turning, the only one lingering under the moon. The man beside her was like a cold-eyed monster, silently watching her foolish devotion.
She had actually stumbled over the same thing twice.
Lu Li was right—she thought she understood people’s hearts, but in truth, she had never understood men, not even a little. It was best to stop everything here, to never take another step forward. She could still be that chattering Bai Li junior sister, and he could remain the cautious and serious Lu senior brother.
She had simply misread the situation. She would swallow those hard-to-release emotions properly—it didn’t matter. She would always be the carefree, laughing Baili Gelin.
Lu Li’s grip was tight. Baili Gelin struggled a few times but couldn’t break free, so she could only stare at him in growing bewilderment. “Senior Brother Lu, you—what are you…?”
A chilling coldness seeped from his gaze, making her heart skip a beat. Her struggling stopped.
Lu Li slowly released her hand, his eyes gradually shifting away from her face as if utterly disappointed. But soon, he smiled again.
“Sorry, that was a stupid question,” Lu Li said, taking a sip of tea. “Go ahead and write your reply.”
Baili Gelin was puzzled. His sudden question made it impossible not to overthink, yet she didn’t want to. Sitting in silence was too awkward, so she decided to ignore him for now. Dipping her brush in shadow ink, she began composing her reply, thinking as she wrote.
Lu Li sat quietly beside her, watching her profile—her small, straight nose, her thick, curled lashes. As she wrote, she was still smiling, her dimples faintly visible. Beneath that sweet and charming exterior lay something willful, heartless, and utterly self-centered.
As if sensing his gaze, she turned slightly away, her brows furrowing with cautious suspicion.
“Your writing is crooked,” Lu Li remarked calmly. “What’s Lu Gongzhen?”
Baili Gelin sheepishly erased the crooked characters. He didn’t seem to be acting strange—she really shouldn’t overthink it."It's the place where we went to the Academy for the initial selection. That's where all of us first met," she said with a smile. "At first, Ye Ye almost had his neck broken by Ji Tongzhou when he threw a silver coin at him! That guy who broke through the third bottleneck while sleeping—he was a prince back then and so arrogant as a child!"
Lu Li suddenly asked, "How did you and Ye Ye meet?"
Baili Gelin was taken aback. She paused her writing, tilting her head as she tried to recall. It had been a long time since she thought about Ye Ye. These once-vivid memories, the ones she thought she’d never forget, had unknowingly begun to fade.
"Back then, he was being chased by someone and passed out in a narrow alley. I found him. I tried to help, but he bit me hard and shoved me against the wall. Look, look—there’s still a dent on my forehead from it!"
She pushed her bangs aside and lowered her head to show him the scar. Unexpectedly, his fingers gently traced over the old wound. Baili Gelin shivered and instinctively pulled away.
The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward again. Baili Gelin couldn’t focus on the letter anymore. She twirled the brush in her hand, not daring to look up at him. After a long silence, she murmured, "Senior Brother Lu always asks about me but never talks about yourself. Why?"
Lu Li’s voice was equally quiet. "What do you want to know?"
Did that mean he was willing to share? Baili Gelin finally looked up at him with a smile. Though he wore the same Myriad Immortals Assembly disciple uniform as the others, his attire had subtle differences—a forehead ornament, a peculiar Nine-Headed Bird pendant around his neck, and strange black tattoos that appeared on his arms when he channeled spiritual energy. The Eastern Sea region was home to countless tribes, some fond of tattoos, others abstaining from meat and alcohol on certain days each month. She had never heard of the Nine Phoenix Clan before and was deeply curious about Lu Li’s origins.
"Where is the Nine Phoenix Clan?" she asked cheerfully.
Lu Li answered swiftly and succinctly, "The westernmost part of the Eastern Sea."
"Is it a large clan?"
"Only a few thousand people."
"Any special customs?" She chuckled after asking, "Except for that rule about not associating with the promiscuous."
"Loyalty to one’s partner. Never betray them in a lifetime."
Baili Gelin lowered her head with a faint smile. "Then your future beloved will be very lucky, Senior Brother Lu."
He didn’t respond. Noticing her gaze fixed on his Nine-Headed Bird pendant, he hesitated, then took it off and placed it in her palm.
Baili Gelin ran her fingers over the pendant. It was about half the size of a palm, made of a material neither quite metal nor stone, heavy in her hand. The carving of the Nine-Headed Bird was ancient and mysterious, each head bearing an empty eye socket with nothing embedded inside, making it seem like an unfinished piece.
She asked curiously, "They say the most crucial part of painting a dragon is dotting the eyes. Were the eyes never inlaid, or did you lose them?"
Lu Li was silent for a long moment before suddenly saying, "Do you want to see the eyes?"
Baili Gelin was startled. "Huh? Do they appear just because I want to see them?"Lu Li retrieved the pendant, clenched it heavily in his palm, then stuffed it back into her hand. She felt his five fingers press together around hers and squeeze forcefully. A sharp protrusion on the pendant seemed to pierce through her palm, making her cry out in pain. Suddenly, his grip loosened, and the Nine-Headed Bird pendant flashed briefly before the nine empty eyes slowly filled with a layer of crimson—was it their blood from the pierced palms coagulating?!
Horrified, she stared at the eerie pendant, then looked up at Lu Li. His expression remained blank as he pressed the pendant against her neck and said indifferently, "Now it has eyes."
Baili Gelin felt the heavy pendant settle around her neck with his push. Shocked and bewildered, she frantically groped for the chain to remove it, only to find it thin and seamless, clinging tightly to her skin. The more she struggled, the more panicked she became, glaring at him in disbelief as she yanked harder.
Yet no matter how hard she pulled, the chain wouldn’t budge. Her fingers ached, and her neck burned from the friction. She abruptly stood, grabbed scissors, and hacked at the chain—but it wouldn’t cut! Fury twisted her features as she turned and hissed, "What did you do?!"
Lu Li remained expressionless, though his gaze turned icy. He stepped closer, lifted her collar, and studied the Nine-Headed Bird pendant against her pale neck. After a long pause, he said, "I’m tired of your games, Baili Gelin. Your coy little tricks. If this is what you want, I’ll give it to you."
Flicking the pendant with his finger, he smirked darkly. "I swear by the name of the Nine Phoenix Clan: I will never abandon you in this life. We will share life and death, fortune and misfortune, one heart, one body—never to part."
The sweet vows now sounded horrifying to her ears. Baili Gelin shoved him away, her face ashen. "Have you lost your mind?! Take it off!"
Lu Li seized her wrists, staring down at her. "Once it’s on, it can never be removed. Isn’t this what you wanted? Hmm? You like me—you can order me around as you please. But you’re just a coward, too weak to fight for what you truly desire, content only to trample others. Want me to comfort you? Fine. From now on, I’m yours."
He leaned in to kiss her. Baili Gelin recoiled, but he gripped her chin and forced his lips onto hers—a kiss devoid of tenderness. Enraged, she instinctively channeled spiritual energy to push him away, but as the energy circulated, the pendant emitted an invisible force, locking her power inside her body, rendering her utterly helpless.
Fear finally gripped her. Without spiritual energy, a cultivator was no different from a mortal—she couldn’t resist him at all. Lu Li hoisted her into his arms, freeing her hands. Without hesitation, she slapped him hard across the face and snarled, "You’re the coward! Who was it that said we were just fellow disciples?!"
Lu Li’s gaze darkened as he replied coolly, "I don’t believe in anything. But it doesn’t matter. How do you want me to comfort you? Meat that delivers itself to the door—I should’ve taken it long ago."Meat delivered to his doorstep? Baili Gelin felt her entire body stiffen inch by inch from the inside out. She lowered her head and stared blankly at him. This man... actually dared say he liked her? Liked her, yet kept her at arm's length? Liked her, yet humiliated her like this? What kind of liking was this? She couldn't comprehend it at all.
Feeling him undo her sash, Baili Gelin remained motionless. His movements slowed as he undid her clothes, then stopped completely before he shoved her away. Still she didn't move, only staring at him with vacant eyes.
Lu Li watched her for a moment before turning wordlessly and walking out. Baili Gelin stood frozen for a long time—so long that she finally realized this wasn't a dream but reality. She reached for the pendant around her neck again, pulling and struggling with desperate force until her skin was torn and bleeding, yet it remained immovable.
Blood stained her collar red. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. As if seeking salvation, she rushed to the table to write a letter to her sister and the others begging for help. But no matter how she channeled spiritual energy to control the shadow ink, it refused to obey her commands.
It was a nightmarish evening. She felt abandoned on a deserted island—no people, no sounds, no light. In the end, she could only collapse limply to the floor. If only this were just an illusion conjured by the Mirage Dragon...
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