28 A Poem for the Second Meeting

'The petals are falling, but feelings arising,

Our gaze so deep, I don't want it to break.

Where have you gone last night?

Dispirited, I was!

Appeared like a Spirit of the Lake, flew away like Dandelion's seeds.

Captured you now, to be released after?

If this yearning is love,

I'll be glad to cut the moon to see you again.

If this desire is selfish,

I'll be the most egotistic history ever known.

To be with you forever and a day,

I wish our hearts beat the same.'

Little Jae brushed the last stroke of his calligraphy with grace. Upon looking at the masterpiece, he approved the poet's (himself) sense of literature. 'Well described! Approved!'

A certain 'partner' of his was in jeopardy of having her waist broken. He had the time to compose a poem?!

Zhi turned red at the contents. Little Jae had narrated them in sing-song, melodramatic voice inside her head. She was terribly embarrassed!

Her eyes that met the man's fervent gaze was averted to the side. When she couldn't take it anymore, she closed her eyes and focused all of her energy to her palm and pushed the man's chest.

The man only felt a pair of soft paws trying to break free. Realising the dangers had passed but he held on too tightly, he released her. He was both dejected to let go and glad to see not a single scratch on her body.

Zhi created some distance and stood nervously. The body contact with the unfamiliar man was so intimate that her bpm was high. Her hands were fidgety, she put them in front of her chest, trying to calm down.

She knew that the man had saved her from harm so she should be thanking him.

But no words were coming out from her mouth.

Looking at the shy girl, both the man and the sword-like eyebrowed teen was at loss at what to do - both really didn't have much experience with their female counterparts. Would they be labeled as perverts if they came close to her even when they meant well?

As the General was thinking the difficulty to approach a woman was harder than approaching an enemy's general; he had been pushed away twice, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"What's the matter now?"

As the General was turning his body to face her, a white shadow flitted by. She went behind his friend's back while grabbing her sleeves' end. From the woman's expression, her savior had come was said. Was his face that scary?

At the sight of a half-masked woman, Zhi immediately ran towards her. She had wanted to hug her arms but she had grabbed her sleeves instead due to considerations. The scent of bitter green on the woman's body soothed Zhi. Her tensed body relaxed with each inhalation of the scent.

Zhi had let her see her body already, Zhi and Master could be considered as close right? Master wouldn't mind if she clung close to her like now, right?

A certain individual was caught off guard by the sudden grabbing. Nevertheless, she, who was used to it because of a certain clingy disciple had clung the same way before, didn't budge her off. This person was also her disciple and Meng Xun's newest friend, a fact she confirmed after sighting the girl's long and fluttery eyelashes.

And the easily recognizable satchel by her side.

"Did you get into trouble again?"

Master had spoken softly to Zhi.

Zhi had a bad premonition.