Chapter 46: Lu Xueqi feelings

After dinner, Qi Hao and Shu Shu excused themselves, leaving the inn to handle some matters in the city.Grey and Lu Xueqi, on the other hand, walked through the garden on their way to the rooms.The night air was cool, and the lanterns cast a soft glow on the winding path ahead of them.As Grey and Lu Xueqi walked through the quiet garden, the moonlight bathed the path in a soft glow, casting long shadows on the cobblestones.The night air was cool, and the only sound was the gentle rustling of leaves.Grey, hands casually behind his head, was about to comment on the peacefulness of the moment when he felt a soft tug on his sleeves.Startled, he glanced down to see Lu Xueqi holding onto the fabric of his shirt.Her touch was light, almost hesitant, and her usual calm, impenetrable expression wavered ever so slightly.There was something different about her tonight—a fragility beneath the surface that Grey hadn't noticed before."Junior sister, is something wrong?" Grey asked, his voice betraying his confusion.He was used to Lu Xueqi being cold, almost untouchable, and this gesture was completely out of character.Lu Xueqi's gaze remained fixed on the ground, her brows furrowed in thought. After a moment, she spoke, her voice quieter than usual. "Why do you keep calling me 'Junior sister' when we're the same age?"Grey blinked. Of all the questions she could ask, this was the last thing he'd expected."Because you lost to me," he said, flashing a teasing grin, hoping to lighten the mood.At this, Lu Xueqi's head drooped slightly, her stoic mask faltering just a little. For a moment, she seemed less like the cold, perfect disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect and more like a regular girl."And why did you call me stupid?" she asked, frustration creeping into her voice.Grey noticed a rare flicker of anger in her usually calm eyes, and for the first time, he realized just how deeply it bothered her.Grey blinked, suddenly recalling the moment during the contest when, in the heat of battle, he had indeed called her a "stupid girl."It had been a passing comment, something he hadn't even considered at the time, but it seemed she had held onto it.She remembered that? Even when she was on the verge of unconsciousness?"Junior sister, when did I call you stupid?" Grey tried to play dumb, smiling as if the accusation were absurd, but the slight pang of guilt crept in."At the end of the match," Lu Xueqi responded, her voice low but steady. "You called me a 'stupid girl.'"Grey's jaw nearly dropped. She remembered that? She was barely conscious! Did she have some kind of supernatural memory? What was this?"Well, Junior sister, how should I say this..." Grey began, realizing there was no point in avoiding the inevitable conversation since she remembered the duel so clearly. "It's admirable that you fought with everything you had, but..."He paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "You shouldn't do something that harms yourself. There are people who care about you, and when you put yourself in danger like that... it worries them."He glanced at her, his tone softening as he continued, "When your master saw you almost get hit by that technique, she was so anxious. A person's actions shouldn't hurt the ones who care about them."Grey's expression turned serious but kind as he concluded, "So, I call such people... well, a bit stupid."Lu Xueqi's eyes narrowed slightly, locking onto his. "So, am I stupid?" she asked. Her tone was calm but with a steely undertone.Grey hesitated, suddenly aware that he had waded into dangerous waters. "Of course, you are stupi—"He stopped mid-sentence, his voice caught in his throat as her piercing gaze bore into him, a mix of frustration and something he couldn't quite read.Realizing he was treading thin ice, Grey quickly scrambled to backtrack."I mean, you were just being... too brave for your own good," he corrected himself, his words rushing out as if to patch up the mess he'd made."You're strong, really strong. And beautiful as a flower! You've got such incredible willpower!"Before he could finish digging himself deeper into the hole, Lu Xueqi suddenly turned and quickened her pace, walking away without a word.Grey blinked, watching her figure retreat down the path, completely puzzled."Didn't I just praise her? Why did she leave?" he muttered to himself, scratching his head in confusion. He let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of the moment settle in. "Women are really hard to understand."What Grey didn't notice was that as Lu Xueqi walked away, her face flushed a deep shade of red.It wasn't anger that had made her leave so abruptly—it was embarrassment, a sensation so foreign to her that she barely recognized it.His unexpected compliments had caught her completely off guard, sending her heart racing in a way she'd never experienced.Once inside her room, Lu Xueqi shut the door behind her, leaning against it as if she needed to steady herself.Her breath came in soft, shallow waves, and her mind was a whirlwind of confusion.Why was her heart pounding so fiercely? She had been praised before, countless times—whether for her beauty, her skill with the sword, or her discipline.Yet none of those words had ever shaken her like this.Her hand instinctively reached up, brushing her fingertips against her cheeks, still warm from the rush of blood.She shook her head, trying to dispel the chaotic feelings coursing through her. This is foolish, she thought, pressing her lips into a thin line.Emotions are a distraction. They will only hinder my cultivation.Her master had always warned her that attachment and sentiment would be her greatest obstacles on the path to true strength.And Lu Xueqi had taken that advice to heart, focusing solely on perfecting her technique, on becoming untouchable, emotionally and physically.But now... now she felt vulnerable in a way she didn't understand.The duel with Grey had been the catalyst. She couldn't pinpoint exactly when it happened, but something had shifted between them that day.At first, she dismissed the odd flutter in her chest as mere adrenaline.Yet now, after his clumsy but sincere compliments, that flutter had returned, stronger than before. Beautiful like a flower, he had said.His words echoed in her mind, and though she tried to dismiss them, her heart wouldn't listen.Why is this happening? She paced the room, her usually calm demeanor unraveling as she tried to make sense of the unfamiliar emotions.