Chapter Fifteen: Escape
Could it be an accomplice? Following the principle of striking first to gain the upper hand, I quietly conjured an ice lotus from my sleeve and turned to attack the person behind me.
With a sudden "smack," a sharp pain shot through my arm before I could react. The ice lotus fell to the ground.
"Your temper is as rash as ever, unchanged," a familiar voice said.
I looked up and saw that the person was the man in blue who had helped me earlier in the day.
"It's you! You scared me! I thought you were an accomplice of that person," I sighed in relief, rubbing my numb arm. I bent down to pick up the ice lotus, inspecting it carefully. The petals were still crystal clear, emitting a faint blue glow, undamaged.
I stood up, held the ice lotus in front of him, and said irritably, "Hey, what did you hit me with just now? Don't you know this artifact is very precious? Luckily it didn't break, otherwise, I would..."
"Otherwise, what?" he asked, glancing dismissively at the ice lotus before looking at me seriously.
Feeling flustered, I cleared my throat and put on a fierce expression, "Otherwise, I would use my magic to hang you from the window." Thinking this wasn't intimidating enough, I added, "And spin you around a hundred times!"
Seeing his face tense, I thought I had scared him. But then he raised an eyebrow and asked with interest, "Magic? Can you tell me what kind of magic it is?"
"You wouldn't know," I said, crossing my arms and puffing out my chest. "It's the magic of the Qiongyun Sect, the best sect in the world. But a mere mortal like you wouldn't understand. Just know it's very powerful."
"Magic?" he asked again, frowning.
"That's right, the magic of the Qiongyun Sect," I replied, certain.
He suddenly laughed, but there was a chill in his laughter, like an autumn frost falling on dry leaves, sending a shiver down my spine.
As he laughed, he abruptly stopped and looked at me with eyes that seemed to hold a mesmerizing brilliance.
He curved his lips into a charming smile and asked inexplicably, "You call that magic, so what did you learn before?"
I became more confused and took a cautious step back, wary of him.
"Indeed, with your simple mind, you probably can't figure out how to break it," he said, smiling faintly. He flicked his sleeve and tapped my forehead with a finger. A warm sensation spread through my body, making me feel inexplicably comfortable.
It turned out he knew magic as well.
Swallowing nervously, I asked cautiously, "Have we met before?"
"Never," he replied calmly, moving closer until he was almost pressing me into his chest.
I suddenly caught a familiar scent, like the first snow mixed with a faint plum blossom fragrance and a hint of ink. The scent was refreshing and soothing, drawing me closer to him to sniff more.
Just as I leaned in, he suddenly pushed me away, making me lose my balance. But he quickly grabbed my arms, steadying me.
He gave me a strange look and handed me the serpentine dagger from the wall, saying, "I have something to attend to. Be more careful next time and stop being so reckless. But with the Qiongyun Sect watching over you, you shouldn't encounter too much danger."
From his words, it seemed he was familiar with the Qiongyun Sect. Could he know Daxian?
As he turned to leave, I hurriedly called out, "I don't know your name yet. I'm Qingyue, like the clear moon. Next time we meet, we won't be strangers."
He didn't respond, continuing to walk out the door.
"Hey, wait!" I still had questions, so I sheathed the dagger and followed him. But as soon as I stepped out of Wan Fang Lou, he was nowhere to be seen.
What a strange person. After all, I had saved his life, and instead of thanking me, he said so many baffling things.
Unable to find him, I headed to the alley behind Wan Fang Lou to meet up with Daxian. The alley was dark, and no one responded to my calls.
I figured Daxian had probably gone after the assailant, so I found a quiet spot to wait for him.
As I sat bored on the stone steps, nearly falling asleep, a sweet fragrance drifted towards me. Just as I was about to trace the source of the scent...
A bright, shiny object waved in front of my eyes. Was it candied hawthorn? I followed the slender, well-defined hand upwards and found myself staring into a pair of bright, starry eyes.
The cool breeze lifted his wide, ethereal sleeves, resembling waves stirred by a mirage. His eyes sparkled like brilliant stars, glowing with a deep blue light. The lanterns along the street cast a faint, rosy hue on his face, shedding his usual stern and cold demeanor. He appeared warm and inviting, like a flame in the winter snow, making one long to draw closer.
He smiled gently at me and handed me a stick of candied hawthorn.
I stared at Daxian, took the candied hawthorn, and bit into it. The sweet crunchiness spread through my heart, lifting the corners of my mouth in a smile.
Wait, didn't Daxian go to catch the assailant? How did he have time to buy candied hawthorn for me?
I suddenly came to my senses and asked, "Daxian, didn't you encounter the assailant?"
"I waited in the alley behind the building for a long time, but no one came by. Perhaps she hid elsewhere." It was then I noticed Daxian holding another stick of candied hawthorn.
It seemed he had grown tired of holding it in one hand and switched to the other. Did Daxian go out of his way to buy me candied hawthorn? And he bought two sticks—he usually didn't like sweet things, so were they both for me?
My heart, which I had managed to calm down, started racing again. I lowered my head and smiled secretly, standing up to help him with the other stick.
"Brother Que, so here you are."
Someone took the stick before I could, and the sweet voice told me immediately who it was.
Linglu appeared, dressed in a flowing white robe woven with clouds, looking every bit like an ethereal fairy. The dark blue snowflake embroidery on her gown made her appear even more like a goddess from a cold palace.
She glanced around, frowned slightly, and covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve before asking Daxian, "Brother Que, I've been looking for you. One moment you were there, the next you were gone."
She took out a sachet and sniffed it lightly, then said, "Brother, let's not stay in this dark, dirty place. There might be rats or insects. Let's go back to enjoying the flowers and solving riddles."
So, Daxian had been with Linglu all this time.
Hearing Linglu's words, I felt as if a large chunk of my heart had been gouged out, leaving an empty shell adrift in a boundless desert, with nowhere to settle.
No, I shouldn't think like this. From the beginning, Daxian and I had nothing to do with each other. I had no right to be jealous of him and his junior sister.
I shook my head vigorously, denying my thoughts, and bit into the candied hawthorn to distract myself.
Only then did Linglu notice me. She was initially surprised but then smiled kindly, "Qingyue is here too. Why don't the three of us go together?"
"Very well," Daxian nodded slightly, then turned to me as if waiting for my response.
For some reason, my heart sank, and I suddenly became confused about my relationship with Daxian.
He was so pure and perfect, like an immortal untouched by the mundane world, while I was like a flaw on a piece of white jade, always out of place. He deserved someone as flawless and pure as himself, and I should be wise enough to step aside.
"Daxian, you and Junior Sister Linglu should go ahead. I saw some dough figurine makers on my way here and wanted to take a look," I said, wiping my nose and biting into another hawthorn.
"We can see the dough figurines after we finish admiring the flowers," Daxian insisted.
My resolve was already wavering, but I clenched my fist, digging my nails into my palm, and smiled, shaking my head.
At that moment, I desperately wanted to escape. Only by doing so could I avoid his gaze and hide my feelings.
The three of us stood there like statues, the atmosphere chillingly tense.
"Since Qingyue doesn't want to go, Brother, don't force her. When I arrived, most of the riddles had already been solved. Now is the perfect time to encounter some challenging ones. Brother, shall we compete?" Linglu broke the silence, gently tugging on Daxian's arm.
"Let's meet by the riverside later," Daxian said, seeing I wouldn't budge. After a few words of caution, he left with Linglu.
I watched their figures blend into one, feeling they were a perfect match. Indeed, celestial beings were meant to be together. Forcing myself in would only be awkward and out of place.
Just like the candied hawthorn—no matter how sweetly coated, it remained tart and unpalatable once the sugar melted away.
The hawthorn puckered my mouth, causing my cheeks to ache. I chewed on it, and the sourness spread through my mouth like needles, stinging my throat. The intense sourness brought out a hint of bitterness, lingering long after.