Ch 14 - A Calm Resolution

Shen Jian woke up in the morning as usual. He made the bed, did his morning ablutions, did some exercises with his weights strapped on, had a bath and went to make breakfast.

He was so focused on his usual routine that he'd genuinely forgotten about the guest in his house.

So when he was washing the dishes and heard someone clear their throat right behind him, he was justifiably startled and very nearly smashed one of the plates into the wall.

He turned around, bewildered and only when he saw the woman in red standing there did he even remember her.

And his mood plummeted immediately.

The beautiful woman in front of him however had a… surprisingly awkward look on her face for someone he thought of as an arrogant tyrant. She was carrying a tray and plates in her hand as well.

It took him a moment to remember that they were from the breakfast that he'd left in her room the previous morning. Looking at how the spoons were stained along with the plates, it was evident that she'd eaten it.

He didn't know what to think about that. He just eyed her warily.

The woman's eyes roamed around for a moment before she cleared her throat again. Then she pushed the plates towards him.

"Thank you for the food." She said, her voice steady in contrast with her awkward body language.

And of course, even her voice was pleasant to hear, in that perfect zone between soothing like a bell and husky like a vixen.

Shen Jian eyed her for a moment more before reaching out and taking the plates from her hands. He replied almost reflexively. "You're welcome."

The woman visibly relaxed, nodding and stepping back.

Seeing she was done with… whatever that was, Shen Jian slowly turned around and went back to washing the dishes with a few more added to the pile. He could however still feel her gaze burning into the back of his head.

Stiffly cleaning the dishes as fast as he could, he finished and was internally getting ready to flee the room before the woman did anything else.

"…Can we talk for a moment?"

His hopes were dashed.

With an almost resigned mentality, he turned to her.

Now that he was taking a good look at her, she looked much more put together than the last time he'd seen her.

Standing a head taller than him, her dress was replaced with one identical to but more pristine than the previous. The red dress fitting her torso firmly to her skin, the sleeves fit to her arm but flaring out and extending from the wrist to seem wavy. The bottom was loose and reaching to her shins, overlapping like curtains in the front. It had golden accents with other glittering golden shapes sprinkled throughout.

Her hair was well groomed and fell down her shoulders and back perfectly straight, reaching her waist like a black waterfall. Her skin had a beautiful light colour that was utterly free of any blemishes or cosmetics. Her cerulean blue eyes peered at him, wide and shining.

She was simply… too beautiful.

The more he looked at her, the more nervous he became. Whether it be his past life or this one, he truly felt that he had no business associating with someone so attractive. Because more often than not, someone like that lived in a different level of society than he did.

He was already distracting himself mentally so he didn't blush just looking at her, or god forbid, have an automatic reaction. His eyes flicked around the room, looking anywhere but her so he didn't embarrass himself.

The woman however took his actions as a sign of panic. She stepped forward and grabbed his hands with her own. "Please do not be scared. I merely wish to talk, nothing else." She said soothingly.

Shen Jian heard her words but he was distracted by how soft her skin was. He looked at her wide-eyed as she spoke, her voice echoing in her ear.

Everything about this woman was beautiful. She was beauty personified.

He distantly felt the urge to cry tears of frustration. He was jealous yet he didn't even know what he was jealous about.

He blinked his eyes a few times. Re-registering her words, he nodded meekly. It wasn't like he could say no. Be it in status, appearance, power or fortune, she was above him in everything (or so he assumed). It was best to just follow her words.

She smiled at him, making him stiffen. Then she let go of his hands and turned to walk towards the living room.

He restrained himself from letting out a sigh of relief.

'Finally. Some personal space.'

Sometimes, he truly hated his introverted nature. Though at this point, he was a bit confused on whether it was just introversion or social anxiety. Well, it wasn't a matter to ponder at the moment.

Following after her, he sat on the seat opposite her, eyeing the way she sat daintily and yet somehow regally on her seat.

With the interest of not prolonging his awkwardness, he decided not to beat around the bush. "What did you want to talk about, madam?" He asked slowly.

For all his unfavourable thoughts and actions about her the previous day, he could not bring himself to behave similarly in front of her. Whether it be her divine appearance or the way his energy senses were being flooded, he was undoubtedly intimidated.

The woman either chose to ignore his cowed demeanour or didn't notice it. She intertwined her fingers in her lap and spoke softly. "First… I apologize for my unsightly behaviour yesterday." She bent her head forward in a not quite bow.

Shen Jian was frozen. What did he just hear?

"What?" He blurted out accidentally.

The woman lifted her head back up and clarified. "I was not angry at you yesterday. I was angry at myself. You happened to enter the room at the exact moment I was lost in my thoughts and reprimanding myself." She spoke calmly.

He stared at her wide-eyed. "I… knocked on the door. More than once."

She looked vaguely ashamed. "I did not notice. I was too distracted and preoccupied with my anger." She looked away from him. "You… left the room before I could call out and clarify the misunderstanding."

Shen Jian sat dumbfounded, his face utterly flabbergasted.

'It was a… misunderstanding?'

He felt shame fill him at the revelation. Shame at the way he judged her and placed her in the same mould as he'd placed the other cultivators he knew on.

"I'm… sorry. For jumping to conclusions." He spoke haltingly, face showing the shame he felt.

The woman was startled. She hurriedly waved her hands. "No, it is fine. It was my fault for not being aware of my surroundings at the time."

Shen Jian looked at her. For some reason, she looked strangely awkward despite her usual regal demeanour.

He couldn't help it. A small laugh bubbled out of him.

The woman paused. A moment later, she was apparently infected by his sudden cheer and a silent laugh came from her in return, hidden by a wavy sleeve.

With a good chuckle shared between them, Shen Jian leaned back feeling more comfortable. He spoke to her with a smile. "How about we start fresh? My name is Shen Jian."

The woman suddenly startled. She looked deep into his eyes with a profound gaze. He didn't know what she was thinking or doing but he maintained eye contact, growing more confused and flustered by the second.

She blinked and shook her head before it became too awkward. The smile returned to her face. "Well met. My name is Yan Xiurong."

Fiery Beautiful-Glory. Her name fit his impression of her.

"Forgive me for asking but…" The now named Yan Xiurong started. "Do you live alone here?" She gestured at the house with one hand.

Shen Jian's smile turned a touch sad. "Yes. My parents passed away three years ago. I've been living on my own since then."

"Oh." She mouthed. She was silent for a moment before she asked hesitantly. "May I ask how they…"

He waved his hand reassuringly. "It's not any secret or anything. A kind of… food poisoning epidemic spread through the village back then. My parents were among the victims of it."

"Ah." She bowed her head, much more respectfully this time. "My condolences for your loss."

"It's fine, it's fine." He reassured her again. "I've… gotten used to it."

There was a bout of comfortable silence as both of them settled down and were lost in their own thoughts for a while.

Soon however, Shen Jian broke the silence. "May I ask what you're going to do now, Miss Yan?"

"I…" She hesitated, then asked something else entirely. "Are you aware of the reason I am in this area?"

"I'm… not." He admitted. "I just know that you were fighting whatever lives on that mountain nearby and were probably forced to retreat." Shen Jian almost wanted to smack himself for blurting out that last part. He gave her an apologetic look.

Yan Xiurong had a smile containing a bit of embarrassment. "Indeed. I heard rumours of the inhabitant of that mountain and came here to defeat him as a test of skill." She chuckled forlornly. "It did not go well for me."

"Oh." Shen Jian pondered for a moment. "Who is the inhabitant, if you don't mind me asking?"

"An Earth Dragon." She replied easily.

Shen Jian stopped.

"Pardon?"

"An Earth Dragon."

He looked at her, confused. "Do you mean an Earthly Dragon? Or a dragon wielding the earth as a weapon?"

"The latter." She confirmed, wondering what an earthly dragon was. "He is a dragon with an earth attributed cultivation, able to wield the energy of the earth moulded into a yellow flame or use the rock and dirt itself as a weapon."

"Ah…" Shen Jian understood now. "But… what was the purple then?"

Yan Xiurong's face soured. "His trump card. A hidden attribute. Poison, specifically."

Shen Jian winced. It just had to be poison, didn't it?

She nodded at his reaction. "I was already facing a tough battle with my fire-based martial arts against his earth-based attacks. The poison completely blindsided me, ultimately leading to my loss." She clenched her fists.

Shen Jian stayed silent, letting her ride through her feelings.

Yan Xiurong took a deep breath and let it out. "Now that we got to this, I wanted to thank you for helping me out of the forest I fell in."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about that, I didn't mind. But are you okay?"

"Yes?" She was confused.

"The poison. Are you alright? Is it all treated? Do you need any help?" Shen Jian asked with worry lacing his tone.

Yan Xiurong smiled at his worry. The genuine worry in his voice and eyes and his young age made her feel a small sense of fondness towards him. "I am fine for now. Though there are some remnants of it remaining, I am confident I can treat it soon."

He nodded slowly. "Right. Good. It should be treated soon. Leaving it for long is bad." His eyes flicked to the side.

She followed his gaze and found herself looking at an urn placed on a shelf. Her eyes shone with understanding.

'His parents' ashes, presumably. It is no wonder he is so worried about the poison.'

She shook her head. "I will be fine. Do not worry. I merely need to rest and focus on getting rid of it. A slow and meticulous process."

Shen Jian nodded in acceptance. "You can use the room you slept in. I don't mind. I can help you if you need anything."

Yan Xiurong smiled. "Thank you. But is it alright to…" She paused for a second. "Was it not your parents' room?" She asked softly.

She had explored the wardrobe in the room and now with context, she knew exactly whom it belonged to previously.

Shen Jian was silent for a long moment before he nodded. "It's best if it's used. I can't continue clinging to old memories forever." He spoke, his eyes cloudy. "Just… let me get some things from there first."

After all, as much as he now trusted her, the wardrobe in that room still contained the savings that his parents left for him. It was best if he relocated it elsewhere.

Yan Xiurong just nodded in acquiescence.

From there, they continued to talk for a while longer. Yan Xiurong revealed she was from a sect called the Soaring Phoenix Sect, one of the largest cultivation sects in the world.

Shen Jian was suitably awed. The name also explained the fire attribute of her martial arts. He also thought that it was funny that someone with the name Yan (fiery) was practising fire martial arts while belonging to a fire-based sect.

She spoke of the many opponents, human and beast, that she had fought, wowing him with colourful descriptions and stories of miraculous feats.

On his side, he didn't have much to say. Village life left much to be desired both for a cultivator and for a 21st century transmigrator from Earth. He could only talk about the pseudo-plague from three years ago and the time an elder and his disciple from a sect (the name of which he'd forgotten) had visited the village.

He also spoke of his ambition to leave the village at the age of 15 and join a sect to become a cultivator. That transitioned to her asking him how he was so strong despite being a mundane human. Apparently, she'd seen him drag in that bear last evening… which also reminded him to go and get that harvested for its parts. He'd forgotten that the harvesters and most of the hunters had taken the day off the previous day.

To her query though, Shen Jian didn't have much to say. He simply told her that he exercised from a young age, that he still kept up with it with additional weights now added.

Yan Xiurong looked sceptical.

It was that scepticism that let Shen Jian know his strength truly was abnormal even for cultivator families. Clearly, growing so wildly in strength at such a young age and even ejecting his body's impurities was not a normal process for anyone.

It seemed he wasn't as ordinary as he thought he was. It remained to be seen whether that was good or bad.

Their conversation ended with a discussion of their living arrangements. Yan Xiurong agreed to stay in the big bedroom and Shen Jian decided to cook meals for them three times a day. She insisted that she didn't need either of those but he countered with the insistence that he would provide them anyway.

Yan Xiurong only shook her head and agreed to his provisions with a resigned smile.

Eventually, she took her leave and returned to her room, saying she would focus on recovering. Shen Jian followed her with his eyes, admiring her figure silently.

He shook his head once she was out of sight. He sighed and leaned back on the chair, resting his head on the headrest.

'Infatuation.' He thought in a dull wonder. 'I think I'm actually infatuated with her. Mildly.'

The point from where the concept of 'love at first sight' probably originated from. The first time he saw her face was when he got out of the forest with her in his arms. He'd been mesmerized back then.

The feeling was tainted when he misunderstood her as just another arrogant cultivator. But now that he had a civil conversation with her and cleared the air of misunderstandings, he found that he liked her personality a lot.

Aside from pre-argument Mei, she was the first cultivator who didn't look down on him. She even spoke to him as an equal, even showing a remarkable amount of respect despite being undeniably far above him on the totem pole.

That, combined with her beautiful looks, her alluring voice, her breathtaking smile… Oh gosh, her smile…

Shen Jian covered his red face in embarrassment.

'I'm a lost cause.' He bemoaned.

After all, it was his very first time talking to someone so attractive so personally. He barely had any female friends at all in his past life and none in his new one. Someone with his personality suddenly being confronted with someone so blindingly bright? It was almost impossible to not have some kind of favourable feeling for her.

Even if he intelligently recognized it as her just being kind, the only women who'd given him any kind of affection in either life were his mothers from both lives. So it was inevitable that he'd have this kind of reaction.

The fact that she decided to not show herself to the other villagers and opted to stay as a recluse in his house only helped that feeling. He felt secretly happy at her decision. Because then, her presence would be a selfish secret that he wouldn't share with anyone else.

It was exciting.

Despite everything however, Shen Jian was someone who was self-aware.

'I'm not in her league.'

That fact was something that was hammered into his head through the course of their conversation.

She was part of one of the biggest sects in the world, she was rich beyond imagination, she was stronger than he'd be for years at the least and she easily outclassed him in terms of appearance despite their different gender.

No matter how he compared them, he lost out in every single comparison.

That was why he knew.

'This is temporary.'

He wasn't stupid enough to think she would remember him even after she recovered and left this place. In her mind, she was probably entertaining him and his requests as a reward for the small favour he did by carrying her out of that forest. She couldn't possibly be unaware of her own immense appeal after all.

This whole situation with her staying in his house was temporary. It would simply be a small footnote on her journey.

That was why he made a resolution.

'It's temporary. So enjoy it while you can. Don't get too attached.'

A one-time friend. That was what he'd think of her as. He doubted he could truly befriend her and he doubted even further if he could even keep contact with her afterward even if he did somehow befriend her.

So that was why he decided to keep a set distance between them. A temporary friend.

'And eye candy.' He thought a bit shamefully.

Simply looking at her filled him with satisfaction. He didn't even have any dirty feelings or thoughts about her. She was just so beautiful that it made him murmur 'wow' and just continue looking at her.

Shen Jian buried his face in his hands.

'Puberty this time around is going to be a royal pain.'