194.1 – Aboard a Carriage

Dusk.

In a rented luxury carriage, Xue Qilin leaned against the window.

She placed her elbow on the window frame, pursed her lips, rested her head on her hand, and watched the scenery outside the window fly by in a daze.

Having bathed, she exudes a faint scent of water. Her bright yellow eyes under her bangs are rippling with moisture.

She is wearing an elegant pale blue gown, the skirt of which is spread on the floor in the shape of a flower in full bloom.

Her long black hair, which exudes a bright sheen, is parted to the sides. Part of the hair is combed into a simple lingyunji [1], with a ring-like bun towering at the back of her head. The remaining part of the hair is flowing down behind her like a waterfall of black ink, falling into a lake of black ink.

With this arrangement, she looks like a pale blue flower that only blooms at night.

However, she doesn’t like this sort of hairdo and clothes, nor does she like to wear green jade bracelets. They are not only cumbersome, but also make her feel ill at ease.

Suddenly, Xue Qilin felt a weight on her head.

As if returning to its nest at nightfall, a small bird flew from afar, landed on her head, and chirped.

“Hey, this is not your nest!”

Xue Qilin wanted to drive the little guy away in vexation. But unexpectedly, the small critter, thinking she just wanted to play with it, rubbed its head against the lass’s hand.

Hiding in a corner of Xue Qilin’s field of vision, Qi Qiqi, who noticed the situation, extended a hand towards the small bird with sparkling eyes. However, before she could touch it, the small critter, as if frightened, fluttered its wings and flew away in a hurry.

Probably because she is always surrounded by fairly balanced spiritual qi of the five elements, small critters seem to be very fond of Xue Qilin. As for Qi Qiqi, who easily resonates with fire qi, little critters dare not approach her. After all, fear of fire is an instinct ingrained in all creatures.

Upon seeing Qi Qiqi’s aggrieved expression and hearing her release a low cry unconsciously, Xue Qilin giggled. As a result, a cute gaze focused on her.

“You’re insufferable! Stop laughing!”

With her cheeks dyed with the red of embarrassment, Qi Qiqi hurriedly extended her hand to cover Xue Qilin’s face, yet the latter dodged nimbly.

“A gentleman uses reason, not force!”

Xue Qilin blocked the other party’s second “strike”, and then carried on with a pout, “Would you stop it? If my hair gets messed up, you’re the one who’ll be bothered!”

When she heard the lass’s words, Qi Qiqi, who probably realized that she would be the one to sort out the mess, withdrew her hand with a sullen expression.

Xue Qilin shifted the ring-like bun slightly to one side, and then aimed a look at the sulking Qi Qiqi sitting next to her.

If you call the sight that fills her eyes as a red lotus full of brilliance, it would not seem like an exaggeration.

The scent of jasmine in the carriage is getting stronger, especially since the source is still surrounded by moisture.

Qi Qiqi, with her delicate figure wrapped in a lavish, eye-catching red dress, looks like a crimson flame harvested from the depths of red.

Located under the slightly perked, slender eyelashes, the bright red eyes are as clear and bright as two blazing beads. The long black hair, which resembles silk threads woven from black ink, is curled up high and combed into a chuiyunji [2] with a few ornaments, revealing a neck that is fairer than snow.

However, the most eye-catching thing is probably her regular face.

She has light makeup put on.

With the embellishment of makeup, her already breathtaking appearance gained some dangerous and mysterious charm.

When the coachman driving the carriage saw Qi Qiqi for the first time, he fell off the carriage in a daze. He didn’t even exhale in pain for fear of disturbing this Immortal Lady that descended onto the secular world.

Even Xue Qilin couldn’t muster the courage to look straight at Qi Qiqi for too long, fearing that she would lose herself in the red beside her.

How unreasonable! Femme fatale, that’s a fitting description for Little Seven! Xue Qilin mused mischievously.

“Are you thinking of something rude?”

Qi Qiqi narrowed her eyes and looked at Xue Qilin suspiciously.

As she muttered in her heart, “I didn’t give my self away, did I…”, Xue Qilin looked at Qi Qiqi askance and uttered, “Not at all.”

“Hmm — really?”

“Annoying! Yes, really!” Xue Qilin suddenly brought her face close to Qi Qiqi’s, “Look into my sincere eyes, do I look like I’m lying?”

“Alright, alright, I got it!”

Qi Qiqi pushed the spirited small face in front of her away, vexed.

Xue Qilin snorted twice and sat back in her original position.

Then, she got a brainwave and remembered something.

“Hey, that Gong… what was his name again?” Xue Qilin frowned, “Gong Yue? Didn’t you say that he doesn’t like martial practitioners? Furthermore, didn’t you tell me not to cause trouble in front of him, so as not to evoke his aversion?”

“Ah, I did say that. What about it?”

“Oh, nothing much. Isn’t this Gong Yue Gong Tianqing’s old man?”

“Old man, that’s really unpleasant. It’s too vulgar for polite company… but that’s right. The Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, Lord Gong Yue, is Qing’er’s biological father.”

“It feels like I haven’t heard ‘too vulgar for polite company’ for a long time — hey, let’s not talk about this.”

Xue Qilin shook her head and threw the useless thoughts away.

“Since Little Qing’s old man dislikes martial practitioners so much, why would he let Little Qing learn martial arts and join Merak Temple? Isn’t this weird?”

Qi Qiqi looked out the window.

As if a curtain emerged out of thin air and covered her “brilliance”, casting a shadow over her figure, her face suddenly darkened.

“It’s because Lord Gong doesn’t like Qing’er…”

Huh? Xue Qilin let out a cry of surprise. It is the first time she heard this.

“What do you mean?”

“Hey, how should I put it? Actually, it’s not surprising… After all, there are parents who don’t like their children.”

Qi Qiqi’s explanation didn’t satisfy Xue Qilin.

“How could there be a parent who doesn’t cherish their children for no reason? There has to be a reason.”

Probably because she didn’t want to answer, Qi Qiqi cast her head aside.

Her profile is mixed in with many emotions — indignation, helplessness, and confusion.

All these are shades conceived by the thing called “the past”.

Xue Qilin fell silent.

There are two options before her — to try to touch this past, or to put on a blindfold and ignore it.

If it was some other time, she would probably choose the latter, on the grounds of — “I don’t wish to look into the past of others”.

However, at this time, she realized that she had never taken the initiative to learn more about the people around her. It is a fact that she has been evading subconsciously in the past.

To stop in place, or to move forward —

To continue to indulge in your idealized world, or to embrace the cruel and harsh reality —

No — the only thing that should really be considered is probably the question — “do you really like the people around you?”. Upon thinking this way, Xue Qilin seems to have gotten the answer.

She glanced at Qi Qiqi and thought of Shui Yun’er who had stayed at the inn, Gong Tianqing whose whereabouts are unknow, and the people in the Merak Temple.

Do I like them? Xue Qilin can’t answer with the word “dislike”, how could she dislike them?

Since this is the case, the answer is obvious — she likes them.

Although love is perhaps still out of question, but she hopes from the bottom of her heart that they can be happy.

This alone is probably enough.

— can’t continue to stand still.

Now that you have raised your leg, what else can you do besides taking the next step? You must move forward. Xue Qilin made up her mind.

Therefore —

“Tell me, okay?”

She asked with a serious look in her eyes.

[1] – lingyunji

[2] – chuiyunji

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