The rice wine in the jar was only half consumed when Bai Ligelin suddenly slumped onto the table while talking to Li Fei, her cup tipping over.
Ye Ye propped her up and checked on her, both amused and exasperated: “This girl has gotten drunk. She’s always clamoring to drink when she can’t handle her alcohol!”
Everyone burst into laughter. As they were speaking, Bai Ligelin regained consciousness and gazed at Ye Ye with bleary eyes. Suddenly, she shoved him away, mumbling, “Where’s my sister? Don’t touch me.”
Bai Changyue draped her arm around Bai Ligelin’s shoulders, letting her lean against herself, and chuckled, “Will you still try to show off next time?”
Bai Ligelin muttered something incomprehensible before falling asleep on her sister’s shoulder. Ye Ye took off his outer robe and draped it over her, then sat back down to chat and laugh with the others.
After several cups of rice wine, Li Fei’s ears began to grow warm. Noticing that Lei Xiuyuan beside her was silently drinking, eating little, and speaking even less, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you just drinking?”
Lei Xiuyuan set down his cup and suddenly moved closer, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed at her. After a moment, he said in a low voice, “Is there anywhere else that’s uncomfortable?”
Li Fei tapped her chest, “I’m fine, feeling great.”
He grasped her wrist, then released it, “Even if you’re better, don’t tap. What if they stay flat in the future?”
What… what did he just say?! Li Fei felt her jaw might drop. Had she drunk too much and was hearing things?!
Seeing her dumbfounded expression, Lei Xiuyuan chuckled, “You were quite reckless in saving the young prince.”
Alright, let’s just pretend that was a hallucination! Li Fei glared at him, “What do you mean reckless? If I hadn’t saved him, wouldn’t he have died? Why not save him if I could? Should I have just watched a colleague die before my eyes?”
“The fact is, he was fine, but you nearly died.”
Li Fei sighed, “I didn’t expect the tiger-scaled dragon to be so powerful. Everything happened too fast to react. But, I’m alive and well, aren’t I?”
“You almost died,” Lei Xiuyuan looked at her. “Let me ask you, would you save anyone, regardless of who they are?”
Li Fei shook her head, “How could that be possible… I’m not that capable.”
She wasn’t that altruistic either. In a different situation, she might not have acted. With the tiger-scaled dragon incident, it was truly a spur-of-the-moment decision. She had thought everything was perfectly complete, everyone was happy, and then suddenly there was a crisis. Who could bear that?
Moreover, Ji Tongzhou was a colleague, and in the same group. Although he was arrogant and unlikable, they had been cultivating together for so long that there was some affection. How could she calmly watch him die before her eyes? She wasn’t that cold-blooded.
“If it had been you or Gelin at that time, I would have saved you,” she touched her face, which was warm from the alcohol. “But if it were someone else, I’m not sure.”
Seeing Lei Xiuyuan still staring at her, she frowned, “What are you looking at?”
He averted his gaze, took a sip of rice wine, and said, “You didn’t finish telling me last time. How’s the scenery in Qingqiu?”
Li Fei was stunned for a moment, then realized he was referring to the topic that had been interrupted during the test. It had been five days, yet he still remembered. She smiled, “I won’t tell you. I asked first, what does Brother Lu look like? How old is he?”
Lei Xiuyuan also smiled, saying softly, “He looks about twenty-something, but for disciples of immortal sects, age can’t be judged by appearance alone. I don’t know his true age. He looks… well, like an ordinary person, but you can tell at a glance that he’s a good person.”
“Did he teach you fist and sword techniques? Why didn’t he teach you immortal arts?”
“Immortal arts can’t be casually taught to outsiders, or it would be a serious crime within the sect. The teachers invited by the academy only teach the most basic things. More advanced immortal arts can only be taught by a master after entering a sect.”
Li Fei leaned on the table, watching him drink with his head lowered. He was quite a drinker, having consumed a lot of alcohol without eating much, yet showing no signs of intoxication.
“Lei Xiuyuan, have you decided which sect you want to join?” she asked. This was a question she had only recently started considering. In just over half a year, they would leave the academy. Colleagues who had cultivated together might part ways. Thinking about it carefully, there was some reluctance.
He asked in return once again, “What about you?”
How cunning, always avoiding answering her questions directly. Li Fei shook her head, “I’ll probably go to Wuyue Palace. You know, I need to find Senior Brother.”
He let out a soft “Oh,” finished the wine in his cup, and suddenly smiled slightly, “Then I’ll go to Wuyue Palace too.”
Li Fei was somewhat delighted, “Really?”
“Mm. Xingzheng Hall is not an option, and I’m not impressed with other sects. Wuyue Palace seems the most appealing.”
Not impressed? Li Fei laughed again. He was truly boastful, but somehow, coming from him, it didn’t sound out of place. Lei Xiuyuan indeed had the qualifications and abilities to say such things.
Seeing his cup was empty, Li Fei reached for the wine jar beside her and filled it for him.
“It’s full now,” she nudged him, continuing, “By the way, you answered my question, so now it’s my turn. Qingqiu is very large, with beautiful scenery, but the terrain is too treacherous for ordinary people to ascend or descend. My master and I hung hemp ropes at Tiger’s Mouth Cliff, and we always go up and down from there…”
She talked for a while, gradually feeling drowsy. Master Zuoqiu was right; even though her injuries had healed, her spirit and Yuan Power wouldn’t recover so quickly. She had slept for five days before waking up, and now she was sleepy again.
A hand steadied her head, followed by a warmth enveloping her body, as if someone had draped a coat over her. Li Fei opened her eyes and realized she had unknowingly leaned against Lei Xiuyuan’s shoulder, his outer robe now covering her. Seeing her open her eyes, he said, “Sleep. I’ll take you back later.”
She rubbed her eyes, “It’s fine… I can hold on.”
He reached out and gently patted her face, “Sleep.”
He… doesn’t seem so unlikable after all, Li Fei thought as she leaned against his shoulder. His clothes were filled with Lei Xiuyuan’s scent, an indescribable fragrance. Thinking about how they had gone from friends to enemies and back to friends again, she felt somewhat happy. If only they could remain friends forever.
The remaining half jar of wine was quickly finished. Ji Tongzhou had passed out on the table, and Ye Ye laughed, “It’s quite late. We’ve had a good drink today. If we have the chance next time, let’s drink to our heart’s content again.”
Seeing that Ji Tongzhou couldn’t handle his alcohol and probably couldn’t make it back and that Li Fei had fallen asleep leaning against Lei Xiuyuan, Ye Ye said, “I’ll take the prince back. Changyue, can you fly on your sword?”
Bai Changyue held her forehead and said softly, “I’m a bit dizzy. You go first, I’ll wait here and get some fresh air.”
Ever since the incident of falling from her sword, even the usually daring Bai Changyue had become cautious.
Lei Xiuyuan gently picked up Li Fei. She seemed truly exhausted, only mumbling a soft “Mm” without waking up. He flew back to Qianxiang Quarters on his sword, pushed open the door, and laid her on the bed. After some thought, he still helped her take off her shoes. Just as he was about to cover her with the blanket, a faint, peculiar fragrance entered his nostrils. It was entirely different from floral or spice scents—clear but not cold, warm but not cloying, bewitchingly attractive.
Lei Xiuyuan sniffed around, feeling that this scent was elusive, sometimes faint, sometimes strong. After searching for a while, he suddenly seemed to realize something and lowered his head, moving closer to the sleeping Li Fei. Indeed, the fragrance was emanating from her collar and breath. Although extremely faint and subtle, it was soul-stirring.
He paused for a moment, then pulled the blanket to cover her. Strange, how had he never smelled this scent on her before?
As he turned to leave, he seemed somewhat reluctant. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaned close to her collar, and took several deep breaths. The strange fragrance seemed to melt his bones. In the lamplight, her lips were slightly curved, her expression innocent.
He suddenly felt inexplicably flustered and nervous, hurriedly stood up, and left without looking back.
When Bai Ligelin abruptly woke from her drunken state, Ye Ye had just helped her into Liying Quarters. Seeing her blink in confusion, he couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re awake? Next time we drink, we can’t invite you anymore. Your alcohol tolerance is too poor.”
But she didn’t answer, only looking around before softly asking, “Where’s my sister?”
Ye Ye helped her sit on the bed and said, “She’s next door, also a bit drunk.”
He crouched down to untie her leg wrappings, his movements gentle and steady. Bai Ligelin lowered her head and silently watched him, not saying a word. Only after he had removed her leg wrappings and shoes, helped her lie down, and covered her with the blanket did he pat her head, “Alright, little girl, go to sleep. Don’t be late tomorrow.”
As he was about to leave, she lightly grasped the hem of his clothes. She looked at him with an expression he had never seen before and said softly, “Ye Ye, can you talk to me for a while?”
He couldn’t help but smile, sitting on the edge of the bed and patting her hand, “You’re still so childish at this age? Do you want your big brother to tell you a story to help you sleep?”
Bai Ligelin shook her head, her voice still very soft, as if in a dream, “Can we… can we be like we were before? Can I come back?”
Ye Ye was somewhat surprised, “Haven’t we always been the same as before?”
Seeing her face flushed red and her eyes watery, he figured she was talking in her drunken state. He tucked in the corners of the blanket and said gently, “You’re drunk. Go to sleep quickly.”
She frowned and murmured, “You… you stay a bit longer…”
“Don’t be childish,” he gently pried her fingers loose. “Changyue is also drunk, I need to go check on her. Go to sleep.”
She retracted her hand as if shrinking back, lowered her eyelashes, and said softly, “Alright, I’ll sleep. Go check on my sister quickly.”
He blew out the oil lamp in one breath, and the door was gently closed. The room fell into boundless darkness. Bai Ligelin lay there for a good while, then suddenly, as if unable to bear it any longer, she abruptly jumped out of bed and pushed open the door to leave. In the courtyard, the window of Bai Changyue’s room was still lit, and Ye Ye’s faint voice could be heard, “Sleep, I’ll wait until you fall asleep.”
She quickly closed the door again, staring blankly at the vast darkness in the room. It seemed to want to engulf her, suffocating her.
She hurriedly put on her shoes, grabbed her stone sword, and fled from Liying Quarters like she was escaping. No one noticed her, and no one would notice her. No one would pay attention to her, no one.
She couldn’t remember how she ran to Qianxiang Quarters. So many courtyards, and so many rooms, that she originally knew so many people, but in the end, it seemed this was the only place she could come to. Gently pushing open the door, the oil lamp in the room was still lit, and Li Fei was sleeping quietly on the bed, not waking up.
Bai Ligelin tiptoed onto the bed, nestled close to her, and called out softly, “Li Fei.”
She seemed to hear, making a soft sound and turning over, reaching out to pat Bai Ligelin’s head.
Gelin’s tears could no longer be held back, flowing down and wetting her hair.