February 12th…

Just as in the events of my memory, “I” and Xie Zhuo met in this way.

From here on, there seemed to be nothing more for me to do. I floated in the air, watching my past self and the Xie Zhuo I had guarded until now experience “the past.”

“I” carried him back to the cave in the Snow Bamboo Forest, took care of him for half a month, bandaged his external wounds, changed his medicine, and simply washed his body. “I” was curious about all his injuries, and also very much liked his handsome appearance.

At this time, Xie Zhuo was mysterious, dangerous, yet full of attraction to “me.”

People are always attracted to such people and things.

At the end of February, Xie Zhuo regained consciousness for the first time.

He was injured too severely to move at all.

At that moment, “I” was beside Xie Zhuo, infusing soul power into his body, hoping he would wake up soon.

After opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was “me” beside him, dozing off while channeling soul power.

He frowned slightly, looked at his wounds, then at me. He moved his fingertips, seemingly wanting to sit up a bit more, but his injuries were too severe. Just moving his hand made him breathe heavily.

“I” was also startled by him, waking from my doze.

“You’re awake!”

“I” was very excited, immediately sitting up straight, looking left and right.

“How are you feeling? Is it alright… I’m not a very professional physician. I’ve learned the basics from the camp’s physician over these past few days. I was afraid I’d treat you badly… but it turns out I did fine.”

“I” smiled at Xie Zhuo: “Your body is quite resilient too, surviving such injuries.”

Xie Zhuo’s gaze remained fixed on “my” face until it met “my” smiling eyes. He paused, then blinked once and slightly turned his eyes away.

My past self might not have known why Xie Zhuo turned away his gaze.

But the current me, having walked so many paths with him, understands.

A person who has always lived between pursuit and life and death, when has he ever seen such a smile without shadows?

Amid coldness and numbness, suddenly feeling warmth, it’s hard to adapt.

“Why did you save me?”

Xie Zhuo spoke hoarsely, his throat seeming as if it had been scraped by a knife.

“Would you rather I’d let you freeze to death in the ice and snow?”

“I” blurted out, then thought for a moment and added, “You saved me in the Snow Bamboo Forest before. I won’t report you, consider it repaying that debt. I’ll take care of you until you’re healed, and after that, you can quietly leave Kunlun. I won’t tell anyone.”

Xie Zhuo didn’t say anything more.

The severe injuries ultimately left him too exhausted. After a while, he closed his eyes again and fell asleep.

“I” remained by his side, continuing to transfer a bit of soul power to him. Seeing his breathing steady, I picked up my basket for digging snow bamboo shoots, humming a tune, and left the cave.

For the next three months, Xie Zhuo stayed in this cave recovering.

“I” came to find him with a basket almost every day.

At first, to transfer soul power and change his medicine.

Later, almost all the bandages on Xie Zhuo’s body were removed. His flesh wounds appeared to be mostly healed. For his internal injuries, “I” gradually realized I couldn’t help much, so “I” let Xie Zhuo treat himself.

But “I” still came every day.

“I” came to talk to him, even though he didn’t like to talk.

“I” often chattered endlessly, telling him all the trivial things that happened around me recently, both happy and unhappy.

Occasionally, “I” would also ask about his past, but once “I” sensed he didn’t want to speak, “I” would brush the topic aside.

“I” would also bring him some small items from the Kunlun market. I would tell him: “Recently, the evil miasma outside Kunlun seems to have weakened considerably…”

Hearing this, Xie Zhuo would always lower his eyes and nod.

I knew he felt relieved about this.

But my past self couldn’t understand his emotions and continued obliviously: “Xi Wang Mu plans to expand the Kunlun market a bit more. Gradually, many new and interesting things have arrived. Come play with me.”

In such matters, Xie Zhuo never refused “me.”

Even though those “new things” I took out were items he had seen long ago during his many years outside Kunlun.

He would still accompany “me” to fiddle with these things in the cave.

At that time, the items sold in Kunlun were a mixed bag, and since “I” had always lived in Kunlun, “I” truly lacked experience. Occasionally, among the items “I” bought, there would be some strange objects mixed in.

Once, “I” had just pulled out a metal flower from my pocket to give to Xie Zhuo.

“People at the market said this flower is a magical tool. If given to a sick person, it can…”

Before “I” could finish, suddenly, Xie Zhuo raised his hand and gripped the flower with its petals tightly in his palm.

“I” looked at Xie Zhuo with a puzzled face: “What…”

Just as the words began, in the next moment, the metal flower exploded in his hand with a “bang,” startling me.”

“It’s a hidden weapon, not a magical tool,” Xie Zhuo said calmly.

After he spoke, “I” immediately came to my senses: “How’s your hand?”

“I” reached out to take his hand but feared hurting him, “Open your hand, let me see?”

But Xie Zhuo only kept his palm facing himself. He almost coldly pulled the flower stem out of his hand, along with flesh and blood, tossing it aside: “Just a flesh wound, it’s nothing…”

Before he could finish, “I” grabbed his wrist with both hands, gently yet firmly pulling his hand over.

There were many metal petals embedded in his palm, the flesh torn and bloody, looking terrible.

“I” looked at Xie Zhuo, my expression full of guilt and heartache: “Does it hurt?”

“I” asked him, my voice cracking, and cried from heartache: “It must be very painful. I’m sorry, it’s all my fault for believing the lies of those little spirits.”

Tears fell one by one, drip by drip, into Xie Zhuo’s palm.

“I won’t buy random things next time. I’ll go settle accounts with them!”

Xie Zhuo looked at “me,” seeming a bit stunned, not deliberately silent but at a loss.

He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, back and forth. Finally, he managed to say only five words stiffly:

“Don’t cry, it doesn’t hurt.”

“How could it not hurt…”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“It’s stuck right in your flesh…”

“It’s fine. My previous wounds have healed. This little…”

“Then were you in much more pain before?”

Xie Zhuo fell silent. He looked at “me”—a pair of pitch-black eyes, filled with tears, containing only his reflection.

“It doesn’t hurt now,” he raised his other hand to wipe the wetness from “my” face. “Jiu Xia, smile, don’t cry anymore.”

“I” pressed my lips together, holding back for a long time, but still couldn’t smile. Finally, “I” lowered my head, “I can’t smile, but I can stop crying. I’ll help treat all your wounds.”

“I” helped him treat the wounds on his palm one by one. Xie Zhuo gave his hand to me, tilting his head to one side, quietly watching “me.”

Time passed bit by bit.

On May 25th, Xie Zhuo could stand up and move around a little.

“I” had previously caught the spirit who maliciously sold the hidden weapon and reported it to Xi Wang Mu, who then reorganized the Kunlun market. Just right, after this reorganization, there was to be a small gathering at the Kunlun market.

“I” felt very guilty about being deceived earlier and almost hurting Xie Zhuo. Thinking that Xie Zhuo hadn’t left the cave for a long time, and now that his wounds had finally healed, “I” could take him out for a walk.

So “I” invited Xie Zhuo to accompany me to the market on the 28th.

Xie Zhuo naturally agreed.

On May 28th.

The Kunlun gathering was extremely lively. During the day, the market had food and entertainment of all kinds. “I” took Xie Zhuo from one end of the street to the other, eating from one street to another.

By nightfall, lanterns were lit on the street, sky lanterns for blessings rose in the air, and in the distance, there were colorful fireworks.

The atmosphere was wonderful.

“I” took Xie Zhuo to a quiet high place in the market. “I bought market wine, drank a couple of sips, then told Xie Zhuo:

“Xie Zhuo, I think I like you a bit.”

Amid the sound of fireworks, under the Kunlun moon, Xie Zhuo froze beside me.”

“What about you? Do you like me?”

“I” waited for Xie Zhuo’s answer.

Waited until the fireworks stopped blooming, and the moonlight was covered by clouds.

Finally, Xie Zhuo spoke: “I… don’t know…”

Then the light in “my” eyes faded, and embarrassment and awkwardness immediately flooded my cheeks.

“I” seemed to sober up, immediately standing straight, scratching my head, backing up a step somewhat uneasily.

“Uh, it is quite strange to suddenly say this… a bit abrupt. It’s getting late, I should go back first. You… you can look around some more and then go back! I’ll leave first, goodbye!”

“I” didn’t even turn around, just flipped from this high place and ran away without stopping.

Xie Zhuo watched “me” run away, standing in the distance for a while. He lowered his head and gently covered his heart: “Like?” he raised his head in confusion.

“I” had already disappeared into the sea of people in the Kunlun market.

Of course, Xie Zhuo had nothing more to see. He remained silent for a long time, then returned to the cave.

May 29th;

A thunderous tribulation descended on “my” immortal residence. “I,” who had been heartbroken all day due to Xie Zhuo’s rejection, was jolted awake by the unexpected thunder tribulation.

“I” hurriedly adjusted my internal energy to face the tribulation. The heavenly thunder struck for an entire day. “I” thought I wouldn’t survive, and during one tribulation, “I” completely passed out.

When another thunder tribulation descended, Xie Zhuo came.

He blocked the tribulation and fed his blood to “me,” who was on the verge of death.

“I” had fainted, so “I” didn’t see that when “I” and Xie Zhuo formed a blood oath, red light rose around us. The light was scattered by the tribulations, turning into pink powder that surrounded us.

As if this heavenly tribulation was offering us blessings from heaven.

Wishing us a joyous union and a beautiful relationship…

May 30th;

“I” woke up in the immortal residence that had been shattered by heavenly thunder.

After escaping death and ascending to become an immortal, the first thing “I” did was gather my courage and find Xie Zhuo again.

At that time, Xie Zhuo had taken care of me all night. Seeing my energy stabilize, he returned to the cave in the Snow Bamboo Forest to rest for a moment.

When “I” found him, “I” got straight to the point: “I almost got struck to death by lightning yesterday. I was thinking, I regret a bit, I should have been more resolute at the market! People should live in the moment! So! I decided…”

As I spoke, my face had already turned completely red.

“Let’s get married! Xie Zhuo!” As if to encourage myself, or perhaps fearing his rejection, I shouted out loud, “I don’t want to miss you!”

Xie Zhuo looked at me with my flushed face. Without silence or hesitation, he nodded and said:

“Alright…”

Hearing this word, “I,” first widened my eyes in disbelief. Then, joy and relief surged uncontrollably to my heart, the corners of my mouth, and between my eyebrows.

“I” laughed loudly and pounced forward, hugging Xie Zhuo tightly.

Xie Zhuo was embraced fully by “me,” even staggering back a step.

He looked down at “me,” who kept rubbing my cheek against his chest. His always tense brow and eyes softened slightly.

June 1st…

“I” finally introduced Xie Zhuo to my friends in Kunlun.

My friends saw that Xie Zhuo was a spirit with an unfathomably deep aura. They forced smiles and had a meal with us. After the meal, my friends took turns pulling me away from the table, each asking me.

“Where did this spirit come from?”

“Do you know who he is?”

“Is marriage something to be taken lightly? Have you figured out his background?”

I answered each one in turn.

“It doesn’t matter where he came from.”

“I just need to know he’s not a bad person.”

“Of course, I don’t take marriage lightly. I’m very serious. I don’t need to figure out his background, I just need to know his character!”

My friends were each rebuffed by “me.” Finally, Meng Meng still worriedly said to me:

“You have now ascended to become an immortal. Your marriage is no small matter. If you want to marry a spirit, there is no precedent for this in our Kunlun. You need to seek Xi Wang Mu’s instructions. Otherwise, he cannot stay.”

June 2nd…

To allow Xie Zhuo to stay, “I” took him to meet Xi Wang Mu.

In the great hall, all the immortals looked at “me” and Xie Zhuo, shaking their heads and sighing. Xi Wang Mu didn’t say anything, only asked if “my” heart was set.

“I,” of course, immediately nodded in agreement.

Xi Wang Mu didn’t express an opinion in court, only silently looked at Xie Zhuo with a meaningful gaze, then let us withdraw.

That night, “I” was somewhat worried.

“I” felt Xi Wang Mu’s attitude in the hall was very ambiguous and feared Xi Wang Mu wouldn’t allow Xie Zhuo to marry me and stay in Kunlun.

“I” tossed and turned in my not-yet-repaired immortal residence. Xie Zhuo silently accompanied me, only saying: “There’s nothing to worry about.”

At that time, “I” thought, yes, if Xi Wang Mu disagreed, then I would take Xie Zhuo and live outside the Kunlun barrier.

After all, Kunlun had now opened its market. In the future, during the day, I would come to Kunlun to manage the garrison, and at night, I would go back to live my little life.

It wouldn’t disrupt either life or work.

In any case, this marriage was going to happen.

Having decided, “I” fell asleep peacefully.

So, “I” didn’t know that on this night, Xie Zhuo went to see Xi Wang Mu…