Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I only found out later that Sihun harbored a deep-seated hatred for Xuanya. Knowing that Xuanya was trapped within Cangyu’s body and helpless, he was determined to go and gloat.

I chanted a few Immortal Seals and quickly tidied up.

Fortunately, Fangfei Hall was filled with peach trees. With a surge of magic, they quickly sprouted new buds and blossomed. By the time Sihun’s Immortal Pool was settled beneath the peach trees, petals were already drifting through the air like snow.

They carpeted the surface of the water in a vibrant crimson.

Sihun slowly stepped into the Immortal Pool, leaning leisurely against the edge.

Before us, the peach and plum blossoms were in full bloom, a lively and beautiful scene. Subconsciously, I glanced toward the neighboring Cangyu Hall.

Was his place still so desolate?

Cangyu Hall was still shrouded in a canopy of eternal stars. Whether I came or went made no difference to him.

In that glance, I saw Cangyu sitting quietly under an ancient, verdant tree, lost in meditation.

He had long since heard the voices of Sihun and me, yet his face remained expressionless, his brow still carrying that look of utter detachment, devoid of both sorrow and joy.

“Ruogui, it hurts…”

Sihun’s voice suddenly took on a hint of pain.

I hurriedly turned to look at him.

Instead, he hooked his arm around my waist and pulled me directly into the Immortal Pool.

He had a smug look on his face; where was the pain?

“Where does it hurt?” I searched his body carefully, afraid of missing even the smallest wound.

“My heart hurts, seeing you look at him like that.”

He lowered his head and bit my shoulder in a small act of revenge.

I looked up in pain and caught sight of Cangyu’s golden eyes.

It was impossible to discern any emotion in his gaze-there was no anger, no disappointment, no contempt.

There was nothing at all.

He had already given up on me.

Or perhaps, he had never felt anything for me to begin with.

As our eyes met, Cangyu looked down. Without a word, he picked up Leyao and turned to return to his room.

Sihun watched his retreating back, a triumphant smile spreading across his lips.

“Aren’t you being a bit childish?”

Seeing Sihun acting so boyish made me not know whether to laugh or cry.

“Seeing him suffer makes me happy.”

“He won’t suffer,” I said, shaking my head.

Sihun seemed to want to say something more, but he remained silent.

He embraced me from behind, trying his best to give me a sense of security.

My heart warmed. “I’m glad. I’m glad it’s you, Sihun, who is staying by my side.”

“Why are you glad it’s me?”

He must have been feeling quite proud of himself; otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked me that just to hear me list more of his virtues.

“Because you have never done anything to hurt me.”

I let out a soft sigh.

“…”

Upon hearing this, Sihun’s body stiffened.

He didn’t respond to my words. He only lowered his eyes, his eyelashes brushing against my neck and making me feel a bit itchy.

His voice suddenly became strained and heavy.

“What if… what if I had?”

“Have you?” I turned my head to look at him in surprise.

“…No.”

“Then it’s fine,” I said with a slight pout.

“If I had, would you leave me?”

“I don’t know. After all, I’ve never truly hated anyone. Look at Cangyu-he seems quite terrible, but in the end, I don’t even hate him.”

Sihun said no more, simply holding me quietly.

After a long silence, I felt the atmosphere had become too stiff. I gave him a gentle push and smiled.

“Sihun, let’s not talk about this. I want to drink the Peach Blossom Drunk you brewed.”

I had heard from Siyuan long ago that Sihun’s brewing skills were the best in the Ninth Heaven. Now that I had managed to steal a moment of leisure, I certainly wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass.
I remember how stingy Cangyu used to be, refusing to give even a drop of Choulu’s brewed wine to a wine-loving Little Demon like me.

Hmph, who cares now? I have something much better here.

“Alright, let’s go pick peach blossoms first.”

Sihun was always pampering me, agreeing to whatever I said.

Sometimes I wondered-was Sihun actually incapable of saying no to me?

“That’s easy.”

With a wave of my hand, a flurry of peach blossom petals swirled into a sweet breeze, preparing to land in my palm.

He simply caught my fingertips with a doting look, his eyes filled with infinite tenderness.

“Lazybones. You have to pick them yourself.”

Sihun certainly had a romantic streak.

The peach trees grew low to the ground. I sat on a branch and reached out to pluck the flowers, gathering them in the folds of my skirt while Sihun kept watch below.

Actually, it wasn’t necessary at all. I wasn’t going to fall from such a low branch, but I couldn’t win against his persistence, so I just let him be.

Sihun was exceptionally handsome, often causing me to lose myself in a daze while looking at him.

The wind blew through his tied-back hair. As he looked up with a serious expression, he possessed a holy, untouchable aura.

What exactly was his identity? And why would he turn into a snake?

Several times, I became so lost in thought while staring at him that my hand would freeze, forgetting to pluck the blossoms.

Sihun didn’t call out to me; he just tilted his head and smiled.

When I finally snapped out of it, I saw the playful look on his face. Blushing, I took the initiative to complain.

“What are you laughing at!”

“Little Peach Blossom, what are you thinking about?” He arched an eyebrow, an ambiguous glint in his eyes. “Or are you thinking…”

His voice grew lower and lower. I couldn’t help but lean down, moving closer to hear him.

He only moved his lips without making a sound, forcing me to stretch my body and lean even closer.

To my surprise, he took the opportunity to tilt my chin up and press a kiss against my lips.

Before I could pull away, he cupped the back of my head, leaving me nowhere to run as he deepened the kiss.

He was like a cunning snake, never letting a single hunting opportunity slip by.

Clearly, he was the one intentionally plucking the flower, holding me so I couldn’t break free.

Yet, the shadows beneath the tree made it look as though a goddess were looking down with pity upon a devout believer, bestowing a blessing.

He kissed with such focus that my body tensed, and my center of gravity shifted.

Finally, just as he was about to pull away, I fell from the tree.

I landed right on top of Sihun. Caught off guard, he was knocked backward onto the grass by my weight.

I sat up and glared at the man beneath me, but Sihun was also stunned.

The peach blossoms gathered in my skirt suddenly scattered, a shower of fragrant petals raining down and covering us both.

We saw each other’s disheveled states reflected in our eyes.

One had a head full of peach blossoms, messy hair, and dust-stained clothes-not a single trace of an Immortal’s cold, detached aura remained.

The other had wide eyes, flushed cheeks, and a tear in her clothes from a branch-where was the self-cultivation of a demoness?

We stared at each other blankly for a long moment before finally losing it and bursting into laughter.

“Sihun, you look so silly.”

“Ruogui, you don’t look very bright either.”

“It’s just a pity all these flowers were wasted.”

After the laughter subsided, I realized how awkward it was to be sitting on Sihun like this.

The tips of my ears turned red.

I tried to get up, but Sihun grabbed me, refusing to let go. “You made me look like this, and now you want to run?”

“No, I’m just getting up…”

“This is fine. I won’t move.”

He looked at me obediently, his face full of expectation.