Looking at his beautiful and gentle smiling face, all her anger vanished. Knowing his "preferences," she didn't feel resistant to his somewhat inappropriate closeness; on the contrary, it felt quite natural.
She finally couldn't help but smile at him; although the smile was hidden behind her mask, her eyes still smiled.
"Lotus Dance, I want to learn Lotus Dance."
She had long since discovered that the secret manuals and diagrams her grandmaster had given to her master did not contain the most profound martial arts of their sect. That made sense; Tuoba Hanyun was already struggling to learn even these ordinary moves, so giving her anything better would be a waste.
The closely guarded secrets, considered a treasure by martial arts practitioners, were carelessly mixed into a pile of ancient books and haphazardly placed on the bookshelf by Tuoba Hanyun... It was truly a stroke of luck that our sect's martial arts hadn't been plagiarized for so long before she took over its management...
Yi Chunjun stared at her blankly, then said slowly, "Your eyes smiled..."
The Flower Smile, Chapter 11: The Ruins of the Xiao Clan
Turning past that small valley, you'll find the former Xiao family mansion.
Xiao Juyuan slowed her pace, and Pei Junwu put his arm around her shoulder with concern, looking at her with care.
Her heart was pounding in her veins, and Yuan'er pursed her lips.
Finally, she saw the ruins that always appeared in her nightmares.
"Brother Wu, I'm scared." She heard Xiao Juyuan say to Pei Junwu with a sob in her voice.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around... every charred beam and pillar, every half-collapsed ruin, everything was just like the scene that was deeply etched into her heart ten years ago.
Fear? How could it be fear?
Here... in this pile of ruins and ashes, lies the happiest time of her life! She had a father, a mother, and a home. She lived so peacefully, believing the world contained only beauty and kindness that captivated her.
Ten years have passed. The body has been cleaned up by someone, and tenacious wild grasses and flowers have grown on the land scorched by the fire.
Tears finally welled up in her eyes. Afraid? No! This was her home! She stared at the small wildflowers stubbornly blooming amidst the black ruins—they were just like her! Even if they only grew on scorched earth, she wouldn't give up!
The mask, soaked by her tears, could no longer adhere to her skin and fell off...
Even Yi Chunjun let out a soft "Ah..." in amazement.
Her eyes were lowered, her long, curved eyelashes so dark and thick in the sunlight, captivatingly half-concealing her eyes, which were like a spring river. A teardrop hung on the tip of her upturned eyelashes, reflecting a crystal-clear light.
No words can describe her beauty; she was breathtakingly beautiful, so beautiful that people dared not approach her, for fear that even the slightest sound would frighten her away.
Tears slowly streamed down her cold face; she... could drive anyone crazy!
She slowly walked into the ruins, the black remnants and her radiant figure... it was like an illusion.
Yuan'er squatted down, gazing intently at a small chrysanthemum blooming proudly. No one tended to it; the once noble symbol of the Xiao family had been reduced to a wildflower. But so what? It still bloomed proudly!
She sneered, not caring how much she lost! She, Li Yuan'er, would live well, would live happily and peacefully! That was something her parents had given their lives for.
What's meant to be hers, she thought coldly as she glanced at Pei Junwu, who was staring intently at her. He shuddered at her gaze, and it was meant to be hers! What's not meant to be hers, she didn't care for!
She looked at Xiao Juyuan again, her eyes filled with fake tears. She was looking at her too, but her gaze was complicated and wary. Yes, that was the look in her eyes when they first met!
Perhaps... she will slowly discover that she has gained nothing but the name "Xiao Juyuan," and even if she has gained something, it is a misfortune that the Xiao family cannot shake off!
As she turned around, her clothes were torn by a sharp splinter from a broken beam, which also cut the skin on her wrist. She frowned slightly.
"Xiao Yuan!" Tuoba Yuanxun strode over and grabbed her thin arm worriedly. "How could you be so careless!"
He examined her wound closely, then lifted her sleeve and licked the bloodstain. "It's nothing! What are you doing in here? And you were crying?!"
There was another gasp, this time from Xiao Juyuan. Li Yuan'er glanced at her, wondering why she was making that sound. Then she saw Pei Junwu and Yi Chunjun's faces, which were almost frozen with coldness. They were glaring at Tuoba Yuanxun's hand, which was tightly holding hers.
Oh, she understood. In the Central Plains... this action by the meritorious official and her was not permitted by etiquette.
"Xiao Yuan, why are you crying?" Yan Minyu was used to it. They had grown up together since they were little, and they even took baths together when they were very young.
“My home…” She leaned her head weakly against Tuoba Yuanxun’s honest chest, her eyes closed, “was also destroyed by fire, my parents… Seeing this, I think of my home.”
She smiled; whenever her heart ached unbearably, she would smile.
“Xiao Yuan…I’ve never heard you say that before. How pitiful!” Yan Minyu also came over and hugged her and Yuan Xun. The three of them cried bitterly. She and Tuoba Yuan Xun cried bitterly, while Xiao Yuan, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, hugged them both. It was really a bit of a funny situation. Shouldn’t she be the one crying so sadly?
If we're talking about family... those two are the closest!
"Is little Yuan so pitiful too?" Xiao Juyuan cried softly, successfully drawing Pei Junwu's attention back. "I miss Dad, I miss Mom... Brother Wu, I feel so sad."
As always, Pei Junwu held her in his arms with tenderness and affection. This man was hers! He could only be hers!
No matter how beautiful Li Yuan'er was, attracting Wu Ge's attention was only temporary. They shared a deep affection spanning ten years, and their relationship was bound by an unavoidable parental arrangement!
Xiao Juyuan clutched his shirt tightly; this man... had to be hers!
The Flower Smile, Chapter 12: Wasting Nature's Resources
Yuan'er sat on a stone bench in the garden, leisurely sipping her freshly brewed tea. The cool morning breeze and the soft sunlight, not yet warm, improved her mood.
People coming and going still stared at her in a daze, some even stopping in their tracks. Several days had passed since she returned to Shuangjie Pavilion, yet they still looked at her with astonishment, stumbling over each other as they passed by or saw her from afar.
Yuan'er sneered, "Is it really that serious? They are all people who serve the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world, why are they so surprised by her appearance?"
Holding a bunch of freshly picked chrysanthemums, Yan Minyu walked excitedly toward Yi Chunjun's room, her eyes shining brightly in the morning sunlight.