The usually honest but outspoken Tuoba Yuanxun stared at her for a while with his mouth agape, and whether he was talking to himself or expressing his feelings, he said, "A woman like this would like chrysanthemums?!"
Yes, she really doesn't seem like someone who likes chrysanthemums.
She was beautiful, stunning, especially the way she looked at men—a mixture of shyness and amusement, a fleeting glance that sent shivers down a woman's spine. She wasn't like a chrysanthemum; she was more like a peony!
Women are the most impartial when it comes to judging other women. Yan Minyu looked at Xiao Juyuan carefully for a while with a hint of sourness, then pursed her lips.
This girl is beautiful, but her beauty is superficial. She's pretty and alluring in every way; calling her the most beautiful woman might be fair. But... she can't compare to Xiao Yuan!
Xiao Juyuan is beautiful, but lacks a certain allure. Her beauty and delicate demeanor are captivating, instantly arousing lust in those with a more lewd streak. A true beauty, however, is breathtaking, inspiring awe and a desire to approach her relentlessly, a desire so intense that one longs to possess her entirely, even if it's just to see her every day.
"This must be Brother Yi, right?" The sweet and languid voice was like silk brushing against the skin, soothing the heart and stirring it.
She stared at Yi Chunjun's face for a while, perhaps too amazed to look away, and finally lowered her head, blushing.
Yi Chunjun stared at her for a long time, then frankly exclaimed, "Your skin is so good, even smoother than mine."
The magnetic male voice that uttered these words carried not the slightest hint of provocation, but rather a touch of envy and jealousy, which was quite bizarre.
Xiao Juyuan looked up at him as if startled, her throat feeling like it was choked by something.
Everyone looked at her with sympathy, fully understanding how she felt—as if a statue of a god had collapsed in an instant.
"Sigh... Senior Brother Pei, is this your fiancée?" Yi Chunjun said sadly, his eyes gazing out the window, murmuring as if in a daze, "Do I... still have hope?"
There was only deathly silence again; it seemed that even the sound of a heartbeat could not be heard.
Pei Junwu remained expressionless, but the corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. Everyone thought he instinctively wanted to say, "There's no hope." He finally managed to control himself, but his face still turned pale.
"This...this must be Brother Tuoba, right?" Xiao Juyuan stammered, overwhelmed by the shock.
"Um, um," Tuoba Yuanxun stammered.
Everyone was still getting used to it, which resulted in everyone experiencing facial spasms, except for Yi Chunjun, who had a slightly furrowed brow and a forlorn expression.
"Fine..." Li Yuan'er scoffed inwardly. Yes, she couldn't remain calm in front of the woman who had deceived her and taken everything from her. When the woman smiled at her and asked if she was Li Yuan'er's sister, her temples throbbed. Fortunately, Yi Chunjun prevented her strange expression from arousing Xiao Juyuan's suspicion!
Li Yuan'er looked at her, and after asking everyone's names, she fixed her eyes on Pei Junwu.
She must love him very much, right?
Of course, things that are stolen should be cherished even more!
Number one beauty?
She doesn't deserve it!
But... in the martial arts world, no, in the entire realm, she already has enough to be called the "Number One Beauty." Because she has enough beauty, enough fame, and enough background!
It doesn't matter that she's not the most beautiful; from the very beginning, she stood on the shoulders of countless others: Qin Chuyi, Li Juxin, Xiao Mingyu, Zhu Liancheng... and then Pei Junwu!
She's more than qualified to be the number one beauty.
The Smiling Flower (Part 9): Mountains and Water
The welcome feast for the fellow students started at noon.
Pei Junwu sat at the head of the table. He didn't say much, but his attitude was very friendly, and the smile on his handsome face made everyone feel good.
Xiao Juyuan sat beside him, occasionally urging everyone to eat and drink. Li Yuan'er ate silently, her head bowed, unable to taste the delicious food. How strange the change was; she had become a guest, while "she" had long since become accustomed to being a member of the Pei family. Xiao Juyuan's demeanor as she greeted them was so natural, as if she had been born a member of the Pei family, as if she were... his wife.
He would glance at Xiao Juyuan every now and then, and whenever he looked at her, she would immediately sense it, turn her gaze back to him, and smile at him.
His and her smiles seemed to sting her heart as well.
"Yuan'er," he called softly in his pleasant, deep voice.
Li Yuan'er's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up at him abruptly... It turned out that he wasn't calling her, but Xiao Juyuan.
Everyone laughed when she suddenly looked up, including Pei Junwu. "By the way, Junior Sister Li is also called Yuan'er."
Junior Sister Li… Yuan’er smiled along with him, but her heart was filled with bitterness. Her mother said that he would treat her well in the future and take care of her, but for now, she was just his junior sister.
She shouldn't blame him; now that things have come to this, who can she blame?
"Brother Wu, from now on you can call me Juyuan, that way we'll be separated, right?" Xiao Juyuan said with a sweet smile. For ten years, she had been imitating the smile and way of speaking of the innocent little girl she met in the cave. She had tried so hard to learn that it had become a habit. But that was, after all, the tone of a six-year-old girl, and now it sounded a bit childish.
Pei Junwu frowned, chuckled softly, and shook his head. "No, I'm not used to calling you that."
"Then you can call her Xiaoyuan, that's what we all call her," Yan Minyu said casually, glancing at Li Yuan'er.
"Yes." Everyone nodded, agreeing with her plan.
"Junior Brother Yi, how has Uncle Lan been these past few years?" Pei Junwu's expression was rather strange when he spoke to Yi Chunjun.
Yi Chunjun smiled at him first. The smile was so beautiful and dazzling that Tuoba Yuanxun and Yan Minyu on the side gasped.
Logically, his smile should have been feminine, even alluring, to suit his "preferences." However, that smile was entirely masculine. His seductive smile sent shivers down the spines of all the girls present, and the maid standing opposite him behind Tuoba Yuanxun nearly dropped her wine pot.
Pei Junwu looked away as if he had been stung by a needle, and his usually calm face showed a hint of helplessness and frustration that he could not hide.
“I haven’t seen my master for several years either,” Yi Chunjun said dejectedly. “Since that night…”
Everyone felt short of breath.
"I confessed my feelings to my master, and he went off to travel. So many years have passed since then! I don't know if I'll ever see him again."