Lin Fengzi looked aggrieved: "It's my birthday today, and I saw my sister again. Isn't it better to talk more? I only talk more when I'm talking to my sister."
At that moment, a commotion arose at the door.
Lin Xuanfeng and a group of women from the Xueyan Cult entered.
When Xuezhi saw the leader, she couldn't help but frown. Without even looking at Feng Zi, she said, "I have something to do, I'm leaving first." But before she could even stand up, Yuan Shuangshuang had already seen them and immediately ran over with tiny, quick steps, saying, "My Feng Zi, I missed you so much."
Lin Fengzi stood up and smiled, "Master."
Yuan Shuangshuang hugged Feng Zi tightly, her eyes filled with tears, like a mother seeing her daughter.
Xuezhi didn't even glance at Yuan Shuangshuang before turning and leaving.
"Wait, Xuezhi," Yuan Shuangshuang called out.
"Master Yuan, today is Feng Zi's birthday, so it's best if we don't say too much."
Unexpectedly, Yuan Shuangshuang grabbed Xuezhi's hand: "As an elder, I used to bully the younger generation every day, which was wrong of me. For Feng Zi's sake, I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against me anymore. Let me see, you are becoming more and more beautiful now, no wonder everyone who has seen you praises your beauty..."
"That's enough, you talk to her, I don't have time." Xuezhi looked at her hand, "Please let go."
"Won't you forgive me?"
"Please let go."
"Don't be like this, Xuezhi." Yuan Shuangshuang's tears were about to fall. "These past two years haven't been easy for me either. My parents have contracted a strange illness and are now bedridden. People say it's all because of my venomous curses from before. I regret it so much... Waaah..."
Xuezhi couldn't stand seeing others cry. Besides, when Yuan Shuangshuang stopped speaking in her previous loud voice and became more gentle, she wasn't so unpleasant.
"Forget it, let's pretend nothing happened. You talk to Feng Zi first."
"Thank you, you are such a kind and understanding girl."
Feng Zi said, "Sister, don't go, I want to talk to you a little longer."
Using the excuse that the others were still waiting, Xuezhi returned to the crowd of people at Chonghuo Palace, her skin covered in goosebumps.
Feng Zi is still the same old jerk. Yuan Shuangshuang has changed so much. Although I don't dislike her anymore, there's something really strange about her. I wonder if she has ulterior motives.
Zhu Sha said, "Is it that annoying Yuan Shuangshuang again?"
"Let's not mention her."
Just then, Lin Xuanfeng brought in two more groups of people. One group was dressed uniformly in Huashan attire, led by Feng Cheng, followed by Feng Mo and the other disciples.
A group of people wore black ribbons on their foreheads, mostly dressed in dark brown jackets and beige coats, a few in blue, and three in dark red. Coincidentally, Xuezhi recognized all three: Zhong Tao, the Han general, and Shi Jue.
The leader was dressed in white, holding a folding fan, with long, flowing hair and a hairpin adorned with three peacock feathers.
Upon seeing him, Xuezhi turned her head and pretended to be blind. Unfortunately, the ignorant Yanhe exclaimed in surprise:
"Wow, Palace Master, you and the Valley Master of Moon Valley are wearing matching outfits!"
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The sound wasn't loud, but it was enough for many people to hear. Xuezhi's face instantly turned from snow-white to bright red. For the first time, she had the urge to ruin Yanhe.
Zhong Tao whispered something in Shangguan Tou's ear with a smile. Shangguan Tou turned to look at Xue Zhi, smiled faintly, and then turned to talk to someone else.
Originally, Lingjian Manor hadn't invited Shangguan Tou, and Shangguan Tou hadn't planned to come either. However, Feng Cheng, who was old enough to be Shangguan Tou's father, was actually Shangguan Tou's cousin of the same generation. Feng Cheng insisted on inviting Shangguan Tou and wanted to know why Lin Xuanfeng was so hostile towards him. Lin Xuanfeng couldn't give a clear answer, and Shangguan Tou felt obligated to come, so he had no choice but to accompany Feng Cheng.
However, after seeing Xuezhi's face, Zhongtao excitedly whispered in Shangguan Tou's ear.
This time, Shangguan Tou didn't even turn his head.
Xuezhi saw it all and kept it in mind. It would be absolutely impossible for her to have no reaction at all. She even drifted off into thought several times while talking to others.
After Shangguan Tou arrived, many people gathered around him. The group of Lingjian Manor disciples who came to offer their congratulations were ignored. Among those disciples, the most presentable-looking was Xia Qingmei. He hadn't changed much; he still had the same handsome face as three years ago, along with flowing clothes and a small dimple beside his slightly upturned lips.
For a moment, Xuezhi felt as if she had seen an old friend, but due to the gossip circulating in the martial arts world, she could only stand still. Soon, Xia Qingmei saw her and smiled at her. Xuezhi smiled and nodded back, but then noticed a young girl beside him, holding his hand, looking at her with some wariness, yet also with a slight smile.
The girl was only seventeen or eighteen years old, with large eyes and slightly drooping corners of her eyes and eyebrows, giving her a gentle appearance. She wore two orchid hairpins in her hair, a pink dress, and her fingernails, which were holding Xia Qingmei's, were also a slightly shiny pink, incredibly delicate.
When she and Xia Qingmei walked up to Lin Xuanfeng, many people asked Lin Xuanfeng about her identity.
Lin Xuanfeng smiled somewhat awkwardly: "This is Liu Hua, Qingmei's fiancée, a female disciple who joined Lingjian Manor last year."
Liu Hua appears gentle, but is actually stubborn, refusing to join the Snow Swallow Sect and insisting on learning swordsmanship at the Spirit Sword Manor. This has caused Yuan Shuangshuang some dissatisfaction. She isn't like Chong Xuezhi, a woman of high status and unparalleled skill, whose beauty is so striking it's almost offensive; nor is she like Lin Fengzi, gentle and noble, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, making her seem like a celestial beauty. However, she is quiet and reserved, possesses superb culinary skills, capable of preparing 132 dishes and 89 soups, and often shyly bows her head, becoming more and more captivating the more you look at her—the quintessential perfect wife. Every man who falls for her is driven to near madness.
There weren't many women in Lingjian Manor. Liu Hua had only been there for two months when many men who outwardly pursued Lin Fengzi secretly came to seduce her. However, Lin Xuanfeng knew that Lin Fengzi looked down on those frivolous servants and was convinced that she would eventually agree to marry Xia Qingmei, so he turned a blind eye.
But two months ago, a surprising piece of news came out: the lucky man who won over Liu Meiren was actually the son-in-law he had chosen.
Not long after Xia Qingmei joined the sect, and even several months after Liu Hua entered Lingjian Villa, she never stopped pursuing Lin Fengzi, including the appearance of the beautiful Chong Xuezhi. But in the blink of an eye, their wedding date was already set for the end of the year.
At this moment, many people couldn't help but glance at Xuezhi and Fengzi.
Xuezhi was actually the most wronged one. She had no idea how she could be involved in this.
Feng Zi, on the other hand, never had a pleasant expression. Not long after, she secretly slipped up to Xue Zhi's side again and whispered, "Sister, Liu Hua is not a good person. You'd better ignore her."
How do you know if someone is good or not?
"She's the kind of person who's nice to you on the surface but bites you in return. She's just Xia Qingmei, she wasn't even my target before. I'm not kidding, I could just beckon her and she'd be crawling back home. Only Liu Hua would actually treat her like a treasure."
Xuezhi frowned: "I think you're just feeling unbalanced."
"Sister, you can't wrong me. Besides, you used to like him too. He liked you, and I didn't say anything."
"I don't like him, and he doesn't like me. It's just hearsay among people in the underworld, nothing more."
"Sigh, you should be careful of Liu Hua. She'd love to put an iron chain around Xia Qingmei's neck and keep him by her side."
"It's their business, they know how to handle it."
"Hmph." Feng Zi pouted, "Anyway, you've never taken me seriously, so I'm not going to talk to you anymore."
"Fine, I won't talk to you then. Stop hovering around me, you're getting on my nerves." Xuezhi stepped back a little, then suddenly saw the people coming in. "Uncle Hua and Uncle Xuetian are here. I'm not talking to you."
Xuezhi walked quickly to the door.
Just as they intercepted Situ Xuetian and Hua Yijian, Shangguan Tou arrived as well.
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The scene became awkward. Xuezhi and Shangguan Tou exchanged glances before greeting Situ Xuetian and Hua Yijian respectively. Hua Yijian stared at Xuezhi for a while before finally recognizing his niece; even his perpetually serious face broke into a slightly weathered, cheerful smile. Situ Xuetian, on the other hand, was in high spirits, patting Xuezhi and Shangguan Tou on the shoulder and praising how sensible the two children were. Then the two began asking Xuezhi where Lin Yuhuang was and how he was doing, urging him to at least come out for a get-together. Xuezhi answered them all. After a while, Situ Xuetian, sensing the tension between Xuezhi and Shangguan Tou, pulled Shangguan Tou away elsewhere.
Hua Yijian, rarely seeing Xuezhi, dragged her around introducing her to all his friends. He introduced her to prominent figures from Wudang, Shaolin, Emei, and Huashan—all the righteous sects—but when he met Lin Xuanfeng, Hua Yijian merely smiled faintly, exchanged a few words, and that was it. The Emei sect leader set a strong example; all the disciples were cold and indifferent to Xuezhi. Other sects, especially those dominated by men, were all all smiles towards her. Xuezhi was extremely frustrated.
After meeting the top-ranking members, they reached the Pinghu Chunyuan sect, a martial arts sect with the widest social circle but mediocre skills. This sect was similar to the Xueyan Sect, primarily female. However, compared to the young girls of the Xueyan Sect, these female disciples were much more mature. There were two sect leaders, He Shuangping and He Chunluo, a pair of sisters, yet two completely different people: Shuangping was a serious woman around forty, and her husband was said to be twelve years younger than her; Chunluo looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six, absolutely as beautiful as a flower and as gentle as water. Upon seeing Xuezhi, He Chunluo immediately smiled and said, "I know, you are that very prestigious palace master, I've long admired your name."
Xuezhi's smile, however, was somewhat stiff.
The two sisters were clearly not as famous as their sect. But Xuezhi had heard of He Chunluo's name before, because of the rumors about her and Shangguan Tou.
Xuezhi couldn't help but glance at Shangguan Tou. She hadn't expected him to be looking at her too, but a slightly mocking smile appeared on his lips.
Heaven is angered and people resent it.
I hate men who think they understand women.
Xuezhi smiled broadly and started chatting with He Chunluo.
At this moment, a new disciple of Moonrise Valley whispered to Shangguan Tou, "Valley Master, have you seen the Palace Master of Chonghuo Palace?"
After a moment, Shangguan Tou said, "I saw it."
"She's so beautiful," the disciple whispered, leaning closer. "More beautiful than all the women you've been with. Why don't you go and be with her?"
"I haven't thought about it."
“But I think she’s a good match for you—I never think any woman is good enough for the Valley Master.”
Shangguan Tou paused again: "I don't think so."
"Don't you think this is good?"
Zhong Tao laughed and said, "The bald guy is just being sour; don't provoke him any further."
"Wolf Fang, you should take care of your woman before you talk to me."
"I think your 'seven-day flower-chasing' title can be taken down. You've liked Xuezhi for almost three years, and I don't think you've even touched another girl's little finger. Laughing at me? I bet you won't be able to win her over by the time I marry Hongxiu."
"I don't like her."
“But she seems to like the Valley Master,” the disciple interjected. “She’s looked at you many times already.”
"Really?" Shangguan Tou immediately searched everywhere for Xuezhi's whereabouts.
When he turned back, Zhong Tao's smile had become incredibly wicked.
After everyone had arrived, Lin Xuanfeng led them to the banquet hall for dinner.
Whether it was bad luck or not, the tables of Yue Shang Valley and Chong Huo Palace were placed right next to each other. Xue Zhi could even see Shangguan Tou out of the corner of her eye. That thin chin, that incredibly defined nose from any angle, those amber eyes she had once been infatuated with… now, they just looked rather irritating. Han Jiang and Shi Jue stood behind him, stiff as two statues.
What was most irritating was that while Shangguan Tou sat comfortably, Zhong Tao went to toast Lin Xuanfeng in place of Yue Shanggu. Soon after, a woman brought a glass of wine to Shangguan Tou and awkwardly offered him a toast. Xuezhi's blood boiled at the sight of the woman—it was Du Ruoxiang, the leader of Cailian Peak.
Another one.
Throughout the meal, Xuezhi barely listened to what anyone around her was saying. Her eyes were glued to the women who came forward to offer toasts, and to Shangguan Tou, who looked innocent but was actually the most despicable.
I wonder how many of the women who toasted him that day still maintained a platonic relationship with him.
As she got older, she gradually came to understand that for many people, a one-night stand was nothing more than a fling; once it was over, they could still be friends. It turned out that only she had ever considered matters between men and women to be so sacred and precious.
Just like Shangguan Tou often said before, Zhi'er is still young, she will understand when she grows up.
Xuezhi understood. But she could never truly comprehend it.
After dinner, a banquet was held. Those who did not drink, or who wanted to rest, practiced their martial arts outside the hall.
Finally having a chance to escape the shadow of seeing Shangguan Tou, Xuezhi went to watch the martial arts competition without hesitation. But as soon as she stepped outside, she bumped into Feng Zi and Yuan Shuangshuang. What followed was that Yuan Shuangshuang clung to Feng Zi, and Feng Zi clung to her.
Fortunately, Feng Zi left shortly after, citing feeling unwell, and Yuan Shuangshuang followed her. But as soon as she turned around, Xue Zhi bumped into Shangguan Tou again.
Beside the hall, under the red corridor, the two, both dressed in white with black hair, looked as beautiful as a painting in the cold moonlight.
Xuezhi immediately looked at the ground and walked past him.
Bathed in moonlight, her eyelashes cast dark shadows beneath her eyes as she lowered them, and the rouge on her lips had faded, leaving only a faint pink that was alluring.