With my back to him, I couldn't see his expression, but judging from his tone, Lou Xiyue seemed somewhat displeased.
I smiled wryly. "I didn't expect you to have learned so much in less than a year at Medicine King Valley. I truly am a good teacher."
Lou Xiyue paused for a moment, then said, "Qi Xiang, don't run around on your own next time."
I explained, "I was chasing that little fox so fast. Next time, I'll leave a note or something."
He said in a deep voice, "You dare."
After a while, Lou Xiyue said again, "There won't be a next time."
He put me down, picked up a censer from the fire, poured a bowl of medicine, and handed it to me, saying, "I've brewed some medicine; drink it."
I suddenly remembered something, but it wasn't quite clear. I took the medicine bowl and said softly, "You look a bit like a young master from my dream."
He watched me drink the medicine, his brows and eyes relaxing slightly. After a long while, a smile finally appeared on his face. "My dream lover?"
I turned my face away, "Dream lover my foot."
Outside the window, the night was as dark as spilled ink, snowflakes were falling, and the paper windowpanes were torn, letting in a hissing, whistling wind.
I said to Lou Xiyue, "There's a book on the small couch behind that fence, and there's a story written in it."
I told him about Xiao Jiu and the hunter's past, and asked, "I noticed that the little fox's hind legs were also a bit weak. Could it really be Xiao Jiu from this book?"
He raised an eyebrow. "I've often heard stories about these ghosts and demons, but I never imagined they were true."
I lowered my head and said regretfully, "But I still couldn't catch that little fox. Master and your third uncle are still waiting for its blood to cure the poison."
Lou Xiyue put the bowl down and then picked me up and sat me back on the stool.
I felt a little embarrassed. "I can sit up by myself. I'm not that weak."
He reached out and touched my eyes. "Sleep now, I'll hold you as you sleep."
I was still weak, so I closed my eyes and leaned against him through the fur coat.
The sound of fine snow melting into the ground filled my ears, and the wind rattled the windowpanes.
The night at Sifeng Mountain is like a soft, jade-like night, with the entire mountainside covered in what appears to be blooming moon-white hibiscus, so pure and pristine it's like a fairyland.
I vaguely saw that young man again, who gave me medicine. His face was very familiar, but I couldn't see it clearly each time.
After an unknown amount of time, someone whispered softly in my ear, "Xiao Xiang."
His fingertips were warm as they brushed against my cheek. Then, he leaned down slightly and whispered in my ear, "I love you."
My heart skipped a beat, my body trembled, and my mind cleared considerably.
Lou Xiyue seemed to chuckle softly, then said gently, "There was a girl who loved to laugh and listen to opera, a little confused and a little stubborn. When she was sad, she would always force a bitter smile, thinking that others couldn't tell. She liked someone but didn't dare to say it out loud, and she always looked lost in thought when she looked at her sweetheart. You see, how could there be such an awkward girl in the world?"
He held me with one arm and used the other to stir the fire with a branch, adding some dry wood to it.
He continued, “I wanted her to laugh out loud when she laughed, and cry out loud when she cried. A long time ago…” He paused slightly, “I always remembered what her smile looked like.”
I tilted my head slightly, squinting my eyes to steal a glance at him.
Lou Xiyue, perhaps noticing something, looked down at me with a half-smile.
He said slowly, "You're not asleep?"
I mumbled, "Um... I just woke up... What were you doing just now?"
Lou Xiyue stared at me intently. "You heard everything?"
I shifted my body, avoiding his gaze. "I only heard a little bit... I only heard you say that you've known a girl for a long time and really liked her..."
He nodded and said calmly, "What do you think?"
I swallowed hard and stammered, "I told you before... I actually, my master..."
Lou Xiyue was silent for a while before slowly saying, "I know you have someone you love. It doesn't matter if you don't love me. Just get Xia Jingnan cured first, and that will put your mind at ease."
He stared at the flickering flames, speechless.
I noticed a dimming in his eyes; the room was quiet.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, leaving me completely speechless. I wasn't sure if the girl Lou Xiyue was talking about was me. The first half seemed to really be me, so my heart fluttered slightly; but the second half seemed to be talking about his childhood sweetheart. There's often a scene in plays called transference. Transference comes in many forms, the most common being "love me, love my dog."
There is one thing that is really unbearable: "After she left, all those who fell in love with her were just her shadows."
This kind of man seems very affectionate, practically trapped in his "ex" and unable to extricate himself, so he sees mountains as mountains, clouds as mountains, and everything as that beautiful mountain. But in reality, he's incredibly annoying. Dig deeper, and this man's thinking is probably, "I'm hurt, so others can't be happy either."
I carefully analyzed Lou Xiyue's past words and felt that he seemed to have... fallen in love.
This isn't an isolated case; he encounters many girls and always looks for the shadow of his childhood sweetheart, perhaps in a single gesture or expression. In this light, Lou Xiyue is somewhat like the typical playboy in dramas who is "devoted to one woman on the inside, but outwardly charming and flirtatious, leaving his mark everywhere to conceal his wounded heart." His romantic state is like, "How many good sisters do you have? Why do all of them marry tears?"
This is really worrying.
While I was still thinking, there was a sound in the room. I opened my eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. Through the gaps in the fabric of the fence, I saw that the nine-tailed silver fox had returned. It was still the same as before, curled up in a ball, hugging the arrow.
I nuzzled Lou Xiyue and whispered, "That little fox is back again."
Lou Xiyue put me down, gestured for me to be quiet, walked to the side, picked up a bow and arrow, and aimed the arrow at the little fox.
The little fox stared blankly at Lou Xiyue with its dark eyes, huddled timidly in the couch, not knowing how to dodge.
Lou Xiyue narrowed her long eyes, drew her bow to its fullest extent, and was about to release the arrow.