The sky was growing dark, yet the Market Town was still packed with people.
Ji Wangshu walked wearily, watching Mu Zhiming stepping lightly ahead of him.
For some reason, Mu Zhiming was especially motivated today. The sun was fading in the sky, but she showed no sign of growing bored.
Since answering questions in the Flying Flower Poetry Contest at the Plaza, Wood had taken him around the Temple Fair, decorated the Flower Tree, and eaten Osmanthus Cake.
This initiative was completely different from the Ice Sword Immortal who usually just practiced her Sword in silence.
And so Ji Wangshu had yet to find an opening to give her the Flower God Hairpin he had bought.
“Kind sir, I see you are alone here. Might you already have a Dao Companion?”
Suddenly, a woman with a lovely face appeared at the roadside. Seeing Ji Wangshu standing by himself, she took the initiative to approach and ask.
She had come to the Flower Festival Market Town alone and had been watching Ji Wangshu for quite some time.
When she saw a water-blue dressed woman beside him, she assumed they were Dao Companions and felt disheartened.
But after several deliberate chance encounters, she noticed that the closest they ever got was holding hands. They never embraced or touched like the other Dao Companion couples roaming the Flower Festival.
Only then did she realize they might just be friends, and she mustered the courage to come forward and ask.
“This…” Ji Wangshu touched his nose, not knowing how to answer.
He didn’t know what he and Wood were to each other either. Or rather, the hidden landmine of his identity kept him from daring to define the relationship.
He looked up toward Mu Zhiming’s direction. Seeing she had walked ahead and stopped her lotus feet at a small stall, Ji Wangshu turned back and cupped his hands apologetically to the woman.
“Miss, you should look for someone else…”
He quickly squeezed through the crowd to Wood’s side. Through the Black Eye Veil, he couldn’t read her expression, but he saw her nose twitching.
He imitated her and sniffed. Instantly, a wine fragrance like dew on flowers drifted to the tip of his nose.
“So fragrant. What is this?”
Seeing Mu Zhiming not speaking, Ji Wangshu took the initiative to ask the vendor.
“Fellow Daoist, this is Hundred Flowers Wine, unique to the Flower Festival. Care for two cups?”
The vendor looked at Ji Wangshu, then glanced at the silent Mu Zhiming beside him, smiling slyly.
Ji Wangshu pulled out Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch, surveying the portion of Hundred Flowers Wine displayed on the stall.
There was a whole large bowl’s worth. He didn’t have a habit of drinking, so he figured buying one bowl would be enough.
He handed over a few Spirit Stones and slid the bowl of Hundred Flowers Wine toward Mu Zhiming’s hand.
But her fair wrist did not move. She remained dazed.
So different from that proactive woman just now.
Did this remind her of something from the past?
Ji Wangshu’s expression shifted slightly. He searched his memories of his Childhood Friend for anything about Wood, but nothing came to mind. He shook his head and took the initiative to lift the bowl of Hundred Flowers Wine to her lips.
Only then did Mu Zhiming’s vermilion lips part slightly, allowing him to feed her half the bowl.
Ji Wangshu then moved the bowl to himself, unconsciously switching to a different rim, and downed the remaining half in one gulp.
A surprised expression crossed his face.
“So fragrant.”
The Hundred Flowers Wine outshines all flowers, ten thousand cups raised to toast ten thousand homes.
“…Mm.” Mu Zhiming finally spoke up in agreement, her tone still stiff.
Why did Wood sound so listless?
Ji Wangshu turned back to look. Mu Zhiming still hung her head low, revealing neither joy nor sorrow.
He took the initiative to grasp a corner of her sleeve, standing in front of her, and led her onward through the Market Town.
Another few sticks of incense passed, and night was about to fall.
The sky above the Market Town lit up as Fireworks burst forth one after another. Hymns rose in unison below, music played in celebration. For a moment, splendor filled the air, voices and Fireworks intertwining in endless clamor, lively beyond measure.
But in Mu Zhiming’s field of vision, everything was dim, shut off from those dazzling sights.
“So beautiful…” She heard Ji Wangshu whisper beside her.
Mu Zhiming lifted her head to look at him. Opening her grayish-white pupils, light poured in at once, illuminating most of her vision.
She lowered her head to look at her own Dao robe. The plain water-blue she had once loved most, now she could barely distinguish it.
The light belonged to him. The dimness belonged to her.
“…Let’s go. I don’t like it…”
Her vermilion lips parted slightly, and she spoke stiffly. Then she pulled at Ji Wangshu’s sleeve and headed out of the Market Town.
Watching her move like this, Ji Wangshu was startled at first, then sighed and shook his head, putting on a regretful look before speaking:
“Perfect timing. I just learned of a quiet place. I’ll take you there.”
……
Not far outside the Market Town, beside a lake.
On the grass facing the lake flowed several shallow water pools. In the deep winter, these pools would freeze over, and only when spring warmed would they gradually thaw.
Just like this very moment.
Moonlight slanted across the grass and the water pools, over the meadow covered in Camellia.
This was late winter and Early Spring, the very season Camellia bloomed. Along the edge of the grass, petals ranged from pink to white, from white to yellow, blooming patch after patch.
The thawed pools formed small Water Pools, and under the moonlight, each looked like a tiny moon.
Ji Wangshu and Mu Zhiming stepped through the air and landed slowly.
Unlike the bustling Market Town, this place was quiet all around. Countless Camellia swayed in the wind, their petals like sword blades, glinting coldly under the Moonlight, yet soft as they spread into a river of stars. Secluded and elegant—truly a beautiful sight.
“Wood, pretty nice here, right?”
Ji Wangshu stopped by one Water Pool, while Mu Zhiming stood by another beside him.
The two faced each other across the pools, moon separated from moon.
Mu Zhiming did not answer. Instead, she bent down and reached out to brush the Camellia at the hem of her robe.
Her willow-like figure stood among the fragrant grass, her mist-veiled clothes fluttering with her in the night breeze.
“…Very beautiful.”
A trace of pride tugged at Ji Wangshu’s lips. Just as he was about to boast a little, he heard Mu Zhiming ask next:
“Is this also… something that woman in the Market Town told you about?”
At those words, the smile froze on Ji Wangshu’s face.
Only then did he understand the reason behind Mu Zhiming’s earlier strange behavior.
He fell silent for two breaths. About to explain, thinking he could comfort her as he usually did, he saw Mu Zhiming part her thin lips, lift her head, and face him with the Black Eye Veil, pressing on:
“…Why do you stay silent.”
“Just now as well… and just now too.”
“What exactly… are we to each other?”
As she spoke, she jumped from her Water Pool to the one where Ji Wangshu stood.
Their bodies pressed close, near enough to hear each other’s breathing.
She was waiting for an answer.
……
Mu Zhiming was straightforward.
Straight in the way of cultivation.
From the moment she entered the Immortal Sect, she had chosen a cultivation method that could directly aim for Nascent Soul.
Even though it was extremely difficult for a Qi Refining Stage cultivator, she did it anyway.
Just like her Sword.
She used the Spiritual Giant Sword because she thought Flying Swords were too slow; she wielded the Flying Sword in hand because she felt it was safest right in front of her.
The Nascent Soul method was hard, using the Spiritual Giant Sword was hard, and simultaneously wielding the True and False Swords to execute the Fast and Slow Swords was even harder.
She accomplished all of them.
They say the Sword reflects the person. Mu Zhiming was indeed very direct. She always said what was on her mind, even if it was unpleasant, even if it might cause embarrassment.
But there was always an exception.
That exception was Ji Wangshu.
That day in the Sect Hall, when Liu Fuyao had shared her story, Mu Zhiming said: “I will protect him for eternity.” That was when she knew she liked Ji Wangshu.
So she took the initiative to hold his hand, took the initiative to let him braid her hair, took the initiative to pull him into her private room, took the initiative to stroll through the Flower Festival with him.
These were things she had never done for any other man.
So logically, she should be able to handle this exception well too.
But it seemed things were not going that way.
She might be an iceberg, a block of wood, but she was no fool when it came to feelings.
She could naturally sense that Ji Wangshu had been avoiding things.
Avoiding unnecessary physical contact, avoiding their closeness.
As if he wanted to keep this relationship going like this, neither accepting nor rejecting.
When one person avoids, another steps forward.
So when Ji Wangshu pulled her to this Camellia water marsh, she knew he couldn’t escape.
Here, it was just the two of them.
So she took the initiative to jump over from her Water Pool.
From one pool to another.
From one moon to another moon.
……
Mu Zhiming waited for a long time, but still no answer came.
So she released her Spiritual Energy and used the Finger Technique, freezing him in place.
Mu Zhiming stepped forward, her chin touching his forehead, feeling the young man before her stiffen, unable to move.
A smile hung at the corner of her lips. She extended her slender jade fingers and grasped his struggling hands beneath the Finger Technique.
Ten fingers locked tightly together, feeling the warmth of his palm.
Bang! Bang!
In the distant sky over the Market Town, residual Fireworks rose and flashed in the dim night, illuminating the Camellia meadow.
The next moment, a shadow fell over the young man’s face.
Beneath the Fireworks, Mu Zhiming pressed her lips to Ji Wangshu’s.