Beauties in Simulation Cross over into Reality

Chapter 48: Chapter 44: Xiao Mo, I Think I’ve Fallen for You

The next day, Bai Ruxue had almost fully recovered.

Xiao Mo was naturally relieved that Ruxue had recovered.

But after Ruxue got better, Xiao Mo couldn’t shake the feeling that something was a little strange about her.

Xiao Mo noticed Ruxue frequently stealing glances at him.

Whenever he looked her way, she would quickly avert her gaze, pretending as if nothing had happened.

And once he looked away, she would start peeking at him again.

Take right now, for instance. Ruxue was hanging laundry out to dry.

Even though Xiao Mo was flipping through a book, he could feel Bai Ruxue’s eyes on him.

Xiao Mo looked up, his eyes meeting Bai Ruxue’s.

Bai Ruxue flinched as if she’d been shocked. She hurriedly looked away, turning back to her laundry and making a show of smoothing out clothes that were already perfectly flat.

Xiao Mo set his book down and walked over to Bai Ruxue.

Sensing Xiao Mo approaching, Bai Ruxue’s heart began to beat faster.

The closer he got, the more nervous she became, and the faster her hands moved as she hung the laundry.

“Ruxue, what is it? Is something the matter?”

Xiao Mo asked as he reached her side.

“Huh? N-nothing…” Bai Ruxue’s eyes darted about as she waved her fair, delicate hands dismissively. “What could possibly be the matter with me? Nothing, nothing at all…”

“Are you sure?” Xiao Mo asked.

“Of course not…” Bai Ruxue’s eyes shifted, looking guilty, and her cheeks were flushed red.

’Why is she blushing just from hanging laundry?’ Xiao Mo wondered.

Just as Xiao Mo was about to press her further…

A piece of clothing near him, not hung securely, began to slide off the bamboo laundry pole.

Xiao Mo instinctively reached out and caught it.

The dampness in his palm and the silkiness of the fabric made Xiao Mo freeze.

He looked down at his hand. It was…

“Pervert!”

Bai Ruxue’s cheeks turned red as a strawberry. She snatched the bodice from his palm.

Clutching the bodice to her chest, Bai Ruxue ran into her room, slamming the door shut with a BANG.

’Something’s not right…’

Xiao Mo stared at the tightly shut door, deep in thought.

’Ruxue…’

’She actually knows how to be embarrassed now?’

He recalled a time when the wind had blown a bodice right into his face. Back then, Ruxue had laughed gleefully and even tried to stuff it in his mouth.

During lunch, Bai Ruxue continued her pattern: take a bite of rice, steal a glance at Xiao Mo.

When Xiao Mo took a bowl from her, his hand accidentally brushed against hers.

Bai Ruxue snatched her hand back as if shocked. Looking a bit dazed, she quickly sat down and started shoveling rice from her bowl.

Xiao Mo and Xiao Qing exchanged a confused look.

“Brother Xiao, what’s wrong with my sister?”

Seizing a moment when her sister was away, Xiao Qing asked worriedly.

“I don’t know…” Xiao Mo shook his head. “Ruxue has been like this since this morning.”

Xiao Qing: “…”

’How should I put it…?’

’If Bai Ruxue were any other girl, Xiao Mo would have thought her behavior today was completely normal.’

’But for the once naive Bai Ruxue to suddenly understand embarrassment overnight, to even show the bashfulness of a first crush… it was truly bizarre to Xiao Mo.’

’He was even having a little trouble getting used to it…’

That evening, when Xiao Mo came out from his bath, he found that Bai Ruxue was gone. Only Xiao Qing was in the courtyard, feeding the silkworms.

“Xiao Qing, where’s your sister?” Xiao Mo asked.

“Brother Xiao, she said she was going for a walk and would be back in a bit,” Xiao Qing said, looking up from the mulberry leaves in her hands.

“Okay.” Xiao Mo thought for a moment. “I’ll go find her. Will you be alright here by yourself, Xiao Qing?”

“I’ll be fine.” Xiao Qing nodded, a flicker of delight even flashing in her eyes.

After Xiao Mo left, Xiao Qing reverted to her true form and went to find something to eat.

’Her sister’s cooking wasn’t bad, but it had been a long time since she’d had a nice rat. She really missed it.’

…

Leaving the village, Xiao Mo had a good idea of where Bai Ruxue would be.

He headed straight for She Mountain.

Sure enough.

There, on a large rock, he saw her. She was wearing a white dress and hugging her knees, her head tilted up toward the stars in the night sky.

“Something bothering you again?”

Xiao Mo called out to Bai Ruxue.

Hearing Xiao Mo’s voice, Bai Ruxue shivered slightly and pulled her gaze from the sky. “N-no…”

“Are you sure?” Xiao Mo asked, walking up to her.

“Not this time, really,” Bai Ruxue said softly, lowering her head.

“But you’ve been acting very strange today. You seem to be avoiding me. Why?”

“I have not… You must be mistaken…” Bai Ruxue said, turning her head away.

Xiao Mo glanced at her profile. “Alright, then. Maybe I am mistaken. It’s getting late. We should head back before Xiao Qing starts to worry.”

“Oh…”

Bai Ruxue climbed down from the rock and followed Xiao Mo down the mountain path.

The two of them walked along the mountain path as moonlight poured down like silent, flowing water. It filtered through the layers of pine branches, casting a fine, mottled pattern of shadows upon them.

Xiao Mo slowed his pace, deliberately or not, and the hem of Bai Ruxue’s dress brushed gently against the tips of the low-hanging blades of grass, as if afraid to disturb the sleeping creatures of the mountain night.

Their two shadows, cast upon the dark ground, sometimes drew close, sometimes drifted apart.

Green lights began to float in the air. Fireflies had appeared at some point, dancing lightly in the air like tiny stars.

One firefly drifted close to the young woman’s temple. Like a single, roving star, it paused for a moment before leisurely flying away.

The young woman looked up at his profile.

Bai Ruxue felt a gentle stir in the softest part of her heart.

It was as if something was about to sprout from the soil of her heart.

Sweet and sour.

She wanted him to know, yet she was afraid of him knowing.

“Xiao Mo…” Mustering her courage, Bai Ruxue’s lips parted slightly as she softly called his name.

“Hm,” Xiao Mo responded.

“N-never mind…” Gazing into his eyes, she lost her nerve. “I… I just noticed that the fireflies are really beautiful tonight.”

“They are quite beautiful.”

“…”

Bai Ruxue lowered her head, falling silent. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her dress.

But soon, she mustered her courage again. “Xiao Mo.”

“Hm?”

“N-never mind… I just noticed the moon is very round tonight.”

Xiao Mo looked up. “I guess it is.”

“Xiao Mo…”

“Hm?”

“I… I just noticed there are so many stars out tonight.”

“There are a lot.”

“Xiao Mo… I noticed that Granny Wang seemed really happy today.”

“Probably because her son’s business in the county town is taking off.”

“I noticed Xiao Qing doesn’t like green peppers.”

“I noticed that a long time ago.”

“Xiao Mo, I’ve noticed the village’s big black ox has gotten lazy.”

“That’s because it’s getting old.”

“Xiao Mo.”

“Hm?”

“I’ve noticed… I think I’m starting to like you.”