Miss Fairy, Please Hear Me Out

The moon was bright, the stars were few. Once the search and rescue work was finished, the Xu estate finally quieted down.

Among the ruins, Xu Yuan saw rows upon rows of bodies covered in white cloth, laid out across the open ground. There were hundreds of them, packed densely together.

Under the flickering glow of the lanterns around them, the dark red blood seeping through the white sheets looked eerie and grim.

He returned to the courtyard outside his own pavilion, pressed what he had just seen deep into his heart, and let out a long sigh. After taking a moment to steady himself, he pushed the door open and went in.

His room was large, but it was also very empty. Most of the expensive furniture, antiques, and decorations had already been exchanged by him for silver.

The moment he stepped inside, Xu Yuan’s sensitive soul perception immediately sensed the source qi in the room, so dense it was almost liquid, surging toward one spot like a whirlpool.

After passing around an embroidered screen, Xu Yuan saw where the vortex ended.

Ran Qingmo was sitting quietly on the floor with her eyes closed, cultivating. Moonlight poured down like a waterfall. Her black robes were dark as ink. In that stillness, she was quietly beautiful.

As he drew closer, Ran Qingmo dispersed her cultivation art and slowly opened her eyes.

Their gazes met for a few breaths.

Xu Yuan asked, half amused, “Didn’t I tell you before I left that you could sit on the bed? Why are you sitting on the floor?”

Ran Qingmo answered honestly in a low voice, “The bed... has a smell.”

Xu Yuan was slightly surprised. He instinctively looked down at himself.

Seeing this, Ran Qingmo shook her head. “Not yours.”

“Not mine?”

Xu Yuan murmured, then his eyes froze. If it was not his, then it was most likely Su Jinxuan’s. Although he had never let her spend the night here, that charming enchantress naturally carried a rose fragrance that could tug at the soul. It was only normal for some of it to linger, more or less.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan glanced at Ran Qingmo again. This iceberg of a woman really did have a sharp nose. After hesitating for a moment, he still explained, “It should be Su Jinxuan. I was actually planning to introduce the two of you.”

“Mhm.”

“Her constitution can help me cultivate my soul. She comes to my room from time to time, so the scent was probably left behind while we were cultivating.”

“Oh.” In the silence, Ran Qingmo turned her eyes toward the pillow on the jade bed.

Xu Yuan saw it and looked over as well.

Ran Qingmo kept staring at it, but said nothing.

“What is it?” Xu Yuan asked softly.

“Xu Yuan, there seems to be something underneath. Something she left for you.” Ran Qingmo’s voice was light and calm, without the slightest ripple.

Xu Yuan was a little surprised. That mysterious second rank expert had appeared so suddenly, and yet Su Jinxuan still had time to leave him something?

But after thinking about it for a moment, most of his surprise faded. Before the plan was put into motion, Su Jinxuan had specifically warned him that Qin Mo would most likely come to save her, and told him not to stay with her. Otherwise, his life might be in danger.

During that catastrophic battle between three Grandmasters and the Sage’s remnant soul, Su Jinxuan, as an ordinary person who had never cultivated, could not possibly judge who would win and who would lose. If the Chancellor’s Manor lost, she would definitely be taken away. Under the possibility that she might be carried off, it was not strange for her to leave something behind for him.

Once the surprise passed, curiosity took its place.

A letter? Or something else? Xu Yuan was rather curious what Su Jinxuan had left him. In the stillness of the room, he walked around Ran Qingmo and slowly came to a stop beside the jade bed. He reached out toward the cold jade pillow.

But the moment Xu Yuan pulled the pillow away, the corner of his eye twitched uncontrollably. The thing was very familiar, very pretty, and extremely eye-catching. Although Su Jinxuan possessed the Bewitching Soul Devil Body, she actually liked wearing plain, elegant clothes.

However, as her cultivation deepened, her wardrobe had changed just a little. When she came over at night, she would occasionally put on certain equipment that boosted attack speed.

Food and lust were human nature, after all. Since she was willing to wear it, Xu Yuan was more than happy to openly admire the beauty of the world.

And Su Jinxuan did not seem to mind the way he looked at her. In fact, she seemed to enjoy that look in his eyes, the look of a man who wanted to do something, but could not do a thing to her.

And now that she was gone, she had actually left this thing on his bed.

As expected of that clumsy succubus I suppose... Xu Yuan silently stared at the long strip of white silk fabric for several breaths. Then he suddenly noticed that someone had come up beside him and was staring at it with him.

He turned his head and met the girl’s clear, quiet eyes.

Ran Qingmo stared back.

Without the slightest change in expression, Xu Yuan slipped the item Su Jinxuan had left behind into his Sumeru Ring. His face did not redden. His heart did not race. Calmly, he said, “What is it?”

Ran Qingmo turned her gaze and continued staring at his Sumeru Ring.

Xu Yuan gave a light cough and changed the subject outright. “By the way, I went to find Xu Changge earlier and already told my father about you through the communication crystal.”

Sure enough, Ran Qingmo’s attention was immediately drawn away. She looked at Xu Yuan, her beautiful eyes flickering as a hint of nervous expectation slowly appeared in them.

“Mhm... What did your father say?”

They had spent so much time together, yet it was rare to see this kind of expression on this iceberg of a woman’s face. The Sword Sect really was important to her.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Yuan said quietly, “He refused.”

The light in Ran Qingmo’s eyes dimmed at a visible speed.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan changed tack. “But it wasn’t a complete refusal.”

Ran Qingmo’s eyes lit up again.

Xu Yuan suppressed the urge to keep teasing her. He turned and walked to the chair beside the window, then sat down.

Ran Qingmo silently followed behind him.

Xu Yuan raised his eyes and glanced at the girl standing in front of him without saying a word. He pointed to the chair beside him.

“Sit.” Ran Qingmo sat down.

Xu Yuan weighed his words for a moment. “First of all, making my father stop the plan is impossible. Just like I told you back in that ruined temple, he won’t change his decision just because you kidnapped me.”

Ran Qingmo pressed her lips together. “However, I can give you another path.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s very simple. Have the Celeste Sword Sect stand together with my father.”

Ran Qingmo thought for a moment, then asked, “Xu Yuan, do you want me to persuade Master?”

She was not stupid at all.

“You can understand it that way.” Xu Yuan nodded.

“But Master won’t listen to me.” Ran Qingmo sounded a little downcast.

Xu Yuan looked at her lowered eyes, then reached out and gently patted her shoulder, drawing her attention back to him. “He may not listen now, but that doesn’t mean he won’t listen in the future. The choices a person makes can be completely different at different points in time.”

As he spoke, Xu Yuan smiled at her with curved eyes. “And besides, I’ll help you too.”

Looking into his serious eyes, Ran Qingmo’s own eyes widened slightly.

Under her gaze, Xu Yuan withdrew his hand and slowly stood up.

“All right, I’m going to rest. You...”

Halfway through, he glanced through the window at the ruins outside. He gave a light cough and changed what he was about to say.

“Mhm. You can keep cultivating here.”

It was not like this was their first time sharing a room anyway. There was nothing worth fussing over. Of course, tonight he would still sleep on the bed, and she would cultivate on the floor.