Shen Yue didn't see anything, but she heard something.
She heard of mutual affection, of feelings being reciprocated, like a young couple in love.
It was a pity, though, that this was only on the surface. Once the male protagonist appeared, the great villain could only watch the female lead leave, fall into the abyss of unrequited love and blacken, imprisoning her, and so on.
In short, all sorts of unhealthy plotlines.
Shen Yue almost laughed out loud, suddenly feeling that this world was quite simple; she didn't need to do anything, just sit back and reap the benefits.
Shen Yue smugly thought: [If this continues, our mission will be completed very soon. The great villain is truly effective.]
The system, however, felt something was amiss: […I have a bad premonition.]
Shen Yue paid no mind to the system's words, feeling as though she had already won.
Rong Hua waited for a long time without receiving a reply. He finally deigned to look up at the white-robed immortal.
The fingers of his hand, hanging by his side, clenched involuntarily, and his heart seemed to lift with them. He tried to discern something from the white-robed newcomer's face.
But… he couldn't tell anything at all.
Only serenity, only a cool detachment.
Nothing else.
Shen Yue already knew the answer. She said nothing, turning and leaving silently.
The door was opened and then closed.
A snowflake blew in, melting before it could land on the ground.
—
For the past two years, Shen Yue had publicly claimed to be in secluded cultivation.
Now that she had emerged, the various elders inevitably offered their solicitous inquiries.
Shen Yue did not stay in the Xin Qing Palace. It was not that she had no interest; she simply wanted to clear the space for the great villain and the female lead to properly develop their relationship, as deeper feelings would only lead to greater pain later on.
She spent every day in Elder Ye's hall, and when she was bored, she would help Elder Ye plant flowers and grass, or water and fertilize them.
But… it seemed she always managed to cause trouble.
"Xi Yu! Did you move my Silver Root Grass again?!"
"Xi Yu! Did you step on and kill my Phoenix Tail Flower?"
"Ahhh, you watered it too much, it drowned!"
…
In just a few days, Elder Ye's hair had streaks of white from anger.
Xin Xi arrived and saw such a scene.
The usually serene and noble immortal was now covered in a bit of mud on his white robe, holding a wooden spoon, blindfolded with a white cloth, looking utterly innocent.
Elder Ye, on the other hand, was almost jumping with rage.
Xin Xi couldn't help but let out a chuckle upon seeing this sight.
When Elder Ye saw Xin Xi, he acted as if he had found a savior. "Quickly, take her away! If she doesn't leave soon, all my treasures will be ruined by her."
With that, he snatched the wooden spoon from Shen Yue's hand and pushed her towards Xin Xi, showing as much disdain as possible.
The immortal, being disliked for the first time, was clearly at a loss. She seemed to still want to help, "Elder Ye, don't worry, I will help you save them."
Elder Ye scoffed, "As long as you leave, I won't worry."
In the end, Shen Yue was unceremoniously pushed out.
Xin Xi suppressed a smile. It was rare to see Shen Yue being so disliked. Although she was disliked, it was still a curious sight.
Shen Yue used a cleansing spell, her white robes were spotless again, her eyes clear and indifferent, returning to her usual meticulous demeanor.
Xin Xi felt a tinge of regret.
The two sat down on a stone bench under a large tree. A chessboard, yet to be solved, was placed on the stone table.
Fresh green leaves drifted down. Shen Yue held a white chess piece, "You came to find me, is there something important?"
Xin Xi then remembered the main purpose of her visit, her expression turning serious. "Xuan Cheng has come out of seclusion."
Shen Yue paused.
Xuan Cheng, was indeed the male protagonist.
"Where is he now?" Shen Yue asked.
"Right here!"
A boisterous, unrestrained voice rang out.
Shen Yue felt a powerful aura suddenly appear beside her. Then her chin was lifted by a cold jade object, incredibly presumptuous.
Just as Xuan Cheng was about to tease her, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand and retracted it abruptly.
He hadn't controlled his strength, and the sharp patterns on the jade fan had accidentally scratched Shen Yue's delicate skin, leaving a faint pink mark.
Clutching his reddened hand, Xuan Cheng accused her with a face full of resentment.
"Sect Leader, after not seeing you for hundreds of years, why are you still so cold and heartless?"
Shen Yue couldn't even be bothered to respond, calmly stating, "In the past few hundred years, I haven't seen any progress in your cultivation either."
Xuan Cheng's head throbbed at this. His personality was inherently undisciplined and carefree. He couldn't stand the sight of the neatly arranged chessboard and swept it away with his hand, saying, "There is a destiny, we should go with the flow."
Xin Xi didn't believe a word of it and ruthlessly exposed him, "Clearly, you're just lazy, only working a little then slacking off. It would be strange if you made any progress."
Xuan Cheng showed no embarrassment at being exposed in public. Instead, he stroked his chin with a smiling face, "Senior Sister understands me best."
Xin Xi was already accustomed to his shamelessness. After all, Xuan Cheng had always had a provoking personality. If he hadn't been somewhat cute when he was young, he might have been beaten to a pulp long ago.
As he grew older, he only became more provoking.
Tender green leaves fluttered down. Xuan Cheng also sat down, swept the chessboard aside again, and produced three pots of peach blossom wine.
Even before they were unsealed, a faint yet rich aroma of wine could be detected.
Xin Xi looked at it and felt a sense of familiarity. "Isn't this…"
"That's right!" Xuan Cheng opened the seal, and the strong aroma of wine immediately gushed out, enticing just by its scent. "This is what we buried back then."
The atmosphere suddenly became stiff at his words.
The wine was the same wine, the taste was the same taste, but one person was missing.
They had all been young, reckless, passionate, like a raging fire, always believing themselves invincible.
But in the end, all that remained were ashes scattered by the gentle breeze.
Xin Xi frowned, then quickly relaxed. "Come, we haven't drunk together in a long time. Today, let's drink until we drop."
With that, she picked up a pot and began to drink.
Xuan Cheng also picked up a pot and tasted it lightly. The smile on his lips was not as unrestrained as before.
Only Shen Yue did not move. The soft sunlight filtered through the gaps in the sparse leaves and fell upon him. His white robes were like snow, his black hair cascading down his back.
The rich aroma stirred up memories of the past.
He was a young man, arrogant and proud, always unwilling to admit defeat, acting like a peacock every day, and especially liking to display himself before her.
"You can't drink this wine?" the young man's voice was bold and full of vigor, with a unique malice directed at her.
"Why?"
"Because you're annoying, that's why I won't let you drink it." The young man's answer was as unreasonable as ever.