The four continued to walk when suddenly, sand began to swirl in the air, gathering from afar and rushing towards them.
Was it a sandstorm?
Qin Jiujiu’s first thought was that they had encountered a sandstorm. Dust billowed, the wind raged as if to sweep them away, a vast deluge descending upon them.
Xie Yun had already assumed a defensive stance. He seemed to be discerning whether it was a malevolent wind or a natural phenomenon of the desert. He scanned their surroundings, finding no immediate sign of malevolent entities, and appeared to breathe a sigh of relief.
He called out to Xie Jing, "Xiao Jing!"
The two of them positioned themselves in front of Qin Jiujiu and Bai Qianluo. Xie Yun produced a talisman, and as his lips moved, the patterns on the talisman suddenly glowed with golden light.
The talisman gradually dissipated, forming a protective barrier above them.
Xie Yun and Xie Jing stood at the front, observing the situation outside the barrier. The wind seemed to intensify, their vision obscured by the sand and dust whipped up by the gale. All they could see was a swirling expanse of sand, rendering their surroundings invisible.
Qin Jiujiu noticed that as the sandstorm assailed them, the barrier above their heads seemed to sustain damage, being hit by pebbles that created small holes. However, these quickly healed on their own. Gradually, the wind and sand subsided, and when the storm outside finally ceased, they saw the true appearance of the world beyond the barrier.
All around them, there was nothing but sand.
As dusk approached, the four found another large tree. To Qin Jiujiu, these trees all looked peculiar, yet it was remarkable how they managed to grow so robustly in the desert.
The desert weather changed drastically. It was scorching hot during the day, but at night, it turned very cold.
For example, Qin Jiujiu had already retrieved her winter clothes from her Qiankun Bag, but they proved ineffective. Xie Yun and Xie Jing seemed to fare better, being cultivators, their physical condition superior to hers.
Bai Qianluo, having cultivated immortal arts since childhood and possessing spiritual energy to protect her body, had better endurance against the cold than Xie Yun and Xie Jing.
As darkness fell, Xie Yun promptly started a fire. Qin Jiujiu took out her food; her Qiankun Bag proved its utility at such times.
Xie Jing leaned against the tree alone, seemingly unfazed by the cold. The three of them gathered around the fire, while he remained by the side, eyes closed in repose.
Qin Jiujiu, illuminated by the firelight, looked at Xie Yun and asked, "Brother Xie, isn't Second Young Master Xie afraid of the cold?"
Everyone's gaze shifted to Xie Jing, then returned to the fire. Xie Yun explained, "Xiao Jing has had extremely low body temperature since he was young…"
Around the campfire, Qin Jiujiu, wrapped in her fox fur, felt her face warm and flushed.
From Xie Yun, she learned about a part of Xie Jing's childhood. Xie Jing was brought into the Xie family at the age of ten by the current patriarch, their father. It was rumored he was an illegitimate son, but his mother’s identity remained unknown. Upon returning to the Xie family, he was raised under Madam Xie’s care.
However, neither Mr. nor Mrs. Xie favored this child. Xie Jing was not even listed in the Xie family genealogy. He was never doted upon by his parents and his treatment within the family was worlds apart from Xie Yun's.
The Xie family even attributed their decline to him, calling him a jinx, a monster… every unpleasant term imaginable was cast upon him.
He spent most of his childhood alone in a secret chamber. Outsiders were unaware of the existence of the second young master of the Xie family. Only Xie Yun would secretly accompany him, secretly teaching him martial arts.
Only Xie Yun treated him as a Xie family member, recognizing him as his brother!
Yet, even Xie Yun knew little about Xie Jing. He only knew that his brother had been cold and aloof since childhood but was unaffected by the cold, and was a man of few words, treating everyone with indifference.
Qin Jiujiu sighed. This was likely just the tip of the iceberg.
He spent his life after the age of ten in the Xie family, but what about before? Did he have a mother who loved him?
Qin Jiujiu felt something stirring within her. She wanted to understand Xie Jing's past and her own childhood.
Previously, she had thought that the villain's wickedness stemmed from his very core, but now, she felt that things were not so simple.
He was a human, not a born demon.
At times, she could even feel warmth emanating from him.
Qin Jiujiu's mind was in turmoil. She closed her eyes but couldn't sleep. She finally opened them and glanced towards Xie Jing.
He remained in the same posture – leaning against the tree trunk, arms crossed. In such cold weather, he seemed unaffected, even though his hands were visibly red from the cold.
Qin Jiujiu quietly got up. Bai Qianluo slept beside her, her soft breathing audible, indicating she was asleep.
She tiptoed over to Xie Jing, removed her fox fur, squatted down, and gently draped the fur over him. Just as she was about to turn away,
Xie Jing suddenly opened his eyes. Qin Jiujiu’s movement halted as he took her hand. A chill spread from his fingertips to her, and she couldn't help but shiver.
Xie Jing seemed to realize his hand was too cold and withdrew it. He said, "If you give me this coat, what about you?"
Qin Jiujiu was about to say she had other clothes when he suddenly sat up straight. The fox fur rested lightly on him. He continued, "This fox fur is useless to me." He made a gesture to take it off, Qin Jiujiu’s eyes filled with confusion. How could it be useless?
It was very warm, after all!
As if sensing her bewilderment, he stopped his action. The fox fur remained on him. He looked intently at Qin Jiujiu, "It might be useful now, because it still carries your body heat… " He paused, then continued to look at her, saying, "But once your body heat dissipates, this fox fur will remain a cold object."
Qin Jiujiu inexplicably felt a spark in Xie Jing's eyes. He stared at her, his eyes like two shining stars, softening her heart.
Qin Jiujiu did not get up to leave. Instead, she sat down beside Xie Jing. His gaze followed her, growing brighter and brighter.
"What about like this?"
She spread the fox fur over both of them. They sat extremely close to each other.
Xie Jing’s hand suddenly reached for her waist. She blinked, looking at him.
He seemed to be explaining, "This way, it is useful." Xie Jing, with her proximity, seemed to gain warmth, and his tone of voice was no longer cold. Qin Jiujiu inexplicably felt he was somewhat like a puppy now.
A puppy wanting warmth from its owner!
Her heart melted completely. He pulled her into an embrace. The warmth from her body suddenly intensified as she drew closer to him, then transferred to him. Gradually, she could feel his body temperature also rising.
So, she simply stopped fidgeting and leaned into his embrace. Sleepiness gradually crept in. She was indeed exhausted today. Leaning in his arms now, she inexplicably felt a sense of security, and soon, she fell into a deep slumber.
Xie Jing's bright eyes suddenly opened and fell upon the person in his arms. Listening to her steady breathing, a smile touched his lips. His body was warm now, and his fingertips caressed her cheek, no longer cold.