As dusk deepened, the evening glow of Xianling Valley bathed Bai Li's "Qixia Pavilion" in a dreamlike splendor.
This three-story small pavilion was built against the mountains, wind chimes hung from its eaves, light gauze draped before the windows, and in the courtyard, a thousand-year-old peach tree was showering pink and white petals.
On the second-floor terrace, the three women sat around a white jade table, where spiritual fruits, candied preserves, and a pot of steaming "Drunk Immortal Brew" were laid out.
Zhu Weiyang held a glazed cup in her hand, the amber liquid reflecting her slightly flushed cheeks.
After half a day of getting to know each other, she had already grown close to the two women—Xiao Ling'er was lively and enthusiastic, while Bai Li was languidly clever; both had very pleasant personalities.
Of course, more importantly—although Zhu Weiyang was anxious to see Ji Hongli, she thought better of it. After all, she was an outsider, and these two seemed to be very well-connected here. Why not get on their good side? They might be of help to her in the future.
So, with one side willing and the other interested... it had turned into this scene.
After three rounds of drinks, at Bai Li's persistent questioning, Zhu Weiyang finally revealed her background.
"Actually..." she tapped the rim of her cup lightly, creating ripples in the wine, "I am the daughter of the Zhu Long."
"Spurt—"
Bai Li spat out a mouthful of wine. The two women stared at Zhu Weiyang with wide eyes.
"Zhu, Zhu Long?!" Bai Li stammered a little, "The Zhu Long you're referring to... is the Great Lord Zhu Long, who controls the Great Dao of Time and is known as the Ancestor of the Demon Race?"
"He is indeed my father!" Zhu Weiyang nodded shyly. She was actually rather introverted; when she was the Peony Flower Fairy, she couldn't even get along with the Hundred Flower Fairy.
But this time, it concerned her love, so she mustered her courage and seized the opportunity to ask, "So... could you tell me something about Ji Hongli and her Dao companion, Lin Wan..."
"Oh... that's not much of a secret." Xiao Ling'er had just recovered from her shock.
"Wait!" Bai Li suddenly interrupted, "Let's not talk about Senior Ji Hongli for now... who said Senior Lin Wan is Senior Hongli's Dao companion?"
Zhu Weiyang's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be... she's not?"
"Sister Hongli's Dao companion is Senior Chen Chang'an," Xiao Ling'er blinked. "He's the founding ancestor of our Xianling Holy Land, and Star Cai's father."
The glazed cup clattered onto the table, wine splashing everywhere.
Zhu Weiyang's face turned deathly pale, and her dragon pupils uncontrollably revealed themselves: "Chen... Chang'an? This person is... male or female?"
"Male, of course," Bai Li said, puzzled. "How could a Dao companion be female?"
A heavy silence fell.
Zhu Weiyang felt the world spin.
She had imagined countless possibilities—that Ji Hongli and Lin Wan were deeply in love, and perhaps she could wait quietly by their side; or that Ji Hongli was aloof and proud, leaving her a chance to slowly win her over... but she had never imagined that Ji Hongli's Dao companion was a man!
"Senior Ji Hongli..." her voice trembled, "she... likes men?"
Xiao Ling'er tilted her head: "What else would she like?"
Zhu Weiyang's fingertips dug deep into her palms.
She suddenly remembered twenty years ago, when Ji Hongli had rescued her from the River of Time, those firm yet gentle eyes.
Had that fluttering feeling in her heart really just been one-sided?
Bai Li keenly noticed her abnormality: "Sister Zhu, don't tell me you have feelings for Senior Hongli..."
"I..." Zhu Weiyang suddenly stood up, and even the dragon aura around her involuntarily leaked out, the cups on the table shattering with a crack.
"I'm sorry..." she staggered backward, dragon scales faintly appearing on her arms, "I, I'll take my leave first..."
"Wait!" Xiao Ling'er tried to grab her, but Bai Li stopped her.
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox shook her head slightly and transmitted her voice: "Let her be quiet for a while."
Zhu Weiyang transformed into a streak of crimson light and shot out of Qixia Pavilion, disappearing into the night.
Only falling peach blossoms filled the courtyard, and a puddle of undried wine remained on the table.
Inside the pavilion, Xiao Ling'er worried, "She wouldn't do anything rash, would she?"
Bai Li gazed in the direction Zhu Weiyang had left, a flash of brilliance in his eyes that vanished as quickly as it appeared: "No... and I have a feeling... interesting things are about to happen."
"Huh?" Xiao Ling'er suddenly exclaimed.
"What is it?"
"She seems to have taken all the wine with her!"
The night deepened, and the spiritual mist of Xianling Valley shimmered with a faint silver glow under the moonlight.
Chang'an was studying ancient texts in his study when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the courtyard.
"Father! Open the door quickly!"
The next moment, he saw his daughter standing at the entrance, supporting a drunken young woman.
The young woman wore a simple white dress, now stained with mud and wine. Her hair was loose, with a few strands clinging to her abnormally flushed cheeks. Her eyes were tightly shut, long eyelashes still glistening with tears. She clutched an empty wine pot tightly in her hand, muttering incoherently.
Chang'an frowned slightly: "Who is this?"
Because Zhu Weiyang had returned to her true form, her temperament had changed so much that he didn't recognize her as the Peony Fairy from the Dragon Secret Realm.
"I don't know either," Chen Xingcai said, catching her breath as she carefully supported the girl. "I found her on a small path nearby, completely drunk, crying while pouring wine into her mouth."
She wiped her brow, though there was no sweat there. "Even though I don't know who brought her into the valley, leaving her by the roadside is just too pitiful."
Chang'an examined the unfamiliar young woman carefully.
He could vaguely sense a familiar dragon aura about her, but it was mixed with some unfamiliar energy.
The young woman seemed to sense someone approaching and opened her eyes drowsily—they were vertical pupils of赤金 (chìjīn, crimson-gold), now appearing dim and unfocused from the drunkenness.
"Take her to the guest room first," Chang'an said without thinking, indicating for his daughter to settle her down.
Soon after Chen Xingcai had the young woman settled, she suddenly asked: "Where's my mother?"
Chang'an sighed: "She's still in seclusion. She probably won't emerge for another fifty years."
Of course, he didn't mention that their incarnations were currently in Ping'an Fang within Xianling City, being all lovey-dovey—that was a little secret between the couple.
Fifty years...
Chen Xingcai froze, then lifted her gaze, looking at her father with suspicion: "That's not right."
"What's not right?"
"Not seeing Mother for fifty years," Chen Xingcai narrowed her eyes, "why don't you seem to miss her at all, Father?"
Chang'an cleared his throat and put on a stern expression: "Adult matters are not for children to ask about."
"Hmph!"
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Dear Readers,
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