Chapter 33 But he was the only one my sister couldn't let go of.
Leaving the Empress Dowager's residence, Xiao Moreturned to Yangxin Hall and re-entered the Book of Hundred Lifetimes.
He sat in the courtyard.
Xiao Mo took out a crystal-clear snake scale from his embrace.
The snake scale had already been strung into a necklace by Bai Ruxue, and it now hung around Xiao Mo's neck, carried with him at all times.
Xiao Mo put down the book in his hand and looked up in the direction of She Mountain.
It was almost time for him to go pick her up.
Yesterday, Bai Ruxue said she would pack her luggage and wait for him on that small path at noon today.
Estimating the time, she should be descending the mountain soon.
"Sister, are you really leaving?"
At the cave entrance, Xiao Qing looked at her sister, sniffing.
"Xiao Qing, don't worry," Bai Ruxue patted her sister's shoulder, "Sister will definitely come back to see you often. Once sister gets familiar with life down the mountain, I'll bring you along. Xiao Mo is a very good person."
"Alright then." Xiao Qing wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Then sister, you must be careful after going down the mountain. The Human Race are all very bad! And sister, you're so naive, it's easy to be deceived."
"No, I won't." Bai Ruxue proudly lifted her fair little chin. "Sister is very smart, and I have Xiao Mo with me."
"I'm just afraid he'll sell you, sister," Xiao Qing sighed, thinking to herself.
"Sister, after going down the mountain, you must not reveal your true form in front of people, remember that," Xiao Qing reminded her again.
"Mhm, mhm, mhm, sister knows." Bai Ruxue nodded. "Xiao Qing, you also need to eat more mice and take good care of yourself. Sister will bring you down the mountain as soon as possible."
"Xiao Qing will wait for sister."
After bidding farewell to her sister, Bai Ruxue happily walked down the mountain.
Before long, Bai Ruxue arrived halfway up the mountain.
By a rock on that small path, Bai Ruxue saw him, dressed in a green robe.
"Xiao Mo," Bai Ruxue called out, and jogged over.
Xiao Mo turned around and saw Bai Ruxue carrying a chicken in one hand and a rabbit in the other.
"This is?" Xiao Mo asked.
"This is our lunch for today!" Bai Ruxue swayed the prey in her hands. "I'll cook it for you after we go down the mountain."
"Okay." Xiao Mo smiled. "Then I'll look forward to Bai Guniang's cooking."
"Hmph hmph~ This maiden's cooking is very good~~~"
"I believe Bai Guniang," Xiao Mo said with anticipation.
The two walked side by side down She Mountain and entered the village.
"Mr. Xiao, the young lady beside you is truly beautiful."
"What a pretty young lady."
"This young lady looks like a Fairy, Mr. Xiao, who is she?"
When Xiao Mo brought Bai Ruxue into the village, Aunt Li, Wang Dama, and others all praised Bai Ruxue upon seeing her.
They weren't flattering her; they truly had never seen such a beautiful woman.
This woman was fair and delicate, as pure as snow, like a legendary Fairy.
"She is the daughter of a friend of my father's. She usually lived in Chen Country, but due to the war there, Ru Xue fled with her parents. Not long ago, Ru Xue's parents passed away. Today, when I went to town, I recognized Ru Xue. As Ru Xue had nowhere to go, I brought her back first."
Xiao Mo explained his pre-prepared story to the village's aunts and grandmothers.
Hearing about the young lady's pitiful background, the aunts and grandmothers felt extremely sympathetic and pulled Bai Ruxue over, asking about her well-being.
Before long, all the villagers of Shiqiao Village knew that a beautiful young lady, more stunning than a Fairy, had arrived in the village.
"Bai Guniang, please make do with staying here. If you need anything, just tell me."
Upon returning to the courtyard, Xiao Mo led Bai Ruxue to a small wooden house nearby.
This wooden house was originally used to store miscellaneous items, but Xiao Mo had cleaned and tidied it up, replacing the bedding and pillows with new ones.
"Not at all, not at all." Bai Ruxue waved her hand and sat on her bed. "It's so comfortable... I usually sleep on rocks."
Xiao Mo: "."
"Uh, what I mean is, my sister and my beds are very hard, like rocks," Bai Ruxue quickly clarified.
"As long as Bai Guniang likes it," Xiao Mo still pretended not to know anything.
"I like it very much!"
Seeing Xiao Mo so easily fooled, Bai Ruxue thought to herself, how could she possibly expose her identity? Xiao Qing's worries were completely unnecessary.
"Xiao Mo, I'll go prepare the meal for you."
"Then thank you, Bai Guniang."
"You're welcome~"
Bai Ruxue lightly skipped out of the bedroom and dashed towards the kitchen.
Xiao Mo sat in the courtyard, flipping through a book.
However, not long after, Xiao Mo smelled a strong scent of smoke.
Looking up, Xiao Mo saw a disheveled Bai Ruxuerunning out of the kitchen, crying:
"Xiao Mo, it's on fire! The kitchen is on fire!"
In the kitchen of the Minister of Rites' residence in Zhou Country.
Yan Ruxue was cooking.
Her maid, Xiao Chun, stood beside the Young Miss, helping out.
Although she was supposed to be helping, Xiao Chun had nothing to do.
Whether it was cutting vegetables or tending the fire, the Young Miss did it all by herself.
Watching the Young Miss's skilled knife work and her decisive movements when adding firewood, Xiao Chun always marveled at how such a perfect woman could exist.
She was capable both inside and outside the home, talented and beautiful.
This could only be her own Young Miss, she thought.
After finishing the meal, Yan Ruxue had Xiao Chun carry it out.
In the courtyard sat a woman dressed in a green skirt.
This was her Young Miss's good friend, and Xiao Chun had never known this woman's origin.
She always came and went without a trace.
However, Xiao Chun didn't say much, nor did she ask many questions.
Xiao Chun only knew that this woman's beauty was only slightly inferior to her Young Miss's.
And the Young Miss called her "Xiao Qing."
After Xiao Chun placed the dishes on the table, she bowed and retreated as usual.
Yan Ruxue sat in front of Xiao Qing, pulling back her sleeve to reveal her fair arm, and poured a bowl of chicken soup, handing it to her:
"Xiao Qing, it's been a long time since you've had sister's cooking, hasn't it? Come, taste sister's cooking and see if it's gotten worse."
"Sister..." Xiao Qing looked up, her eyes complex as she gazed at the woman in front of her. "You haven't returned to the Dragon Palace in a long time."
Yan Ruxue added another piece of braised rabbit to Xiao Qing's bowl: "Once things are handled, sister will go back."
"Sister! It's useless!"
Xiao Qing's tone carried a hint of Life Qi.
"Even if sister finds his third lifetime this time, what then? He's still a mortal in this life, his lifespan is still less than a hundred years, and he will eventually turn to dust!"
Yan Ruxue said nothing, only serving rice to her sister.
"Sister! Have you forgotten what he told you before he died?" Xiao Qing suddenly stood up, looking at her sister, her chest heaving violently.
Yan Ruxue: "."
Looking at her sister, who had been so persistent for thousands of years, Xiao Qing seemed to lose all her strength: "Sister... let it go..."
"Xiao Qing..."
Yan Ruxue looked up, gazing gently into Xiao Qing's eyes.
"Sister can let go of everything.
But he is the only one.
Sister cannot do it."