Chapter 375: Until We Meet Again

Xie Yan lifted his eyes, "Are you doing it on purpose?"

Yuan Yao was stunned; she asked in confusion, "What on purpose?"

Xie Yan saw that she showed no sign of guilt, and for a moment Xie Yan's mood grew complicated; Xie Yan's fingertip gently brushed the characters on the exquisite spirit stone, just as Xie Yan was about to say something.

"So you were despising my handwriting!" Yuan Yao realized belatedly, and she glared at him unhappily, intending to snatch the exquisite spirit stone from his hand.

Unexpectedly, the youth swiftly raised his hand, preventing her from taking it.

Xie Yan's chest quivered slightly, and he let out a muffled laugh, "Yuan Yao, I didn't expect your writing to be this ugly, hahaha…"

Yuan Yao heard that, gritted her teeth, and now found Xie Yan utterly detestable.

"Give it back to me!"

She lunged forward, reaching out to reclaim the exquisite spirit stone.

Xie Yan held the spirit stone aloft, looking down at her with a smiling gaze, teasing, "Yuan Yao, when you were in the Carefree Sect as a child, what exactly were you learning? Or perhaps, as the rumors say, you were idling all day."

"What does that have to do with you?" Yuan Yao, angry, stamped a hard kick on him.

Xie Yan let out a light hiss, "It hurts."

"I'll make you die of pain." Yuan Yao reached out, forcefully pulling his raised hand, trying to snatch the exquisite spirit stone from him.

Unwittingly, the two almost collided with each other.

Xie Yan smelled the fragrance of her hair, his Adam's apple bobbing, and he gazed down at her, "Yuan Yao, this is a gift you gave me; how could I take it back? Though I find your writing not very beautiful, I only want the characters you carved. Even if others' writing is better, I don't want it."

Yuan Yao's expression froze at his words, and she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze.

Xie Yan said softly, "I will thread it together with a red cord and wear it."

Yuan Yao, feeling conflicted, couldn't help asking, "Did you deliberately want to embarrass me? Since you despise my writing, why do you wear it so openly?"

"No." Xie Yan sighed lightly, sounding helpless, "Who made this the first gift you gave me."

Xie Yan leaned forward, looking straight at her, "Thank you, Yuan Yao."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Then keep it safely," Yuan Yao said coquettishly.

"No, I mean wear it properly."

"As you wish."

Immediately, she added, "I have to go back."

Yuan Yao was about to step out of the cave, but after a few steps she turned her head toward the ghost‑faced youth, her brows and eyes smiling, and said, "Take care."

Xie Yan's heart pounded faster in his chest.

The corner of Xie Yan's lips under the mask lifted slightly, and his gaze was fixed solely on her.

"Yuan Yao, until we meet again."

"Hmm, yeah."

The ghost‑faced youth stood outside the cave, his eyes following her receding figure, a hint of indescribable feeling appearing in his gaze.

He slowly raised his hand, pressing the exquisite spirit stone she had carved against his chest.

The area over his heart felt swollen and a bit itchy.

During the days after leaving the Flowing Light Secret Realm, her joys, anger, sorrows, resolve, and indifference nearly filled his mind.

When they met again in Snow City, she clearly saw herself, yet still treated herself as a stranger.

She indeed kept her promise.

She completely ignored him.

He should have been happy, but he couldn't feel any joy.

He saw her chatting merrily with other men, while she remained indifferent to him, leaving his heart both sour and bitter, so he regretted his earlier stance.

He realized clearly that he had fallen for Yuan Yao.

Fortunately, they have now reconciled.

Xie Yan's mouth curved slightly upward.

…

On her way back, Yuan Yao ran into her own Youngest Senior Brother.

She jumped in surprise.

"Youngest Senior Brother," she called timidly.

Ying Wuji's crimson phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, his handsome face darkened a bit, "I understand."

Yuan Yao, feeling uneasy, blinked, then gave a light cough, "Youngest Senior Brother, what do you know?"

Ying Wuji's composed face said, "You've been tainted with someone else's aura. You should know what I'm trying to say; if you come forward honestly, I'll help you hide it from the Sect Master and Eldest Senior Brother."

Yuan Yao's eyelid twitched hard, and she lowered her head like a child who had done something wrong, walking toward Ying Wuji.

"Youngest Senior Brother…"

Yuan Yao called plaintively, and then, as she lifted her head, her expression changed.

"Lulul… I won't tell you."

Ying Wuji: "…"

"Youngest Senior Brother, if you knew, you wouldn't be testing me like this!" Yuan Yao crossed her arms, her eyebrows dancing.

Ying Wuji, seeing her so smug, reached out to pinch her cheek, "Don't get cocky."

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts."

"You truly have someone else's aura on you; who did you go looking for?" Ying Wuji squinted, asking.

"Youngest Senior Brother, I didn't go looking for anyone."

"Are you still pretending to be clueless?"

Yuan Yao heard this, her eyes lingering with plaintive resentment at Ying Wuji, "Youngest Senior Brother, don't ask. I could never say it."

Ying Wuji suddenly felt a thread of helplessness, he reached out and gently patted her forehead, "I'm afraid you'll be deceived."

"Go back."

Yuan Yao rubbed her forehead, then quickened to match the black‑clad youth's pace, her hands clasped behind her, smiling as she tilted her head toward Ying Wuji: "Youngest Senior Brother, I won't be fooled."

"Better that way." Ying Wuji glared at her irritably, "You really have skill, managing to outwit us and even erase the footprints."

Yuan Yao pursed her lips, "So you don't believe I can handle my own affairs?"

"We truly are uneasy."

"Then how can I make you feel at ease?"

"Unless you can be stronger than us."

Yuan Yao sighed, "That would take a long time."

Catching up to their cultivation level would require a great deal of time, let alone surpassing them all.

Ying Wuji tilted his head at her, "Who told you not to practice properly when you were young?"

Yuan Yao's face turned bitter; had she known ten years ago that the male and female protagonists would join forces to destroy the Carefree Sect, she would have been grinding day and night in earnest.

Damn that 250 System, why didn't you arrive earlier!

Ying Wuji saw her sour expression and couldn't help but laugh.

"From now on, cultivate properly," he comforted.

Yuan Yao could only give a heavy "Hmm."

They returned near the underground labyrinth to rendezvous with Eldest Senior Brother and the others.

They waited about half a day.

Qian Jue Shan only just returned.

"Master!" Yuan Yao and the others rushed forward upon seeing the silver‑haired man.

The silver‑haired man's white robe bore several slashes, one of which was stained with fresh blood.

Yuan Yao's complexion flickered slightly.

"Master, are you injured?!"

The silver‑haired man's lips were slightly pale as he slowly shook his head, "Just a minor wound."

Yuan Yao gritted her teeth, "Master, then you beat Formless Immortal?"

Qian Jue Shan saw her irritated, angry expression, knowing she despised the Formless Immortal, and he nodded seriously: "I did."

Finally, he added, "Xu Yan Zhi was injured more severely than I was."