Chapter 149: The True White Snake, A Bond from a Past Life

Outside the window, the night was deep and quiet.

The young girl on the bed was already asleep, and the scorching heat on her forehead had also subsided.

Luo Zijun sat by the bedside, quietly watching her sleeping face.

His mood at this moment was exceptionally tranquil.

He sat for a long while more.

Only then did he rise, tuck her in, gently smooth the hair at her temples, and exit the room.

Downstairs, his master was already asleep in a chair.

Luo Zijun went back upstairs, fetched a quilt from his own room, came back down, and gently covered him with it, before going to open the door and slipping away quietly.

On the streets in the dead of night, there were no pedestrians left.

The lanterns hanging at the doorways of various shops had long since been extinguished; as the night breeze brushed past, they swayed, adding to the desolation.

Luo Zijun soon returned to the Bai Mansion.

The guards at the back gate were somewhat surprised to see him, but they did not ask any questions.

Luo Zijun first returned to Junzi Residence, entering directly by climbing over the wall.

A dim light was still shining in the room; the two little maids had not yet fallen asleep, and the sounds of their giggling drifted from behind the curtains.

Luo Zijun tapped on the window and said, "It's so late, and you're still not asleep!"

Both of them let out an "Ah," clearly startled.

Xiaohuan hurriedly pushed aside the curtains and got out of bed, came over to open the window, and said with a face full of surprise, "Young Master, why have you returned now? We thought you weren't coming back."

The little maid had her hair disheveled and was wearing a small red bodice, revealing her fair shoulders and collarbones; the bodice was taut across her chest, her young face was flushed with color, and she was still panting slightly, though it was unclear what the two of them had been frolicking about on the bed just now.

"I never said I wasn't coming back."

Luo Zijun reached out to pinch her cheek, but she laughed and dodged backward.

The little maid hurriedly left the room to open the door for him.

After Luo Zijun entered the room, he rubbed her little head and asked in a low voice, "What were you and Zhiyuan doing on the bed just now? Your hair is messy, your clothes are disheveled, and your cheeks are red—were you doing something bad?"

Xiaohuan giggled and said, "Not at all, the maid and Sister Zhiyuan were just chatting."

"Chatting about what?"

Luo Zijun asked curiously.

Xiaohuan gave a playful smile and whispered, "Chatting about the books Young Master writes, and also... about how Young Master likes girls' little feet."

Luo Zijun: "...... Do not slander your Young Master!"

"I'm not slandering you at all!"

Xiaohuan suddenly pressed into his embrace, wrapped her arms around him, and looking up with her flushed little face, said, "Young Master, do you want the maid to serve you tonight? Sister Zhiyuan can too. Or, would Young Master prefer to go to where the maid and Sister Zhiyuan are?"

She then added with a soft, laughing whisper, "Sister Zhiyuan's little feet are also very pretty; they feel soft, tender, and smooth when you touch them. Young Master, hurry and go touch them."

Luo Zijun tapped her little head and said, "Go to sleep quickly, this Young Master has things to do tonight."

"Is Young Master going to cultivate again?"

"Mm, cultivate."

Luo Zijun stroked her hair, and thinking of his upcoming meeting with that Bai Daxiaojie, for some reason, his heart suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

"Oh, then the maid won't disturb Young Master."

Upon hearing this, Xiaohuan immediately closed the door, returned to her own room, and then from inside the door, she smiled at him and said, "Young Master, Sister Zhiyuan has even prepared the white cloth."

From inside the room, Zhiyuan's shy voice immediately drifted out: "Xiaohuan..."

Xiaohuan giggled and closed the door.

Luo Zijun stood stunned for a moment, returned to the room next door, pondered in the darkness for a while, and then looked at the night scene outside the window before heading out.

Encountering a few guards on the way, he said, "I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

Those guards did not ask any further questions.

Now, everyone in the mansion, from top to bottom, knew how favored he was.

The Third Miss often came to find him, and even the Master and Mistress had invited him to dine with them.

Therefore, everyone who saw him treated him with great respect.

Walking along, neither fast nor slow, he soon passed through a circular gate covered in green vines and entered the Baihuayuan.

At night, the Baihuayuan was still vibrant with color, and the fragrance of flowers permeated the air.

All kinds of fresh flowers, blooming in various colors, vied for beauty under the pure white moonlight.

As the night breeze brushed past, the flower branches trembled and petals flew about, as if they were graceful, peerless beauties dancing.

Luo Zijun walked through the flower path covered in fallen petals, heading forward for about several hundred meters, before arriving in front of the Bai Hua Hu.

The lakeside was lined with weeping willows and surrounded by flowers.

The lake was filled with rippling green waves and shimmering light, and the water was covered with petals drifting in from the garden, looking as beautiful as a dream under the illumination of the moonlight.

A distinct, warm aura rose from the lake, enveloping the entire Baihuayuan.

A few small boats were tied to the lakeside, their bows covered in fallen petals.

Just as Luo Zijun was staring blankly at the beautiful scenery before him, he suddenly noticed a small boat appear on the lake surface ahead.

That small boat seemed to have come from the pavilion in the very center of the lake.

A young girl dressed in pink was standing prettily at the bow of the boat, poling with a bamboo rod; upon seeing him, she waved her hand, but did not speak.

Luo Zijun waited quietly by the lakeside.

Soon, the small boat, carrying the pretty, pink-clad girl and a boatload of pink petals, arrived close by.

"Come up, my Young Lady is waiting in the pavilion."

Fenfen held the bamboo rod, slowly brought the small boat under her feet alongside the bank, looked at him, and said, "You'll have to jump on yourself; no one is going to help you."

Luo Zijun stepped steadily onto the small boat, careful not to tread on the petals piled together.

Fenfen glanced at him, seemingly satisfied with his actions, and while punting the boat away, she said, "I swept these petals up on the road. If they were left on the road, they would be trampled and dirtied. By putting them on the boat like this, when the wind blows, they fly into the water and can drift there forever—clean, fresh, and delicate."

Luo Zijun said, "I didn't expect Young Lady Fenfen to be such an elegant person who cherishes flowers."

Fenfen smiled and said, "I like flowers."

Luo Zijun said, "I like them too."

Fenfen looked at him and said, "What kind of flowers do you like?"

Luo Zijun thought for a moment and said, "I like them all."

Fenfen glanced sideways at him and suddenly gave a cold hum, saying, "I'm afraid the flower Young Master Luo likes is not *that* kind of flower, is it?"

Luo Zijun said, "A flower is a flower; how could there be 'this' flower and 'that' flower?"

Fenfen sneered, slowly pulled the bamboo pole from the water, and then probed it back in gently, saying, "My young lady never sees outsiders in the manor, especially men. Luo Zijun, you are not allowed to tell anyone about what happened tonight, do you understand?"

Luo Zijun said, "I understand."

He gazed at the towering pavilion in the middle of the lake, his face calm and ripple-free.

Fenfen asked curiously, "What do you want to say to my young lady?"

Luo Zijun did not answer.

Fenfen gave a cold snort and said, "You are not allowed to speak of matters between men and women, and you are not allowed to defile my young lady's ears. Also, you are not allowed to get too close, and you are not allowed to let your eyes wander."

Luo Zijun turned his head to look at her and said, "Is it your young lady who told you to say these things to me?"

Fenfen said, "Of course not, I wanted to say them myself."

Luo Zijun said, "Then shut your mouth."

"..."

Fenfen pulled the bamboo pole from the water, intending to strike him.

Luo Zijun looked at her with cold eyes and said indifferently, "Does Young Lady Fenfen want to take flight from the boat, fall into the water, and become a drowned rat?"

"How dare you!"

The bamboo pole in Fenfen's hand was immediately raised, aimed at his head, and she snorted coldly, "Want to try? Do you believe I can capsize the small boat and make you the drowned rat first?"

Luo Zijun stared at her for a few moments, then walked straight over and stood in front of her.

Fenfen's expression changed, and she immediately stepped back: "You... what are you doing?"

Luo Zijun did not answer and moved closer to her again.

Fenfen immediately stepped back another step, reaching the gunwale, and said in a panic, "You... don't come over. If you take one more step closer, I'll jump into the water."

Luo Zijun ignored her, reached out and snatched the bamboo pole from her hands, thrust it into the water, and began to punt the boat.

The speed of the small boat immediately increased.

Fenfen was stunned for a moment before saying, "Are you complaining that I'm slow?"

Luo Zijun punted the boat and said, "Not only am I complaining that you're slow, I'm also complaining that you're long-winded. You're so young, how are you as naggy as those old matrons? Would you die if you didn't talk?"

Fenfen: "..." The small boat swayed and soon arrived in front of the pavilion in the center of the lake.

Fenfen took the rope first, jumped up nimbly, tied the small boat to a wooden stake on the shore, and then looked at him to warn him again: "If you are rude to my young lady later, don't even think about going back."

Luo Zijun jumped onto the shore and said, "I am a scholar, a refined gentleman; how could I be rude to anyone?"

Fenfen glared at him and said, "Then why have you been rude to me the whole time?"

Luo Zijun said, "If you want others to be polite to you, you must first learn how to be polite to others. If you are rude to others, others will naturally be rude to you."

Fenfen said angrily, "But even when I am rude to others, they are still polite to me—except for you!"

Luo Zijun said, "That's because I am a normal person."

Fenfen was about to speak again, but he interrupted her: "Let's go, I don't want to nag with you anymore. I came over tonight to speak with your young lady, not to speak with you. I hope that from now on, you shut your mouth."

Fenfen: "..."

"Detestable!"

She immediately walked ahead, puffed up with anger.

!

Luo Zijun followed behind into the pavilion and then went up the stairs.

They climbed all the way to the top floor.

Fenfen turned her head, panting, and said, "I'll tire you to death!"

Luo Zijun was not flushed and was not out of breath; he said, "I'm not tired, after all, I exercise every day. As for you, you look like you're about to be tired to death."

Fenfen: "..."

"Sister Fenfen, has Brother Zijun arrived?"

Bai Bai suddenly walked over from the corridor to the side.

Fenfen gave a cold snort and said, "From now on, you are not allowed to call him Brother Zijun. Why call him so affectionately? Just call him Luo Zijun!"

Luo Zijun went up the stairs.

Bai Bai immediately came over with a face full of joy: "Brother Zijun, Bai Bai has already spoken to the young lady for you. Where is the sugar figurine you promised to buy for Bai Bai?"

As she spoke, her gaze turned to his hands, and she swallowed hard.

Luo Zijun: "... That, I forgot."

Bai Bai: "..."

Fenfen sneered: "See that, Bai Bai? This guy is a liar. Let's see if you'll ever believe him again!"

Luo Zijun said awkwardly, "Tomorrow, I will definitely buy it tomorrow."

Bai Bai immediately pouted her little mouth, wearing a look of resentment.

Qingqing also appeared silently behind her, a precious sword strapped across her towering chest, her face cold as frost.

"Where is Bai Daxiaojie?"

Luo Zijun asked.

Fenfen gave a huff and led the way in front.

Luo Zijun immediately followed behind.

The two passed through a corridor and arrived at a room inside.

Fenfen knocked on the door lightly and said in a very gentle tone, "Miss, Luo Zijun is here."

It was quiet inside for a moment, then a calm and pleasant voice came: "Let him come in."

Fenfen pushed the door open gently and whispered a warning to the person behind her: "I'll be guarding at the door; if you dare to be disrespectful to my Miss, hmph..."

Luo Zijun ignored her, walked past her side, and entered the room.

The room was lit with oil lamps and red candles.

Bai Daxiaojie was not in the room, but at the railing outside.

She was wearing a white dress and a veil, standing there gracefully and quietly, bathed in the pure white moonlight; the skin she revealed was snow-white and dazzling, like exquisite porcelain.

That head of jet-black hair hung loose behind her, draping down to her slender waist; under the moonlight, it looked like black silk, dark and smooth, filled with a charming luster.

Luo Zijun did not approach, but cupped his hands in a bow inside the room: "Greetings, Daxiaojie."

Bai Meixue turned her head to look at him, her gaze serene, her tone calm: "I heard from Bai Bai that you have something to say to me?"

Luo Zijun said: "Yes."

He paused, raised his head, and looked at that beautiful, dreamlike silhouette under the moonlight, saying: "I will take the liberty to ask, Daxiaojie, do you remember the name Xu Xuan or Xu Xian in your heart?"

Bai Meixue was slightly startled and shook her head slightly: "Who is he?"

Luo Zijun looked at her clear and serene eyes and quietly cast Mind Reading, but he did not see any other thoughts in her heart.

Has she really forgotten even this?

Luo Zijun said: "He is..."

He did not answer immediately, but asked again: "Then, does Daxiaojie still remember some other things? For example, a benefactor, a snake, or cultivation?"

Bai Meixue looked at him quietly without answering.

Luo Zijun cupped his hands and said: "Apologies, these questions are indeed somewhat presumptuous, but this matter is very important to me, and I hope Daxiaojie can inform me. I can guarantee that I will not speak of this to anyone."

Bai Meixue was silent for a moment and said: "Recently, I have occasionally had dreams where I do indeed dream of what you mentioned. You... do you know something? Can you tell me?"

Luo Zijun looked into her eyes and listened to the confusion in her heart, thinking to himself: It really is her... but it seems she has forgotten everything.

"Has Daxiaojie heard of reincarnation?"

Luo Zijun continued to use Mind Reading to ask.

He had to confirm whether she truly remembered nothing at all.

Upon hearing this, Bai Meixue shook her head slightly.

Luo Zijun hesitated for a moment, continued to look into her eyes, and probed: "Daxiaojie's past life may have been a snake, and being reborn as a human in this life is actually to repay a debt of gratitude. Daxiaojie's benefactor... is named Xu Xuan."

Bai Meixue looked at him with a quiet gaze and said: "It's you, right?"

Luo Zijun's pupils constricted, and he said: "Do you remember?"

Bai Meixue's gaze was calm; she stared at him for a while longer and said: "Back at the Inner City Academy, there were also many men who used various excuses to deceive me. But no one has ever been like you, saying I am a snake, and that I am specifically here to repay a debt of gratitude to you... You see that I am beautiful, so you want to deceive me, is that it?"

Luo Zijun: "..."

"Daxiaojie, I am telling you these things not because I want to deceive you..."

"Then what is it?"

Bai Daxiaojie's tone remained calm and waveless.

Luo Zijun said: "I just wanted to clarify your identity."

Bai Meixue gave an "Oh" and said: "And then?"

Luo Zijun did not speak again.

Now that the identity was clarified and he knew she remembered nothing, it seemed there was nothing else to do.

The room fell quiet.

At this moment, Fenfen suddenly said from outside the door: "Luo Zijun, the time is up; my Miss needs to go back quickly."

Luo Zijun took one more look at that silhouette, cupped his hands, and took his leave.

He went out the door.

Fenfen gave a huff at him and muttered a few words of dissatisfaction.

Bai Bai blinked her large eyes and reminded him pitifully: "Zijun-gege, the sugar figurine..."

"I'll give it to you tomorrow."

Luo Zijun ruffled her hair and went downstairs with a heavy heart.

Under the wooden bridge in front of the pavilion, three small boats were tied.

Luo Zijun jumped onto the one he had just arrived in, took out the bamboo pole himself, and poled the boat away.

After sailing a distance, he couldn't help but raise his head and look toward the very top of the pavilion.

At the railing there, a slender white shadow stood hazily, seemingly looking at him as well.

The night breeze blew, carrying the chill of the lake water.

Luo Zijun couldn't help but think to himself: Is this the fate of a past life? After tossing and turning for so long, we actually met here.

It is a pity that the other party has already forgotten him.

But this is also for the best; if the other party still remembered him, there might be even greater trouble.

After all, the threads of affection are the hardest to cut, and the trials of love are the hardest to pass.

Now, both are strangers to each other, with no affection or obligation between them, so no matter what he does in the future, he will not have any psychological burden.

And the other party would not be trapped by sentiment either.

That is quite good.

(End of this chapter)