*Achoo! Achoo!*
*Neigh—!*
The horse galloped through the rugged mountains. On one side stood a sheer rock wall, and on the other, a plunging abyss. A fine drizzle fell incessantly, and Chu Ruo’s hands, gripping the reins, were slick with cold sweat. Those two sneezes had nearly sent the carriage veering into the void. This wretched weather was more heartless than any man.
"Why did you come out? Go back inside and rest."
The woman did not listen. Instead, she sat down beside her, leaning her head against Chu Ruo’s shoulder as they pressed close together. "It’s too stifling inside."
"Look at this weather. You’ll fall ill if you stay out here. Be good; there’s a charcoal brazier inside. It’s warmer there."
Nan Muxue placed her hand over Chu Ruo’s stiff, white-knuckled grip on the reins. "And what about you?"
"I’m fine. I’ve got my bamboo hat and cloak. Go on, get back inside. I’m afraid we’ll have to camp out in the wild again tonight."
"More than just tonight," Nan Muxue noted. "We are still quite far from the next town. I suspect it will be like this for the next two or three days. We should find a place to take cover for a while."
"Let’s get past this stretch of road first. I’ve been looking around, hoping to find a house or two where we could ask for a night’s lodging. It would save you from the hardship of sleeping in this carriage every day. But this area is too remote; I can only keep letting you suffer for now."
Nan Muxue smiled. "In the past, I—"
"I know, I know. You were going to say that before I came to Baihua Palace, you used to go on missions alone and sleep in trees. You weren't so fastidious or delicate then, right?"
"Interrupting your Master now?"
Nan Muxue’s hands were just as icy, but when she interlaced her fingers with Chu Ruo’s, a constant warmth surged through Chu Ruo’s heart. She lifted that hand to her lips and kissed it; the raindrops on Nan Muxue's skin dampened her own lips. "I only said it for you because I didn't want you to tire yourself out speaking."
Though it was a jest, Nan Muxue wrapped her arms around her, replying seriously, "With you here, I am never tired."
Chu Ruo couldn't count how many times she had heard this sentiment, yet every time she did, she felt herself moved to a mess of emotions. She pulled her closer. "Are you cold?"
Curled into her embrace, Nan Muxue gave a one-word answer: "No." At this moment, it was the most beautiful word in the world.
"Hey, tell me, how is my carriage-driving skill?"
"We haven't fallen off yet."
"That’s it? You could at least give me a compliment or two."
"Shameless."
"You..."
Nan Muxue turned her face to look at her. "Back then, you didn't even know how to ride a horse. Now, you can even drive a carriage."
"It was all taught by you, wasn't it? I haven't disgraced you, have I?" Chu Ruo reminisced about the past. "I remember back then, I always followed behind you. You were the one who took me on your horse. But I was always so happy because I could press close against you and hold your waist. Your waist is so thin... and you smelled so good. Every time, I just wanted to lean my head against you."
"You brat..." Recalling those not-so-distant memories and this girl's behavior back then, Nan Muxue gave her a frustrated tug. "A lecher through and through, plotting against your Master even then."
"Well, you didn't exactly refuse, did you?"
"You dare say more!"
"I'll stop, I'll stop! Master, have mercy!" Chu Ruo laughed, her voice tinged with sentiment. "Thinking back, those times were actually happier than now. At most, I’d be punished for failing to memorize a mental cultivation technique or for practicing sword forms poorly. It wasn't like this. But back then, I still thought of you as two different people—one was you, and the other was Yan'er. Why were you so wicked back then? So fierce and terrifying during the day, then sneaking into my room at night to offer warmth... I walked right into your trap."
"Hmm?"
One squint of those eyes and Chu Ruo’s legs felt like jelly. "Go inside and sleep for a bit."
"No."
"Be good."
"I won't."
"...How can you be so stubborn? What if you catch a cold?"
Nan Muxue remained nestled in her arms. "I want you to stay with me."
Those few words were, to Chu Ruo, the most wonderful confession she had ever heard. Ultimately, she tightened her cloak to wrap them both more securely. "When we reach the next town, let's hire a driver."
"Are you tired?"
"Before, I didn't want anyone tracking us. But now we're nearing the Southwest. We're strangers in a strange land; it'll be more reliable to find a local. Besides, if every day is like today, it's just pure suffering. With a driver, I can stay in the carriage with you, and you won't have to come out here to face the wind and rain."
"In the end, you just want to be lazy."
"You're judging my gluttonous heart with your 'little scorpion' mind."
*Heh.* Nan Muxue couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "Nonsense."
"As long as you're smiling. Xue'er, you really look beautiful when you smile. So beautiful."
"Glib-tongued. You had best not let this Master catch you flirting with anyone else—especially people from that place you lived before you 'crossed over.' You learned all these bad habits there."
"How are they bad habits? Besides, if I didn't have these so-called bad habits and acted like everyone else you know, you wouldn't have taken a liking to me anyway."
"So, you think these are virtues?"
"I was just wondering... if another transmigrator had appeared before you back then, would you still have taken them as a disciple? Hey, if you had met a man that day, would you still have brought him up the mountain?"
Nan Muxue smiled faintly. "And if the one who took you as a disciple back then had been a man, would you be as you are today?"
"That's a strange comparison. You, a man? I can't even imagine it. Besides, there's no man as petty as you..."
She felt a sharp poke in her back. "How do you wish to die? This Master can fulfill your wish."
"Now, now... you're not playing fair. I ask you a question, you ask me one back, and then you get angry when I answer."
"Answer this Master first."
"Of course I wouldn't. It's you I love. What do other people have to do with it? Besides, I don't like men."
Nan Muxue seized upon that last sentence. "You've never liked them?"
"Yeah, why?"
A sudden chill emanated from her. "Who did you fancy before? Tell the truth!"
"What's wrong with you?" Chu Ruo wanted to laugh. "Why so serious all of a sudden..."
"Answer me!" Nan Muxue could not tolerate it. She had once thought she wouldn't mind, that she could disregard the people and events from before Chu Ruo's transmigration. But gradually, she found she could not bear the slightest possibility that Chu Ruo might have liked someone else—even if it was just a passing fancy, even if it was before she came to this world. No, absolutely not. The mere thought was unbearable, making her want to strike out in a frenzy. Her lips trembled. "You can't. I won't allow you to have loved them."
Chu Ruo hurriedly raised a hand to soothe the woman in her arms. "I haven't. I've never liked anyone else. Don't you trust me? From the very beginning, whether in my old world or this one, I have only ever loved you, Xue'er..."
"You can't," Nan Muxue found she could not control her emotions. For twenty years, her martial arts had required her to suppress all feelings, yet why was she increasingly unable to restrain her heart? Perhaps she would never be able to again. She allowed herself to vent in the other's arms, her true thoughts spilling out. "You are not allowed to like anyone else. You can't. Other than me, you can only love me. It must only be me..."
"It is you. It has always been you." Chu Ruo held this suddenly volatile woman—the woman she loved to her very core—tightly. "Of course it's only you. Relax, just relax..." Her eyes shimmered with heartache. Whether this sudden outburst was due to the Pregnancy Gu or a genuine lack of trust, she had always known that the woman she loved lacked a sense of security. It was all because of Baihua Palace, which had shackled her for a lifetime, and thanks to that twisted mother of hers. But she loved her nonetheless—loved everything about her. Since she loved her, she wouldn't let a small thing like this affect them.
For a long time, Nan Muxue remained in her arms, silent and unmoving. They continued until nightfall, the rain finally easing. Fortunately, the foul weather brought no thunder or lightning. Chu Ruo found a towering tree and prepared to rest there for the night.
Only then did Nan Muxue speak again, her voice muffled against Chu Ruo’s chest. "You really didn't lie to me?"
"I didn't," Chu Ruo answered without hesitation. The carriage had stopped, and her hands were free to embrace her lady once more. "Before you, I never knew what it was like to love someone. I never felt this constant longing, where if you leave for even a second, my heart feels hollowed out, following after you. This is a feeling I never experienced, even before I crossed over. Not until I met you. Xue'er, I will never lie to you. You are the first person I've loved, and you will be the last."
"Mm." The response was soft and tender, like a delicate girl acting spoiled with her beloved. But this was Nan Muxue; such a response was likely something no one else would ever witness. In the next moment, she unexpectedly went limp against Chu Ruo. "I'm hungry."
This massive contrast in personality nearly made Chu Ruo burst out laughing. She coaxed her gently, "Go inside and wait for a bit. I'll start a fire and get some food ready."
Nan Muxue was uncharacteristically obedient, though not entirely. She left the carriage door wide open and sat with her arms wrapped around her legs. She appeared to be staring blankly into the carriage, but Chu Ruo knew that Xue'er's gaze never left her.
It was another night spent in the wilderness. The ancient world was vast, but sparsely populated. The further southwest they went, the fewer signs of civilization they saw. Sometimes it took ten days or half a month to reach a populated area. It was all deep mountains and old forests. At night, it felt as if all the animals had come to life; even the flora felt sentient, rustling when you least expected it. The strange cries of unknown birds echoed through the woods, adding to the eerie atmosphere. No wonder there were so many ghost stories in ancient times; it seemed only natural in this environment. She truly admired those traveling scholars; it was no wonder they could write so many tales of the strange and supernatural.
"The clothes are all dry." Chu Ruo entered the carriage, closed the door, shed her outer robe, and lay down. "Traveling in the rain is such a hassle. Let's sleep. Hopefully, the weather will be better tomorrow."
Nan Muxue burrowed into her arms as usual and uttered two words: "It wouldn't."
Chu Ruo was utterly confused by the non-sequitur. "What? You mean the weather? I was just saying... even if it rains knives, we have to keep going."
Nan Muxue shook her head. "I am answering your previous question." By now, she had returned to her usual, indifferent self. "If the person I met back then hadn't been you, I wouldn't have saved her."
Seeing that she was fine now, Chu Ruo turned on her side to face her and smiled. "What if she had been a martial arts prodigy like me?"
"No."
"Why? Wasn't that what you saw in me at first?"
"Yes, and no. You might not believe it—I hardly believe it myself—but the moment I first saw you, my first thought was to save you and take you back. There were no ulterior motives. You were just lying there so quietly. For no reason at all, I just wanted to save you, to bring you up the mountain to Baihua Palace. It was an instantaneous thought, and to this day, I don't know why I had it. Yan'er was right; it wasn't like me. With my temperament, if such a suspicious person appeared at the foot of the mountain, my sword would have already crossed their throat the moment I saw them."
"I believe you. Of course I believe my Xue'er. Perhaps it was heaven's will, or perhaps it was destiny. I might not believe in the heavens, but the only thing I believe in is you." In the small carriage, the candlelight made everything feel warm and cozy. Chu Ruo’s face was bright with a smile. "Maybe you just fell for me at first sight? After all, I'm so lovable that flowers bloom when they see me..."
"Regardless of who it was, in this life, I have chosen only you."
The sentiment was a bit of a non-sequitur to Chu Ruo's joke, but she loved it. "I think the only reason I transmigrated was for you."
"Wasn't it for your Lady Zhi'er?"
...As expected, as soon as she recovered, the "little scorpion" regained her venomous tongue. "Ow! Why did you hit me?"
"Do you think I can't see your dog-like schemes?"
"I've actually wanted to ask you this for a long time. Can you really read minds? How is it that every time I curse you in my head, you find out?"
"Get out."
"You always do this, avoiding my question. Come on, tell me. Is there some secret technique you haven't taught me? That's not very honorable of you."
Nan Muxue arched an eyebrow. "Don't you know that once the apprentice learns everything, the master starves?"
"That won't happen! At most... at most, I'll feed you."
"Chu Ruo!"
"Not gentle at all. At a time like this, you should be calling me 'Husband'~"
*Thud!* Of course, it was too cold outside, so Nan Muxue didn't actually kick her out. However, a punishment like kneeling was still unavoidable...
Another day passed. That evening, in the heart of the deep mountains, they discovered an inn.
"Fortune Inn. Look at that sign; it's practically falling apart. There isn't a ghost in sight. How are they supposed to make a fortune?"
Nan Muxue looked at her. "What do you think?"
Chu Ruo started to laugh, then realized the implication. "Oh... by making a fortune off *us*?"
"Don't you think this place feels off?"
"I've been with you long enough to have some alertness. Who would open an inn in a godforsaken place like this?" The Miaojiang region was incredibly remote, with treacherous mountains and poor transportation, making it very isolated. Over time, the local customs had become fierce. Few people were willing to come here, so it mostly became a refuge for criminals or those of ill repute, as few would bother chasing them to such a place.
"An inn naturally does business with travelers. Ordinary merchants don't come to the Southwest because it's too remote and there's nothing worth trading. However, many desperate and wicked people like to flee here. Without some skill, how could one open a shop in a place like this? It's also possible the original owner is long gone, and as for those who remain..."
Chu Ruo touched the hilt of Ice Chill at her waist, a rare, wicked grin appearing on her face. "Well now, it looks like I can finally sleep in a bed tonight. Master, after you."
