Chapter 21: He actually wants to let her go?
“Gulp, gulp…”
Xie Qiyang took the small, rustic, dark green bottle handed to her by Li Tianxing and instinctively brought it to her nose to sniff.
A sweet, fruity fragrance mixed with a faint hint of alcohol filled her nostrils.
She tilted her head back and drank it all in one go, the crisp, slightly intoxicating liquid sliding down her throat.
“Mmm… sweet, like fruit wine.”
She smacked her lips, still savoring the taste.
Full from eating and drinking, coupled with the faint buzz of the alcohol, a wave of intense drowsiness washed over her like a tide.
“So full… so sleepy…”
She rubbed her eyes, unable to suppress a small yawn, stretching lazily like a contented cat.
Oh no, oh no… I’m going to be completely spoiled by this guy.
She squinted, letting out a silent wail in her heart.
But on second thought, it’s not like she was ever some industrious person to begin with, right?
In the modern world, she’d long been pampered into a lazy slacker by the conveniences of life, her practical skills practically nonexistent.
This kind of life—where clothes are handed to her, food is served, and she can grow stronger just by lounging around… cough, setting aside certain “potential threats” that shall not be named, it’s… actually kinda nice?
If only… if only he were a girl like he was in his previous life!
Xie Qiyang stared at the flickering campfire, letting out a faint sigh.
These cozy little days were pretty great, but looming over her was always the shadow of being taken advantage of.
“Shuang’er,” Li Tianxing’s low voice broke the quiet by the campfire, his golden eyes glinting oddly in the firelight.
“There’s probably… a question lingering in your mind, isn’t there?”
He paused, his gaze locking onto her sleepy blue eyes.
“I’m merely at the Body Refining Realm, so why can I suppress you… without you having any chance to fight back?”
“Hm?”
Xie Qiyang’s drowsiness faded slightly, a trace of confusion flickering in her eyes.
Why’s he bringing this up all of a sudden?
Li Tianxing looked straight at her, speaking deliberately, word by word:
“Because… I was reborn half a month ago.”
“What…?!”
Xie Qiyang’s eyes widened instantly, her sleepiness vanishing without a trace!
She sat up straight, staring at him in disbelief.
Half a month?!!
So, right after he was reborn, without doing anything else, he rushed day and night… to find her?!
This… this must be some deep grudge, some massive resentment!
“As long as the two of us master the basics of this first chapter,” Li Tianxing continued calmly, ignoring her shock, “your cultivation will naturally progress, and you’ll step into the Innate Realm.”
He shifted the topic:
“And after that… I’ll be relying on you.”
“Rely… on me?!”
Xie Qiyang was even more baffled, pointing at her small nose, her face full of confusion.
“We’re going to ‘settle a score.’”
Li Tianxing’s voice grew heavier.
“But I’m currently practicing a supreme technique I obtained in my previous life. My foundation isn’t stable yet, and I need to repeatedly temper myself in the Body Refining Realm. I absolutely cannot break through lightly. With just the strength of the Body Refining Realm… it’s not enough.”
The girl fell silent, not asking what score he needed to settle or who he was settling it with.
She slowly turned her head, gazing at the shimmering black sea under the moonlight, letting the salty sea breeze ruffle her silver hair.
Time passed with the crackling of the campfire.
After a long while, she turned back, her blue eyes flickering with complex emotions in the firelight.
Her voice carried a hint of probing:
“Then… aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid of what?”
Li Tianxing raised an eyebrow.
“Afraid that… I won’t listen to you?”
Xie Qiyang gripped her clothes tightly, her fingertips turning slightly pale, her voice unconsciously softening, tinged with a guilt she herself found laughable.
“After all… according to you, the me from your previous life… ‘betrayed’ you…”
“Hahaha.”
Li Tianxing laughed as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world, his laughter echoing in the sea breeze.
Suddenly, he reached out, gently brushing his hand against the girl’s smooth, cool cheek.
“I’m not afraid at all.”
He leaned closer.
“Because… I know you too well…”
“You…!”
Xie Qiyang’s heartbeat skipped a beat.
Instinctively, she wanted to avoid those eyes that seemed to pierce through her soul, hurriedly lowering her head.
He was right.
Right now, she really… couldn’t bring herself to run away from him.
But to trust him completely, to stay by his side without reservation? She couldn’t do that either.
Even so, he was probably the only person in this world who seemed somewhat decent to her, though he always made her say things she didn’t want to say and do things she could barely accept…
But she didn’t exactly hate it… If only he were a bit worse, if he’d just taken advantage of her from the start, making her hate him, making it easy for her to focus on escaping.
Ugh, this guy’s such a jerk.
Li Tianxing watched her conflicted, helpless expression.
Suddenly, he reached out, his warm palm cupping her cheek with an undeniable force, making her lift her head.
Then, he leaned down, gently pressing his forehead against hers.
Their noses nearly touched, their breaths intertwining.
His deep golden eyes were inches away, firmly locking onto her flustered, dodging blue ones.
“Shuang’er, if you truly have doubts about me right now, not even a shred of trust…”
“…then I’ll let you go right now.”
“The world is vast, and you’re free to soar. From this moment, you and I will have nothing more to do with each other.”
He… was actually willing to let her go?
This guy, who’d previously acted like a walking hazard, ready to explode at any moment… was he actually… kind of honorable?
At least it didn’t seem like she’d suffered any major grievances—at least not yet.
Her chaotic thoughts clashed fiercely in her mind.
Finally, after an intense internal struggle, Xie Qiyang took a deep breath and made an incredibly difficult decision, her voice soft and trembling with obvious uncertainty:
“Fine… I… I’ll help you settle your score… and after that… I’ll leave…”
“好.”
Surprisingly, Li Tianxing agreed readily, without any hesitation, as if he’d expected this outcome all along.
“It’s a deal.”
Xie Qiyang was utterly stunned.
This… this isn’t right?
Before, he acted like he’d chain her to his side for life.
How did he suddenly become so reasonable, so decisive?
His personality… changed way too fast!
She looked suspiciously at his calm, unreadable face, her heart full of confusion.
Truthfully… she wasn’t even sure if she’d really leave after settling the score.
She couldn’t quite figure out how she felt about him. She was just that kind of contradictory person…
For some reason, her mind started replaying their ambiguous moments, and the solar essence he’d transferred into her body began to ease the chill from her lunar energy.
“I… I actually… could…”
The girl hesitated, wanting to say something but too embarrassed to let it out.
It seemed… deep down, she had a tiny bit of dependence on him, whether it was hormones or that technique at work…
The moment she thought of leaving, an inexplicable emptiness and confusion crept into her heart…
But… she really couldn’t accept the idea of being taken advantage of.
The girl’s brow furrowed with distress…