Gu Baiying looked at Zanxing.
Zanxing was still wearing his snow-white robe, with a lake-green hairband wrapped around her waist like a spring willow. Her long hair scattered behind her head. She was leaning despondently on the table by the window, playing with the clay figurines in her hand. She sighed, “If I had known earlier, I would have asked Senior Brother to roast more and put them in the Qiankun bag.”
The young man paused for a moment, took out a redwood box from his waist, and threw it onto the table in front of Zanxing.
The wooden box landed with a snap in front of Zanxing. Stunned, she looked at Gu Baiying and asked, “What is this?”
“Food.”
Zanxing was more surprised than touched. She opened the wooden box and indeed saw several delicate pastries inside. These pastries were still colorful, pink and tender, shaped like flowers.
She looked at Gu Baiying in astonishment, “Senior Uncle, you even carry snacks with you. How meticulous.” No wonder he refused to eat anything near the King’s palace. It turned out he brought his own lunch.
“I’m not like you.” Gu Baiying said impatiently, “These were given to me by the Sect Master.”
Zanxing looked at the wooden box with the red pattern of “Playing the Flute to Attract the Phoenix” engraved on it, and fell silent for a moment. This festive style was indeed the characteristic of Shaoyang Zhenren.
Gu Baiying, seeing her hesitation, asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”
“Senior Uncle,” Zanxing looked at him, “I heard that the Sect Master is skilled in preserving youthfulness and is extremely particular about food. The snacks and meals in the Jinhua Hall are not seasoned with oil or sugar, making them as rough as sandpaper to eat.”
Gu Baiying probably didn’t expect Zanxing to still be thinking about these things at this time. He wasn’t known for his patience, so he snorted, “Eat if you want to.”
“I was just talking, not saying I won’t eat.” Zanxing picked up a piece and brought it to her mouth, “It’s just without sugar and oil, as long as it’s not poisoned.”
She took a bite.
This flower-shaped pastry was unexpectedly delicious. It wasn’t rough like sandpaper nor bland; it had a faint sweetness and melted delicately in her mouth, like biting into flower petals, bringing a refreshing sweetness.
Mimi sneaked over, attempting to steal a bite, but Zanxing held her head down.
“Senior Uncle, turns out the food in the Jinhua Hall is so special.” Zanxing swallowed the sweetness in her throat and sincerely praised, “It’s much better than the food in the King’s Palace of Lier. The Sect Master really cares about you. No wonder Men Dong wants to become the Sect Master just for the food.”
“Shut up,” Gu Baiying couldn’t bear it anymore, “Eat your pastry.”
Zanxing didn’t say much more, savoring the pastry in her hand with relish and giving Mimi a piece as well. The desire for food when hungry is always particularly memorable. Both Zanxing and Mimi ate quickly. When there was only one piece of pastry left in the box, Zanxing pushed away Mimi’s paw trying to grab it, lifted the wooden box, and asked Gu Baiying, “Senior Uncle, do you want a piece too?”
“I won’t eat.”
“Oh, I guess you won’t either.” Zanxing, without any psychological burden, popped the last piece into her mouth, “Thank you, Senior Uncle.”
Gu Baiying gazed at the figure sitting at the table.
Disciples in the sect always tried to present an elegant and otherworldly image, never showing such an appearance of being hungry. Even ordinary women in the secular world would often eat less to maintain a graceful figure, especially to fit into slender skirts.
But Yang Zanxing never did.
She lived a rough and comical life, always inexplicably content, and would nonchalantly appear listless in front of others, boldly saying “I’m hungry.”
That kind of freedom and authenticity, at some moments, could make people envious.
Zanxing, eating, said, “Senior Uncle, you’re really good to me.”
Gu Baiying snorted. Then suddenly remembering something, he reminded, “Yang Zanxing, don’t misunderstand, I…”
“I know,” Zanxing interrupted him before he could finish, “Senior Uncle taking care of me is just the heartfelt care of elders for juniors. Don’t worry, your bell hasn’t rung, I won’t misunderstand.”
Gu Baiying didn’t say anything more. Zanxing thought she was being tactful. She had originally thought that the original text deliberately added so much drama for Gu Baiying because it was meant to develop a destined romantic storyline for her. Otherwise, why would they always end up in dangerous situations and get injured together? But now, it seemed she had overthought it. But… with Gu Baiying’s stubborn temperament, would the Jie Xin Bell really ring?
As she was pondering, she heard Gu Baiying’s voice behind her, “Yang Zanxing.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you let Yin Li’s soul possess you in the Imperial Mausoleum that day?”
Zanxing turned around to look at him, “Senior Uncle, why are you suddenly asking about this?”
Under the lamplight, the youth’s eyes were like dark ripples. His eye color was a beautiful deep brown, usually clear, but now under the dim light, they appeared profound.
Seeing him ask earnestly, Zanxing thought for a moment before replying, “Because Yin Li was so pitiful, and there was no one else to help him. If I could help him, it would also be considered doing a good deed.”
“Allowing a demon’s soul to possess you is detrimental to your cultivation.”
After finishing the last bit of pastry, Zanxing closed the wooden box, tapping on the intricate patterns on its surface. “If I lack a bit of cultivation, will someone kill me? If I gain a bit more cultivation, will I become the top cultivator in the sect? Since there’s no real difference between having a bit more or a bit less, why should it be considered so important? Besides, my current cultivation hasn’t been affected.”
Gu Baiying disagreed, “That’s just luck.”
“It’s a fact,” Zanxing looked at him, “Don’t you also sympathize with Yin Li? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have smashed the shark demon statue by the seaside with your spear. Had you encountered Yin Li’s soul in the corridor that day, you would have done the same.”
There was silence in the room for a moment.
“I wouldn’t.”
His snow-white brocade robe was stained with some dust and bloodstains, the goose patterns on the collar were delicately neat, and the vermilion hairband in the night looked like blossoming red flowers, setting off the youth’s appearance as handsome and elegant. When he wasn’t being arrogant, he always had an air of aloofness that made him hard to approach.
Zanxing asked, “Why?”
Gu Baiying’s voice was calm, “The snake witch saw the ending from the beginning. Fate comes and goes in an instant. Even if he exchanged his demon body for a mortal one, in the end, he still followed the initial fate.” The youth seemed to be lost in thought, his eyes as murky as the tide. “Even though you let Yin Li’s soul possess you, enabling him to meet Princess Lizhu, he was still doomed, and Princess Lizhu doesn’t remember anything.”
“Nothing has changed.”
The geese on his robe seemed ready to take flight, and his voice in the room lacked its usual arrogance and wildness, sounding low and carrying a hint of bitterness.
Zanxing looked at Gu Baiying.
He was still as handsome and upright as when they first met, just like his silver Xiu Gu spear, both beautiful and majestic.