After Forgetting Two Exes - Chapter 42

Inside the alchemy furnace, the Qushan Grass gradually shifted colors under the influence of spiritual energy. In the next instant, the leaves suddenly burst into flames, engulfing the entire herb.

Ji Xunyue hurriedly cast a water spell, dousing the fire.

Staring at the herb that had been reduced to ashes, she knew she had failed again. She stole a guilty glance at Xuan Huai.

He, naturally, had seen everything. He asked with a smile, “A-Yue, with that stance, are you trying to burn this place down?”

Seeing him talk to her while still effortlessly manipulating his spiritual energy with such ease, Ji Xunyue finally understood the vast gap in their skills. She dejectedly began to clean up the mess in front of her.

Over the past four days, she had essentially squandered all the spare herbs in the alchemy room. Her mindset had shifted from her initial “the more I fail, the braver I get” attitude to her current state of self-abandonment.

Xuan Huai asked, “Are you not planning to try again?”

Ji Xunyue shook her head, finished tidying up, and sat down beside him. “Whether someone has a talent for alchemy depends entirely on their way of controlling spiritual energy. It seems I will never learn.”

No matter how carefully she tried to control it, her spiritual energy always escaped in turbulent surges, never reaching a level of steady output.

Xuan Huai gave a light laugh. “Is it not because I am a poor teacher?”

At his question, Ji Xunyue felt a sudden urge to be mischievous.

“Of course it is because Master’s level is insufficient that you cannot teach me.”

As she spoke, she leaned in toward him.

Xuan Huai was startled, immediately guessing her intention. “You—”

“Shh.” Ji Xunyue made a silencing gesture and whispered close to his ear, “Did Master not teach me that one must be focused and concentrated during alchemy, without any distractions?”

Xuan Huai’s movements halted for a fraction of a second. Then, he turned his head away, trying to avoid her closeness.

Ji Xunyue, however, was persistent. She leisurely toyed with a lock of his long hair that had fallen over his shoulder.

Though Xuan Huai’s expression remained composed, his face had already turned red.

He closed his eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “Do not play around.”

Ji Xunyue replied innocently, “I am testing Master’s willpower.”

With that, she escalated. She let go of his hair and traced her fingertip down his spine, immediately sensing his entire body go stiff.

“A-Yue!” He opened his eyes, calling her name with a hint of panic.

“What is it?” Ji Xunyue feigned ignorance, yet her finger continued to slide downward, sending waves of tremors through him wherever it passed.

How had she never noticed before? Xuan Huai looked cold and detached, but in private, he was so easy to tease.

“Stop…” Xuan Huai adjusted his breathing, deliberately not looking at her. “This batch is almost finished refining.”

“And?”

“Wait a moment…” He still wanted to dissuade her, but he felt that restless hand already wandering toward his waist. He could not help but turn around and raise his voice, “Ji Xunyue!”

Seeing that he had completely lost his composure, Ji Xunyue gave a beaming reply and took the opportunity to pinch his waist.

Accompanied by his gasp, a ball of fire suddenly flared up in the alchemy furnace before them.

Both were stunned. Before Xuan Huai could react, Ji Xunyue moved first to extinguish the flames, but the herbs had already been turned into a pile of charcoal by the tongues of fire.

Knowing she had caused trouble, she quickly pulled back, sat up straight, and whispered, “…My mistake.”

Xuan Huai looked at her with a mix of exasperation and amusement. “That was medicine I spent four hours refining.”

Ji Xunyue nodded sincerely. “My fault.”

“I will not be able to complete the quantity required by the Princess.”

“I will explain it to her.”

Xuan Huai looked at her for a while, then shook his head helplessly and began to clear the waste residue from the furnace. Ji Xunyue felt guilty and silently watched his movements.

“It is my fault.”

Xuan Huai spoke suddenly.

Ji Xunyue looked puzzled. “What?”

“You were right. My willpower was insufficient; I was not focused enough.” Xuan Huai turned his face toward her, his expression calm. “As long as you are by my side, I simply cannot find peace. All my attention is on you.”

“Cough, cough!” Ji Xunyue’s eyes widened. She was so startled by his sudden confession that she nearly choked on her own breath, coughing several times to hide her inner turmoil.

The culprit, however, had already gotten up to prepare the next batch of herbs.

Ji Xunyue opened her mouth, finally realizing she had been paid back in kind by Xuan Huai.

“How can you…” Play the same trick on her?

Xuan Huai stood before the medicine cabinet with his back to her. His expression was hidden, but the smile in his voice was clear. “The disciple’s trick was well-used; it is only right that the master should learn it as well.”

“Alright, alright, I will stop bothering you.” Ji Xunyue let out a yawn. “I have not rested for the past two days; I am going to sleep for a while.”

“Very well.”

Xuan Huai pulled open a drawer of the medicine cabinet, preparing to take out herbs, when he suddenly sensed her approach and looked over.

He saw her lean in quickly, then just as fast, pull away and turn to head toward the inner chamber.

Only the soft sensation lingering on his cheek reminded him of what had just happened. Xuan Huai stared at her back in a daze, frozen for a long time before remembering what he was originally supposed to do.

On the other side, Ji Xunyue felt she had won the round. She lay contentedly on the bed in the inner chamber and fell into a comfortable sleep.

Over the next few days, because she no longer attempted to refine medicine, life became even more pleasant. When there was nothing to do, she slept; when she woke, she would watch Xuan Huai refine medicine in a daze, or flip through the medical books he collected, chatting occasionally. Most of the time, however, she tried her best not to disturb him to avoid causing more trouble.

She did not find it dull at all.

This was exactly what “quiet and peaceful years” were supposed to look like. Although they had only been together for a few days, they already shared a tacit understanding.

On the ninth day, Xuan Huai completed the alchemy task as scheduled, though the quantity was slightly short due to the previous accident.

Pushing open the door and walking into the courtyard of the rear palace, the melting moonlight spilled over them. Ji Xunyue felt a sudden wave of fatigue and yawned.

Xuan Huai came out holding a wooden box filled with herbs and smiled. “If you are tired, go back and rest.”

Ji Xunyue turned to look at him, seeing that even though he had not rested for days, he looked even more energized than she did. Anyone who did not know better would have thought she was the one who had been busy all this time.

“It is only the hour of the Xu; it is still early.” She shook her head, wanting to spend a bit more time with him. “The task is finished; why don’t we celebrate?”

“Alright.” Xuan Huai nodded slightly. He waited for her to return with a bottle of Qingfeng Spirit Wine and walked side-by-side with her toward the bamboo forest path.

Ji Xunyue took the initiative to cast a spell, lighting the lamps on both sides to illuminate the way.

She thought for a moment and added, “Not only that, I want to celebrate for three days straight. I will celebrate because Junior Sister is returning, and I will celebrate even more once she is back.”

Xuan Huai’s smile widened. “Good.”

“Tomorrow, I will accompany you to the God Realm.”

“Good.”

Hearing him agree so readily, Ji Xunyue took the opportunity to ask, “Will you come back to the Demon Realm with me?”

Xuan Huai froze for a second. His gaze was tender as he replied seriously, “Yes.”

Ji Xunyue gave a triumphant smile, her steps becoming much lighter.

Xuan Huai asked, “Since the matter with Shi Yuan is resolved, are you staying in the Immortal Realm because you have other business?”

Ji Xunyue then remembered she had not yet explained the investigation to him, so she recounted the entire situation.

Xuan Huai grew thoughtful and laughed softly. “No wonder you looked so panicked in Yuan Wanyi’s room that day.”

He had indeed seen it.

Ji Xunyue said, “If you had not helped cover for me and drawn Feng Yan’s attention, I would have been exposed.”

“And during the trial a few days ago, the final few illusions… it turns out they were all specially designed for you.”

Recalling Sang Wo’s masterpiece, Ji Xunyue hurriedly said, “Alright, let us not speak of those things!”

She still remembered the emotional ups and downs of those days, especially in the temple, the feeling of loss and gloom when she heard his response. Reminiscing on it now felt a bit embarrassing.

Seeing her reaction, Xuan Huai switched back to the main topic. “The four Elders are at the head of the Immortal Realm; for them to cover up and condone such things makes a thorough investigation truly difficult.”

“So…” Ji Xunyue paused. “Perhaps before long, I will have to take Fang Qingchen as my master.”

Xuan Huai nodded slightly. “Since he is related to this matter, starting the investigation from him is indeed a viable method.”

Ji Xunyue was quite surprised. “Do you have nothing else to say?”

Back during the Induction Ceremony, he had said he wanted to take her as his disciple at any cost, and he had clashed with Fang Qingchen several times. Why was he so calm now? She thought she would see him show some reluctance or sorrow.

“Because from beginning to end, the one you chose was me,” Xuan Huai explained with a smile, naturally guessing what she was disappointed about.

“That is true.”

Ji Xunyue remained calm on the surface, but in her heart, she deeply agreed with his answer.

Arriving at the small courtyard, Xuan Huai went into the room to set down the wooden box, while she leaped onto the roof. Sitting on the ridge, she gazed at the unobstructed view of Cangxing Isle under the moonlight and poured herself a cup of wine.

When Xuan Huai came out, he looked up at the roof, his gaze meeting hers as she looked down. The evening wind ruffled the corners of his robes and brushed through his ink-black long hair. He looked up, gazing at her tenderly.

This single look seemed to dissolve the thousands of years of loneliness they had both endured.

For a moment, Ji Xunyue felt both a sense of melancholy and joy. Following his figure with her eyes, she soon sensed the familiar scent of pine mist beside her. Even though she had only taken one sip of wine, she already felt a bit intoxicated.

Looking at the stone table in the courtyard, she remembered the first time she met Xuan Huai after entering the sect; it was right here, on the same day she discovered his true identity.

She asked curiously, “Speaking of which, I still do not know what was in Junior Sister’s hangover tea that day that made you unable to maintain your transformation?”

“Sinji Grass.” Xuan Huai lowered his eyes and poured a cup for himself.

So Sinji Grass had such an effect?

“You knew, yet you still drank it.”

A hint of teasing entered Xuan Huai’s smile. “But if I had not drunk it, would you not have had one more reason to be prejudiced against me?”

Ji Xunyue was speechless, but then she argued, “But at that time, you did not know why I wanted to be your disciple.”

Xuan Huai said, “It was indeed a lucky stroke. I was thinking that I should not let Zhong Ling be disappointed.”

He also did not want to expose his identity in front of her, which was why he had tried to drive her away.

Ji Xunyue suddenly wondered if she had insisted on the truth that day, would they have had so many interactions?

“Actually, there was another reason.” Xuan Huai’s gaze drifted as he recalled the past. “In the mortal realm, you did the same thing.”

Ji Xunyue blinked, not realizing she had a prior record. “You drank it that time too?”

“At that time, I did not understand herbs. You handed it to me, so I drank it.”

“Was I not scared by you?”

Xuan Huai looked at her, then slightly shifted his gaze. “One’s personality… is very hard to change.”

His answer was a bit off-topic and somewhat cryptic, but Ji Xunyue thought about it and understood his meaning. He was saying that even when she became a mortal, she was still completely fearless.

She said with a beaming smile, “I guess I was not only not afraid, but I also wanted to stroke your fox ears.”

Xuan Huai did not answer, but his reaction said everything.

Remembering her failed attempt before, and seeing that there was no time like the present, Ji Xunyue set down her wine cup and gazed at him intensely.

“But I have forgotten everything from the past; it is not fair to me. So, let me stroke your fox ears once more, alright?”

Xuan Huai was in no state to consider what exactly was unfair. He had no defense against her direct offensive, and his face turned red inch by inch.

Beyond the embarrassment, he also felt a sense of relief in his heart. Since he had been able to cultivate a human form, he had never shown his true body to anyone; he wanted to rid himself of those characteristics that marked him as a demon. But after that accident, he had repeatedly broken his principles, unable to refuse any of her requests. He would even… proactively use this to please her because she liked it.

Xuan Huai asked in a low voice, “Do you not think of me as an anomaly?”

He had asked the same thing back then. He was a demon, someone the world avoided, yet she had never cared. Now, could he receive the same answer?

“No.” Ji Xunyue set aside her playful expression and said seriously, “The one I like is you. I like you no matter what you look like.”

Whether he was the Huai Lin of the past or the Xuan Huai of the present, it made no difference to her.

Xuan Huai stared at her. Her words overlapped with the voice in his memory, and for a moment, he felt as if a lifetime had passed. Even though she had spoken her feelings that night, he had been shrouded in a sense of unease for these past ten days. He could not refuse her initiative and craved her closeness, yet he did not dare to show his obsession with her, fearing she would push him away or question him. He feared that her love for him was merely a continuation of an old habit, fearing that one day she would realize the man he was now was not the one she had liked back then.

He was immersed in the beauty she bestowed upon him, yet simultaneously worried the dream would shatter. He wanted a definitive proof, a confirmation that she would not take back her heart.

Perhaps it was only at this moment that he felt it was real.

Looking at his own reflection in her eyes, Xuan Huai felt that despite everything they had endured over four thousand years, they were still each other’s most familiar selves.

He hesitated no longer, leaning in to embrace her.