The Frost Beneath Her Veil - Chapter 31.2

Love and hate do not cancel each other out. Love simply follows hate, enduring forever. She had lost her composure; she had taken things seriously again. She had to forget. Forget everything, the love and the warmth that brought such extreme hatred.

“Tomorrow is the Qixi Festival, right? I remember the theaters perform plays about scholars and beauties dancing together. Have you booked the tickets?”

Looking at Yin Jiuruo’s poignantly cheerful smile, Fu Qing’s expression tightened. Her cold, soft lips moved slightly as she replied, “I have booked them.”

“Good. We will go to the play together tomorrow. I am sure it will be most enjoyable.”

The woman felt even more bewildered, yet her heart began to race. Yin Jiuruo had spoken more tonight than ever before, giving her a glimmer of infinite hope. Perhaps one day Xiao Jiu would truly forgive her, and the two of them could return to how they were, staying together forever.

Noticing the faint joy radiating from Fu Qing, Yin Jiuruo’s lips curled into a smile. She realized that lying was quite simple, provided the other person was willing to believe.

They returned to the bedroom in Linyue Residence. On the table stood a porcelain vase filled with peach blossoms specially arranged by the Crane Boy. Nourished by spiritual energy, the blossoms were delicate and beautiful, blooming eternally without wilting.

“Peach blossoms. I haven’t seen them in many years,” Yin Jiuruo said. She took one look at the petals trembling in the wind and then looked away.

“Feng Qi sent them,” Fu Qing said, placing the Soul-Binding Lamp beside her. The golden glow illuminated the woman’s profile, her elegant brows and red lips appearing both vivid and cold. “She flew her sword to Peach Blossom Town to pick them.”

“Peach Blossom Town, ha.”

Gazing at the flowers once more, Yin Jiuruo’s eyes turned distant. She suddenly recalled the day she first arrived at the Canglan Sect. Standing on the spirit boat overlooking the mountains and rivers, Feng Qi had asked her if they could ever return to Peach Blossom Town together. Back then, she was still a naive, ignorant fool who thought that even if the world changed, she alone would remain the same.

“We can’t go back. None of us can go back,” she told herself in her heart.

Fu Qing watched Yin Jiuruo silently. She took a purple-gold gourd from her storage bag, poured out three medicinal pills, and handed them to Yin Jiuruo. “Xiao Jiu, take these first. You will feel much better.”

Yin Jiuruo didn’t argue and swallowed the pills immediately. Since she was currently a prisoner, could eating a few pills make her situation any worse? The medicine dissolved instantly. To suit her palate, it started bitter but left a sweet aftertaste. It took effect quickly; a warm stream of spiritual energy surged through her upper body. Like an old, broken puppet being carefully repaired, her stiff and powerless joints became smooth once more.

The strange feeling of rejection by her own body vanished, and the sense of control returned, but only for her upper body. Yin Jiuruo sat in her wheelchair, her lower body still largely devoid of sensation.

Fu Qing explained calmly, “There will be crowds and many distractions when we go to see the river lanterns. I fear someone might collide with you.”

“Is that so? Then… thank you, Daoist Sovereign.” Yin Jiuruo leaned her cheek on her hand, looking at Fu Qing with a half-smile. This woman appeared noble and serene on the surface, but in reality, she was decisive and ruthless. Fearing Yin Jiuruo would escape, she used soul-chains to bind her, then healed only half of her body. With her legs broken, she could neither run nor die. It was a brilliant plan.

Fu Qing’s brief moment of pity vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The woman’s face never showed signs of obsession or folly. The idea of Daoist Sovereign Chang Fan possessing true affection or mercy was merely a fantasy held by outsiders.

This Qixi Festival was exceptionally lively, with people coming and going amidst bright candlelight. The shouts of street vendors filled the air, the luxurious carriages of nobility were everywhere, and ordinary citizens wore their new clothes to celebrate with friends. This was all because the demonic energy of the Outer Lands had been eradicated; cultivators were no longer lured into becoming demonic practitioners. This led to the current scene of peace and prosperity.

Fu Qing brought Yin Jiuruo by spirit boat. Because this place was far from the immortal lands, Fu Qing had to suppress her cultivation to avoid attracting heavenly punishment that might harm the mortals. They landed in a reed marsh outside the city, and only after ensuring no one was around did they drop their invisibility spells to enter the inner city.

This was a medium-sized town. Surrounded by mountains with a river running through it, most residents lived by fishing and hunting. The town was ablaze with lights. Fu Qing pushed Yin Jiuruo forward slowly, the Soul-Binding Lamp tucked safely inside her wide sleeves.

“In the past, I stayed here for three months during my worldly trials,” Fu Qing said, hesitating as her hair fell over her forehead, hiding her emotions.

Hearing the nostalgia in Fu Qing’s voice, Yin Jiuruo gave a numb, perfunctory laugh. She was also very familiar with this town. Back then, she lived in a broken bamboo hut outside the city, all alone. While gathering herbs on the mountain, she found the injured Fu Qing and took her in, caring for her for three months. Those short three months were enough for a person as deeply lonely as her to fall irrevocably in love.

The rest of the story was the same old tale. She and Fu Qing had bowed to Heaven and Earth and entered the bridal chamber. Then the woman left a letter saying she had to return to the sect to report to her master. In the end, Fu Qing’s master disapproved of the marriage, and Fu Qing never returned. Instead, Yin Jiuruo caught a strange illness. While she was on the verge of death, she received a heartless letter of rejection from Fu Qing.

What a heartbreaking story. Since recovering her memories, Yin Jiuruo would occasionally savor these moments. She laughed at her past self for being so obsessed, for experiencing such great sorrow and joy within the script Fu Qing had carefully written. She was nothing but a clownish puppet. No wonder Fu Qing was so intent on erasing her memories. Because in every new script, a memory-less Yin Jiuruo would fall in love with Fu Qing all over again. Without exception. It was like a tragic destiny.

Guessing what Yin Jiuruo was thinking, Fu Qing bit her lip and said softly, “Xiao Jiu, it won’t happen again.” Now that the demonic energy was gone, she would never resort to such deception and schemes again.

Around them, the crowd was boisterous, yet the woman’s voice was steady and calming. Yin Jiuruo suppressed the rising tides of her heart. These past few days, she had been processing the resentment and hatred from every fragment of her memory. she understood that escaping Fu Qing would be difficult. Perhaps this living nightmare of lies would haunt her for the rest of her life, but she would never yield. She would never let Fu Qing erase her memories again.

“Mhm. I believe you.”

Fu Qing looked as if she had heard something earth-shattering. Her little finger trembled as she asked in disbelief, “Xiao Jiu, do you really believe me?”

Yin Jiuruo’s eyes curved into crescents. She pointed to a stall in the distance. “Of course, I believe you. Fu Qing, I want to eat candied strawberries.”

“Candied strawberries?” Fu Qing looked in the direction she was pointing, her heart stirring. The stall selling sugar-coated haws was actually still there.

Back then, Yin Jiuruo had spent all the money she earned from selling herbs on Fu Qing’s injuries. But to make her happy, she had used her last ten coins to buy two sticks of candied strawberries.

“Alright, I will go buy them.” The woman pushed Yin Jiuruo under a willow tree where there were fewer people. She tucked the girl’s collar in and instructed, “I will be back quickly. Do not wander off.”

“Mhm, I will wait for you here,” Yin Jiuruo said with a smile.

Fu Qing froze for a moment. That year, when she told Yin Jiuruo she was returning to her sect, the girl had given her that exact same smile.

Watching Fu Qing’s retreating back, Yin Jiuruo’s smile deepened. No wonder Fu Qing loved to lie; lying felt incredibly satisfying. Watching the other person believe so wholeheartedly was truly entertaining. She wondered what expression Fu Qing would make the day her lies and hopes were shattered. It was bound to be spectacular.

She looked up at the sky. The sky here was high and the stars were cold. Life here had once been peaceful and simple, if a bit lonely.

“Jiuruo, you came to see the river lanterns too?” A girl in red stood three steps away, waving at Yin Jiuruo.

“A-Yin, what a coincidence.”

“It’s not a coincidence. I have a locator on the Warm Jade, so I was waiting for you here.” A-Yin looked around shiftily. “There’s no one here right now. Do you want to run away with me?”

Yin Jiuruo shook her head with a bitter smile. “My legs are useless now. I wouldn’t get far.” Because they were far from the immortal lands, spiritual energy was nearly non-existent. Any cultivator here had to reduce their power to near-mortal levels. This meant A-Yin’s power was also almost zero.

“That’s not right. That person has such high cultivation and is skilled in medicine. How could she not heal you?”

Hearing this, Yin Jiuruo idly adjusted her sleeves and smiled without speaking.

“What do you mean?” A-Yin thought for a moment, then realization struck her. “No way. She intentionally only healed you halfway? That is absolutely insane. Has Daoist Sovereign Chang Fan lost her mind? How can she be such a calculating person?” She thought that no matter how cold and heartless the Sovereign was, she would at least be honorable. This felt more like a forceful, desperate abduction.

“I don’t know,” Yin Jiuruo replied. And she didn’t care to know.

“Anyway, Xiao Huo is having a great time with my A-Bao. He’s adjusting well in Qingqiu,” A-Yin said, suddenly becoming a bit bashful. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.” Yin Jiuruo was happy to have someone to talk to so she wouldn’t feel so isolated.

“Is the eldest disciple of your Canglan Sect named Chong You?”

“You know my Senior Sister?”

“Ahem, I wouldn’t say we’re close. We just met once, but I really want to get to know her better.”

“Senior Sister… she is going through some things right now and is staying at the sect.” Yin Jiuruo’s mood dampened at the mention of Chong You.

“I have a letter here. Could I trouble you to give it to her?” Seeing A-Yin solemnly pull a clean, neat envelope from her sleeve, Yin Jiuruo sensed that A-Yin’s feelings for her Senior Sister were special.

“Alright, I will do it.” Yin Jiuruo carefully tucked the pale pink envelope away.

In the distance, Fu Qing saw A-Yin in her red and white dress. She was holding two sticks of candied strawberries, standing on a street corner where the frost had not yet melted. As she drew closer, her gaze fell exactly on the letter in Yin Jiuruo’s hand.

“Miss A-Yin, what a coincidence,” Fu Qing said tonelessly.

“It’s because Jiuruo and I share a destiny. Those with destiny will meet naturally, and those without it will scatter no matter how they try to force it,” A-Yin said with a pointed smile at Fu Qing. “Sovereign, please don’t peek at the love letter I gave Jiuruo.”

Fu Qing handed one of the candied strawberry sticks to Yin Jiuruo, ignoring A-Yin’s comment. “Xiao Jiu, eat slowly.”

Looking at the glistening, delicious strawberries, A-Yin intentionally grabbed Yin Jiuruo’s sleeve in a coquettish manner. “Jiuruo, I rushed here from Qingqiu and haven’t eaten all day.” Her watery fox-eyes blinked pleadingly.

“You can have mine.” Yin Jiuruo readily handed over her candied strawberries.

“I knew you were the best, Jiuruo, always spoiling me.” Although A-Yin was speaking to Yin Jiuruo, her eyes were fixed on Fu Qing, her smile full of provocation.

Fu Qing closed her eyes, her long lashes lowering. After calming herself, she gave the other stick to Yin Jiuruo. “Xiao Jiu and I have matters to attend to. Excuse us.” Fu Qing began to push the wheelchair away.

“Wait, Jiuruo gave me a stick of strawberries, so I must return the favor. I have two VIP tickets for the play. Jiuruo and I already agreed to go see it together.”

Fu Qing frowned deeply, her grip tightening on the tickets she held. A-Yin was in high spirits and patted Yin Jiuruo on the shoulder. “Quick, tell the Sovereign we already planned this.”

“Yes, I already promised A-Yin I would watch the play with her,” Yin Jiuruo lied without blinking. “Sovereign, it wasn’t easy for A-Yin and me to meet. You and I can watch a play next time. We have plenty of time ahead of us, don’t we?”

Hearing this, A-Yin felt like a victorious rooster. She walked over arrogantly to take control of the wheelchair. She didn’t use much force, but Fu Qing let go.

Seeing Fu Qing’s dazed state, A-Yin said even more boldly, “Sovereign, please step aside. We will be back in two hours. Please suit yourself.”

“You…” Fu Qing looked at the mortals passing by and gave a sigh of compromise. “Xiao Jiu, come back early. I will wait for you here.”

Perhaps Xiao Jiu’s opinion of her had changed; maybe giving her some space would be better? The woman kept recalling Yin Jiuruo’s words about believing her, using them to suppress the urge to snatch her back immediately.

A-Yin pushed Yin Jiuruo away quickly. Fu Qing stood still, staring at their retreating backs. The seven-story octagonal theater was only a hundred steps away. A-Yin and Yin Jiuruo followed the crowd inside until they were out of sight.

Fu Qing stood under the willow tree, staring blankly. It felt as if something precious had been lost, never to be reclaimed. But Xiao Jiu said she believed her. There was a chance for them, no matter how slim. The moonlight shimmered on the river, but all she could see was Yin Jiuruo’s eyes filled with sincerity. Every time they met, the girl looked at her with those clear, affectionate eyes.

Would there come a day when Yin Jiuruo would look at someone else with that same tenderness? She had never considered the possibility; she had simply assumed Yin Jiuruo belonged to her. If Yin Jiuruo ever looked at another person that way… she would never allow it, no matter who they were.

In the VIP room on the third floor of the theater, the waiter brought them exquisite fruit, snacks, and a pot of tea before leaving to serve other guests.

“Phew, that Daoist Sovereign who calls herself your companion is really hard to deal with. Even after thousands of years of supposed purity, I could smell the murderous intent when I took her strawberries.”

“Was it really that exaggerated?” Yin Jiuruo laughed dismissively. “I didn’t notice. She’s always like that.”

“Hey, are you really planning to make up with her and stay by her side forever?”

Yin Jiuruo shook her head slowly but firmly. “I am waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” A-Yin squinted and pinched Yin Jiuruo’s thin cheek. “They say you demons are naturally devious and cunning. I almost didn’t believe it because you seemed like such a sweet, innocent thing. But seeing you like this now, I suppose you are a bit cunning after all.”

“Heh, is that so?” Yin Jiuruo picked up her teacup and took a sip. “I still have much to learn.”

“You should just let your soul leave your body and run away. This is just your physical shell anyway; losing it wouldn’t be a great loss.”

Yin Jiuruo shook her head. Not only could Fu Qing use her body to summon her soul back, but the soul-chains were still wrapped firmly around her spirit, day and night. She had to wipe them out completely to end the threat forever.

“What does your true form look like? I heard demons look evil and terrifying, but you were quite cute as a child. I actually wanted to marry you back then.”

“I don’t know. My true body hasn’t been reconstructed yet.”

“What a shame. When you return to the Demon Realm, I’ll come find you. If you need help, use the Warm Jade to contact me.” A-Yin yawned, curled up on a chair, and manifested her fox tail to cover herself as she fell asleep.

Two hours passed in a flash. During this time, Yin Jiuruo occasionally felt the soul-chains vibrate. It seemed their owner was in an unstable state of mind—restless, anxious, and filled with stray thoughts.

When they emerged from the theater, they saw Fu Qing still standing in the same spot, having never left. The moonlight fell upon the woman’s white silk and silver robes. Even though she had been forced to lower her cultivation in the mortal world, her beauty remained breathtaking. Her hair was tied simply with a bamboo pin, her ink-black hair fluttering in the wind. She possessed a clean, divine, and zen-like grace that commanded respect.

Hearing movement, Fu Qing immediately turned around. Their eyes met, and Fu Qing suddenly felt a surge of emotion in her calm heart.

“Xiao Jiu, shall we marry again?”

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