Chapter 425: Unsolved Mysteries Beyond the Luo Shu

The wardrobe was gloomy, yet the red paint on its inner walls looked very new, as if freshly applied yesterday. The clothes hanging inside, though somewhat old-fashioned, were still vibrantly colored. However, the entire wooden building was stuffy and dim; the bright light from outside was blocked, diffusing into the chamber as faint as dust motes floating on water.

Shao Xiaoli sat there, leaning gently against the hard wooden wall. She looked up at Ning Changjiu, her reddish eyes shimmering with tears, her delicate eyelashes wet and clumped together.

Ning Changjiu couldn't precisely grasp his feelings at that moment. He looked at Shao Xiaoli's tear-stained face, the girl's sobs the only clear sound he heard.

She seemed like a ghost hiding in the wardrobe, one who had waited for him for thousands of years. Their reunion was silent, marked only by her tearful eyes.

Ning Changjiu extended his hand to the girl. Shao Xiaoli took it, and he pulled her out of the wardrobe, which resembled a red coffin. Unsteady on her feet, the girl leaned forward and bumped into his chest, whereupon Ning Changjiu embraced her.

As they embraced, the firmness of the boy's body and the softness of the girl's responded to each other. They held each other tightly, heads leaning together, bodies pressed close. Their reflection appeared in the mirror. At that moment, a gentle breeze also blew through the window lattice, bringing a subtle, dispassionate rhythm.

Years of waiting seemed to culminate in this moment, completing a circle. Amidst intense and complex emotions, it seemed they should do something for a final sublimation. Conveniently, the old wedding bed was also quite sturdy.

But a flood of emotions overwhelmed the girl's fragile spirit. She buried her head in Ning Changjiu's chest and cried inconsolably, soaking both their collars. Shao Xiaoli could barely make out anything else through her blurred vision, as tears continued to fall uncontrollably.

She leaned exhaustedly in Ning Changjiu's arms and sobbed, "Master... why did you disturb my seclusion?"

"Your Sister Siming asked me to come," Ning Changjiu said, shifting the blame.

Shao Xiaoli grew even sadder. "She... she's so mean!" she cried. "Xiaoli wanted to cry her fill first, and then happily come to see Master."

"Xiaoli..." Ning Changjiu softly called her name. He extended his sleeve to wipe her tears, but the more he wiped, the more flowed.

Shao Xiaoli stared blankly at him and asked, "Master, did you see everything?"

Ning Changjiu nodded gently. "Yes, I did," he said. "Master... feels very guilty."

Shao Xiaoli, however, excused him. "That's the story of Yi and Luo Shen," she said. "What does it have to do with us? Master, don't feel guilty."

In the Netherworld Divine Hall, Ning Changjiu had wanted to sever ties with his past self. But at this moment, with the girl speaking up for him, his heart was suddenly pierced with pain.

"Indeed, what does it have to do with us..." Ning Changjiu murmured. Suddenly, he scooped Shao Xiaoli up by her knees, lifting her into his arms.

Shao Xiaoli gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around Ning Changjiu's neck. At this moment, the girl in the white dress had grown exquisitely beautiful; her charming face, tear-streaked, resembled pear blossoms after rain. Aloofness and intimacy contradictorily intertwined within her expression, lending an extraordinary beauty to the scene.

Ning Changjiu said softly, "Wherever Xiaoli wants to go, I'll take you. I promise."

Shao Xiaoli looked at Ning Changjiu's face, her heart pounding. Held in his arms, she felt an inexpressible sense of security.

Where should they go...?

Asked this, Shao Xiaoli's mind went blank. The bed was right there, but her concern was that she had cried so much she'd soaked both her and Master's clothes. So...

"Xiaoli... Xiaoli wants to sunbathe too," Shao Xiaoli said earnestly.

So they left the Red Chamber and went to sunbathe by the Silent Moon Lake.

Shao Xiaoli sat beside Ning Changjiu, gazing at the emerald-colored lake. The sun rose obliquely above her, its golden light spilling into the valley and becoming rippling reflections on the water.

The wet marks on Shao Xiaoli's clothes gradually dried, leaving only faint wrinkles caused by the tear stains.

She belatedly regretted her earlier answer.

Just now, wasn't everything about to fall into place? And then... at the most crucial moment, she had suggested something as bewildering as sunbathing?

Shao Xiaoli looked up at the sun, and suddenly felt the sunlight had become much colder.

She looked at Ning Changjiu's profile, wanting to make a different choice. But now, with a gentle breeze and abundant sunshine, the environment was completely different. Her words caught in her throat; she was too embarrassed to say them.

"What's wrong?" Ning Changjiu asked with concern, noticing her unusual behavior.

Shao Xiaoli thought she could express herself more subtly. So she tucked in her slender legs, hugged herself into a ball, rested her chin on her knees, and shivered slightly. "Master, Xiaoli... Xiaoli is so cold," she said.

Ning Changjiu took her hand and found her palm was hot. "Hmm... she must be experiencing deficiency coldness," he mused.

"The sun here isn't warm enough. I'll take you somewhere warmer," Ning Changjiu said gently.

A warmer place... that would, of course, be under the covers. Shao Xiaoli thought, *Master and I truly have such tacit understanding.*

Then...

Shao Xiaoli fell silent, looking at the majestic, fiery sun before her.

The radiant flames licked her cheeks, her pale face reflecting the dancing fire. Flames occasionally flickered onto the girl's snowy sleeves; but though they appeared hot, they were actually gentle, more like splashes of oil blossoming within her sleeves.

Six pillars of mythological logic shimmered behind them. Ning Changjiu looked at the sun he had painstakingly pieced together and said proudly, "Come, let's sunbathe together."

With that, he took Shao Xiaoli's hand and plunged into the sea of flames.

This was his divine realm, where most rules were born from his will. So entering it now felt more like soaking in a hot spring together.

Shao Xiaoli, holding his hand, strolled with him for a while, from one end of the sun to the other.

Despite her dismay, Shao Xiaoli also perceived some romance.

"Still cold?" Ning Changjiu asked.

Shao Xiaoli replied, "I'm not cold when Master is here."

Ning Changjiu and she snuggled for a while in the center of the sun. Seizing the opportunity, Shao Xiaoli pecked his cheek.

"Alright," Ning Changjiu said, "the Golden Crow needs to go back to help Master treat his illness. Let's head back too."

Shao Xiaoli was still reluctant, but the thought of Master made her immediately nod.

They exited the Golden Crow. Under Ning Changjiu's will, the Golden Crow quietly flew back to continue melting the ice on the Moon Branch.

"Oh, right, Master," Shao Xiaoli said, "please don't tell them I was crying in the wardrobe."

Ning Changjiu feigned confusion. "Crying? Xiaoli is so strong, when did she ever cry?" he said.

Shao Xiaoli approved. "Master really gets it!" she praised.

Ning Changjiu smiled.

Shao Xiaoli hesitated, then suddenly reached to her side, pulling something out of thin air. "Here," she said, "this is a gift for Master."

"Hmm? What's this?" Ning Changjiu asked, taking it.

Shao Xiaoli replied, "It's a calendar."

"A calendar?"

"Yes, a calendar!" Shao Xiaoli emphasized the word, as if hinting at something.

Ning Changjiu immediately thought of the diary and Yi missing their appointed time, feeling guilty. "Xiaoli," he said, "are you reminding me not to forget dates, and never to miss appointments again?"

"Uh..." Shao Xiaoli pondered, then said, "If Master wants to think that, there's no problem."

"Then thank you for the gift, Xiaoli," Ning Changjiu said, happily accepting it and ruffling her hair.

Shao Xiaoli smiled faintly, inwardly lamenting her lack of courage.

*If it were any other girl, Master would have been won over long ago, right...?*

Shao Xiaoli wanted to launch another offensive, but a smoky figure gracefully approached.

Xiaoli looked up and saw a pair of bare feet, like ice and snow. The hem of a black dress swayed gently with the jade-like feet.

The newcomer was Siming.

Her long hair shimmered with subtly ambiguous pastel colors, and a soft, cherry-like smile played on her lips. She looked at them and asked with feigned surprise, "You... why are you back so soon?"

Shao Xiaoli bit her lip. She knew Siming was deliberately creating an opportunity for her. Sister Xueci was so generous; she had truly misunderstood her in the past.

It was a pity she hadn't seized the opportunity.

She didn't even have the face to say they had only sunbathed.

But Shao Xiaoli seized another opportunity. She snorted coldly and said, "What? Sister Siming, do you not welcome us back? Fine then, Master, since she doesn't welcome us, let's go back to the Little Red Chamber."

Ning Changjiu clearly didn't understand Xiaoli's subtle intentions. He righteously declared, "What are you talking about, Xue'er? Our Xiaoli is still a chaste young lady from a good family. How could she have those kinds of thoughts you're implying?"

He had originally thought Xiaoli did have those thoughts, but after she said she wanted to sunbathe, he realized he had misunderstood. He had deeply reflected on the matter on their way back.

"Right, Xiaoli?" Ning Changjiu asked, looking at Shao Xiaoli and gently seeking confirmation.

"Uh..." Shao Xiaoli's body stiffened slightly. She could only nod blankly and say, "Of course."

Siming, with the clear perception of an outsider, had eyes full of laughter. She curved her eyes, looked at Shao Xiaoli, and said, "Oh... so I misunderstood."

Siming had just bathed, and her long hair was still damp. Every frown and smile of hers carried a hint of moisture, and her every gesture exuded captivating charm, like a fox spirit that had attained enlightenment long ago. Even Shao Xiaoli was captivated, staring blankly. Although Xiaoli was also very beautiful, her opponent was simply too powerful. She suddenly felt like she was still just a budding young girl, and grew somewhat discouraged.

As expected, Ning Changjiu's composure seemed insufficient. Shao Xiaoli distinctly felt his grip on her hand loosen slightly.

"Was it you who told Master to come to the Red Chamber, but didn't tell him I was in seclusion inside?" Shao Xiaoli demanded, changing the subject of their argument. "Are you secretly plotting something, wanting to make a fool of us?"

Ning Changjiu also nodded.

To avoid spoiling the atmosphere, he hadn't opened his Lunar Eye or used any spiritual power upon entering the building. The sight of him talking to his reflection had been seen by Xiaoli, and recalling it now was still somewhat awkward.

"Everyone present, except for Xiwuan, knew, but none of them said anything," Siming said with a faint smile. "If you only blame me, wouldn't that be unjustly assigning blame?"

Ning Changjiu looked at Xueci's long-unseen charming smile, and he resolved to punish her severely.

"Xiaoling and Jiajia were originally pure and gentle, but after meeting you, their demeanor changed significantly," Ning Changjiu said with a teasing smile. "We should execute you, the ringleader, to serve as a warning to others."

Siming feigned fear.

Soon, her feigned fear turned into real fear.

Because beside Ning Changjiu, Shao Xiaoli somehow produced a wooden box. She opened it and counted the items inside, as if they were family treasures.

Siming's expression froze, and she took two steps back. "Xiaoli," she said, "this... why do you still have this?"

Shao Xiaoli smiled faintly. "This is Xiaoli's family heirloom," she said.

Ning Chang