Something was wrong.
Today was the first day of the journey, and Hua Yan felt uncomfortable all over—it was simply too wrong.
Somehow, ever since Yun Xuechang had stepped onto her boat, the woman had acted as if she were permanently attached to her shadow, never leaving her side for a single moment.
When she practiced in her room, Yun Xuechang would sit nearby in meditation.
When she went to the small courtyard to drink tea and admire the blossoms, Yun Xuechang would silently water the flowers beside her.
When she climbed onto the roof to lie down and read a storybook, Yun Xuechang would be on the opposite eaves practicing her swordplay.
Until this very moment—
“I said, you’ve been following me all day! What exactly do you want?!”
Hua Yan finally exploded, her patience reaching its limit.
“I just want to… get on better terms with you.”
Yun Xuechang’s voice carried a hint of hesitation and even a touch of grievance.
“Get out!”
“But…”
“I’m taking a bath right now! Get out of here this instant! You perverted woman-lover! You cold-faced, idiotic sword-maniac!”
The red-haired girl’s face was flushed with rage as she directly channeled her Spiritual Power to blast Yun Xuechang out of the bathroom.
Immediately following that, with a muffled thud, a small wooden basin accurately struck Yun Xuechang’s head.
“…”
Yun Xuechang stared blankly at the tightly shut bathroom door and then raised a hand to touch her struck forehead.
‘This time, she probably wasn’t being what they call a “tsundere,” was she?’
Recalling Hua Yan’s expression just now—brows arched and cheeks flushed—it seemed she was truly angry rather than just being contrary.
‘Did I… do something wrong again?’
The white-haired girl gently lowered her eyelashes.
Inside the bathroom, once she was certain the other party wouldn’t come back in, Hua Yan let out a long sigh of relief and began to slowly remove her accessories and clothing.
Her thin shirt, skirt, undergarments, and jewelry were draped one by one over a nearby stool.
Finally, she removed the tie from her hair, allowing the red locks to cascade down like a waterfall.
Standing on her bare, white feet, she gave a light wave of her hand.
Warm water began to ripple within the empty bathtub, and with another flick, flower petals floated onto the surface.
The naked girl stepped toward the steaming tub and slowly lowered her body into the water.
Glub… glub…
In the tub, Hua Yan curled up with her knees pulled to her chest, resting her head on her soft arms while her lower face was buried in the water, aimlessly blowing bubbles.
‘Honestly, what on earth is that woman Yun Xuechang thinking? Following me all day is one thing, but she even wanted to hang around while I was bathing…’
Perhaps because the water temperature was a bit high, the girl’s pale gold eyes were veiled by a thin layer of mist, and her cheeks were dyed with a seductive flush.
‘I know she likes me… but we only met that one time at the Hehuan Sect. Is it worth remembering for so many years? Am I really… that beautiful?’
She looked down into the water, her graceful figure shimmering beneath the clear ripples.
Flower petals drifted on the surface, reflecting a bright, gorgeous face that was even more charming than the blossoms in the pool.
‘It seems… I really am quite good-looking. As expected of me.’
The corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously, revealing a small, proud smile.
‘But if she really follows me back to the Hundred Flowers Valley… what will happen?’
Hua Yan, who had previously only thought about knocking the woman out and dragging her back to finish the job, began to seriously ponder this question for the first time.
‘Well, Grandmother will definitely be happy, won’t she? Maybe she’ll even force me and Yun Xuechang to get married on the spot, making me take her in and give her an official title…’
Given how much Yun Xuechang liked her, she certainly wouldn’t object.
Perhaps she would just stay in the Hundred Flowers Valley like that, living with her and Rongrong, taking care of the husband and educating the child…
Imagining Yun Xuechang’s cold face hidden beneath a bright red wedding veil, softly calling her “Husband,” and then accompanying her every day while they raised a child together…
Hua Yan suddenly sat bolt upright, shaking her head frantically and splashing a large amount of water.
‘What a joke! I haven’t had enough fun yet! I don’t want to start a family this early! If I start a family, how can I live my life as I please?!’
‘Besides, her liking me is her business. Why should I have to marry her or be tied to her?!’
But at that moment, an image suddenly surfaced—of a pink-haired girl holding a picture book, eyes full of anticipation as she spoke of the family being reunited.
“Tch.”
The red-haired girl clicked her tongue impatiently.
‘Right, there’s also that troublesome brat…’
If the girl saw her and Yun Xuechang being too strained after marriage, she would probably run back to Grandmother to cry, and then there would be even more trouble…
She slowly buried her face back into the water.
‘Whatever, I’ll take it one step at a time. At worst… I’ll just get married when we get back. I’ll consider it for the sake of the child.’
Having made up her mind, the girl let out a long sigh of relief and leaned back against the tub to relax, glancing up at the misty ceiling.
‘As for Yun Xuechang… fine, if we marry, we marry. Who wouldn’t it be? It might as well be Yun Xuechang. At least after we’re married, I can take advantage of the fact that she likes me to keep ordering her around… it wouldn’t be bad.’
It was just that marriage was coming a bit suddenly and a bit early. Besides, that woman wasn’t exactly ugly; she wouldn’t be losing out too much.
The girl, who had never cared for matters of love and spent her days only thinking of play, slowly closed her eyes and let the warm water envelope her.
‘At worst… after returning to the Valley, I’ll just play a little less.’
……
The night sky was silent, with a few wisps of clouds drifting by.
A crescent moon, surrounded by stars, hung brightly in the sky.
A single Flower Boat glided through the night, and on the front deck stood a figure in white with white hair.
With a sword on her back and her head tilted up, she gazed at the solitary moon.
Her figure seemed ethereal, her aura cold and refined, like a celestial maiden ready to fly to the moon.
“What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
The “celestial maiden” turned at the sound, seeing a red figure leaning against the cabin door with arms crossed.
“Daoist Friend Hua.”
Yun Xuechang was slightly startled and replied softly, “I was just thinking about some things.”
“What could you be thinking about that requires coming out to see the moon alone?”
Hua Yan frowned and also glanced at the sky.
“The moon isn’t even full yet. What’s there to see?”
“…”
“I was thinking about you.”
Yun Xuechang answered honestly.
“M-Me?”
For some reason, the red-haired girl suddenly looked flustered, her earlobes turning a faint red.
“Yes.” Yun Xuechang nodded slightly. “I was wondering if my actions today caused trouble for Daoist Friend Hua.”
“Is that even a question? Of course it was a trouble!”
Hua Yan replied quite bluntly.
“As expected…”
Hearing the expected answer, the white-haired girl sighed softly, a trace of disappointment flickering in her eyes.
“Actually, I just wanted our relationship to become a little closer.”
“…”
Seeing the unavoidable disappointment on that cold face, Hua Yan fell silent for a moment before suddenly changing the subject.
“Yun Xuechang, let me ask you—back then, when you went to the Hehuan Sect, did you know that the person who lost the Great Match of the Yin-Yang Platform… would have their gender changed?”
Yun Xuechang was stunned by the question, then answered seriously.
“I didn’t know. At that time, the Hehuan Sect Saintess Su Feiyao only told me that their sect was holding a grand match that occurs once every 500 years, so I went.”
‘Just as I thought…’
Hua Yan looked at her clear red eyes under the moonlight and pondered.
After spending these few days together, she felt that this blockhead Yun Xuechang didn’t seem like the type to rely on her strength to engage in malicious pranks.
She probably had been just as clueless about the inner workings of the Yin-Yang Platform as Hua Yan herself when she stepped onto the stage.
No, perhaps she had suspected the truth long ago.
The reason she had been dwelling on this matter all these years was simply that she couldn’t swallow her pride—she couldn’t accept that someone of the same generation was stronger than her, and even less that she had been defeated by someone with a lower cultivation level.
“Fine, I get it.”
She suddenly turned around.
“Let’s go, it’s time to head back. Rongrong should be finished with her bath. If she can’t find us in the room, there’s no telling how worried she’ll be.”
“You… aren’t angry with me anymore?”
Yun Xuechang was stunned.
“I’m still angry, but what does that matter? Let’s go.”
‘Even if I’m angry and find you a blockhead, what can I do? Once we return to the Hundred Flowers Valley, we’re going to get married anyway. What choice do I have?’
‘I’ll just have to reluctantly accept this blockhead for now.’
‘Seriously… I, Hua Yan, have been brilliant all my life. Which blind matchmaker of the heavens went and tied me to such a boring, cold-faced piece of wood as a Dao Companion?’
Hua Yan curled her lip and turned to walk back.
After two steps, she remembered something and added without looking back, “Don’t follow me around like a shadow from now on. Go do whatever you’re supposed to be doing!”
Although she still couldn’t stand the sight of the person who had caused her to turn into a woman, she figured she couldn’t really blame her when she thought about it carefully.
‘Once I change back in 500 years… I’ll just forgive her then.’
“Alright, okay.”
Yun Xuechang watched the red-haired girl’s fluttering back in a daze before quickly catching up, a faint smile appearing in her cool eyes.
The two walked side by side along the small path on the boat as the night breeze blew past, carrying a hint of coolness.
Yun Xuechang suddenly remembered something and spoke softly.
“By the way, Daoist Friend Hua. When I had to leave the Hehuan Sect due to urgent sect matters, I used a debt note to purchase a Disguise Magic Tool from Su Feiyao and asked her to give it to you as an apology… why have you never used it?”
“???”
Hua Yan froze instantly, looking at her in shock.
‘What?! You spent Spirit Stones to buy that magic tool?! That woman Su Feiyao actually told me it was an apology gift from the Hehuan Sect?!’
‘Su Feiyao—you damn vixen! You dared to trick me!’
Hua Yan was suddenly so angry that her teeth itched and her chest heaved.
‘And you! Rongrong clearly told you that I was seen through by Grandmother and was forced to maintain this female form outside… yet you still ask this!’
The annoyed Hua Yan glared fiercely at the white-haired girl beside her.
‘I see you’re just a perverted woman-lover who covets my beauty. You probably want me to stay a woman for the rest of my life so you can cling to me, don’t you!’
“Yun Xuechang! I’m definitely not going to forgive you in this lifetime!”
“Daoist Friend Hua, wait for me…”
Yun Xuechang watched her huffy departure and chased after her, looking completely lost.
One red and one white figure vanished one after the other into the night-shrouded cabin, leaving only the moonlight to spill quietly over the world.