CHAPTER 186: CHAPTER 156: BEING YOUR BOYFRIEND... SENIOR BROTHER IS ALSO VERY HAPPY. _2

Dan Wuque’s face turned crimson. She flicked her tongue lightly against the corner of her mouth where Su Bei had just touched, a novel emotion stirring within her.

It was like her Senior Brother wasn’t just her Senior Brother anymore.

That faint, indescribable sensation seemed to intensify with her heartbeat, warming her ears until they blushed amidst the snowy mist, feeling somewhat scorching.

Seeing Dan Wuque suddenly fall silent, her misty eyes gazing at him.

Su Bei raised an eyebrow, then extended a large hand to tousle her hair. She squinted, her eyelashes fluttering, a look of pure contentment on her face.

Dan Wuque clenched her small hand, looked up at Su Bei, and suddenly declared, "Senior Brother is my boyfriend!"

That pure gaze seemed to strike Su Bei’s heart in an instant.

THUMP—

The lanterns flickered as if dimming, and the fireworks in the sky burst like a shower of rosy light, scattering across the heavens.

Rain began to fall from the sky—a rain of stars and sparks.

Su Bei smiled. He pinched Dan Wuque’s cheek indulgently, nodded, and whispered tenderly, "Yes, I’m your boyfriend, and you are Senior Brother’s girlfriend too."

In her mind, ’boyfriend’ probably just meant a male friend,

he mused.

As he pondered, he suddenly felt a warm breath near his ear, followed by a light coolness on his cheek.

It was but a fleeting moment.

Su Bei paused, touching his cheek. He fancied he could still feel a sticky trace of syrup there. He looked at Dan Wuque; her face, identical to Dan Wulan’s, featured a rebellious cowlick that danced gently in the wind, and her lips held a smile as she said, "In Senior Brother’s hometown in the West, that’s how friends express their feelings!"

"This Junior Sister is super happy today!"

"..."

Inexplicably, Su Bei felt a softness in his heart touched for the first time. He looked at the woman before him, whose face was identical to her sister’s, yet who was completely different in every other aspect.

His eyes curved as he said softly, "Being able to be your boyfriend... makes Senior Brother very happy too."

This ’boyfriend’ was distinct from that ’boyfriend’.

...

The wind blew softly. Xiao Ruoching took a red-nosed mask from a vendor and carefully put it on. Then, like a child, she tiptoed toward Su Bei, suddenly slapped him on the shoulder, and roared playfully.

Su Bei jumped with a start. Looking at his apprentice’s slender little ’claws’ as she feigned fierceness, he reached out and pinched the large red nose.

Then he rubbed his own cheek somewhat guiltily.

"GIGGLE!"

Seeing Xiao Ruoching’s barely concealed smile, Su Bei’s lips curled into a helpless grin.

Xiao Ruoching had been a bit suspicious about what her Master was doing with Eighth Uncle while she was away. However, seeing the shocked look on her Master’s face exhilarated her, and all her worries dissipated with the night’s fireworks.

"Master, let’s go solve some lantern riddles!"

"..."

Su Bei swept past Xiao Ruoching. He touched the Sword Maiden’s protective mask, took Xiao Ruoching’s small hand, and nodded before saying, "Let’s go solve lantern riddles!"

Walking along the Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation, which someone had set up, they looked at each lantern riddle:

"Half of the Annals of Spring and Autumn."

"Qin—"

Su Bei curled his lip, dismissing such simplistic character riddles. He glanced at his prodigal disciple, who seemed to be enjoying them, coughed lightly, and announced, "These riddles are too easy! Your Master will make one up for you!"

Xiao Ruoching arched an eyebrow. Considering her Master was rumored to be a great literary talent, she felt a stir of anticipation as she looked at him. "Master, go on!"

The passersby also looked on curiously, wondering what this excessively handsome young man was about to say.

Su Bei clasped his hands behind his back and intoned deeply, "A tree with two pears, little children watch in worry! What is it?"

"..."

The bystanders were taken aback. Their expressions turned peculiar, then they all started to laugh, looking at the couple with suggestive amusement.

So it was just a playful joke between lovers, and they had taken it seriously.

A blush instantly rose to Xiao Ruoching’s cheeks. She bit her lip firmly, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, her face aflame...

Master, how could Master make such a joke?

Watching Xiao Ruoching’s reaction, Su Bei gently stopped her flailing hands, his gaze soft as he looked at her.

The hatred he had seen in her eyes when he first met this prodigal disciple was nowhere to be found now...

Even though she occasionally showed signs of confusion, she definitely wasn’t living burdened by hatred and resentment anymore.

Living for herself, cultivating to become an Immortal for herself... perhaps it was really as she had told him on Unrepentant Cliff.

—To cultivate and become an Immortal for those she wished to protect.

Did he save her? Or did she save herself?

"This is much better," Su Bei said softly.

Xiao Ruoching’s expression faltered for a moment upon hearing Su Bei’s voice. Then she lowered her gaze and fell silent.

In this life, this reincarnation, she had unknowingly changed so much under his influence...

...

The closer they moved towards the city center, the more splendid the lanterns became. High on the city wall in the heart of Luoxue City, an elegant elderly man sat, a smile on his face as he surveyed the scene before him.

Before the elder sat a middle-aged man at a low table, adeptly preparing tea. He selected fine tea leaves and placed them into an earthenware pot. After listening to the water come to a boil, making soft bubbling sounds, he skillfully poured water over the leaves.