CHAPTER 201: CHAPTER 163: TONIGHT, THE MOONLIGHT IS DUST-FREE. (PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!!)_2

Su Bei felt his body growing increasingly frail, like a lone boat tossed in a vast sea, swaying in wind and rain, unable to find its direction.

It was a faint sense of weakness, and his entire being seemed to have entered a brand new world!

Before him appeared a cave dwelling. Countless hardships and dangerous obstacles blocked his path, yet he wielded the Qingping Sword, sliced open the heavens with a single strike, and broke through layer after layer of obstruction!

The entire sky was blood-red, yet a Golden Age Lotus blossomed serenely in sight.

Su Bei reached out, trying to touch the lotus, but always felt it was just out of reach.

The sounds of the Great Dao resonated in his ears. He couldn’t hear them clearly, but his entire body felt increasingly comfortable, as if baptized by these all-encompassing sounds.

What kind of feeling is this?

Su Bei couldn’t describe it, but he felt that everything was wonderfully beautiful.

It seemed the sound of a flute pierced the night.

With a flick, the clouds split.

In an instant, an avalanche.

His body grew heavier, more tired, until finally, everything returned to tranquility.

After an unknown amount of time, Su Bei suddenly opened his eyes.

The scene before him instantly made his brain short-circuit. Did I see wrong? Am I still dreaming?

He rubbed his bleary eyes, swallowed hard, and stared blankly at everything before him.

Under the moonlight, a white-haired woman sat quietly on his bed, flustered, looking at him with an equally shocked expression.

The gentle moonlight spilled onto his bed.

The woman’s delicate face visibly reddened rapidly, and then a piece of clothing was suddenly thrown over his head, blocking his vision.

CLATTER!

Then she fled in panic. The window was flung open, and a cold wind poured in.

The cold wind howled!

Su Bei swallowed hard again, removed the garment from his head, and pinched his own cheek. The scene from moments ago remained vivid in his mind.

Under the cold moonlight, Ninth Junior Sister bit her thin lips, her misty eyes looking at him.

He could vaguely see her dudou.

Not an ordinary one, but the thin gauze from his memories. In a daze, he could see a vast expanse of...

Su Bei took a deep breath. He could feel a faint trace of sweat on his skin, something that should have been impossible in the cold of winter.

No way... Could it be?

In an instant, a terrifying thought flooded Su Bei’s mind.

He then abruptly threw off his quilt, his eyes staring vacantly at the scene before him.

On the pale, water-white bedsheet.

A few plum blossoms—blood-red winter plums—bloomed quietly, as if blossoming in the depths of winter.

Su Bei felt his throat was a bit hoarse and dry. He murmured, "Really..."

But why would this happen?

Then, a wry smile, stemming from the depths of his heart, touched Su Bei’s lips. She... she was the one who initiated it?

He got up, put on his trousers, and scanned his surroundings. He found only a silver hairpin by the bed. Ninth Junior Sister probably dropped it. I’ve never seen her wear a hairpin before.

Gently picking up the hairpin, Su Bei took a long, deep breath. He looked somewhat disconsolately at the watery moonlight outside the window. "Junior Sister," he sighed, "why put yourself through all this?"

Do I like Dan Wulan? Su Bei asked himself.

Yes, a voice in his heart affirmed. This aloof woman, whose every aspect was as tranquil as her demeanor... Yet, it was only now, in a daze, that he realized he didn’t understand her in the slightest. Why would she do this? Dan Wulan felt like an ethereal mirage; he couldn’t grasp her heart or fathom her intentions. Thinking again about that kiss, his mind felt jumbled. Was it for a sense of security? Then why would she run upon seeing me? That’s not like her at all.

He hastily threw on a robe and quickly chased after her.

It has already come to this; how can I run away? In the world of emotions, who can truly explain things so clearly?

Dan Wulan clutched her robes tighter, wandering about somewhat blankly.

She didn’t know which direction to go, nor where she was headed.

I hadn’t even done anything yet, so why did Senior Brother suddenly wake up?

She bit her lower lip hard and fiercely threw the stick of Mesmerizing Soul Scent she was holding onto the ground, her gaze lifelessly fixed on the moon.

Third Senior Brother lied to me.

She laughed self-deprecatingly. What kind of image do I have in Senior Brother’s eyes now? Sneaking into his bed in the middle of the night... did that paint me as a certain type of woman? Although nothing actually happened between us—to be precise, the attempt failed—has he already labeled me as *that kind* of woman?

A single tear traced a path down her cheek. The night wind seemed particularly biting.

"Dan Wulan, you’re such a failure," Dan Wulan murmured softly to herself.

But, looking at it from another angle, haven’t my feelings been conveyed? Why did I run away? Shouldn’t I have faced my feelings boldly? It had been brewing for so long, yet I still hadn’t spoken it aloud.

Suddenly, the urgent sound of someone cutting through the air came from behind her. Dan Wulan’s heart skipped a beat, but she knew who it was. Usually so expressionless and frosty, she now felt a sliver of secret delight in the darkness of the night.

Senior Brother has caught up!

She wanted to turn around, to say something to him, when suddenly she felt her entire body enveloped in a warm embrace.

Dan Wulan’s body trembled slightly. She didn’t struggle. A hint of confusion, mixed with joy, flickered in her eyes.

Su Bei wrapped his arms tightly around the woman in his embrace. The moonlight illuminated her stunning face. He took a deep breath, inhaling her faint fragrance.

This cool and detached woman... I should bring her a trace of warmth in this cold winter.

She was naturally tall, only slightly shorter than Su Bei. Encircled by his strong arms, she could feel the warmth of his breath. Happiness seemed to have arrived so suddenly.

"Junior Sister, I..."

Dan Wulan turned, her delicate hand gently covering Su Bei’s lips, stopping him from continuing. Her beautiful eyes gazed into his.

He didn’t need to say anything. A thousand words couldn’t compare to his actions right now. The warmth of Su Bei’s embrace made her feel as if all her past sorrows and yearnings had been compensated. Her heart overflowed with happiness, leaving no room for other thoughts.

Seeing the deep, lingering affection in those cool eyes looking back at him, how could he not understand her heart?

"Fool," Su Bei smiled tenderly at her, at the woman in his arms. The woman who truly belonged to him.

The moonlight tonight was very gentle.

Dan Wulan’s eyes were intoxicated. Then, to Su Bei’s confusion, she forced herself to regain some of her usual coolness, gently pushing him away and taking a step back out of his embrace.

"Senior Brother, neither of us is very calm tonight."

The breeze blew gently, stirring Dan Wulan’s flowing white hair. Her bright eyes quietly held back a glimmer of unshed tears.

"If tomorrow, or the day after, or in a year, ten years, a hundred years, Senior Brother still feels the same way as you do now..."

A faint blush crept up to her ears. The corners of Dan Wulan’s mouth curved slightly. Though the smile was faint, Su Bei saw it clearly under the bright moonlight.

Dan Wulan didn’t finish her sentence, merely gazing quietly at Su Bei, a new degree of frankness in her eyes.

She wanted to hear Su Bei confess his feelings to her openly and honorably, not on a deserted night with just the two of them, their deep-seated emotions clouded by a momentary impulse. Had I myself pushed away the feelings that were within my reach?

Feelings can’t be pushed away, Su Bei thought, his heart stirring as he looked at his cool and proud Junior Sister.

Indeed, neither of us was very composed. I foolishly lost... Still, everything right now should belong to her pride alone.

Su Bei smiled to himself, a sense of relief washing over him. Indeed, this was the Dan Wulan he remembered. She wants to see my true feelings, doesn’t she?

Before catching up to her, Su Bei had a thousand words he wanted to say, but now they dissolved into silence. Under the moonlit night, it was so quiet they could hear each other’s heartbeats.

Dan Wulan turned and looked up at the bright moon hanging in the vast sky.

The night wind gently brushed her clothing and white hair. Her cool figure emanated a charm uniquely hers, the moonlight casting shadows from her eyelashes, making her eyes seem even more distant and captivating.

Su Bei stepped forward and gently draped his robe over her shoulders.

Tonight, the moonlight was unblemished.