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Since Mu Xiaoxiao had returned, it meant that the plot had already started. It was now her turn to appear as a supporting role. It also meant that she would gloriously become the catalyst for the main characters' romantic feelings, only to be killed by Pei Chunzheng one day.
Thinking about it, Qiao Wan couldn't help but want to slap herself.
Who asked her to like Pei Chunzheng?
Who asked her to date Pei Chunzheng?
That's right, she had once had a brief relationship with Pei Chunzheng, the male lead of "Immortal Ascending Road."
She shouldn't have dated the male lead. Wasn't she just seeking death.
She recounted her past with Pei Chunzheng, it was undoubtedly a tragic fate.
The first time Qiao Wan saw Pei Chunzheng, she had just arrived on the mountain, at the tender age of fourteen, when she has just stepped into the prime of her youth.
At that time, she didn't know about Mu Xiaoxiao's existence. She only knew that the people in the Kunshan Sect treated her well, whether it was her master or Elder Martial Brother Lu Pihan. She was filled with hope for the future, eager to work hard and become an unparalleled sword immortal, so as not to tarnish her master Yuqing Spiritual Master's reputation.
Her master was aloof and didn't really bother with her once she arrived on the mountain. He left her to learn the scriptures and medicine by herself. For any issues, big or small, it was actually Elder Martial Brother Lu Pihan who took care of them. He was the one who taught her swordsmanship as well.
After completing her studies, she started taking missions from Wenshi Hall, helping the Kunshan Sect with odd jobs and monster extermination, all while improving her skills.
She liked Pei Chunzheng because he had saved her life once.
When she was about to die at the jaws of a monster, he arrived, stepping on his sword, looking down at her.
That was the first time Qiao Wan ever saw Pei Chunzheng, his cold eyes left a lasting impression on her, even while she was dying.
When the young man, standing on his sword, saw her, he was clearly startled for a moment, but then quickly regained his composure and joined the battle with his sword.
They cooperated very well at the time, killing monsters along the way and completing the mission in a beautiful manner.
After that, they collaborated a few more times.
At the age of fourteen, when spring was in the air, Qiao Wan couldn't help but have some other thoughts.
When she mustered up the courage to confess her feelings to Pei Chunzheng, she was prepared to be rejected.
But to her surprise, she wasn't.
The young boy stood in the gentle drizzle, his voice clear and his eyes shimmering, and replied, "Okay."
At that time, completely lost in the thoughts of love, she did not realize the hesitation and distraction on Pei Chunzheng's face before he spoke. This also foreshadowed her unfortunate ending in the future.
Not long after officially being in a relationship with Pei Chunzheng, Qiao Wan learned about the existence of Mu Xiaoxiao, and that Pei Chunzheng had a past with her. But at that time, Qiao Wan didn't think much about it. After all, everyone has a past, and being together meant they would face the long years ahead together, supporting each other and building trust.
She intentionally or unintentionally ignored any strange details during their time together.
Pei Chunzheng was good to her.
She was afraid of pain, and every time she got injured, Pei Chunzheng would find remedies for her, easing her pain and comforting her with a smile.
He liked silently following behind her, lowering his eyes to wipe away the blood on her fingertips.
After every battle, the young boy would take out a small comb from his pocket and sit amidst the mess, gently combing her hair stained with dust and blood.
As she looked at the young boy's radiant silhouette under the setting sun, she couldn't help but think, "Why do I like him so much?"
Watching the comings and goings of people in front of Wenshi Hall, Qiao Wan couldn't help but think back to the day when she and Pei Chunzheng completely fell apart.
That day, they had just finished dealing with the mischievous monsters in the town and happened to stumble upon the lantern festival for the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Who could resist the temptation of strolling under the lanterns with their loved one? Even Qiao Wan couldn't resist.
Pei Chunzheng also seemed quite interested, so on that day she took extra care to dress up.
Pei Chunzheng always carried a rabbit-shaped silk lantern with him. The silk had turned yellow, but he cherished it as much as his own eyes. He rarely let anyone touch it. He would often take it out and stare at it in a daze.
But on that day, for the first time ever, he took out the rabbit silk lantern and placed it in her hands.
"Do you want to eat candied hawthorn?" The young boy hesitated for a moment before asking.
In the glow of the lantern, Pei Chunzheng's face, as white as snow, was bathed in a warm light.
His gaze was a tenderness she had never seen before, as though he saw something unknown through her. His voice was soft, as if afraid to disturb something.
Qiao Wan hesitated for a moment. She didn't really want to eat candied hawthorn right now, but when she met Pei Chunzheng's gentle eyes, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. So, she nodded and said, against her true feelings, "Yes, I quite like candied hawthorn."
Unexpectedly, the monster didn't die at all and was hiding among the crowd. Just as Pei Chunzheng walked away to buy candied hawthorns for her, the monster attacked again.
She was not strong and couldn't fight the monster alone. She protected the rabbit lantern in her arms and tried to guide the scared people away from the monster's attacks. She prayed silently for Pei Chunzheng to come back quickly.
At that moment, she had only one belief in her heart. The rabbit silk lantern must not be damaged, as it was Pei Chunzheng's most precious possession.
The cunning monster noticed her attachment to the rabbit lantern and kept attacking it, trying to distract her. She was helpless and couldn't fight back.
When the young man finally arrived on his sword, she was already half-dead from the monster's attacks. This scene reminded her of the first time she saw Pei Chunzheng.
He stood on the sword, looking at her. She was lying on the ground, panting heavily, with blood dripping from her nose. She carefully held up the rabbit silk lantern.
The lantern had some blood stains on it, but she had protected it with all her might.
The long sword was sheathed, and the young man's cold gaze fell upon the rabbit silk lantern. His expression changed drastically when he saw the blood stains on the fabric. His eyes turned red like a rabbit.
"Dirty."
"What?" She struggled to get up from the bloodstains.
"It's dirty."
The young man looked up, and his blood-red eyes startled her.
"Xiaoxiao." Pei Chunzheng muttered, pale and lost.
"Pei Chunzheng?" Qiao Wan hesitated to ask.
Her whole body ached, but thinking about how Pei Chunzheng liked her to smile, Qiao Wan forced a stiff smile, while her nosebleed kept dripping onto her clothes.
Pei Chunzheng's state was strange. He gritted his teeth, lips trembling. He seemed mad and crazy.
She took a step forward to ask him what was wrong, but the young man unleashed a sword strike that forced her back half a step.
If she had been a little slower, the sword strike would have mercilessly cut off her hand.
Pei Chunzheng glanced at her, his gaze icy.
Then, he turned his head, with a deeply pained expression on his face, and flew away with the rabbit silk lantern in his hands.
She was left stunned in place, waiting until her blood congealed on her skin, but Pei Chunzheng never returned.
Xiaoxiao.
Xiaoxiao.
The painful voice of the young man echoed in her ears.
As the wind blew on her blood, it felt cold.
She finally understood.
At that moment, Qiao Wan wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
But when her tears started to fall, the years of habit caused her to smile reflexively.
No wonder Pei Chunzheng liked her to smile.
It was because Mu Xiaoxiao likes to laugh, she has a dimple on her cheek when she does. That's why Pei Chunzheng likes it when she smiles. But when she frowns in pain, she no longer looks like Mu Xiaoxiao.
Her back and hands look the most like Mu Xiaoxiao , so he likes walking behind her, bending down patiently to help wipe the blood from her fingertips.
Mu Xiaoxiao has long hair, and he often helps her comb it. The little comb was also a gift from Mu Xiaoxiao to him.
Even the rabbit lamp was because Mu Xiaoxiao likes it.
Even the candied hawthorn was because Mu Xiaoxiao likes to eat it.
Mu Xiaoxiao , that's a name that has been everywhere all these years, but no matter how hard she tries, she can never catch up with it.
How can a living person be compared to a dead person?
The cultivators have excellent eyesight. From her direction, they can see the bright lights of the town, stretching out like a warm river.
She and Mu Xiaoxiao , they are like light and shadow, inseparable. She depends on her, but she also receives some care from others. But shadows can never surpass light.
In the end, it was Elder Martial Brother who found her, nearly out of breath, and coughing, he carried her back to Yuqing Peak.
"I'm so embarrassed..." Qiao Wan buried her whole face in the blanket, her voice husky. "I just feel so embarrassed."
Elder Martial Brother looked at her coldly.
She didn't dare ask her Elder Martial Brother whether he also saw her as Mu Xiaoxiao's substitute.
Actually, there's no need to ask, she already knew the answer.
Whether it's Pei Chunzheng , Elder Martial Brother, or their master, or other senior martial brothers and sisters.
They all look at her and saw another girl, forming their idea of the Kunshan Sect's younger martial sister - Mu Xiaoxiao .
Since that day, she never actively looked for Pei Chunzheng again.
Being in the same Kunshan Sect, except for occasionally meeting, they no longer had any unnecessary interactions.
However, in those inevitable few encounters, her relationship with Pei Chunzheng got worse and worse, and now they're practically strangers to each other.
After all these years, Qiao Wan has long since moved on from her initial psychological shadow.
But now, they're telling her that Pei Chunzheng will kill her, and the way she'll die will be extremely miserable. Isn't this a trap?
