After Transmigrating, I and the Female Lead Both Found It 'Really Fragrant' (GL) - Chapter 22
Five days later, Blackwater Cliff.
The moon was bright and the stars were few on this night. The surroundings were pitch black, making it impossible to see anything.
Shen Qiqi held an oil lamp in her hand and slowly walked through the dark forest.
The mountain path was gloomy. With the night wind blowing, only the rustling of the grass and the chirping of insects could be heard, making it very quiet, even eerily so.
By the dim moonlight, she could vaguely see the blurry silhouettes of clumps of trees swaying in the breeze.
Blackwater Cliff was located behind the Qingfeng Peak. Few people came here, so the vegetation was lush and overgrown. Ancient cypress trees and shrubs were so dense and tall that they even blocked out the moon.
Shen Qiqi rubbed her wrists, braving the cold wind, and pressed on. The dim light of the oil lamp illuminated her face, and her bright apricot eyes under her long lashes twinkled like the brilliant stars in the sky.
It seemed like she was the only person in the forest for miles around.
Climbing the winding mountain path and walking closer, she heard the rushing sound of water. Passing by an indistinct guiding stone beside her, her vision gradually widened. A waterfall cascaded down the steep mountainside, falling into a pitch-black pool and splashing up a sheet of white foam.
This is the Blackwater Cliff, a sheer precipice with a black pool reflecting the faintly visible moon and stars in the clouds.
A not-too-large cave was carved into the cliff at the end of the waterfall. A heavy stone door could be faintly seen at the entrance, hidden by the cascading water.
Any disciple who had committed a crime would be confined to this dark cave, forbidden to light a lamp, leave the cave, or recite any incantations. There was a barrier at the entrance, and all comings and goings were recorded.
However, such a small restriction could not hold Liu Shuang.
She left her physical body inside the door, and her spirit had already slipped out, wandering around the cliff at night.
The day and night at the Blackwater Cliff were not very different. The trees were towering and covered the sky, and the shadows of animals were invisible, creating a cold and lonely atmosphere.
But occasionally, there would be uninvited guests.
A fallen leaf, swayed by the wind, suddenly moved extremely fast, its blade-like edge nearly grazing her cheek before she caught it with her outstretched finger.
A short laugh came from the dark shadows of the trees: “You have excellent skills.”
With two white fingers, she pinched the leaf and gently twisted it, crushing it into a handful of residue, exuding a faint purple demonic energy.
“Who is it?” Liu Shuang turned her head, her gaze fixed on the distant forest, and she said coldly, “Come out.”
After a while, a man in black robes slowly walked out from behind the trees. He looked young, with delicate features and a pair of phoenix eyes that were both affectionate and ruthless, with slightly upturned corners, revealing a hint of enchanting allure.
Liu Shuang released her fingers, and the residue slipped through her fingers onto the ground.
She looked at him and sneered, “…Si Tuyun.”
Si Tuyun blinked, seeming a little surprised, “You know me? I didn’t expect such a small sect like Qingli to hide such a great Buddha.”
Liu Shuang’s gaze was calm, “You arranged for Xiao Wen?”
Si Tuyun leaned against the tree, smiling wryly, “It was me.” He looked at her with a playful smile, “I just wanted to see what kind of extraordinary person you were always protecting… I didn’t expect her to be just a little girl.”
Liu Shuang looked at him, her cold voice unmoved in the night wind, “Didn’t I tell you not to touch her?”
Si Tuyun pursed his lips slightly, his long eyelashes fluttering, “Hmph… I was just a little curious about her, so I tested her out, and she didn’t die, did she?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Liu Shuang move her finger slightly.
Si Tuyun was startled and felt something pulling his hair, dragging him backward forcefully. Before he could react, a surge of black mist had tightly gripped his throat.
His head was pressed against the tree, revealing a pale and fragile neck. His back felt cold, and he began to sweat.
Liu Shuang slowly walked up to him, her eyes reflecting an inorganic light. Her pupils were very dark, devoid of any emotion, as if she were looking at something insignificant that could be discarded at any time.
Suffocation, chest tightness, unable to breathe.
A sense of impending doom washed over Si Tuyun, and a profound fear gripped him.
“Save…” he gasped, reaching out with difficulty, trying to touch the hem of her garment, “Save me…”
Liu Shuang watched coldly and indifferently.
Si Tuyun squeezed out each word, his face turning purple, “I… I was wrong, I, I won’t touch her again! Never… please…”
He didn’t know how many times he repeated it. Time seemed to slow down like flowing sand, until everything seemed to stand still. The black mist suddenly released him, and he slid from the tree trunk to the ground.
“This is the second time.”
Si Tuyun twitched dazedly, sweat dripping from his forehead.
…It was terrifying. She had him trapped, as easily as a giant would crush a fly, without even a chance to struggle.
Liu Shuang looked down at him condescendingly, “There won’t be a third time.”
As she spoke, Si Tuyun felt his left shoulder loosen, followed by a sharp pain. He glanced sideways and saw that his entire arm was hanging limply.
Liu Shuang had torn off his entire left arm, leaving it completely immobile.
Despite the excruciating pain, Si Tuyun felt a sense of relief, gritting his teeth and saying, “I, I swear, I will never offend that girl again, nor will I let anyone disturb her.”
Liu Shuang lowered her eyes slightly and stood quietly.
Si Tuyun was used to doing whatever he wanted, and his reckless and unrestrained nature was almost hereditary among the demons.
Now, he was like a wilted eggplant, sitting on the ground in a pitiful state, with a trace of fear as he cautiously asked, “But can I ask… what is the relationship between you and that Shen Qiqi?!”
Liu Shuang paused, her eyes flickering as she glanced at him, “None of your business.”
Si Tuyun gave a meaningful hum, and a hint of mischief appeared in his eyes as he thought of something, “I see…”
Liu Shuang’s brows furrowed slightly, and she was about to kick him away when she suddenly heard a clear voice in her ears.
“…Senior Sister!”
It echoed from afar, as if coming from the black pool.
Her fingertips trembled, and she flicked her sleeve, leaving.
Si Tuyun watched her disappear instantly and snorted, muttering, “You change your expression as soon as you hear a voice, you really do have a close relationship.”
He supported his arm and stood up, grimacing in pain, before disappearing into the dense forest.
Liu Shuang’s physical body was sitting perfectly still in the cave behind the waterfall, her legs crossed and her eyes closed in meditation. Her spirit, sensing her return, quickly merged back into her body. After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes.
All she could see was endless darkness. The huge stone door was tightly shut, with only a sliver of cold moonlight leaking in through the crack beneath the door.
In a daze, she could hear the rushing waterfall cascading over the rocks, making a splashing sound.
She was already used to the darkness and loneliness.
A faint voice came from outside, along with the moonlight.
“Senior Sister? Senior Sister!…”
Liu Shuang was startled and stood up slowly, walking towards the door, her footsteps rustling.
“…Shen Qiqi?” she asked uncertainly.
“Senior Sister!” The voice came closer, carried by the wind, panting, and breathing rapidly, “It’s me!”
Liu Shuang said, “Why did you suddenly come here?” She didn’t expect Shen Qiqi to come.
Shen Qiqi seemed to be right at the door, her voice muffled by the stone.
“Don’t even mention it. It took me forever to sneak out!”
The wind blew a little cold, and Shen Qiqi outside sniffed, her voice muffled, “No matter how I begged that old fogey, it was useless. He wouldn’t let me come see you! That old geezer is so mean!”
Liu Shuang unconsciously raised the corners of her lips, “…Then how did you get here?”
“I bothered him every day after class, and when he refused, I just followed him around and nagged him,” Shen Qiqi laughed, “You know, after I bothered him for five days straight, he couldn’t stand it anymore! So he let me come see you for a moment!”
Liu Shuang hummed softly, her fingers pressed against the door. She couldn’t see Shen Qiqi’s face now, but she could imagine the other person’s eyes slightly curved and her expression bright.
After a moment of silence, Shen Qiqi asked again, “Senior Sister, are you cold in there? Are you scared?”
“I’m not scared, and I’m not cold.”
“Isn’t it very dark inside? I heard they said you can’t light a lamp in the cave, and you can’t go out either…”
“Yeah, it’s pitch black.”
“Ah? Then it must be terrifying!” Shen Qiqi exaggeratedly gasped.
As they talked, Liu Shuang leaned against the door, listening silently, occasionally answering a question, feeling a long-lost sense of comfort.
Blackwater Cliff was thousands of miles away from the residential quarters of the inner sect disciples, and the entire mountain was under a spell, forbidding the use of any travel magic.
Liu Shuang thought Shen Qiqi wouldn’t come, but Shen Qiqi had still come to see her despite the mountains and rivers.
It was like an unexpected surprise falling from the sky, landing suddenly in her arms.
As they were talking, a gust of wind swept past outside, and Shen Qiqi screamed, as if something had been knocked to the ground.
Liu Shuang immediately stood up straight: “What happened?!”
Shen Qiqi groaned, her voice trembling, “The… my lamp… my lamp went out…” It was the oil lamp she used to guide her way, probably blown out by the wind.
Liu Shuang frowned: “Are you okay?”
“I’m, I’m fine…” Shen Qiqi bit her lip, her breath short, and her words were a little strange, as if she was trying to suppress something.
Liu Shuang’s tone became serious: “Tell the truth, what’s wrong with you?!”
Shen Qiqi hesitated, “Well, it’s really nothing… Ow!” She screamed again, her teeth chattering, looking frightened.
Liu Shuang sighed and shook her head, using her mind-reading ability.
She hadn’t actively listened to Shen Qiqi’s thoughts for a long time.
“Damn, it’s so dark here, oh my god… How on earth is this place for people to live in? …Ouch! It hurts, my hand!!!”
“What’s wrong with your hand?” she asked without thinking.
Oops.
Shen Qiqi was stunned, “No, it’s just that, I was accidentally scratched by a branch when I came here…” She was a little confused, “How did you know my hand was injured?”
Liu Shuang paused and said, “Is it serious?”
“It’s okay, it didn’t hurt much just now, but now it’s starting to hurt.” Shen Qiqi was successfully diverted from the topic and gave a wry smile, “I’m actually just… afraid of the dark, and I’m a little night-blind, I can’t see clearly, and the oil lamp went out just now, which scared me…”
Liu Shuang’s expression turned complex, and she sighed softly.
“Since you have night blindness, and the mountain path here is dangerous, you shouldn’t come again.”
Shen Qiqi resolutely replied, “No way! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I finally managed to convince that old man!”
She said seriously, “Besides, this place is so desolate, a barren mountain with not even a bird! It’s so lonely… What if Senior Sister gets sick from being alone all the time?”
Lonely?
She had tasted the bitter fruits of this world. These unnecessary emotions had long been discarded.
But when she heard Shen Qiqi say this, Liu Shuang suddenly felt that being alone might indeed be a little unbearable.
The days and nights at the Blackwater Cliff were very quiet, with the water constantly splashing against the rocks. Occasionally, when she sat alone in the morning mist, she would think of Shen Qiqi.
She would wonder what she was doing at that moment, whether she was studying hard or kicking off her covers in the middle of the night.
Without Shen Qiqi’s chattering voice and laughter to accompany her, time seemed to slow down.
Liu Shuang was silent in the darkness for a long time before she softly hummed in agreement.
Both of them were quiet, and their breathing was clearly audible.
“Senior Sister,” she suddenly heard Shen Qiqi’s voice, hesitant and bashful, as if she was struggling with her words.
“Do you… do you miss me?”
As soon as Shen Qiqi finished asking, she regretted it, her ears turning red, wishing she could just bang her head against the door.
That wasn’t actually what she wanted to ask.
She wanted to ask, Senior Sister, why did you kiss me?
But she was afraid of hearing Liu Shuang’s answer.
What if… what if Senior Sister had only kissed her to comfort her? Yeah, that must be it! There couldn’t be anything else.
When Liu Shuang kissed her forehead, many people had seen it.
Shen Qiqi didn’t care about other people’s reactions, because even she herself was a little… overwhelmed.
She had thought about it for a whole day and night, but couldn’t come up with an answer. With dark circles under her eyes, she went to morning class, and when she saw that Liu Shuang’s seat was empty, she felt an inexplicable emptiness in her heart.
It was as if her whole person was floating in the air, with her feet not touching the ground.
This time, Liu Shuang was silent for even longer, so long that Shen Qiqi thought she had fallen asleep before she heard her reply.
She said, “Yes.”
Her voice was soft yet firm, like a fragrant night breeze that dispelled the anxiety and confusion in Shen Qiqi’s heart.
Shen Qiqi unconsciously relaxed, murmuring softly, “Then… then that’s good…”
Liu Shuang asked, “What about you?”
“Me, me what?”
There seemed to be a hint of laughter in Liu Shuang’s voice, “Don’t you miss me?”
Shen Qiqi sat by the door, burying her entire face in her arms and whispered, “…I do.”
She missed her a lot.
She gradually realized that she could no longer treat Liu Shuang as a character in a book, to be casually dismissed.
In the world of this book, Liu Shuang was a living person, with her own joys and sorrows.
In the forest, the trees were silent, the night was as cool as water, and the waterfall under the moonlight was like a silvery white silk, with the dark pool reflecting the stars all over the sky.
Separated by a door, Liu Shuang’s heartbeat gradually calmed down.
“It’s getting late,” she said softly, “You should go back to rest.”
Shen Qiqi subconsciously dragged out her words, coquettishly, “But, my lamp is broken…”
“Shh,” Liu Shuang suddenly lowered her voice, “Look behind you.”
Shen Qiqi raised her head in confusion, and saw a sea of green light suddenly rising from the grass and trees of the mountains, like countless stars scattered from the sky, immersing everything in a dreamy and mysterious atmosphere.
She was stunned, “Wow, what is this?!”
Liu Shuang smiled, “There are many fireflies in the mountains at night, let them take you back.”
Shen Qiqi’s eyes reflected a piece of broken light, and she exclaimed joyfully, “Okay!”
Countless fireflies were like a vast starry sky, illuminating her way home.
So much so that when she fell asleep that night, many fireflies also flew into her dreams.
••••
Sometimes, Liu Shuang would pass through the barrier to see what Shen Qiqi was doing.
She searched for her for a long time, and finally found that Shen Qiqi had actually gone down the mountain to travel.
During the time she was away, Shen Qiqi had been busy cultivating and catching monsters all day long, and her skills seemed to have improved a lot. Now she was able to defeat some weak monsters on her own.
On the day she returned from her travels, many disciples would come to the mountain gate to welcome them back to the Qingli Sect.
From a distance, she saw Shen Qiqi appear on the horizon.
The little girl seemed to have lost some weight and grown taller. Her eyes were bright, and her tight-fitting clothes outlined her slender and graceful figure, like a beam of subtle light, striking straight into her chest.
She was still the spirited daughter of the sect master.
Surrounded by a crowd of people, Shen Qiqi smiled brightly, as popular as ever.
People greeted her with various exclamations.
“Junior Sister, you’re back!”
“Not bad, Junior Sister, how was your trip?”
Liu Shuang watched from afar, her eyes dark, and a twisted and unfamiliar emotion spread through her heart –
“…Even if I’m not around, she’s doing well.”
Her fingers clenched, and her expression gradually turned cold.
It’s just that for a moment, she wanted Shen Qiqi’s beautiful eyes to only look at her.
As soon as this thought popped into her head, Liu Shuang stood still for a moment before turning and leaving.
Shen Qiqi stood in the crowd with a polite, forced smile that she used when dealing with her countless relatives during the Spring Festival.
If it weren’t for the sake of fitting in, she would have been too lazy to pay any attention to these people.
Sigh, the rich second-generation really were the center of attention. But all she wanted was a peaceful life of leisure.
“Junior Sister, everyone is going to meditate in the square. Are you coming?”
Shen Qiqi politely declined, “No need.”
She rolled her eyes secretly. These people, their flattery was written all over their faces. Could they at least pretend a little?
Shen Qiqi suddenly missed her gentle and quiet senior sister. She wondered if she was still sitting alone in the dark cave, feeling very bored.
It was a pity that the old fogey only allowed her to see Liu Shuang once, and wouldn’t agree to it afterwards.
If one day, all the plots were over, and she still couldn’t go home… she would find a secluded place far away from the world with her senior sister, enjoy flowers and wine, and sit idly by the fishing rod. Life would be so pleasant and carefree!
She didn’t realize that she had unconsciously included Liu Shuang in her plans for the rest of her life.
Thirty days passed in a blink of an eye, and Liu Shuang came out of the Blackwater Cliff.
The cave door slowly opened, and Liu Shuang, dressed in black robes, stood with her hands behind her back under the bright moonlight, her face elegant and her figure ethereal.
Shen Qiqi stood there stunned for a moment, then suddenly rushed towards her and hugged Liu Shuang tightly around the waist, “Senior Sister–”
Liu Shuang caught her, helplessly helping her to her feet, “Why are you so excited?”
The two of them walked down the mountain together, under the moonlight, with a gentle night breeze.
Shen Qiqi looked up at the night sky and casually said, “Senior Sister, the full moon is coming soon.”
Liu Shuang paused, “Full moon? How many more days?”
Shen Qiqi said, “Two or three days, why?”
Liu Shuang’s long eyelashes trembled, and she slowly shook her head, “…Nothing.”
Junior Sister: I missed you so much, come give me a hug TAT.