Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 48

Lingxi slightly closed her eyes. Just as the hand in front of her was about to touch her shoulder, the sword sheath let out a sharp “clang,” revealing the cold gleam of its blade.

Under the silver crescent moon, the light of the sword reflected on Ruan Xuan’s suspended hand. She still had a smile on her face, but her fingers retracted slightly. “Alright.”

“Master, you can see clearly. I don’t know her.”

The unsheathed sword created a clear distance between them. Lingxi responded to Xie Xisui’s voice in a low tone.

There was a momentary pause in her mind, and the light between her brows suddenly flickered.

“So, this is the storyteller woman you mentioned meeting on your journey?”

“Yes.”

Spiritual energy unraveled into fine threads, stretching outward like newly sprouted buds. Just as they were about to touch the woman, they hesitated and retracted, standing straight and leaning backward.

Lingxi sensed the warmth in her body. When she received no response from Xie Xisui, she called again, “Master?”

The spiritual energy was instantly withdrawn. Xie Xisui replied indifferently, “Hmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

“She has a trace of corruption on her.”

…

Lingxi took Tong Ningyun and Qin Tang back to the inn to rest. One was unconscious, and the other lost consciousness as soon as Lingxi helped push the door open.

To take care of them conveniently, Lingxi placed them in the same room—Tong Ningyun on the bed and Qin Tang on the floor beside it.

She brought her index and middle fingers together, sweeping lightly through the air. In an instant, a protective barrier fell over the two of them.

After closing the door and stepping out, the inn’s servant immediately approached with a bucket of hot water. “Honored guest, the hot water you requested is ready.”

Lingxi nodded slightly, took the water from him, and went straight back to her room.

She poured the entire bucket into the tub, and the rising mist blurred her vision. She removed her outer robe, stepping into the water dressed only in a simple, close-fitting undergarment.

The warmth of the water, combined with Xie Xisui’s sword energy inside her, activated as soon as she guided it. A surge of energy flowed through her veins, and a golden light quietly emerged.

Lingxi slowly closed her eyes and, in the darkness, found herself back on that night.

On the first night of early winter, an unusually heavy snowfall covered the steep cliffs of Chuanze Gorge. When the snow accumulated to a certain thickness without interference from spiritual energy, small pieces of Silverlight Stone would naturally form.

Holding a Silverlight Stone felt smooth and warm, absorbing excess cold while radiating a soft silver glow, like moonlight.

Lingxi had wanted this stone for a long time—to give it to Xie Xisui.

That night, the sky was filled with swirling snowflakes. The white palace was covered in an untouched layer of snow, and darkness stretched in all directions. Without hesitation, Lingxi soared out on her sword, wearing only a single-layered robe. Before reaching the cliff’s peak, she landed and continued on foot.

At the top, she tied a rope around her waist, securing it to an ancient tree. Then, she carefully descended along the cliff’s edge.

Every winter, she would come here to check the cliffs, making climbing up and down a necessary skill she had perfected over time.

Dressed in light robes, she endured the biting wind that cut her face like tiny knives. Her hands searched through the deep snow. As the cold became unbearable and her lips trembled uncontrollably, she clenched her teeth and finally touched the warm surface beneath.

“Master.”

A voice called softly.

She was clad in white, head lowered, both hands cupping a small piece of Silverlight Stone. Between her fingers, where they couldn’t be seen, were tiny cracks from the cold.

Lingxi felt as if she had no physical form, merely a spectator floating in this dream. The light cast down at an angle, making it difficult to see clearly.

The dream shifted, changing from her own perspective to Xie Xisui’s.

At night, a faint fragrance drifted in from the window, bringing a sense of relaxation to the person lying in bed.

Xie Xisui slowly pushed the door open and stood by Lingxi’s bedside, observing her under the gentle moonlight.

After a long while, she extended a hand from her sleeve, gently pressing her fingertips against Lingxi’s furrowed brows.

The lingering warmth on her fingers activated the fragrance of the Ahan buds. The sleeping girl’s nose twitched slightly.

Xie Xisui sat by the bed and took out a small box of medicinal ointment from her sleeve. With a sigh, she carefully held Lingxi’s hand, dipping her clean fingertips into the milky-white balm and gently applying it to the cracked wounds on Lingxi’s fingers.

Once she had finished tending to the wounds, Xie Xisui opened her palm. The Silverlight Stone that Lingxi had so carefully gifted her floated above it. But now, infused with Xie Xisui’s spiritual energy, the silver color deepened, and its warmth increased.

The scorching Silverlight Stone transmitted its heat to Lingxi’s hand through Xie Xisui’s touch. Almost instinctively, the girl grasped the warm object in her sleep, murmuring, “Master…”

Xie Xisui’s lips curved slightly, carrying a trace of helplessness and a faint smile. She responded softly, “Hmm, I’m here.”

The ghostly figure outside the dream suddenly froze. Such a simple phrase, yet it felt like a stone dropping into water, shattering the surface and sinking into the endless abyss.

Lingxi finally understood why her hands had completely healed the next day.

The scene shifted again. Xie Xisui had left her room. Inside the grand hall at night, flickering candlelight illuminated the floating Silverlight Stone. Sitting behind a desk, Xie Xisui gazed at it, lost in thought.

A cold breeze slipped through the window, lifting strands of her hair. After a moment, she seemed to make a decision, running her palm across the stone’s surface.

Outside the dream, Lingxi, bathed in light, clearly saw strokes forming on the stone’s surface.

“Xisui”

Lingxi stared at the glowing characters, momentarily dazed. The name was simple yet deeply engraved in her heart—something she would never abandon or forget.

Like an ancient tree that had stood for years, its branches reached toward the sky while its roots ran deep into the earth.

The golden light in her vision expanded, gradually consuming everything. In the final moment, she saw the Silverlight Stone return to her palm, its inscription fading once more. Her fingertips brushed against its smooth surface, producing a soft rustling sound.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when a sigh echoed above her head. “Don’t take such risks next time.”

The voice was faintly cold yet familiar, with a slightly hoarse undertone.

Lingxi abruptly awoke from her hazy state. “Master?”

“Hmm. How do you feel now?”

Her fingers, curled underwater without realizing it, slightly stretched out. Lingxi felt the pain in her body gradually being replaced by warmth.

“It’s hot, but I don’t feel the pain anymore.”

“Good.”

Silence filled the air. After a brief pause, Xie Xisui said, “I used my sword energy to heal you. Our consciousness touched, so our memories overlapped.”

The rough skin of her thumb brushed lightly over Lingxi’s fingertips, recalling the sensation of those cracked wounds.

Yet what stood out even more was the memory of that night, when Xie Xisui had taken the Silverlight Stone from her hand and gently traced her palm.

In that moment, Lingxi felt it strongly—her heart beating solely for Xie Xisui, unable to part even for an instant.