Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 61

The wind and snow rushed in. They stood on opposite sides of the light’s edge, looking at each other.

The sound of the flute suddenly stopped. Faint specks of light fell onto Lingxi’s face, so bright that she could barely keep her eyes open, yet she tried hard to see clearly.

As another sword strike cut through the air, the scent of bl00d filled the space. The light grew deeper and poured in further. The demon lord’s body seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

The slender figure ahead was completely engulfed in the light. The wind and snow lifted the tips of her hair, making them dance in the air. Her hand, gripping the sword hilt, hung loosely at her side.

Lingxi couldn’t see her expression against the light—it was blurry, indistinct. But it reminded her of the first time she saw her, when she awoke from her hazy consciousness. Back then, she had also been standing alone in the light.

A faint glow outlined her figure.

She stood there for a long time. Lingxi watched her for a long time too.

Long enough for the light to fade and then gather around her again. In the endless cycle of time, as space shifted and everything changed, she alone seemed frozen in that moment.

Day after day, year after year.

Lingxi couldn’t take her eyes off her. She was so close, only a few steps away, yet it felt like there were a thousand cliffs and ten thousand mountains between them.

For a brief moment, Lingxi felt that they were somewhat alike.

Both of them were frozen in time—Lingxi, stuck behind her; and she, forever standing in front of her.

The bl00d mist turned into raindrops and fell. The warmth in Lingxi’s eyes slid down uncontrollably.

It was just a name, just a name she had been given. The voice calling it was soft and distant, yet when it reached her, it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, breaking its stillness.

Xie Xisui stepped forward, walking toward her against the light. Silent sword energy surrounded them, shielding them from the filthy bl00d rain above.

She smiled at Lingxi, her fingertips gently brushing Lingxi’s chin, catching the melted drop of water.

Lingxi suddenly spoke, “Master, this name… it’s not just a name in my consciousness.”

She slowly opened her palm, revealing the faintly glowing flute.

Xie Xisui didn’t reply. She lowered her gaze and placed her other hand over Lingxi’s.

“There is a deeper meaning,” Lingxi continued.

Xie Xisui looked at her. “Is that why you were crying?”

“I don’t know,” Lingxi shook her head. “Maybe it’s because I haven’t heard you call me by this name in so long.”

“So… you cried because of me.” This time, her voice was certain. She frowned slightly.

“I missed you too much.”

As the last word left her lips, it felt as though all of Lingxi’s strength had been drained. In an instant, it melted away.

Tears pooled in her eyes, on the verge of falling. Suddenly, Xie Xisui leaned in. Her face, suddenly magnified, filled Lingxi’s vision.

The next moment, the melted tears were covered by warmth. Lips, carrying heat, wrapped around them, kissing them away bit by bit.

“I know,” she said. “I missed you too.”

The tears that were about to stop seemed to melt even more.

“This… this isn’t good,” Lingxi muttered.

Xie Xisui chuckled, her warm breath brushing against the corner of Lingxi’s eye. She agreed, “Indeed, not very good. At the very least, we should get out of here first.”

Xie Xisui took her hand and led her out. Lingxi turned to look at her, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she didn’t.

The moment they stepped outside, the demon lord’s form dissolved into nothingness. The entire Dream Crimson Peak was left with nothing but the deep, vivid stain of bl00d, like the setting sun casting its final light upon the land, leaving an imprint that would never fade.

Xie Xisui led Lingxi downward, standing at the high cliffs of Dream Crimson Peak, overlooking the valley below.

The vast world stretched before them, small and distant. The wind and snow swirled like mist, clinging to them.

Lingxi heard the distant cheers and cries of the Yaoguang Sect disciples at the mountainside, celebrating their victory. The elders exchanged quiet words, Xu Gu laughed heartily, and even the rustling sound of the wind and snow brushing past their ears was clear.

But soon, all these sounds faded away.

In the vast, snowy world, only she and Xie Xisui remained.

Lingxi looked at her, feeling the faint warmth of her palm. Everything felt so real, yet at the same time, unreal.

A sudden ray of light broke through the sky, casting its glow upon them. The fragmented light and their shadows intertwined, overlapping once more.

Lingxi lowered her head and saw their shadows in the snow—so close together.

“It’s over,” Xie Xisui turned to look at her, the corners of her lips carrying a faint smile.

Such a simple sentence, yet Lingxi froze.

She looked at Xie Xisui but couldn’t find any words to say.

She should nod in response. The demon lord was gone, the monsters had scattered, and for now, there was peace.

But for some reason, Lingxi felt there was a deeper meaning behind her words.

Xie Xisui smiled again and said, “Didn’t you say you had something to tell me?”

The dark light flickered in Lingxi’s eyes, like embers of fire.

Lingxi spoke softly, “I missed you.”

“That’s all?”

“There’s much more,” Lingxi looked at her.

Xie Xisui chuckled. “Then should I give you more time to think about how to tell me?”

Lingxi thought for a moment. “One sentence a day?”

Xie Xisui’s eyes curved slightly as she reached out and tapped Lingxi’s forehead. “What do you think?”

Lingxi suddenly smiled too, feeling the gentle touch of her fingertips brushing across her skin.

“If Master wants to hear, I’ll tell you everything.”

The wind and snow gradually calmed. The snow on the cliff’s edge began to melt.

Xie Xisui gazed into the distance, then back at her. “Do you know the way to the Palace of Tranquility?”

Lingxi nodded. “Yes.”

“Hmm, killing the demon lord took some effort. I’m a bit tired. I’ll listen to you after I wake up.”

Lingxi’s brows furrowed slightly, suddenly nervous. She gripped Xie Xisui’s hand tightly. “Are you hurt?”

“No, just sleepy.”

Xie Xisui’s fingertips lightly brushed the back of Lingxi’s hand, as if to reassure her.

“I’ll take you back then.”

Before she could finish her sentence, Xie Xisui suddenly collapsed.

Lingxi instinctively caught her. Before she even realized it, she was already holding her tightly.

The person in her arms seemed to smile faintly but soon fell into a deep sleep, her breathing even and steady.

The words “Master” was stuck in Lingxi’s throat, but she swallowed them back down.

She was lighter than Lingxi had expected. As she rested in her arms, she tilted her head slightly, as if she wanted to fade into the darkness.

Lingxi held her close, carrying her carefully.

She returned to the Palace of Tranquility, walking into the grand hall, entering the inner chambers, and gently placing her onto the bed, covering her with a warm silk quilt.

Then, as she stood and looked at her, Lingxi could still feel the lingering warmth on her fingertips.

Xie Xisui had fallen into a deep sleep, without a single sound.

Lingxi couldn’t relax. She blocked out the thin light from outside and knelt by her bedside, keeping watch.

Her line of sight was level with Xie Xisui’s side profile. Looking over, she could faintly see the eyelashes hidden behind her hair, as light as cicada wings, and the soft lines of her pale neck rising and falling gently with each breath. This gave Ling Xi a small sense of peace.

There wasn’t a single trace of light inside. It was dark like a silent night, yet it felt more like the world had completely shut them in, leaving only a space that belonged to the two of them.

When Xie Xisui woke up, everything before her eyes was dark. The moment she opened them, she felt a burning gaze beside her.

Ling Xi softly called her, “Master?”

Xie Xisui answered with a hum and turned her head to look at her.

The light in Ling Xi’s eyes sparkled, like the brightest star in a dark night, quietly watching her.

“Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Xie Xisui shook her head.

“Do you want some water?”

She shook her head again.

“Something to eat?”

Xie Xisui didn’t respond, simply stared at her.

Ling Xi paused, her voice even softer now. “Then… do you want to sleep more?”

Xie Xisui looked at her for a while, then said calmly, “You’ve been crouching like that?”

Ling Xi didn’t answer. She just blinked.

“How long have you been like this?”

Ling Xi thought for a moment. “A little while, I guess.”

Xie Xisui asked again, “How long did I sleep?”

“Three days and three nights.”

Xie Xisui let out a helpless sigh and reached her hand toward her. Ling Xi looked at her hand, then at her face, and as soon as she placed her own palm over it, the world suddenly tilted.

When she came back to her senses, Ling Xi was already lying beside Xie Xisui.

The heat under the soft quilt spread quickly through Ling Xi’s skin and surged through her bl00d uncontrollably.

“Three days and three nights,” Xie Xisui propped up her head and looked at her. “Do you not want your legs anymore?”

“It wasn’t that long,” Ling Xi hesitated, then saw her eyebrows twitch slightly and quickly explained, “I was just really worried about you. Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

Xie Xisui gave a half-smile but didn’t answer.

Her palm gently rested on Ling Xi’s wrist, her thumb lightly brushing over the blue veins. Then she slowly said, “I had a very long dream.”

Ling Xi looked at her without speaking.

Xie Xisui’s eyes lowered slightly, hiding her expression. Her voice was quiet, as if it would melt into the darkness, yet in Ling Xi’s eyes, her figure still glowed faintly with a soft outline.

“I dreamed of the joy in your eyes the first time you saw me.”

“I dreamed of us lying on the vast grasslands, and the feeling when I leaned down and kissed you.”

A sudden light flashed through Ling Xi’s eyes.

“I dreamed of the bitter cold desert, of the arrow that pierced deep into my organs, which you took for me.”

“I dreamed that after we stopped a rebellion, we stood on the high city wall and watched the lanterns in the capital, and enjoyed the flowers and moonlight together.”

Ling Xi’s fingertips grew cold. Her warmth was fading fast, but her heart was trembling, as if waking up. Her whole body shook.

“I dreamed of many, many things. And then, the scene changed,” Xie Xisui paused and suddenly looked up at her, “It was after my soul scattered. You knelt there for a long time, not moving.”

“The wind was strong that day, chaotic and dark. When my soul disappeared, the chaos and darkness disappeared too. But even as the morning light fell on your face and healed your wounds, you didn’t change at all.”

“Your bloodshot eyes were dull and full of pain. Your tightly clenched hands looked like they were about to break.”

“Then the scene froze. I saw you alone, carrying the memories, finding me and losing me again in the cycle of reincarnation. In the end, you were all alone, staring blankly at the fragments of my soul.”

Ling Xi looked at her and murmured, “Shen Shang…”

Xie Xisui’s brows moved slightly, and her lips curved into a smile. “Do you know why I carved the name ‘Ling Xi’ for you?”

“Because our hearts are connected.”