The White Moonlight Disdained by the Male Protagonist of Redemption - Chapter 16.1

Ning Yao stared intently at Feng Jingzhuo, leaning in closer and closer—until they were so close that their breaths blended. At that moment, Feng Jingzhuo subtly shifted his body, unnoticeably leaning back a little.

Ning Yao, sharp-eyed, quickly grabbed his wrist.
“Jingzhuo, I want to tell you something.”

Feng Jingzhuo nodded, and while pretending to move casually. He twisted his wrist out of her grasp.

Ning Yao was carefree and oblivious to subtle cues. She naturally reached out to take Feng Jingzhuo’s arm. “Jingzhuo…”

Feng Jingzhuo sighed inwardly and had no choice but to gently pull his hand away. “Yao Yao, what did you want to tell me?”

Ning Yao asked, “You don’t like it when I hold you?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it,” Feng Jingzhuo hesitated. How was he supposed to say this? Didn’t her seniors ever teach her this stuff? Surely they must have… “Yao Yao, you’re the master of Luoxiang Mountain. You’re kind to me, you take care of me, and treat me as a friend. That makes me very happy. But I… I have a complicated past. If you stay too close to me, it might harm your reputation.”

“What harm?” Ning Yao blinked.

“I’m afraid it’ll stain your name.”

“That’s impossible.”

Feng Jingzhuo sighed again. These were things he shouldn’t have to explain, but since she didn’t understand, he had to guide her properly: “Yao Yao, I know the Bodhi clan sees all beings as equal, but not everyone in the world shares that view. I… I used to be Lady Lianzhen’s kept man. You’re a proper young lady—if we act too intimately, people will talk. It could damage your reputation.”

“You treat me well and you’re close to me, but we can’t ignore the boundaries between men and women. If I don’t draw a line now, and we get used to this, then act the same in front of others later… that would mean I don’t know gratitude and that I failed to protect you.”

Ning Yao suddenly understood. She slapped her thigh. “But we’re getting married! ”

Feng Jingzhuo almost bit his tongue. “…Huh?!”

Ning Yao was startled by his big reaction. She repeated, a bit dazed, “Yeah. We’re getting married.”

Feng Jingzhuo turned around, looking over his shoulder.

Ning Yao pulled him back. “What are you looking at?”

He turned back, fixing his gaze on her. “The Xuanwu Lord didn’t cast any kind of spell on you, did he?”

Ning Yao couldn’t help but laugh. “We’ve been talking for so long now. Do I seem like I’ve lost my mind?”

Do you seem normal…? Feng Jingzhuo was completely thrown off, forcing himself to sort through his thoughts. “Yao Yao, why would you say something like that? What did Yuwen Hui tell you?”

“Nothing much.”

Feng Jingzhuo couldn’t sit still anymore. He got up, ready to leave. “Then I’ll go ask him.”

Ning Yao pulled him back. “Why bother asking him? Besides, when would you two even meet? If fate doesn’t allow it, you won’t even get the chance…”

She didn’t know why, but his face looked terrible—like a wild boar had just trampled the cabbage he’d been growing.

For the first time, Feng Jingzhuo didn’t go along with her whims. He looked down at his clenched fists, spiritual energy surging and casting a bright white glow over his arm.

“The odds of meeting him may be slim… but not zero.”

Ning Yao was caught completely off guard. “Whoa, you’re calculating combat power now? Are you trying to force a meeting? Jingzhuo, that mindset is dangerous. When did Lord Yuwen ever offend you?”

Feng Jingzhuo was barely holding in his anger.

Everything had been normal before he passed out. But when he woke up, she was suddenly all over him, talking about marriage—how could he not be mad when the turning point was clearly that meeting with Yuwen Hui?

He saw her as a treasure. How could he bear to let her be tainted by the past?

But Ning Yao seemed completely unaware, even cheerful and rambling by his side. “Really, I’m serious. You don’t need to go ask. Lord Yuwen didn’t say much. He just told me you like me, that’s all.”

All of Feng Jingzhuo’s emotions came to a halt.

He turned back to look at her, stunned.

Ning Yao smiled brightly at him. “Hehe. Let’s get married.”

“Just because of that?” Feng Jingzhuo asked. “Because I like you, do you want to marry me? ”

Ning Yao nodded. Yeah, what could be simpler than that?

Feng Jingzhuo’s eyes turned serious. “It doesn’t matter who likes you. You are free. Among the people who like you, you should choose the one you like.”

His words were completely rational and correct.

But after saying them, he couldn’t suppress the youthful surge of hope. He held his breath, waiting for her answer.

But she didn’t say anything.

Feng Jingzhuo gave a small, bitter smile. His gaze dimmed. “Yao Yao, you don’t need to take what Yuwen Hui said to heart. What I feel… you don’t need to take that seriously either.”

Ning Yao was frustrated.

After talking with Yuwen Hui, she’d felt clear-minded and optimistic—ready to ascend to immortality, ready to go back to Luoxiang Mountain and marry Feng Jingzhuo. But now, Feng Jingzhuo’s reaction had pushed them even further apart than before.

The journey from Luoxiang Mountain to Xuanlan Mountain should’ve only taken a day. But she didn’t want to go back. If she did, she couldn’t rely on anyone there. They were all blind to the situation, no help at all in matchmaking—they just joked around.

So Ning Yao dragged things out.

She was the mountain master. If she wanted the trip to take a few more days, so be it. Feng Jingzhuo couldn’t really say anything against it.

That evening, as night fell, they passed a rundown temple on the outskirts of town. Ning Yao decided to stall again, claiming she was tired and wanted to rest.

Feng Jingzhuo never opposed her decisions, always worried for her comfort. “If you’re tired, let’s find an inn. This place is abandoned, damp, and moldy.”

“No money for an inn,” Ning Yao muttered.

“I’ll figure something out,” he offered gently.

“Nope,” she was firm. “We spend money where it counts. A place to sleep is just a place to sleep. We’ll stay here.”

Feng Jingzhuo had nothing more to say. He told her to wait a moment while he went in to clean up a corner they could use.