Chapter 227

Before Cheng Ying could finish his sentence, Pei Ji flipped out of bed, unceremoniously scooping Ning Ning into his arms and placing her on the bed where he had been reclining.

Ning Ning’s mind went blank.

This was never mentioned in the original plot. She was supposed to leave the room with grand bravado after smashing the porcelain bottle. But this unexpected demonic energy—

It’s really an evil spirit from the demon realm.

So why did the elixir turn into such a thing?

The pain was too intense for her to think straight.

So Ning Ning gave up thinking, collapsing in a Ge You-like position on the bed. After a brief moment of eye contact with Pei Ji, she suddenly remembered something and covered her entire face with her hands.

(T/N:This pic is ‘Ge-You Lying’ posture…Ge You is a Chinese actor who recently became popular in the WeChat moment and on Weibo due to his ‘soul-stirring’ lying posture in the sitcom “I Love My Family” broadcast in the 1990s.)

“Don’t look at me!”

She spoke through gritted teeth, barely managing to gather her scattered thoughts: “My expression must be really—hiss!”

Cheng Ying trembled with worry, his whole body shaking: “Oh my god, if Ning Ning hadn’t noticed something wrong with the elixir, you would’ve been doomed! Who swapped the elixir?”

No wonder she had been staring at the elixir, no wonder she had such a complicated expression, and no wonder she had blurted out “evil spirit from the demon realm.”

The bottle hadn’t contained life-saving medicine but poison tainted by demonic energy.

Pei Ji’s expression turned cold as he retrieved some prepared medicine and cotton cloth from his storage pouch, gently lifting her skirt.

The girl’s slender legs were now marked with fiery red wounds. He forcibly suppressed his growing rage, his knuckles turning white as he held the medicine bottle.

Ning Ning covered her face, sensing something soft brushing gently against the edge of her wound.

The pain was excruciating, and not wanting Pei Ji to see her contorted features, she peeked at him through the gaps between her fingers.

He seemed angry, his brow tightly furrowed.

But there was also an indescribable mix of emotions in his eyes, like stormy waves in the deep sea.

Pei Ji’s fingers trembled slightly.

She heard his voice, hoarse and almost inaudible: “Why help me?”

She was taken aback: “What?”

“You don’t need to do this for me, I—”

His brow was filled with self-loathing, directed not at her but at himself.

Those simple words seemed to tumble over his tongue, finally spoken with a sense of self-abandonment: “I have nothing to give you.”

Pei Ji truly didn’t understand.

He was reclusive and gloomy, of humble origins, shunned or openly mocked by others. Only Ning Ning was different.

She always approached him with a smile, treating him just like everyone else.

Even when he was taciturn and awkward, often responding stiffly to her chatter, she never showed any impatience.

As for that night’s hand-holding, those hurried embraces, and the words she said today—

Why did she always help him? Why was she so kind to him?

Pei Ji couldn’t understand.

Just as he didn’t understand why seeing Ning Ning hurt made him nearly lose his mind.

“Do you want to know why?”

After a brief silence, her voice suddenly broke the quiet.

Ning Ning’s voice was gentle and clear, tinged with a soft chuckle. When Pei Ji looked up, he found himself face-to-face with her eyes.

To apply the medicine to her calf, Ning Ning sat on the bed with her knees bent.

She leaned forward, her chin resting on her arms, which were wrapped around her knees. This brought her very close to him, and as she smiled, dimples appeared on her cheeks.

“I don’t want anything from you.”

Ning Ning said, “Would you be kind to someone you dislike?”

He shook his head.

“Exactly! Conversely, if you really want to be kind to someone, it’s because—”

Pei Ji’s expression remained impassive, but his heart was pounding wildly.

He heard Ning Ning say: “Because you like them.”

Cheng Ying stifled his laughter, curling into a ball.

“You, you see.”

She seemed a bit shy about the word “like,” tucking her chin into her arms.

“There are many kinds of affection in the world: familial, friendship, teacher-student relationships, and the camaraderie we share as fellow disciples—I wouldn’t casually get close to any of my fellow disciples. The only reason I want to help you is because you’re Pei Ji.”

The hidden currents in his heart wove together into a secret yet intense feeling. Pei Ji was stunned by her final words, the blackness in his eyes deepening.

“It was you who asked me, so don’t say I’m being chessy.”

Her leg still hurt, but Ning Ning forced herself to smile.

Pei Ji’s self-loathing was unmistakable. She had read the original work and knew what kind of life he had led from childhood.

Rejected by his mother, isolated by his peers, with no one willing to acknowledge him. All the values he had received conveyed the same consensus: he was an impure-blooded, unwanted monster.

He must loathe himself from the depths of his heart, which was why he isolated himself and became obsessed with swordsmanship.

Only when practicing swordsmanship could he shut out everything else.

Ning Ning wanted to reach out to him.

Even though her strength was limited and she couldn’t easily change the deep-seated beliefs he had held for years, she still wanted to tell Pei Ji.

“Pei Ji is better than many, many others.”

Ning Ning said, “If you can be happy without needing any thanks, I will also feel very happy.”

These were words that would never appear even in dreams.

Pei Ji found it hard to breathe.

Perhaps it was because his heart was beating too fast and too violently.

How could she… say such things so nonchalantly?

The boy remained silent, his loose hair falling over his face, hiding the unknown emotions rising in his eyes like dark clouds.

A strange yet intense emotion grew like vines, wrapping around his heart. He seemed to have an answer to his previous question.

About why he felt so distressed when Ning Ning was hurt.

A unique, unprecedented feeling was emerging from his heart.

He heard the sound of his own heartbeat.

“Ouch—ouch! Be gentle!”

“…I haven’t even touched the wound.”

“Wait, wait! Let me help you change your bandages first! Your shoulder is bleeding again—what is this, mutual aid for the disabled?”

This time, Pei Ji’s tone was particularly heavy: “The bond between fellow disciples.”

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When Elder Mu from Suwen Hall arrived at the inn, he found Pei Ji’s door slightly ajar.

He knew this was left open for him and was about to knock when he saw through the small gap the scene inside the room.

Pei Ji had closed the window curtains, and the room was bathed in soft, flowing light. The slender boy sat straight at the bedside, already wrapped in bandages, while on the bed lay a familiar, now-sleeping girl.

He recognized her as Ning Ning from the Xuanxu Sword Sect.

With Pei Ji’s back to the door, Elder Mu couldn’t see his expression, only knowing that Pei Ji had been silently keeping watch at the bedside for a long time, several times hesitating to reach out but withdrawing his hand each time.

A gentle breeze stirred the curtains, bringing in a stream of light.

In that brief moment of soft light, he saw Pei Ji bend down slightly, lowering his head with great care.

For the first time, the usually decisive and fierce young sword cultivator made a gesture akin to submission, silently bowing his head, quietly lowering his eyelashes.

His eyes were dark, but his tightly pressed lips were tinged with a faint blush.

In the gently moving breeze and sunlight, Pei Ji devoutly placed a light kiss on the girl’s bandaged calf.