Chapter 168 - 107: Yuexin’s Night Visit

Chapter 168: Chapter 107: Yuexin’s Night Visit

Jiang Mu tightened his embrace, pulling her closer to his chest.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze drifting to the horizon, and slowly recited:

"Last night the stars, last night the wind; west of the painted tower, east of the cassia hall. We have no phoenix wings to fly side-by-side, but our hearts share a perfect, unspoken bond."

As the man’s last word fell, the expression on Bai Xiang’s face froze.

Her red lips were slightly parted, and ripples spread through her beautiful eyes.

Her entire being seemed to have been frozen in place.

"What do you think? It’s not bad, right?"

Jiang Mu lowered his head. Seeing the dazed look on the woman in his arms, a smile touched his lips as he asked softly, "Between you and me, wouldn’t you say... our hearts share a perfect, unspoken bond?"

Bai Xiang didn’t answer. She was still immersed in the shock and lingering aftertaste of the poem, her gaze lost as she watched the clouds drift and unfurl across the horizon.

Jiang Mu held her a little tighter.

The two of them just sat there, nestled quietly together under the eaves.

A gentle breeze blew, rustling the flowers and leaves in the courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the mottled shadows of the trees, dappling their figures.

Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, time itself seemed to slow to a crawl.

This, perhaps, was the picture of tranquil years and a peaceful life.

...

Perhaps because their parting was imminent, or perhaps because the line "our hearts share a perfect, unspoken bond" had struck a chord with her, Bai Xiang showed a rare and surprising enthusiasm for cooking that afternoon.

She even went out of her way to a tavern to buy fine wine, sharing a drink with her master.

After dinner, the sky was still light.

With time on his hands, Jiang Mu suddenly recalled the playing cards he often used in his past life. On a whim, he found some stiff paper and meticulously drew the patterns with ink, creating a simple deck of playing cards.

Bai Xiang and Yuan Ahqing had never seen such a novelty before. They gathered around the table, curiously watching him fiddle with them.

Jiang Mu explained a simplified version of the rules for "Fight the Landlord" to them.

The two women were completely lost at first, but after Jiang Mu guided them through a couple of rounds, they gradually started to get the hang of it.

They found it incredibly fun and were soon hooked.

However, compared to an old hand like Jiang Mu, the two rookies were no match at all.

Unless they got incredibly lucky and were dealt a heavenly hand, it didn’t matter if they were the Landlord or the Peasants—they were mercilessly crushed by Jiang Mu every time.

As Jiang Mu dominated the game, he couldn’t resist shaking his head and offering "pointers," his words dripping with smugness and teasing.

Bai Xiang managed to stay calm at first, but after losing repeatedly, she could no longer stand the sight of Jiang Mu’s gloating face.

She started secretly swapping cards with Yuan Ahqing when Jiang Mu wasn’t looking.

’Even if I’m the Landlord, I’ll still swap cards! I have to crush that arrogant bastard Jiang’s spirit!’

Yuan Ahqing was stunned by Bai Xiang’s blatant cheating. Her little face flushed bright red, and she was at a complete loss.

She didn’t dare refuse Bai Xiang, but she was also terrified of being discovered by her master. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Every time Bai Xiang secretly swapped cards, she would act like a thief with a guilty conscience, darting her eyes left and right, covering the move with her sleeve, or faking a cough. Her whole routine involved a dozen different feints to cover it up.

In the end, however, Yuan Ahqing’s loyalty was to her master.

Seeing her master lose several rounds in a row due to his sudden "bad luck," she was overcome with a powerful sense of guilt.

So, she started secretly passing him good cards.

She even passed him the Jokers when she was the Landlord...

...

...

After the boisterous game with Bai Xiang and the others, Jiang Mu went back to his room to sleep.

Before sleeping, he placed two fingers on the spot between his eyebrows. Before entering Lady Peach Blossom’s Spiritual Acupoint Dao Mansion, he began to comprehend her Great Dao.

Unfortunately, the massive, ice-sealed gate remained utterly motionless. He still couldn’t find a single clue.

Around midnight, a frustrated Jiang Mu withdrew from the Dao Mansion. He opened his eyes, only to find someone else in his room.

A cute and delicate-looking young woman was floating above him.

To be precise, she was sitting on thin air, seemingly supported by a spectral fox tail behind her.

Her right leg was crossed over her left, and one of her small, snowy-white feet was tapping idly at the air, barely three inches from the tip of his nose.

She was like a hanging wind chime swaying in the breeze, or a swing dangling mid-air.

She looked at him with a grin and said:

"I heard your parents came to you in a dream and told you to change your name, is that right?"

Jiang Mu asked:

"Can I lick it?"