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After Bai Heng shared her thoughts and outlined the plan, everyone grasped her speculation about Su Qing and Jingliu's relationship.
Dan Feng pondered briefly. "I think the likelihood of this is quite low. They both seem wholly focused on eliminating demonic entities; they likely don't entertain such thoughts."
"However," Dan Feng suddenly glanced at Jing Yuan, "what if, by some chance, they truly become a couple? Wouldn't you then have to call Su Qing your shigong, Jing Yuan?"
Jing Yuan immediately bowed his head, falling into deep contemplation.
[Stelle: Ha ha ha! Now even Jing Yuan gets demoted in seniority!!]
Bai Heng chuckled, adopting a gruff tone to mimic Su Qing's voice, "Little Jing ah, from now on, whenever you need help, Shigong will watch over you~"
The atmosphere instantly filled with mirth.
Jing Yuan shook his head, smiling good-naturedly. "What's so significant about it? Su Qing is already older than me; calling him 'shigong' wouldn't be any loss on my part."
However, noticing Yingxing's gleeful enjoyment of his predicament, Jing Yuan added, "If we strictly go by age, Yingxing, you'd actually benefit quite handsomely by addressing me as your uncle or elder brother."
"Nonsense." Yingxing refused to engage further on this topic.
Comparing ages between short-lived and eternal life beings could only lead to unnecessary complications, couldn't it?
[Stelle: Suddenly realizing, isn't Qingque over two hundred now too?]
[Stelle: Le, doesn't that mean: within Luofu, I won't mind if you call me Qingque, but outside Xianzhou, you must address me as Ancestor Qingque!]
[Qingque: ? Stelle, don't joke like that! I'm still young!]
Bai Heng outlined her plan step by step, which wasn't overly complex. She intended to invite Su Qing and Jingliu out for dinner together, then observe their interactions from a private room next door.
"So, can we really hear what they're saying through a separate room?"
Jing Yuan sat upright on his chair.
"Hush...?"
Bai Heng leaned against the wall, her long fox ears twitching slightly as she pressed them to it, emitting an extremely faint tapping sound.
[Guinaifen: @Tingyun (curious), do members of your fox race have better hearing than ordinary individuals?]
[Tingyun: Hmm... This humble one hasn't specifically studied that.]
[Tingyun: However, even for regular people, placing their ear against the wall should allow them to hear voices from the adjacent room, no?]
[Guinaifen: Oh, you're right!]
Inside the private booth, Bai Heng listened intently to the sounds coming from the neighboring room. "Mm-hmm, they seem curious as to why only the two of them arrived..."
"Alright, regardless, they've decided to order first."
"Eh? Now they're discussing sword techniques? Seriously, talking about this while eating?"
The other three, having ordered some fruits, enjoyed watching the unfolding scene like spectators munching melons, quite entertained.
Bai Heng often served as the team's source of amusement, always finding interesting activities to add color to their daily lives.
Bai Heng took a quick bite of watermelon before resuming her eavesdropping. "Hmm, let me listen some more."
"They continued discussing... Wait, they're talking about hunting down demonic entities now?"
Bai Heng's expression was incredulous. "Is this what people discuss while dining out? I'd rather they stick to sword techniques!"
At this point, everyone felt they had grasped the situation fairly well.
Dan Feng shook his head. "They probably don't have much else to talk about."
Jing Yuan shrugged. "So it seems there's no need to call for Shigong after all?"
"Hush, hold on," Bai Heng whispered. "Let me listen further."
She continued monitoring their conversation and sharing updates with the group. Initially, the others responded promptly.
However, after a while, they suddenly fell silent.
Then Jing Yuan abruptly cleared his throat once.
Next, he coughed again, followed by yet another cough.
Leaning against the wall, Bai Heng couldn't spare a glance back at him. "Aiya, Jing Yuan, lower your voice! I can't hear them anymore."
Dan Feng hesitated before speaking up, "Bai Heng, perhaps there's a reason you can't hear them..."
Bai Heng waved her hand. "Dan Feng, you too—don't make noise!"
Yingxing was the most straightforward. "Jingliu is right behind you."
[Sushang: What kind of horror story is this?!]
"Ahhh!" Bai Heng jumped in fright as she turned around to see Luofu's sword leader and her close friend, Jingliu, silently standing just behind her.
[March 7th: ? Was Bai Heng so engrossed in gossip that she didn't notice?]
Confused, Jingliu looked at everyone. "...Didn't you all say you wouldn't come?"
Su Qingze had already taken a seat. "It seems they must have entered the wrong room by mistake," he observed.
Bai Heng promptly nodded obediently, her fox ears twitching continuously. "That's right, absolutely correct—we thought this was our private booth."
Jingliu nodded. "So that's how it is."
[Qingque: She actually believed them!?]
In the end, their plan amounted to nothing more than sharing a simple meal together. However, for Bai Heng, who frequently faced setbacks yet never lost heart, one failure did not deter her.
She attempted this several more times, but just like her experiences piloting the star ferry, they were invariably discovered—resulting in various "planned crashes."
On their final attempt, Bai Heng suggested visiting Exalting Sanctum's night market, mentioning that there was a lively gathering happening recently, and encouraged them to find time for it.
Unsurprisingly, even when hiding amidst the foliage, the group was once again discovered.
Jing Yuan proposed, "Bai Heng, perhaps you shouldn't keep wasting your efforts; these attempts have already reached a conclusion. Why not set this aside for now and take advantage of the opportunity to explore Exalting Sanctum's night market?"
After pondering, Bai Heng realized he had a point.
Based on their previous observations, whenever Su Qing and Jingliu interacted, they either discussed sword techniques or strategies against demonic creatures. It seemed there genuinely wasn't much else between them?
What a slight disappointment, missing out on any intriguing scenes~
In the end, the group decided to stroll through the night market together.
As prominent figures at Luofu, their collective appearance amidst the bustling night market caused quite a stir. Only after calming the commotion could they truly begin exploring.
The night market boasted numerous stalls offering a variety of goods.
Bai Heng pointed at a small azure dragon mask on one stall, bursting into uncontrollable laughter. Dan Feng's expression became rather delicate.
Yingxing twirled a plastic toy sword in his hand, looking somewhat sullen. Jing Yuan smiled reassuringly at the slightly frightened stall owner.
Su Qing, on the other hand, purchased every snack that caught his eye. Whenever he couldn't finish them all, he shared with others, allowing everyone to fully indulge in the night market's delights.
The Exalting Sanctum truly had stalls for everything.
Jingliu paused in front of a shop selling seeds for various plants and trees. Noticing her stop, the others also approached.
Whether recognizing them or simply impressed by their distinguished appearances, the shopkeeper immediately began promoting the store's most expensive seeds.
"These are spirit tree seeds," the shopkeeper said. "They can grow into towering giants and have exceptionally long lifespans."
"How long-lived are they?" Jing Yuan asked. "Can they outlive me?"
[Silver Wolf: It's here! The eternal life being's existential question!]
The shopkeeper shook his head. "Definitely not."
Jing Yuan raised an eyebrow, momentarily appreciating the shopkeeper's honesty.
However, the shopkeeper continued, "Although this tree can live for several thousand years, it certainly won't match yours, sir. You clearly possess great fortune and must surely enjoy a long life spanning myriad ages."
Jing Yuan burst out laughing.
[Stelle: Quite the silver-tongued vendor, (a snap of fingers) sold!]
In the small courtyard where they often gathered, there was indeed a need for some additional decoration; the area around the stone table felt rather bare. Planting this tree nearby would not only enhance the scenery but also provide shade from sun and rain, making it highly suitable.
After purchasing the tree seeds, Bai Heng's attention was drawn to another stall, and he pulled everyone over to take a look.
However, Jingliu remained rooted in place, as what had initially caught her interest was actually a picture of a different flower displayed in the shop.
The owner explained, "This is a night-blooming cereus. It flowers only at night, with its bloom lasting for just a few hours."
Jingliu didn't desire much, but this flower appeared lovely and truly appealed to her. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to purchase some night-blooming cereus seeds as well.
The owner cheerfully remarked, "Your taste is excellent. The symbolism of the night-blooming cereus represents fleeting eternity. When the flowers open, don't miss the opportunity, and remember to invite that special person you most wish to share the sight with."
Jingliu nodded slightly, then tucked away the seeds and hastened her pace to catch up with the group.
Sometimes, despite one's best efforts, the flowers refuse to bloom.
Bai Heng and others meticulously tried to probe Su Qing's relationship with Jingliu but yielded no insights.
Yet fate would ultimately reveal itself through an unnoticed coincidence.
The next day, Jingliu sought out Bai Heng on her own accord and shared her past experiences training with the sword.
Naturally, Bai Heng listened attentively. Afterward, she expressed joyfully, "Thank you for telling me all this! I must be the first one to know, right?"
Jingliu replied, "I've already spoken about it with Su Qing before. Initially, I planned to find another opportunity to tell you..." She paused briefly before continuing, "But yesterday, Su Qing mentioned that your recent peculiar behavior might be because we've been spending more time together."
"He suggested I take this chance to share these stories with you; he believed you'd certainly be happy."
[Seele: That's incredibly straightforward of her!!]
[Kafka (thoughtful): Jingliu seems to be very direct when it comes to expressing herself.]
[March 7th: So if she were to fall for someone, wouldn't she also...]
Upon hearing Jingliu's words, Bai Heng's expression was a mix of happiness and complexity. "I am indeed very happy, absolutely delighted, yes..."
[Stelle: Bai Heng feels like she should have been the first...]
[Sparkle: Enjoying the drama.]
Later that afternoon, Bai Heng gazed intently at the person who supposedly knew first, her eyes fixed—
Su Qing found this curious. "What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?"
"Of course not!" Bai Heng puffed out his cheeks. "I just wanted to say—you, you—clearly arrived the latest and were known the least."
"But somehow, you've sprinted right ahead of everyone else, faster than all of us." With cheeks still puffed, Bai Heng's beautiful fox tail swayed. "Honestly, I can't figure out what makes you so special!"
Su Qing shrugged. "Actually, people often tell me I have quite a few merits."
"Really?" Bai Heng began counting on his fingers, "Isn't it just that you're somewhat handsome, your swordsmanship is fairly advanced, your cooking tastes pretty good, and you dispatch fiends rather swiftly..." Running out of fingers, he exclaimed, "Oops! How do you have so many virtues?!"
[Silver Wolf: Enjoying the sweat-inducing compliments?]
[Seele: But wait, does being quick at slaying fiends count as a merit here? It seems out of place compared to the others.]
[Fu Xuan: Absolutely, one could argue it's his most indisputable virtue.]
[Qingque: +1]
[Jingliu: +2]
[Stelle: Ha ha, on Xianzhou, whoever slays fiends fastest is considered the coolest cat!]
Caught off guard by such effusive praise, Su Qing smiled. "Did you come all this way just to compliment me? What, do you need help with another task again?"
"Not for that reason exactly..."
Bai Heng suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, I gave you that draft of 'Wonders of the Horizon Sea Star Ferry' not long ago. Did you have a chance to look at it? So, what did you think?"
Su Qing nodded. "It's quite good, but adding more descriptions of local cuisines would make it even better."
Bai Heng pondered for a moment. "Hmm, yes, that could work—were there any other parts needing revisions?"
As Su Qing observed Bai Heng, she noticed how he easily forgot his original purpose while discussing travel accounts. Being another member of The Nameless, lively and mischievous...she seemed rather similar to March 7th.
[March 7th: Hey, I was mentioned! Su Qing just brought me up!]
[Firefly: (stares intently—)]
[Sparkle: (bursting with laughter) Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!]
[Sparkle: Firefly predicted her appearance this episode, but it turned out to be March 7th instead!]
[Stelle: Wow! Another cow!]
[Firefly: @March 7th, little March, what does this mean?!?]
[Firefly: Waaah, why do you always pick on me? Do we have some unresolved beef or something?!]
[Seele: Amused.]
[Stelle: Absolutely cracking up.]
[Qingque: Ha-ha, here she is again! Last time, March 7th stole the photo op; now, she's stealing the scene. Is she really just relentless when it comes to picking on Firefly?!]
[March 7th: @Firefly, no, it's all just coincidences!]
[Sparkle: If she really stole Su Qing away next, March 7th would say: "Coincidence, blame it all on coincidence!"]
[March 7th: Sparkle, you're exaggerating again! Su Qing and I are truly just friends!!]
[Firefly (weeping emoji): Ever since Jingliu's incident, I can't take "just friends" at face value anymore...]
[Jingliu: ?]
As they discussed travel journals and recounted their experiences exploring various places, Bai Heng's enthusiastic demeanor felt warm to the train's audience.
[Stelle: If we were from the same era, we'd definitely become great friends too. Maybe she might even join us onboard someday.]
[Himeko: Indeed, but someone with Bai Heng's characteristics must never be allowed to become a navigator; accidentally blowing up the train wouldn't be ideal.]
[Sparkle: Aha: What, thinking about me now?]
[Himeko: ...One more note added—keep a close watch on Sparkle, guarding against her mimicking past incidents.]
[Sparkle: Hee hee, I'm not that mischievous, honestly~]
[March 7th: Sister Himeko sure has her hands full.]
***
On another day, they found some time to plant the tree seeds they had purchased earlier.
Jing Yuan dusted off his hands. "According to the seller, this spiritual tree should grow quite tall within about ten years."
Bai Heng gazed at the spot where the seed was planted. "Ten years..."
Bai Heng lifted his head and suggested, "Then let's make a ten-year pact."
Envisioning the future, Bai Heng continued, "In ten years, this tree might already have grown into a towering giant. When that time comes, we can gather here again."
Jing Yuan nodded, "Of course, it's a wonderful idea."
The others naturally had no objections.
Later on,
Jingliu quietly found a spot next to the little courtyard to plant her morning glory seeds.
The neighboring yard featured a pond with pleasant scenery, and there was just enough space by its shore suitable for additional flowers.
With her reserved nature, she didn't mention it to anyone yet, thinking instead to invite everyone once the morning glories were close to blooming.
Invite everyone...
Recalling what the shopkeeper had said about inviting the one person you most wish to see them bloom with, Jingliu wondered if perhaps the tradition of appreciating morning glories involved calling only one person at a time.
For a moment, she felt somewhat perplexed.
[Clara: (giggling with hand over mouth) Big Sis Jingliu, you're quite adorable in everyday life.]
[Sparkle: @Clara, why call her "Big" Sis? Don't you think Jingliu is much older than you?]
[Clara: Ah? This, um, I...]
[Jingliu: @Clara, don't worry about it; I truly don't mind.]
[Sushang: Sparkle, bullying kids now?!]
[Stelle: Warning, warning! Stay away from Clara!]
[Bronya: While it may seem like bullying, I have to ask... Is Sparkle even as tall as Clara??]
[Sparkle: With makeup and transformations, I can be any height I desire at any time~]
***
Compared to the ten-year pact, the growth of morning glories was somewhat quicker. Nevertheless, waiting from germination to the moment just before blooming still took three to five years.
Jingliu often silently watered them, observing their subtle changes.
Accumulating nutrients and strength for so long, all for that brief moment of blossoming...
Over time, Jingliu developed a certain attachment to this small flower patch.
One day, gazing at the swaying buds, she felt a sense stirring within her.
These morning glories might bloom soon.