Chapter 10: I just wanted to melt her heart.

Song Ruoxue began to doubt herself, bit by bit.

Her long-silent heart suddenly accelerated.

‘Why do Little Li’s words always carry a hint of suggestion?’

‘Could that possibility be true…?’

‘Or am I just bewitched and overthinking things?’

After the rapid heartbeat came a sense of helplessness and fear. She wanted to press for an answer, yet she was afraid it was all just a misunderstanding of her own making…

Her thoughts became extremely complex and tangled.

“Sect Master, why aren’t you talking?” Su Li’er propped her cheek on her hand, her eyes curving into crescents.

Song Ruoxue pursed her lips, suppressing the impulse in her heart. “Little Li, sometimes you need to be mindful of propriety. Some words… can easily lead to misunderstandings.”

Her tone was light, and very stiff.

Like a stiff feather, it scraped uncomfortably at her heart.

Su Li’er mumbled, “I only say these words to the Sect Master.”

Song Ruoxue’s eyelid twitched slightly. “What does Little Li mean?”

Su Li’er pouted, then shot her a resentful little glance, muttering, “A hint! Little Li just said, what is her most favorite thing? Has the Sect Master guessed it?”

The cold and indifferent expression Song Ruoxue had been maintaining wavered slightly.

‘No matter how cold the Ice Spirit Root is, it shouldn’t have frozen your brain!’

The answer… was already very obvious.

‘It seemed Junior Sister was really expressing that kind of meaning, like a hint and yet also an explicit statement. Was it because Junior Sister was a little shy?’

‘Her little round face was all red, it must be shyness.’

‘Honestly, the first time I’ve ever been confessed to, and it’s by my own sect’s junior sister… what on earth am I supposed to do?’

Angel persona: ‘Song Ruoxue, you’ve hit the jackpot! For a girl to like someone with your personality is like Mars crashing into Earth. Hurry up and agree to Junior Sister’s confession! Don’t let her be sad!’

Devil persona: ‘Dear Sect Master of the Sword Sect, there’s nothing to hesitate about. You and Junior Sister have mutual feelings for each other, what a wonderful arrangement!’

‘Damn it.’

‘You idiot personas, you actually made a bit of sense this time!’

“Sect Master, why are you always spacing out?” Su Li’er hummed with a little dissatisfaction. “Are you drunk? Or are you… smitten by Little Li?”

“Narcissistic.” Song Ruoxue chuckled lightly, then asked nervously, “So what is it that Little Li likes the most?”

The sound of her heartbeat was so loud.

She couldn’t hear the other noises in the tavern anymore.

The image in her mind appeared again: the shattered sunset, in front of the open courtyard door, Su Li’er would have her hands behind her back, looking at Song Ruoxue with a smile in her watery eyes, her small mouth forming the words, saying those few words bit by bit…

“My most favorite… is the Sect Master…” Su Li’er’s eyes conveyed her feelings.

Song Ruoxue was in a daze. So warm. The sunlight seemed to be shining on her body.

‘Junior Sister is so brave, to express her feelings so boldly, to pursue them so boldly!’

‘Such an innocent and cute junior sister is truly a treasure.’

‘Today, it was really great to be able to come out for a walk.’

‘Junior Sister’s affection is brave and pure, I must cherish it!’

‘I must, must cherish it…’ Song Ruoxue’s thoughts were in a whirl.

“My most favorite… is the sword technique manual that the Sect Master… left for Little Li!” Su Li’er unhurriedly finished the last word, then picked up the jade cup in front of her…

—Whoosh whoosh whoosh.

Su Li’er drank heartily, one cup after another.

—“Hiccup. Sorry, Sect Master, saliva got stuck in my throat, it’s a little uncomfortable!” Su Li’er patted her chest as if she had just survived a disaster.

Song Ruoxue’s expression changed drastically. “What? You like… the sword technique manual?”

Su Li’er blinked her eyes. “Yep, Little Li loves reading the most~”

Song Ruoxue’s expression was like frost and snow, gradually cooling down. Her eyes were empty like dead ashes as she muttered to herself, “Likes the manual, likes the manual… likes the manual…”

“Oh my.” Su Li’er’s eyes widened, a cunning smile appearing on her face. “Is the Sect Master sad?”

Song Ruoxue realized the reason and her face immediately darkened. She enunciated each word, “Little! Li!”

“Ah… ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Su Li’er quickly bowed her head in apology. “Little Li was just trying to make a joke…”

‘So scary…’ *sobs*

‘What on earth is the big ice cold Sect Master thinking?’

‘I hinted at her but she didn’t react, I was almost scared out of my wits!’

‘And then when I tried to smooth things over, she still gets angry?’

‘Wuwuwu, it’s so hard being a fox.’

—Plop.

The world spun around her. Her back sank into a soft sponge. Su Li’er was in a daze. When she opened her eyes again, she was looking at the ceiling full of crystal lamps, and Song Ruoxue’s cold and beautiful face.

‘Was I just… pushed down?’

Su Li’er struggled to get up, but soon, both of her hands were pinned above her head, unable to move. Only her legs were constantly kicking about.

“Wu! Sect Master, let me up quickly…”

“Little… Li…! You are too mischievous,” Song Ruoxue said coldly, her heart already burning with shame and anger.

It was more of an anger born from shyness.

For a moment just now, it seemed as if Junior Sister had seen right through her. Those watery eyes looked pure, but they actually hid a cunningness!

“Little Li just felt it was too boring, so I wanted to make a joke…” Su Li’er winked sweetly and started to act cute. “Hee hee~ I didn’t mean to.”

—Pinch.

Her little round face was pinched out of shape, turning slightly red.

“Ouch—ouch! It hurts!” Su Li’er cried out in pain.

Song Ruoxue’s face was still just as cold. ‘The feeling of straddling Junior Sister… seemed pretty good?’

“That’s what you get for being mischievous!”

“It’s going to break, my face is going to break!” Su Li’er resisted with all her might, but her resistance was futile.

“Watch your words and be more mindful of propriety!” Song Ruoxue’s cheeks were a little hot. ‘Why was she inexplicably a little excited?’

“Help! Help me—waaah!” Su Li’er’s face was squeezed into the shape of a goose egg, her mouth muffled, unable to speak clearly.

‘Why did she have an ominous premonition?’

“Little Li.” Song Ruoxue leaned down slightly, countless strands of black hair cascading down, shrouding the scene between the two of them. Her voice was very light, carrying an absolute chill. “Tell me the truth.”

“What… petrification?” Su Li’er mumbled indistinctly.

“Playing dumb?” Song Ruoxue murmured softly, then leaned down inch by inch.

“Sec… Sect Master, let go quickly…” Su Li’er was in a panic.

No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free from the restraints.

Her face felt like it was clamped, unable to move.

All of time transformed into a white world after a snowfall, silencing all sound, silencing Su Li’er’s mind. She used all her strength to understand the situation she was about to face.

‘This is the result I’ve been hoping for, but why…?’

‘Why am I so afraid?’

‘Was it Song Ruoxue’s bone-chilling gaze, or the pain in her cheek…? In short, I was terrified.’

‘I’m so scared.’

‘No.’

‘I don’t want this!’

‘This isn’t the result I wanted!’

“Sect Master… I, don’t… don’t!” Su Li’er almost sucked out all the air in her lungs.

The coldness was so close, getting closer and closer.

Endless, vast white. Beneath my feet is a boundless glacier. The wind and snow mercilessly cut at my skin. I can’t hold on much longer.

‘But I can’t give up.’

‘If I were to fall, the glaciers within a radius of thousands of miles would swallow me whole.’

‘I didn’t want this.’

‘I just wanted to… melt her.’