Chapter 12: If You Weren’t My Little Aunt…
Xiao Che withdrew his consciousness from the Heavenly Poison Pearl, picked up the girl’s clothes that had fallen to the ground, purified the deadly poison on them, then returned to the Heavenly Poison Pearl and draped the clothes over her as quickly as possible. Only then did he let out a small sigh of relief.
Who exactly was this girl? Why was she here? Why had she sucked his blood? How did she know about the Heavenly Poison Pearl? And how had she gotten inside the Heavenly Poison Pearl in the first place?
Xiao Che couldn’t come up with answers to any of these questions.
He silently watched her for a long time, then reached out and gently pressed his finger against her upper lip. A faint warmth came through his fingertip—no longer the icy cold from before. Her weak, even breath brushed against his finger.
These were all clear signs of life.
“Little sister?” Xiao Che shook her body and called out.
No matter the era, a woman’s appearance was always her greatest capital and strongest weapon. If this hadn’t been a beautiful girl like an elf, but an ugly beast that made one want to vomit at the first glance, Xiao Che would have unhesitatingly kicked her out of the Heavenly Poison Pearl. But this girl was not only mysterious in every way—she had also bitten his finger earlier, forcefully sucked his blood, scaring him into a cold sweat, and had appeared in the Heavenly Poison Pearl in such a bizarre manner. Yet when Xiao Che faced her, what came to mind wasn’t the danger he had just experienced, but an irrepressible feeling of pity. Because this girl was far too beautiful—beautiful to the point where one simply couldn’t associate her with “danger.”
If you had to call it something, it was less the nature of men and more the base nature of most men.
Xiao Che called out for a long while, but the girl showed no response. He stepped back a few paces and silently gazed at her.
This girl was definitely no ordinary person, Xiao Che thought to himself. Judging from the wounds on her body and the tattered state of her clothes, the poison on her wasn’t something she had accidentally come into contact with—it had been inflicted by someone else. For a girl this age, the most common poison would have been more than enough to kill her. Yet the other party had used a toxin so potent it filled even him with dread.
Someone capable of administering such a poison was undoubtedly an extremely terrifying figure.
Even more terrifying was that this girl was covered in that kind of poison and still hadn’t died!
So, what should he do with this girl? Just let her sleep in the Heavenly Poison Pearl?
Xiao Che thought for a long time, then silently left the Heavenly Poison Pearl, leaving the girl inside. Even though she had sucked his blood earlier, it seemed to have been an unconscious act. A girl this pretty—how could she possibly be some sort of villain? And even if she were a villain, at her age, what kind of danger could she possibly pose?
He didn’t know when she would wake up.
After doing his best to purify the poison on the ground, Xiao Che began to head back. In the dead of night, the only sound was his own footsteps. When he was less than a hundred paces from the back wall of the Xiao Sect, he suddenly saw a figure walking toward him.
Xiao Che stopped abruptly, staring ahead… So late at night, who would secretly come here?
The figure opposite also noticed him at the same time, halting and asking warily, “Who is it?”
That voice made Xiao Che’s eyes go wide. “Little Aunt?”
“Ah?” The figure let out a soft exclamation and quickly ran over. As she drew closer, the moonlight revealed a delicate, lovely face—it was Xiao Lingxi. Seeing Xiao Che clearly, her beautiful eyes widened. “Little Che? What are you doing here!”
“I…” Xiao Che scratched his head. “Couldn’t sleep, so I came out to look at the stars.”
“Look at the stars? Tonight is your wedding night! You should be with your Xia Qingyue, consummating the… hmph, the bridal chamber! And instead you come here to look at the stars!?” Xiao Lingxi grabbed Xiao Che’s arm, her face full of indignation. “Don’t you know how dangerous it is here? Sometimes Xuan Beasts that attack people appear, and with it being so dark, bad guys might sneak in. What if you run into trouble? I’ve told you so many times—without me or Grandfather accompanying you, even during the day, you absolutely must not come here alone. And yet you… you didn’t listen to me again!”
As she spoke, she pinched Xiao Che’s arm with some force—not too hard, but enough to punish him.
“Ow ow ow ow!” Xiao Che immediately cried out in pain and begged for mercy. “Little Aunt, I know I was wrong. I won’t dare do it again next time.”
“You want a next time!” Xiao Lingxi glared.
“…Absolutely no next time! If I ever want to come to the back mountain again, I’ll definitely call Little Aunt to come with me,” Xiao Che vowed solemnly. To be honest, if he hadn’t carried the memories of another life, he would never have dared come alone to this place so late at night.
“That’s more like it… Don’t let there be a next time!”
“Then… Little Aunt, why are you here? It’s so late already.” Xiao Che asked back, his face full of curiosity.
“I…” Xiao Lingxi’s voice softened, and a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes. “I don’t know why, but tonight I just couldn’t sleep. Then I noticed there were a lot of very bright stars in the sky, so I thought I’d come to the back mountain to look at them.”
Xiao Che looked up at the sky and smiled. “Before, Little Aunt and I would often sneak out in the middle of the night to feel the night breeze and watch the stars… And we’d often get caught by Grandfather and lectured.”
“Mm.” Xiao Lingxi nodded and said softly, “I was thinking about those times too, so I wanted to try coming out alone to see what it felt like… Because from now on, I might only be able to be alone. I won’t be able to watch the stars with Little Che anymore.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Silly! Because Little Che is married now! From now on, of course you’ll have to sleep with your beloved Qingyue at night. How could you still sneak out with me to feel the night breeze and watch the stars?” Xiao Lingxi turned her eyes and shot him a glare, her lips inexplicably pursing.
“That won’t happen! As long as Little Aunt is willing, no matter when, I’ll be happy to come here with you to watch the stars… See? Right now, I’m with Little Aunt, aren’t I?” Xiao Che said with a smile.
“Don’t even mention it! On your wedding night, you sneak off to the back mountain all by yourself… Ah! You weren’t kicked out by Xia Qingyue, were you?” At this thought, Xiao Lingxi’s face filled with anger. She stomped her foot. “Hmph, that’s too much! I’m going to find her!”
“Don’t worry about her.” Xiao Che grabbed Xiao Lingxi’s hand. “I wasn’t kicked out by her. I left on my own. Maybe I had a premonition that I’d run into Little Aunt here… Come on, let’s go to that spot.”
“Ah…”
Taking Xiao Lingxi’s hand, they ran together toward that familiar place, against the cool night breeze.
It was a low mound. Over the years, they had sat here countless times, watching the moonlight and stars, whispering and confiding in each other. As a child, Xiao Che had once stubbornly believed that this was the most beautiful place in the entire world.
They sat down side by side on the same spot as before, shoulder to shoulder. Watching the countless twinkling stars above, the two fell silent for a while, as if quietly reminiscing.
“Little Che,” Xiao Lingxi softly said his name, still gazing at the distant stars. “The last time we came here to watch the stars together… I think it was the night before your engagement with Xia Qingyue, right?”
“Mm.” Xiao Che nodded.
“That day, you kept saying you didn’t want to marry, that you only wanted me by your side forever,” Xiao Lingxi said slowly. “I told you then that after you got married, Little Aunt would still always be with you. But now… I’m starting to feel like that’s not possible anymore.”
“Why?” Xiao Che asked, confused.
“Because… I don’t know.” Xiao Lingxi shook her head, her voice a little dazed. “I just have this feeling… that after you’re married, you won’t be as close to me anymore. That we’ll drift apart. I’ll lose you…”
Her voice grew quieter, and her hand, resting on her leg, unconsciously clenched.
“That won’t happen.” Xiao Che said it with certainty.
“Really?” Xiao Lingxi turned her head, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“Really.” Xiao Che nodded firmly. “Don’t forget, we grew up together, and we’ve never been apart. No matter how many people enter my life in the future, none of them can ever replace Little Aunt.”
Xiao Lingxi’s eyes sparkled with a different kind of light. Her hand was suddenly grabbed by Xiao Che. She let out a soft “ah” and was about to pull away, but Xiao Che held her tightly.
“Little Che…”
“When I was little, I used to always hold Little Aunt’s hand and go to sleep. Sometimes I’d wake up and find I was still holding it.” Xiao Che’s voice was soft. “I still remember that every time I held Little Aunt’s hand, I felt an incredible sense of peace, and I’d sleep especially soundly. So, Little Aunt, I want you to remember—no matter when, no matter what, I am and always will be the Little Che who needs you. I will never let you lose me.”
“…” The glimmer in Xiao Lingxi’s eyes slowly turned to dampness. She held Xiao Che’s hand tightly and softly said, “Mm… I believe you. But… you’d better let go of my hand first. What if someone sees us…”
“So what if they do?” Xiao Che said proudly. “I’m holding my own Little Aunt’s hand. Who’s going to say anything about that?”
“You… you’re not shy!” Xiao Lingxi blushed.
“You’re the one being shy, Little Aunt. I’m being completely open.” Xiao Che grinned. “Besides, I used to sleep with Little Aunt every night. If I could do that, why can’t I hold hands?”
“That… that was when we were kids!” Xiao Lingxi’s blush deepened.
“So now that I’m grown up, I can’t even hold hands with my Little Aunt?” Xiao Che put on a pitiful expression.
“I… I didn’t mean that…” Xiao Lingxi’s voice grew softer. She didn’t say anything more, but let him hold her hand, a faint, happy smile curling at the corners of her mouth.
The two stayed like that for a while, quietly watching the stars. Finally, Xiao Che broke the silence.
“Little Aunt, do you believe that there really are people up there among the stars?” He pointed at the boundless starry sky.
“Huh?” Xiao Lingxi was startled by his sudden question.
“I believe there are,” Xiao Che said softly. “Maybe on some distant star, there’s another me, and another Little Aunt, and another Grandfather… living a life completely different from ours.”
Xiao Lingxi was silent for a moment, then smiled. “If that’s true, I hope that other me can always be with that other Little Che… forever and ever, never to be apart.” She rested her head on Xiao Che’s shoulder and whispered, “Just like we are now.”
“Mm.” Xiao Che nodded gently, a soft light flashing in his eyes.
“But… Little Che,” Xiao Lingxi suddenly lifted her head, her eyes a bit complicated. “Just now, when I said I hoped ‘that other me’ could always be with you… was I… feeling jealous of myself?”
Xiao Che was stunned.
“Never mind, pretend I didn’t say anything.” Xiao Lingxi shook her head and smiled again. “Anyway… Little Che, you have to remember what you said tonight. You promised me you’d never leave me. If you break your word, I… I won’t forgive you.”
“If I break my word, how about you just punish me however you like?” Xiao Che laughed.
“Then it’s settled!” Xiao Lingxi’s smile bloomed like a flower. She snuggled up to him, and they watched the stars together in silence, as if they had returned to that carefree childhood.
After a long time, Xiao Lingxi suddenly whispered, “Little Che, the stars tonight… are so beautiful…”
“Mm.” Xiao Che responded softly.
“But… even though the stars are beautiful, they’re still so far away. I don’t know… if one day, I’ll be like a star, far away from you, never to see you again…” A hint of melancholy crept into her voice.
“No.” Xiao Che turned his head and looked straight into her eyes. “Little Aunt will never be a star. Because you’ll always be right by my side. I won’t let you run away.”
“What if… what if I have to run away?” Xiao Lingxi bit her lip.
“Then I’ll chase after you and drag you back.” Xiao Che said with a smile, but his tone was unusually serious.
“Pfft… You’re such a fool.” Xiao Lingxi was amused by him, and the gloom in her eyes dissipated. She pinched his cheek. “I was just joking, and you actually took it seriously. Don’t worry—Little Aunt will never leave you. Never ever.”
“Mm.” Xiao Che grinned.
“But you said it yourself—if you ever break your promise, you’ll let me punish you however I want. I’ve got it all written down in my heart.” Xiao Lingxi blinked craftily.
“No problem. If I break my word, you can do whatever you want, I won’t put up a fight.” Xiao Che patted his chest.
“That’s more like it.” Xiao Lingxi beamed. She suddenly sat up straight, turned to face him, and said seriously, “Little Che, I know you’ve had a rough time these past few years. I know you feel inferior and think you don’t deserve Xia Qingyue. But no matter what, you have to believe in yourself. In my eyes, and in Grandfather’s eyes, you’ll always be the best Little Che.”
“Little Aunt…” Xiao Che was moved.
“Also, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to sneaking out here tonight,” Xiao Lingxi said, her tone shifting to one of reproach. “You’re running away from the wedding night, aren’t you? Even if you’re not happy with the marriage, since it’s already happened, you should face it properly. How can you act like this? If Xia Qingyue finds out, won’t she be angry?”
“She won’t find out,” Xiao Che said calmly. “She… probably doesn’t care either way.”
“How do you know if she cares or not?” Xiao Lingxi poked his forehead. “Don’t make assumptions. Some things… even if they seem indifferent on the surface, the heart might feel differently. Maybe she’s waiting for you in the bridal chamber right now. Instead of staying here with me, you should go back and keep her company.”
“I’m not going back.” Xiao Che shook his head stubbornly. “I want to stay with Little Aunt tonight.”
“You…” Xiao Lingxi sighed helplessly. “Fine, do whatever you want. But don’t keep me out here too long. If we both catch a cold, Grandfather will definitely scold us again.”
“Mm, I know.” Xiao Che nodded. He leaned back a little and murmured, “Little Aunt… if only you weren’t my Little Aunt…”
“What?” Xiao Lingxi didn’t catch it clearly.
“Nothing.” Xiao Che smiled. “I was just thinking, if you weren’t my Little Aunt, I would definitely marry you.”
“…” Xiao Lingxi’s body stiffened. She stared blankly at Xiao Che.
Xiao Che also froze, as if he hadn’t expected those words to slip out of his mouth. The two of them stared at each other, the atmosphere suddenly becoming strange.
“I… I mean…” Xiao Che panicked and tried to explain, but Xiao Lingxi interrupted him.
“If I weren’t your Little Aunt… you would marry me?” Xiao Lingxi’s voice trembled slightly. Her eyes, under the starry sky, flickered with an emotion Xiao Che couldn’t quite identify.
“I…” Xiao Che’s mouth went dry. He wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat.
Xiao Lingxi stared at him for a long time. Finally, she let out a soft laugh and looked away. “You’re such a silly boy. What kind of ridiculous things are you saying again? I am your Little Aunt. There’s no ‘if’ about it.”
“Mm… yeah, I was just talking nonsense.” Xiao Che scratched his head awkwardly.
“But… even if there were an ‘if,’ it still wouldn’t work.” Xiao Lingxi’s voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. “Because… I am your Little Aunt. Forever and always.”
She stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes, and said with a smile, “Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s head back. If we stay out any longer, we really will catch cold.”
“Mm.” Xiao Che also stood up.
The two walked side by side in silence, back along the path they had come. The moonlight cast their intertwined shadows on the ground.
Suddenly, Xiao Lingxi stopped. She turned to Xiao Che and said gently, “Little Che, what you said just now… I’ll pretend I never heard it. And you’d better forget you ever said it.”
“Why?” Xiao Che blurted out.
“Because…” Xiao Lingxi looked down, a complex light flashing in her eyes. “Because if you don’t forget, I’m afraid I won’t be able to continue being your good Little Aunt.”
After saying that, she quickened her pace and walked ahead.
Xiao Che stood there, watching her back disappear into the night, and murmured to himself, “But… I don’t want to forget.”
The stars in the sky twinkled, as if silently witnessing everything that had happened tonight.
At that moment, somewhere inside Xiao Che, a faint, almost imperceptible voice whispered, as if sighing:
“Foolish child… you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
...As if they had both been struck by a spell of stillness.