"Stay calm... It's not really appropriate to say these things in front of them."
"Oh, not appropriate?"
A sneer tugged at Li Xian's lips. He turned his head and told Chu Lanqiu, "I'll take my fiancée somewhere else first to sort out some private matters. You guys go back first."
"O... okay."
Chu Lanqiu nodded blankly and then led Huan Qianyu towards the edge of the Beast Forest.
Huan Qianyu was still dragging the Huan Bell, looking rather confused. "Why does the disciple of Yu Xuzhi seem so angry? I'm worried about Shen Qing. She might not be killed by Lin Yibai but end up being killed by her own fiancé first."
Huan Qianyu's worry was not unfounded. In the Demon Realm, domestic violence and wife - killing were quite common.
The look on Li Xian's face reminded her of those demon cultivators in the Demon Realm. There was no difference.
Chu Lanqiu put his arm around Huan Qianyu's shoulder and continued discussing with her how to get rid of the demonic qi. "Don't worry. Li Xian knows his limits, and Shen Qing is not a pushover. They're evenly matched."
Shen Qing had the sword Wuwang on her. It clearly wasn't an ordinary item. Even though Chu Lanqiu didn't know the origin of the sword, he knew it was a top - grade treasure with a sword spirit.
With such a sword that protected its master, Shen Qing would be fine.
Seeing Chu Lanqiu walking away with Huan Qianyu in his arms, Li Xian turned back and put his arm around Shen Qing's waist.
"Li Xian, what are you doing?!"
A hint of panic flashed across Shen Qing's face. Afraid that Chu Lanqiu might see their current situation, she lowered her voice and said, "Are you really that confident in letting Chu Lanqiu leave with the Huan family? You can never be too careful with those from the Demon Realm!"
Li Xian leaned closer to Shen Qing and replied in a low voice beside her ear, "Don't worry. I've already put the Soul - Confusing Powder in the medicine for the Huan Bell. They won't wake up for two or three days."
"You!"
Shen Qing was greatly shocked and stared at Li Xian in surprise.
When she had asked Li Xian to take out the medicine earlier, she never thought of such a thing. But Li Xian had already tampered with the medicine.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
There was no trace of warmth in Li Xian's eyes as he stared directly at Shen Qing.
The sense of oppression made Shen Qing feel extremely flustered, and her mind became a complete mess.
She didn't know why, but all of a sudden, Li Xian seemed to have sensed something and was pressing her for her secrets. What secrets did she have? It was just that she had been reborn and knew that this world was a novel.
But... could she say it?
Would Li Xian believe her if she did?
Shen Qing didn't know how to answer. Facing Li Xian's approach, she seemed a bit resistant. She put her hands on Li Xian's chest and pushed hard to keep him away.
"What are you afraid of?"
Li Xian was gradually getting annoyed that Shen Qing was hiding so many things from him. It was as if he didn't exist in Shen Qing's life and plans at all.
He hugged Shen Qing and leaped into the air. Without using his sword, he just shuttled through the tall trees. After a few flashes, Shen Qing was brought to a cave by Li Xian in a daze.
Li Xian put Shen Qing on the ground. Although his movements were a bit rough, he still made sure not to hurt her.
"Li Xian, why have you changed so much all of a sudden? What secrets could I possibly have..."
Shen Qing still wanted to try to muddle through. But when she met Li Xian's cold eyes, the words on her lips got stuck.
Li Xian put his hands on both sides of Shen Qing's body and trapped her with his own body.
"Don't you still trust me? After all this time, I feel like I don't know you at all. I even thought that since we had so much time, one day we would be able to be completely honest with each other.
"But you seem to be familiar with everyone, whether it's Chu Lanqiu or Ling Zhou, or even the father - daughter of the Huan family. You seem to trust them unconditionally.
"But why aren't you like this with me?
"Others can easily gain your trust, while it seems like I have to walk a very long way to enter your heart.
"Am I really that inferior to others?"
As he said this, Li Xian's head drooped slightly. There were glimmers of light in his eyes, looking a bit aggrieved, like a dog abandoned by its owner.
Shen Qing didn't know how to answer. She never thought that her restraint towards Li Xian and her familiarity with others would make Li Xian have such thoughts in his heart.
Her feelings for Li Xian had indeed gone through a long time, from being vaguely unaware at the beginning, to gradually understanding, and now finally confirming her feelings.
But towards others, Shen Qing had the memories of her past life and the foresight of knowing the plot, so she trusted them unconditionally.
"Li Xian, I don't mean that. I just..."
"Just what? Is it because you were heart - broken by Pei Xuanjing and the others that you don't trust anyone? Then why can't you treat everyone equally, be equally distant from everyone, or... be a bit more affectionate towards me..."
Facing Li Xian's aggrieved expression, Shen Qing's heart melted completely.
She opened her mouth, just about to tell Li Xian something about her past life, when she heard Ling Zhou say a sentence in her mind.
"This kid is quite good at acting pitiful."
Huh?
Shen Qing was a bit confused. "Master, what are you talking about?"
Ling Zhou's tone was filled with disappointment. He repeated, "I said! This kid is acting pitiful!"
Having spent a long time with Shen Qing and knowing the secret of her rebirth, and seeing what Shen Qing had experienced in her past life, Ling Zhou now looked at Shen Qing like a father looking at his daughter.
Seeing his daughter being deceived by a young lad, he couldn't stand it.
"Take a good look. Every angle of this kid has been carefully designed. Look at his eyes, his lips, and the collarbone he's showing.
"Which one isn't the most perfect angle!
"Don't be deceived."
Ling Zhou added this last sentence faintly, and then Shen Qing suddenly understood.
Seeing the clarity return to Shen Qing's eyes, Li Xian thought to himself that something was wrong.
"Um, if you don't want to say it, then don't. Actually, everyone has some secrets..."
Li Xian turned his eyes away awkwardly and touched the storybook named Overbearing Senior Brother's Forced Love that Xiao Jinglan had given him.
What forced love would get him a kiss? Xiao Jinglan had lied to him!
Storybooks were just storybooks after all...
Had he made Shen Qing angry?
Shen Qing didn't move for a long time. Li Xian turned his head nervously, and just then felt a warm thing touch his cheek.
Shen Qing closed her eyes and kissed Li Xian's cheek.
The cave was quiet and dim, while the sun was shining brightly outside.
The feelings they had for each other, the hidden and restrained emotions were all buried deep in their hearts. But the gentle breeze knew, the sunlight knew, and they both knew.
"Shen Qing..."
Shen Qing didn't know what she was thinking. She just kissed him on a whim.
A few seconds later, she shrank back in a panic, her cheeks flushed.
"Before, you said that if you successfully passed the tribulation..."
Shen Qing didn't finish her sentence, but Li Xian already knew what she meant.
She remembered everything he had said!
A huge wave of joy swept over Li Xian's heart. His originally aggrieved eyes were now filled with great surprise.
"Li Xian, I want to tell you the secrets about me."