Chapter 10: Heart Under the Moon

Luo Xian’er did not stay long.

After hurriedly saying goodbye, she returned alone to the Luo Residence.

“—It is rare for Miss to lose composure like this.”

Tanxiang slowly poured tea beside her and glanced over. “Did that man disappoint you, Miss?”

“…I did not expect his cultivation to improve again.” Luo Xian’er lightly sipped her tea, her expression easing somewhat. “I made a slight fool of myself.”

A trace of surprise appeared on Tanxiang’s face.

She bowed slightly and said, “Should we investigate that man’s background more thoroughly?”

“No need.”

Luo Xian’er lowered her lashes and looked at the swaying reflection in her teacup. “Although he carefully chooses his words and deliberately acts mature, in the end, he is only an inexperienced young man.”

Tanxiang froze. “Does that count as praise from Miss?”

“To possess such a temperament while living in this world is itself a rare treasure.”

Luo Xian’er lightly touched her fragrant shoulder, as if some lingering warmth still remained there. “He is just a little mischievous.”

Tanxiang: “…”

Luo Xian’er gathered her thoughts and picked up a sealed letter from the table. “People from the Military Abyss are coming to East City?”

“…Yes.” Tanxiang lowered her head. “They will arrive within twenty days at most.”

“I hope they know their place.”

After thinking briefly, Luo Xian’er said, “Go to the government office first thing tomorrow morning. I have something to relay.”

“Understood.”

At the neighboring residence.

Yang Shifei practiced the fist technique two more times and clenched his fists, somewhat astonished.

It seemed that because the cold energy had once again replenished itself, his physique had improved even more than before.

Otherwise, that little accident just now would never have happened…

But when he thought of it, he could not help laughing.

“This young lady looks so cold and aloof, but she actually has a bit of a temper.”

As random thoughts drifted through his mind, Luo Xian’er’s curvaceous figure surfaced again in his memory.

Even though she dressed elegantly and properly, without exposing even the slightest bit of skin, the size of her chest, tightly wrapped beneath layers of silk cloth, was still unbelievably eye-catching.

They’re huge—cough!

Yang Shifei abruptly knocked himself on the forehead.

Once a person relaxed, it truly became easy to let one’s imagination run wild.

But the slightly reproachful little look Luo Xian’er had given him earlier had really left his whole body tingling.

“If she weren’t a female ghost…”

Yang Shifei stared blankly for a moment before quickly throwing away the distracting thoughts.

It was fine. Female ghosts were nice too.

He quickly returned to the main hall and picked up the account books to flip through them.

The books recorded the recent expenditures and profits of Qingyue Tower in far greater detail than before, with plenty of annotations added as well.

“That saves me a lot of work.”

Half an hour later, in the study.

Yang Shifei put down his brush and checked the accounts one final time by candlelight before nodding in satisfaction.

His first day working as an accountant had gone smoothly.

If things could continue like this, then he could finally be considered to have a respectable and stable livelihood in this world.

Only—

“Miss Yuerui.”

Yang Shifei carefully stored away the account books and looked at the pretty girl sitting across from him at the desk. “When did you arrive this time?”

“Just now.”

Yuerui sat curled up in the chair with her knees hugged to her chest. Her already petite body was practically balled up into a tiny bundle, making her look especially lovable.

Her gem-like eyes blinked. “Finished working?”

“Yeah.” Yang Shifei laughed. “Looking at you like this, did you come to see me for something?”

“Slurp-slurp.”

Yuerui smilingly extended her jade-like hand, her five fingers wiggling playfully.

Yang Shifei laughed helplessly. “I already said we’re calling it ‘training.’”

He stood up and held the girl’s little hand, gathering his focus as usual.

“Hiss—”

Yang Shifei quickly sucked in a breath, pulled back his hand, and shook it out.

With a thought, he realized the cold energy entering his body had become thinner.

Was his body unable to withstand more, or had this girl been squeezed dry?

“You look kind of ‘full.’”

Yuerui suddenly spoke, her bright eyes glimmering. “So I gave you a little less.”

Yang Shifei froze for a moment, then smiled. “You’re surprisingly considerate.”

He casually picked up the candle lamp beside him. “I’m going back to rest first. As for you, are you going to—”

“Don’t go.”

But Yuerui puffed out her little cheeks and patted her knees repeatedly. “Stay with me.”

Yang Shifei froze. “Now?”

Judging from the darkness outside, it should already be past the Hour of Hai. All of East City was dim and quiet.

“You’re not sleeping?”

“I already slept enough.”

Yuerui suddenly jumped up, planted her hands on her hips, and puffed out her chest proudly. Her little face was full of confidence. “I’m super energetic now!”

Yang Shifei: “…”

So she really was a full-blooded night owl.

Shortly afterward, atop the residence roof.

Yang Shifei carefully climbed up and looked around at the layered roof tiles before turning toward the girl not far away, who was smiling as she patted the “seat” beside her.

“…You used to sit here often too?”

Yang Shifei’s expression became a little strange as he walked over and sat beside Yuerui.

Calling her a night owl was one thing, but he had not expected her to literally climb onto rooftops.

“This is a place I come to often.”

“You knew the Niu family?”

“No.”

Yuerui raised a hand and pointed at the moon overhead. “It’s just that the scenery here is nice.”

Only then did Yang Shifei nod in understanding.

But after looking at the bright crescent moon above, he suddenly found it rather novel.

This innocent-looking little girl actually had the refined hobby of quietly sitting alone to admire the moon?

Then Yang Shifei realized that he knew almost nothing about Yuerui.

“Why did you…”

Yang Shifei softened his tone. “Specifically come to watch the moon with me tonight?”

Yuerui looked up at the moon and stars filling the sky and answered without hesitation,

“You’re the same as me.”

“Uh… how are we the same?”

“Alone.”

“…Damn.”

Yang Shifei deadpanned, almost thinking the girl was mocking him.

But after another thought, he looked at her thoughtfully. “You don’t have any family or friends in East City either?”

“That’s right.”

Yuerui rested her elbows on her knees and propped up her cheeks with both hands. “I lived in an abandoned mountain temple deep in the wilderness outside the city ever since I was little. Nobody would disturb me there. Only after growing up a bit did I come to East City and wander around everywhere. Usually, I only come out at night.”

“…You’ve had it rough too.”

Yang Shifei could hear the deeper meaning behind her words.

She must have grown up without parents, barely surviving alone in the mountains until adulthood.

“So I can tell.”

Yuerui turned to look at him and smiled faintly. “We’re the same kind of person.”

Yang Shifei fell silent.

Thinking about it carefully, the girl really wasn’t wrong.

After transmigrating, he had been forced to sever himself completely from his past. Arriving in East City alone, was he not just another “Yuerui”?

“You saying that is making me homesick.”

Yang Shifei sighed. “Did you invite me here tonight because you wanted to watch me cry my eyes out?”

“Nope.”

Yuerui tilted her head. “It’s just more relaxing to admire the moon together with someone else.”

Yang Shifei raised a brow. He had misunderstood her.

This girl might actually be pretty warmhearted.

But he soon asked curiously, “There should be plenty of miserable people in East City too. Didn’t you ever go make friends with them?”

“No.”

But Yuerui’s answer was somewhat unexpected. “They have nothing to do with me.”

Yang Shifei froze. “Then why did you specifically come looking for me?”

Yuerui glanced at him, the corners of her lips curving upward beautifully.

“Because you slurped me~”

“???”

Wait, what are you even saying?!

Yang Shifei’s mouth twitched. Just as he was about to correct her, he saw Yuerui waggle a finger and smile brightly.

“We already cultivated together, so of course I should stay with you.”

“Huh? That counts as dual cultivation?!”

Yang Shifei was shocked.

His gaze instinctively dropped toward Yuerui’s petite body… Was he going to get arrested by the authorities?

Wait, in this world, girls did seem to marry pretty young…

“Hmph hmpf, your imagination’s running wild again~”

Yuerui tilted her little head and giggled. “You were always pretending to be so serious before. You’re way more interesting now.”

Yang Shifei froze when he heard that, and warmth rose in his heart.

He let out a long breath, relaxed his shoulders, and smiled lazily. “I’d like to joke around too, but being alone in a foreign place means I can’t help myself. I have to speak all formally and bow with clasped fists every time I meet someone. It’s exhausting. I’ve wanted to throw everything aside and stop caring for ages.”

“Then stop caring~”

Yang Shifei raised his eyes and saw Yuerui’s face lit up with a lovely smile as she waved her little fist.

“I don’t like formal speech. From now on, just talk however you want~”

“…”

After saying that, Yuerui stretched out completely defenselessly and sprawled across the rooftop.

“No more talking. Let’s watch the moon~”

“…All right!”

Yang Shifei followed her example and lay down as well.

Although Yuerui still carried many mysteries, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future to get to know each other better.

And it wasn’t because of his “cheat ability.”

It was simply because this little girl…

Was pretty interesting.

He folded his hands behind his head and silently gazed at the bright moon in the sky.

Separated by different worlds, he wondered if his parents, relatives, and friends were still looking at the same moon as him.

The next morning.

When sunlight spilled across his face, Yang Shifei slowly awoke in the warmth.

As soon as he sat up, he nearly slipped, only then realizing he was supporting himself on rooftop tiles.

Damn.

Had he really fallen asleep on the roof?

Yang Shifei quickly looked around and saw Yuerui lying nearby as well, sleeping soundly with an adorably foolish expression. A little drool had even dripped from the corner of her mouth.

“…Just how long does this girl sleep in a day?”

Yang Shifei was completely dumbfounded.

He gently nudged Yuerui’s fragrant shoulder. “Hey, girl. Wake up.”

But the little girl merely rolled over, clearly intending to sleep for another half day.

Yang Shifei sighed helplessly. After hesitating for a moment, he carefully picked her up.

He could hardly just leave this girl abandoned on the rooftop.

Perhaps because of last night’s moon-viewing together, Yang Shifei felt the two of them had grown a little closer.

However, once the girl’s soft body settled into his arms, he became somewhat embarrassed.

He had not expected this little girl, who looked so petite and delicate, to actually have quite a bit of weight beneath those thick layers of clothing. When his hand brushed across her thigh, his fingers almost seemed to sink into it.

Soft and fragrant.

Yang Shifei could only grit his teeth and extinguish the trace of wicked thoughts in his mind.

It wasn’t that he was trying to pretend to be some honorable gentleman. It was simply that she had become his emotional confidant just last night, and then turning around to take advantage of her…

Would be too heartless.

After finally climbing down from the roof, he quickly carried Yuerui back to bed and laid her down. Standing there scratching his head, he simply helped remove her shoes and socks, tucked a thin blanket over her, and after confirming there was nothing else he could help with, quietly stepped out of the room.

“…”

Once the room fell silent, Yuerui—who had supposedly been fast asleep—quietly opened her eyes. A faint smile lifted the corners of her lips.

“Yang… Shifei.”

She rolled around twice in bed, tangling herself up in the blanket before burying her head inside and letting out a muffled giggle.

“This guy… is pretty interesting~”

[End of Chapter]