[To Become a River of Stars] Dong Xiange - Chapter 92

Seeing her dazed expression, Li Xuanci casually tossed another date at her, as if to knock some sense into the foolish girl.

“Say something nice. If you make me happy, I might let you keep him.”

Though his words were mocking, his eyes were like beautiful glass, holding a flicker of warmth within.

Shiliu clutched the date in her palm, taking a moment to process what Li Xuanci meant. Yet, instead of immediately brightening up, a trace of worry crossed her face, and her head drooped slightly again.

“You don’t understand,” she murmured, avoiding Li Xuanci’s gaze and staring at her own knees as if speaking to herself.

With just one glance, Li Xuanci knew exactly what was troubling her—she was too soft-hearted but still forcing herself to be the dutiful, righteous Daoist.

“Either be ruthless and fulfill your duty, or be compassionate and follow your nature. Hesitation only harms yourself and others.”

His words were blunt and cutting, yet every syllable laid bare the truth she couldn’t ignore.

Shiliu was no fool; she knew he spoke the truth. But the human heart is intricate—how could it be as straightforward as a straight line? It was never that simple.

Irrational anger surged within her toward this man. Why was he always so detached, so aloof, so effortlessly able to sever ties without a second thought? Even if this had nothing to do with him, even if it was solely her own internal struggle.

Yet, she was angry at him.

This anger was unreasonable and inexplicable—without cause or justification. Shiliu had always been good-natured: resilient, generous, and sensible. Her temper was mild, and she could endure much. She was like this with her martial brothers, and even more so with her master. Aside from fighting over food with her senior brother as a child, she never harbored such unfounded resentment, even when she came last in competitions.

Yet, she was angry at him.

Although they had been intimate and he had saved her life, they were fundamentally walking on different paths. Their lives had briefly intersected, but sooner or later, they would part ways and go their separate lives. She shouldn’t cling, shouldn’t demand, shouldn’t overstep, shouldn’t cross boundaries with such selfish desires.

Yet, she was angry at him.

Her heart was in turmoil, but she remained silent. Li Xuanci grew impatient, and the words that spilled from his lips grew sharper, like thin blades cutting deep into flesh and bone.

“There is no such thing as perfection in this world. Everyone follows their own destiny. At most, you can only resolve the karma of this moment. As for what comes after, let the floodwaters rage—we’ll face them when they come.”

“Since I’ve given my word, I won’t let you regret it.”

As the last word fell, Shiliu snapped her head up to look at him. His eyes were piercingly bright, like blades slicing through the dark night, unwavering and free of doubt.

Her inexplicable anger instantly dissipated, and the heaviness that had weighed on her heart vanished, leaving it clean and clear.

“Then you have to keep your word,” she blurted out, not knowing what else to say, finally managing this somewhat ungrateful reply.

Hooked.

Li Xuanci closed in on the corner, his shadow enveloping Shiliu’s curled-up form like a tiny bean, faintly oppressive.

In the next moment, he reached out and seized her by the waist, lifting her with one hand until her feet barely touched the ground. A faint smile flickered in his eyes as he scoffed, “Shorty,” then let the tips of her feet rest on his boots.

“Earlier, I said you should say something nice, but you stayed silent like a turtle biting down on food, and when you finally spoke, it was nothing I wanted to hear. Since that’s the case, your tongue need not be used for talking anymore.”

He trailed off meaningfully. Shiliu froze for a moment, instinctively asking, “Then what should it be used for?”

Li Xuanci didn’t answer. Instead, he simply looked at her, his gaze drifting across her face, each inch seeming to carry a tangible heat that made her inexplicably itchy.

They were so close that each other’s reflections filled their pupils, the light and shadows disappearing. Distance no longer held meaning; the unit of measurement was no longer inches or feet but the intermingling of breaths within a hair’s breadth.

In a flash of insight, Shiliu suddenly understood. She was growing increasingly familiar with the possessive intensity in his gaze.

She didn’t know if her breathing had faltered, if her pupils had dilated, or if the pulse echoing in her ears had spiraled out of control. All she knew was that she was engulfed in that heated gaze, sinking deep into the mire, surrendering completely.

On his dark boots, a pair of rather small feet stepped onto him, slowly rising onto their tiptoes.

Three inches, two inches, one inch.

Their warm lips finally met, leaving no distance between them.

Breaths intertwined, gently rubbing against each other, that slight body temperature becoming a spring sustaining life.

It was just a light touch, yet their shared breath became an intoxicating aged wine, clouding their minds and softening their bones. Even doing nothing was enough to make them float to the lightest of clouds.

They had already shared the most direct and intense desires, yet it was only now that they exchanged an utterly pure and innocent kiss.

The moment their lips met, Shiliu closed her eyes. When she finally emerged from the kiss, her eyes were dazed, like butterflies drunk on honey.

For a moment, everything was veiled in white haze, pure and hazy.

Her heels settled back onto Li Xuanci’s boots, and it took a while for her vision to refocus.

This time, Li Xuanci didn’t press further. He allowed Shiliu to nestle against his lips with innocent, naive affection, and he let her withdraw her lips even before his own desires were satisfied.

As long as she remained standing on his boots, she was being obedient and well-behaved.

But the next moment, Shiliu, now fully awake, leaped down abruptly and dashed away with surprising agility, sprinting up the stairs.

Halfway up, she turned back at the corner, only her head visible, and shouted at him in a flushed, hushed voice, “You promised me! No taking it back!” Then she ran off again.

Left behind, Li Xuanci crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, his brow relaxed, his tongue swiftly grazing his lips to savor the taste she had left behind.

A faint smile curled at the corners of his mouth.