Fairy, Don't Be Afraid, I Am Blind

Amidst the fading lights, He Kongyue and You Su bade a heartfelt farewell in the crowd.

Ji Lingruo secretly grumbled, how could a farewell between two men seem like a life-or-death separation?

On the way back, the starry night sparkled with lanterns. You Su was still holding the hands of two women, one on each side, truly enviable.

Even with tiger masks, there were quite a few fellow cultivators at the lantern festival in Henggao City who subtly guessed the identity of the three extraordinary individuals, all feeling surprisingly astonished.

After this night, it's unknown how many men would be heartbroken and women would shed tears.

Actually, Ji Lingruo was still a bit shy, embarrassed to hold hands publicly with You Su. But just as You Su was about to let go after watching the fireworks, Wangshu held on tightly, which made Ji Lingruo competitive, unwilling to let go. So she let You Su lead them back to Lotus Peak.

"Junior sister, senior sister, did you like the fireworks?"

You Su couldn't see the brilliance of the fireworks himself, but he hoped the two women weren't disappointed.

"Yes!"

Wangshu nodded earnestly, deeply moved by the beauty of the thousands of flowers blooming in the night wind.

Ji Lingruo pouted, "They were pretty, but that He Kongyue was a bit unnecessary."

You Su didn't mind Mr. He's presence, after all, among so many people, having one more person or one less didn't make much difference:

"It was Mr. He's invitation after all, with his guidance we found the best viewing spot. Now that we know the route well, next time it'll be just the three of us."

"You said it."

Ji Lingruo silently wondered, why couldn't it be just the two of us?

"Next time we don't have to go where there are so many people, fireworks are in the sky, doesn't matter where we watch from."

After all, she was a young girl, thinking it would be like the storybooks where under the fireworks, the male and female protagonists would share a deep kiss, but with so many people, she was too embarrassed to even hug.

Besides, with the senior sister there, if she learned from it, she'd definitely want to join in, could the three of them kiss together? How could that be possible?

You Su teased her a few more words, while Wangshu watched them silently, a gentle smile on her face. The three of them first hung the red lanterns bought from the market, adding a festive touch to the cool Lotus Peak, then sat in the courtyard chatting and stargazing, none willing to return to their rooms.

Ji Lingruo didn't know what the others were thinking, but she had her reasons not to return to her room. At such an important time of the year, how could she bear to leave You Su alone with the senior sister, even if the latter had just emerged from seclusion, she must assert her 'leader' status.

"Senior sister, do you know why we can't sleep on New Year's Eve?"

"Why?"

"This is called staying up for the year. It's said there's a powerful mythical beast called 'Nian', which would come out to cause trouble every New Year's Eve, returning to the mountains at dawn with the crowing of the rooster. On New Year's Eve, people regard this night of the Nian beast's havoc as a threshold to endure, using the time to gather and chat with family, praying for safety through the night. Over time, it became a custom on New Year's Eve."

"Then we're family too."

Wangshu's blue eyes sparkled, her legs long and graceful beneath her white dress, her knees raised high when she sat down. She placed her fair hands on her knees in a manner so prim that it contrasted sharply with Ji Lingruo's casual posture.

"Shouldn't senior sister ask how powerful the Nian beast is?" Ji Lingruo wanted to show off a bit with her knowledge, but the other didn't seem interested in the legend.

"Doesn't matter, if it's very powerful, I'll protect you both." Wangshu replied innocently.

Ji Lingruo wanted to retort, but the other had just broken through to the Middle Feather Transformation Realm, a level out of her reach, so she couldn't utter a word.

"Senior sister is right, we at Lotus Peak are a family."

You Su smiled warmly, readily agreeing, as he had long regarded the women around him as family.

Ji Lingruo turned her head and rolled her pretty eyes, thinking You Su had a thick skin, yet she couldn't bring herself to criticize the senior sister's words. So she changed the topic:

"To deal with the Nian beast, not only do people stay up, they also set off fireworks, firecrackers, and give children 'ward-off-money'. These New Year customs all have their reasons."

"Junior sister, you're impressive, knowing so many things."

Wangshu genuinely praised, causing Ji Lingruo to lift her chin proudly.

"Shall we set off firecrackers?"

"We can't, senior sister, those are folk customs. Even mortals don't follow them to the letter, so we, as cultivators, need them even less. The Profound Sky Sect allowing fireworks in the evening is already good, but it's late at night. If we set off firecrackers and disturb the peace of the Immortal Sect, we might get reprimanded by the Precepts Hall Elders." You Su kindly advised.

"Oh..." Wangshu softly agreed, though she still seemed a bit disappointed.

Unexpectedly, Ji Lingruo playfully curled her lips, pulling a firecracker thicker than her forearm from the Qiankun Bag, confidently saying:

"What's so difficult about that? I know the Sound Insulation Array, it'll ensure no one hears it!"

"Really?"

Wangshu looked at Ji Lingruo with delight. It's worth mentioning that although Wangshu was a prodigy in cultivation and her Qi Control Skill was exceptional, she couldn't perform techniques.

Even the most basic Ignition Skill was beyond her ability.

But her extraordinary talent in Sword Dao overshadowed this flaw, turning it into a purity praised by others.