A Poetic Confession and a Rising Star

“The east wind scatters a thousand trees of flowers in the night, then blows them down, stars like rain.”

As Qin Yan watched the dazzling fireworks before him, a touch of poetic sensibility stirred within his heart.

Though merely standing on the shoulders of giants, reciting lines penned by Xin Qiji, a great poet of old.

Yu Qingxuan, however, had no knowledge of Xin Qiji. Recovering her senses, she murmured the lines, her eyes brightening considerably.

“Junior Brother, what splendid verse, truly splendid!”

Yu Qingxuan exclaimed, her face filled with admiration.

Qin Yan turned around, a faint smile gracing his lips as he looked at the curvaceous woman beside him. Explaining the true origin would, of course, be futile; he could only assume his Senior Sister was praising Xin Qiji.

He couldn’t help but recall the moment he had first transmigrated into this world.

He had become an infant, then found himself sitting in a wooden basin, surrounded by what seemed like calm river water. Survival on a deserted island from the very start, was it?

Just as he had resigned himself to drowning in the river so soon after transmigration, a woman in white robes descended from the heavens, treading on auspicious clouds, and with a mere wave of her hand, scooped him into her embrace.

The woman gazed at Qin Yan in her arms; the child neither cried nor fussed, but instead, his eyes held a peculiar spiritual awareness.

In truth, Qin Yan had been scared stiff.

Afterward, this woman brought him to the Yanqing Sect, where he then met Yu Qingxuan, who became his Senior Sister.

He knew not why, perhaps due to his infancy, but his consciousness during that period felt as though it were drifting aimlessly in water, only stabilizing when he reached the age of three.

This sensation was akin to an antiquated computer finally booting up, a sluggish process that, by its mere completion, proudly declared one had ‘defeated 0.1% of users nationwide’ in patience.

“Actually, Senior Sister, I… I had a breakthrough. Just this afternoon.”

Qin Yan announced.

“You mean, Junior Brother, you’re now at Foundation Establishment peak?!”

Yu Qingxuan’s face registered utter astonishment. She herself had only reached Foundation Establishment peak at the age of twenty, an achievement that made her an elite even across the entire Northern Lands.

It had then taken her six more years to successfully form her Core.

If her Junior Brother were to form his Core successfully by twenty, he would truly be a heaven-sent genius in cultivation!

“Yes, Senior Sister,” Qin Yan replied with a smile.

Seeing the joyful smile on his face, Yu Qingxuan felt a surge of genuine happiness for him, and nodded, somewhat excitedly. “Then your chances in the upcoming competition are even greater, Junior Brother. Those fellows are no match for you!”

No sooner had she spoken than Yu Qingxuan regretted her words. She had brought her Junior Brother here precisely to alleviate his competition-induced tension, yet she had inadvertently mentioned the very thing that shouldn’t be brought up.

She truly lacked romantic sensibility.

Yet, no one had ever taught her how to pursue boys. She had heard that one should be proactive, so she clung to her Junior Brother every day. She had heard that one should protect boys, so she would secretly stand by the door of his quiet cultivation room whenever he was meditating, even though there was little danger within the sect.

Qin Yan watched the inexplicable look of vexation flit across Yu Qingxuan’s face, utterly bewildered. Indeed, a woman’s heart is an unfathomable needle in the ocean, and even in this world dominated by women, it was no exception.

In truth, this wasn’t exclusive to women; which boy didn’t feel conflicted when facing a girl they liked?

“Don’t worry, Senior Sister, I will work hard.”

He pondered for a moment, assuming his Senior Sister meant for him to strive diligently, and then replied earnestly.

“Yes, Junior Brother, you must work hard…”

Yu Qingxuan clasped her hands behind her back, gazing at the myriad fireworks in the sky. Her heart, for a moment, felt unexpectedly complex. This complexity stemmed from emotions she knew she shouldn’t harbor for her Junior Brother.

She didn’t know if such feelings were right or wrong.

If her Master found out, would she be punished, perhaps even expelled from the sect? Though it wasn’t uncommon for fellow disciples to become involved, given there was no blood relation between them.

But still…

“Senior Sister, thank you.”

Suddenly, Qin Yan’s voice reached Yu Qingxuan’s ears. She turned her head to see her Junior Brother’s smiling face beside her.

As the saying goes, a woman’s tears do not fall easily. Yu Qingxuan, witnessing the genuine emotion in Qin Yan’s expression, was momentarily at a loss for how to respond, feeling inexplicably shy.

“Wh-what are you saying… such embarrassing things…”

Yu Qingxuan responded, her voice barely a whisper, like the buzzing of a mosquito.

Qin Yan looked at Yu Qingxuan’s reaction, somewhat puzzled. As a modern transmigrator, his thoughts were not so conservative. Holding his Senior Sister’s hand, for instance, was simply proof of their strong bond, and no outsiders were watching.

“Alright, now…”

Yu Qingxuan looked at the slightly dazed Qin Yan. Just like when he was a child, she reached out and ruffled his hair. Qin Yan didn’t dodge.

Such a lack of evasion was rare. A grown man rarely allowed a woman to constantly rub his head, so ever since Qin Yan had ‘booted up,’ Yu Qingxuan had found it difficult to succeed.

Looking at Qin Yan’s docile demeanor, Yu Qingxuan said earnestly:

“Don’t worry, Senior Sister will always protect you.”

“No, I don’t want Senior Sister’s protection,” Qin Yan countered, looking at Yu Qingxuan. “I’m the one who should protect Senior Sister.”

“You, you have such a stubborn nature, just like a girl, refusing to admit defeat. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but Senior Sister quite likes it.”

Yu Qingxuan declared openly, a surge of heroic pride unexpectedly rising within her heart.

Indeed, her Junior Brother liked her too. A secret joy bloomed within her.

“I like you very much too, Senior Sister.”

Qin Yan suddenly responded, a smile on his face.

Like her? Of course, he liked her. Who wouldn’t like a beautiful woman who protected him and doted on him as if he were her own younger brother?

He, Qin Yan, was no ungrateful wretch.

“Wh-what?!”

Yu Qingxuan was caught off guard by his words. She felt her cheeks inexplicably flush with warmth and dared not meet Qin Yan’s eyes.

But her Junior Brother was so young; surely he wasn’t speaking of romantic love, was he?!

Alas, such a question was clearly impossible to voice.

She looked at the man before her, who was already renowned throughout Yanqing Sect as its preeminent male cultivator, destined to become the ‘First Immortal Maiden’ and ‘white moonlight’ in the hearts of countless female cultivators, whom they would use to soothe their lonely hearts in the dead of night.

And this person was her Junior Brother!

And he had just said he liked her!!!

At this moment, Yu Qingxuan felt that dying for her Junior Brother right then would be worth it.

****

Soon, the day of the finals arrived, where the top eight cultivators would vie for first place.

All eight were true disciples of various peak elders, and the venue was still packed with people, all because of one name: Qin Yan, who had become a household name among the Yanqing Sect disciples.

A male cultivator was already rare, but a handsome and powerful one? That was even more eye-catching!

As Qin Yan slowly entered the competition arena, the surrounding spectators erupted with fervent enthusiasm. Sitting amidst them, Yu Qingxuan watched the scene, sighing inwardly; her Junior Brother had truly become the ‘white moonlight’ of the entire sect.