After the Dream: A Lingering Connection

Within the cave,

Qin Yan and Xiao Miao both awoke, their gazes meeting, each reflecting a momentary daze.

“Master, you’re awake~!”

Xiao Li lightly leaped, settling into Qin Yan’s embrace.

Qin Yan gently stroked the little civet cat in his arms, then looked towards the Ghost Grass before them, understanding that now that the dream had concluded, this spirit plant must surely know the answer it sought.

Xiao Miao suddenly recalled the events by the riverbank; to be honest, Qin Yan had genuinely felt a stirring of emotion for her.

He had vaguely understood what had happened, pinpointing the time around when his father had called. The ultimate confirmation came from their time by the river, a truly beautiful dream that made him reluctant to awaken.

His identity as a transmigrator was likely also known to Xiao Miao, but just as they had discussed earlier, whether outer-realm demons or celestial beings from beyond, such entities seemed not uncommon in this world.

With this realization, a great weight lifted from Qin Yan’s heart. Perhaps due to his clarified thoughts, he noticed his spiritual energy had stabilized considerably—this might well have been a minor heart demon.

As for Xiao Miao’s final words, they were truly impossible to hold back laughter from; perhaps they allowed the young woman to find her own script.

Xiao Miao gazed at Qin Yan, who was gently stroking Xiao Li. The young man’s hand moved over the civet cat’s head, a lock of dark hair falling across his forehead, stirring a strange pang of tenderness within her.

She was glad it was a dream, yet also regretted that it was merely a dream.

“The affection you two shared by the river was truly profound, purer than refined gold itself,” the Ghost Grass spoke. “Yet, why do you both now wear such distant expressions? It’s genuinely perplexing; your human minds are far too complex.”

Having spoken, it swayed its leaves, as if shaking its head.

“However, you have enlightened me to some truths. I promised you,” the Ghost Grass continued, detaching two of its leaves. “These are your recompense, as I vowed.”

Xiao Miao’s heart was a tangle of emotions; she did not reach out, but instead looked towards Qin Yan.

‘Why are you looking at me?‘ Qin Yan thought. He then nodded, prompting Xiao Miao to finally accept the two leaves. Subsequently, the Ghost Grass politely ushered them out of the cave, seemingly needing to process its own newfound insights.

****

As the two exited the cave, Little Pink Mushroom led the way, appearing quite joyful, its steps a series of skips and hops.

After all, it had experienced emotions it likely never would have in its lifetime, and witnessed scenes it would never have otherwise seen. Much like a child who has discovered a delightful game, its heart naturally swelled with elation.

Following Little Pink Mushroom, they first bid farewell to the Willow God, then departed from the Ancient Willow Secret Realm.

“Come back and play again when you have time!” Little Pink Mushroom called out, bouncing at the secret realm’s exit. “In your human words, I hope that when we meet again, you’ll have a pair of dragon and phoenix twins!”

Having uttered these words, Little Pink Mushroom bounced away, vanishing from their sight.

At these words, Xiao Miao’s expression instantly became flustered, while her Shizun, residing within her storage ring, wore a curious look, wondering what exactly the two had experienced within the dream.

Although they now appeared somewhat more distant, anyone with keen insight could tell that the bond between them had deepened significantly.

This was no longer a superficial affection, but a feeling buried deep within their hearts. True emotions, as the saying goes, are often unspoken, ‘I love you’ causing one to inexplicably lower their gaze.

From her understanding of her disciple, Xiao Miao still had considerable room for growth on the path of love.

Qin Yan and Xiao Miao wandered aimlessly through the mountain forest, neither knowing where they were headed next. Yet, both found themselves following the other, a rather peculiar sensation.

“Xiao Miao, as a woman, what’s wrong with being a little bolder? The young man is shy, and you’re shy right along with him.”

Finally, Xiao Miao’s Shizun could no longer bear the sight. Such pure, innocent affection, causing hearts to flutter and faces to flush, even made her, an old soul, feel a peculiar yearning.

Hearing her Shizun’s words, Xiao Miao took a deep breath, then called out, “Qin Yan!”

The sudden outburst startled Qin Yan.

Qin Yan turned to face the young woman. Without a word, she lunged forward, embracing him. This startled Xiao Li, who let out a ‘Meow!’ Unsure what madness had gripped the girl, Xiao Li reacted swiftly, leaping from Qin Yan’s arms onto the nearby grass.

As Qin Yan felt the young woman’s embrace and inhaled the fragrance of Xiao Miao’s hair from above, his heart ultimately softened. He reached out and gently stroked her head.

Xiao Miao looked up at Qin Yan, a pang of frustration hitting her for being so short. How could she possibly comfort Qin Yan like this? It felt more like she was simply clinging to him in his arms.

“I won’t tell anyone about this!”

Gathering her courage, she declared.

“I’ll still be relying heavily on the future Blazing Emperor, you know.”

Qin Yan replied, a smile almost breaking as he recalled the young woman’s final words to him in the dream.

He could barely hold it together.

“I’m not the Blazing Emperor! I’m nothing like her. I don’t have Xun’er, nor did I ever encounter that malicious Nalan Yanran.”

Xiao Miao declared, “But I do have someone like you. While I may not have Xun’er, I have you, and I have Shizun. However, he is him, and I am me; I understand the distinction. I trust, Qin Yan, that you understand it too!”

‘Of course I can distinguish it. After all, she wouldn’t be like you.’

Qin Yan chuckled, watching the young woman’s pretty face flush with embarrassment, her earlobes turning crimson in an instant. He found it rather amusing.

“Honestly, I rarely gather the courage to tell you these things, yet you still tease me like this! My mind feels utterly chaotic. My mother used to tell me that as a woman, I should be clear-headed about matters of love and affection. My sisters often said that men aren’t reliable. But you’re different; you’re completely overturning my worldview.”

Xiao Miao released her hold, her gaze fixed on Qin Yan, her expression a mix of complex emotions.

“Who knows?” Qin Yan replied, shrugging helplessly as he looked at the young woman before him. “After all, being love-struck isn’t exclusive to one gender.”

“I’m love-struck?”

Xiao Miao’s face registered utter disbelief.

“You are.”

This wasn’t Qin Yan’s voice, but Xiao Miao’s Shizun. She couldn’t fathom why Xiao Miao had suddenly exposed her greatest secret: herself, residing within the storage ring…