184 . 2 – Radiance

  Xue Qilin said nothing for a long time .

  This excessively happy and dazzling smile really — it gives off an empty feeling . She can show such a smile just due to a simple sentence, just because of helping someone else?

  What exactly is happiness to Gong Tianqing?

  Seeing Gong Tianqing leave, Xue Qilin was at a loss for words for a long time .

  She feels that something is wrong, but she can’t put her finger on it . She thought she was overthinking it, but her instincts tell her that there is a problem .

  –what the hell? It’s like she’s…… a fool!

  She looked up and gazed at the sun, which has already climbed to the middle of the sky, from the shade made by her hand .

  “It’s so hot……”


  It’s almost summer .

  Xue Qilin sighed deeply, retracted her gaze, and looked again in the direction Gong Tianqing has disappeared .

  Should I talk to Little Seven? She mused .

  “It seems that you really like Little Qing . ”


  A voice came from a tree by the road .

  Although it is familiar, but the voice still startled Xue Qilin .

  Between the branches and leaves of the tree interspersed with sunlight, Xue Qilin saw Xia Xue’s figure crisscrossed with shade and light, and her eyes widened unwittingly .

  As always, she wears a short dress mixed with ethnic elements and a pair of shoes that look like wooden clog sandals . This pair of lightweight wooden shoes seems to issue “plop plop” sounds as she rocks her lags .

  –why is she here?

  Before Xia Xue announced her presence, Xue Qilin hadn’t noticed her at all . She doesn’t know if the other party has been here from the beginning, or arrived halfway through in an undetectable way .

  “Wow, traitor Xia Xue, are you a ghost?” Xue Qilin sighed, “Do you know that you could scare someone to death like this?”


  “You said something rather amusing, it’s kind of funny . ”


  When she spoke till here, Xia Xue pretended to laugh .

  “We’re at the gate of my courtyard house . Do I have to get approval in order to be able to enjoy the shade on a tree at the gate of my courtyard house?”


  When Xue Qilin heard this, she looked around and found out that she is really standing at the gate of Xia Xue’s courtyard house .

  The Elders of the Merak Temple are well paid . Practically all Elders have their own courtyard house, which are mostly concentrated on the West Peak .

  Xia Xue’s courtyard house is located not far from Li Wanting’s courtyard house, on the only path leading to the Middle Peak from Li Wanting’s courtyard house on the West Peak . Therefore, on her way back to the Middle Peak, Xue Qilin has to pass Xia Xue’s courtyard house .

  “Okay, it sounds like you have a point there . ”


  Xue Qilin spread her hands and admitted her mistake .

  “Oh–”


  Xia Xue dragged out the sound, and then uttered with an enigmatic smile .

  “It sounds?”


  “Hey, foolish Little Xue, don’t push it! I still haven’t settled accounts with you for the thing that happened this morning!”


  “Oh, the thing that happened this morning……” Xia Xue tilted her head to express her uncertainty — a clearly feigned uncertainty, “What happened this morning?”


  Hey, how can there be someone so shameless!

  Seeing that Xia Xue can be this shameless, Xue Qilin felt admiration in her heart . She opened her mouth wide, her jaw about to hit the floor .

  “Uwahh, if the day comes when a war breaks out, the Imperial Court should use you as a fortification . I reckon that you’d be able to withstand a 100,000-strong army for several days . ”


  Xia Xue is rather clever . She was taken aback for just a moment before she realized what the other party meant . After all, as an Elder, she’s naturally not someone stupid .

  “Oh, I heard something interesting again . You mean to say that……” Xia Xue narrowed her eyes, “I have thick skin, right?”


  “Oh, I heard something interesting again . Did you hear me say that with those ears of yours? Someone let their imagination run wild and took an innocent comment as a personal attack, what should I do? What do you think?”


  “Oh, I see . ” Xia Xue curled up her lips, “Then should I tell Little Sister Temple Master?”


  “Yo yo yo, what will you tattle about to Little Seven, let’s hear it?”


  Xue Qilin placed her hands on her hips and stared at Xia Xue with wide open eyes, seething . She really wants to hear what Xia Xue can make up .

  “Um–” Xia Xue contemplated, “I’ll tell that you stared at Qing’er with a scheming look?”


  “Utter rubbish! Where did I have a scheming look?”


  Xue Qilin snorted disdainfully at Xia Xue’s statement .

  However–


  Xia Xue jumped down from the tree and walked slowly to in front of Xue Qilin .

  “But you were drooling!”


  Xia Xue pointed at a corner of Xue Qilin’s mouth .

  Ah, drooling? Xue Qilin stared blankly for a moment, and then quickly wiped her mouth with a sleeve . It wasn’t until she raised her sleeve and saw that there are no wet spots on it, did she realize that she’s been had .

  The moment he realized this, shame overshadowed her anger .

  Such a loss of face! I actually jumped into the hole by myself!

  Looking like she’s about to choke, she bit her lower lip, and her face flushed . There seems to be white smoke coming from her head .

  “Huh, why aren’t you talking anymore? Do you feel guilty?”


  The rims of her eyes filled with a playful smile, Xia Xue deliberately imitated Xue Qilin’s unique intonation and speech habit [1] .

  At this moment, Xue Qilin is feeling even more embarrassed . She grabbed her dress and shrank into a ball . If there was a hole in the ground right now, she might drill into it without a word .

  Looking like she’s satisfied with Xue Qilin’s reaction, Xia Xue issued a long “hmm” .

  Abominable! Xue Qilin glared at the other party .

  “Forget it, I won’t tease you anymore . ”


  Xia Xue, who seems like she understands the principle of “not going too far”, has no intention of continuing to make fun of the other party .

  “You’re really repulsive!”


  She planned to fall out with Xia Xue if the other party continued to bully her . However, her plan went out in smoke . Xue Qilin could only gnash her teeth and curse the pother party, trembling .

  “Whatever you say . ”


  As if he had discovered something, Xia Xue’s gaze fell on the box of sanshoku dango .

  “The ‘Flower Little Dango’ dango?”


  “I won’t give you any, don’t even think about it!”


  Xue Qilin held the box in her arms, cautious . But Xia Xue just looked away .

  “Oh, I don’t really like sweets . ”


  Nonetheless, Xue Qilin watched Xia Xue’s every move silently, for fear that the other party would snatch her dango away .

  Probably because Xue Qilin’s behavior is really petty, Xia Xue sneered disdainfully .

  “–so, are the clothes new? Or are they old?”


  Xia Xue changed the subject abruptly . Unable to keep up with the change of pace, Xue Qilin showed a dumbfounded expression .

  “Clothes, what clothes?”


  “Of course I’m talking about your clothes . ” Xia Xue sighed worriedly, “Is there something wrong with your head?”


  Did someone tease somebody so much that they became silly? Xia Xue secretly aimed a glance at Xue Qilin’s eyes, which seem to convey this .

  Noticing the expression in Xia Xue’s eyes, Xue Qilin gave the other party a disdainful look .

  “Your change of topic was too sudden, so I didn’t react momentarily, that’s all . What about my clothes?”


  “No, I just haven’t seen them before, so I asked, that’s all . ” Xia Xue looked Xue Qilin up and down — mainly the clothes — once, “The workmanship is pretty good . ”


  [1] – Xia Xue used 咩, a final particle that transforms statements into questions that indicate doubt and surprise (Cantonese) . Generally, only Xue Qilin uses this