Chapter 66

At the Huaijiang Bureau, after returning from Qi Wu, Chu Zhishui felt that the atmosphere around her had changed. Jin Yu remained the same as before, but whenever she encountered Hong Ximing and other supernatural beings, she noticed they had become even more gossipy, not even trying to hide it these days.

In the hallway, Chu Zhishui saw Hong Ximing approaching and quickly greeted her with a smile, and they chatted about recent events.

Hong Ximing winked at Chu Zhishui suggestively, hinting, "Little Chu, since you came back from Qi Wu, I've noticed something. Have you resolved your personal matters?"

Chu Zhishui laughed awkwardly, "Sister Hong, you're joking. What's there to resolve? You must be misunderstanding something."

"Oh, are you feeling shy?" Hong Ximing hurriedly said, "Alright, I'll stop teasing. I know you're easily embarrassed."

"..."

Chu Zhishui noticed the teasing expression on Hong Ximing's face and felt increasingly uncomfortable. While Hong Ximing used to just make subtle hints in their conversations, ever since they had discussed marriage criteria, she had somehow become convinced of something, and these days she was practically naming names.

After their brief exchange, Chu Zhishui quickened her pace and darted towards the Economic Development Department, not daring to linger in the hallway any longer.

Inside the office, she entered rather hastily and ran into Xin Yunmao.

With his broad shoulders and long legs, he blocked the entrance, nearly causing her to bump into him. Particularly notable was how he didn't move aside when he saw her coming, almost as if he was deliberately waiting for the collision.

Chu Zhishui quickly slowed down and barely managed to brush past Xin Yunmao. Seeing that he still wouldn't move, she had to turn sideways to get through, casually complaining, "Have you been deliberately hovering around me these past few days?"

She had always seen Xin Yunmao around before, but never as frequently as in the past two days – whether she was getting up to fetch water or going out to collect something, she would catch glimpses of him passing by.

"Really?" Xin Yunmao's tone was casual, but he had already been secretly watching her from the corner of his eye, his heart practically leaping out of his chest, "Are you thinking about me that much?"

"..."

Well, now she wasn't sure whether he was trying to make his presence known or if she was just being overly sensitive in noticing him.

Chu Zhishui didn't dare dwell on this topic and quickly walked away, pretending she hadn't heard him.

Xin Yunmao watched this scene unfold. On one hand, he hoped she would notice how he had been unconsciously gravitating around her, but on the other hand, he felt nervous and stifled, not knowing where to begin. After all, with the flowering time being mysteriously delayed by the dragon flame, he now realized that he had missed the perfect opportunity on her birthday.

Back then, he didn't know he couldn't flower, so he hadn't given it any thought, and had simply responded with "I don't know."

The awkwardness of this situation rivaled his initial misunderstanding when he thought she had feelings for him – it seemed all his embarrassing moments were somehow related to her.

At home, Chu Zhishui sat at the dinner table with her parents, chatting while they ate.

Chu Xiaohe suddenly remembered something. He quickly put down his chopsticks and picked up his phone, eagerly showing it to his wife and daughter: "Oh right, yesterday when I went to put bedding in your new house, guess what I saw?"

Chu Zhishui responded in confusion, "Dad, you went there yesterday?"

"Yes, and I saw something interesting in your yard..." Chu Xiaohe said with a smile, "I even took pictures."

"In my yard? You took pictures?" Chu Zhishui's heart skipped a beat, worried that he might have photographed Xin Yunmao – that would be impossible to explain.

"Yes, look, it's the bamboo," he turned the phone screen toward her to show the photos, explaining with interest, "The bamboo is flowering."

Chu Zhishui had been sweating nervously until she heard the first part, but when she saw the emerald bamboo grove in the photo and heard the latter part, she suddenly held her breath, stunned: "...Flowering?"

"Yes, it's my first time seeing it, quite interesting." Chu Xiaohe zoomed in on the photo and passed it to Xie Yan to look at, "Take a look, isn't it fascinating?"

"Indeed, I've never seen it either."

"Did you have someone transplant these? They must be old bamboo, new bamboo doesn't flower."

The bamboo flowers weren't brightly colored, but rather appeared as small, drooping particles swaying in the breeze among the leaves, almost impossible to notice without careful observation. They were quietly hidden in the bamboo grove, their colors blending together at first glance.

While her parents continued chatting and asking questions cheerfully, she felt the sounds around her growing faint, her thoughts drifting away. She merely nodded mechanically in response, her mind completely blank.

He had said the bamboo in her yard couldn't flower because it was a part of him. Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The next day, Chu Zhishui had something on her mind. Instead of going to lunch with Jin Yu during break time, she said she had some matters to handle, dawdling until the other left.

Hearing this, Xin Yunmao's eyes flickered, and he too didn't leave, just sitting behind her, watching her intently.

The atmosphere felt as if they shared some unspoken secret in the office.

After Jin Yu left, Chu Zhishui stood up.

Xin Yunmao's long fingers tapped on the desk, appearing to play piano, maintaining a composed facade while his heart raced.

"I have something to ask you," Chu Zhishui took a deep breath, glancing back at him and probing quietly, "Did you flower?"

Xin Yunmao suddenly couldn't meet her gaze. He withdrew his hands from the desk, unconsciously leaning back, and responded almost inaudibly: "Yes."

Even though she was mentally prepared, Chu Zhishui still looked shocked: "Didn't you say you couldn't flower?"

His gaze shifted to the window, pretending to look at the scenery as he muttered, "Couldn't help it."

It was summer, and while the office retained the chill of air conditioning, warm air seeped in through the ventilated windows. The sticky, hot summer breeze rushed in, colliding with the cool indoor air, creating an alternating sensation of hot and cold.

They both remained silent for a while, tormented by the fluctuating temperature.

"So..." Chu Zhishui broke the long silence, her voice hoarse with a final trace of hope, "Will your power really weaken significantly?"

Xin Yunmao responded calmly and frankly: "Yes, it's already started."

His supernatural energy was dissipating with the flowering, and would weaken even faster once seeds formed.

"What should we do? Isn't there any way? Like stopping the flowering, or something else..." Chu Zhishui asked anxiously.

"Why stop the flowering?" Xin Yunmao was surprised by her dramatic reaction, "Why are you so panicked?"

"How can I not panic?" Chu Zhishui was about to argue, but suddenly fell silent, eyeing him suspiciously before stammering, "Isn't your flowering because of... me..."

Xin Yunmao had been anticipating her reaction to learning about the flowering, partly excited to show her, partly worried she wouldn't like it, but he never expected her to ask him to stop flowering.

Her expression was different from what he had imagined.

He suddenly felt breathless, his throat becoming dry: "The flowers are for you, but what's wrong with that?"

Chu Zhishui said with difficulty: "But now you're starting to weaken, I have to find some way to help, I can't just let it..."

An overwhelming sense of disappointment flooded over him like a tidal wave, seemingly draining all his strength. His supernatural energy had been dissipating since flowering, but nothing compared to this moment – it felt as if even the bones supporting his body were shattering, a hundred times more unbearable than the scorching of the black dragon flame.

His heart felt as if it had been suddenly crushed, leaving only broken pieces of red.

"Why not?" Xin Yunmao lowered his eyes, interlacing his fingers, his voice emotionless, "Are you pitying me? Because I flowered for you, you feel responsible and want to fix everything?"

She replied with a trembling voice: "It's not pity, it's just..."

"Just that you think it's not worth it, or something else?" He raised his eyes to stare at her intently, his eyes like stars in the night sky, his tone somewhere between calm inquiry and subtle pleading, "After learning about my flowering, aren't you happy at all? Even just a little bit?"

Chu Zhishui remained silent.

She was equally flustered now, unsure how to respond, her mind feeling like a jumbled mess.

Flowering and seeding was like a countdown – he, who had been omnipotent, was beginning to weaken, and she was the cause of it all.

How could she be happy?

Seeing her silence, Xin Yunmao's eyes completely dimmed, feeling utterly empty.

This wasn't what he wanted.

He had already decided in his heart to transform from supernatural to human, wanting to become like her, only to find that she thought differently.

She had never planned to share their remaining time together, to possess each other's remaining years – she had even prepared herself for separation.

In her hundred years, he might be present, but she had never demanded his future years.

"I don't need your pity, nor your concern. Flowering was my own choice, it has nothing to do with you."

Xin Yunmao's brows furrowed deeply. His heart felt as if it was being repeatedly stabbed by a sharp blade, or as if an icy spike was churning inside his body. Yet his tone suddenly turned harsh: "Even with my demonic energy greatly weakened, I'm still stronger than those useless loafers. I can still live for hundreds of years. You, with no demonic energy and only a hundred years to live, why would you think you could pity me?"

He stared directly at her and said coldly, "I am a demon, and you are human. You're pitying the wrong person!"

He believed she was flawless and longed to be completely close to her, but she thought this wasn't good.

He never expected that she would be the one to silently refute his beliefs in the end.

Xin Yunmao stood up and left, unable to face her, completely on the verge of collapse. He felt that if he stayed a second longer, he would be overwhelmed by the sadness spreading to his chest, and if he said another word, he would completely break down.

Chu Zhishui watched his cold and tall retreating figure, like the steep and frigid peak of a snow-capped mountain, exuding a sharp unapproachability.

His tall, thin silhouette finally disappeared at the doorway.

It had been a long time since he had shown such a distant expression. He would complain of pain at the mention of dragon fire, deliberately cry out in discomfort on the plane, always hoping to be comforted. Yet when truly in pain, he remained silent, gritting his teeth and enduring.

She wasn't hurt by his harsh and direct words. She knew his pain was a hundred times greater than hers. His cold and indifferent demeanor was just a facade to cover his inner turmoil, like a bamboo grove in a howling gale. The bamboo stems seemed as steady as a mountain, not moving an inch, but the leaves had long been rustling loudly, as if crying out, "Look at me, hold me, I'm in so much pain."

From that day on, it became difficult for Chu Zhishui to find Xin Yunmao. She wanted to talk to him, but he always avoided her. During work hours, Jin Yu was in the room, and during break times, he would immediately disappear, making it hard for them to have any chance to communicate.

In the cafeteria, Hong Ximing was standing by the long buffet table, getting food. She saw Chu Zhishui coming to get her meal and took the initiative to wave hello.

Hong Ximing casually chatted, "Haven't seen the Divine Lord lately."

Chu Zhishui, thinking of Xin Yunmao playing hide-and-seek, replied numbly, "He's avoiding me."

"Huh?" Hong Ximing was confused, "I thought he'd be hovering around you all day?"

Chu Zhishui: "Why?"

Hong Ximing: "Don't you know he's blooming?"

Chu Zhishui sighed lightly: "I know, that's why he's avoiding me."

"That can't be right." Hong Ximing hesitated, "Little Chu, you didn't say something like his flowers weren't pretty, did you?"

"Of course not." Chu Zhishui said, "Sister Hong, why are you suddenly asking this?"

Hong Ximing blinked: "When plant demons bloom, it's basically for courtship. Unless you reject him, he'd be circling around you, trying every way to make you look."

He was indeed doing that not long ago.

Chu Zhishui was startled by the word "courtship" and her face flushed: "But isn't blooming a meaningless behavior? Doesn't it consume the plant itself?"

"What are you saying? Humans giving flowers and gifts are also meaningless behaviors, and they even have to spend money. It's the same principle," Hong Ximing said. "This is human thinking. By this logic, how do you view species where the male is eaten by the female?"

Chu Zhishui weakly replied: "We consider the male praying mantis to be sacrificial and devoted."

Hong Ximing: "That's really presumptuous. Have you asked praying mantis demons? Don't impose your emotional colors on other species."

Sorry, humans have always loved to express emotions through objects, even making bamboo seem flighty.

Chu Zhishui: "I didn't say his flowers weren't pretty, but asking him to stop blooming..."

"Then he would understand it as you're not interested in him," Hong Ximing suddenly realized, "His self-esteem was hurt."

"..."

It had to be said, Hong Ximing provided Chu Zhishui with a new perspective. She began to understand Xin Yunmao's thoughts.

She was thinking about his weakened demonic energy, but he was thinking about being rejected. Perhaps blooming also represents a kind of joy for plants, yet she directly poured cold water on him, just like telling someone with a crush, "Don't like me, I'm not worth it."

The object of affection might think they're stating facts, but the one with the crush would be utterly heartbroken.

Chu Zhishui couldn't find an opportunity on workdays and finally endured until the weekend to have a proper talk.

The courtyard was lush with vegetation. The old rattan rocking chair was still under the eaves, but the wooden rack was empty, as if he had never been there again.

Chu Zhishui stood in the small courtyard, facing the void, and said softly, "Xin Yunmao, let's talk."

There was no response, only silence, with only the rustling of bamboo leaves.

Chu Zhishui raised an eyebrow, knowing he was in a mood, and simply called out a series of names.

"Xin Yunmao."

"Yunmao."

"Mao."

Each call was shorter than the last, finally managing to summon him.

From a black rift, Xin Yunmao finally appeared hesitantly. He looked at Chu Zhishui in the courtyard, maintaining a neither far nor near distance from her. Finally, he half-sat on the old rattan rocking chair with his arms crossed, his eyes flickering as he said, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talk about your blooming," Chu Zhishui glanced at the bamboo grove and exclaimed in surprise when she saw the drooping small flowers, "There really are quite a few blooms."

Chu Xiaohe had taken photos before, but she had been working recently and this was her first time seeing it in person today.

The real bamboo flowers were far more abundant than in the photos, or perhaps more had bloomed recently.

Xin Yunmao said stubbornly, "I don't want to talk about it."

Chu Zhishui pursed her lips and persuaded him good-naturedly, "Can you put aside your emotions and have a calm discussion?"

Xin Yunmao was particularly awkward: "No discussion."

She patiently tried to reason: "Let's talk about this rationally..."

He turned his head away directly and said decisively, "I don't need your pity, nor do I need you to take responsibility!"

"Why would I pity you, and why would I need to take responsibility for you?" Chu Zhishui was provoked by his unreasonable attitude. Her anger flared up instantly, her psychological preparation crumbling in a second. She raised her voice, "No, let's analyze this from the beginning. Did I toy with your feelings, or did I toy with your body, for you to give me such a cold shoulder?"

She wanted to have a serious conversation, but he insisted on infuriating her!

Xin Yunmao was shocked by her forceful tone, his pupils trembling, looking at a loss.

Seeing that he finally had a reaction, Chu Zhishui immediately pressed her advantage, asking angrily, "Who was it that said he couldn't respond to human emotions? Who was it that kept saying humans and demons couldn't have a good ending? Who was it that sat right here saying he couldn't bloom, that he absolutely wouldn't fall in love!"

"You knew that blooming would weaken you, so why did you go out of your way to provoke me!?"

She didn't understand the situation before, but he clearly wasn't innocent either, always doing strange things, trying every method to tease her!

Xin Yunmao's lips trembled as he tried to speak, but he was rendered speechless by her barrage. He suffered a series of verbal attacks, instantly becoming so embarrassed that his face turned completely red. His whole body felt like it was on fire as he recalled his various past words and the countless foolish things he had done, wishing he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into!

She was forcing him to recall a wave of embarrassing history on the spot, making him want to flee in disgrace!

"Tsk tsk, I don't even want to mention the ridiculous things you did before, it was all so flirtatious, always making me confused," Chu Zhishui became increasingly irritated as she spoke. Seeing that he was still rigidly turning his head away, she said dissatisfied, "Can you look at me when I'm talking? Don't act like I'm bullying you. Is there anything I've said that's incorrect?"

Xin Yunmao's pale skin was now completely flushed, even his shoulders were trembling imperceptibly. He covered his burning face and ears with his fingers, his clear eyes glistening. He still stubbornly refused to meet her gaze, putting on an unyielding posture: "I can't. You called me out just to humiliate me, so go ahead and continue."

If she wanted to flay him alive with past events, he had no choice but to endure and accept it.

"You're pinning the blame on me again." Chu Zhishui was stung by his words. She looked at his stubborn appearance with displeasure and sneered, "You've already convicted me, if I don't live up to it, wouldn't I be at a disadvantage?"

"Look at me when I'm talking, stop always avoiding it. How many days have you been avoiding me?" She reached out her hand and turned his face towards her, forcing him to look at her directly. With a half-smile, she said, "If telling the truth is called humiliation, then what does this count as? What crime are you planning to convict me of?"

Due to her action, Xin Yunmao was forced to turn his chin. His eyes were as rippling as spring tides, shining brightly as he stared at her. His lips were now tightly pressed together, his body extremely tense, yet he turned his head as soon as she touched him, not requiring much effort from her at all.

He was now blushing with embarrassment and annoyance, yet also seemed full of tender feelings, giving the illusion that he would let her do whatever she wanted.

His eyes were fixed solely on her, reflecting her image.

She had been a bit angry before, but now, meeting his gaze, her anger instantly melted away.

Suddenly, she fell silent, as if enchanted, only able to stare at him blankly, her lips slightly pursed like his.

Seeing her wordless, Xin Yunmao took her hand, gently squeezing it, nuzzling it affectionately with his cheek, and finally placing a kiss on her palm. The touch was as light as a feather, almost feeling like an illusion.

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As he did all this, he continued to gaze at her with clear eyes, appearing both innocent and alluring.

Damn, it was as if he was trying to seduce her.

What followed was beyond control, just two bodies drawing ever closer.

Moist and warm sensations, breaths intermingling, tentative explorations like treading on thin ice, yet electrifying. Not a deep, ravishing kiss, but like gently kissing the first flower of winter - a cool, moist sweetness.

Brief and restrained, yet when they parted, both were breathless, feeling a burning heat in their very core.

It seemed to last but a moment, yet also an eternity.

He still gazed at her with those eyes, no longer bright and clear, but now misty with a shallow fog, conveying a sense of youthful nervousness.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Chu Zhishui felt shy under his gaze filled with subtle emotion. She suddenly felt bashful, avoiding his intense stare, and muttered, "How many years would you demons get for blasphemy?"

A pair of hands gently climbed to her waist, as if slowly coaxing her to bend down again.

"One more time, and I'll declare you innocent," he said.