Wen Ran couldn't stand his innocent facade the most, and she glared at him without any pity, "Do you dare say I'm wrong?"
"I wouldn't dare." He said, suddenly reaching out to poke her puffed-up cheek.
Wen Ran was so taken aback by the poke that she momentarily forgot what she wanted to say.
She didn't react in time, so the other cheek got poked as well.
"What are you doing?" Wen Ran slapped his hand away, quickly retreating three steps. She still remembered how his hand had sliced the Snake Demon into pieces with a knife, and in her moment of outrage, she forgot this guy was dangerous.
Shen Wu rubbed his fingertips, unable to describe the soft feeling, though it was much smoother than the few fruits still in his other hand.
Being slapped by her hand didn't make him draw his knife out directly; instead, he looked aggrieved, "Everyone knows I'm deeply in love with Ranran, but only Ranran doesn't appreciate it, which truly breaks my heart."
Wen Ran had never seen someone lie so boldly with their eyes open; it was impossible to make her feel moved. She smiled, "If I believed that, I'd be a fool."
"Fortunately, I'm quite a cheerful person. Even if Ranran doesn't believe in my true feelings, I won't do anything foolish." He really was a cheerful person; just moments ago, he was feeling wronged, and now he was smiling again. He took something out, "This is for you."
In his hand was a small black cloth bag, the contents of which were unknown.
Wen Ran looked at it suspiciously for a long while but didn't reach out to take it.
Shen Wu added, "Rest assured, what's inside won't bite."
Wen Ran glanced at him again, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to take the small cloth bag. Upon opening it, she found a small white bird's egg inside. Curiously, she looked up at him, "Did you raid a bird's nest?"
His eyes curved with laughter, "Everyone else knows I entered the Forbidden Land to catch a magic pet for you. If I didn't give you something, it wouldn't make sense."
So, his visit today wasn't just some casual lie about missing her. Giving her this bird egg was his real purpose.
To maintain his persona as someone deeply in love with his fiancée, he paid great attention to details.
Wen Ran tried to return the item to him, "I don't want it."
But Shen Wu quickly moved away, jumping onto a tree, "I've already given it to you. Whether you keep it, throw it, or cook it, is entirely up to you."
"Shen Wu!"
He left behind an extremely childish smile and disappeared in a blink.
Wen Ran looked at the small bird's egg in her hand, feeling it was like a hot potato. She sat back on the stone bench, pondering whether to actually throw it away or just cook it.
While she was contemplating what to do, a bright red hue caught her attention; it was the red fruit left on the table.
As a child, she'd seen such wild berries while playing on the mountain, but she never tried them, not knowing they were edible. Watching how Shen Wu ate them with gusto, could they actually taste good?
A strange curiosity hit Wen Ran. She picked up the red fruit from the table, smelled it first but detected no fragrance, so she took a small bite, causing her face to scrunch up immediately.
It was too sour!
How did that guy eat it so nonchalantly!
With Shen Wu and Wen Ran's swords both broken, after Wen Xun's mouth boiled dry with urgency, he entrusted a letter to Shen Wu, instructing him to take the two broken swords to Hidden Abyss Valley with Wen Ran.
Upon receiving this message, Wen Ran's body language screamed refusal, "I'm not going."
Wen Xun was at his wit's end, "Is Luoxia not your sword? Do you not want it repaired? If you do, you must go!"
Wen Ran compromised, "Then I'll go alone. I won't travel with him."
"Ranran, your senior brother was seriously injured protecting you. Although he's mostly recovered now, having someone with you is better. We mustn't be ungrateful. Think about how your senior brother has treated you, he..."
"He's just fine and doesn't need my care."
Wen Xun could indulge his daughter in anything, but couldn't yield in choosing a son-in-law, so he hardened his stance, "I've entrusted all the expenses for the trip to Hidden Abyss Valley to your senior brother's care. If you don't wish to travel with him, you can fend for yourself."
She couldn't respond for a long time.
Wen Ran, all seventeen years of her life, had only experienced the best, never having endured hardship. It would take half her life to live in the wild!
At the gate of Ascension Immortal Mansion.
A group of disciples came to see Shen Wu off. His aloof and polite demeanor made him stand out among the many handsome young men, and for every word from his junior brothers, Shen Wu responded. But upon noticing the girl who stormed out, his gaze was only for her.
Others found it understandable; the senior brother was deeply in love with his junior sister, and only her presence could melt his cold and indifferent demeanor.
Shen Wu softly called, "Ranran."
Upon hearing his voice, Wen Ran didn't shy away from glaring at him, then turned her head, refusing to look at him.
As they were descending the mountain into the Mortal World, where the air was dusty and clothes easily soiled, she had opted against the white clothes mandated by Ascension Immortal Mansion and donned a green ruqun she usually wouldn't wear.
The top was a thin apricot-colored blouse, revealing her fair shoulders and arms, with interwoven white and green sashes crossing her chest, paired with light cloud-pattern embroidery on the green ruqun. The young girl standing there exuded an air of spring.
After being accustomed to seeing Wen Ran in white robes, her sudden appearance in this outfit brought a fresh surprise to many young disciples' eyes. They suddenly began to understand why the senior brother remained unmoved in his affection for Junior Sister Wen.
Shen Wu, however, retained his usual calm composure, unchanged. After all, he was always self-disciplined and courteous. Focusing intently on a girl like Wen Ran was already him allowing himself plenty of slack; he couldn't permit more improper behavior.
The senior brother was truly a gentleman!
Shen Wu said, "It's getting late, Ranran. Let's set out down the mountain."
Wen Ran didn't respond, directly passing by Shen Wu, leaving through the gate first. As she brushed past him, the butterfly hairpin in her black hair, inlaid with green gemstones, caught the light. Its golden wings seemed poised to flutter away at any moment.
Shen Wu withdrew his gaze and took a dignified step through the gate amidst the unwilling farewells of many junior brothers.