Returning to the courtyard, Bai Qingxue sat cross-legged on the stone bed. Her spiritual power circulated cycle after cycle, gradually taming the newly born chill.
The orb of light in Bai Qingxue’s dantian was now more than twice as large as it had been at the seventh level, each pulsation steady and powerful.
After stabilizing her realm, Bai Qingxue opened her eyes and glanced out the window.
The branches of the old plum tree swayed gently in the breeze, their buds noticeably larger than they had been months ago. Sunlight spilled through the window, falling across her knees.
Bai Qingxue took the Jade Radiance Pendant from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
The jade pendant was as lustrously white as ever; having been nurtured by her body heat for half a year, its surface felt much warmer and smoother than when she first received it.
Bai Qingxue watched it for a moment, then, as if remembering something, rummaged through her storage bag and pulled out a new green tassel.
Bai Qingxue untied the old tassel and replaced it with the new one. Once finished, she placed the Jade Radiance Pendant into a small wooden box.
After completing this, Bai Qingxue set the wooden box on the table.
She didn't plan to pick a special day to give it to Lu Xueqing, nor did she plan to prepare any explanation.
To Bai Qingxue, she would simply hand it over the next time Lu Xueqing visited.
A few days later, Lu Xueqing visited again.
Bai Qingxue happened to be brewing tea under the old plum tree. Hearing the footsteps, she didn't look up, but simply took out another cup, poured the tea, and pushed it across.
“Junior Sister, have you broken through?” Lu Xueqing asked. Her tone was the same as usual, but her gaze was fixed on the tea in her cup, not looking at Bai Qingxue.
Bai Qingxue gave a soft “Mhm.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xueqing said nothing more, taking another sip of the tea. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, falling on her shoulders and making her stray wisps of hair glow.
Lu Xueqing sat there, tea cup in hand, taking one sip after another as if today’s brew particularly suited her palate.
Bai Qingxue picked up her own cup, took a sip, set it down, and then retrieved the small wooden box from her sleeve, placing it on the table in front of Lu Xueqing.
Lu Xueqing looked down at the box and asked with some confusion:
“What is this?”
“The Jade Radiance Pendant.”
Lu Xueqing paused for a moment before looking up at her.
Bai Qingxue’s expression was as indifferent as ever, but she spoke a rare, proactive sentence: “For Senior Sister.”
Lu Xueqing was stunned for a moment.
Bai Qingxue had used this title many times—on the training ground, by the cold pond, and when accepting the water skin after the finals.
But this time, it felt different.
Lu Xueqing reached out, took the wooden box, and opened it.
The Jade Radiance Pendant lay quietly inside.
Lu Xueqing’s fingers paused slightly. She remembered the color of the original tassel; now, its appearance had changed.
Was this tassel new? Had Junior Sister Bai changed it specifically for her?
Lu Xueqing took out the jade pendant, her fingertips brushing over the smooth surface. It felt slightly cool in her hand, with a faint, ethereal clarity seeping out of the jade and traveling up her fingers.
This jade had been worn against Bai Qingxue’s skin for half a year, becoming warm and nurtured. Lu Xueqing didn't yet know what it felt like to wear it, but as she held it in her hand, she suddenly felt it wasn't just a pendant.
“What would I do with this?” Lu Xueqing said, her voice softer than usual, though her fingers did not let go.
Lu Xueqing wanted to decline. She thought she should say, “It's too precious, I cannot accept it,” or “Keep it for yourself.”
But as the words reached her lips, she couldn't say a single one.
She feared that if she spoke, she would truly end up refusing it—feared that Bai Qingxue would simply say “Alright” and tuck the pendant back into her sleeve.
She didn't want that.
She wanted this pendant.
And so, Lu Xueqing did not decline.
Bai Qingxue glanced at Lu Xueqing, picked up her tea cup, and said, “I have no use for it. Senior Sister, please wear it.”
Lu Xueqing lowered her eyes and said nothing more.
She tied the pendant to her waist. The green tassel dangled down, swaying gently between her fingers. Lu Xueqing’s hand lingered on the tassel for a moment before she pulled it back.
“Thank you, Junior Sister.”
Bai Qingxue didn't reply, simply taking a sip of tea.
The tea had grown cold, but she didn't refill it.
The two sat for a while longer, neither speaking. The shadow of the old plum tree slid from their knees to the ground. The wind died down, and the leaves stopped swaying.
Lu Xueqing stood up.
“Junior Sister, I’ll be going now.”
“Mhm.”
Lu Xueqing reached the courtyard gate but stopped.
The shadow of the doorframe fell over her, hiding her face in the gloom.
Lu Xueqing opened her mouth as if to say something, her lips moving, but in the end, she only breathed a few extremely soft words—so faint that even Bai Qingxue couldn't hear them.
However, Lu Xueqing did not repeat herself; she simply stepped out of the courtyard.
...
On the way back, Lu Xueqing’s hand remained pressed against the jade pendant at her waist.
The green tassel swayed gently between her fingers. The previously cool jade had been warmed by her body heat, no longer feeling cold.
She looked down at the pendant, then raised her gaze to the stone steps beneath her feet.
The stone steps were long, extending downward level by level, dappled with sunlight filtering through the foliage.
Junior Sister Bai had finally caught up to her.
Lu Xueqing had known this would happen, but when the moment actually arrived, her heart still sank.
Her heart was inexplicably flustered, like standing on the shore watching the tide surge in, knowing she should retreat but unable to move her legs.
She quickened her pace, as if by walking faster, she could leave those thoughts behind.
When she reached a fork in the path, Lu Xueqing stopped.
At this moment, she didn't want to take another step.
Because Lu Xueqing felt that if she just walked back like this, it would feel as if she had missed doing something.
What exactly was missing? Lu Xueqing couldn't say.
Maybe she just wanted to look back.
To see if that door was still open.
To see if that person was still sitting under the old plum tree.
To see if she had tried to keep her there for even a moment longer.
But in the end, Lu Xueqing did not look back.
She was afraid that if she looked back, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from running back. To do what? She didn't know.
Maybe she just wanted to see Bai Qingxue again, or confirm that she was still there, or perhaps grab her wrist and ask, “Will you still call me Senior Sister in the future?”
But in reality, Lu Xueqing knew she couldn't ask such a thing.
It was too foolish; even she would find it laughable if she said it aloud.
Senior sister or not, what did it matter? It was just a title.
Yet Lu Xueqing simply couldn't let it go.
Lu Xueqing lowered her head, looking at the jade pendant at her waist as the green tassel swayed gently in the wind.
This was given to her by Bai Qingxue; Bai Qingxue had specifically wanted her to have it.
Lu Xueqing didn't know what Bai Qingxue was thinking, but she cared. She cared about why Bai Qingxue gave her this pendant, why she had gone to the trouble of changing the tassel, and whether Bai Qingxue had looked at her more when she said those words.
She cared about many things, but she never spoke of them.
Lu Xueqing’s fingertip pressed lightly against the edge of the jade pendant—not with force, just holding it.
She thought that even if one day Bai Qingxue stopped calling her Senior Sister, this pendant would still be here.
Even if one day they no longer lived next door to each other, this pendant would still be here.
Even if one day Bai Qingxue walked too far away for her to catch up, this pendant would still be hanging at her waist.
What if she wasn't the senior sister? What if they weren't neighbors?
This pendant was something no one else had; it was something only Lu Xueqing possessed.
This thought was like an incredibly fine thread, growing from the pendant, winding around her fingertips, and tangling into her very bloodline.
Lu Xueqing withdrew her hand from the pendant, took a deep breath, and continued forward.
Back in her own courtyard, Lu Xueqing sat down at the stone table.
She didn't brew tea, nor did she practice her sword.
She simply sat there with her head lowered, looking at the jade pendant at her waist.
The green tassel swayed gently in the wind, and the jade surface was warm from her body heat, no longer cold.
She reached out, her fingertip pressing lightly against the pendant.
And then she pressed it again.
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