Jun Mo Xie took a deep breath. He couldn't fathom what Miao Xiaomiao was thinking, but at the sound of those words, the image of Mei Xueyan suddenly rose in his mind, followed swiftly by the graceful figures of Guan Qinghan and Dugu Xiaoyi... Young Master Jun truly felt a pang of homesickness...

Since there was nothing else to do, he might as well say it to crush her hopes completely. Perhaps putting an end to her feelings sooner would be for the best; a temporary sorrow was better than a lifetime of regret...

"She is beautiful! So beautiful, so very beautiful!"

Jun Mo Xie let out a sigh of relief, looking at Tian Fang, his tone gradually softening, as if caught in a dream: "Her hair is long and flowing, her eyes are large, and her eyebrows are exquisite. I often joke that her eyebrows resemble the crescent moon in the sky, yet they possess none of its fragility; instead, they carry a touch of heroic spirit..."

Miao Xiaomiao stared at him blankly, watching the satisfied, nostalgic smile on his face as he spoke of the woman in his heart. Suddenly, a sharp, painful feeling welled up inside her—a sensation called 'jealousy.' Though she desperately told herself: Don't be angry, don't be sad, one day I can officially replace that person in his heart, the ache persisted all the same...

So... his feelings for her ran so deep...

"Her skin is porcelain white; it would not be an exaggeration to say her complexion rivals frosted snow. She has a delicate oval face and a statuesque figure, favoring robes of snow-white silk. What I love most is seeing her dressed in white, her long, unbound black hair trailing behind her as she moves. Every time I see it, I feel that... this woman is no mortal being, but an immortal descending from the heavens to the mundane world... The feeling is truly sacred, or perhaps 'pure' would be a more fitting word. She doesn't need to speak or make a move; just seeing her silhouette gives one the sense of lofty isolation, an untouchable mystery..."

Miao Xiaomiao managed a weak smile. "She is truly beautiful... Now that you describe her, even I am filled with longing. I never imagined such a peerlessly captivating beauty existed in this world..."

"No, she is far more than just a captivating beauty. To compare her with mere earthly charms is a profound desecration of her being! I apologize, I don't mean to elevate her intentionally... She possesses another virtue: she is never indecisive in her actions. Once she sets her mind on something, she acts immediately. She... truly has immense courage. She once single-handedly upheld a vast enterprise without any assistance, preventing its decline even while encircled by countless powerful enemies..."

As Jun Mo Xie spoke, he recalled Mei Xueyan's stubborn resilience when she held the line at the Heaven Punishment Forest alone, and a genuine tenderness touched the corner of his mouth...

"Moreover, she treats me exceptionally well... willing to sacrifice her own life rather than let me suffer harm... Once, for the sake of my family, she nearly gave up her life. I am truly moved, truly fortunate; to possess such a confidante, what more could one ask for?" The gentleness around Jun Mo Xie’s mouth deepened, a faint satisfaction blooming on his face, accompanied by surging gratitude in his heart.

Who in this vast world could claim such a rare soulmate?

Xueyan... how incredibly fortunate I am to have you in this life!

"That... is wonderful."

A voice screamed in Miao Xiaomiao's heart: I can do it too! If she can do it, I can do it! I can even do more, do better. I can disregard my own life for you! I can defend everything that belongs to you with my own life! I can, I absolutely can!

But she finally kept the words unspoken.

Because she knew that some things could never be achieved merely by talking...

Words were useless; only action mattered!

"Yes... In this world, I doubt another woman comparable to her exists..."

Jun Mo Xie sighed with deep emotion. "To have met her, I don't know how fortunate I am, how many lifetimes of merit I must have accumulated..."

"Then..." Miao Xiaomiao's heart ached bitterly. After careful deliberation, she asked the question she most desired to know: "Then... how... how did she... die?"

"Ah? Die?"

Jun Mo Xie was startled by the question, staring blankly at Miao Xiaomiao. "But... she didn't die. How could she possibly die? What are you talking about?" By the end of his sentence, a faint anger was beginning to rise!

"Ah?"

Miao Xiaomiao looked even more surprised than he was. She couldn't help but jump up. "She didn't die? She's not dead? How could that be..."

"Of course she didn't die! How could she die!"

Jun Mo Xie was clearly displeased. This girl was being utterly bizarre today, spewing such nonsense!

Miao Xiaomiao felt her mind dissolve into complete chaos.

How could this be?

What was happening?

Clearly...

She suddenly remembered something: all the facts she had relied upon seemed to be nothing more than speculations made by her and her mother!

"Jun... who are you talking about?"

Miao Xiaomiao asked tentatively.

"Then who are you asking about?"

Jun Mo Xie was equally confused.

"Is she your wife?"

Miao Xiaomiao's expression suggested she was about to weep.

"Yes, she is my wife," Jun Mo Xie nodded, unaware that this simple statement had just plunged Miao Xiaomiao into a bottomless abyss—a hellish, irredeemable chasm!

"You have a wife! And she's alive?"

Miao Xiaomiao shrieked. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with heartbreaking agony!

"Yes! So what?" Jun Mo Xie inwardly sighed, muttering to himself: A quick pain is better than a long one, a quick pain is better than a long one. A moment of sorrow is better than a lifetime of suffering...

"You're already married? You said you are already married?"

Miao Xiaomiao recoiled two steps, staring fixedly at him. A flush of shocked crimson suddenly swept across her face. Her cherry lips parted, her eyes locked onto Jun Mo Xie, and suddenly tears flooded her eyes! Drop by drop, they fell to the ground like broken pearls scattering on dust...

"Yes..."

Jun Mo Xie's heart twinged slightly. Seeing Miao Xiaomiao's despair, his resolve softened, but he knew that yielding now would completely undo his efforts. He forced himself to give a firm affirmation. Between two evils, choose the lesser; if he didn't let her grieve for a moment now, he risked harming her for a lifetime!

"You're married... You're actually already married..."

Miao Xiaomiao mumbled numbly, staggering backward aimlessly, her vision blurred by tears...

In that instant, Miao Xiaomiao felt her heart plummet into a boundless abyss, finding no purchase whatsoever, only endless confusion, circling endlessly around one thought: He is already married... He is actually already married... Then I...

Then, she suddenly spun around, clapping a hand over her mouth, stifling a surge of hot blood about to erupt. She felt stars dancing before her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks, finally unable to hold back. A muffled sob escaped her as she stumbled blindly out the door in a frenzy...

Reaching the courtyard gate, she tripped heavily, then sprang up, letting out a loud wail as she bolted away, vanishing in a blink...

Little Sprout glared fiercely at Jun Mo Xie, her small face livid red with anger, screaming, "Liar! You are a big liar! You're already married and you still came to seduce my mistress! You—you despicable scoundrel... utterly vile and shameless!"

With a disdainful pah, she spat and chased after Miao Xiaomiao...

Bai Qifeng was seated right outside the courtyard gate. Ever since the incident involving the Saint Venerable attackers, the Seven Great Saint Emperors dared not be lax again. They took turns guarding Young Master Jun closely, fearing further mishaps; it was Bai Saint Emperor's turn on watch.

Bai Qifeng was stunned to see Miao Xiaomiao leave in such heart-wrenching distress. After a long, long moment, he snapped back to awareness and rushed over in hurried strides, complaining, "Tell me... can't you restrain yourself? She was going to be yours eventually anyway! Why couldn't you wait until after you were married? Must you be so hasty? Her... body, how could you let her..."

The White Saint Emperor had no habit of eavesdropping on young lovers' private moments, and Jun Mo Xie certainly hadn't intended for him to overhear, so his guess was wildly off the mark compared to reality.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean 'yours eventually'? I didn't do anything to her..."

Jun Mo Xie shrugged, feigning complete innocence.

"You didn't do anything to her? What more did you intend to do? The girl is already like that, and you stand there like this? How could you be so thoughtless?"

Bai Qifeng shook his head with deep disappointment. "Young men! Always so impulsive. Now look! You can just wait! If Old Man Miao's people don't flay the skin off you, it'll be a miracle... You have no idea how precious this girl is to the Miao family..."

The White Saint Emperor sighed, pacing twice before his face clouded over with worry. "I better hurry and fetch the Elder back to discuss this. This mess needs a proper resolution..."

With a swoosh, he departed...

Jun Mo Xie stood truly bewildered, watching the White Saint Emperor rush off in a panic, wondering: Does falling in love involve some other major event? What is all this 'this and that' nonsense?

Yet, looking in the direction Miao Xiaomiao fled, a profound sense of apology mingled with a faint flicker of loss settled in Jun Mo Xie’s heart. Perhaps... you deserve your own happiness, and your destined partner... should not be me...

With a soft sigh, Jun Mo Xie strolled to the courtyard gate and stared at the spot where Miao Xiaomiao had fallen. A faint, sharp pain pricked his chest again.

Given Miao Xiaomiao's profound Xuan power, to trip on such level ground...

It showed the depth of her anguish at that moment; she must have been completely consumed by her sorrow...

Suddenly, Jun Mo Xie jolted inexplicably. He strode forward a few paces, and his gaze fixed firmly on the ground!

Right where Miao Xiaomiao had stumbled, there were several scattered drops of blood. Their color was an especially vibrant crimson, reflecting an unusually gorgeous hue under the sunlight—poignant and striking, like the most brilliant rubies... (To be continued, if you wish to know what happens next...)