Spring Winds

"If we make it to Yong Yuan He Mountain by the end of the day, we should be able…"

Walking through the jungle, side by side, Bu Xiu He's voice began to drown out as the laughter behind me grew.

"So what do you do for fun, Xiao Lan?"

"Hmm, I like to practice my martial arts and go swimming, as there's a giant lake nearby our sect," Shao Xiu Lan answered back.

"No way seriously!?"

I love to do those things, too," my junior sister exclaimed excitedly as her energy seemed to radiate in the air. "You know, I'm interested in what techniques you practice. Maybe sometime after this mission, we should train together."

Shao Xiu Lan giggled as I heard her shove Zhu Na Ran lightly. "Oh, stop, Jing Ran! I don't think that my skills are worth enough.

I might drag you down in your training."

"What? That's ridiculous; how are you supposed to improve without anyone there to challenge you?

It's okay, Xiao Lan!"

"Emm," Shao Xiu Lan hummed. I could tell that she had a bashful expression on her face without needing to look. "Well, then it's a date then, Jing Ran."

An ugly feeling started to rise from my chest.

Are they already on casual terms with each other?

"... Jing Hua...? "

I couldn't help but resist the urge to get between them and warn Zhu Na Ran of that young girl's ill intentions.

Junior Sister trusts others too quickly. Can't she see that Shao Xiu Lan wants something from her?

The other day…

Isolated from the rest, I placed a sound barrier around the two of us so that no one could hear our conversation outside.

Shao Xiu Lan bowed her head nervously as her hands seemed to shake and tremble. However, despite this, she sputtered out, "T-thank you, Martial Aunt Jing Hua…

Y-you perhaps saved this girl's life."

"Speak, Miss Shao. This martial aunt is very interested in what could've been worth more than the well-being of your fellow disciples and cultivators."

"Forgive this girl, Martial Aunt Jing Hua," Shao Xiu Lan cried as she dropped to her knees. "I-I didn't intend for things to go this far!"

"Oh? So did you intend, then?

"I-I," Shao Xiu Lan stuttered as she tried to shrink herself smaller. "I just wanted to be with the one that I like…"

The one she likes?

It can't be…

Narrowing my eyes, I watched a Shao Xiu Lan swallow her voice as her eyes skittered around. Walking closer to her, she instinctively scoots back.

Grabbing her chin, I made her look me in the eyes as I asked, "Tell me, who was it that you liked, hmm?"

"I-I," Shao Xiu Lan started as her eyes grew wide, and her face flushed. "T-this girl…"

"Ehm, say it," glaring down on her, I dared her to say her answer.

"T-this girl," Shao Xiu Lan continued to stammer as she forced out her answer, her face glowing red from the stress or embarrassment, perhaps both.

"This girl l-likes…

L-likes…!"

"Say it already."

"This girl likes Martial Aunt J-jing Ran!"

What.

Instantly felt my body go cold as I released Shao Xiu Lan, who let out a sigh of relief as she breathed out shakily.

Stepping away, I felt the chilling feeling continued to spread throughout my body as it wouldn't dispel.

Despite being unaffected by the cold, my hands trembled as I slowly curled and uncurled them into fists to stop the movement.

Taking in a few deep breaths, I couldn't help but rub the create between my brows as I replayed Shao Xiu Lan's words:

'This girl likes Martial Aunt Jing Ran!'

This ridiculous girl, how could she like my silly junior?

Doesn't she know that Zhu Na Ran is so ridiculous and lazy and annoying?

Not to mention shameless!

I've never met a girl with as thick of a face as my junior sister. And yet, despite this, Shao Xiu Lan still likes Zhu Na Ran?

I'm not sure if she's blind or just as stupid as my junior sister.

However, as I continued to think it over, an achy feeling in my chest panged in discomfort.

What is going on with me?

Perhaps the poison is acting up right now. Breathing in and out, I turned to look at Shao Xiu Lan, who flinched at the sudden action.

"You, a woman, likes," stressing out my words, I watched Shao Xiu Lan tremble in place," another woman in a romantic sense."

"Y-yes," Shao Xiu Lan squeaked out.

"And the one that you wanted to win over was my junior sister, Zhu Na Ran?"

"T-that's correct, Martial Aunt Jing Hua…"

I couldn't help but let out a scoff as I listened to her words. What a silly girl. "Tell this martial auntie, why did you pick my junior sister."

"W-what?"

"Why do you like my junior sister," I repeated.

"I-isn't it obvious," Shao Xiu Lan started to relax as she straightened her back. However, the flushness remained. "Martial Aunt Jing Ran is a good person, a rare find."

"It's rare to find good people?"

"I-I don't mean it like that," she stammered as she suddenly held her face in her hands. "It's like, Martial Aunt Jing Ran is an extraordinary person.

Like whenever someone needs help, she doesn't hesitate to offer her assistance, even if the person.

O-or, like how she didn't judge other disciples on what status they have, they were all the same in her eyes.

A-and," Shao Xiu Lan stopped as she shook her head as she bent over the ground.

"What is it?"

"I-its rather silly and vain," Shao Xiu Lan mumbled as the red glow continued to grow, eventually spreading down her neck and ears. "Everything about her is perfect and desirable in some way. Whether it is her cultivation, status, and position, everything is picturesque with her.

I-in addition, Martial Aunt Jing Ran is a very g-good looking person."

I couldn't argue with her on that.

Rich dark brown hair that turned into gold threads in the light and playful eyes that looked like the sky transitioning from dusk to dawn; Zhu Na Ran had her appeal, whether she knew it or not.

"H-however, the most striking thing about Martial Aunt Jing Ran is her smile."

"Her smile?"

"E-ehm," Shao Xiu Lan nodded bashfully. "There seems to be something magical about her smile.

I'm not sure to have to describe it, but whenever she looks at you and flashes that bright grin of hers, it feels like you're the only one in the room.

There's something inherently beautiful coming from her that I can't explain," Shao Xiu Lan gushed.

However, as she did so, I couldn't help that ugly feeling growing from within despite my best efforts.

"Shao Xiu Lan, it seems like you're the only beneficiary from this relationship.

Also, you know nothing about Zhu Na Ran's other traits:

Like how she is so clueless sometimes; it's infuriating and cute and at the same time.

Or how, when she sleeps when she's not supposed to, you can see how long her eyelashes are and how they quiver like butterfly wings.

Or when she tries to get out of some responsibility, she flashes these large puppy eyes that make you drop all barriers without realizing it.

But at the same time, she keeps a wall around herself that you can't see more than she wants to show you.

Like the glorious sun shining warmly on you, but you can only see hints of light through squinted eyes.

Sigh, that silly girl, always running me in circles…

I can never figure out what she's thinking, no matter how hard I try…"

"... Martial Aunt?"

Snapping from my thoughts, Shao Xiu Lan looked at me with widened eyes.

Why is she looking at me like that?

"Speak. What do you have to say?"

"I knew that there was a possibility, but hearing it now," Shao Xiu Lan began to ramble herself before it looked like something clicked in her. "M-martial Aunt Jing Hua," Shao Xiu Lan started slowly in a daze. "You like Martial Aunt Jing Ran."

What.

That's ridiculous.

How could I have such strange thoughts towards my junior sister?

"Liking Zhu Na Ran… tch, where did Shao Xiu Lan come to such an outrageous conclusion …"

Thinking back on our conversation from the day before, I couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with Shao Xiu Lan's head.

"Martial Aunt Jing Hua?" Bu Xiu He looked at me with a slight frown on his face as he paused his speech. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh, apologies, Disciple Bu Xiu He," snapping myself away from my thoughts, I returned my attention to the young man beside me. "I was thinking of something else for a moment."

"No worries," he smiled as he continued with our plans to go about with Yong Yuan He Mountain. "Anyways, like I was saying. If we managed to pass the spirit beast nest without disturbing the horde, we should be safely on the trail to the Yong Yuan He Mountain peak path."

"Hmm," I nodded as I looked at the map he held. "Around this time, the beasts should be in hibernation; therefore, we should be safe if we're careful."

"Ehm," Disciple Bu Xiu He nodded as he furrowed his brows at the map. "The issue being is that we don't know the exact scale of beasts we're dealing with."

"Hmm, Heaven's hope we make it to Yong Yuan He on time without any hardship."