Chapter 450: Dao Partner Probation Period (End… End my f*cking a.s.s!)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Their shadows were stretched by the disappearing rays of light.
A feeling of happiness welled up in An Lin’s heart as he felt Xu Xiaolan’s soft and delicate lips press onto his.
If he had to describe the taste, then he would say that it was a little sweet.
If he had to elaborate further, then he would say that this sweetness coursed through his mind and body, causing him to feel drunk with happiness.
This was their first kiss, and it didn’t last for long before their lips separated in embarra.s.sment.
There was a slight blush on Xu Xiaolan’s embarra.s.sed face, and she looked even more beautiful than the colorful sunset.
“Xiaolan, this all feels like a dream. I can’t believe that you actually agreed to become my Dao partner! I must’ve saved the world in my previous life.” The female’s beautiful face was reflected in An Lin’s eyes as he chuckled happily.
“Dao partner? What Dao partner?” Xu Xiaolan blinked her large bright eyes in mock confusion.
An Lin faltered. “Y-you kissed me just then…” he stammered. “Wasn’t that a sign of your agreement?”
Xu Xiaolan shook her head earnestly. “No, that was just… a reward for your feelings for me!”
Boom!
As if he had been struck by several bolts of lightning, An Lin was paralyzed to the spot. It was as if the sky had collapsed on him.
Was I rejected?
I finally mustered up enough courage to propose, yet I still need to fight over “dog food” 1with Da Bai?
Xu Xiaolan pursed her lips upon seeing An Lin’s dazed and downcast expression. “Other people all gift flowers and engagement rings when proposing. As a mighty immortal cultivator, you’ve actually come empty-handed when proposing to your potential Dao partner? Are you trying to gain something without risking anything of your own?”
An Lin’s eyes immediately lit up. So that’s where I went wrong!
He immediately poured out a bunch of valuable items from his storage rings. “Xiaolan, this is an immortal tool, the Realm-Piercing Nail,” he said enthusiastically. “This is the s.h.i.+eld of Promised Victory, a defensive item. This is the ancient artifact, Heart of the Ocean. It’ll look quite pretty on you. This is a first-rank immortal gra.s.s, the Serene Attaining Gra.s.s. It can be used for beauty treatment.”
An Lin pondered for a short while. Then, he took out his unique frying pan. “Food cooked in this frying pan all tastes amazing. Here, I’ll gift it to you as well!”
Xu Xiaolan: “…”
She shook her head lightly. “Actually, I was just teasing you… ”
An Lin stared at Xu Xiaolan blankly. Panic and disappointment welled up in his heart. It was as though he had received another severe mental blow.
There was a playful glimmer in Xu Xiaolan’s eyes as she gazed at the dejected and downcast male in front of her. “I’m not rejecting you.” She chuckled before saying in her pleasant voice, “What I mean is… it’s still too early for us to become Dao partners or whatnot. There needs to be a probation period… M-hm, like the one-hundred-year probation period between Shen Yin and Dongfang Ming. If we still love each other after one hundred years, then we’ll become Dao partners!”
Her sweet and pleasant voice echoed around the streets and flowed into An Lin’s heart.
An Lin was dazed for a few seconds. Then, he started grinning blissfully. “Sure! One hundred years it is then. I’ll definitely hand in a ‘test paper’ that you’re satisfied with.”
A beautiful smile blossomed on Xu Xiaolan’s face. “M-hm, I believe in you!” she said as she nodded softly.
How could An Lin not know of Xu Xiaolan’s true thoughts? The maximum lifespan of mortal humans was only around one hundred years. After this one-hundred-year probation period, there were only two possibilities for Xu Xiaolan—either she continued aging and eventually died, or she regained the ability to cultivate and could happily become Dao partners with An Lin.
An Lin didn’t mind Xu Xiaolan’s resolve in this matter because regardless of what happened during these one hundred years, he would stick by her side the entire time.
The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and only the last remnants of light remained. Stars dotted the night sky and adorned it with dazzling sparkles. The transition between day and night was especially beautiful.
Although she had been here for a few days already, Xu Xiaolan still hadn’t managed to fully appreciate this stunning scenery yet.
Now, she was finally in the mood to admire the beauty of Xixia City. She wasn’t feeling grief and sorrow as she gazed at this scenery. Rather, she was filled with joy as she took it in. With such a mindset, the scenery became truly mesmerizing.
Holding onto An Lin’s hand, there was a spring in her step as she walked back to her courtyard house.
The warmth from his hand soothed her heart.
A smile tugged at the corners of Xu Xiaolan’s lips as she gazed at the beautiful night sky.
She finally fell in love with this ancient city because an important person who reappeared in her life also fell in love with this city.
…
An Lin arrived at Xu Xiaolan’s recently purchased courtyard house. It looked quite pleasant.
He noticed that there was a plaque above the main entrance which read “Lin Lan Residence”. It looked as though it had just been installed.
Seeing the direction of An Lin’s gaze, Xu Xiaolan’s face flushed red. She hastily dragged him into the courtyard.
“Master, you’re back! This lowly servant has just finished preparing four dishes. Ah… there’s a guest! Should I prepare some more?” A fine and delicate looking female approached them timidly. She faltered momentarily upon noticing that Xu Xiaolan and An Lin were holding hands.
“It’s fine, Little Qiu.” Xu Xiaolan smiled and waved her off.
Seeing this, the young female was slightly dazed once more. Then, she nodded and bowed slightly. “As you wish, Master.”
After completing her duties, the young female walked to a corridor in the courtyard house and reunited with the remaining three maids.
Xu Xiaolan had hired a total of four maids. Their average age was around sixteen, and they were all from poor families. Their moral characters and appearances were also quite decent.
Perhaps she had caught the habit from An Lin, as Xu Xiaolan’s nicknames for the four maids were also extremely casual. They were called Little Chun, Little Xia, Little Qiu, and Little Dong 1 . However, these nicknames were better than the maids’ original names.
After all, their original names of Liu Chunniang, Ma Dongmei, and whatnot all sounded old-fas.h.i.+oned and outdated.
There was a look of shock and excitement in Little Qiu’s eyes as she walked up to the remaining three maids.
“Little Qiu, who’s that male? What’s his relation with Master? His appearance is handsome, and his hair is flowing in the wind. He’s clearly a powerful person.”
There were stars in Little Chun’s eyes as she spoke.
Little Qiu shook her head. “I don’t know either. However, judging by how intimate they are, I guess he’s probably her partner.”
Little Xia was excited as well. “I think so too! Master has been gloomy and despondent these two days. However, she became lively and buoyant once this young sir came. This is the first time I’ve seen Master smile!”
“Master is so beautiful. Only a male of such disposition deserves to be with her,” Little Dong nodded and said.
As Little Xia watched An Lin disappear into a wing of the courtyard, a thought suddenly flashed into her mind. “Billowing white hair, elegant and graceful… Ah! He’s not Purple Star State’s Jiang Yanan, is he?!”
The other three maids were dazed upon hearing this.
They were all born into poor families, and one of their few hobbies was reading the “Nine States Magazine”. They enjoyed reading about the exciting adventures and legendary individuals, and they would purchase every volume of the “Nine States Magazine”. Thus, they were naturally familiar with the legendary Jiang Yanan.
“It can’t be, right? We know that Master’s a good person, but Jiang Yanan is the number one sword prodigy of Purple Star State! He’s a renowned figure of the Nine States. Why would he come to such a remote place? To be with a mortal human no less.” Little Chun shook her head. She clearly disagreed with this speculation.
“Exactly. Don’t have your mind wander to Jiang Yanan every time you see a male who has billowing white hair and extraordinary disposition. Do you think it’s that easy to come across such a legendary Sword Immortal?” Little Qiu also chided Little Xia.
Little Xia pursed her lips. “Even if he’s not Jiang Yanan, he’s definitely still a powerful individual. Look at his graceful and elegant mannerisms. He looks so handsome when he walks. He’s definitely an impressive immortal…”
“Heh, why don’t we head to the dining room to figure out who this young sir is? At any rate, awaiting orders in the dining room is also a part of our responsibilities.” There was a look of curiosity on Little Dong’s face.
Their eyes all lit up at this suggestion, and they immediately headed toward the dining room.
[0] I didn’t add this, the author is a troll.