Above the Galaxy
Chapter 405 - 260: First Kiss!

Chapter 405: Chapter 260: First Kiss!

Grape Courtyard.

Si Yinchuan pushed the door open and came in, smiling as he said, "Apologies, headmaster, for handling a matter and arriving late."

"It’s all right." Xuanyuan Mingjing sat beneath the dark old vines of the grapevine, ensconced in ice, eating grapes.

The New Year had just passed, and it was still the cold winter season; a heavy snow had fallen the day before yesterday.

Yet Xuanyuan Mingjing wore only a thin shirt, his feet shod in a pair of black round-toed cloth shoes.

The cold of the mortal world could no longer affect his body; to harm him, one would need Divine Power.

"The headmaster hasn’t started yet?" Si Yinchuan sat directly across from Xuanyuan Mingjing, with a troubled expression, he said, "After so many years of playing chess with the headmaster, I’ve never won, and yet I still look forward to it every day..."

"The headmaster is indeed patient to play chess every day with a subordinate who always loses. With the outcome already destined, how can you persist?"

"I’ve gotten used to it." Xuanyuan Mingjing held a black piece, beginning the game.

"..." Si Yinchuan.

The headmaster was used to winning, so he continued winning.

But I am a loser.

Could it be that I’ve also grown used to losing? And so, I keep losing?

"Aren’t you curious as to why I was late?" Si Yinchuan asked with a laugh as he placed his piece.

Xuanyuan Mingjing, focused on the game and without raising his head, replied, "Since you brought it up, it clearly isn’t a mundane matter related to the academy’s management."

"The Princess came to the academy for inspection. I just hurried over to welcome her, and now she’s visiting Kaiyang Courtyard," Si Yinchuan said cheerfully.

Kaiyang is one of the Seven Stars, governing the Kaiyang energy.

The White Crane Academy’s hospital is named "Kaiyang" to revitalise vitality from the grip of the Death God and rejuvenate the Kaiyang energy.

Si Yinchuan knew the Princess’s inspection of White Crane Academy could be a minor or major event.

Would the Royal Family really allow their Princess to marry a refugee from the Old Land? It seemed highly unlikely.

Shen Xinglan might have a chance, but Tang Fei... his background was simply too weak.

If the Royal Family investigated, as an associate headmaster of White Crane Academy alone, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Thus, he took the opportunity of their chess game to promptly report to Xuanyuan Mingjing.

When the sky falls, there’s someone tall to hold it up.

Hearing this news, Xuanyuan Mingjing retained his calm demeanor and said, "If she wishes to come, then let her come."

"Yeah, it’s hard to refuse such matters. They come to visit a seriously ill friend, which is only reasonable. What reason do we have to stop them?" Si Yinchuan chimed in.

With the headmaster’s clear stance, he felt more confident.

"How is the boy’s injury?"

"He seems lively and spirited, in excellent condition."

"Let him rest for two more days," said Xuanyuan Mingjing nonchalantly.

After placing a white piece, Si Yinchuan looked up at Xuanyuan Mingjing with a puzzled expression and asked, "Is the headmaster worried he hasn’t understood?"

"He’s smarter than we imagine," said Xuanyuan Mingjing. "He has already understood, but there are some things...he should think over thoroughly."

"His body harbours ambition and wildness, being overly hasty to achieve success. It’s completely opposite to Xing Lan’s state... Taking advantage of his injury, he can rest properly. Let him carefully consider what is most urgent for now."

"The headmaster is deeply protective of his disciple," Si Yinchuan remarked with deep emotion. "For that boy to be accepted under the headmaster’s tutelage is his great fortune."

"Fortune, you say? That’s uncertain," Xuanyuan Mingjing shook his head.

"Ultimately, it’s for his benefit," Si Yinchuan said. "But after this incident, how should the two brothers... get along?"

Xuanyuan Mingjing glanced at Si Yinchuan with a profound look and asked, "What’s the matter?"

Si Yinchuan paused, and then burst into laughter, saying, "There are no troubles in this world that aren’t of one’s own making. I’ve carelessly revealed that I am but a meddler. I hope the headmaster won’t hold it against me."

"Let’s play chess," Xuanyuan Mingjing said.

"Yes, chess," Si Yinchuan nodded continuously and said, "Playing chess with the headmaster is truly satisfying. Even in losing, there is a victory."

------

An ambiguous warmth quietly blossomed; at this moment, silence was more profound than words.

Tang Fei and Phoenix exchanged a look, with a thousand words in their hearts, yet for a time, neither knew what to say.

As if nothing needed to be said, merely a glance was enough for them to understand everything.

For a long while.

For a long while.

Both narrowed their eyes and smiled.

It’s said that people who spend a lot of time together begin to resemble each other in habits, behavior, expressions, and even scent.

Although Tang Fei and Phoenix had not spent much time together, they were clear that they understood each other.

At least, Tang Fei understood Phoenix.

As Phoenix felt she understood Tang Fei.

"Tired?" Tang Fei looked at the fatigue on Phoenix’s face and asked tenderly.

He knew she must have received a call from Sheng Xinhua while representing the Royal Family on a diplomatic trip. Learning that he had been seriously injured, she immediately canceled the rest of her schedule and rushed back as quickly as possible.

Also worried that coming so barefaced would make her intentions too obvious and challenging to explain to the Royal Family and Xijie Country, she therefore decided to also bring Little Fatty along.

It would be reasonable for Little Fatty to see his gravely injured brother, right?

Of course, everyone was well aware of the truth of the matter.

She was merely trying hard to create an excuse that could convince both the outside world and herself.

Whether others chose to believe it or not was their own business.

She herself believed it.

"I’m not tired," Phoenix shook her head.

"After I returned, I passed out and couldn’t report to you immediately," Tang Fei began to explain. "Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had to rush back so desperately..."

He knew that this incident would inevitably have a bad influence on Phoenix and might even infuriate Zhong Daolong.

There are no small matters in the military state, and Zhong Daolong had dispatched Phoenix with a certain plan and profound intention in mind.

Her sudden cancellation of the trip was bound to mess up Zhong Daolong’s arrangements and put him in a passive position.

"It’s alright," Phoenix shook her head, looking into Tang Fei’s eyes, "At that time, I didn’t know the extent of your injuries..."

The unknown was the most frightening thing.

She could indeed have waited until the completion of the inspection to come back and visit Tang Fei; that would have been the safest course of action.

But what if Tang Fei’s injuries were extremely serious?

What if this meeting turned out to be their last?

Death is such a thing, fraught with strong uncertainty.

"However, seeing that you’ve come back makes me very happy," Tang Fei said.

"Mhm," Phoenix nodded, then asked Tang Fei, "What exactly happened? Why were you hurt so badly? What did you experience in the Burial Land?"

"You’ve asked so many questions, I need to answer them one by one. This will take a long time," Tang Fei patted the edge of the bed, inviting, "Princess, why not sit down and talk?"

"..."

Phoenix looked around and realized there really were no other chairs in the sickroom.

So, she complied with Tang Fei’s wish and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Tang Fei looked at Phoenix’s beautiful face close at hand, her gown barely concealing her blossoming chest; hmm, they had grown quite a bit, firmer and more filled out than when they first met...

Of course, she couldn’t compare to Mr. Sheng.

Her body radiated a faint fragrance, much like the scent of lemon fruit.

Sour, sweet—this was also something he was familiar with.

Ever since he had first smelled it in that cave sheltering from the rain, he had never forgotten that scent.

It was also the first time he knew that a human being could emit such a pleasant natural fragrance.

No, to be more precise, he couldn’t imagine how humans could emit fragrances at all.

He and Little Fatty lived together day and night; there was no "stinkiest," only "stinkier"...

Seeing Tang Fei staring blankly at her, Phoenix felt a sweet sensation in her heart and crisply asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Looking at you," Tang Fei said earnestly.

"What’s there to look at with me?"

Although Tang Fei had never been in a relationship, he knew that when a girl asked this question, it was an invitation to enumerate what was attractive about her.

It was not an opening to respond with "No, no, I’m not looking anymore"...

"Your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your hair, and the fragrance you emit... each and everything looks good," Tang Fei voiced.

He was not adept at rhetoric, sincerity was his main approach.

Phoenix’s smile deepened, her delicate face blushed, and her eyes almost appeared to brim with moisture, "Going out has made you more of a smooth talker than before."

"I’ve just said what I previously didn’t dare to say," Tang Fei stated.

"Why didn’t you dare to say it before, and why do you dare to now?"

"I almost got my head chopped off with a single stroke," Tang Fei reached for his neck and continued, "Right here, a blade could have severed it..."

"Ah?" Phoenix exclaimed, "How could it be so dangerous? Who was it? I’ll have someone kill him..."

"He’s already dead," Tang Fei said. "Shen Xinglan killed him."

"That’s good..." Phoenix clenched her fist but still felt it wasn’t enough to satisfy her anger.

"At that moment, many people and many scenes flashed through my mind... like a movie montage, all those important people, those regretful events surfaced one by one..."

"Apart from life and death, nothing matters," Tang Fei gazed into Phoenix’s eyes and whispered, "At that time I thought... if only I hadn’t avoided that kiss... it would have been so much better..."

Phoenix’s long eyelashes fluttered, her features as exquisitely delicate as a porcelain doll’s.

She looked into Tang Fei’s eyes, where she could see her own reflection.

Then, she leaned forward, her head slowly approaching.

Her long hair fell, draping over Tang Fei’s face and nose, tickling him.

Tang Fei suddenly became tense, his heart raced, his breathing quickened, his body stiffened, and his hands gripped the sheets tightly.

But he was also afraid that the rapid breathing and intense heartbeat might spoil the atmosphere and the rhythm of the moment unfolding, so he tried hard to calm down...

Unfortunately, he couldn’t.

Phoenix could see, her reflection getting closer and clearer.

Until their soft lips touched.

Warm, sweet, as if their bodies were about to ignite.

This was their first kiss!