Border

By the time the flying boat landed, the sky had already darkened.

Frostfall Town was smaller than Bai Qingxue had expected. Looking down from the porthole, the grayish-white stone buildings crouched low on the frozen earth. The streets were narrow and devoid of pedestrians; only a few shops had spirit light lanterns hanging at their doors, their dim, yellow light appearing frail in the twilight.

A chill seeped up from the ground.

Lu Xueqing stood half a step behind her, silent.

The flying boat landed at a simple berth on the north side of town.

The deacon had gone down first to negotiate, while Bai Qingxue and Lu Xueqing waited by the cabin door.

In the distance lay the boundless frozen plains. Sparse patches of withered grass were scattered across the grayish-brown surface, flattened against the ground by the wind like an old man's white hair.

"Let's go," Bai Qingxue said.

The two of them walked down the gangway.

The reception token had been prepared in advance—a frost-white jade token engraved with the peak pattern of the Xuantian Sect.

When Bai Qingxue handed it to the middle-aged woman waiting by the berth, the woman took one look at it and her attitude shifted instantly.

"So, it is an Exalted Immortal from the Great Sect who has come from afar. I have already prepared accommodations. Two superior rooms, adjacent to each other. Will that suffice, Exalted Immortal?"

Bai Qingxue nodded.

The woman turned to lead the way.

The inn was in the center of town, a two-story stone building. Two spirit light lanterns hung at the entrance, their yellow glow casting a dim light on the stone-paved road.

The lobby was small, with only a few wooden tables. Two tables were occupied by guests, all of whom were cultivators with low cultivation levels, likely only at the Qi Refining stage.

They glanced at Bai Qingxue and Lu Xueqing as they entered, then looked away.

The woman led them upstairs.

The corridor was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

Bai Qingxue walked in front with Lu Xueqing following behind, their footsteps eliciting slight creaks from the wooden floorboards.

"We're here." The woman pushed open two adjacent doors and stepped aside.

Bai Qingxue stepped into the first room.

The room was small, containing a wooden bed, a set of table and chairs, and a wooden rack in the corner with a copper basin and a hand towel. The window faced north, reflecting the murky sky on its paper pane.

"Thank you for your trouble," Bai Qingxue said.

The woman waved her hands hurriedly and withdrew.

Bai Qingxue set down her pack and had just walked to the window when sounds came from next door.

First was the sound of a sword being placed on a table, followed by the rustle of a travel pack being unstrapped, and finally, the sound of boots hitting the floor.

Then, silence.

Bai Qingxue stood by the window, motionless.

She was waiting.

For some reason, she had a feeling that "it wasn't over yet."

It was as if she knew Lu Xueqing would come.

From the moment she had knocked on that door that night, a new tacit understanding seemed to have formed between them.

Sure enough.

There was a knock at the door.

Bai Qingxue turned, walked over, and pulled back the door bolt.

Lu Xueqing stood outside.

She had changed into clean casual attire—frost-white, with the collar fastened properly. Her hair had been retied, looking tidier than when they had disembarked.

She was holding two bowls of noodles.

"Even though we're fasting, would you like to try some with me?" Lu Xueqing said, her hand unconsciously brushing against the rim of the bowl.

Bai Qingxue stepped aside to let her in.

The two of them sat at the table.

The table was small; as they sat face-to-face, there was less than a foot of space between their knees.

Lu Xueqing pushed a bowl of noodles toward Bai Qingxue.

Bai Qingxue looked down.

The noodles were plain, with a few vegetable leaves and wisps of egg. The broth was light, and the noodles were a bit soft, having soaked for too long.

She picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and put it in her mouth.

As expected, it was mediocre.

But Bai Qingxue said nothing, eating one mouthful at a time.

Lu Xueqing also took a few bites before putting down her chopsticks.

Bai Qingxue looked up.

"Junior Sister Bai," Lu Xueqing called out. Her voice wasn't loud, but in this quiet, unfamiliar room where they were alone, it was exceptionally clear.

Bai Qingxue looked at her, while Lu Xueqing’s gaze fell upon Bai Qingxue’s face.

"Why did you choose me, in the end?"

Lu Xueqing's voice was calmer than she had anticipated.

She had wanted to ask this since that night—from the moment Bai Qingxue had asked, "Are you willing?"

Back then, she had been afraid—afraid that if she asked, Junior Sister Bai would choose to abandon her. But now, Lu Xueqing felt that wouldn't happen. Junior Sister Bai would never leave her behind.

Bai Qingxue looked at Lu Xueqing and didn't answer immediately.

Those light-colored eyes reflected Lu Xueqing’s face. They were so close that Lu Xueqing could see the things she had hidden deep in her own eyes for far too long.

She was waiting for Bai Qingxue to give her an answer.

No matter what the answer was, she wanted to hear it.

Lu Xueqing waited for a moment.

Perhaps it was only for a breath, or perhaps longer.

Long enough for her heartbeat to transition from urgent to steady, long enough for her to feel that she was ready to accept any answer.

"Because you needed a traveling companion?" Lu Xueqing finally answered for Bai Qingxue.

"If you can't say it, I'll say it for you. You don't have to be troubled," Lu Xueqing thought silently.

Bai Qingxue put down her chopsticks.

The chopsticks hit the table with a soft clack.

"Yes."

A single word.

Lu Xueqing froze.

She had known this would be the answer since last night, when Bai Qingxue had stood outside her courtyard gate and said, "I'm going to the Northern Region Ice Field."

Bai Qingxue was not the kind of person to change her plans just because of a plea like "Take me with you."

She chose me because I was the most suitable candidate.

Nothing more.

She knew.

She had always known.

But hearing it still made her chest feel tight.

Lu Xueqing withdrew her hand from the edge of the table and placed it on her lap, about to say something to lighten the mood.

However, Bai Qingxue didn't give her the chance.

"But that's not all."

Lu Xueqing's fingers stopped moving.

Her entire being went still.

At this moment, it was as if someone had pressed the pause button on Lu Xueqing.

She looked up at Bai Qingxue.

Bai Qingxue wasn't looking at her.

Bai Qingxue kept her head lowered, staring at the noodles in her bowl.

The soup had grown cold, a thin film had formed on the surface, and a few vegetable leaves floated on top.

"You said it... 'take me with you'."

Lu Xueqing's breath hitched.

"I remember..."

Bai Qingxue picked up the bowl and finished the cold noodle soup.

"Get some rest. We have a journey ahead of us tomorrow."

Bai Qingxue walked to the window, her back to Lu Xueqing.

The sky outside was completely dark. The light from the spirit light lanterns downstairs filtered up, casting a dim, flickering yellow shadow on the window paper. Bai Qingxue stood in that shadow, a corner of her frost-white robe fluttering in the wind, her silver-white hair hanging by her shoulder, and the pendant at her neck emitting a faint blue glow in the darkness.

Lu Xueqing sat at the table, unmoving.

She looked at Bai Qingxue's back.

The back she had missed for seven years.

Lu Xueqing stood up.

She pushed the chair back, the legs scraping across the floor with a low, dull sound.

However, Lu Xueqing did not head for the door.