stjorthotic Chapter 22 Ripples on the Lake of the Heart
Chapter 22 Ripples on the Lake of the Heart
Five years have not only sculpted their appearance and tempered their physique, but also cast ripples in the hearts of the young men and women.
At the age of seventeen or eighteen, like the willow tips in early spring, they are sensitive and tender. Those feelings that grow secretly are quietly brewing in the daily companionship and gazing.
Lu Ming began to notice a new anomaly, which no longer stemmed from the vague sensations that occasionally flashed deep within his mind, resonating with the order of heaven and earth.
Rather, it stemmed from within, a more concrete and disturbing stirring of emotions. This stirring was often related to Hu Zhen.
It appears in many unexpected moments.
As Hu Zhen bent down to examine the bamboo roots in the Qingxin Bamboo Forest of Baicao Peak, a few strands of hair fell beside her cheeks, tinged with a soft gold by the setting sun.
As she rejoiced in the Misty Forest after successfully restraining a demonic beast, her eyes shining like stars, she turned to him and revealed a completely unguarded smile.
Even when she was simply sitting quietly in the corner of the dining hall, taking small bites of her food, her cheeks slightly puffed out...
A strange mix of warmth and bittersweetness would quietly well up in Lu Ming's heart, making him catch his breath.
This is a feeling of loneliness.
He found himself uncontrollably searching for her first in the crowd.
When she laughs and talks with others, you can sense a faint sense of loneliness.
He would silently remember any words or preferences she might have mentioned unintentionally.
This quietly growing attention, like a vine growing in the shadows, silently entwined his mind.
However, he knew clearly that Hu Zhen looked at him no differently than she looked at Qin Feiyu—clear, trusting, and with the familiarity and warmth of a fellow villager.
She would anxiously take out medicine for Qin Feiyu's injuries when he was injured during cultivation.
When discussing difficult issues in cultivation, they would listen attentively to Qin Feiyu's often rambling "profound insights."
To her, they were a stable little group, partners who went through hardships together and shared joys.
That door to another possibility seemed never to have opened in her heart.
This realization made Lu Ming feel a deeper sense of loneliness.
It was a kind of silence that existed amidst a bustling crowd, yet felt as if it were separated by an invisible barrier.
He could not speak, nor could he speak.
He carefully and almost instinctively hid this budding emotion, wrapping it up tightly with his usual calmness.
He still fought alongside her, chatting and laughing with her, but in the fleeting moments when their eyes met and then quickly looked away, his heart would skip a beat, as if he were doing something wrong.
This inner turmoil did not affect his cultivation; on the contrary, at certain moments, it gave him a more profound understanding of the phrase "moved by things, the mind is the master" in the Dao Yuan Jing.
The surge of emotions is a more complex kind of "feeling." How to control this "heart" that has become no longer completely under her control seems to have become part of the spiritual practice.
On the eve of the assessment, the moonlight was as clear as water, and all was quiet. A sense of tension and anticipation, like that before a great battle, permeated the Chuming Garden.
Lu Ming stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the cold, full moon in the sky, his heart filled with complex emotions.
Tomorrow will be a crucial moment that will determine the future path.
Five years of arduous training, success or failure hinges on this one moment.
He was confident in his and his companions' abilities, but the academy was full of hidden talents, and no one dared to claim certain victory.
With a soft creak, the gate to the neighboring courtyard opened.
Lu Ming subconsciously turned his head and saw Hu Zhen also coming out, standing in her courtyard, also looking up at the moon.
The moonlight shone on her, outlining the girl's increasingly slender figure. Her profile appeared exceptionally soft and serene in the moonlight.
She also saw Lu Ming, smiled, and asked softly through the low fence:
"Lu Ming, still not resting? Are you worried about tomorrow's assessment?"
Her voice was as clear as the moonlight, striking a chord in Lu Ming's heart.
Lu Ming suppressed the surge of emotions welling up inside him and tried to keep his voice calm: "I can't sleep. How about you?"
"Me too," Hu Zhen walked over, leaned against the fence, and rested her chin on her hands. "I'm a little nervous, but also a little excited."
I don't know what trials we'll face... I also don't know if, five years from now, we'll still be able to stand together and look at the moon like we are now.
Her words carried an uncertainty about the future, as well as a deep appreciation for the friendship between the three of them.
This appreciation is pure and open, without the slightest impurity.
Lu Ming felt a slight pang of sadness, but it vanished in an instant.
Looking at her face in the moonlight, Lu Ming said earnestly, "No matter what the outcome of the assessment is, no matter which mountain we go to in the future, we will always be partners. That will never change."
These words were said to her, but also seemed to be said to myself, trying to soothe my restless heart with the definition of "partner".
Upon hearing this, Hu Zhen's smile brightened even more, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes! It's a deal!"
Just then, Qin Feiyu's carefree voice rang out from the other side:
"Hey, you two, why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? Are you two secretly plotting some secret to passing the exam, and you're not going to tell me?"
He rubbed his sleepy eyes, poked his head out from behind the door, and had a "I've caught you" look on his face.
The brief, subtly emotional tranquility was instantly shattered.
Hu Zhen chuckled: "There's no secret, it's just worrying about tomorrow."
Lu Ming smiled helplessly. The romantic thoughts in his heart quietly dissipated under Qin Feiyu's carefree banter, replaced by the pressure of the upcoming assessment.
"Don't worry!" Qin Feiyu pumped his fist, brimming with confidence. "These past five years of training haven't been for nothing! Whatever the assessment, we'll crush them all!"
Under the moonlight, the shadows of the three boys were elongated.
Tomorrow, they will head to their own battlefield, and the unspeakable secrets and expectations in their hearts will also follow them into the unknown trials.