Realizing she had been overthinking, Di Yao straightened up. But she rose too quickly, and dizziness struck—stars danced before her eyes, and she nearly fell. To make matters worse, her foot had gone numb; she stumbled and pitched backward.
She cried out softly, raising her arms to protect her head, and closed her eyes, bracing for the pain. Instead, a brief pressure on her wrist and a faint medicinal scent enveloped her as she landed in an embrace.
The man held her wrist with one hand and supported her back with the other. His palm was large, and the pat on her back carried some force.
Di Yao coughed a few times, feeling awkward.
Her delicate face brushed against the smooth, stiff fabric of his clothes. It wasn't soft or warm—though it looked heavy, why wasn't it insulating?
She looked up at the man. Their eyes met briefly, then they both looked away. Remembering that he was sick and likely weak, Di Yao blushed and pulled free from his arms.
"Thank you, sir, for saving me," she said sincerely, stepping aside. Then she glanced up to gauge his reaction.
But after casually saving her, he seemed to have forgotten what he was doing; he just stood there motionless.
He hadn't spoken a single word, making the atmosphere deathly awkward.
Di Yao never let conversations stall. She asked with concern, "Did I hurt you anywhere?"
"No," he said flatly, his voice pleasant.
"Great!" Di Yao nodded quickly. "If anything feels wrong, please tell me—I'll take responsibility..."
She rambled on, but he just listened quietly, never responding.
Only then did she realize her words implied he was unwell. As far as she knew, no man liked to be told he was weak.
So... was he angry?
Her eyes darted as she analyzed his micro-expressions.
"He seems the same as before. Am I overthinking?"
"Did his right eyebrow just twitch? Is he going to blow up?"
...
After waiting in vain for a response, Di Yao relaxed.
Apparently, this gentle, handsome man wouldn't lose his composure in public.
She let out a yawn, hands on her hips, and glanced at the gate guards. Seeing that she was occupied, they had let their guard down.
Taking the chance when they dozed off, Di Yao tiptoed past them.
She guessed that the spiritual barrier might be linked to the guards; if they relaxed, the barrier might become unstable.
Holding her head, she tried again, expecting another shock. But the anticipated zap didn't come; instead, she stumbled and nearly fell.
Regaining her balance, she realized she had passed through the barrier!
Sensing someone had broken through, the guards snapped awake and turned.
"You—how did you get through?!"
"Maybe luck," Di Yao said smugly.
"Impossible!" both guards said in unison. "This barrier has never failed in hundreds of years. A soul with any deficiency cannot enter, unless—"
The taller guard squinted at Di Yao, who was grinning from ear to ear behind them, and scratched his head. "Odd."
Di Yao was overjoyed. "Just as I thought."
She looked down the winding path to rebirth. After a few steps, she remembered something and turned back. But the man outside the gate was nowhere to be seen—only scattered glowing soul fragments remained in the air.
Author's note: [fireworks] Can I ask for a bookmark? [let me see] Next story: 'The Disobedient Disciple Returns with a CP System' - younger female teacher and male disciple, please bookmark.