Xiao Li's Strange Illness

"......"

Little Li watched the fluttering brocade dance with the wind, his scalp tingling.

He had once thought that plagiarizing poetry to show off would be incredibly satisfying.

But now that it was his turn, he felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles.

Having the copied poem displayed publicly felt like a form of humiliation, as if he were being put on trial.

To be honest, he hadn’t even deeply understood the poem himself. It wasn’t some timeless masterpiece—he had just thought it fit the moment...

"......"

Bai Jinghong and Cao Mu both stiffened.

A good poem could evoke sublime imagery, but this one...

"Is the bright moon my past life?"

"A single smile repays the chill of a thousand springs?"

Their gazes instinctively shifted to the young woman nearby.

You might as well have just used her name as the title!

Oh, it’s called "Immortal by the River"? Never mind then...

"If someone wrote something like this for me, I’d marry them on the spot," Miss She said, visibly moved.

"What the hell... How am I supposed to learn this?"

Wu Chushu’s hands trembled.

He couldn’t replicate this. There was no way.

This was beyond him.

Li Mo had only taught him the technique, not the process! How was he supposed to learn anything from this?

In the art of showing off, he had fallen far behind...

"Brother Li, was this intentional or accidental?"

"Didn’t you say you weren’t skilled in literature?"

"Explain to me—what the hell does ‘the bright moon is my past life’ mean? And what the hell is ‘do not mistake the reflection in the mirror’?"

The group couldn’t hold back anymore.

"Well... it wasn’t exactly accidental."

His original intention had just been to win a prize.

If he’d wanted fame, he could have picked any number of famous moon-themed poems from his nine years of compulsory education. Why would he have chosen this one?

Meanwhile, Ying Bing, the center of attention, remained lost in thought for a long time.

She wasn’t particularly well-versed in poetry.

But what lay before her felt like an unexpected encounter, yet also like something long-awaited—a spark of delight at first sight, and a lingering fondness upon deeper reflection.

No wonder he always wanted her to smile more.

"Li Mo."

"Hmm?"

Hearing Ying Bing’s voice, Little Li turned and froze.

The night breeze was cool, the autumn air gently lifting the hem of the young woman’s skirt.

Her gaze held a quiet moonlight, flowing softly as she looked at him.

She reached up and untied the red ribbon from her hair, letting her dark tresses cascade freely, painting the radiant night.

"The hairpin... I like it."

Ying Bing gathered her hair lightly, her lips pressing together.

At that moment, Li Mo felt an inexplicable urge to step forward.

The poem was plagiarized.

The hairpin had come into his possession by chance.

But the desire to place it in her hair right now was entirely genuine.

Little Li felt that no one could resist such a test.

How could anyone ignore her when this usually aloof ice block was willingly tying up her hair and looking at him like that?

"A little to the side."

As Li Mo reached out, her small hand steadied his—cool to the touch, yet warm in the palm.

"Holy crap, isn’t that the Empress and Jiang Chen?"

"For real? Damn, we’re seeing the real deal? How much did the Champion Tower pay for this?"

"That’s definitely the real Frost Fairy and Young Master Li!"

"Young Master Li took first place at the Champion Tower! His name’s right there!"

"Who knew Young Master Li was such a literary genius?"

Indeed.

The brocade not only displayed the poem but also bore Li Mo’s name, thoughtfully added by Elder Zeng.

The already lively crowd outside the Champion Tower erupted instantly, rivaling the frenzy of fans meeting a celebrity in his past life.

A prodigy of the Hidden Dragon Ranking, and the real-life inspiration behind "The Tyrannical Empress Falls for Me"—in terms of fame, he surpassed even the biggest stars...

"......"

Li Mo leaned back slightly.

Discussing a plagiarized poem so casually left him feeling utterly embarrassed.

Besides, if they got swarmed by the crowd now, how were they supposed to go on their date?

"Li Mo."

"Hmm?"

Little Li suddenly felt the delicate hand in his grip tighten slightly, its coolness oddly comforting.

He glanced sideways and found Ying Bing looking up at him, a faint smile in her eyes.

This young woman, who had never bowed to anyone in her life, whispered:

"Let’s run away."

Since when did words like these come out of the ice block’s mouth?

Li Mo nodded, and hand in hand, they stepped forward under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

The two of them fled, bathed in the eternal lights of Yunzhou’s sleepless night.

Somehow... it felt thrilling?

"......"

The remaining trio from Hengyun stood frozen in place. What had they come here for again?

So?

What about us?

Wu Chushu still had something to do, though the original date location would need to change.

"Brother, are we still going to the Magpie Bridge?"

"Not a chance!"

......

Once they left the bustling streets, the lights gradually dimmed.

The Magpie Bridge was lively too, but the illumination here was sparse—not because the place lacked prosperity, but because it was primarily a rendezvous for lovers.

Unless you were someone like Ouyang, with an iron stomach and no fear of overeating, no one in their right mind would come here alone.

A little quiet, a little dark... it made certain things easier.

Emerging from the clamor into sudden silence, the shift from noise to tranquility felt almost surreal.

By the shimmering riverside.

Li Mo led Ying Bing to a bamboo grove, where the crimson Magpie Bridge was faintly visible.

Strange.

Why did his heartbeat sound so loud?

A martial artist of his caliber, who trained his body regularly—how could a short sprint make his heart race like this?

It had to be because the place was too quiet.

"We should be able to see the fireworks from here."

Li Mo sat down.

But before he could catch his breath, a glance to the side made his heart skip another beat.

"Did a pebble get into your shoe?"

Ying Bing sat by the stream, having removed her shoes. To his dismay, she was wearing white silk socks today—how had he not noticed earlier?

Her fingers gently pulled the sock away.

Her jade-like feet dipped into the water, scattering the moonlight before curling back.

Plip—

Drops fell from her toes, shattering against the stone into glistening fragments.

"No."

"Then...?"

"I didn’t find a Mid-Autumn gift earlier. I wasn’t sure what you’d like from the market."

Ying Bing looked up, her gaze serene.

Little Li thought the scenery here was perfect.

The moon, the night breeze, the stream, the jade...

"So you think I’d like this? Ice block, last time was just professionalism—part of the service..."

Li Mo sucked in a sharp breath.

What a misunderstanding!

As everyone knew, Little Li had a reputation for being gentle and refined, a true gentleman.

How could a gentleman possibly...

"Then... what kind of service is this?"

"!"

Li Mo looked down.

At some point, his hand had already taken hold of that soft, pale jade, kneading it so firmly that the young woman’s foot had flushed pink.

"Ice block."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think there’s some kind of illness that makes people lose control of their hands? I’m a martial artist, damn it—this disease is terrifying!"

"Never heard of it. Maybe."

"So, for the sake of my recovery... can you put the other one here too?"

"?"

...