Chapter 502 471: Resolving Lu Ruoxi's Guilt, Junior Sister Nangong Is About to Arrive at the Dao Sect

"No, that's not it. I'm not doubting you, Senior Sister..."

Pei Yuhang denied it instinctively, then added softly, "You're overthinking it, Senior Sister."

Lu Ruoxi looked at Pei Yuhang, a bitter wind stirring in her Heart Lake.

"Junior Brother."

She let out a soft sigh, her slender fingers secretly clenching within her sleeve.

"I've really changed now... I made mistakes in the past. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, and I've never presumed to hope for it."

At this, Lu Ruoxi's eyes began to redden, but she stubbornly turned her head away, not wanting him to see her lose her composure.

A gust of wind blew past, disheveling the bangs on Lu Ruoxi's forehead.

She lifted a hand to tuck the strands behind her ear, a gesture that allowed her to conceal her momentary vulnerability.

"Senior Sister, please don't say any more. There's no need to bring up the past."

Hearing this, Lu Ruoxi shook her head firmly. Her long, black hair swayed with the movement, shimmering faintly in the sunlight.

She slowly stepped forward, each footfall like treading on a taut string. Only when she was close to Pei Yuhang and certain he wasn't shying away did the tension in her heart finally ease.

Lu Ruoxi tilted her head up slightly, her eyes brimming with sincerity. Her long lashes trembled, as if afraid of startling something away.

"I'm not trying to act pitiful... I just want to say, it's not a bad thing for you to remember my past mistakes, Junior Brother."

Her fingertips curled slightly, as if she wanted to reach out and touch him, but she held back.

"But... please, Junior Brother Pei, you must not let yourself be used by some malicious woman with ulterior motives."

With that, she finally reached out, about to touch Pei Yuhang's sleeve—

However, just then.

A clear voice cut in abruptly, shattering the tense atmosphere between them.

"Pei Yuhang, are you taking Elder Lu back to the Dan Yun Pavilion now?"

"Honestly, why are you letting Elder Lu leave so early? You should have her stay for lunch with us."

Lu Ruoxi's hand froze in place. Her fingertips hovered in mid-air for a moment before she slowly drew them back.

She turned her head and saw "Fan Xuan" strolling over, a wide smile on her face. Her red lips were curled, and a cunning light glinted in her eyes, making a wave of instinctive revulsion rise in Lu Ruoxi.

"Elder Lu, it's been a while. We've only just seen each other, and now you're leaving.

What a shame. We still have some misunderstandings to clear up, don't we?"

The color drained from Lu Ruoxi's face, her expression turning glacial. The warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, cutting chill.

Her nails dug into her palm, but she was oblivious to the pain.

It was you! You're the one who's been slandering me to Junior Brother Pei!

Lu Ruoxi's glare was as sharp as a dagger aimed at "Fan Xuan."

Hearing Lu Ruoxi's telepathic message, "Fan Xuan" merely chuckled, the corner of her lips curling into a knowing smirk.

She didn't respond directly, instead turning to blink innocently at Pei Yuhang, as if completely oblivious to Lu Ruoxi's fury.

"You—"

Lu Ruoxi's lovely face flushed crimson, like a sunset reflected on snow, and fury churned in her almond-shaped eyes.

Her red lips parted, a sharp rebuke on the tip of her tongue, but she caught herself as she glimpsed Pei Yuhang out of the corner of her eye.

Lu Ruoxi took a deep breath, her chest heaving a few times as she forced back the angry words that had risen to her lips.

'This bitch is trying to provoke me...'

'I can't fall for it!'

'My image in Junior Brother's eyes is already bad enough. I can't let this bitch scheme against me again!'

"You... You're very good."

Lu Ruoxi suddenly broke into a radiant smile, all traces of her previous anger vanishing as if they had never been.

Her gaze flowed like water, her lips curving into a perfect arc. Even the corners of her eyes crinkled into gentle crescents as she stared, smiling, at "Fan Xuan."

But deep within those smiling eyes lay a bone-chilling cold.

"A misunderstanding? We don't have any misunderstandings."

"I'm afraid it's you, Sister Fan Xuan, who has some misunderstanding about me."

As she spoke, Lu Ruoxi glanced at Pei Yuhang. She casually turned to the side, swaying her slender waist and jutting out her chest to accentuate her ample, fairy-like assets. This presented her perfect profile to both Pei Yuhang and "Fan Xuan."

"Fan Xuan"—or rather, Shang Miaoyan—felt her pupils contract.

She hadn't expected Lu Ruoxi to be able to turn the tables on her under these circumstances.

The smile on Shang Miaoyan's red lips froze for an instant before returning to normal. She narrowed her fox-like eyes, discreetly sizing up the shamelessly endowed woman before her.

'This Lu Ruoxi is no pushover,' she thought with an inward sigh.

Just as Shang Miaoyan's eyes turned cold and her red lips parted to retort, Pei Yuhang astutely sensed the sudden tension in the air.

He took a subtle half-step forward and said softly,

"Senior Sister, let me escort you back. The Dan Yun Pavilion urgently needs you to return to your Elder's seat. You must have a lot to attend to.

Asking you to act as a protector here at the Cold Palace Sword Mansion has been too much of a bother for you, Senior Sister. My hospitality has also been lacking. If Liyuan were here, I'm sure she would have done a much better job."

Lu Ruoxi shook her head and, right in front of Shang Miaoyan, took hold of Pei Yuhang's arm.

"It's no trouble at all. Anything for you is never a bother, Junior Brother. If you ever need me, just say the word, and I'll be there."

As she spoke, Lu Ruoxi hugged Pei Yuhang's arm even tighter. Beneath her wide, gauzy sleeves, her soft body pressed almost imperceptibly against his—a move that was just enough for him to feel her warmth and softness without compromising her dignity as a Fairy.

Shang Miaoyan's face darkened at the sight.

Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists inside her sleeves. Her red lips pressed into a thin line, a cold light flashing in her eyes. But her position prevented her from lashing out, so she could only watch as Lu Ruoxi gracefully departed on Pei Yuhang's arm.

Only after their two figures had vanished from sight did she give a cold flick of her sleeve, her lips twisting into a scornful smile.