Curious Chronology

Chen Xianzhi took a while before he could barely process everything that had just happened before him. He averted his gaze, his palm loosely cupped near his lips as he coughed a few times.

“My name is Chen Xianzhi. This action was entirely unintentional,” he said, his ears tinged with a faint blush, his eyes flickering uneasily.

“No matter. Could you provide me with a room?” Shi Xu’s face bore a faint hint of weariness, her eyes shimmering with a gentle, glistening light.

“Certainly.” Chen Xianzhi was momentarily stunned, responding in a daze.

He called Wan Sheng, who hurried in, surprised that his master summoned him so late. Upon entering, Wan Sheng froze—how could there be such an ethereal beauty in his master’s room?

Wan Sheng looked toward his young master, confusion evident in his eyes. What on earth was going on?

“Arrange a room, quickly,” Chen Xianzhi instructed, struggling to maintain composure.

Wan Sheng acknowledged with a nod and went on to make the arrangements, still brimming with doubt.

Before long, Wan Sheng returned to report that the room was ready. Chen Xianzhi instructed him to escort Shi Xu there to rest.

Shi Xu’s steps were light, her skirt flowing elegantly with her every movement.

Chen Xianzhi stood watching as she slowly walked out of the room.

At the doorway, Shi Xu suddenly paused, forming a hand gesture and softly parting her crimson lips. Then she walked away.

Chen Xianzhi reached behind himself, feeling his hair—dry and fresh, without a trace of dampness. He lightly twirled the coarse strands between his fingers, inexplicably feeling a tremor in his heart.

Lying on the bed, he found it hard to believe what had transpired that night. It felt like a dream, like he was floating on a cloud.

His summoning talisman had succeeded. He had encountered a goddess. What had happened far exceeded anything from his eighteen years of life experience.

Tossing and turning, sleep eluded him as the image of Shi Xu’s arrival kept replaying in his mind. After an unknown length of time, he finally drifted into a hazy slumber.

Unbeknownst to Chen Xianzhi in his dreams, the last line of small script on the ancient summoning talisman remained unnoticed:

“The deity who descends shall lose divine power upon entering the mortal realm. After one year, lingering in the human world will cause the divine power to dissipate, leading to ultimate demise.”

Just a wall apart, Shi Xu sat cross-legged on the bed, her hands weaving intricate seals before her. She breathed deeply, circulating the divine energy within, drawing in the spiritual power from the outside world.

The next morning, Chen Xianzhi hastily dressed and opened the door, only to be stunned by the scene before him.

Bathed in the morning light, Shi Xu, dressed simply, was practicing morning exercises with Wan Sheng. Chen Xianzhi rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

As he regained his senses, Wan Sheng caught sight of him and waved enthusiastically.

Shi Xu turned around, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow, cheeks flushed with health, eyes bright and radiant. The morning sun draped her in a delicate veil of light, dazzling Chen Xianzhi so completely that he could not look away.

She smiled and nodded at him, and Chen Xianzhi, dazed, returned the gesture.

Wan Sheng chuckled warmly and told Chen Xianzhi, “Miss Shi has been joining me for morning exercises since dawn.”

“Aren’t you going to eat breakfast with us, Miss Shi?” a maid approached.

“Together?” Chen Xianzhi asked awkwardly, scratching his nose.

“Thank you,” Shi Xu replied. Everything about the mortal world was new and fascinating to her.

She followed Chen Xianzhi to the table and sat beside him.

Looking at the breakfast spread, Shi Xu was filled with curiosity.

Seeming to notice her eager anticipation, Chen Xianzhi picked up a piece of date-filled cake and offered it to her.

She took the chopsticks, lifted the cake, and bit into it. Chen Xianzhi saw her eyes brighten noticeably.

His heart softened. He proceeded to offer her every item on the table.

Shi Xu tasted each one. If she had a tail, it would surely be wagging now. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, her cheeks puffed adorably, her porcelain face utterly charming.

Chen Xianzhi seemed to have found a new delight, continuously placing food into her bowl, neglecting to eat a single bite himself.

Behind him, Wan Sheng watched his young master sit there with a silly smile propping up his face, unable to suppress a fond, almost maternal grin. He was determined to protect his master’s newfound affection.

“Master, the Ink Treasure Pavilion has new arrivals and invites you to visit,” a young servant reported at the door.

Wan Sheng glanced toward the messenger with a resigned sigh.

Chen Xianzhi came back to himself and replied casually.

He now understood that Shi Xu was like a newborn, curious about everything in the mortal world.

Feeling a surge of excitement, he wanted to take Shi Xu along, though it was partly selfish.

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