The Art of Subduing Dragons

Chapter 61

Luo Qingci was lost in thought, feeling a dull ache in her heart that wasn't painful but still oppressive. She bit her lip and silently watched Ruan Li, marveling at how effortlessly her words could influence her emotions.

Luo Qingci was a very carefree person, and this trait made her seem emotionally vibrant and sensitive to many things. Yet, deep down, she was someone with low enthusiasm and desire. Even before she transmigrated into the book, her life had been rather unremarkable.

Her parents had left her early, and she had no close friends or passionate love affairs. Everything followed a set path, fittingly moderate. She didn't think it was bad—there were no great surprises, but no unbearable pain either.

She never imagined that after transmigrating, she would care so much about the characters in the book. It was as if she had finally found a clear goal and invested all her energy and passion into it. By the time she realized it, she couldn't distinguish whether she was being driven or was acting voluntarily.

Her thoughts were so disordered that she didn't notice she was staring at Ruan Li intently.

The young girl initially felt a bit sour, but the candy-coated fruit was sweet, and seeing the people around her looking at her so intently made this sweetness flow into her heart, causing her heartbeat to fluctuate uncontrollably.

"Why... why are you looking at me?" Ruan Li asked, feeling a bit shy under the gaze, lowering her head and murmuring.

Luo Qingci snapped back to reality, realizing her behavior was inappropriate. She quickly looked away, whispering, "Sorry."

Ruan Li had six candied hawthorns in her hand. She ate two and held the rest.

Upon hearing Luo Qingci's apology, her cheeks flushed a bit more, and she gazed at the ground, "Are you apologizing for the candied hawthorn or for staring at me?"

The directness of the question startled Luo Qingci, causing her to feel a bit embarrassed. She fiddled with a twig and spoke hesitantly, "I... I wasn't..."

Ruan Li continued, "If it's for the candied hawthorn, then I forgive you. If it's for staring at me, then you don't need to apologize."

With that, she seemed to remember something happy, and she smiled with her lips pressed together. Under the moonlight, Luo Qingci could see the flush on her cheeks, but her eyes were still clear and innocent, without any grudges. She was genuinely shy but also genuinely happy.

Ruan Li's openness made Luo Qingci feel more relaxed. This little girl had a magical quality that made people feel at ease and joyful without even trying. Even though she was burdened with worries and lies, just looking at her eyes and face made those future troubles seem to drift away.

"Is it good?" she asked, her eyes reflecting the moonlight with an involuntary tenderness and warmth, her gaze still not leaving Ruan Li.

Ruan Li squeezed the bamboo stick of the candied hawthorn in her hand and smiled, "It's good. Here, try some?" She extended the candied hawthorn towards Luo Qingci.

The taste of the past suddenly came to mind. After she had once taken a young dragon to the street to eat candied hawthorn, Luo Qingci hadn't had the desire for it since. This time, she had planned to meet Ruan Li before entering the secret realm, and somehow, she found herself thinking about candied hawthorn on the way.

This feeling was novel, reminiscent of youthful impulsiveness, like turning back to go to the human world just to find candied hawthorn. The joy of obtaining it had not faded, and she often remembered the cute sight of the young dragon nibbling on candied hawthorn while nestled in her sleeve.