Nie Yong let out a quiet sigh, brushing a hand through his slightly tousled hair. The lingering heat of Hu Mei'er's presence was still on him, but his mind was already elsewhere.
"Can you head home by yourself?" he asked, glancing at her.
Hu Mei'er tilted her head, pouting as she slid up beside him and wrapped her arms around his. "Why? Won't my Yong'er accompany me?" she said sweetly.
"I have something to do."
Hearing the shift in his tone, Hu Mei'er slowly let go of his arm. She looked at him for a moment, as if searching his face for an answer he wouldn't say aloud. Then, with a small smile, she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his lips.
"Okay, Yong'er…" she murmured, then turned around, her hair catching the sunlight as she began walking away with a light wave. "See you again!"
Nie Yong watched her go, then turned his eyes toward the path back to the sect. "See you, Mei'er," he muttered under his breath.
But there was no smile on his face.
His steps quickened. The weight in his chest pulled him forward—toward Lan Chu Die. He hadn't meant to hurt her like that. Even if she'd said cruel things, even if she had humiliated Hu Mei'er, that moment when her eyes filled with tears wouldn't leave his mind.
He didn't understand her. He barely even knew her.
But he knew pain when he saw it.
And for some reason, it bothered him more than he expected.
...
The sun had dipped low behind the mountains by the time Nie Yong reached the High Heaven Pavilion. His steps were fast, almost frantic, as he rushed down the familiar corridor, past the disciples who whispered curiously at his hurried pace. He didn't stop. He couldn't stop—not until he was in front of her.
Lan Chu Die's door stood before him, closed and quiet.
He raised his fist and knocked.
A few seconds passed before the door creaked open, just slightly, enough for a streak of lamplight to spill out. Behind it stood He Yue. From inside the room came soft, muffled sobs.
"Nie Yong?!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"He Yue, can you please let me talk with Sister Die?" Nie Yong asked, his voice low but sincere.
He Yue hesitated for a moment, then nodded quietly and stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind her. The crying inside was sealed off with a soft click, leaving only the dim corridor and the two of them.
She looked at him, her expression strangely composed. Not angry or hurt like before—just… calm.
"Nie Yong," she began, "Why did you say those things to Elder Sister Die? Do you know how much you've hurt her?"
Nie Yong sighed, running a hand through his hair. "To be honest, I only did it out of frustration…" he admitted. "She always shouts at me for anything, even when I don't do anything wrong. I thought… maybe I had to shut her up for once. But…" His voice lowered. "I didn't know it would hurt her that much."
He Yue's gaze softened. That… that was the Nie Yong she knew. The one who was dumb enough to say the wrong things but kind enough to regret them afterward. The one who could be a fool—but a gentle one.
"You know…" He Yue said, her tone almost wistful, "I don't think even Elder Sister Die knows why she's crying right now. But I think I do."
Nie Yong looked at her, confused.
"I think she… like me… and like that girl you were with earlier… likes you," she said bluntly, her words calm and fearless. "She just doesn't realize it yet."
Nie Yong's eyes widened, caught off guard by the unexpected confession. "Wait… you and Sister Die like me—?"
But before he could finish, a sharp pain tore through his skull. His knees buckled, and he clutched his head, falling to the ground.
"Nie Yong?!" He Yue cried out, kneeling beside him.
And then—
Ding!
A translucent screen flashed before his eyes.
[The lingering memories of the original Nie Yong have been triggered!]
[The memories of the original Nie Yong have returned!]
A flood of images surged into his mind.
His childhood. His mother's warm hands. His stern but loving father. His younger sister laughing as she played in the fields.
And then—his first day at the sect. Lan Chu Die by his side. Her laughter. Her scolding. Her cold rejections. The countless times he'd confessed and been turned away, yet never gave up.
They trained together. They argued. They grew together.
When the pain faded, Nie Yong was left breathing heavily on the floor, his palms pressed against the cool tiles. He slowly raised his head.
There was a different light in his eyes now.
Here's the next part of the chapter with your requested developments, keeping the emotions and intensity intact:
---
Nie Yong slowly pushed himself up from the ground, the memories still echoing in his mind like distant thunder. He turned to He Yue, whose worried eyes stayed locked onto his every move.
Without a word, he reached out, gently taking her hand.
"Huh?" He Yue blinked as he pulled her up with surprising tenderness. The moment she stood on her feet, she tried to ask, "Are you fi—"
But her words were sealed away by Nie Yong's lips pressing against hers.
It wasn't long, nor was it greedy. Just a soft, lingering kiss—gentle, but resolute.
When he pulled back, her lips parted slightly in stunned silence.
"We'll talk about ourselves later," he said firmly.
And before she could say a thing, Nie Yong turned around and pushed open the door to Lan Chu Die's room.
She sat on her bed, her back slightly hunched, her shoulders trembling. Her eyes, red and puffy, met his—and then turned sharp with pain and anger.
"Go away!" she shouted.
But Nie Yong didn't stop.
He stepped forward, calm and determined. "Die'er…"
The moment he said it, something in her heart skipped.
Die'er? He hadn't called her that in years. That name belonged to their childhood, to the days when they laughed and trained side by side.
Why did her heart flutter at that?
She wasn't supposed to like him. She didn't like him—or so she had always told herself.
Nie Yong stood before her, close enough to touch. His gaze no longer mischievous or teasing. Just earnest.
"I'm sorry…" he said softly. "I never meant to hurt you like this."
He took a step closer, their faces nearly touching now.
Lan Chu Die began to stammer, her cheeks burning red. "Y-You should have thought about that befo—"
But Nie Yong didn't let her finish.
He leaned in and kissed her.
Passionately. Honestly. Deeply.
Lan Chu Die froze. Her eyes widened, her breath caught—but her body, her heart, had other plans. Despite all her frustration, despite the walls she'd built around herself, something deep inside of her melted at that moment.
Her hands rose slowly, wrapping around Nie Yong's neck.
She pulled him closer, falling backward onto the bed, bringing him down with her.
Their lips parted, breathing shallow and faces flushed.
"I've always loved you, Die'er," Nie Yong confessed, his voice trembling with truth.
And it wasn't a lie.
These feelings weren't born just now—they had always existed. They belonged to the original Nie Yong, whose memories and emotions now lived within him. That boy had adored her since their early days. But as time passed and he lost his way, his love had become distorted—tainted by crude jokes, lecherous glances, and foolish behavior.
Lan Chu Die had started to despise him—not for his face, which had always been the same ugly one—but for how he'd changed. For how the purity of his heart had turned into something she couldn't respect.
But now, looking at him like this—gentle, honest, vulnerable—she saw the boy she had lied herself to not love again.
Lan Chu Die stared into Nie Yong's eyes, her breath catching in her throat. The warmth of his words echoed in her chest, stirring emotions she had long buried—emotions she'd refused to acknowledge for far too long.
His face hovered just above hers, his expression sincere, open, vulnerable.
And in that moment, her heart finally accepted the truth.
"I love you too…" she whispered, the words trembling from her lips like a long-held secret finally set free.
She pulled him down and kissed him, not with hesitation, but with conviction. Her arms wrapped tighter around his neck, her fingers threading into his hair as she pressed her lips to his with longing and need.
This kiss wasn't like before. It wasn't born of confusion or surprise—it was mutual, raw, and full of everything they had never said.
Nie Yong responded instantly, holding her close, as if afraid she would disappear. The pain, the guilt, the misunderstandings—all of it melted away in the heat of their kiss.
At long last, their hearts were in sync.
To be continued...
***
***
How was this chapter? Was it too romantic for a cultivation fanfic? And was it confusing anywhere, there's something that's not convincing me but even after reading it a few times I can't find what it is.
Also, I think Nie Yong has learned the bad habit of shutting up people by kissing them... I am thinking of making him fight an enemy and then suddenly shutting her with a kiss.