### Chapter 170: I’m Just a Passing Cultivator
Princess Hug!
It was the first time Su Xiaoxiao had this level of contact with someone. And it was with a guy!
The delicious scent coming from Yun Zhonghe seemed to engulf her entirely. His chest was so sturdy and wide, like a mountain, wrapping around her so tightly that it felt like she could barely breathe.
For someone with no mental preparation, this was both thrilling and terrifying.
Especially since he was tall, handsome, and emanated a noble yet cold vibe!
His strong, muscular arms held her tightly against his chest, and they were positioned in an unbelievably intimate manner.
Her face was completely buried in his warm embrace…
Su Xiaoxiao’s brain was shaking violently.
I’ve been hugged! I’ve been hugged! I’ve been hugged! I’ve been hugged! I’ve been hugged! I’ve been hugged!
This single thought crashed into her mind, and in an instant, her CPU fried.
Then, blank.
“Huh?”
Yun Zhonghe looked down to find that Su Xiaoxiao had fainted. Her lips seemed to be digitally connected to her soul, appearing as if she had experienced immense torture.
Even Yun Zhonghe was flabbergasted.
He merely wanted to cultivate a good relationship, but the reaction was far more intense than expected.
He barely made his intentions clear, and she practically jumped up, frothing at the mouth and passing out. If this were captured in a single frame, it wouldn’t end well!
If he weren’t careful, she might just evaporate!
Yun Zhonghe fell into silence.
He thought Su Xiaoxiao would be eager for friendship and that it would be easy to win her over, but now he felt it wasn’t going to be so simple.
She was more delicate than a porcelain vase, and just a slight mistake could lead to her self-destruction—possibly even deconstruction.
“Fine, let’s get her settled, and then I’ll search for Miss Jixue and Miss Zhongyu.”
Since she’s the female lead, Yun Zhonghe had no reason to abandon her; he had to take good care of her.
As for Huang Aotian on the other side, that should be fine. After all, it’s Aotian; how could something like this bring her down?
Meanwhile, on the other side, Mu Jixue was still being “teased” by a bunch of crows.
“Where’s that Yellow-haired guy? Someone save me!!!”
…
“Ugh…”
After a while, Su Xiaoxiao finally returned to consciousness. She slowly woke up from her faint while her bright blue eyes blinked wildly, spinning around.
She had finally come to her senses.
“You’re awake!”
Yun Zhonghe’s voice came from above, and she realized she was still in his arms.
Su Xiaoxiao: “Uh—?”
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Her mind went blank again.
Her mental state was once again on the brink of collapse, almost turning her into stone while she felt cracks forming on her head, with tiny pebbles breaking away.
“Calm down, don’t be nervous! You’ve already woken up three times before, almost falling each time.”
Yun Zhonghe gently tried to soothe her, but it was of little use because Su Xiaoxiao remained in utter chaos.
But there was a slight improvement; it seemed she accepted his words this time with less resistance.
Still, she knew she couldn’t let Yun Zhonghe keep holding her like this!
“Stop, stop! Put me down!”
Su Xiaoxiao’s cheeks flushed as she struggled.
If this continued, she’d turn bizarre.
But Yun Zhonghe remained calm and collected, his expression flat: “Don’t move around; your injuries are serious. The slightest movement can cause your wounds to reopen. You need to wait until the medicine takes full effect, and besides…”
He paused, debating whether to remind her, but ultimately decided honesty was the best policy: “Your clothes are torn; if you move too much, you might expose yourself.”
At that moment, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly realized her clothes had been shredded by the crows, leaving only scant fragments of fabric to cover her most essential areas.
Instantly, embarrassment ballooned in her chest like an over-inflated balloon.
She clung tighter to Yun Zhonghe, desperate to avoid any accidental exposure.
As she wiggled against him like a fish, Yun Zhonghe’s eyes were forced to remain fixed straight ahead, fighting the urge to glance down.
To prevent any discomfort for the female lead, he needed to be sufficiently gentlemanly to win her favor.
But this “no head up challenge” was slightly torturous.
Su Xiaoxiao didn’t pass out this time—perhaps after fainting a few times already, she was gradually getting used to it. Even so, her breathing remained rapid, and her face was still beet red.
She began noticing that her previously ghastly hands and legs were now returning to their former pristine states.
In fact, her internal injuries were miraculously healing at an astonishing speed.
“What…?”
Su Xiaoxiao felt a warm current flowing inside her, undoubtedly the result of some high-quality healing pill at work.
A fiery warmth surged from her abdomen throughout her body.
Could it be that they fed her such an expensive Dan Pill?!
Throughout her life, she could count on one hand the number of valuable pills she’d consumed; her cultivation had been painstakingly earned.
And yet, on their very first meeting, Yun Zhonghe had splurged on expensive medicine to heal her. Su Xiaoxiao was momentarily at a loss for words.
But she quietly laid in Yun Zhonghe’s arms, staring blankly at him.
Curious glances were exchanged, and Yun Zhonghe sneaked a few glances back at her.
Upon closer inspection, her eyes were quite beautiful. Those stunning eyes were always hidden beneath thick bangs, what a shame indeed.
And let’s not forget the massive “treasures” below her face—that certainly added some serious weight to the situation.
As Yun Zhonghe navigated through the forest with her in his arms, those sizable orbs occasionally bumped against his chest, giving him a bizarre sense of weight and softness that seemed to open the door to a new world.
Yun Zhonghe thought she shouldn’t be called Su Xiaoxiao; she should be named Su Big Big… No, even that wouldn’t do! Given her impressive size, it should be Su Awesome!
Though he knew from playing the original game that Su Xiaoxiao was well-endowed, nothing compared to experiencing it firsthand.
He couldn’t understand why such a national treasure would be cast aside and discriminated against; was everyone blind?
Of course, Yun Zhonghe was merely standing up for Su Xiaoxiao, and had no special thoughts about her physical attributes. After all, those “treasures” belonged to Huang Aotian, and while she could juggle them, if Yun Zhonghe dared to try, he might find his head rolling alongside it.
But… Yun Zhonghe was still a normal guy. With that much “flesh” bumping against him, it was hard not to have wandering thoughts.
Shaking his head, he decided to cast aside any unhealthy thoughts. Finding Mu Jixue was far more important.
He had already pinpointed her location and confirmed she was safe, though her energy levels were weak, probably just tired from using too much spiritual energy.
As long as she was okay, Yun Zhonghe felt relieved.
At that moment, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but ask, “Um… who are you?”
This man had hugged her and even fed her medicine, yet she didn’t even know his name!
Though she asked Yun Zhonghe for his name, there was a hint of trepidation and fear in her voice.
Social anxiety really did come with a lot of worry—she feared she’d done something wrong.
But when Yun Zhonghe heard her, he felt a jolt within.
He understood that this question signified Su Xiaoxiao’s curiosity and concern for him!
Therefore, he needed to leave a lasting impression on her.
Only then could he earn her trust, becoming a friend she could rely on!
In that case…
Yun Zhonghe mentally rehearsed his lines and, under Su Xiaoxiao’s gaze, said in a sincere tone, “I’m Yun Zhonghe, just a passing cultivator. You can also consider me your friend.”
“F-friend?!”
Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened, her ears ringing in disbelief.
Was her hearing damaged? Or was she just so lonely that she was starting to hallucinate?
Had she already died? Killed by the crows, and this was merely her dying fantasy?
That would explain how such a handsome guy could rescue her and embrace her, then propose friendship. It had to be an illusion.
But even if it were an illusion…
As she met Yun Zhonghe’s gaze, Su Xiaoxiao instinctively looked away. Though joy appeared on her face, she couldn’t hide her bashfulness.
Friend… friend… ehehehe~~~~
She kept savoring those words in her mind, feeling like she was dreaming.
The corners of her mouth began to lift uncontrollably.
No, no! Don’t smile! That’ll make you look despicable, laughing like a fool…
Then she suddenly remembered something and, her cheeks slightly flushed, she shifted the topic: “I… I think my injuries are mostly healed now; you can put me down. I can walk on my own.”
To be honest, she wasn’t accustomed to being carried around; it felt like social s*icide.
Especially since she was half-clothed, the closeness of their skin made it unbearable.
If someone she knew saw this, how could she ever live it down? Well, she was already in a tight spot…
But whatever the case, being held like this was truly awkward.
However, Yun Zhonghe had no intentions of letting her go.
After all…
“We’re not completely out of danger yet. We just faced a few waves of crows, and I handled them, so it’s better if you stay here in my arms. This is for your protection, and friends do this sort of thing all the time.”
Yun Zhonghe said this with such sincerity that “justice” seemed to be carved into his face.
Hearing his words, Su Xiaoxiao felt even more touched inside.
There was only one thought in her mind.
So this is… friendship?
At that moment, this socially anxious female lead finally understood how wonderful it felt to have a reliable friend!
Though she had once had a friend, none were as dependable, gentle, delicate, or caring as Yun Zhonghe.
She felt… so happy.
Colors of happiness bloomed in her mind, but the very next second, she quickly reined in her thoughts.
No, no, Su Xiaoxiao, don’t get ahead of yourself; someone like you doesn’t deserve friends. He’s just being polite. Don’t take it seriously!
“Let’s just forget it; put me down… I… smell bad.”
She recalled how those on the spirit boat had shunned her for being smelly. She didn’t know if she really did, because she had washed herself properly, but she didn’t want Yun Zhonghe, the only one ever willing to be close to her, to feel uncomfortable.
“Smell bad?” Yun Zhonghe was puzzled and leaned in closer to her face to sniff.
The subtle fragrance emanating from Su Xiaoxiao was delightful, akin to flowers—so refreshing!
Yun Zhonghe looked confused. “Nope, you smell great! Not stinky at all.”
Su Xiaoxiao was taken aback. Who would have thought Yun Zhonghe would be so bold, practically burying his face in her!
His audacious sniffing sent her heart racing, and an overwhelming wave of embarrassment washed over her.
“N-no! That’s not allowed!!!”
“Wait, hold on. Calm down!”
In her overly excited state, Su Xiaoxiao accidentally made both of them lose balance, and they tumbled into a cave as they navigated through the forest.
