### Chapter 267: Su Xiaoxiao is Super Cute
For several days in a row, whenever Yun Zhonghe and Su Xiaoxiao had a free moment, they would dive headfirst into the training grounds, completely absorbed in the world of tool-refining.
Even though refining tools was Su Xiaoxiao’s gig, Yun Zhonghe was ever the loyal sidekick! Whether it was picking materials, adjusting the flames, or stepping in with some guidance at critical moments, he was always there, doing his best and never missing out on the action.
Of course, no matter how many suggestions he made, they couldn’t shield her from the chaos of misfortune.
Su Xiaoxiao had a fair share of bad luck swirling around her. After a whopping ten failed attempts at crafting weapons, she finally managed to produce one that was utterly normal in shape and attributes—cue the confetti!
This made Su Xiaoxiao absolutely ecstatic.
Prior creations? A mishmash of bizarre artifacts—let’s not even get into the weird stuff!
Take, for example, a hammer that didn’t deal damage when it hit someone but instead healed them! A total fluke from a failed forge, giving the hammer an insane negative damage reduction attribute that completely canceled out its damage, making it a healing hammer instead.
Or that Spirit Armor which, logically, was supposed to boost defense but instead weakened it—thanks to some mysterious force messing up the internal workings during the forging process, turning ‘protective gear’ into ‘invitation to injury’!
And those speed-boosting Spirit Boots? They ended up slowing down everyone around—friends and foes alike—while poor Su Xiaoxiao maintained her speed. What was this, a reverse speed force?!
After even trying out some alchemy with snake mouths, hoping to whip up a stamina-boosting pill, she ended up crafting a potion with deadly poison instead!
In short, nearly every item Su Xiaoxiao created over this time was, let’s say, less than ideal.
So, when she finally crafted something with a normal shape and attributes, tears of joy welled up in her eyes!
From then on, her successful creations started to pile up like laundry day.
Yun Zhonghe assisted her while also keeping a meticulous tab on her streak of wins and losses.
After some time weighing the data, he figured out that while Su Xiaoxiao could expend her misfortune points by crafting items, her body continued to generate bad luck—about the same amount as what it took to craft one item daily.
With this pattern in mind, Yun Zhonghe started drafting a strategic plan.
While her misfortune wasn’t completely spent, they’d casually experiment—once drained, they’d buckle down and forge like pros!
This way, they could control her success rates and keep her misfortune tendencies in check.
Until Su Xiaoxiao’s powers blossomed enough to reign in that pesky bad luck, this plan was going to give her a whole new lease on life.
Even if she left the Xuantian Sect one day, she’d be disaster-free—hopefully!
With this thought, Yun Zhonghe felt like he had solved a big puzzle in his heart.
Now, understanding the mechanics of her misfortune wasn’t just about dodging the negative vibes; it was also about learning to wield that peculiar power to their advantage.
Sure, bad luck led to a lot of failed crafts, but only bad luck could interact with cursed materials to churn out some powerful cursed artifacts!
What Yun Zhonghe wanted to make for Mu Jixue was nothing short of a cursed object, which he could only manage when Su Xiaoxiao had a bit of misfortune stacked up.
At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao had just successfully completed her third item.
Gazing at her latest creation, her face beamed with a radiant smile, adding a lot of brightness to her rather grim persona.
Ever since she began refining tools, Su Xiaoxiao felt as if hope had blossomed in her life, and the sense of doom hanging over her heart seemed to fade with each successful crafting session, turning her into a ray of sunshine.
Of course, she knew this transformation was thanks to the steadfast support of the boy by her side.
At that moment, Yun Zhonghe stood next to her, deep in thought, his calm and sturdy presence providing Su Xiaoxiao with unmatched comfort.
Suddenly, his gaze caught on her face as if he had noticed something, and he slowly reached out his hand.
This action made Su Xiaoxiao’s heart skip a beat, and a blush crept onto her cheeks without her even realizing it.
“Your hair seems to have grown a bit long; maybe you should think about trimming it? At this length, it could accidentally interfere with your crafting!” Yun Zhonghe’s voice was gentle and caring as he pointed at her slightly messy bangs.
“Uh… oh… I guess so.”
Su Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, realization dawning. In that brief moment of eye contact, she had mistakenly thought he was reaching to brush her cheek, causing a flurry of panic. Turns out, he was simply moving her bangs aside.
What a surprise!
Phew… of course, Yun Zhonghe isn’t that kind of guy. What was she even thinking?
But Yun Zhonghe’s reminder did hit home about her hair situation. Ever since she started focusing on tool refining, those long locks had been a bit of a nuisance.
While refining, one wrong move and she could singe herself with the Spirit Fire; those long bangs, especially in sweaty conditions, would plaster to her face—definitely not pleasant!
“Take tomorrow off to trim your hair, and on the day after, let’s meet up here again.”
“By then, I want to ask you to help me craft something.”
“No need to be nervous. Just do your normal crafting, I believe in your abilities!”
As they dispersed, Su Xiaoxiao remained lost in thought about the hair update.
This hairstyle had been her go-to for years, a comfort zone that acted like a protective shell. Whenever she felt shy or anxious, her heavy bangs shielded her from the world’s judgmental gazes, providing a sense of security.
But…
“I really should change it up.”
Her life had transformed dramatically.
Not only had she made friends, but she also found a place that accepted her, and she was gradually getting stronger. Most importantly, she could sense her misfortune was being kept in check; lately, good things were starting to emerge around her.
She felt bold enough to raise her head high and walk with confidence.
That gloomy appearance? Time to ditch it!
She lightly twisted the ends of her bangs as if bidding farewell to her past: “Let’s go with what Yun Zhonghe said; time for a trim.”
…
Two days later, when Su Xiaoxiao donned a fresh outfit and looked renewed, she was right on time for her classes.
The new disciples no longer needed Yun Zhonghe or Su Xiaoxiao to knock on doors; everyone had learned to arrive punctually, even those needing an absence would inform Yun Zhonghe or Su Xiaoxiao ahead of time.
Walking through, countless gazes turned toward Su Xiaoxiao.
Those who once ignored her or merely glanced would stop in their tracks, astonished.
“Hey? Who’s that adorable girl?”
“When did we get such a cutie in our sect?!”
“She looks stunning…”
“…”
Su Xiaoxiao had grown accustomed to the admiring gazes. Since arriving in Suzhou City, such reactions had almost become her daily routine—whether on the streets or at tea houses, she would hear whispers and feel fiery stares upon her entry.
But ever since joining the academy and mingling with her classmates, she thought such instances had diminished.
What’s happening today…?
“Is my outfit weird or something?”
A hint of doubt bubbled in her mind, and she glanced down at her assemble—simple yet elegant, nothing amiss!
She had yet to realize the true reason behind the commotion.
Every step she took seemed to sprinkle starlight, captivating all eyes around her.
“Wait, isn’t that Su Xiaoxiao?”
In the crowd, someone gasped, disbelief lacing their voice.
It seemed like someone had recognized her.
Soon, more and more people began to gasp and confirm, “Su Xiaoxiao?!”
In their minds, Su Xiaoxiao had always been this somber figure, head down, her face a mystery.
But today, with her hair trimmed and dressed anew, she appeared like a completely different person—graceful, with delicate features, her clear eyes shining like the autumn moon!
Especially now as she walked down the shaded avenue, standing straight and tall, showcasing her height and figure as though the entire world resided at her feet.
Her skin, now even more translucent, sparkled in the sunlight as if dusted in soft radiance, exuding an indescribable freshness.
Occasionally glancing up, the subtle blush that danced across her features made her appear like a flower bud ready to bloom, pure and endearing!
In an instant, she had captured the affections of countless male disciples!
Whoa! Who knew a gem like this was sitting right under our noses all along?!
One by one, the boys smacked their foreheads, lamenting about missing out on such a treasure.
Soon, more male disciples stepped up, trying to strike up conversations and get closer to Su Xiaoxiao: “Xiaoxiao, you really saved the day a while back! To thank you, how about we grab breakfast together? My treat, just a small token of gratitude.”
“Xiaoxiao, I just got my hands on a new technique that seems perfect for you! Do you have time to study together?”
“Hey there, Xiaoxiao, any plans for the weekend? I heard Xuantian Mansion got a fresh batch of rare treasures; why don’t we go take a look together?”
“Xiaoxiao…”
Voices rose and fell, as if she had suddenly become the center of attention.
Su Xiaoxiao, however, was looking a bit flustered. While she appreciated her classmates’ affection, this unexpected spotlight was a bit overwhelming.
All she could do was shyly smile, saying apologetically, “S-sorry, I have a bit of business to attend to…”
With that, she scampered away like a startled deer.
Leaving a group of boys staring at each other, bewildered.
“Seriously, you guys are pathetic.”
“Right? What do you want to do with our Xiaoxiao?”
“Why weren’t you all this eager before? Just a little change and now you’re all acting shameless?”
Quite a few female disciples stepped forward to defend Su Xiaoxiao, attacking the boys.
Unbeknownst to Su Xiaoxiao, a mini “war” had erupted within and outside the academy, all over her simple haircut.
How bizarre! How bizarre! She just trimmed her hair and changed clothes; why was everyone going nuts over it?
Could it be because her bad luck had lessened?
Su Xiaoxiao would never have guessed that it was her newfound charm.
In her heart, she still deemed herself as the unnoticed little Xiaoxiao, the girl hiding in the shadows and going unnoticed.
She even started to worry that her new look might unsettle Yun Zhonghe or that he might not find her appealing anymore.
What if he didn’t even recognize her?!
With these anxious thoughts, Su Xiaoxiao had unknowingly approached the academy’s doors, spotting Yun Zhonghe who was already seated and deep into a book.
He seemed to be researching some secret texts—probably related to refining tools—setting the stage for Su Xiaoxiao.
While it had always been her doing the crafting, she wouldn’t have progressed so fast without Yun Zhonghe’s analysis and research behind the scenes.
He was always silently supporting her.
Standing at the door, Su Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, mustering the courage to step inside.
She quietly took her seat next to Yun Zhonghe.
Feeling incredibly self-conscious.
Her shoulders tensed up involuntarily.
At that moment, Yun Zhonghe finally noticed the stunning “big” beauty flickering at the corner of his eye.
“Xiaoxiao?”
He turned slightly, and amazement fluttered across his gaze, unable to hide his astonishment and admiration.
In that moment, time seemed to freeze as he was captivated by Su Xiaoxiao’s fresh and radiant look.
With her hair having been cut short and those bright, clear eyes on full display, she looked absolutely stunning!
Her makeup was minimal yet perfectly complemented her innocent persona, adding a hint of cute charm!
This transformation felt like a living tale of metamorphosis.
Although Yun Zhonghe initially suggested the trim for practical crafting reasons, he never imagined Su Xiaoxiao would actually follow through, emerging as a super cute version of herself.
With a look like that, how could Huang Aotian resist her charm?
Feeling Yun Zhonghe’s intense gaze, Su Xiaoxiao turned even more bashful, her cheeks flushing. Instinctively, she reached for her bangs, only to realize she had cut them and couldn’t use them to shield herself from Yun Zhonghe’s burning stare.
The heat radiating from Yun Zhonghe penetrated her defenses, shooting straight to her core, causing her to involuntarily emit a shy gasp.
Her voice was laced with youthful shyness and excitement.
“Y-Yun Brother… am I being… strange?” Su Xiaoxiao asked softly.
Why else would he be staring at me like that?
Inwardly, she fidgeted with her skirt, her gaze shifting with unease.
“What’s strange?” Yun Zhonghe replied, surprised at first before a broad grin broke out, “You look adorable, Xiaoxiao! You’re very cute and beautiful now!”
Yun Zhonghe’s words were straightforward and sincere, lacking any hint of pretense.
This compliment hit Su Xiaoxiao right in the feels.
Yun Brother… called me cute! Beautiful!
These four words rang in her heart like delightful notes, composing a joyous melody!
Her elation felt like it might burst from her chest.
