Alone, Beautifully – Chapter 70

Your Preference (4)

“Extreme colors remained in her eyes.”

Upon hearing Xu Jiao’s gentle and soft words, “Say it, I will satisfy you,” Lilith blushed intensely, her eyelashes trembling even more, like leaves on a branch swept by a strong wind, fluttering.

She hesitated, wavered, and swayed.

Lilith thought she couldn’t say such excessive words.

The saintess could save her, rescue her from that hellish family, and she was already her benefactor. She couldn’t ask for too much. The priest in the church had said that good children shouldn’t be greedy.

They should learn to be content.

This had already been the happiest day she could remember, so how could she crave those distant things?

Thus.

Lilith unconsciously bit her lower lip, pressured by Xu Jiao’s words, wanting to sincerely express her inner thoughts, but also worried that she might seem greedy. Her heart was in extreme turmoil.

Her lips, originally like pink roses, were now somewhat pale from her biting.

Seeing her in such difficulty, Xu Jiao didn’t intend to tease her. She just raised her hand to touch her head, her fingertips passing through the soft hair that was like fragmented gold, finally tapping lightly on her now flawless cheek, and said again:

“Alright.”

“I have already heard it, and it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to say it out loud.”

“I promise you.”

I promise you, I will fulfill your wish, even if you never say it out loud.

Lilith’s eyes widened like a deer’s, filled with confusion and misunderstanding, seemingly not comprehending what the saintess in front of her was saying. She only clumsily, with a curled tongue, repeated the word Xu Jiao had said: “Heard?”

Her tone rose slightly at the end, making her seem very cute.

If not for having such a stepmother, with her noble status, perhaps she should have grown into a lively, mischievous, and adorable little girl. She would be like a small daisy blooming in the morning sun, radiant and dazzling.

Xu Jiao smiled and pointed to the place on her chest through her clothes, softly saying:

“Yes.”

“I can hear the voices in people’s hearts, their prayers, their wishes, everything. I can hear it all.”

Lilith’s face showed astonishment, as if she found it unbelievable. In her impression, it seemed only gods could have such miraculous abilities because believers always prayed devoutly and humbly, again and again, in front of statues, in churches, and in prayer rooms. And gods needed to listen to the voices of the faithful and respond to their most devout pleas.

She did not expect that the saintess also had such abilities.

Then what about the popes of the various great temples?

However, as her thoughts just began to spread to this point, she raised her hand to cover her face. The scorching temperature spread to her palm, and Lilith was so tense that even her toes curled up.

Since the saintess can hear the voices of all people’s hearts…

Does that mean she can also hear hers?

So the words she had hesitated to say just now, the saintess had actually already heard them, right?

And the saintess said, I promise you.

That means she really… truly can hope to serve the saintess forever?

Lilith only felt herself suddenly swept away by a torrent called happiness, and she willingly immersed herself in it, swallowed by the flood.

……

Perhaps it is the more reserved expression of Eastern culture.

Xu Jiao had never seen someone who was so cute even when shy. Lilith’s facial expressions were extremely rich, as if her brows and eyes could stage a play on their own, performing a wonderfully vibrant tap dance.

And because this female lead was completely different from the type she wanted to create, Xu Jiao finally had a different kind of feeling.

She let out a sigh of relief in her heart.

For no reason, she recalled what Feng Qingyu had said in the previous world: “I am not anyone’s substitute.”

Her novel’s female protagonist originally… should not have become anyone’s substitute either.

If it weren’t for that accident years ago, Xu Jiao wouldn’t have entered this world called “creator,” nor would she have written so many protagonists who were like factory replicas, all looking exactly the same.

Although she didn’t know if Lilith’s appearance was a result of the world’s automatic setting or some other reason, Xu Jiao inexplicably felt a sense of relief—

She thought.

She should let go.

Forcing things always leads to bad results.

The protagonists of these worlds should have their own original life trajectories, struggling to create their own brilliant stories according to the plot development and background, rather than being treated as broken, terrible, failed replicas, given beauty only to be destroyed in pain.

Lilith… is the same.

She should resonate with the title 《The Favored One》, experiencing enough childhood hardships so that what remains in her life is all beautiful, which would be fair.

Thinking this way, she took advantage of the rare leisure and quiet beside Lilith, actually lying on the other’s lap, taking a nap until she almost fell asleep.

After feeling nervous and shy, Lilith looked down to see Xu Jiao with her eyes closed. She carefully stared at Xu Jiao’s delicate appearance, then averted her gaze, letting out a small breath, then inconspicuously took another breath and quietly moved her gaze back.

Like a timid little rabbit.

Even staring at a pretty person, she didn’t dare to look for too long, trembling with fear, as if any slight disturbance would frighten her.

Lilith never knew that black hair and black eyes could be so beautiful. She felt that none of the oil paintings she had seen at home could depict Xu Jiao’s appearance. After secretly observing her three or five times without being noticed, her courage grew a bit. Her gaze traveled from Xu Jiao’s eyebrows and eyes, moving down inch by inch, tracing over her features.

Suddenly.

Xu Jiao, who had originally closed her eyes, suddenly grabbed her slightly raised wrist, opened her eyes with a half-smile, and met her gaze. Lilith thought she was asleep and was startled, instinctively wanting to retreat, but her thigh was being used as a pillow by Xu Jiao, making it impossible to move, like a small piece of wood under a freezing spell.

Xu Jiao stared into her eyes and asked with a smile, “Do I look good?”

Lilith: “…”

Her cheeks began to turn red again.

After a while, Xu Jiao saw her nodding like a pecking chick and then, in a mumbling tone, softly said, “You are like the snow on top of Mount Zak that never melts, very cold and very beautiful.”

Just one look, and this face is forever imprinted in one’s mind.

Mount Zak is the highest mountain range on this Miracle Continent, guarding the north of the temple.

When the weather is good, from any end of this continent, one can vaguely see the peak of the mountain and the white snow covering it. Some say that when the gods come to the human world, they occasionally stand on that mountaintop, overlooking this world.

Lilith had never seen a god, but now, looking at the saint, she felt that she must be in the place closest to a god.

Hearing her quiet praise, Xu Jiao smiled but didn’t say anything, simply letting her look. Just as she was about to close her eyes and sleep again, she suddenly remembered that she was still pressing on the other person. Knowing Lilith’s personality, she probably wouldn’t dare to move even if her legs went numb.

Xu Jiao sat up, moved to the side, found a pillow to lean on, and then closed her eyes.

Lilith felt the warmth move away from her front, like a gentle breeze carrying away the faint fragrance she couldn’t quite discern, and a sense of loss welled up in her heart.

She bit her lower lip again.

Her thick eyelashes lowered, hiding the disappointment in her heart.

……

Xu Jiao initially slept very soundly.

Until a gust of wind from somewhere blew over, brushing across her skin, making her shiver from the cold and waking her up.

Before she opened her eyes, she suddenly sensed something was wrong—

Her eyelids felt particularly heavy, as if they were glued shut with thick glue, and she couldn’t open them, yet she could feel the breeze brushing across her skin, trying to penetrate her clothes.

Xu Jiao felt the goosebumps on her arms rise up.

Was this targeting her, or was it some conspiracy against the Sun Temple?

She instinctively became alert but remained still, wanting to know what would happen next.

Immediately after,

she felt the wind brush past her front; it was so cold, like it was blowing from an ice field, causing her hair to stand on end, and the secrets hidden under the layers of her clothing’s folds also rose up.

What kind of subtle and bizarre feeling was that?

Clearly, it didn’t feel like something tangible, yet there was a feeling of being taken advantage of by the wind, especially since… it seemed like she wasn’t the only person in this carriage.

Xu Jiao knew that calling the system during such an ambiguous moment was useless. Ever since entering this world, she had gained corresponding knowledge in her mind. Quickly, her fingertips moved slightly, writing a character glowing with golden light in the air.

The scorching sunlight suddenly enveloped her head.

This heat could dispel all dark forces and gloom.

For a moment, Xu Jiao felt that the heaviness covering her eyelids disappeared, like a road surface from which even the slightest trace of water had evaporated under high temperatures. She opened her eyes, her dark pupils clear and bright.

The divine light and heat above her head were still shining as Xu Jiao sat up. She initially thought it was a dream, yet the lingering feeling on her body hadn’t faded, as if she had just crawled out of an ice cave, with the chill in her limbs and bones not yet driven out.

Even…

After sitting up, the place beneath the overlapping fabric of her collar, which had just been teased by the wind, still felt uncomfortably sensitive.

Uncomfortably rubbing against the fabric.

Xu Jiao first placed her gaze on the female protagonist Lilith. However, at this moment, Lilith was lying on the cushion by the window, sleeping soundly, with drool flowing out, clearly unaware of what was happening around her. She even moved slightly towards the small sun Xu Jiao had conjured up, seemingly wanting to get closer to the warmth.

Xu Jiao stood up from her seat, with no trace of sleepiness, bent down, spread her five fingers, and pressed them on the soft Persian-patterned carpet of the carriage. She slightly closed her eyes, and a stream of golden light flowed from her fingertips, merging into the carpet. Even with her eyes closed, she could clearly see the various complex magic arrays arranged within the carriage.

They were like golden gears of different sizes, intricately interlocking with each other, forming a magic array that combined practicality and defense for the carriage.

Inside, there were detection magic, resistance magic…

Not a single component had any issues.

Everything was normal.

Xu Jiao reopened her eyes and looked in the direction of the window. The wind blowing in from outside was still gentle, unlike the chill she felt after falling asleep earlier, and it seemed there was nothing abnormal.

While she was investigating the magic array of the carriage, some time had passed. Perhaps due to the divine light technique Xu Jiao had cast, the carriage now felt somewhat warm, and a slight sweat appeared on Lilith’s forehead.

Xu Jiao raised her hand to remove the brilliant little sun, walked to Lilith’s side, bent down to look at her, and asked the system:

“What are the current values for the female protagonist?”

The system answered truthfully: “Favorability, 50; Blackening value, 0.”

Very normal numbers.

Given that Xu Jiao is the one who saved her life and led her into the temple, it’s not surprising that the favorability suddenly soared so high.

But what was with that strange wind just now?

Xu Jiao bent down and carefully observed Lilith’s face, remembering again that she was different from the protagonist she had established. After scrutinizing for a while, her gaze took on a somewhat contemplative meaning.

……

Evening time.

The light outside the window gradually dimmed, and the clouds on the horizon presented an extremely stunning color, with purple, blue, red, and gold interwoven, dyeing the clouds and sky in a vivid and splendid way. Bright colors always catch the eye, making people think of all the beautiful things in the world, like a dream or an illusion.

Lilith, who had been dozing earlier, was now awake, leaning by the carriage window, watching the distant golden sunlight without blinking, occasionally letting out small exclamations of awe.

Xu Jiao had flown a few times before and always chose a window seat, so she didn’t have such an exaggerated reaction.

However, having seen it many times, Xu Jiao still admitted that this ever-changing sky, different in every season, could always be so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

She leaned against the cushion, drinking a cup of rose tea and savoring a hot, fragrant waffle.

The golden waffle was baked soft and fragrant, with a faint buttery taste and a sweet, caramelized aroma. It was just a bit too sweet. Xu Jiao took two bites and ended up drinking two cups of tea.

She didn’t touch the snack again until Lilith finished watching the evening glow. When the sun set on the horizon and darkness swept in, she eagerly turned her head and asked Xu Jiao:

“Holy Maiden, why does this world need nighttime? Wouldn’t it be better if it were always light?”

Upon hearing her question, Xu Jiao also looked out the window. She gently curled her lips, as if in thought. After a long while, so long that Lilith became anxious, she finally replied with a question: “You don’t like the night?”

Lilith pondered her words, seemingly worried about saying something wrong and being laughed at by Xu Jiao. However, under Xu Jiao’s encouraging gaze, she bravely spoke up:

“Because… darkness is always bad, isn’t it?”

Xu Jiao smiled at her and glanced out the window, noticing that stars had already appeared in the night sky. In the Miracle Continent, without air pollution, the Milky Way naturally shone brightly. Now, one could vaguely glimpse the magnificent scene a few hours later.

She sat beside Lilith and pointed outside the window: “Look—”

Lilith’s gaze followed where her finger pointed, and then she saw a silver light fly from Xu Jiao’s fingertip. When the light reached the sky, the originally dim starlight suddenly seemed to gain some power and became brilliant. The previously sparse, diamond-like sky, in an instant, lit up like a long dragon, with the Milky Way spanning across it, full of splendor.

Lilith couldn’t help but say, “Oh…”

However, that wasn’t the end!

The stars in the sky, influenced by some kind of imprint, suddenly began to fall rapidly from one place to another. At first, it was just one or two stars about to fall, then three, five…

Until all the starlight in the night sky came crashing down.

A grand meteor shower occurred.

The silver light dazzled, breaking the gaze of those who watched.

Such a scene could no longer be described as a miracle; it was worthy of being called a divine act.

Only a god would have this power.

Outside the door, Andrew and the guards also uttered exclamations of praise.

Lilith, inexplicably, found her eyes welling up. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, not daring to make a sound or blink, unwilling to miss this unprecedented scene, and just stared in awe.

After all the stars had finished falling—

In the next instant,

The pitch-black starry sky was suddenly filled again with a dazzling array of stars,

as if the previous scenes had never happened.

The stars twinkled mischievously, as if playing a little joke on the people of the Miracle Continent.

Xu Jiao’s voice slowly sounded in Lilith’s ear: “It is precisely because of the existence of darkness that people learn to cherish the light.”

Lilith nodded vigorously, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes. Today’s scene had given her immense shock, and she felt she would never forget it. She whispered to Xu Jiao:

“Thank you for your guidance.”

Xu Jiao smiled, shook her head, and replied that it was nothing. Then she returned to a calm expression, as if all that had just happened was not her doing. The golden carriage continued to run through the silver, dazzling Milky Way, tracing a golden stream of light across the sky.

……

It was night.

Lilith carefully ate four or five waffles. There was still a little less than half a cup of rose tea left, which she didn’t drink. Instead, she fell asleep on a golden cushion, letting out small burps.

Xu Jiao watched her sleeping form from the side.

After an unknown amount of time—

Xu Jiao, too, couldn’t resist being overtaken by sleepiness and fell asleep, leaning against the wall of the carriage.

In a thin porcelain cup engraved with golden patterns, the light red tea seemed to gain a soul, silently sliding out of the cup, then leaping onto the table. Like jelly, it crawled across the carpet, following Xu Jiao’s fallen skirt all the way up.

The light red disappeared.

But the brow of the sleeping person furrowed.

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LP: There’s pervert here! <(ꐦㅍ _ㅍ)>

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