In a moment filled with relentless contempt, Xiao Yao leaned forward and, without hesitation, bit down gently on Xiao Yi Xian's slender fingers. He sucked, drawing a portion of the deadly poison into his own body, not caring about the consequences.
"Ahh!" Xiao Yi Xian gasped sharply, a soft moan escaping her lips as pain lanced through her hand. Her body shuddered slightly, yet her eyes remained shut tightly, unwilling to face the scene unfolding in front of her.
The girl before Xiao Yao — this frail yet resilient soul — carried a heavy, tragic past etched into her very bones.
Born with the Woeful Poison Body, a physique cursed to bring death to anyone too close, her life had been doomed from the start. At birth, the constitution had lain dormant, silent and harmless. It was only years later, on a simple afternoon when she and her mother were out gathering herbs in the wild fields, that her nightmare truly began.
She had reached out innocently, brushing her fingers against a particularly venomous herb. That single touch awakened the dormant curse within her. The poison surged through her, uncontrolled, and in that one cruel twist of fate, her mother — the only family she had — was poisoned to death by her very own daughter's hands.
The memory of her mother's body collapsing to the ground, eyes wide with shock, haunted her dreams. In the days that followed, Xiao Yi Xian had wept until her throat was raw, until no more tears would come. The villagers who once treated her with kindness began to look at her with fear and disgust. She learned to withdraw, to build walls around her aching heart.
Time, as always, numbed the pain, but it never healed it.
Later, when she was taken in by the Almighty Medicinal House, she thought she had found a place where she could finally belong. Surrounded by alchemists and healers, she buried the memories of her tragic past deep within her heart, smiling politely while hiding her sorrow.
But even that fragile peace was shattered when someone she revered as a godfather — a mentor she trusted — attempted to poison her, fearing the uncontrollable danger she carried within. The betrayal cut deeper than any blade, reinforcing the loneliness that gnawed at her spirit.
Deep inside, Xiao Yi Xian built a fortress around her emotions. She convinced herself that she needed no one, that no one could possibly accept a girl cursed to bring death.
Until she met Xiao Yao.
He was different. He looked at her without fear, without pity, without the guarded glances that others gave her. His reckless bravery, his calm gaze — they slowly chipped away at the barriers around her heart.
She didn't know exactly when it happened, but somewhere along the line, Xiao Yao had become more than just a friend. He had become her light, her only warmth in a world that had once seemed unbearably cold.
And now, feeling the lingering sting of his bite and the unfamiliar heat rushing up her hand, Xiao Yi Xian trembled — not out of pain, but from something far deeper. A strange, tender warmth bloomed quietly in her chest, mingling with the sorrow she had carried for so long.
Even as tears unknowingly welled up at the corners of her closed eyes, she smiled faintly.
Perhaps... perhaps she wasn't as alone as she had always thought.
"Don't worry, Xiao Yi Xian, you'll be fine," Xiao Yao said gently, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he brushed a few stray strands of hair from her forehead. Xiao Yi Xian, overwhelmed by the throbbing pain and the lingering effects of her poisonous constitution, finally slipped into unconsciousness, her fragile body sagging weakly against him.
He caught her carefully, letting her head rest against his lap, his fingers tenderly stroking her pale cheeks. For hours, Xiao Yao remained there, not moving an inch, silently guarding her fragile sleep under the warm hues of the setting sun.
When Xiao Yi Xian finally stirred, blinking her heavy eyelids open, the first thing she saw was Xiao Yao's concerned face hovering over her. Panic flickered across her delicate features. Instinctively, she tried to pull away, shrinking back from his hand as if afraid her poisonous body would hurt him.
But Xiao Yao only tightened his gentle hold, not allowing her to retreat.
"Don't worry," he said firmly, his voice carrying a calm, unshakable warmth. "I don't care about your Woeful Poison Body."
Xiao Yi Xian froze, staring at him with wide, trembling eyes. "Really...?" she whispered, almost afraid to believe it.
"Yes, really," Xiao Yao confirmed, smiling with a tenderness that could melt the deepest frost. His vivid eyes locked onto hers, clear and resolute, leaving no space for doubt.
A heavy silence fell between them. Neither spoke, but the unspoken emotions that rippled through the air said far more than words ever could. Xiao Yi Xian's heart pounded wildly, her cheeks flushing with warmth.
And then, without a word of warning, Xiao Yao leaned forward. His hand cupped her cheek with surprising gentleness, and before she could react, he pressed his lips softly against hers.
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes widened in utter shock. Her body stiffened at the sudden, innocent kiss. She could feel the heat of his touch, the earnest sincerity behind it. It was awkward, clumsy even, but it carried the raw weight of emotions he didn't know how to put into words.
When Xiao Yao finally pulled away, a sheepish, slightly mischievous grin broke across his face. "I love you," he said, utterly shameless, without an ounce of hesitation.
Xiao Yi Xian, still dazed from the kiss, blinked at him in disbelief. "How old are you?!" she blurted out, her voice high with embarrassment, desperate to divert the conversation.
"I'm twelve," Xiao Yao replied with a light chuckle, scratching the back of his head in mock awkwardness. "Hehehe."
"What!!?" she gasped, utterly flabbergasted. She looked at the tall, well-built boy in front of her, who with his broad shoulders and confident bearing, looked nothing like a child. He could have easily been mistaken for someone in his late teens!
It took several heartbeats for her to process the revelation. Her face grew increasingly red until she resembled a ripe apple. Not daring to meet his teasing gaze, she squealed softly and buried her face in her hands.
"Don't look, don't look!!" she cried out in utter embarrassment.
Xiao Yao only laughed quietly, the sound low and full of affection. He gently pried her hands away from her flushed face, forcing her to meet his eyes once again.
"I meant it," he said seriously, his fingers interlacing with hers, "No matter how poisonous you think you are... to me, you're someone worth loving."
Hearing his sincere words, Xiao Yi Xian felt her heart twist painfully, and then, for the first time in what seemed like forever, she smiled — a real, unguarded smile — as if a heavy burden had finally lifted from her shoulders.
Maybe... just maybe... her lonely days were truly over.