Jiang Huai slipped away quickly.
If he stayed any longer in Wen Wanwan’s courtyard, he would feel uneasy.
Jiang Huai soon returned to the courtyard. Chu Xianning had already gone back to her room to sleep. Jiang Huai arrived at Luo Qingyu’s room. The lamp in Luo Qingyu’s room was already extinguished. He gently pushed the door open, and the room was dark. Luo Qingyu seemed to be asleep.
“She’s asleep already?”
Jiang Huai asked very, very softly, but received no response.
“Huh? So well-behaved tonight?” Jiang Huai muttered in a low voice, then gently closed the door for her.
***
The next day.
When Luo Qingyu woke up, there was indeed a strawberry cream cake on the table.
She woke up exceptionally early, wearing an orange spring dress. The little girl had many beautiful dresses. Every day, she would dress up beautifully in the courtyard. She wore transparent crystal sandals on her feet, bouncing around lively like a little rabbit.
She sat by the table and obediently ate the cream cake.
Luo Qingyu liked sweets, and she quickly finished the cake in front of her. She looked at Jiang Huai with eager eyes. Jiang Huai then brought out another plate of red bean cake, and she finally smiled with satisfaction, her eyes curving.
After breakfast, Jiang Huai picked up an ancient scroll and continued his research. Yesterday, he had confirmed Wen Fufu’s pulse. The next step was to find the medicinal materials. After confirming them, he glanced at Luo Qingyu and said softly, “I’m going out for a bit.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to the sect’s pharmacy to have them find some medicinal materials for me.”
“Can Qingyu go with you?”
Jiang Huai thought for a moment and then beckoned her, “Let’s go.”
***
Luo Qingyu’s little hands dangled beside Jiang Huai, her fair and tender hands occasionally brushing against his. When Jiang Huai turned to look at her, she would guiltily look away.
In the past, when Jiang Huai took her for a stroll in the sect, he would always hold her hand gently.
At this moment, the news of his broken engagement with Luo Qingyu had presumably spread throughout the Tian Xuan Sect and Qingxuan Sect. However, when the disciples saw Luo Qingyu standing beside him, her cheerful and bouncy demeanor, they were all stunned.
Didn’t they break off the engagement?
“Jiang Huai Gege…”
After walking for a while, Luo Qingyu finally couldn’t suppress the little emotions in her heart and mumbled softly, her delicate pink lips pouting slightly.
“Hmm?”
“Why aren’t you holding my hand…”
“Mmm…” Jiang Huai couldn’t think of an answer for a moment. After a brief hesitation, he still took Luo Qingyu’s hand. Luo Qingyu’s pouting lips immediately returned to normal, the corners of her lips curving up, and her eyes brightened.
Jiang Huai held her hand all the way to the sect’s pharmacy. He placed a prescription in front of the elder of the pharmacy and said softly, “I would like the sect to find these medicinal materials for me. Elder, please name your price.”
The pharmacy was managed by retired alchemists from Medicine Refining Mountain. Although Jiang Huai had some past grievances with the young disciples of Medicine Refining Mountain, he had a good relationship with most of the elders there. They had discussed medicinal theories together in the past, benefiting each other greatly.
The pharmacy elder, leaning back in his rocking chair, was momentarily surprised to see him. He took the prescription and asked, “Is this medicine for your own recovery?”
“No, I’m preparing it to refine for a friend.”
“How is… your body? Is it true, as they say… you can no longer cultivate at all?”
“I’m afraid so.” Jiang Huai smiled and nodded helplessly, but there was no hint of bitterness in his eyes. The pharmacy elder looked at the prescription Jiang Huai had given him. After a few dozen breaths, he looked up at Jiang Huai. “These medicinal materials won’t be cheap. With our friendship, even at the cheapest price, it will be eight thousand Spirit Stones. And it will take some time to find them, perhaps about a month.”
Jiang Huai took out a stack of Spirit Stone notes from his Storage Ring. These were Spirit Stone notes from Ziyun Pavilion, the only merchant guild in the Eastern Region. They were easy to verify, and with Ziyun Pavilion’s methods, no one dared to forge them.
He carefully counted the Spirit Stone notes. These eight thousand Spirit Stones were nearly half of his fortune. However, his relationship with Wen Wanwan didn’t seem to be that good. An Inner Sect disciple would only earn fifty Spirit Stones after working hard for a whole month. Eight thousand Spirit Stones were enough for an Inner Sect disciple to work for thirteen years to earn.
He wasn’t heartbroken about the eight thousand Spirit Stones, but he worried that Wen Wanwan might misunderstand. In fact, he wasn’t entirely overflowing with kindness. Seeing Wen Wanwan working so hard for her sister, he couldn’t help but feel a little pity.
He also had a sister in his previous life.
“Here are eight thousand Spirit Stones. Elder Qin, please count them.” Jiang Huai respectfully handed over the eight thousand Spirit Stones. Elder Qin took the Spirit Stone notes without counting them, only sighing. Then, his gaze suddenly fell on Luo Qingyu, who was standing obediently beside Jiang Huai at the moment.
“I remember… didn’t you and this girl… break off your engagement?” Elder Qin was momentarily surprised.
“My cultivation was crippled, so breaking off the engagement was only reasonable. Qingyu just finished her seclusion and came to Tian Xuan Sect to play for a while. Of course, I have to entertain her well,” Jiang Huai said softly. But the next second, Luo Qingyu suddenly hugged his arm, her eyes seeming quite wronged, “It’s not reasonable at all. It was my mother who came to break off the engagement, not me.”
Jiang Huai rubbed Luo Qingyu’s head and smiled helplessly.
Elder Qin didn’t know what hidden reasons were at play here, but he didn’t inquire further. He assured Jiang Huai that he would do his best to find the best medicinal materials for him. After thanking him, Jiang Huai took Luo Qingyu and left the pharmacy.
Luo Qingyu wanted to wander around the sect. Since Jiang Huai had nothing else to do, he decided to accompany her. However, Luo Qingyu was holding his arm tightly at the moment, as if she were hanging on him. Her fair and tender chest pressed tightly against his arm through the fabric.
“How can we walk if you hug me like this?”
“We can still walk…” Luo Qingyu mumbled softly, “Let’s take a stroll around the sect.”
“Why do you suddenly want to stroll?” Jiang Huai couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Let them know… that we didn’t break off the engagement. It was just my mother who wanted to break it off for me. She’s not the one getting married, so why should she break it off for me?”
“But she’s the one who arranged the engagement for you back then.”
“Qingyu doesn’t care about that.” Luo Qingyu hugged Jiang Huai even tighter.
So, Jiang Huai obediently accompanied Luo Qingyu on a tour of the sect. Luo Qingyu held his arm tightly the whole time, her body almost pressing against him. Disciples walking by saw the two of them, their eyes filled with surprise. They wondered if the rumors they heard a few days ago had something wrong.
Thus, Jiang Huai received another batch of envious and jealous glances.
Jiang Huai had become accustomed to this over the years. He never felt that his current achievements were due to his hard work. It was merely good luck and a resilient spirit. If he hadn’t clung to Chu Xianning’s thigh, acting cute and spoiled, and behaved obediently without crying, Chu Xianning might not have brought him up the mountain.
Unconsciously, Jiang Huai and Luo Qingyu wandered around the sect for the whole day. It was already evening when they returned to the courtyard. Chu Xianning sat quietly in the pavilion, gazing at the setting sun in the distance.
“Master, what would you like to eat tonight?” Jiang Huai struggled to pull his arm, which had been tightly held by Luo Qingyu, out at this moment.
Chu Xianning’s gaze slowly withdrew and fell on his face. After a moment, she replied indifferently, “I’m not hungry.”
As she spoke, she stood up and returned to her room. Jiang Huai was taken aback and said nothing more. He went to the kitchen to make dinner for Luo Qingyu, filling her little belly. Then, he sat with Luo Qingyu in the pavilion and watched the moon.
Luo Qingyu sat beside him. At some point, she quietly took her white and tender little feet out of her crystal sandals, her fair and soft toes gently rubbing against Jiang Huai’s calf. The third time she tried to probe, Jiang Huai suddenly grabbed her foot and lifted her calf. Luo Qingyu slightly turned her body and obediently rested her leg on his.
“Mmm, after the Inner Sect Competition here ends, you should return to Qingxuan宗, okay?”
Luo Qingyu was about to look aggrieved, act spoiled, her eyelashes moistening with tears, and her prepared thoughts ready to unleash in one go. But when she saw Jiang Huai’s gentle yet serious eyes, she restrained them all. After a long while, she obediently lowered her head and softly hummed.
“I’ll send you back to the sect then, and I’ll have a good chat with your mother,” Jiang Huai said, gently pinching Luo Qingyu’s soft and slightly cold little feet. Luo Qingyu obediently hummed again.
“Can Qingyu dance?”
Luo Qingyu shook her head.
“I heard your mother is very skilled at dancing. How about you learn from her then?” Jiang Huai shifted his gaze to Luo Qingyu’s face and said softly, “I want to see.”
“Okay… then Qingyu will learn obediently.”
“Then, when you’ve learned and dance beautifully, I’ll reward you with a kiss,” Jiang Huai winked at her.
Luo Qingyu was stunned for a moment, then her heartbeat suddenly quickened, and even her breathing became a little rapid. Her eyelashes trembled as she looked at Jiang Huai with anticipation, “Really?”
“Jiang Huai Gege won’t lie to you, okay?”
“No you won’t, Jiang Huai Gege lies the most.” Luo Qingyu’s tone was a little resentful.
Jiang Huai was amused and didn’t know how to refute, so he just lowered his head and continued to carefully pinch Luo Qingyu’s fair and tender little feet. The maiden’s delicate feet were soft and snow-white, with a slight cold touch like fine mutton-fat jade, gradually becoming warm again. Jiang Huai pried apart her curled toes one by one. Luo Qingyu slowly curled them up, and then they were pried apart one by one. They played this boring little game in the courtyard for a long time until Luo Qingyu’s little feet became warm. Jiang Huai then withdrew his hand, suddenly picked up Luo Qingyu, and walked towards her room.
Suddenly being picked up, Luo Qingyu was a little flustered and instinctively reached out to hug his neck tightly. Jiang Huai lowered his head, the maiden’s snow-white face just within reach, as if he could kiss her with a slight bow.
Actually, he didn’t want to agree to this engagement that year, but his Master threatened to expel him from the sect if he refused. He had intended to make the fiancée dislike him, so the engagement would naturally fall through. However, seeing Luo Qingyu’s frail and pitiful appearance at that time, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything bad to her. Gradually, Luo Qingyu became extremely obedient to him, doting on him completely, so much so that Jiang Huai suddenly didn’t know how to treat her.
Luo Qingyu was not a little fool. She had held his arm and strolled around the sect all day because she didn’t want the news that Jiang Huai was the one being dumped and humiliated to spread, making him feel uncomfortable.
The moon in the sky was far out of reach, yet the maiden’s pure lips, like petals, were so close.
