“You’re really, really not mad?” Jiang Xiaohu couldn’t help but ask again.
“If you ask again, Qingyu will truly get mad.”
“No, I’m not… it’s just that it feels unreal, like I prepared myself for execution on the scaffold, only to suddenly come back to life.”
Luo Qingyu silently grabbed his arm and took a bite, her eyes innocently blinking. “Does it feel real now?”
Jiang Huai winced in pain; it felt very real.
He didn’t activate the Overlord Art, or Luo Qingyu’s teeth would be the ones hurting. Luo Qingyu, currently curled in his arms, listened as he recounted the entire story from the Daoji Ancestral Land. Then, she suddenly spoke, “Afterward, I’ll go to Sister Wanwan’s room and chat with her.”
“Chat about what?” Jiang Huai looked at her warily.
“Why does Brother Jiang Huai look like he’s worried I’ll bully her?”
“It’s not exactly that…”
“As for what we’ll chat about, Brother Jiang Huai can ask Sister Wanwan later. If Qingyu were a little fool, she’d confront Wanwan. Wanwan should first show weakness…”
“Is it really okay for you to tell me these things so directly?”
“Brother Jiang Huai can guess anyway,” Luo Qingyu’s voice softened.
Jiang Huai looked down at Luo Qingyu’s snow-white cheeks. He could vaguely sense that the Luo Qingyu curled in his arms now was vastly different from the Luo Qingyu of the past. She no longer hid many of her thoughts and had learned to express her desires.
Luo Qingyu then spoke about some of the details of her encounter with Bai Li in the Immortal Spirit Secret Realm. It was clear that she and Bai Li had gotten along exceptionally well. When she spoke of Bai Li, her tone was particularly gentle, which didn’t surprise Jiang Huai much. Bai Li had such a good personality; it was only natural that she would get along well with Luo Qingyu.
The two of them stayed curled up in the quilt, chatting for a long, long time. Only when the light outside the window gradually dimmed did Jiang Huai finally get out of bed, preparing to casually make a few dishes and have a simple meal, as a celebration for everyone’s safe return.
Luo Qingyu also got up. She put on her gorgeous dress, braided her hair, and even sat by the bedside, taking out the black high heels Jiang Huai had given her. Jiang Huai knew she was going to see Wen Wanwan, but at this moment, there was really nothing he could do. He could only silently pray in his heart that there wouldn’t be any conflict.
***
Luo Qingyu gently knocked on Wen Wanwan’s door.
Wen Wanwan, dressed in a simple white Daoist robe, opened the door. Her jet-black hair was tied up with just a thin string, and her cheeks were bare of any makeup. Yet, Luo Qingyu had to admit that Wen Wanwan was exceptionally beautiful.
If she weren’t so overwhelmingly beautiful, Brother Jiang Huai probably wouldn’t have had any history with her.
“Sister Wanwan,” Luo Qingyu’s face broke into a sweet smile.
“Fairy Qingyu…” A trace of unease flickered deep in Wen Wanwan’s eyes.
At this moment, Luo Qingyu was clad in a gorgeous, gilded long dress with a fishtail-like hem that revealed a slender lower leg in the front. She wore sharp high heels, and her gaze was almost level with Wen Wanwan’s. She was a year younger than Wen Wanwan, so calling her “Sister” was perfectly acceptable.
“Sister Wanwan, just call me Qingyu from now on,” Luo Qingyu replied softly. “Brother Jiang Huai has told me everything that happened in the Daoji Ancestral Land.”
Wen Wanwan’s heartstrings tensed slightly, but Luo Qingyu had already taken her hand and led her back into the room. She closed the door and looked at Wen Wanwan before her, seemingly noticing the trace of unease deep in the other’s eyes.
They were both adept at reading people and equally delicate and sensitive.
“Let’s get to the outcome first.” Luo Qingyu led Wen Wanwan to sit on the bed. Wen Wanwan sat down and turned her face as Luo Qingyu began to speak. Luo Qingyu said softly, “The marriage between Brother Jiang Huai and me will, of course, proceed as scheduled. As for Sister Wanwan, your marriage will be after mine… So, if Sister Wanwan has any dissatisfaction, you can tell me now.”
Wen Wanwan was stunned.
She had been prepared to face Luo Qingyu’s anger, but Luo Qingyu’s current tone was excessively gentle. She had no reason to refute her words, and it even felt somewhat dreamlike, making Wen Wanwan doubt if she was hallucinating.
Given how worried Jiang Huai looked earlier, it seemed Luo Qingyu wasn’t such an easygoing girl.
“Of course, of course, I have no dissatisfaction. It’s just… do you really think this way?”
“Mm-hmm,” Luo Qingyu nodded seriously. “Brother Jiang Huai likes you. If I don’t like you, then Brother Jiang Huai won’t like me as much.”
Looking at the surprise and unease in Wen Wanwan’s eyes, Luo Qingyu hesitated for a moment. “I’m not here to argue with Sister Wanwan, so Sister Wanwan doesn’t need to worry. I’m here to thank Sister Wanwan for saving Brother Jiang Huai. I should be the one to thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks for something like this…”
“But I still have to thank you. We all imagine our first Dual Cultivation to be beautiful, but Sister Wanwan’s first was in a cave, and you were so nervous and tormented. I’ve wronged you, Sister Wanwan.” Luo Qingyu held Wen Wanwan’s small hand, her tone making Wen Wanwan unsure how to respond.
“I’m not wronged…”
“It’s good if Sister Wanwan feels it’s okay,” Luo Qingyu said softly, then playfully winked at Wen Wanwan. “So… are we sisters from now on?”
“If Qingyu is willing… of course…”
“You still sound so distant.” Luo Qingyu suddenly leaned closer and gently hugged Wen Wanwan’s body. “Will this make us less distant?”
Wen Wanwan’s stiff body instantly softened. She suddenly thought of something, raised her hand, and two streams of Heavenly Way Spiritual Qi appeared in her palm. “This… is for you.”
“Heavenly Way Spiritual Qi?”
“Yes, it’s an inheritance obtained in the Daoji Ancestral Land. I’ve already refined a Five-Pattern Heavenly Way Spirit Pill, and this is extra…”
“Eh? Then I’ll accept it.” Luo Qingyu was not polite. Even though her cultivation level was already Fifth Level Transc, refining these two streams of Heavenly Way Spiritual Qi would cause a qualitative change in her Golden Core.
“But I don’t seem to have anything to give Sister Wanwan…” Luo Qingyu’s small face seemed to become distressed.
“No, no, it’s fine…”
“It’s not fine.” Luo Qingyu raised her small face. “There must be something. If I get something good in the future, I’ll think of Sister Wanwan too.” Luo Qingyu replied softly, and Wen Wanwan’s unease gradually melted away.
Regardless of what Luo Qingyu was thinking in her heart, all her words were impeccable. Wen Wanwan had no reason to dislike Luo Qingyu.
“Alright, alright, Brother Jiang Huai is cooking dinner. Shall we have a couple of drinks together tonight?” Luo Qingyu’s eyes sparkled.
***
Dinner time.
Jiang Xiaohu had prepared a large table full of dishes. He looked at Luo Qingyu and Wen Wanwan with a fluttering heart, but the two of them walked out of the room hand in hand. They even sat next to each other, and it was Luo Qingyu who poured the drinks, filling both their cups to the brim.
Jiang Xiaohu was ready for any unexpected situation, but in fact, there was no chaos during this dinner. Luo Qingyu and Wen Wanwan drank quite a bit, but there was no sign of animosity. Instead, the two girls’ eyes became brighter and brighter the more they drank. They even agreed to sleep together tonight and chat again.
Jiang Xiaohu let out a long sigh. He couldn’t help but search his System. Had the System secretly sent him a “dullness aura”?
Bai Li, at the table, was eating meat heartily. Jiang Huai had made hand-grabbed lamb chops, and she was eating with oil all over her face, not caring at all. Bai Jin watched her tenderly. Unexpectedly, halfway through dinner, Bai Jin suddenly raised her wine cup and looked toward Jiang Huai from a distance, her voice exceedingly gentle. “Jiang Huai?”
“Hmm? Senior Bai.” Jiang Huai, who had just settled down, was startled again and hurriedly raised his wine cup.
“Just call me Aunt Bai. Thank you for taking care of Bai Li for me all these years. Aunt Bai will toast you. In the future, if you encounter any trouble, you can come to the Western Region to find me, and I will help you solve it.”
Jiang Huai was immediately flattered. “No, Bai Li and I have always had a very good relationship; we look out for each other, and she has helped me a lot too.”
Bai Jin lifted her wine cup and drank it in one gulp. Her snow-white cheeks flushed slightly. The hazy moonlight on her face added to her gentleness. She was also an extremely beautiful woman; after all, the young Bai Li was already exceptionally delicate and cute, and the dragon-transformed Bai Li was even more sacred and stunning.
The atmosphere at the table gradually became lively. It was as if a switch had been flipped. After Bai Li finished eating, she picked up her wine cup and, without a word, filled Jiang Huai’s cup first. She had always enjoyed drinking. When they were exploring the Secret Realm before, she often dragged him to have a few drinks. At that time, neither of them dared to be too unrestrained, always worried about causing trouble if they drank too much.
Now, with nothing to worry about, Bai Li couldn’t help but drink heartily. Soon, her head started to feel fuzzy, and she rested on the table. Jiang Huai thought for a moment and asked her, “Shall I send you back to your room to rest first?”
Bai Li let out a drunken hiccup and nodded slightly. Jiang Huai then reached out his hand, and Bai Li, holding his hand, got up from the table and walked towards the room. In the room, Bai Li sat by the bedside, her white and tender little hands resting on the bedsheet. Although her cheeks were still slightly flushed, the drunkenness in her eyes seemed to have diminished. As Jiang Huai began to brew her sobering tea, Bai Li curiously asked, “Have you encountered anything fun recently?”
While brewing tea, Jiang Huai recounted his experiences in the Daoji Ancestral Land and his conversation with Luo Qingyu earlier that day to Bai Li. He had always been too lazy to hide anything from Bai Li. After listening, Bai Li sat by the bedside, swinging her white and tender little feet, and nodded thoughtfully.
“You said… is Qingyu really not mad?” Jiang Huai was still fixated on this question.
Bai Li let out a chuckle. “Why are you always worried about this?”
“I’m just thinking… what if Qingyu is actually very depressed deep down, but keeps suppressing it, and then one day it suddenly explodes, and everything is ruined.”
“Your timid demeanor is such a contrast to your womanizing ways,” Bai Li sighed. “You’re worthy of writing Floating Clouds Flowery Records, A Mumu, yet you can’t even handle two women. So weak.”
Jiang Huai gave her a helpless look. Bai Li had already jumped off the bed and picked up her teacup. Jiang Huai quickly reminded her, “Be careful not to burn yourself.”
Bai Li then took only a small sip. She sat opposite Jiang Huai and said softly, “Don’t worry, Qingyu is likely genuinely not angry.”
“Why?” Jiang Huai was puzzled.
“Because she likes you a lot.” Bai Li leaned back in her chair, crossing her slender legs under her qipao. “I spent seven or eight months with her in the Secret Realm. Every night when we slept and chatted, she would always talk to me about her Brother Jiang Huai. To her, you’re like the only sun in her world; she can’t live without you…”
“She also talked to me about Wen Wanwan and asked for my opinion, but just asked. In fact, she had already thought about this matter long ago. She just wanted to see how much you liked Wen Wanwan. If you liked Wen Wanwan that much, then she would reluctantly make room for her because she didn’t want you to be troubled by it.”
“I feel like Qingyu is a very smart kind of girl. Just in the Secret Realm, she could always think of things deeper than me. We teamed up with other cultivators several times in the Secret Realm, and many times it was because Qingyu had thought things through that we always got the best resources. She’s much more capable than I am.”
“But it’s precisely because she’s so smart that she seems like an idiot when it comes to liking you. I think she understands things very, very clearly in her heart. If you had liked her enough from the beginning, then Wen Wanwan wouldn’t have been an issue. So now, even if she’s angry, it won’t change anything. It’s better to give you freedom and make you like her even more.”
“Your thoughts are so sharp. Aren’t you my brother? Who else could you be?”
Bai Li playfully kicked him with her white and tender little foot, but he immediately grabbed it. The girl’s soft and tender little foot was as warm and smooth as jade, feeling wonderfully soft when he held it.
“It seems I’ve really learned a lot from spending time with Luo Qingyu…” Bai Li muttered thoughtfully. “You really can’t underestimate Qingyu. She’s incredibly capable, though she’s a bit dark towards strangers. Several times she tricked cultivators traveling with us, and they were still grateful to us without realizing it.”
“What do I do if my brain isn’t enough?” Jiang Xiaohu was already trembling.
“Don’t worry, since she likes you so, so much, she nags me every night about what you two did in the past. My ears have grown calluses from listening.” Bai Li stared intently at Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai was idly playing with her delicate pink and snow-white toes, a boring activity they had done in the cave during their time in the Secret Realm, with no hint of flirtation. Bai Li had never been angry, but at this moment, Bai Li looked at him with a melancholic gaze and suddenly sighed softly.
“Why the sudden sigh?” Jiang Huai looked up at her.
“Thinking about Mother suddenly returning… and becoming Ninth Realm… and about to return to the Western Region, it all feels like a dream.”
“Isn’t that a good thing? Mother treats you well and is so powerful.”
“I’m a little reluctant to part,” Bai Li mumbled softly.
“But it’s still better than roughing it out here, constantly worrying in the Secret Realm every day,” Jiang Huai said gently. “Besides, didn’t your mother promise you that if you obtain the Demon Emperor’s inheritance and don’t want to be the Demon Emperor’s successor… she’ll give you freedom?”
“Then where will I go then?” Bai Li’s voice became very, very soft.
She didn’t know where her future lay, which was why she felt uneasy.
“Come to the Eastern Region. I’ll treat you to good food and drinks. I’ll reserve a room for you in the courtyard.” Jiang Huai replied very naturally, as if he had planned it long ago.
Bai Li suddenly froze for a moment. She looked earnestly at Jiang Huai’s profile. After a few seconds, she suddenly chuckled lightly.
She tilted her chin up slightly. “You don’t have any despicable and dark thoughts about me, do you?”
“Oh, there are plenty. Little Bai Li can touch my little feet, and Big Bai Li can touch my dragon horns. Just thinking about it is fun.” Jiang Huai replied with a chuckle. They had been playfully teasing each other for more than a day. Bai Li turned sideways and gently stepped on his chest with her white and tender little foot. She also laughed. “Heh, I’ll be the successor to the Demon Emperor soon. You, a mere inner disciple of the Tian Xuan Sect, will only be fit to lick my little feet in the future.”
“There’s no need to wait for the future. How about I just start licking preemptively? *Slurp, slurp*.”
“Ew, you can even accept this kind of joke now? Just like what you write in your books, men who have been with women become thicker-skinned.” Bai Li looked at him dismissively. Jiang Huai made a face at her, sticking out his tongue like a puppy.
Bai Li was amused by his silliness, but a warmth slowly bloomed in her heart, as if her anxiety and fear about the future were also gradually melting away.
