The evening deepened, and the afterglow painted the horizon a magnificent orange-red.
The lanterns in the courtyard were lit one by one by Lin Qiongyu, their gentle light dispelling the dusk.
Qing Jun, having eaten her fill, was lying contentedly on the stone table, letting out little yawns. Her eyelids began to droop as she mumbled, "Master, don’t steal Qing Jun’s Spiritual Peach..."
Greedy and selfish little girl!
Clearly, those were the master’s peaches, yet she wouldn’t allow the master to have any!
But seeing the disciple’s drowsy figure, words of reproach just wouldn’t come out.
Chen Ye gently said, "They’re all for Qing Jun. As long as Qing Jun wants to eat, your master will pick more for you."
As for how the Wei Family might react, that was not Chen Ye’s concern.
The little girl giggled foolishly at her master, "Master..."
"Hmm?" Chen Ye subconsciously responded.
"You must save all the good things for Qing Jun! Including... including you... huff huff... Otherwise, Qing Jun won’t be polite!"
As she spoke, her eyes gradually closed, and she buried her head, falling into a deep sleep.
Lazy, gluttonous little girl!
Falling asleep before finishing her sentence?
"Including me in what?"
Chen Ye was puzzled, but after a bit of thought, he suddenly understood.
Greedy little girl!
Already thinking about inheriting her master’s possessions?
Could she be pondering on taking over the Spiritual Peach Garden and Lisong Valley when she grows up?
"Alas... so young, yet already eyeing her master’s assets!" Chen Ye exclaimed angrily.
"Master."
Zhiwei seemed to casually lift her head, her dark eyes gazing toward the outer valley, as she casually asked,
"It’s getting late, did Sister Susu return to the sect early?"
Seeing his eldest disciple’s obedient appearance, Chen Ye’s anger subsided a bit, and he explained:
"No. I acquired the Wei Family’s Mountain Covering Array. It’s a brilliant array, so I asked Susu to help search for a suitable array base in the Outer Valley. I don’t think she can finish anytime soon, so I came back to check on you all."
Honestly,
Bai Susu is truly useful.
Not only is she exceptionally skilled in combat, but she also dabbles in arrays.
A genuine smile emerged on Chen Ye’s face.
The dark-haired little girl glanced at her master, then saw his smile, and it seemed to prick her gaze, quickly shifting her attention to the small white fox in her arms.
She gently stroked the little white fox’s fur, softly asking, "How long will Sister Susu stay..."
Chen Ye joked, "Do you miss Sister Susu?"
"Hmm..." Zhiwei nodded, murmuring, "Sister Susu is not only beautiful but also powerful and strong. Of course, Zhiwei will miss Sister Susu. Master, you must miss her too, right?"
Chen Ye’s smile froze for a moment.
The disciple’s words seemed to have thorns...
He looked at Zhiwei, who was bowing her head, her little hand unconsciously stroking the smooth fur of the little white fox in her arms.
As if calm, yet this very calmness allowed Chen Ye to see the unease in her heart.
This is... fearing that Bai Susu might replace her in his heart.
Chen Ye was clear-minded; though there might be many people around him, they only had their master.
"Susu is indeed remarkable. Having her around truly saves much trouble," he said tenderly. "But no matter how great she is, she is not the master’s family."
"..."
Zhiwei pursed her lips, knowing her master would say sweet words to console her.
But not being the master’s family now doesn’t mean she won’t be in the future...
As she expected, her master then looked at Qing Jun: "Only you are the ones who have been by my side since I had nothing."
Zhiwei’s eyes dimmed slightly, and she displayed a gentle smile: "Yes! Zhiwei understands!"
She pretended to be relieved.
If the master always coaxes the disciple,
what’s wrong with the disciple coaxing the master in return?
Zhiwei continued to pet the little white fox; suddenly, her expression changed: "Master, look, it’s like Little White has awakened!"
The little white fox, who had been sleeping for days, suddenly twitched its fluffy ears.
Then, it stretched its small body, let out an elegant yawn, and opened its eyes in confusion.
Those eyes were no longer as innocent and pure as before.
They carried a Spirituality different from before.
Chen Ye was startled; had this little white fox super-evolved?
How did it seem smarter?
"Chirp!"
It let out a crisp call, trotting on its four little short legs, and gleefully jumped onto the table, burying its little head and began to eat voraciously.
As it ate, its fluffy big tail wagged non-stop.
"..."
Alright, it seemed it was just his imagination.
This little white fox, just like Qing Jun! No wonder they play well together.
Zhiwei, however, softly exclaimed, pointing at the little white fox and quietly asked, "Master, look, it’s only eating the peach tips and discarding the rest."
Chen Ye focused his gaze, and sure enough.
The little white fox, despite eating in a hurry, was extremely picky, only nibbling on the Spiritual Qi-rich top part of each Spiritual Peach and discarding the rest, moving on to nibble another.
"Bastard!"
Chen Ye was anxious; this beast was wasting top-quality Spiritual Peaches. Wouldn’t Qing Jun suspect her master of stealing them upon waking?
In an instant, he leaped forward, trying to grab the wasteful little creature.
The little white fox was quicker, sensing danger, and it effortlessly leaped away, dodging Chen Ye’s grasp.
It stopped at the other end of the stone table, holding a small piece of peach tip in its mouth, tilting its head to look at Chen Ye with a hint of disdain.
Chen Ye was stunned by its disdainful gaze.
This little fox, it now even dares to scoff?
It seems Chen Ye hasn’t disciplined it enough!