She was still that attentive Sister Qingzhu.
Even when it came time to be honest and open, she was used to playing the role of caregiver.
What a pity.
The pure Brother Ye in her mind had long been trained by a certain Golden Furred Ball...
"Ye... Brother Ye? How do you know this move..."
This was probably what Mao Qingzhu was thinking.
The next morning.
The birds chirped in the forest, a few strands of morning light streamed through the gaps in the bamboo window, dappling the messy bed.
Mao Qingzhu’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
She first looked around blankly, not quite coming to her senses.
Upon seeing the man,
The absurd images of last night flooded her mind, making the usually dignified young lady blush as she pulled the quilt up high, wrapping herself like a silkworm cocoon.
"Awake?"
A soft, teasing whisper came from beside her.
Mao Qingzhu turned her head and met Chen Ye’s bright eyes.
He was already fully dressed, propping his head up on one side, looking at her shy demeanor with great interest.
"When... when did you wake up?"
Mao Qingzhu’s voice was a little hoarse. She wanted to sit up, but found her fragrant shoulders exposed, the scenery under the quilt faintly visible, frightening her to quickly shrink back, leaving only her moist eyes open, she chided shyly and angrily,
"Turn around... Don’t look."
"What haven’t I seen last night?"
Chen Ye teased, seeing her almost steaming with embarrassment, he knew to stop.
He reached over to tuck her in, and said gently:
"It’s still early. If you’re tired, sleep a little more. I’m going over to Baopu Hall to check on the morning lessons."
Hearing the words "morning lessons" made some of the shyness in Mao Qingzhu’s eyes fade.
"No way..."
She braced her body to sit up, enduring the discomfort, called over and put on a robe,
"Today’s my first day on the peak, how can I indulge in laziness?"
Saying so, she tried to get out of bed briskly to prove she was "perfectly fine".
But as soon as her feet touched the ground, her knees buckled.
"Careful."
Chen Ye was quick to react, immediately supporting her.
"It’s all your fault..."
Mao Qingzhu leaned against him, her beautiful eyes glancing at him with a multitude of emotions,
That glance carried a world of charm, hardly a hint of blame, more like pouting like a spoiled child,
"I told you... to be more restrained."
"Yes, yes, it’s my fault."
Chen Ye was in high spirits, giving a light peck on her forehead,
"Then take your time getting ready, I’ll go handle those three little ones first. As for Baopu Hall matters, it’s not urgent for now. It’s your first day on the peak, and you shouldn’t have to assume duties immediately. A few days later is fine too."
"Hmm."
Mao Qingzhu nodded obediently and waited for the man’s figure to disappear.
Only then did she breathe out a sigh, patting her flushed cheeks.
"Xiaoli."
She softly called into the air.
"Miss! You’re awake!"
Upon hearing the voice, the clever little maid appeared outside the door, seemingly waiting there for quite some time.
She was, after all, Mao Qingzhu’s personal maid, always following wherever Mao Qingzhu went.
This time coming to Baopu Peak was no exception.
Once Mao Qingzhu headed out, she followed along with the Xu Family’s Foundation Establishment cultivators to Lingyin Sect.
Xiaoli stuck her head in, looking at her mistress’s beaming face, unable to hold back a covered giggle:
"The master... oh no, Instructor Chen has left?"
"Talkative."
Mao Qingzhu lightly scolded,
"Send word to Divine Mist Valley, have them send the spiritual objects I’ve chosen as soon as possible. In the upcoming year, Qing Jun should be reaching Foundation Establishment soon, so the family naturally needs to prepare in advance."
Thinking of Qing Jun’s cultivation progress,
Mao Qingzhu was still in disbelief.
That girl, her cultivation progress is astonishingly fast.
Even I am still only at Foundation Establishment Third Layer...
"No wonder the Xu Family values Qing Jun so much. Not only Qing Jun, that girl Zhiwei has already reached Foundation Establishment; such talent is comparable to Bai Susu." She mused.
Fortunately.
Qing Jun has the Xu Family as backing, and now Xu Henshan is a Great Cultivator at Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer; no one would dare touch Qing Jun for the time being—besides, Qing Jun hardly ever leaves Baopu Peak.
Zhiwei, on the other hand, has not yet gained any public reputation, outsiders remain unaware she has reached Foundation Establishment.
As for Brother Ye, he has the support of the Bai Family.
Otherwise, having these two extraordinary disciples brings its own set of challenges or blessings.
...
When returning to Cangli Courtyard.
As Chen Ye expected,
outside Cangli Courtyard’s gate, a petite figure was squatting by the entrance, holding a twig to draw circles on the ground, muttering words like "hateful old man"...
Upon hearing footsteps.
Qing Jun’s ears twitched, springing up and rushing over to Chen Ye.
The little girl first circled around Chen Ye twice, sniffing intently a few times, apparently trying to catch some incriminating scent.
But regrettably, Chen Ye was prepared, having cloaked himself with Spiritual Fire Powder, leaving only a faint herbal scent of pills and alchemy.
Chen Ye inwardly thought:
"Hmph, stinky girl, even if you’ve caught me once or twice, this time I’ve deliberately washed several times and masked with different scents. Even a dragon’s nose couldn’t possibly detect it!"
Qing Jun furrowed her soft brows, looking at her master in suspicion: "Hmph..."
Chen Ye confidently maintained a façade of displeasure: "What are you sniffing for? Do you think your master went carousing? Alas, poor master works hard at alchemy, returning only to be accused by a disciple of slacking off."
However,
Even though no scent was detected.
But what kind of character was the little girl?
She was supremely confident!
Even without evidence, she still dared to question.
"Master!"
Qing Jun tilted her head, suspiciously staring at him,