Teacher.
Li Yunxian, for once, didn’t know what to say.
In her ear, Su Wenjing’s teasing voice floated by: “Even your worries are so trivial?”
Su Wenjing repeated what Li Yunxian had just said.
Li Yunxian didn’t pay attention to Su Wenjing. Instead, she crouched down beside Feicui.
Li Yunxian didn’t draw from her own experience and tell Feicui things like, “No one will always, always be together.”
After all, her own experiences had shown her that nothing is truly impossible.
But Li Yunxian also didn’t offer Feicui any certain assurances.
She opened her mouth and relayed Jiang Qiqing’s words.
“Qiqing said she was a bit harsh to you today…”
Feicui began crying even harder.
Li Yunxian continued to hand her tissues, her voice gentle: “Have you told Qiqing about the things you’re worried and afraid about?”
Feicui immediately stopped crying, stammering, not daring to speak.
“What’s wrong?” Li Yunxian asked.
Feicui explained shyly, “I didn’t want Qiqing to feel pressured about cultivation.”
“This is just my own worry. I don’t want it to become a burden for Qiqing…”
Li Yunxian smiled. “I don’t know what Qiqing thinks, but if it were me…”
“I believe that as long as we’re alive, we’ll encounter all sorts of things. Every experience shapes who we are.”
“I wouldn’t avoid something just because it might stress me out or become a knot in my heart.”
“Qiqing has always been brave.” Saying this, Li Yunxian looked at Feicui, “She’s willing to bow her head to you, and she even said she wants to be a kindergarten teacher.”
At this point, Li Yunxian paused and asked, “Did she ever tell you that?”
Feicui was stunned, her voice muffled: “She mentioned it before… I thought she was just saying it offhand.”
“She’s done a lot of research.” Li Yunxian offered, but didn’t dwell on the topic. Instead, she said to Feicui, “She’s one of the top four students, and she even got into the Ivy League selection.”
“Most people go to the Special Management Bureau, the Military Guard, or if they work at the Academy, they try to stay on as instructors or take administrative posts.”
“The worst is being a manager at a high school.”
“A kindergarten teacher, though—she thought about it, set her sights on it, and went for it. She doesn’t care what others think.”
“Cuicui, maybe you should have a bit more faith in Qiqing.”
“Wanting to stay Zhiyou forever isn’t something only you decide.”
Feicui was silent for a long moment before she finally nodded, embarrassed.
And at Li Yunxian’s ear, Su Wenjing sounded genuinely impressed: “Amazing.”
With just a few words, she’d convinced someone to follow her lead.
Li Yunxian led Feicui toward the teachers’ villa area.
Feicui, anxious inside, quickened her pace a little, so Li Yunxian accommodatingly slowed down a bit.
In a soft voice, she asked Su Wenjing, “What’s going on with Zhan Valley? You seem especially free today.”
Hearing the implication that she was talking too much, Su Wenjing:
Li Yunxian, getting no answer from Su Wenjing, continued, “It’s been over a week now, and there’s been no movement. Don’t tell me with so many of you on the job, knowing I’ll cooperate, you still haven’t worked out a solution?”
That would be more than a little embarrassing.
Su Wenjing tugged the corner of her mouth. Having experienced Li Yunxian’s sharp tongue, she knew that if she didn’t answer, the next thing out of Li Yunxian’s mouth wouldn’t be pleasant.
“We had a solution by the second day after you returned.”
“We separated Zhan Valley from the surrounding area, so the surrounding artifact formations wouldn’t be affected and the terrain wouldn’t collapse.”
“Once everything’s ready, you can just put away Zhan Valley, stop its operation, and then simply withdraw your own imprint.”
No matter the artifact, once it stops working, it’s easy to unbind and hand it over.
For example, the Xiayun Sword before—Professor Chen’s old sword. After he reclaimed his imprint, he gave it to Li Yunxian.
“We’re almost done dismantling things. Your teacher is working out how to stabilize the artifact connections with the lowest possible cost.”
“Should be finished in a day or two.”
Hearing this, Li Yunxian was reassured.
By now, Feicui’s figure had already disappeared from Li Yunxian’s sight, in the space of just those few words.
Feicui walked all the way to the door of Li Yunxian’s villa before she realized she’d left the actual owner behind.
She immediately felt awkward and embarrassed.
Then, Feicui noticed something wasn’t quite right.
No need to mention that Li Yunxian’s cultivation was obviously higher than hers now—not just at Qi Refining Stage Eight, but several levels above.
Even if Li Yunxian were still only at Qi Refining Stage Two…
Feicui thought of Li Yunxian’s unquestionable first place on the Ivy League Ranking…
How could someone like that be left behind so easily by her?
It was obvious: Li Yunxian had done it on purpose.
She was giving Feicui and Jiang Qiqing space, so the two could talk in peace.
But now, only she was here…
Feicui looked at the doorbell in front of her, feeling timid. After several seconds, she finally steeled herself and pressed it.
Jiang Qiqing opened the door in confusion, only to see Feicui with eyes even redder than hers.
Feicui, just as Li Yunxian had said, had been crying too.
Jiang Qiqing was stunned.
In front of her, Feicui had always been tough and diligent; nothing could defeat her. She’d bleed before she’d ever shed a tear.
Seeing Feicui in such a sorry state, Jiang Qiqing couldn’t help herself.
“Pfft.” She burst out laughing.
Feicui:
Face red, furious!
“No laughing allowed!!” she yelled, utterly exasperated.
Jiang Qiqing only laughed louder.
Li Yunxian walked at a leisurely pace, soon reaching within a kilometer of her own villa.
Sensing that her two best friends had finally begun to talk honestly, Li Yunxian thoughtfully took a step back, leaving them a private space.
Su Wenjing looked at Li Yunxian, leaning quietly against a tree by the roadside, head lowered, waiting calmly. She couldn’t help but speak up.
“Just now you said that if you want to do something, you’ll do it. Have you never regretted it?”
Li Yunxian was surprised that Su Wenjing would ask such a question.
“Of course I have. It’s not like I was born this way—I’ve been burned and cheated many times.”
“How could anyone never regret anything?”
Su Wenjing said, “That’s not what I mean, I meant…”
“Have you ever regretted meeting someone? Like what Feicui said.”
“If you’re destined to part ways, maybe it would’ve been better never to have met at all.”
Li Yunxian could tell something was off in Su Wenjing’s tone as she asked this.
She thought for a moment, and then, for once, replied seriously.
“If you mean regretting meeting someone, then yes, and not just once.”
“Some people seemed trustworthy, but ended up stabbing me in the back.”
“Some were genuinely good at first, but later turned on me.”
“Others are kind most of the time, but when interests are at stake, they show their true colors.”
“There was even a ‘Zhiyou’ once, who believed all my swordsmanship was because of my Sword Bone, and wanted to carve out my bones to graft onto herself.”
And now, the Sword Bone in Li Yunxian’s body had awakened again, but she barely made use of it.
Her swordsmanship had long since surpassed the need for any such enhancement.
“It’s only for those where my sincerity was fed to the dogs that I have regrets.”
“But if it’s just because parting is inevitable, and so you’d rather never meet at all…That, I’ve never regretted.”
“If the other person is really that wonderful, so much so that I can hardly bear to part—if I don’t meet them while they’re alive, am I supposed to wait until they’re dead to become friends?”
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