Lingxi sat where she was, but her gaze couldn’t help drifting toward the screen.
Behind the screen came the soft splashing of water, mixed with Chen Yuyang’s calm breathing, stirring gentle ripples in her heart.
If only I could always cultivate close to Senior Brother like this… Lingxi couldn’t help but think to herself.
With Senior Brother by her side, her spiritual energy flowed smoothly during cultivation, getting twice the result with half the effort.
Besides… whenever she was with him, she felt at ease, relaxed…
If only she could always be with Senior Brother…
The thought had barely surfaced when Lingxi felt her heart skip a beat.
To be with Senior Brother…
But to do what?
Dual cultivation…
The two words exploded in her mind like thunder, instantly flushing her cheeks a rosy red, even her ears burning.
“No, no, that’s not it!”
The young girl shook her head hard, covering her burning face with her hands and anxiously arguing with herself inside.
That’s not the kind of dual cultivation I meant!
I-it’s just about cultivating together, complementing each other’s attributes, working in harmony.
It’s not about those shameless things between a man and a woman…
But…
Even as she thought this, that handsome face from earlier, so close she could almost touch it, kept resurfacing uncontrollably in her mind.
Senior Brother is really handsome.
And he treats her so well…
If… if it was with Senior Brother, doing that sort of thing…
Lingxi’s blush deepened to the point of translucency, her breathing unconsciously quickening, her eyes flickering with confusion as she kept sneaking glances at Chen Yuyang through the gaps in the screen, feeling her heart thumping wildly.
After a while, the sound of water behind the screen gradually stopped.
Chen Yuyang emerged dressed in fresh clothes, his long black hair tied in a neat ponytail, the tips still glistening with droplets.
Watching him, Lingxi still felt a strange restlessness in her heart.
Seeing him finished with his bath, she got up to head to the tub behind the screen.
As she walked, she looked back at Chen Yuyang, blushing as she quietly said, “Senior Brother, I want to bathe too, so you’d better not peep—”
Before she could finish the last two words, with a soft “thunk,” the door closed and the young man had already left the room.
Lingxi: “….”
Standing there in a daze, staring at the tightly closed door, Lingxi was stunned for a long while before muttering softly, “Senior Brother… really doesn’t understand girls at all.”
Outside the inn, Chen Yuyang stood on a high spot.
The sky was dark, the streetlamps of Spirit Medicine Town flickered on one by one, and the streets were alive with cries of vendors and cheerful laughter.
Among the bustling crowds, everyone struggled for their livelihood.
Looking at this scene of the mundane world, Chen Yuyang couldn’t help but feel a vague and indescribable emotion.
If he could seize this feeling and take a step forward, perhaps his cultivation realm could break through again.
But after shaking his head, Chen Yuyang took the initiative to let go of this fleeting insight.
After estimating the time, feeling it was about right, the young man turned to head back.
As soon as he turned around, his vision was filled by two majestic snowy peaks at arm’s length.
The snow-white curves showed faintly beneath the fabric, rising and falling slightly with Tai Lingxuan’s breathing, giving off an enticing fragrance.
The young man instinctively stopped just in time, barely avoiding plunging face-first into that soft ravine.
Looking up, Chen Yuyang met Tai Lingxuan’s smiling gaze, finally realizing she had, at some point, silently appeared behind him.
He’d been so focused on the street scene just now, so relaxed, that he hadn’t noticed her approach at all.
“Yuyang, what are you doing out here alone?”
Tai Lingxuan’s voice held a trace of concern, her eyes lingering on the young man’s face for a while.
“It’s getting late. Why aren’t you back in your room resting? Or is Lingxi making a fuss again?”
Chen Yuyang gave a wry smile, then replied, “No, Master. It’s just that Lingxi is bathing, and I felt it wouldn’t be proper to remain in the room, so I came out to get some fresh air.”
Hearing this, Tai Lingxuan nodded, a knowing look flashing in her eyes.
She stepped closer, shortening the distance between them, and her unique aura enveloped him.
“If you feel uncomfortable…”
Tai Lingxuan’s voice dropped a few tones as she continued, “It wouldn’t be impossible for you to rest in my room either.”
She paused, seeming to realize her words sounded ambiguous, and hurriedly added, “I—I can sit on a chair and cultivate, I won’t disturb you.”
Chen Yuyang’s lips twitched uncontrollably.
As much as she said that, he didn’t dare trust her so easily.
What if he got dragged off for dual cultivation again, or had his head pressed down for some “test”… He really couldn’t handle it.
Master, please have mercy on me.
Feeling cold sweat trickle down, Chen Yuyang hurriedly cupped his fists and refused, “Master, please don’t joke. Though there’s nothing improper between us… if someone saw me coming and going from your room, it might damage your reputation.”
Nothing improper…
Coming from his lips, these words made Tai Lingxuan’s face flush with embarrassment.
Not to mention those things Yuyang “didn’t know” about; even the things he was aware of… was it really “nothing improper” between her and him?
But, Yuyang was still young—maybe his understanding of these matters was somewhat off.
“You have a point… Well, if you can’t stand your junior sister, it’s fine to send her to my side.”
Chen Yuyang nodded and accepted respectfully.
Returning to the room, he saw Lingxi had finished her bath and was quietly tidying the floor bed.
When she looked up, Lingxi gave Chen Yuyang a plaintive glance, her lips moving as if to speak, but ultimately saying nothing.
She just silently finished laying out her bedding and sat down.
Chen Yuyang didn’t say much either, simply going to sit by the bed, ready to rest.
“Senior Brother, aren’t you going to take your clothes off before sleeping?”
Suddenly Lingxi turned and asked.
Without turning his head, Chen Yuyang replied, “Did you?”
Lingxi’s cheeks reddened, and she said no more, but she couldn’t help grumbling inwardly, “Senior Brother is so mean now!”
The room soon fell into darkness.
Outside the window, faint moonlight spilled through the lattice.
Inside, it was very quiet—only their calm breathing could be heard, with the occasional rustling of bedding.
No one knew how much time passed before a soft, tentative voice sounded in the darkness.
“Senior Brother… um, are you still awake?”
Chen Yuyang kept his eyes closed and didn’t answer.
“It’s… so cold on the floor…” Lingxi’s voice dropped even lower.
Still no response.
“The floor is hard, too. It’s bruising my bones. I can’t sleep at all…”
The girl kept whispering her complaints, her grievance practically overflowing.
Chen Yuyang remained silent.
After a while, Lingxi seemed to muster her courage and said, “Senior Brother, can… can I squeeze in with you?”
Seeing no response from Chen Yuyang, she hurriedly added, “You sleep on your side, I’ll sleep on mine! I promise I won’t bother you, really!”
Still no answer.
But was Chen Yuyang really asleep?
Clearly not.
His senses were sharp—he could tell at once if Lingxi moved, so how could he really be out cold?
But did he dare move?
No, absolutely not.
At this moment, Chen Yuyang even lightened his breathing, afraid Lingxi would notice he was still awake.
If he “woke up” now, who knows what might happen.
Thinking this, Chen Yuyang couldn’t help but feel a little regret.
He really shouldn’t have cultivated here in the first place.
Now that she’d discovered the benefits of being close to him—whether it was for cultivation… or something else—it was too late.
Back then, Senior Sister Qiushui had done the same after noticing the advantages, clinging to him every day and giving him endless headaches.
Now, here comes another Ling…
Chen Yuyang sighed inwardly in resignation.
He’d lived through a hundred lifetimes, braved countless blades and storms.
But when it came to dealing with these sorts of things, he really couldn’t handle it.
“Senior Brother, if you don’t say anything, I… I’ll take it as your agreement…”
Lingxi propped herself up, staring directly at the young man’s back, and pressed further. In the darkness, those dark eyes snapped open.
Take it as his agreement…
Junior Sister sure likes to make things up herself.
At last, Chen Yuyang couldn’t hold back.
If he didn’t react soon, she really would climb onto his bed, so he spoke sternly:
“Junior Sister, don’t joke around. You and I are no longer children, and between men and wo—”
Before he could finish, Lingxi suddenly jumped up from the floor.
“Ha! Senior Brother, so you really weren’t asleep!”
Lingxi shouted, quickly scooting to the bedside and grabbing the young man’s arm with a pitiful shake.
“How could you just let your Junior Sister sleep on the floor, freezing and bruised all over?”
Chen Yuyang: “…”
“So it’s true. You don’t care anymore—since you got a new little Junior Sister, you’ve just…”
Listening to her, Chen Yuyang couldn’t help but sit up and look at her, exasperated.
“What does this have to do with Yun Lian?”
“How does it not? I heard it all from Senior Sister Qiushui. While I was in seclusion, Yun Lian was with you every day. You even personally taught her swordsmanship, and sometimes you two were so close, you were practically stuck together.”
“You even taught her a special sword dance, saying it suited her best.”
As the girl complained, sweat began to bead on Chen Yuyang’s forehead.
If she was lying, her words might not have troubled him, but most of what Lingxi said was actually true.
But what really worried Chen Yuyang wasn’t that Lingxi knew about this, but that she was jealous—feeling threatened by it.
Did that mean Lingxi really…?
Chen Yuyang pursed his lips, staring at the girl.
What a sinful man I am.
“Lingxi, you’ve misunderstood.”
“Yun Lian is my junior sister, I treat her no differently from you.”
“You said I practiced swordplay with her every day, but didn’t I used to fight alongside you every day, too?”
“You’re overthinking it. There’s nothing between me and Yun Lian—I’m just fulfilling my duties as Senior Brother and teaching her on Master’s behalf.”
Chen Yuyang explained seriously.
Yet, as soon as he said this, Lingxi’s eyes immediately grew misty with tears.
“Senior Brother, so you’re saying that with me, you’re just fulfilling your duty… and have no feelings for me at all?”