After clearing up the “misunderstanding,” Gong Shangyu invited Lu Li and Gu Qingying to the front hall for breakfast, planning to have the renowned chefs recruited by the Danding Pavilion from all over Jin Country treat Lu Li well.
Faced with Gong Shangyu’s enthusiastic invitation, Lu Li declined outright, citing his intention to enter a fasting state for cultivation.
After all, Lu Li still wasn’t sure whether the Danding Pavilion was friend or foe.
If he accepted food from them rashly, what if they had poisoned it?
When traveling, it’s always safer to rely on the Pigu Pills he prepared himself than to eat unknown food.
So, out of caution, Lu Li politely but firmly refused.
He even used the excuse of punishing Gu Qingying with Closed Door Reflection to forbid her from following Gong Shangyu to the feast.
After all, last night, his Big Disciple had already been trapped and captured by these Dan Cultivators from the Danding Pavilion once, threatened to force Lu Li’s surrender.
With these Dan Cultivators’ methods, there was no telling if they might poison his Big Disciple and then use him as leverage at a critical moment.
It wasn’t that Lu Li held prejudice against Dan Cultivators; it was mainly because in his previous life playing games, he had been betrayed many times by Dan Cultivators’ Second Disciples.
“Master Shang’s kindness is well received by Lu. But alas, Lu must enter fasting for cultivation and therefore will not attend the feast~”
Lu Li said as he roughly ushered out the resentful-looking Gong Shangyu from the guest room courtyard.
Once the young master of the Shang family was successfully sent off, Lu Li turned around decisively to face Gu Qingying, who was still standing there with her head drooped and an expression full of grievance, radiating a strong aura of awkwardness.
With a sigh, Lu Li approached Gu Qingying, his voice softening considerably, carrying a faint hint of helplessness.
“Alright, Qingkong, lift your head.”
Gu Qingying’s shoulders twitched, hesitating before slowly raising her head.
Her purple eyes were already reddened, watery with a sheen of tears, like a little animal terribly wronged, biting her lip and afraid to meet his gaze.
Seeing this, Lu Li’s slight irritation at her “mischief” melted away, his tone growing even gentler.
“The reason I spoke so sternly just now was only to give Master Shang some face; I did not truly intend to punish you severely.”
“As for transcribing the Daozang, forget it. Don’t take it to heart.”
He then gently reached out and patted her shoulder, speaking earnestly.
“When traveling, people’s hearts are hard to read. Though the Danding Pavilion and the Shang family seem upright and aboveboard, we have yet to fully grasp their true nature.”
“You’re still young and inexperienced. In the future, you must be more cautious in your actions. Don’t let anyone catch your flaws so easily again.”
“Heh~ In this regard, perhaps this incident is actually a blessing in disguise. None are perfect in this world; who can walk without fault? Just be more careful next time.”
Lu Li paused briefly, glancing at his tearful disciple, then added with firm conviction,
“Besides, I know your nature may sometimes be a little unruly, but you are fundamentally kind-hearted, not someone who stirs up trouble on purpose.”
“So what happened last night wasn’t entirely your fault. I… trust you.”
At these words, the deeply aggrieved Gu Qingying immediately broke into a smile.
Her master’s gentle comfort and wholehearted trust washed over her like a warm current, shattering all the built-up grievance and held-back sorrow within her heart.
“Um, sob sob… Master!”
Gu Qingying choked out a call, tears finally breaking free and streaming down her face.
The overwhelming mixture of gratitude and guilt made it impossible for her to contain the complex emotions inside.
Almost instinctively, she opened her soft white arms and buried herself into Lu Li’s embrace.
Her hands clutched tightly at the front of Lu Li’s Daoist robe, her wet cheeks pressed without hesitation into his chest, her shoulders trembling as she let out suppressed sobs like a wounded little animal.
Lu Li helplessly shook his head and reached out to soothe his disciple’s restless little head.
Though she seemed mature, she was still, after all, a half-grown child with a bit of innocent childishness deep down.
Thinking this, Lu Li gently patted her back in comfort.
“Alright, don’t cry anymore~ Your tears and sniffles are all rubbing onto me. Isn’t it dirty?”
“Mm…”
Gu Qingying hummed softly, saying no more, maintaining her tearful embrace and burying her head against Lu Li’s chest, unwilling to let go.
At the same time, out of Lu Li’s sight, a faint smile blossomed on the corner of her lips—one of pure happiness.
Almost at that moment, outside the guest room courtyard gate, the previously departed Gong Shangyu was now sneakily pressing her hand against the door crack, holding her breath as she watched everything inside.
Originally, she had planned to see how Master punished the little junior sister after her departure and to gloat a little from the doorway.
However, upon seeing that after she left, Master Lu Li not only did not punish Gu Qingying but instead comforted her gently,
and in the end even allowed that little girl to throw herself into his arms and cry,
the smile on Gong Shangyu’s face vanished without a trace.
Her beautiful pink eyes now fixed intensely on the touching “master-disciple bond” scene inside, her white teeth unconsciously biting her lower lip, and the feather fan in her hand gripped so tightly it creaked.
Damn it!
That little fox, Gu Qingying!
Ahhh…
Gong Shangyu’s gaze was filled with resentment as she stared at Gu Qingying, who clung to Master’s chest, sobbing and acting spoiled.
A sour, indescribable jealousy twisted around her fragile and sensitive heart like creeping vines, suffocating her so much that she could barely breathe.
Ahhh… Why?
I clearly intended to trap Little Five just now!
How did I end up helping her instead?
Damn it…
How did things turn out like this?
If that’s the case, what was the point of everything I just did?
I clearly put in so much effort, yet in the end it was Gu Qingying who was held tightly in Master Lu Li’s arms and comforted gently!
The more Gong Shangyu thought about it, the more unfair she felt.
She had schemed for so long only to come up empty-handed.
She had even unintentionally paved the way for Gu Qingying!
I was here first!
Clearly, I should be the one…
The more Gong Shangyu thought about it, the more bitter she felt, as if she’d spilled a whole vat of aged vinegar but had nowhere to vent, and could only glare fiercely at the figure buried in Master Lu Li’s embrace through the door crack.
Her eyes silently expressing her protest and thick feelings of envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Although deeply unwilling and wishing the figure clinging to Master’s chest was herself, Gong Shangyu restrained her emotions well.
Because she knew clearly that, for Master, she was nothing but an utter outsider.
No matter what she did, it would be wrong in his eyes.
It might even deepen his doubts and caution toward her.
So her current top priority was to quickly become Master’s disciple, so that he would no longer regard her as a stranger.
“Hmph! Little junior sister… you got lucky this time! Next time, I definitely won’t let you succeed so easily!”
Gong Shangyu fumed, yet unwilling to lose sight of Lu Li, she remained pressed against the door, watching that scene inside with eyes full of frustration and longing.
Meanwhile, inside the courtyard, Gu Qingying seemed to sense the hostile gaze Gong Shangyu cast from outside and snuggled even closer into her master’s embrace, then shot a triumphant smile in Gong Shangyu’s direction.
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