On the other end, Xi Ju Hai felt worried when she didn’t get a response. “Ah Qing? Did you hear me?”
Mu Qing took a deep breath and then hummed. “Yes, I … I heard. I … I’ll tell you.” He held the paper duck carefully, afraid to stop it from transmitting her voice. “Can … can I come to where you are? If you don’t mind?”
He knew he didn’t deserve to see her but … he really wanted to. In these years, what he had dreamed to do often had been to break away from his Master’s monitoring and go to where she was. Even if he could only get a glimpse of her from the distance, it would have been worth it. He only wanted that: to see her, to make sure that she was alive and well even without him at her side. It was a pity he had never gotten the chance.
“That …” Xi Ju Hai hesitated. Just like he wanted to see her, she wanted to see him as well. After all, it had been too long, and no matter what she told herself, she still loved him.
She also knew that they weren’t in a good situation though. They were in a place that was owned by the demonic side and there were more disciples of the other side than they could take even if Mu Qing stood on their side in the fight. Was that really the time to give in to what she wanted?
Back in the room that Mu Qing had occupied, Zhi Guan glanced at the paper duck. “It’s alright. I’ll go and make sure the other disciples won’t leave here while junior martial brother Mu and junior martial sister Liu can go to your place. It’ll also be a good opportunity for the two of you to leave.”
Xi Ju Hai sighed faintly. She knew they had to leave somehow but if they did, they should do it together, shouldn’t they? “What about you?”
Zhi Guan looked at Mu Qing. “I presume junior martial brother Mu won’t be able to leave immediately either even if he wants to. So, I’ll just team up with him.”
Mu Qing raised his brows. He had promised to tell them but … had he said he’d leave with them?
Liu Bao Ru gave him a subtle look. “Senior martial brother Mu, you wouldn’t be thinking about just telling senior martial sister Xi what is going to happen and then leaving, would you? You know fairly well that the next few days are going to get dangerous. You shouldn’t be on the wrong side at that time.”
Mu Qing sighed. “I know that.” Although what was the ‘wrong’ side could be looked at in different ways. “Well, let’s go over first as senior martial brother Zhi said. We can still deal with the rest later.”
The other two nodded and Mu Qing reluctantly handed the paper duck back to Zhi Guan so that he could contact them if he needed to.
When Zhi Guan opened the door, the one on the other side was slightly ajar. Somebody was peering through the slit but hurriedly retreated when he saw them come out, even closing the door after himself.
Zhi Guan raised his brows, then nodded at Mu Qing and Liu Bao Ru, and finally went back to the room where he was staying with Song Yu Zheng and the others. As soon as he opened the door, Wen Xiang fell to the ground next to him. Zhi Guan didn’t say anything, stepped over him, and returned to the bed he had claimed earlier in the day.
Song Yu Zheng thought for a moment whether it would seem too deliberate if he asked immediately but, in the end, he still directly sidled up to him with bright eyes. “So, how was it? Did your sister show any interest in senior martial brother Mu? And what did he say? Did he seem impressed by her? In fact, where is she now?” He looked around but save for Wen Xiang who had gotten back on his feet and closed the door behind him, there was no movement at the entrance to the room.
Zhi Guan also looked over with a deadpan expression. “Senior martial brother Mu took her to get a room as well.” He wasn’t too worried that this lie would cause problems. While there were some female disciples she could have roomed with, his ‘sister’ wasn’t officially a part of this mission so nobody should think it strange if she wasn’t with the other disciples.
“Oh … I see.” Song Yu Zheng pondered. Mu Qing and that younger sister being alone with each other seemed like a good thing. In such an environment, feelings might blossom. That was just right for getting over his fiancee from the other side! “Well, I sure hope she won’t be too harsh to him. He seems to be interested but that is only the first step.”
Zhi Guan nodded wordlessly and then figured that he might as well use the opportunity. “He said he’d find a room a little further away so the other disciples won’t feel like we are getting special treatment. I suppose if we want things to go smoothly, we should make sure the others don’t run over there.”
“Right!” Song Yu Zheng immediately jumped to his feet and pulled at Zhi Guan’s arm. “What are you waiting for then? Let’s go immediately! Your sister’s future marriage might be at stake here!”
Zhi Guan nodded. He couldn’t help but give Song Yu Zheng an odd look though. This guy … was he really a cultivator? Why did he seem like he had wanted to become a matchmaker instead but took the wrong turn? Also, why was he thinking so far ahead? Those two had barely met! Still, no matter how weirded out he was, he went along with it. It was in his favor after all.
As he exited the room, he couldn’t help but notice that the fabric in front of Lu Wei’s face was ripped. He raised his brows and took a closer look, seeing a few faint lines on the skin beneath. “What happened? Were you attacked?”
Lu Wei hurriedly shook his head with an uncomfortable expression.
Behind him, Wen Xiang snickered. “Oh, that was senior martial brother Song in retaliation for Ah Xiang saying your sister was too small!”
In response to that, Lu Wei was whacked over the head with a fan, tears springing to his eyes. “I didn’t even say anything this time!”
“But you brought it up in the first place!”
Meanwhile, Zhi Guan couldn’t help but wonder how Liu Bao Ru could be called small. That woman was basically as tall as him …
On the other end, Xi Ju Hai felt worried when she didn’t get a response. “Ah Qing? Did you hear me?”
Mu Qing took a deep breath and then hummed. “Yes, I … I heard. I … I’ll tell you.” He held the paper duck carefully, afraid to stop it from transmitting her voice. “Can … can I come to where you are? If you don’t mind?”
He knew he didn’t deserve to see her but … he really wanted to. In these years, what he had dreamed to do often had been to break away from his Master’s monitoring and go to where she was. Even if he could only get a glimpse of her from the distance, it would have been worth it. He only wanted that: to see her, to make sure that she was alive and well even without him at her side. It was a pity he had never gotten the chance.
“That …” Xi Ju Hai hesitated. Just like he wanted to see her, she wanted to see him as well. After all, it had been too long, and no matter what she told herself, she still loved him.
She also knew that they weren’t in a good situation though. They were in a place that was owned by the demonic side and there were more disciples of the other side than they could take even if Mu Qing stood on their side in the fight. Was that really the time to give in to what she wanted?
Back in the room that Mu Qing had occupied, Zhi Guan glanced at the paper duck. “It’s alright. I’ll go and make sure the other disciples won’t leave here while junior martial brother Mu and junior martial sister Liu can go to your place. It’ll also be a good opportunity for the two of you to leave.”
Xi Ju Hai sighed faintly. She knew they had to leave somehow but if they did, they should do it together, shouldn’t they? “What about you?”
Zhi Guan looked at Mu Qing. “I presume junior martial brother Mu won’t be able to leave immediately either even if he wants to. So, I’ll just team up with him.”
Mu Qing raised his brows. He had promised to tell them but … had he said he’d leave with them?
Liu Bao Ru gave him a subtle look. “Senior martial brother Mu, you wouldn’t be thinking about just telling senior martial sister Xi what is going to happen and then leaving, would you? You know fairly well that the next few days are going to get dangerous. You shouldn’t be on the wrong side at that time.”
Mu Qing sighed. “I know that.” Although what was the ‘wrong’ side could be looked at in different ways. “Well, let’s go over first as senior martial brother Zhi said. We can still deal with the rest later.”
The other two nodded and Mu Qing reluctantly handed the paper duck back to Zhi Guan so that he could contact them if he needed to.
When Zhi Guan opened the door, the one on the other side was slightly ajar. Somebody was peering through the slit but hurriedly retreated when he saw them come out, even closing the door after himself.
Zhi Guan raised his brows, then nodded at Mu Qing and Liu Bao Ru, and finally went back to the room where he was staying with Song Yu Zheng and the others. As soon as he opened the door, Wen Xiang fell to the ground next to him. Zhi Guan didn’t say anything, stepped over him, and returned to the bed he had claimed earlier in the day.
Song Yu Zheng thought for a moment whether it would seem too deliberate if he asked immediately but, in the end, he still directly sidled up to him with bright eyes. “So, how was it? Did your sister show any interest in senior martial brother Mu? And what did he say? Did he seem impressed by her? In fact, where is she now?” He looked around but save for Wen Xiang who had gotten back on his feet and closed the door behind him, there was no movement at the entrance to the room.
Zhi Guan also looked over with a deadpan expression. “Senior martial brother Mu took her to get a room as well.” He wasn’t too worried that this lie would cause problems. While there were some female disciples she could have roomed with, his ‘sister’ wasn’t officially a part of this mission so nobody should think it strange if she wasn’t with the other disciples.
“Oh … I see.” Song Yu Zheng pondered. Mu Qing and that younger sister being alone with each other seemed like a good thing. In such an environment, feelings might blossom. That was just right for getting over his fiancee from the other side! “Well, I sure hope she won’t be too harsh to him. He seems to be interested but that is only the first step.”
Zhi Guan nodded wordlessly and then figured that he might as well use the opportunity. “He said he’d find a room a little further away so the other disciples won’t feel like we are getting special treatment. I suppose if we want things to go smoothly, we should make sure the others don’t run over there.”
“Right!” Song Yu Zheng immediately jumped to his feet and pulled at Zhi Guan’s arm. “What are you waiting for then? Let’s go immediately! Your sister’s future marriage might be at stake here!”
Zhi Guan nodded. He couldn’t help but give Song Yu Zheng an odd look though. This guy … was he really a cultivator? Why did he seem like he had wanted to become a matchmaker instead but took the wrong turn? Also, why was he thinking so far ahead? Those two had barely met! Still, no matter how weirded out he was, he went along with it. It was in his favor after all.
As he exited the room, he couldn’t help but notice that the fabric in front of Lu Wei’s face was ripped. He raised his brows and took a closer look, seeing a few faint lines on the skin beneath. “What happened? Were you attacked?”
Lu Wei hurriedly shook his head with an uncomfortable expression.
Behind him, Wen Xiang snickered. “Oh, that was senior martial brother Song in retaliation for Ah Xiang saying your sister was too small!”
In response to that, Lu Wei was whacked over the head with a fan, tears springing to his eyes. “I didn’t even say anything this time!”
“But you brought it up in the first place!”
Meanwhile, Zhi Guan couldn’t help but wonder how Liu Bao Ru could be called small. That woman was basically as tall as him …
