Su Qing could be said to have provided Qin Yu with an entirely new line of thinking, as Qin Yu had never ventured to think in this direction prior to this.
“Tell me in detail. What is this all about?”
A trace of unconscious urgency laced Qin Yu’s tone.
Hearing the eager urgency in Qin Yu’s voice, Su Qing felt a slight pang of bitterness in her heart, though she kept it concealed from her outward expression.
After all, this idea was provided by her own accord, meaning she had essentially chosen to actively let go of Qin Yu the moment she uttered those words.
In truth, she had always understood her First Senior Sister quite well. Normally, the Senior Sister was extremely cold toward everyone, yet she treated Qin Yu with unique distinction.
However, because Yu Qingya cultivated the Ruthless Path, she could be said to have remained utterly dense and unenlightened regarding matters of romance.
Once she did become enlightened, however, it would mean that the two of them would definitely end up together.
“As Senior Sister Xiaoyu knows, the Ruthless Path first requires maintaining one’s virginity, which means it is absolutely impossible for any physical union to take place. If you two can manage to guard that final boundary, why not give it a try?”
Su Qing forced herself to endure the pain as she spoke these words.
Guard the final boundary? Qin Yu felt a stirring of temptation at this idea. After all, she was not someone who focused solely on physical gratification, but was this method truly viable?
“Are you certain there will be no problems?” Qin Yu asked uncertainly.
After all, in the book, the male protagonist ruined Yu Qingya’s cultivation precisely because he forcefully violated her, yet the text never explicitly stated where the exact boundary of the Ruthless Path lay.
Su Qing looked somewhat unsure as she replied, “I… I only guessed this based on the cultivation method. I cannot be one hundred percent certain.”
Qin Yu sighed. This matter would simply have to wait until later; after all, she did not wish to casually gamble with Yu Qingya’s life.
At that moment, a voice suddenly interrupted the two of them: “What are you two doing here?”
Hearing that familiar voice, Qin Yu instinctively pulled her hand back. After all, Yu Qingya still had no inkling that romantic feelings could ever blossom between two women.
Since she remained unenlightened on the matter, it was best to simply let things continue as they were for now.
“N… Nothing at all, we were just discussing some issues.”
Seeing Su Qing open her mouth as if to offer an explanation, Qin Yu grew terrified that the two of them would give inconsistent stories, so she promptly clapped a hand over Su Qing’s mouth.
Yu Qingya found it rather peculiar, though she did not press the issue further. Still, the sight of the two of them in such an intimate posture made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, though she brushed the feeling aside.
Perhaps she was simply unaccustomed to Qin Yu making new friends, she figured.
Yet Qin Yu was such a wonderful person; wasn’t it completely normal for her to have many friends?
All the way until the two of them returned to their room, Yu Qingya found herself struggling to suppress the thoughts swirling in her mind, and finally asked aloud, “Xiaoyu, what do you think of Su Qing?”
This sudden inquiry caught Qin Yu quite off guard. What did she think of Su Qing? Could it be that Yu Qingya had already overheard the conversation between the two of them earlier?
Qin Yu, however, was never one to act rashly, so she merely countered with a question of her own: “Why has Elder Sister suddenly brought up a question like this?”
This response was essentially a probe to test Yu Qingya’s stance and see if she knew anything about what transpired between the two of them.
To Qin Yu’s relief, Yu Qingya’s reply allowed her to exhale a breath of relief: “It is nothing. It is just that you used to dislike her, and even yesterday you kept a slight distance. I was merely curious as to why the two of you suddenly became so close.”
Yu Qingya’s words left Qin Yu momentarily stunned. Could it be that Elder Sister felt a trace of discomfort in her heart? Could she be jealous?
This thought startled even Qin Yu herself. She quickly blamed it on having exchanged too many words with Su Qing that day, which must have clouded her thoughts.
How could someone like Yu Qingya, who understood nothing of romance and love, possibly feel jealousy? She most likely viewed them both as her closest friends, and seeing Qin Yu suddenly grow close to someone else simply made her feel somewhat uneasy inside.
“Elder Sister said it herself, Su Qing is not a bad person, and she is a disciple of Qinglian Pavilion after all. When she comes to find me, how could I possibly shut her out a thousand miles away?” Qin Yu said with a smile.
Yu Qingya seemed to accept this explanation and let the matter drop.
Yet Qin Yu herself fell into deep contemplation because of Su Qing’s words. It would have been one thing if she had never known of such a method, but having someone hand it to her left her feeling deeply unsettled.
Even though she knew she must not cross that line and needed to restrain her own desires to ensure Yu Qingya’s absolute safety, human nature being what it was, who could truly resist one hundred percent of all temptations?
“What are you daydreaming about? You are not cultivating properly, you have been spacing out all afternoon.”
Yu Qingya’s voice once again dragged Qin Yu’s thoughts back to reality. Looking at the furrowed brow on the face before her, Qin Yu felt like a student caught daydreaming in class by a stern teacher.
“I am sorry, Elder Sister. I will cultivate right away,” Qin Yu hurriedly replied, attempting to banish the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind.
This time, however, Yu Qingya did not let her off the hook as easily as before. Instead, she set down the book in her hand. “This time it is not as simple as daydreaming as before. Tell me, what is actually on your mind?”
Yu Qingya had always possessed exceptionally sharp intuition; she sensed that Qin Yu was somewhat different from usual today.
Recalling the scene when she had seen Qin Yu and Su Qing talking together, a tremor ran through her heart. Could it be that those two had whispered secrets to each other that plunged Qin Yu into such a distracted state?
Seeing the solemn expression on Yu Qingya’s face and knowing she could no longer dodge the question, Qin Yu had no choice but to continue: “Elder Sister, have you ever thought about finding a cultivation partner?”
If this question were posed to any ordinary friend, it would at most be treated as a casual inquiry, but to Yu Qingya, it came as quite a shock.
“Are you looking to find a cultivation partner yourself?”
Yu Qingya’s tone turned somewhat displeased. This question reminded her of how Qin Yu had once clumsily asked her a similar question during the sect assembly.
At the time, she had felt that Qin Yu lacked ambition, but now, that lingering displeasure only deepened.
Although she knew Qin Yu did not cultivate the Ruthless Path and was entirely free to seek a partner, she firmly believed that taking a partner would only hinder one’s cultivation. After all, among those who sought partners, how many ever met a good end?
Moreover, subconsciously, she felt that no one in the world was worthy of Qin Yu, because in her heart, Qin Yu was simply the best.
“Elder Sister, I am asking you.”
Qin Yu was afraid Yu Qingya would dismiss her question as idle foolishness, yet since she had already brought it up, she had to see it through to the end; otherwise, she might never summon such impulsiveness again, thereby missing out on such a rare opportunity.
Hearing this, Yu Qingya frowned slightly. “Xiaoyu, you should know that I cultivate the Ruthless Path. That means from the moment I chose this path, I will never seek a cultivation partner in this lifetime.”