Song Qingzhi: “Enter.”
Bai Weiwei came in carrying a neatly organized stack of documents, her posture respectful and proper.
“Master, this is the summary of this month’s expenditures for each peak, for your review.”
She placed the documents at one corner of the desk, her gaze quickly sweeping over Song Qingzhi and Su Tiantian standing side by side at the writing table.
Her eyes lingered for a brief moment on the Illustrated Fundamentals of Formations in Su Tiantian’s hands.
A trace of something faint and hard to describe flashed through her eyes.
“Mm.”
Song Qingzhi replied lightly, though his gaze never left the page Su Tiantian was pointing at.
Bai Weiwei paused, as if she wanted to say something more.
But seeing that Song Qingzhi had no intention of continuing the conversation, she could only bow.
“This disciple takes her leave.”
When she left, her back remained straight, yet somehow carried a hint of loneliness.
Su Tiantian clicked her tongue inwardly.
This junior niece-disciple was indeed no amateur she knew how to show weakness at just the right moment.
But…
She turned her head to look at Song Qingzhi, blinking her large, innocent eyes.
“Brother Qingzhi, it seemed like Junior Niece Weiwei had something she wanted to tell you? Am I interrupting your serious business?”
Song Qingzhi lifted his gaze and looked at her.
That look was calm and unruffled, yet it seemed to see straight through her little scheme.
“It’s fine.” He closed the book in her hands.
“For this kind of basic material, the annotations on the eastern side of the Library Pavilion are more detailed.”
Su Tiantian: “……”
There it was again!
Sending her off to the “children’s books” section again!
Still, seeing that he hadn’t interrupted his time with her because of Bai Weiwei’s arrival and even seemed to subtly exclude Bai Weiwei Su Tiantian’s slight gloom was immediately swept away.
At dusk, Song Qingzhi did not, for once, immediately return to his study to deal with official matters.
Instead, he stood in the courtyard of the Tranquil Mind Garden, gazing at the gradually sinking sunset.
Su Tiantian seized the opportunity.
She walked over carrying a plate of freshly washed vermilion fruits, bright red and glistening.
“Brother Qingzhi, want to try some? They were just picked today especially sweet.”
She held the plate out to him.
Song Qingzhi lowered his eyes, looking at the fruits dotted with water droplets.
Then he looked at her smiling face, warmed by the glow of the sunset. After a moment of silence, he reached out and took one.
Su Tiantian took one herself.
Leaning against the nearby corridor pillar, she ate in small bites, chatting casually as if without intention.
“The sunset today is really pretty. Doesn’t it look like a huge, oily salted egg yolk?”
Song Qingzhi’s hand holding the fruit paused; clearly, he could not understand the metaphor.
Su Tiantian laughed first.
“It’s just… something very tasty.”
She didn’t explain further, instead pointing to a clump of moonlight grass in the corner that emitted a faint glow at dusk.
“Brother Qingzhi, look at that grass doesn’t it look like shattered stars scattered all over the ground?”
She was no longer deliberately trying to entice him, just sharing simple, even somewhat childish observations.
Her voice was light, her gaze pure.
Song Qingzhi followed where she pointed.
That spiritual plant he usually paid no special attention to did indeed emit a gentle halo in the twilight.
He listened to the soft, lively voice beside him.
Felt the cool evening breeze brush against his face.
The heaviness in his heart, accumulated from the burdens of sect affairs, seemed to dissipate without him realizing it.
He didn’t speak, only stood quietly and brought the vermilion fruit to his mouth.
The clear, sweet juice spread across his tongue very sweet.
(System: Target individual detected to be in a “relaxed” state. When coexisting with the host, defense level decreases.)
However, just as this moment of quiet warmth reached its peak.
A sudden sharp pang struck Su Tiantian’s chest again.
Clearer than the one that morning, like an icy needle stabbing in without warning.
The smile on her face instantly froze.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the fruit, her fingertips turning pale.
Although it lasted only a moment and she immediately forced herself back to normal, that brief anomaly did not escape Song Qingzhi’s eyes.
He turned to look at her, his brow knitting slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing,”
Su Tiantian lowered her head, biting into the fruit as a cover, her voice a little muffled.
“Maybe… I’ve been standing too long. I’m a bit tired.”
Song Qingzhi looked at her faintly furrowed brow and unnatural complexion.
His gaze darkened.
He didn’t press further, only said,
“Go back and rest.”
“Mm.”
Su Tiantian nodded, cradling the remaining half plate of fruit as she slowly returned to her room.
After closing the door, she leaned against it and let out a long breath.
Because of how tightly she’d been gripping it, the juice from the fruit had stained her palm red, sticky and unpleasant.
Jin Chuan… he was reminding her again.
Not to forget her identity and her mission.
The warm illusion was easily pierced, and the cold of reality rushed in.
Su Tiantian looked out the window at the fully fallen night and the stars gradually lighting up.
Her heart slowly sank.
Yesterday’s “reminder” from Jin Chuan hadn’t really affected the big-hearted Su Tiantian.
Early the next morning, she was fully revived, standing before the mirror and happily admiring the results of her “gentle boiling of the iceberg.”
Look at that complexion, look at that spring-like glow between her brows (in her own opinion) (?????????)
The iceberg melting was just around the corner!
She was pondering whether to start today with “Brother Qingzhi, my head feels a bit dizzy today,”
Or with “Brother Qingzhi, don’t you think this flower looks like you?”
When the system’s cold prompt suddenly rang out.
(Ding! Target individual’s “cognitive dissonance” has reached the critical threshold. Psychological defense mechanisms fully activated. Special mission issued: Execute “strategic retreat.” Maintain clear distance from the target individual and cool the relationship for at least three days.)
The smile on Su Tiantian’s face instantly froze.
“Retreat?!”
She exploded internally.
“System, are you messing with me?! My pot of water has just reached fifty degrees!”
“You want me to pull the firewood out now?! Let it cool down completely?!”
“What kind of devilish operation is this?!”
(Behavioral psychology analysis: The target individual has become accustomed to the host’s presence and closeness, and derives pleasure from it, but his subconscious still resists acknowledging this emotion.)
(Withdrawing suddenly at this time creates a strong psychological gap and a decrease in ‘availability,’ which most effectively breaks his mental defenses and forces him to confront his true feelings. Simply put, letting him taste the premonition of ‘loss’ is more effective than constant ‘possession.’)
Su Tiantian: “…That actually sounds kind of reasonable.”
“But! I seriously doubt whether your theory applies in the cultivation world! What if he just goes with the flow and really ignores me?!”
(System: Based on big-data model simulations, success rate is 87.3%.)
“Fine. I’ll trust you once.”
Su Tiantian took a deep breath, ready to face death with resolve.
“For the great goal of going home I’ll act!”
At breakfast time, Song Qingzhi entered the dining hall as usual.
The already-prepared Su Tiantian immediately stood up, lowered her eyes, and said respectfully,
“Your Excellency.”
Inner monologue: Ahhh my Brother Qingzhi! I miss you so much! System, how are you going to pay me back for this?!
Song Qingzhi’s steps paused almost imperceptibly.
His gaze lingered for a moment on her lowered lashes.
Today, she was completely different from her usual self the one who called him “Brother Qingzhi” with soft dependence.