When Lu Qing’an first heard those words, she thought she was hallucinating.
Previously, in Ji Zhixing’s small cottage, she had rarely touched Ji Zhixing’s bed.
At most, on a few occasions when Ji Zhixing was tutoring her in her cultivation, Lu Qing’an had stepped up onto it.
She had acutely noticed that Ji Zhixing did not seem to like others coming near her bed.
Lu Qing’an looked at Ji Zhixing and spoke reassuringly, taking it for granted to decline: “Senior Sister, I’m fine.”
“Besides, I’m used to sleeping on the floor. This place is large, whereas that bed is too small.”
As for Ji Zhixing’s sudden gesture of giving up her bed, perhaps she only held possessiveness over the bed she was accustomed to sleeping on back in her own courtyard.
Just as random thoughts were running through her mind, she saw Ji Zhixing slowly move her feet and stand before her.
Lu Qing’an was currently lying on the mattress. From her angle, Ji Zhixing completely enveloped her in shadow.
For once, a rare sense of pressure arose.
The next instant, Ji Zhixing squatted down, closing the distance between herself and Lu Qing’an.
The sense of distance vanished instantly.
“You were tired for so long during the day. Go sleep on the bed.”
Ji Zhixing opened her mouth gently, her neat, delicate lips offering warm and soft words of persuasion.
Lu Qing’an, however, did not accept the kindness. She lay securely on the ground, pressing firmly against the freshly laid mattress. “Senior Sister, your body is so weak. How could you sleep down here?”
The mattress she used for her floor bed was only a thin layer, and the cotton inside was pitifully sparse.
Lu Qing’an suspected that if she held it up against the light, she could see light passing right through it.
It was just that she had thought she would only sleep there for one night, so she had not bothered with it.
Now, if Senior Sister were to lie on it for the night, her body would certainly be unable to take it.
Lu Qing’an looked at Ji Zhixing’s frail body, becoming even more determined in her decision not to let Senior Sister sleep here.
Seeing the persistent expression on her face, with eyes completely full of unyielding determination, Ji Zhixing felt a touch of helplessness in her heart.
Her eyes carried a smile. “My body is not weak; in fact, it might even be stronger than yours.”
Ji Zhixing was not lying. She had cultivated up to this day, and her spiritual energy had tempered her body for many years. Naturally, her physical body was far stronger than Lu Qing’an’s, who had only just drawn spiritual energy into her body.
Lu Qing’an clearly did not believe her.
During the daytime, when watching her practice punches, Lu Qing’an had noticed that between Ji Zhixing’s moves, her inadvertently exposed wrists and ankles were terrifyingly slender.
They looked extraordinarily fragile, to the point where a soft touch might snap them.
Lu Qing’an pulled the blanket, gave her hand a wave, and covered herself completely from head to toe.
A muffled voice sounded: “Senior Sister, go to sleep quickly. I am going to sleep too.”
As soon as Lu Qing’an finished speaking, loud snoring sounds began to ring out.
How could Ji Zhixing not know her good intentions?
Listening to Lu Qing’an’s voice and looking at Lu Qing’an wrapped into a “bed cocoon,” a smile unconsciously floated onto Ji Zhixing’s face.
Her heart felt sweet, as if she had eaten honey.
She turned around and stepped onto the only wooden bed.
Seeing that Senior Sister was no longer persuading her, Lu Qing’an felt relieved. She was truly afraid that Ji Zhixing would insist on competing with her for this cool spot on the floor.
She opened a slit in the blanket. After a moment, she actually fell asleep, and the room grew quiet.
The next day, Lu Qing’an woke up very early.
She fetched water into a basin, prepared breakfast and set it on the table, picked up a brush to leave a note, and then quietly went out the door.
Today, she planned to chop some wood to make a simple bed.
Sleeping on the floor every day was something even she could not endure.
Lu Qing’an did not dare go too far from the small wooden cabin, fearing that some even fiercer wild beast might spring out from somewhere.
She dared not take that risk.
Lu Qing’an picked a tree that was half as thick as her waist. With a swing of her axe, it landed steadily on the bark, producing a heavy thud.
A few birds in the forest were startled into flight.
Lu Qing’an’s heart shook. This loud sound would likely wake up Senior Sister.
Ji Zhixing was indeed awake, but she had not been woken up by the sound of chopping wood.
She was a light sleeper. The moment Lu Qing’an got out of bed, she had woken up as well.
It was just that Lu Qing’an sounded as though she did not wish to wake her up, so all her actions were done very gently.
Even when walking, she seemed to intentionally lighten her footsteps on the wooden floor.
Ji Zhixing fulfilled her wish, opening her eyes to get out of bed only after Lu Qing’an had gone out.
“Senior Sister, I am going to chop trees first. Remember to eat breakfast.”
The food on the table was still steaming hot.
At the bottom-left of the note was a small, simple drawing of a figure. Judging by the clothes and hair, it depicted a scene of Ji Zhixing sitting at the table eating a meal.
Ji Zhixing unconsciously smiled and stowed the note safely inside her storage bag.
Drinking the hot porridge, a warm sensation passed from her throat through her heart and down to her stomach.
Ji Zhixing searched toward the place where the sound had come from earlier, only to see Lu Qing’an holding a small saw.
That small saw looked only slightly longer than Lu Qing’an’s hand. At this moment, her fingertips were pinching one end as she laboriously sawed against the thick tree trunk.
She walked over, watched for a long while, and asked in considerable confusion: “Qing’an, why do you use this when there is an axe beside you?”
Lu Qing’an had been whole-heartedly focused on sawing the wood and was startled by the sudden voice. Seeing that it was Senior Sister, she felt relieved.
She paused her hands and explained earnestly: “Using the axe makes too much noise; I was afraid of waking you up.”
Ji Zhixing looked at the maiden before her, whose brow was full of focused intensity, and suddenly did not know what to say.
On Lu Qing’an’s forehead was another thin layer of sweat.
It was early morning, and the cold air had not completely dissipated yet.
One could well imagine how tired Lu Qing’an was and how long she had been grinding away with that small saw.
She let out a chuckle. “Foolish girl.”
Lu Qing’an did not know why she suddenly called her that, but seeing that Ji Zhixing was not angry, she laughed along with her.
Seeing Ji Zhixing by her side, Lu Qing’an picked up the axe and swung it forcefully, hit after hit.
The silent air was shattered, and the mountain that used to be cold and quiet instantly gained a sense of human warmth.
A large tree soon fell, producing a loud crash.
Lu Qing’an chopped a wooden stump out from the tree base and carried it to Ji Zhixing’s feet.
“Senior Sister, you have been standing for half the day. Sit down and rest for a bit.”
Ji Zhixing lowered her eyes to look at the small stump, then looked at the person before her who was covered in sweat.
“I think you are the one who should rest.”
Ji Zhixing teased with a smile. Her light-colored pupils were like sweet dates soaked in a honey jar, shimmering with bright and clear golden light, making her whole person display a lively spirit not usually seen.
She raised her hand, and a handkerchief carrying a fresh, moist fragrance pressed against Lu Qing’an’s sweaty skin, gently wiping away the sweat drops.
Lu Qing’an’s eyes fixed upon a section of her wrist bone exposed because she had raised her hand.
She spread her legs, bent her knees, and squatted down.
This way, Ji Zhixing’s hand did not need to remain raised high and grow tired.
She raised her head to look up at Ji Zhixing and asked, “Does Senior Sister feel this posture is comfortable?”
Ji Zhixing paused upon hearing what she said. Great astonishment filled her heart, and the handkerchief almost slipped from her palm.
Lowering her head, however, she met those clear, transparent eyes, which held nothing else whatsoever, being merely a simple inquiry.
Before Ji Zhixing could capture her shy feelings, they were replaced by an indescribable sense of loss.
She resumed her movements, carefully tending to every spot.
Regarding that abrupt question, she maintained her usual smile. “It is fine.”
Lu Qing’an did not notice the change in Ji Zhixing. She kept her head lowered, quietly letting Ji Zhixing wipe her sweat.
The handkerchief fluttered continuously against her face, and a faint fragrance lingered around the tip of her nose, neither too strong nor too light, just right.
Lu Qing’an suddenly realized that Ji Zhixing always seemed to be enveloped in this fragrance.
“Senior Sister, what incense do you usually use?”
Having thought of this, Lu Qing’an asked directly.
“I do not like lighting incense usually, so I rarely use it.”
Hearing this answer, Lu Qing’an sniffed slightly again and indeed smelled a pleasant scent.
Noticing Lu Qing’an’s actions, Ji Zhixing extended her sleeve and sniffed it gently, yet smelled nothing at all.
Lu Qing’an did not dwell on it any longer. Perhaps there were some special flowers in the mountains.
For the rest of the day, Lu Qing’an worked hastily and built a bed frame.
To call it a bed was a stretch; it was more like four sticks attached to a wooden board.
Lu Qing’an did not mind. After testing its sturdiness and confirming it would not collapse, she moved the mattress from the floor onto the bed.
Lu Qing’an closed the window and lay on the new bed, feeling an indescribable joy.
“Senior Sister, this confinement is actually quite fun. It is much more comfortable than being locked up in the ancestral hall.”
She closed her eyes, recalling the events of the past two days in her mind.
Ji Zhixing also found it strange in her heart.
Placing the two of them in the back mountain was called confinement, but it felt more like hiding the two of them here.
She did not voice the thoughts in her heart. She cast a glance in Lu Qing’an’s direction.
The most prominent feature was the smiling curve at the corner of that person’s mouth.
Over a simple new bed, she became happy to such a degree.
“Perhaps there were some changes in the sect rules,” Ji Zhixing said calmly. “Go to sleep early.”
Lu Qing’an did not overthink things either. Hugging her blanket tightly, she took in the woody scent of the new bed. “Good night, Senior Sister. Have sweet dreams.”
Lu Qing’an fell asleep extremely fast, unaware that after she fell asleep, Ji Zhixing watched her for a long time.
Over the next few days, Ji Zhixing supervised Lu Qing’an practicing fist techniques and basic horse stances.
In the beginning, Lu Qing’an was full of enthusiasm, but later she slacked off a great deal.
When Ji Zhixing watched her, her movements were standard and precise. Once Ji Zhixing shifted her gaze away, she would slack off.
Sometimes Ji Zhixing would catch her. Lu Qing’an would then show an extremely good attitude in admitting her mistake, holding her hands in fists to make promises, repeatedly saying there would not be a next time.
However, whenever she was caught afterward, she was still slacking off.
In her heart, Ji Zhixing knew she should not indulge Lu Qing’an like this, yet she could not bring herself to be strict.
“My sword is named ‘Siliu.’ Take it for self-defense.”
Ji Zhixing handed her the sword in her hand. The sword tassel swayed in the air, tracing a green stroke in the wind.
Lu Qing’an originally did not want to accept it. If she took the sword for self-defense, what would happen if Senior Sister encountered danger?
Ji Zhixing knew the thought in her heart. With a wave of her hand, a boulder instantly turned into flying ash.
Lu Qing’an smoothly accepted the sword.
“‘Siliu’ already possesses a faint sword spirit and has its own preferences.”
Looking at the silver sword behaving so obediently in Lu Qing’an’s hands, Ji Zhixing swallowed the rest of her words.
Ji Zhixing was the master of ‘Siliu,’ so naturally, the two shared connected hearts and intertwined aura, meaning the sword spirit would not harm her.
If the sword holder was not favored by the sword spirit, the sword might not obey the holder’s command, and could even harm the holder.
Swords were born for battle, and so were sword spirits; generally, a sword spirit would only favor its master.
In the eyes of a sword spirit, everyone else was an opponent and an enemy.
Therefore, looking at the silver sword behaving so tame and obedient in Lu Qing’an’s hand, she could not help but find it strange.
Holding ‘Siliu,’ which she had just received, Lu Qing’an was overjoyed.
This meant she could act independently without needing Senior Sister to follow her and protect her at every moment.
She raised the sword. Sunlight shone through the tree leaves onto her face, and she offered Ji Zhixing a brilliant, radiant smile.
“Senior Sister, let’s raise a nest of rabbits,” sh