“By the way,” Ji Lan asked, completely missing Mo Chenxiao’s bizarre expression, “remember to thoroughly clean out all your belongings in Qingya Courtyard. Make sure you don’t leave any of your personal items lying around for others to see.”
Mo Chenxiao replied, “Rest assured, Master. I have already cleared that courtyard completely; nothing there will disturb Miss Xiao and her sister.”
To be precise, Mo Chenxiao hadn’t needed to pack up anything at all, because aside from that very first night, he had never spent a single moment resting in Qingya Courtyard.
No one knew that after his master fell asleep, the place he actually lived was the room directly beside his master’s.
Every single night, whenever he pleased, he could slip into his master’s bed entirely unnoticed.
Mo Chenxiao curved the corners of his lips slightly. “Master, I will go take care of it now.”
Ji Lan found his disciple’s expression rather peculiar, assuming the boy felt aggrieved about being forced to share a courtyard area, so he offered a comforting word, “You will only be staying here for a little over a month anyway. Yuwei’s quarters will be repaired and ready before long.”
Mo Chenxiao’s smile faded instantly. “Master, do you truly wish for Miss Xiao to remain in Qingya Courtyard indefinitely?”
How on earth was he supposed to answer that?
Ji Lan pondered for a moment before replying, “If she is willing, your master naturally has no objection.”
Upon hearing this answer, Mo Chenxiao showed no outward reaction. He simply offered a perfunctory bow and turned on his heel to leave.
You ungrateful little brat, you don’t respect your master at all!
Ji Lan felt utterly speechless, feeling as though he were constantly dancing on the edge of a blade.
Pity the poor college student who hadn’t even graduated yet, only to transmigrate into this world and become the supreme villain master of the grand protagonist.
Heaven as his witness, if given the choice, he would gladly have become sworn brothers with the male lead, or even served as his sidekick.
Why, of all things, did he have to be the master?
The longer Ji Lan lived this role, the more he felt that being a master wasn’t quite turning out the way he had imagined.
Why did everything feel so strangely off?
What made it even more bizarre was that once night fell, Mo Chenxiao marched right into his room as openly as could be, casting a glance around before asking, “Master, why doesn’t your maid come to attend to you?”
Zhen’er? Mother?
Now that he thought about it, Ji Lan hadn’t seen her around for several days. It took him a good while to remember that she had apparently requested a leave of absence.
“She’s on leave,” Ji Lan said, raising a hand to let down his hair. “What brings you to your master’s room at this late hour?”
His master looked as though he were preparing for bed, dressed in nothing more than a soft inner tunic. When he raised his arm, a strip of porcelain-white forearm was exposed, and as his slender fingers threaded through his thick, ink-dark hair, the sight was utterly captivating…
Mo Chenxiao froze dead in his tracks, snapping back to reality only when his master drew closer. “Master, is something wrong?”
“Since you’re already here, help your master wash his hair,” Ji Lan let out a soft yawn. “And make sure to use some soap bean pods.”
Mo Chenxiao completely forgot whatever excuse he had concocted to visit his master in the first place, his vision entirely consumed by Ji Lan’s water-glossed, shimmering eyes.
“What is it?” Ji Lan blinked, a heavy wave of exhaustion washing over him. “If you don’t wish to do it, you can head back.”
Having spent so long in this cultivation world, Ji Lan had never once washed his hair the traditional way. Even though dust-repelling spells existed, the thought of skipping it entirely still felt deeply unsettling.
Back in college, even during freezing winter days, Ji Lan had insisted on visiting the bathhouse five times a week, a feat that had made his entire dormitory building famous.
“This disciple is willing,” Mo Chenxiao said, his hand moving under its own accord to gently brush against Ji Lan’s hair. “Master, let me go fetch some warm water.”
“Huh?” Before Ji Lan could even respond, his disciple had already vanished from sight.
Having a disciple live so close by really was convenient, Ji Lan thought with a self-satisfied grin. Whenever he wanted something done in the future, all he had to do was call out.
With that thought, a wave of restless energy stirred within him, chasing away his sleepiness. Such a fine, tranquil night—if he didn’t do something enjoyable with it, it would truly be a waste of the evening…
As it turned out, Mo Chenxiao was remarkably skilled at catering to others. Under his massaging hands, Ji Lan felt completely dazed, drifting in a state of immense comfort and pleasure. If Mo Chenxiao hadn’t embarked on the path of immortality, he could easily have opened a thriving massage parlor with this craft…
“Master, does this feel comfortable?” Mo Chenxiao listened to the soft, contented hums escaping the man, barely managing to keep his own strength under control. “If the pressure is too heavy, this disciple can slow down…”
“No need,” Ji Lan murmured, his eyes half-closed. “Right there is fine.”
There seemed to be a peculiar, intoxicating fragrance emanating from his master. Carefully inhaling, Mo Chenxiao suspected the scent might be drifting directly from those damp locks of hair, prompting him to lift a single strand and bring it softly to his nose for a gentle sniff.
Sure enough, a rich, lingering perfume bloomed in the air.
“What are you doing?” Ji Lan snapped his eyes open, only to catch his disciple in the middle of this bizarre action. His expression instantly twisted. Could it be that his hair had started to stink from going unwashed for too long?
“Master, you smell so wonderful,” Mo Chenxiao said with a perfectly straight face. “When you bathed just now, did you infuse the water with flower petals?”
Ji Lan mentally pictured himself soaking in a tub full of floating blossoms, and his scalp immediately tingled with awkward embarrassment. That scene was far too nauseating!
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Ji Lan snatched his hair back, shifting instantly into an upright posture. “That’s enough, you don’t need to continue.”
Why did washing a simple head of hair involve so much unnecessary complication? A prickle of unease crept into Ji Lan’s heart. Protagonist-type characters were genuinely not creatures a mere mortal like him could boss around easily.
There definitely shouldn’t be a next time!
“Master, the night is deep. Are you planning to rest now?” Mo Chenxiao let out a light chuckle. “This disciple has something he wishes to discuss with you.”
If he let this opportunity slip by tonight, finding another chance later would prove exceedingly difficult.
Reclining lazily to one side with his loose hair cascading around him, his master looked utterly languid and alluring, a faint flush of red lingering at the corner of his eyes, making him look precisely like a seductive cat. Mo Chenxiao wanted nothing more than to claim this cat entirely as his own.
“Elder Qinglian! Big Brother Mo!”
Before Mo Chenxiao could fully brew the emotional atmosphere he wanted, an utterly mood-destroying voice interrupted from outside.
Turning his head, he spotted an enthusiastic Wansong trailing closely behind a wide-eyed, curious Ah Yue.
The moment Ah Yue clapped eyes on Ji Lan, her face lit up. With the short, rapid steps of a toddler, she scurried straight forward and flung herself into Ji Lan’s lap.
Watching Ah Yue effortlessly squeeze her way into his master’s embrace, Mo Chenxiao’s face turned as dark as a thundercloud.
Ah Yue happily rubbed her cheek against Ji Lan’s before throwing her small arms around his neck. “Real Person, hug-hug!”
Young cubs really were the only creatures capable of bringing genuine joy to the heart.
Patting Ah Yue’s hair, Ji Lan rested his chin lightly against her soft shoulder. “You’re all here? Wansong, have you prepared the things I asked you to get?”
“All ready!” Wansong beamed brightly, looking toward Mo Chenxiao with an excited expression. “Big Brother Mo, Elder Qinglian said we can have a barbecue and moon-gazing party right here in his courtyard!”
Mo Chenxiao: “Splendid.”
The night was indeed beautiful.
Unfortunately, there were far too many people around.
Watching this harmonious, happy little “family,” Mo Chenxiao wore an icy expression as he walked over to start grilling meat for his master.
In truth, this was partly his own fault. If his master hadn’t known he possessed grilling skills, he never would have instigated this gathering.
However, watching the way his master’s eyes narrowed in pure bliss with every bite, he had no choice but to let the matter drop.
Across both his past and present lives, he had been forced to wait hand and foot on countless individuals. Especially in his previous life, when he had run himself ragged serving his “master,” only to be rewarded with endless scoldings for his trouble.
Yet in this lifetime, he did it all entirely of his own free will.
“Real Person, Ah Yue wants some too,” Ah Yue stared longingly at the piece of meat in Mo Chenxiao’s hand, craving it desperately but lacking the courage to reach out.
Careless of the boy’s dark look, Ji Lan intervened directly, “Chenxiao, grill it a bit more tender. Ah Yue is too young, she can’t chew tough meat.”
At that moment, Mo Chenxiao abruptly decided that his willingness in this lifetime wasn’t quite as unconditional as he had thought.
“Master,” Mo Chenxiao said with a detached tone, “half a month from now, the trials of the Azure Cloud Steps will conclude. If we delay until the next cycle, Ah Yue will be too old to enter.”
“Why bring up the Azure Cloud Steps out of nowhere?” Ji Lan asked, perplexed. “Oh, by the way, Chenxiao, as a first-generation disciple, you’re already qualified to take on disciples of your own, you know.”
He had hoped to nudge the male lead into taking an apprentice so he could push the boy off his hands, but alas, the attempt failed.
“Master, you care for Ah Yue so deeply, could it be that you intend to take her as your own disciple?” Mo Chenxiao handed over a fresh piece of meat. “I honestly thought Master would seize this opportunity to have Ah Yue formally enter the Sword Pavilion.”
“You have a good heart,” Ji Lan accepted the substantial chunk of meat, frowning slightly as he realized how massive the piece was—how was a toddler like Ah Yue supposed to eat this?
Looking down to meet Ah Yue’s pleading gaze, Ji Lan chuckled softly, tearing the meat apart into tiny, manageable pieces before feeding them to her one by one.
Mo Chenxiao: “If his master continued to spoil this child so excessively, she would undoubtedly grow up to become a disaster!”
“Ah, what your master actually meant to say is,” Ji Lan said in high spirits, “the Pavilion Master has already consented to let Ah Yue enter the Sword Pavilion. She only needs to grow a little older before she can formally take a master.”
Gazing at the little ball of fluff nestled in his master’s arms, then recalling that white-haired lunatic Yu Zhengyang, Mo Chenxiao suddenly found that Wansong fellow looking exceptionally pleasing to the eye.
“Master,” Mo Chenxiao coldly shoved a handkerchief into Ji Lan’s hand, “first Wansong, then Yu Zhengyang, and now Ah Yue—have you already selected all my junior disciples for me ahead of time?”
“What does Yu Zhengyang have to do with this?” Ji Lan instantly felt the meat lose its flavor. “He’s just a child playing around. Perhaps in a few days, he’ll realize how boring discipleship actually is and give up.”
Mo Chenxiao harbored zero belief that Yu Zhengyang would ever give up. That shameless, skin-thick demeanor of his made his inner fire flare up in irritation.
“Big Brother Mo,” Wansong nervously tugged at his sleeve, “Qingya Courtyard is currently occupied by the Xiao ladies, so… what will happen to that hot spring pool?”
Wansong’s question naturally reached Ji Lan’s ears as well.
Ji Lan was struck by sudden realization. Oh no, I completely forgot about Wansong! I finally managed to get him to achieve Qi condensation via that hot spring pool, and now I’ve turned around and handed the whole courtyard away!
“In that case, let’s incorporate that hot spring pool directly into the main courtyard’s boundary,” Ji Lan quickly improvised a solution. “There are still two empty rooms in the main quarters. Wansong, you and Ah Yue can just move right in here.”
Since the courtyard was massive anyway, Ji Lan felt a lingering terror at the thought of living alone with the male lead under the same roof!
Sharing a space with two people was already nerve-wracking enough; adding two more would at least make it lively and dilute the tension.
“Elder Qinglian, I… am I really allowed to do that?” Wansong stood up abruptly, his expression trembling with emotion. “I… I…”
“Alright, alright,” Ji Lan laughed, gently shoving Ah Yue into Wansong’s arms. “I’ll go help you pack up your things right now—Chenxiao, come along.”
Mo Chenxiao stared blankly at Ji Lan. He genuinely wanted to know just what kind of soul inhabited this body called “Ji Lan.”
Why did his actions defy every single shred of conventional logic?
At midnight, heavy storm clouds obscured the last lingering sliver of moonlight. Ji Lan sat quietly in meditation, his divine sense blanketing the entire room, though within moments,