Shi Ying felt a hand press against the small of her back, causing her to lose balance slightly. With only one elbow supporting her, she ended up half-collapsed onto Yun Jinghe’s body.
The sheer veil draped over her head swayed gently, as if brushed by a warm breeze.
Shi Ying lifted her head slightly, about to speak, when her clear, tea-colored eyes met Yun Jinghe’s obsidian-dark gaze deep as a black vortex, threatening to pull her into unknown dangers.
“Don’t touch recklessly.” Their lips nearly brushed as Yun Jinghe spoke, her words slow and deliberate, yet carrying an inexplicable weight.
It almost sounded as if Yun Jinghe was saying it more to herself.
Shi Ying’s heart skipped a beat, followed by an inexplicable acceleration a strange, unfamiliar sensation.
She didn’t particularly dislike it, but it made her uneasy, like a loss of control.
Yet Yun Jinghe didn’t seem to notice her reaction. The hand on Shi Ying’s waist pressed firmly against the dip of her spine, body heat seeping through the fabric into her palm.
The fingertips Yun Jinghe gripped had flushed red from the pressure, looking as if they’d been stained with rouge.
“Why do you always grab my hand like this?” Shi Ying blamed her inexplicable reaction on this, her tone tinged with impatience.
“And why,” Yun Jinghe seemed to search for the right word, her fingers shifting slightly against Shi Ying’s waist, “are you always so disobedient?”
Her voice carried a trace of helplessness, followed by a sigh of resignation.
Yun Jinghe closed her eyes briefly before reopening them, the turbulent emotions in her gaze receding, leaving behind only a thin veneer of composure.
She released Shi Ying’s hand, slid an arm around her waist, and pulled her upright in one smooth motion, sitting up while still holding her.
Before Shi Ying could react, she found herself kneeling atop Yun Jinghe.
The veil that had draped over them slipped to the floor in a soft heap as they rose.
Shi Ying clutched at the fabric of Yun Jinghe’s sleeve, fingers tightening slightly as she blinked slowly, preparing to push herself up.
But Yun Jinghe showed no sign of letting go, her palm still perfectly molded to the curve of Shi Ying’s waist.
“Let me up,” Shi Ying insisted.
Yun Jinghe’s fingers twitched before finally loosening, allowing her to pull away. The warmth where their bodies had touched dissipated instantly, replaced by cool air.
She felt somewhat calmer now, but the pain in her back grew more pronounced.
Reaching behind, she felt no wound, but her fingers caught on a tear in the fabric something must have snagged it.
Whose craftsmanship was this shoddy?
Shi Ying noticed her movement and tilted her head to look. “Your clothes are torn? Huh, what’s this box?”
Before Yun Jinghe could respond, Shi Ying leaned past her and picked something up from behind.
She guessed it must have been what she’d knocked over earlier.
The sound of a wooden box opening reached Yun Jinghe’s ears, followed by Shi Ying lifting something from inside.
“A bell?” Shi Ying shook the delicate chain attached to the hollowed-out sphere, producing a faint, rhythmic clinking as if something inside was vibrating. “There’s writing on it.”
She was about to identify it but stopped herself after a thought. “I can’t read. You look for me.”
This was the perfect opportunity to test how much Yun Jinghe’s eyesight had recovered. Shi Ying felt she was quite clever indeed.
“Let me see.” Yun Jinghe took the wooden box from Shi Ying’s hands, her fingertips tracing the characters carved on its lid.
The inscription was in seal script. She carefully followed the strokes with her fingers. “Mian, Ling? Mian!”
Her movements suddenly halted, her pupils contracting sharply, unable to conceal her shock.
Shi Ying moved closer with the object. “Mian Ling? I think I’ve heard of it, but what’s it used for?”
The little thing was quite exquisitely made, resembling a small spherical bell, though it didn’t produce the clear, melodious chime of a real bell.
Just as Shi Ying was about to examine it more closely, her vision blurred, the object vanished from her hand and reappeared in Yun Jinghe’s grasp.
“If you wanted it, you could’ve just said so. It’s not like I wouldn’t let you see it,” Shi Ying said understandingly.
Yun Jinghe clenched her fist and, without a word, crushed the object in her palm, reducing it to golden dust.
“But you still haven’t told me, what is this thing?” Shi Ying’s curiosity always seemed to surface at the most inappropriate times.
“You, you don’t know?” Yun Jinghe’s tone carried a hint of hesitation. She had assumed that someone who frequented such a place would be familiar with it.
Hearing her tone, Shi Ying grew even more curious. “Should I know?”
“You shouldn’t!” Yun Jinghe couldn’t help raising her voice.
Originally a product from foreign lands, this object had been introduced and circulated here through recommendations. Shaped delicately, it emitted a cicada-like hum when moved lightly, hence its name “Mian Ling” or “Burmese Bell.”
Yun Jinghe’s knowledge of such things, which others might consider unorthodox, was thanks to her master, who had a penchant for collecting all kinds of books. Before her master was ordered to properly categorize the private library, Yun Jinghe had often stumbled upon unexpected and sometimes shocking discoveries while retrieving books.
She never imagined that this knowledge, which she thought she had long forgotten, would one day prove useful.
But if given the choice, she would rather have remained ignorant!
Meanwhile, Shi Ying persisted with her questions. “Then why is it okay for you to know but not me? I can go ask someone else, they’ll tell me.”
Yun Jinghe grabbed her arm, her voice icy. “No!”
Shi Ying disliked her domineering attitude. “Why do you always try to control me? This isn’t allowed, that isn’t allowed.”
She had already made many changes for Yun Jinghe, but she couldn’t keep yielding indefinitely. People should know their limits.
Perhaps she really should learn a thing or two from Wu Feng.
“I control you, but they don’t is that why you like coming here?” Yun Jinghe looked at her with a complicated expression.
“Whether I like coming here or not has nothing to do with that. No one can truly control me,” Shi Ying replied with clear logic.
Hearing this, Yun Jinghe clenched her fists. “You claim you want to be my partner, yet you linger in such pleasure-seeking places.”
“I’m not lingering,” Shi Ying thought to herself, she was only here to fill her stomach. “And is wanting to be your partner incompatible with coming here?”
Yun Jinghe’s eyelid twitched slightly, her voice rising uncontrollably. “Shi Ying, what exactly do you take me for?”
“Of course, I consider you as—” Shi Ying recalled the words she had often heard before. She took Yun Jinghe’s hand and placed it over her own heart, her tone natural and practiced, “The treasure of my heart.”
Yun Jinghe lowered her gaze slightly, looking at where her hand had been pulled, then slowly raised her eyes to meet Shi Ying’s.
“Fine, if you don’t like it, I won’t come again in the future,” Shi Ying conceded, thinking to herself that she could always return once she obtained the Golden Core.
Yun Jinghe couldn’t help but feel weary. She truly couldn’t fathom how Shi Ying had managed to grow up safely to this age.
In the past, when Taicang Mountain accepted disciples, she would personally oversee the final selection. Those who remained were mostly disciples of superior wisdom. This was the first time she had encountered someone so infuriating, and for a moment, she couldn’t help but feel amused.
“You’re smiling does that mean you’re not angry anymore?” Seeing the faint smile on Yun Jinghe’s lips, Shi Ying mustered the courage to inch closer again.
Yun Jinghe could only console herself inwardly: Childish nature, no need to be overly demanding.
Otherwise, the one who would end up with an unsettled mind would be herself.
By now, Yun Jinghe had completely forgotten her original purpose. “Come back with me.”
“Now?” It was almost dark, the perfect time for her to feed. Shi Ying wanted to stay a little longer.
But Yun Jinghe frowned and said coldly, “Do you intend to keep staying here?”
Shi Ying still had some sense of discretion. “If I go back with you, will you agree to let me be your partner?”
Yun Jinghe pressed her lips together and remained silent, her gaze evasive.
Shi Ying wouldn’t let her off so easily. She tugged at Yun Jinghe’s sleeve and asked repeatedly, “Does that mean you agree? Does it? Does it?”
Pestered beyond endurance, Yun Jinghe turned away. “Matters of a lifetime are not for me alone to decide.”
This was, in fact, a lie. Very few in Taicang Mountain had the right to interfere in her personal affairs.
But she hoped this would serve as a tactful refusal. She was no longer at an age for impulsive decisions every action had far-reaching consequences, and many things required careful consideration before proceeding.
“Who is it? I’ll go find them right now!” Shi Ying was displeased. Why so many complications? These cultivators and their pointless formalities.
Yun Jinghe had no desire to continue this conversation and only wanted to take Shi Ying away from this place.
“Your clothes are torn, you should change.” Noticing the tear in the back of Yun Jinghe’s robe, Shi Ying pulled her along, deliberately avoiding the two lying on the ground as they headed toward the inner chamber.
The space inside was separated from the outside by a screen, effectively removing them from the unsettling presence.
Observing how effortlessly Shi Ying navigated the place, Yun Jinghe’s brows furrowed even deeper.
However, one thing Shi Ying hadn’t lied about, there truly seemed to be no one else inside. This realization slightly improved Yun Jinghe’s mood.
Shi Ying released her and went to fetch a brand-new set of clothes. She knew this was where spare garments were kept, a standard provision in every room here.
As Yun Jinghe felt the clothes handed to her, she spoke, “The clothes you’ve been giving me to wear.” She paused mid-sentence, taking a deep breath before continuing, “Are they all taken from here?”
“Yes, what’s the matter?” Shi Ying saw no issue with her actions.
What’s the matter? Yun Jinghe suddenly closed her eyes. No wonder they tear so easily.
Shi Jian noticed her gripping the clothes tightly. “Hurry up and change. Or do you need my help?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the clothes in Yun Jinghe’s hands were thrown to the ground.
Shi Jian was about to speak when she saw the dark expression on Yun Jinghe’s face. For the first time, she obediently kept her mouth shut.
Yun Jinghe had initially intended to leave through the door, but the thought of what she was currently wearing made her expression grow even more unpleasant. Moreover, if someone questioned her, she would have to come up with an explanation.
After some thought, Yun Jinghe decided to take Shi Jian and retrace their steps the way they had come.
They were on the third floor, but Yun Jinghe had no trouble descending with Shi Jian in tow.
However, the first thing she did upon landing was to have Shi Jian take her to a pharmacy.
She went inside and sold the remaining excess elixirs she had on her to the apothecary in exchange for some silver. To Yun Jinghe, a cultivator’s elixirs were nothing special, but in the mortal world, even a single pill could be worth a fortune. The apothecary was more than happy to make such a profitable deal.
Yun Jinghe also had the apothecary help identify which of the elixirs she had was the one she needed.
After obtaining the correct pill, she sniffed it. Perfect, she had been taking the wrong ones all along.
Once she had the silver, she dragged Shi Jian to a tailor shop. In their haste, they could only purchase a few ready-made outfits from the shop.
Only after changing into fresh clothes did Yun Jinghe’s expression soften slightly.
She handed the remaining silver to Shi Jian.
Shi Jian’s eyes sparkled as she received the money, eagerly counting the coins in the pouch. She rarely had the chance to use money and found the experience novel.
On their way back, Yun Jinghe recalled the conversation between the old woman and the young lady from earlier that day. She wanted to bring it up several times but could sense Shi Jian’s excitement and joy at the moment and didn’t want to interrupt her on the road.
They could talk about it when they got home.
The two walked at a leisurely pace, and by the time they arrived, the moon was already high in the sky.
Once inside, Shi Jian suddenly asked, “You still haven’t told me, have you agreed or not?”
Yun Jinghe hadn’t expected her to press the issue again and repeated her earlier excuse, “As I said, this isn’t something I can decide alone. I have my elders to consider.”
“What if they disagree?”
Yun Jinghe remained silent.
Shi Jian thought to herself that if the people who could make the decision kept popping up one after another, this would never end.
So, she made a decisive move, pulling Yun Jinghe toward the bed.
Yun Jinghe was forced to the bedside and, before she could steady herself, was gently pushed down to sit on the bed.
Still disoriented, she looked up in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“Then why don’t we just cook the raw rice into cooked rice?”