Chapter 22

The sun was already high in the sky, with its rays faintly filtering through the tightly closed window, casting a dim light over the room.

Yu Tao groggily opened her eyes, still a bit dazed, and slowly sat up.

The quilt slid off her side, and she put down the pillow she had been holding in her arms, rubbing her eyes as she planned to get out of bed.

Wait.

…Pillow?

Yu Tao remembered that there wasn’t a pillow on her bed, so she looked at the one she had just put down, puzzled. But then she saw a white sleeve that didn’t belong to her, crumpled into a bundle.

And beneath the sleeve, a slender, jade-like hand, with fingers faintly tinged with pink.

Yu Tao: “…?”

Following the well-defined knuckles of the hand upward, she saw a few dark red bite marks on the slender wrist.

Her gaze traveled further up, and the collar of the shirt was slightly open, revealing half of a pale collarbone, with several red marks that looked like they had been scratched, giving off a very ambiguous appearance.

Looking even higher, the young man’s long lashes fluttered slightly as he leaned against the bed’s railing, still asleep, his expression weary and his breathing lightly.

Yu Tao: ‘Shockwave in her pupils.’

Yu Tao quickly went into ^[1]“Full-on brain mode” is an informal expression used to describe someone who is focusing intensely on thinking or concentrating.full-on brain mode, trying to recall what exactly happened last night, but she could only remember a few scattered images.

For example, when Little Senior Brother helped her sit up to take the medicine.

Or when in her dream, the “cat” wanted to leave, and she held it in her arms to stop it.

Or when the “cat” tried to break free, and she coaxed and begged it.

And then, after that, it seemed like there was nothing more.

In her dazed dream, she vaguely remembered the “cat” trying to leave, and then she pounced on it, hugging it tightly. Suddenly, the little “cat” turned into a big “cat,” all fluffy and soft, warm and cozy.

But now, looking at the scene, it was clear that in reality, she had been holding onto Senior Brother’s arm, not letting go, and eventually, without any reason, had burrowed into his chest.

Yu Tao: “…”

Yu Tao nervously raised her eyes, looking at the young man’s face, his tired expression still visible as he had not yet woken up. It was probably because she had been too noisy last night.

She wasn’t sure if it was her intense gaze that alerted him or if it was the noise that woke him up. In any case, the “cat” trembled, and with a slow flutter of his dark lashes, he gradually opened his eyes.

His light gold eyes were initially languid and indifferent, but they focused on her face after a moment.

The two stared at each other.

Yu Tao nervously stammered, “S-Senior Brother.”

“Mm.”

The young man’s voice was slightly hoarse, lazily acknowledging her with a soft reply. He hadn’t said anything else when the door, which had been tightly shut, was suddenly pushed open. The room was flooded with bright, noon sunlight.

Hua Lian walked in casually. “I heard yesterday that Junior Sister was sick. How are you feeling now? Are you—”

The word “better” suddenly got stuck in Hua Lian’s throat.

Hua Lian was stunned.

His eyes widened.

He fell into deep thought.

He stared back and forth at the two of them on the same bed, their clothes messy. One of them looked flustered and shy, eyes averted, while the other had an open collar with obvious red marks.

His expression became subtle. “Junior Brother, Junior Sister, you two…”

Yu Tao anxiously almost bit her tongue. “Second Senior Brother, it’s not what you think!”

Hua Lian suddenly raised his hand. “No need to say more, Senior Brother understands.”

Although he had no idea how his Junior Brother went from “never even holding hands” to “sleeping on the same bed, who knows what happened,” Hua Lian, being tactful, immediately closed his mouth.

He took a few steps back, crossed the threshold, and casually closed the door behind him.

And then, as if out of kindness, he added, “You two continue.”

Yu Tao: “…”

Yu Tao quickly turned her head. “Little Senior Brother, what should we do if Second Senior Brother misunderstands? Nothing really happened between us…”

The young man gave her a lingering glance, clearly wondering if she was really so worried about Hua Lian misunderstanding them.

Yu Tao scrambled out of bed in a panic. “I need to go explain things to him.”

The young man lazily leaned against the bed’s railing, resembling a cat as he lowered his lashes. His tone was slow and casual. “So, Junior Sister, you think nothing really happened?”

Yu Tao was stunned. “Huh?”

Wasn’t that the case?

Based on her dream, at most, she just hugged him. Although that was inappropriate, once explained, it would just be a misunderstanding and not as serious as Second Senior Brother thought.

Could it be that, while she was asleep, she did something else strange?

The young man said nothing, lowering his gaze in silence as he raised his hand to close the collar of his robe, covering the small marks on his skin.

Perhaps due to some emotional fluctuation, his motion hesitated for a moment, and for just an instant, a small red mark on his collar bone was exposed before he quickly covered it again.

Yu Tao, who had been staring at him, noticed this and keenly recognized it. That mark seemed to be… a bite mark.

But there was nothing about this in her dream!

The ambiguous bite mark on his collarbone, along with the mottled bite marks on his wrist, were things she hadn’t seen in her dream, but these marks were tangible evidence.

It was over. Yu Tao was in a daze.

So… did she really do something so outrageous to Little Senior Brother?

Yu Li arranged his clothes and was about to get out of bed when he noticed the girl in front of him had been dazed for a moment, then suddenly lowered her head.

“Senior Brother!”

Yu Li lazily lifted his eyes. “Remembered?”

After finally managing to get some peace and rest last night, she suddenly insisted on eating a pear. She ended up biting his collarbone, and he had to pinch her chin to reluctantly make her let go.

He’d never seen anyone sleep so restlessly.

“I didn’t remember, but…”

Yu Tao’s gaze was firm, her tone serious. “Little Senior Brother, don’t worry. I will take responsibility.”

Having learned so many methods to punish scumbags from Zhu Mingyu and Lu Qingyu, Yu Tao herself was trembling inside.

She had done so many things to him and ruined his reputation, so if she didn’t take responsibility and act, wouldn’t she be just as much of a scumbag herself?

Yu Li: ?

The young man suddenly lifted his eyelids and smiled leisurely, asking slowly, “What do you plan to do to take responsibility?”

Yu Tao was caught off guard and her confidence instantly weakened. “…I…I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“But don’t worry,” she quickly added, “I’m not the kind of person who would just throw you some spiritual stones and leave you behind. I won’t turn around and blame you for seducing me first… Anyway, Little Senior Brother, you don’t have to worry!”

Yu Li: “…”

Where did she learn all this?

He reached out and placed his hand on the girl’s forehead. It wasn’t hot anymore, so it seemed like her fever had gone down.

“Does it still hurt?”

Yu Tao was momentarily stunned, then realized he was asking if her stomach still hurt. Her ears turned red.

Little Senior Brother really was kind. After she had been so reckless with him, he wasn’t angry, and instead, he was concerned about her health.

Thinking about it made her feel like she was really ^[2]“Out of line” means behaving inappropriately or not following accepted rules, standards, or expectations. It can refer to actions or behavior that are considered disrespectful, rude, or … Continue readingout of line.

Yu Tao shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”

Normally, her discomfort from her period only lasted the first day, and after that, it wasn’t much of an issue. However, this time was much worse than usual, and even walking was difficult.

The young man replied faintly, “Mm, the medicine is on the table. Remember to take it, there’s enough for three days.”

Yu Tao nodded repeatedly, watching as Yu Li left the room. She finally relaxed and lay back down on the bed, rolling herself in the quilt.

Ahh, how could she have done something like that to him?! Could it really be that “what you think about during the day, you dream about at night”?

Her face buried in the quilt, she could still smell the fresh, clean scent that lingered on Senior Brother’s clothes.

Yu Tao sighed lightly and began to worry about what to do next.

Hua Lian, seeing Yu Li come out, smiled and said, “I heard it all. Junior Sister said she’ll take responsibility for you.”

Yu Li’s expression remained calm. “Did you come today just to eavesdrop?”

“Of course not, don’t blame me. I was about to leave but remembered I had something important to do today, so I came back to wait. And then you suddenly came out and completely stunned me. Tsk tsk, who would have known I’d walk over and overhear Junior Sister say something like that.”

Hua Lian grinned mischievously. “So, what did Junior Sister do to you last night?”

He knew that nothing had happened between the two of them, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy and wanted to tease his usually aloof Junior Brother.

Yu Li didn’t stay and walked towards the bamboo pavilion.

“Let’s get to the point.”

Hua Lian pouted, pretending to be serious.

He followed and said, “Elder Song chatted with me for a while yesterday. His disciples recently went to Xuanyue Sea and discovered something unusual.”

“The nearby towns around Xuanyue Sea have been plagued by toxic mist. Elder Song’s disciples went to rescue people and cleared the mist several times, but it kept coming back. They thought someone was intentionally harming people, but after a month of investigation, they found out that the source of the mist came from an unknown secret realm.”

“The disciples are all medical cultivators, so they have no fighting ability and didn’t dare to enter the realm on their own. They had Elder Song send a sect mission, and in a few days, disciples from the sect will take over the task.”

Hua Lian smiled mysteriously. “So, Junior Brother, do you want to go to this secret realm?”

Yu Li glanced at him. “The sect has plenty of capable disciples. Let them go for training. Why should I fight them for the opportunity?”

With the opening of a new secret realm, there would surely be many people involved, and Yu Li had always disliked crowded places.

“…Forget it, you’re so stupid,”

Hua Lian shook his head, exasperated. He thought Yu Li had made some progress, but it turned out he still didn’t understand.

“Of course, I’m not asking you to go for training,”

Hua Lian pointed around. “I’m asking you to take Junior Sister with you! Let her go for training!”

“She’s been progressing slowly recently. I can tell she’s lacking some practical experience. Sparring in the Twin Stars Sword Training Field can’t compare to training in a secret realm. Besides, it’s always good to broaden her horizons, which will help with her cultivation of the mind.”

Considering Yu Li’s stubborn nature, Hua Lian was actually withholding some information.

For example… Xuanyue Sea was a well-known destination for Dao companion dates in the cultivation world, so the secret realm there must be quite exceptional.

Tsk, not only would this give Junior Sister a chance to train, but it would also give them a chance to build their relationship in a legitimate way. Wasn’t this a win-win situation?

Hua Lian admired himself. He might even consider applying for a professional matchmaker certificate one day.

Sure enough, after Hua Lian purposely withheld the fact that it could help foster their relationship, Yu Li really did lower his head and seriously began to think.

After a while, he lifted his eyes and asked, “How many days from now?”

“Five days. If you’re sure, I’ll tell Elder Song.”

“Push it back two more days.”

Although Hua Lian didn’t understand why Yu Li wanted to delay for two more days, he still made a gesture that indicated he would go ahead, took out the liuli mirror, and sent a message to Elder Song. Suddenly, he realized why.

He couldn’t help but feel a bit sour.

Tsk… and he still wouldn’t admit it.

Yu Tao is sick and in her Kuishui period, so she’s weak. The doctor had advised her to rest properly and not cultivate for the next few days.

So in the afternoon, she sat in the bamboo pavilion, resting her chin on her hand, staring at the fish swimming in the lake, lost in thought as she wondered how she could take responsibility for her actions toward Little Senior Brother.

In the end, she couldn’t come to a conclusion, so she turned to someone outside for help.

Yu Tao: 【Classmate Zhu, I need to ask you something.】

Zhu Mingyu seemed to be online and replied quickly: 【What’s up?】

Yu Tao hesitated for a moment, slowly typing: 【It’s about what you and Senior Sister Lu taught me yesterday regarding some “scumbag behavior.” I want to ask if this counts.】

Zhu Mingyu’s heart tightened. Could it be that Yu Li had done something to her?

【Take your time, no rush.】

Yu Tao felt guilty while typing: 【It’s just that we slept on the same bed, just slept for one night, but nothing actually happened!】

【… But there were some other things, like leaving bite marks and scratches on the body, and hugging while sleeping.】

【Classmate Zhu, do you think this kind of behavior counts as being frivolous?】

After reading the message, Zhu Mingyu nearly ground her teeth down. Wasn’t this just typical lecherous behavior?

She didn’t expect Senior Brother Yu Li to be this kind of person. They had just gotten to know each other for a short time, and now he was already getting handsy with a young girl and even hugging her to sleep.

Zhu Mingyu angrily gulped down a large mouthful of cold water, took a moment to calm down, and then opened the thread she had been looking at earlier.

The thread title: 【Breaking News! Senior Brother Yu Li has a girlfriend!】

Original poster: 【Here’s the story: Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling well, so I went to the Miaoshou Peak Medical Hall to see Shishu Song. As soon as I entered, I overheard Senior Brother Yu Li asking Shishu Song, “How do you treat and relieve pain for a woman in her Kuishui period?”】

Post follower 1: 【Is that all? Maybe he was just asking for some other Junior Sister.】

Post follower 2: 【Don’t overthink it, OP.】

Post follower 3: 【Is there any other information? This alone is hard to believe.】

Post follower 4: 【I suggest you don’t jump to conclusions or spread rumors without understanding the full situation. It could have a negative impact.】

Original poster: 【Don’t rush, I wouldn’t say anything until I’m sure. I type a bit slowly, so please bear with me.】

Original poster: 【Continuing from the previous post, after I heard it, I was just a little surprised. I thought he was asking for someone else, but it was what he said next that made me sure.】

Original poster: 【Shishu Song asked Senior Brother Yu Li about the woman’s age and physical condition. She’s 16, so she can’t be someone else’s senior sister, right? But that’s not the main point. The main point is that Shishu Song then asked if the woman had a cold constitution and often had cold hands, and Senior Brother Yu Li actually replied, “I haven’t held her hand yet!”】

Original poster: 【I mean, who doesn’t get it? That sentence couldn’t be more obvious! If he were asking for a normal friend, would he say that? Wouldn’t he just say, “I don’t know” or “I haven’t had physical contact with her”?】

Original poster: 【”I haven’t held her hand yet” clearly means, “I want to hold her hand, but for some reason, I haven’t yet!”】

Original poster: 【So, based on my analysis, it’s very likely that they’re not together yet, and they’re still in the early stages. That’s why Senior Brother Yu Li said that.】

Original poster: 【No matter what you all think, I’ve decided to ship them! Haha, that’s all for now!】

After the original poster finished their analysis, even the followers who originally thought this was just gossip started to think about it. In the end, many left comments agreeing with the original poster’s point of view.

Zhu Mingyu, who had initially thought that Senior Brother Yu Li was treating Yu Tao well by asking a healer about how to help with her Kuishui pain, and wondered if he wasn’t a bad guy, felt foolish when she read this thread again.

What was this about a pure, aloof senior brother? He was clearly just a rogue bully taking advantage of a young girl!

Zhu Mingyu’s face turned so dark she thought it might drip water. She felt like her wounds were burning from anger.

She typed rapidly: 【If this isn’t considered frivolous, then what is? You’ve just met, and you’re already sleeping in each other’s arms. Isn’t this just a scumbag taking advantage of someone?】

【And the bite marks? Is he a dog? Biting people randomly? Can’t he have a sense of personal space? Even a good dog knows not to bite people!】

Yu Tao was stunned by the insults.

She lowered her eyes, feeling a bit aggrieved, but she knew that Zhu Mingyu was right.

She had indeed gone too far.

Yu Tao quickly collected her thoughts and replied: 【I understand now, Classmate Zhu. Thank you.】

Zhu Mingyu sighed: 【It’s nothing. No need to thank me.】

Fortunately, Yu Tao was a well-behaved girl who listened to advice. As long as she could help the lost girl realize the truth about the scumbag and change her ways in time, that was good enough.

After Zhu Mingyu’s scolding, Yu Tao came to her senses. She planned to apologize to her little senior brother, so she opened up the contact information for Hua Lian.

This contact on the Liuli mirror was something she had just added today. Around noon, Senior Brother Hua Lian had come to ask if she wanted to go to a secret realm for some training. After thinking it over, Yu Tao agreed, as she felt she lacked some real-life experience.

Little did she know, just as she agreed, Hua Lian suddenly informed her of another piece of news: Yu Li would also be going to this secret realm, and the three of them would be traveling together.

Before she could fully process this, Hua Lian asked her to take out the Liuli mirror. “We’ve been talking for so long, and we still haven’t added each other as friends. Let’s add each other now so it’s easier to stay in touch.”

After adding him, he also encouraged her to add Yu Li.

So, in addition to Zhu Mingyu and Lu Qingyu, whom she had added on the day in the library pavilion, her contacts now included two more people—four in total.

Yu Tao: 【Senior Brother, do you know what Little Senior Brother likes?】

Hua Lian on the other end froze for a moment. What did Junior Sister mean by this?

Could it be that the words “I’ll take responsibility for you” from noon were serious?

After a brief hesitation, Hua Lian asked: 【Why are you asking this, Junior Sister?】

Yu Tao answered honestly: 【Senior Brother, you saw what happened today. Last night, I wasn’t quite clear-headed, and I did some… not very good things to Little Senior Brother. So I want to apologize to him and was wondering what he likes so I can give him an apology gift.】

Hua Lian: ‘Pfft.’

He couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Junior Sister was too naive. With Yu Li’s strength at the God Formation stage, if he didn’t want to, no one would be able to get close to him.

Although Hua Lian didn’t know exactly what Yu Tao had done, he was certain that if Yu Li hadn’t allowed it, Yu Tao wouldn’t have been able to touch him at all.

Hua Lian laughed heartily: 【What did you do to him?】

Yu Tao: 【Senior Brother… can we not talk about this?】

Hua Lian wasn’t insistent on knowing, but it was just a casual tease. He hadn’t expected Yu Tao to respond like this, and he laughed even louder.

Junior Sister was just too adorable—much more amusing than Yu Li.

After laughing for a while, Hua Lian composed himself. When it came to Yu Li’s preferences, he actually thought about it for a moment.

He usually had a cold demeanor and wasn’t interested in much, so for a moment, Hua Lian couldn’t think of anything.

After thinking for a while, Hua Lian suddenly had a flash of insight and quickly typed a message to send.

At the foot of Wuchang Sect Mountain, there was a street of vendors selling spiritual herbs, weapons, clothes, and other items. The vendors looked plain and unremarkable, but in reality, they were all cultivators who preferred seclusion.

Tired of fighting and killing, they had set up stalls at the foot of the mountain, living a leisurely and carefree life.

The owner of the jewelry stall sat fanning himself, glancing over at the fish stall owner, who was still staring blankly. He couldn’t help but click his tongue.

He didn’t know what had happened to the young man. He had been quite cheerful a month ago, but suddenly, one day, he became depressed, sitting in front of the stall in a sullen mood.

When asked what was wrong, he wouldn’t say, only muttering, “I really deserve to die,” as if he had lost his mind.

Whenever a young lady came to buy fish, he would snap to attention, look up suddenly, but as soon as he saw the person, he would lower his head again, making the young women think he was some kind of pervert, so they stopped coming to buy fish from him.

Just then, another young lady arrived to buy fish and stood in front of the transparent glass fish tank.

The fish stall owner, probably tired of so many disappointments, didn’t even lift his head this time, keeping his gaze downward and continuing to stare blankly.

He didn’t even care about his business anymore.

The jewelry stall owner clicked his tongue, closed his fan in frustration, and called out to the young lady, “Little girl, the fish you’re looking at is called the Five Spirits Fish, twenty spirit stones for one. If you want it, you can use the net next to you to catch one and just toss the spirit stones to him.”

The young lady turned her head to look at her and smiled softly, “Thank you, but I’m not here to buy fish.”

The fish stall owner froze for a moment when he heard the voice, and the next second, he almost absentmindedly lifted his head.