Shen Qixi stiffly held the Lotus Elixir in her hand.  

As if thinking she didn’t understand, Rong Xueci parted his lips and added,  

“No cultivation is needed. Just take this pill, and it will extend your lifespan.”  

“With prolonged use, it can also strengthen your constitution. It suits you well.”  

It suits her well.

Indeed.  

She was already a hundred years old and had yet to reach Foundation Establishment. The lifespan of a Qi Refinement cultivator was limited—she had to rely on external aids to sustain herself.  

A sharp pang rose in Shen Qixi’s heart.  

She had to admit, her pride made this situation hard to bear.  

She and her husband were completely mismatched.  

Before Rong Xueci, she could only be a clinging vine, wholly dependent on him.  

Shen Qixi forced a smile and said weakly, “Husband, perhaps I’ll succeed in reaching Foundation Establishment next time. Can I hold onto this pill for now?”  

She had already mastered the cultivation techniques so thoroughly.  

She hadn’t wasted her time—she had worked hard, diligently striving.  

This time, she had been so close. Maybe next time, she would succeed.  

Just give her another chance, let her try again.  

She didn’t want to see disappointment in Rong Xueci’s eyes.  

Shen Qixi still remembered how overjoyed she had been when Rong Xueci proposed to her.  

Back then, gazing at that jade-like immortal man, she had envisioned a future full of promise.  

She had been so young, foolishly believing that a happy ending for lovers was the greatest joy in life.  

But cultivators did not grow old together—cultivators pursued strength.  

She was just a mortal, unable to stand as Rong Xueci’s equal.  

A hundred years had passed, and she had come to terms with her mediocrity.  

In a cultivation world teeming with geniuses, a mortal with low-grade mixed spiritual roots was the most insignificant existence.  

For cultivators, lifespans were long—a hundred years was but a fleeting moment. Some could even spend centuries in seclusion within secret realms, striving for higher realms.  

They were radiant and ambitious.  

Yet Shen Qixi could only cower under Rong Xueci’s protection.  

Because she was merely a Qi Refinement cultivator. The outside world was fraught with danger for her. No one would support a Qi Refinement cultivator venturing out to explore.  

Besides, she couldn’t advance through trials—she had no talent.  

All she wanted now was to successfully reach Foundation Establishment.  

To prove that she could improve, that she could slowly chase after Rong Xueci.  

Rong Xueci’s fingertips brushed against Shen Qixi’s face, gently tracing her brows as he softly corrected her,  

“Whether you will reach Foundation Establishment next time is uncertain. You must take the pill now, or your lifespan will suffer.”  

“I understand,” Shen Qixi said.  

She took a deep breath, looking at Rong Xueci’s serene face, and forced an optimistic tone.  

“But if I prepare for a few more months, I can attempt the breakthrough again. Maybe I’ll succeed, and then I won’t need the pill. After all, such a precious thing shouldn’t be wasted.”  

From early-stage Qi Refinement to late-stage, Shen Qixi had spent years cultivating. Her first attempt at Foundation Establishment had drained her spiritual energy, leaving her severely weakened and requiring a long recovery.  

Each subsequent attempt had been a struggle—defying the heavens.  

Forcing a mortal onto the path of cultivation was already an unnatural demand.  

Though this time, Shen Qixi hadn’t been as weakened, in Rong Xueci’s eyes, her insistence on breaking through was utterly unwise.  

A contemplative gleam flickered in Rong Xueci’s eyes as he said, “There’s no need. I have no shortage of Lotus Elixirs.”  

“You don’t have to economize in this regard.”  

Seeing Shen Qixi hesitate, Rong Xueci simply took the pill from her hand and fed it to her.  

Her lips brushed against his cold fingertips.  

As the Lotus Elixir entered her stomach, a surge of potent spiritual energy instantly spread through her limbs.  

Rong Xueci smiled faintly.  

He withdrew his hand and turned to leave, then paused as if remembering something.  

“Wife,” he suggested, “if possible, you should stop attempting breakthroughs.”  

Shen Qixi was still marveling at the changes in her body—this miraculous sensation should have been beyond a mortal like her. Hearing his words, she stared at him in shock.  

“…What?”  

“Failed breakthroughs will harm your body.”  

Shen Qixi’s voice trembled slightly as she replied, “I can endure such risks.”  

“Husband, I don’t want to remain a Qi Refinement cultivator forever.”

Rong Xueci tilted his head slightly, a strand of ink-black hair slipping past his ear. His eyes flickered with confusion as he asked,  

“Is there really such a big difference between a Qi Refinement cultivator and a Foundation Establishment cultivator?”

Shen Qixi’s face stiffened.  

The gap between her and Rong Xueci was too vast.  

He couldn’t possibly understand her struggles.  

Rong Xueci spoke gently, “Wife, Qi Refinement is enough. Unlike when you had no cultivation at all, the pills I give you now can take effect. In the future, you only need to take the elixirs I prepare—there’s no need to obsess over anything else.”  

To him, it was simple: rather than waste effort on futile attempts, she should just rely on what he provided.  

Shen Qixi’s voice trembled with emotion, “What if… one day, we’re no longer together?”

“That day will never come.” His reply was firm, leaving no room for doubt.  

Shen Qixi wanted to argue further, but then she caught her own reflection in Rong Xueci’s eyes—  

A young woman with red-rimmed eyes, consumed by stubborn desperation.  

She had become almost hysterical.  

She wasn’t like this before, when they first met.  

Back then, she would playfully tease him, tangling his hair just to watch him patiently undo the knots.  

But somewhere along the way, she had grown cautious, insecure, and desperate to prove herself.  

She loved Rong Xueci, but… it was exhausting.  

“If you were to suffer qi deviation, it wouldn’t be worth it,” Rong Xueci added after a pause, his tone persuasive.  

Shen Qixi suddenly realized—Rong Xueci would never be disappointed by her failed breakthroughs.  

Because he didn’t care whether she advanced or not.  

This was the inevitable result of their disparity in power.  

Rong Xueci was naturally aloof, but he always maintained a gentle demeanor around her—respectful, as befitted a husband.  

How could she blame him?  

He was even considerate enough to prepare elixirs for her.  

The one without talent was her.  

A mortal like her was never meant to stand beside someone like Rong Xueci.  

“Let me think about it a little longer,” Shen Qixi said numbly.  

“Wife, don’t overthink it. Rest now.” His voice was soft.  

Then, Rong Xueci leaned in and pressed a chaste, restrained kiss to her lips.  

Immortal Venerable Rong Xueci was a man of abstinence. Even after marriage, their relationship had never been passionate.  

A moment later, they entered their cultivation chamber.  

Shen Qixi glanced up and noticed a smear of rouge from her lips at the corner of Rong Xueci’s mouth, trailing faintly across his pale skin like a sinful mark.  

Instinctively, she retrieved a handkerchief from her storage ring and summoned a trickle of water with a minor spell.  

Among her mixed spiritual roots, her water affinity was the strongest—though she rarely used it.  

Rising onto her toes, she reached out to wipe his face with the damp cloth.  

Rong Xueci stiffened almost imperceptibly.  

*”No need to trouble yourself.”* He caught her wrist, stopping her.  

The sensation of dampness disgusted him.  

A surge of cold, overwhelming spiritual energy instantly evaporated the moisture from the handkerchief.  

Shen Qixi’s hand hung empty in the air as she stared at him.  

Her mind had been too scattered today—she’d forgotten Rong Xueci hated this.  

Once, early in her cultivation journey, she had noticed his fastidiousness and, eager to please, summoned a water orb to cleanse his face.  

But Rong Xueci had reacted with barely concealed irritation.  

Back then, still new to the cultivation world and terrified of making mistakes, she had immediately sensed his rejection.  

Since then, she had rarely used her strongest element—water—despite it being her “greatest talent.”  

His reaction today was just like back then.  

He never openly expressed displeasure, but his aversion was unmistakable.  

Yet he never explained.  

Not even to her, his wife.  

She didn’t truly know him.  

Rong Xueci’s fingers closed around hers, turning the gesture into a gentle hold as he guided her toward the bed.  

“Wife, rest.”

The tenderness he showed her felt like a mask.  

Immortal Venerable Rong Xueci… What do you even see in me?

Why did you marry me?