Chapter 2: The Seventh Young Master of the Xie Family

Su Yanwei bounced happily into the courtyard. As soon as she entered the house, she called out.

“Slow down, Wei’er.”

Seeing her daughter running over, Ye Qingmeng took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. Su Yanwei tilted up her little face, obediently letting her mother fuss over her.

“Mother,” Su Yanwei blinked her bright eyes at Ye Qingmeng’s beautiful, refined face, “you’re so pretty!”

Ye Qingmeng put the handkerchief away and gave her a sideways glance.

“All you know is how to sweet-talk me.”

“No, no!” Su Yanwei shook her head like a rattle drum.
“I’m not just saying it. Mother, you’re so beautiful, are you sure you’re not a fairy who came down from the heavens?”

“If Mother is a fairy, then I must be a little fairy too!” she added proudly.

Ye Qingmeng chuckled.

“So, in the end, you’re really just praising yourself.”

Su Yanwei wrapped her arms around Ye Qingmeng’s and playfully said,

“I’m praising both of us! Mother, you’re the great fairy, and I’m the little fairy.”

“Sweet talker!” Ye Qingmeng tapped her little nose, pretending to scold her.

But her brows and eyes were already softened with laughter. Then she turned to a maid beside them:

“Serve breakfast.”

For breakfast, there were lotus root slices and pumpkin cakes, both of which Su Yanwei loved. She picked up a pumpkin cake and nibbled on it in small bites, her cheeks puffed up like a little hamster.

“Mother, what did Elder Mingfeng come to see you about?” she asked between bites.

“What else? The same old topic,” Ye Qingmeng replied lightly, steering the conversation away. She picked up a piece of lotus root and placed it on Su Yanwei’s plate.
“This lotus root was freshly delivered this morning from Taihu Lake. Your favorite.”

“Mother spoils me the most!” Su Yanwei immediately forgot her question, happily biting into the lotus root, her face full of contentment.

Ye Qingmeng herself ate only a few bites before putting down her chopsticks. She had been living on spiritual energy for years, and eating was now just to keep her daughter company. Seeing that Su Yanwei had nearly finished, she spoke:

“Your father will be back this afternoon.”

“Really?” Su Yanwei’s eyes lit up, her voice filled with surprise and joy.
“Father is coming home!”

“Mm.” Ye Qingmeng smiled faintly.
“Look how happy you are.”

“He’s been away so long, of course I missed him!” Su Yanwei giggled.

From the moment she heard her father was returning, Su Yanwei couldn’t sit still all morning. She kept peeking toward the gate, her little figure restless with excitement.

Inside the study, Ye Qingmeng, who was copying Daoist scriptures, shook her head with a soft smile.

“You really can’t keep calm, can you?”

Su Yanwei turned to look at her.

“Mother, don’t you miss Father too?”

“There’s nothing special about missing or not missing,” Ye Qingmeng set her brush down after finishing a stroke.
“If your father had something important, he’d send a message.”

Su Yanwei: ????

Is this really how cultivators express love?

Just by sending messages?

“But they say, ‘A day apart feels like three autumns,’ right?” she asked, puzzled.

Ye Qingmeng let out a small laugh.

“Cultivators sometimes go into seclusion for months, years, or even centuries. If we thought like that, who would still cultivate?”

Su Yanwei thought it over, then agreed,

“That makes sense… Love could get in the way of cultivation!”

“You, silly girl, what do you know about love?” Ye Qingmeng glanced at her.
“Enough nonsense.”

She got up, moved her chair aside, and walked over to her daughter, holding out her hand.

“Come on, since you can’t sit still, let’s go outside and wait for your father together.”

“Mother, aren’t you going to finish copying scriptures?” Su Yanwei asked.

“With you fidgeting and pacing around, my head is aching already. How can I focus?” Ye Qingmeng teased.

Su Yanwei laughed sheepishly and said no more.

Hand in hand, mother and daughter went out to the front courtyard to wait.

After about half an hour, from the distance came a figure: dressed in an ash-blue Daoist robe, upright and handsome as jade, it was Su Jingting.

Seeing him approach, Su Yanwei’s eyes sparkled with joy.

“Father! Father!”

Su Jingting, who had been walking calmly, looked up when he heard her call. Seeing his wife and daughter waiting for him at the gate, his expression softened instantly, and a gentle smile appeared at his lips.

“Wei’er!”

He couldn’t help but quicken his pace toward them.

“Father, I missed you so much!” Su Yanwei’s face beamed with happiness, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

Su Jingting gazed at his beloved daughter, eyes full of open affection and patience. He reached out and gently stroked her hair.

“Father missed you too.”

Then he turned his gaze to Ye Qingmeng, love rising in his eyes.

“It must have been hard on you these days.”

“No need to be so formal,” Ye Qingmeng looked at him calmly, though her eyes were warm and smiling.
“You’re home now, and that’s what matters.”

They exchanged a deep, tender look.

Standing between them, Su Yanwei glanced left at Ye Qingmeng, then right at Su Jingting, and suddenly smiled slyly, like a clever little fox.

“Let’s go inside,” Ye Qingmeng finally said, breaking the quiet.

“As you wish, my lady,” Su Jingting replied good-naturedly.

“Father, tell me about all the interesting things you saw outside!” Su Yanwei tugged on Ye Qingmeng’s hand with one hand and Su Jingting’s with the other, standing happily between them as they walked into the house together, bouncing with delight.

---

Inside.

Ye Qingmeng brewed tea nearby, her gaze gentle as she watched Su Yanwei chatter endlessly about her recent sword practice. Su Jingting listened with patience, nodding seriously from time to time. Ye Qingmeng, who knew him too well, could immediately see that he was just humoring their daughter, Su Jingting looked serious on the outside, but inside, he was always playful and good at coaxing others.

“Father, tell me, why do they call it the ‘Splitting Stream Sword Technique’? Why isn’t there a ‘Merging Stream Sword Technique’?” Su Yanwei tilted her little face up, eyes bright and full of curiosity.

Su Jingting: How should I know?!

“Perhaps because this technique is meant to break apart an opponent’s sword moves, splitting them into two hence, ‘Splitting Stream.’ As for why there isn’t a ‘Merging Stream Sword Technique’… maybe you can create one yourself someday?” Su Jingting kept his wise father image intact, answering solemnly but actually making it up as he went.

Su Yanwei blinked.

What you said makes sense… but I still think you’re bluffing!

“What are you two talking about?” Ye Qingmeng brought over the tea and sat beside Su Jingting.

Relieved to see her, Su Jingting shot her a look that clearly said, Save me!

Out loud, he said seriously,

“Your daughter was just telling me about her recent sword practice. She’s improved a lot, very commendable!”

Ye Qingmeng caught his silent plea and calmly played along.

“Your father just came back and hasn’t even had his tea yet. If you have more questions, save them for tomorrow.”

“Alright…”

Though Su Yanwei wanted to keep showing off, since Mother said so, she obediently stopped.

Saved at last!

Su Jingting shot Ye Qingmeng a grateful look: Thank you for saving me!

Ye Qingmeng glanced at him sideways: And how do you plan to thank me?

Why not devote my whole life to you? Su Jingting’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

Ye Qingmeng rolled her eyes.

“Father, you still haven’t told me what you saw outside this time!” Su Yanwei asked again, unwilling to stay quiet.

Ye Qingmeng and Su Jingting quickly looked away, both pretending nothing happened.

“Wei’er wants to know?” Su Jingting smiled.
“Well, that’s a long story…”

Holding the tea brewed by her mother, Su Yanwei listened intently as her father told tales of his travels. Sunlight streamed through the window, warm and gentle, covering the room in a soft golden glow. At that moment, her smile shone as brightly as the sun itself pure and radiant.

“Alright, the story’s over. A good child should go to bed now,” Su Jingting coaxed.

“I’m not sleepy yet, Father! Tell me a bit more,” Su Yanwei pleaded.

Su Jingting: …

You may not be sleepy, but your mother and I want to sleep!

“You’re still young. Early to bed and early to rise is good for your health.” Su Jingting rejected her mercilessly.
“Tomorrow you can hear more.”

“I can stay up just a little longer, half an hour! Just half an hour!” she tried to bargain.

Unable to resist, Su Jingting glanced at Ye Qingmeng for help: Your turn!

Ye Qingmeng simply smiled, sipping her tea calmly: Handle it yourself.

Su Jingting: …

The little one is stubborn, and the big one is no easier!

---

Finally, Su Jingting used his trump card: he took out two ancient books.

“These are the missing volumes of the travel notes by the Recluse of Mirror Lake that you’ve been searching for.”

“Really?!” Su Yanwei’s eyes widened in excitement.

“Would Father lie to you?” Su Jingting smiled.

Su Yanwei eagerly took the books, quickly flipping through a few pages.

“Thank you, Father!”

Now she didn’t even want to hear more stories.

“Father, you’re the best! I won’t bother you and Mother anymore. I’ll go to bed now!”

She scrambled to her feet, clutching the books, and ran off with a skip in her step.

Su Jingting laughed softly.

“So she does know she was bothering us.”

“This child is quite mischievous, I wonder who she takes after,” he teased.

Ye Qingmeng gave him a sidelong glance.

“Who indeed?”

Su Jingting: …

---

That night.

Su Yanwei lay in bed, hugging the two newly found travel books, reading by candlelight, completely absorbed.

Meanwhile, in another room…

“Today, Elder Mingfeng came to see me,” Ye Qingmeng told Su Jingting.

“Ignore whatever he says,” Su Jingting sighed helplessly.
“He’s old-fashioned. Please forgive him.”

“This time, he didn’t come for me,” Ye Qingmeng said calmly.

Su Jingting looked at her.

“He came to talk about Wei’er’s marriage,” Ye Qingmeng continued.

Su Jingting’s brow immediately furrowed.

“Ridiculous! Wei’er is still so young, talking about marriage already?! She’s just a child!”

Even Ye Qingmeng had to stiffen slightly at this.

“Calm down first. Listen to me, although Elder Mingfeng can be stubborn and old-fashioned, this time the proposal he brought is actually a very good match.”

“Even you…” Su Jingting frowned, displeased.

Ye Qingmeng looked at him seriously.

“Wei’er is my own daughter. I love her no less than you do. How could I harm her?”

“The proposed groom is Xie Yurong of the Mingzhou Xie family.”

“Xie Yurong?” Su Jingting was surprised.
“The one praised as ‘beautiful as jade, flawless and radiant, a man so rare he could only belong to the heavens’ the seventh young master of the Xie family?”