“Qian’er, what brings you here?”
Qin Wanyuan closed the system interface and looked at Qin Qian’er in surprise.
Normally, due to the tension between her and Lin Que, Qin Qian’er rarely came to their room voluntarily. Today was clearly an exception.
“Big sister… I wanted to ask you something.”
Qin Qian’er clutched the hem of her skirt, speaking hesitantly. “What you said yesterday… was it true?”
After hearing Qin Wanyuan’s words the day before, Qin Qian’er had been distracted the whole day and couldn’t sleep, her mind preoccupied with that conversation.
Qin Wanyuan smiled, got out of bed, and gently stroked her younger sister’s head.
“Of course it’s true. If Lin Lang and I didn’t truly love each other, how could we be so affectionate? What you overheard back then was just a funny misunderstanding.”
“Is that so…” Qin Qian’er lowered her eyes, then lifted her head again. “I understand.”
Leaving that cryptic remark behind, she turned and walked out.
Now curious, Qin Wanyuan quickly concealed her presence and quietly followed behind her sister.
“Let’s see what this is about.”
Qin Qian’er left the courtyard in a hurry, her eyes scanning around as if searching for something, until finally she stopped in front of the kitchen.
Following her gaze, Qin Wanyuan also saw Lin Que busying himself inside.
Although cultivators no longer needed to eat thanks to their training, Lin Que often cooked delicious meals by hand. Something quite different from how he was in the dream.
When Lin Que was younger, as long as he didn’t starve, he was content. He had no particular preferences when it came to food. Most days he just drank water or ate military ration pills. Qin Wanyuan had witnessed all this with her own eyes.
Which only made her more curious about what had happened to Lin Que during those missing years she hadn’t yet seen. What had changed him?
Elsewhere, Lin Que had naturally noticed Qin Qian’er lingering at the doorway, as well as Qin Wanyuan hiding in the back with her aura concealed. But he didn’t acknowledge either of them and simply focused on the task at hand.
In the end, it was Qin Qian’er who broke the silence.
“Um… is there anything I can help with?” Her voice was soft, but Lin Que’s hearing was sharp enough to catch every word.
He paused but didn’t turn around, nor did he respond.
A brief silence fell over them.
Qin Qian’er clutched the hem of her clothes, her lips pursed, and her feet gave a faint hint of retreat.
Sensing that things weren’t going well, Qin Wanyuan transmitted a voice message to Lin Que, explaining everything that had led up to this moment.
Lin Lang, here’s what actually happened…
After hearing her explanation and learning the real reason Qin Qian’er harbored resentment toward him, Lin Que couldn’t help but let out a short laugh, clearly both amused and exasperated.
So she overheard our conversation back then and misunderstood… Well, that’s understandable.
As for that late-night threat in the secluded courtyard, it hadn’t entirely been Lin Que’s own idea. He’d acted on a suggestion from the little devil.
At the time, Qin Wanyuan had only just entered the inner sect. Her foundation was unstable, and she had no background. If any elder wanted to take her as a confidant, they would certainly use her younger sister as leverage to control her.
Treating the illness would only address the symptoms, not the root cause. There was no way Qin Qian’er would ever fully recover.
As for the sect disciples, they were even worse. Their so-called “treatment” was nothing more than empty talk. Once Qin Wanyuan gave in and they took her as their plaything, who would still care whether Qin Qian’er lived or died?
Lin Que couldn’t bear to see such a tragedy unfold, so he acted before they could, hoping to save these two sisters from their ill-fated destiny.
After all, he had always looked up to righteous heroes, and he was especially passionate about saving beautiful girls.
Unfortunately, Qin Wanyuan didn’t believe him at all. She lumped Lin Que together with those spoiled, immoral disciples. No matter how he tried to explain himself, it was useless.
That’s when the little devil gave him an idea.
“If she thinks you’re a villain, then why not act like one? Take her body, cure her sister. That’s the bottom line she’s already imagined in her mind anyway.”
Of course, Lin Que didn’t actually follow the little devil’s advice to the letter. But he did think there was some merit in the suggestion, which led to him threatening Qin Wanyuan into obedience and, eventually, the moon-gazing incident.
It had to be said…the little devil was indeed skilled when it came to doing bad things.
This also offers a good moment to explain how the little devil’s mind worked.
To put it simply, before doing anything, a person has a mental scale: on one side stands an angel, on the other, a devil. People weigh good and evil, benefits and costs.
Sometimes the angel wins, sometimes the devil.
But the little devil… was different.
Before a person could even make a judgment, she would pull out a knife and, with a few quick stabs, kill the angel on the other side of the scale. Then, she would unilaterally push her own villainous views, trying to brainwash the host in the process.
Lin Que often suspected that the little devil was deliberately trying to steer him down the path of a villain….just like the kinds of demons in old stories who led people to ruin.
Things like peeking at his senior sister while she bathed, stealing his master’s shoes and socks, or threatening a newly initiated junior sister….these were all ideas she intentionally planted.
That said, Lin Que did carry out one of them. He had threatened the newly initiated junior sister, who at the time was none other than Qin Wanyuan.
The little devil tried to lead him astray, but Lin Que had his own ways of playing along while profiting from it.
Take the incident with Qin Wanyuan, for example. Since it was a task assigned by the little devil, there was a reward involved. But she hadn’t specified what he had to do after the threat.
The main idea was to have Lin Que follow his own desires.
So, after reaping the little devil’s reward, all Lin Que actually did was drink tea and admire the moon with Qin Wanyuan.
This infuriated the little devil so much that she refused to speak to him for days.
In short, that’s the little devil. A system unlike any other.
After recalling all of this and seeing Qin Qian’er’s awkward behavior now, Lin Que could tell that she wanted to improve their relationship but didn’t know how to start.
So, Lin Que turned around and called her over.
“Since that’s the case, just help me wash the vegetables and give me a hand.”
“Okay.”
Without hesitation, Qin Qian’er rolled up her sleeves and came over to Lin Que’s side, starting to wash the vegetables.
“Need me to show you how?”
“No need. Back when I was wandering with my sister, I often helped her out,” Qin Qian’er said calmly.
“I see.”
The two of them chatted on and off like that, looking just like two strangers who weren’t close but were forcing themselves to find something to talk about.
Still, it was much better than before.
After breakfast was ready, the three of them gathered at the table again. There wasn’t much conversation during the meal, but the atmosphere was far more relaxed than the earlier, tense standoff.
Qin Qian’er’s prejudice and dislike toward Lin Que had lasted for a long time. A complete shift in attitude wasn’t going to happen overnight…but the fact that she was willing to take the first step was a good sign.
As for Lin Que…
Qin Wanyuan quietly opened the system interface to check Lin Que’s favorability toward Qin Qian’er. While it hadn’t increased much, at least it was starting to warm up.
That alone made her smile with relief.
After all, when the family is in harmony, all things flourish.
Once the meal was over, Qin Wanyuan eagerly rushed back to her room to change into her training clothes, then dragged Lin Que off to go flying on their swords.
Full and satisfied…it was time to spar with her senior!
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