Jiang Moqing’s favorability toward Lin Que had risen to eighty-five. It was a level that indicated she was already falling in love.
And sure enough, some behaviors had begun to show it, even unintentionally.
As the saying goes, when you like someone, it’s impossible to hide it and Jiang Moqing was the perfect example of that at this moment.
While Lin Que was taking her pulse, his brows were furrowed and his expression focused.
Meanwhile, Jiang Moqing’s fingertips subtly curled upward, brushing against Lin Que’s hand with what looked like an accidental touch but was, in fact, a deliberate move full of unspoken detail.
Her gaze was especially telling. Beneath the mask of cold indifference, there was a sensuality that was practically spilling out.
If Qin Wanyuan, his current partner, hadn’t been present, one might suspect this icy senior sister was about to devour Lin Que right then and there.
I swear, Senior Sister’s eyes are practically sprouting little hearts…
Qin Wanyuan felt increasingly guilty, as if she were pushing Lin Que into the jaws of a beast. But in order to ensure his survival during the catastrophe two years from now, she had no choice.
The conflict of emotions within her between guilt and determination created a deep inexpressible bitterness.
At the same time, the system’s previous words echoed in her mind:
[Host, do you want Lin Que to survive, or do you want a corpse that only ever loved you?]
[Surely, Host, you don’t want your partner to die in two years, do you?]
***
In the end, Qin Wanyuan chose to stay silent, pretending not to notice Jiang Moqing’s subtle touch.
As for Lin Que who was seemingly focused on a problem he had found, he didn’t appear to notice Jiang Moqing’s discreet movements.
It was another half a cup of tea’s time before Lin Que finally withdrew his hand and looked seriously at Jiang Moqing.
“Your cultivation method has a problem. Your pulse is chaotic, and your dantian contains at least two different types of spiritual energy conflicting with each other. This isn’t something that could happen overnight.”
“……”
Faced with Lin Que’s questioning, Jiang Moqing remained silent. Her eyes, however, dodged his gaze slightly. Like a child who knew they had done something wrong.
Qin Wanyuan was stunned. She had only wanted to find an excuse for Lin Que to get close to Jiang Moqing. She never expected he’d actually find something wrong.
After a moment, Jiang Moqing finally spoke, slowly.
“This isn’t a problem with my cultivation method. I know what I’m doing.”
“Cultivating multiple techniques at once may accelerate your progress, but it limits your potential. Worse, conflicting methods could cause you to suffer a qi deviation. Do you really understand the risks?”
This was a matter of life and death. Lin Que wasn’t concerned about old grudges anymore. He was speaking seriously, from the perspective of a healer.
“I’ll be fine,” Jiang Moqing replied calmly, her tone as indifferent as ever.
But by observing the status screen, Qin Wanyuan noticed that even though Lin Que’s tone was stern as he tried to dissuade Jiang Moqing, her favorability toward him wasn’t decreasing….on the contrary, it was rising.
Is it because Lin Lang showed concern for her…?
Qin Wanyuan could understand Jiang Moqing’s reaction. After all, it was rare to be shown care by someone she still held feelings for. Even if his tone was harsh, the genuine concern behind it would warm her heart.
Still, after Jiang Moqing insisted twice that she was fine, Lin Que chose not to press the issue further. After all, they had been apart for a long time. He could no longer speak to her from the same position he once held.
After a brief moment of thought, Lin Que took out a bottle of pills and a box of medicinal salve from his storage ring. “This bottle contains pills that help balance yin and yang. If one day your cultivation techniques do start to clash, taking one might buy you some time. The salve is for treating external injuries.”
“……”
Jiang Moqing didn’t accept the items right away. Instead, she glanced at Qin Wanyuan who smiled and nodded. “Senior Sister, just accept them.”
Only then did Jiang Moqing take the medicine Lin Que offered.
“…Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
With the topic of cultivation conflicts set aside, no further conversation took place between Lin Que and Jiang Moqing. Before long, Lin Que found an excuse to leave.
He truly did need to find An Xiaoyao for guidance. Based on what the little devil had said, that giant egg might be of great importance….perhaps even tied to the crisis looming in the future.
And so, Lin Que left, and the pavilion was left with only Jiang Moqing and Qin Wanyuan, facing each other in silence.
As she watched Jiang Moqing who seemed lost in thought Qin Wanyuan blinked, suddenly feeling a flicker of curiosity about her cold and distant senior sister.
There were just too many mysteries surrounding Jiang Moqing; her background and identity were one. The reason behind her breakup with Lin Que was another; and now, as Lin Que had just pointed out, there was the matter of conflicting cultivation methods within her body.
Naturally, the first two were topics that couldn’t be asked directly. Qin Wanyuan understood clearly that her relationship with Jiang Moqing wasn’t nearly close enough for sharing such secrets.
In fact, the very fact that she knew these things thanks to the system was already a kind of cheating. Speaking out of turn wouldn’t bridge the gap between them; it would more likely create distance.
The only safe topic to discuss was still cultivation.
“Senior Sister, about the sword technique Master taught us, I have a few…” Qin Wanyuan had just started speaking when she heard Jiang Moqing’s voice.
“How did you meet him?”
As she said this, Jiang Moqing’s moist lips were slightly pressed together, and there was a flicker in her eyes. Something Qin Wanyuan couldn’t quite read.
Qin Wanyuan was clearly taken aback. She hadn’t expected Jiang Moqing to be the one to bring up the topic first. Still, talking about relationships could be a subtle way to probe for information about her. If handled well, it might even bring them closer.
“My meeting with Lin Lang actually had to do with my younger sister’s illness…”
Over the next quarter of an hour, Qin Wanyuan briefly recounted the story of how she and Lin Que had met and fallen in love. Surprisingly, Jiang Moqing brewed a pot of tea during that time and offered her a cup to soothe her throat.
It was the first time Qin Wanyuan had ever tasted tea made by Jiang Moqing.
After listening to the story, Jiang Moqing’s eyes drifted slightly out of focus, as if she were lost in distant memories.
“And that’s how Lin Lang and I came to be,” Qin Wanyuan concluded with a blink. Then, curious, she turned to Jiang Moqing and asked, “By the way, Senior Sister, with your beauty and extraordinary talent, I imagine you must have quite a few admirers? May I ask if there’s ever been someone you cared for?”
After speaking, Qin Wanyuan kept her eyes fixed on Jiang Moqing.
Probing into Jiang Moqing’s romantic history in such a roundabout way was a risky move. If it succeeded, Jiang Moqing might open up to her, bringing their relationship a step closer.
But if she misstepped even slightly, all the progress she had made so far could be lost, and Jiang Moqing might even grow wary of her.
Still, Qin Wanyuan had no choice but to make this move. She was far too eager to learn about Lin Que and Jiang Moqing’s past. The more, the better.
When she heard Qin Wanyuan’s question, Jiang Moqing’s brows knit slightly.
Could it be… he never told her about what happened between us? No wonder she’s asking me.
With that thought, Jiang Moqing’s expression gradually relaxed. At last, she spoke in a calm voice:
“I once had a Dao companion, but I’ve forgotten much about him.”
Leave a Reply