Assigning a new quest at a time like this?
Qin Wanyuan frowned but couldn’t refuse the system’s task, so she had no choice but to accept it.
Once the spiritual meal was ready, the two of them headed to Jiang Moqing’s cave residence.
The door opened, revealing Jiang Moqing dressed in plain robes, a slight sheen of sweat at her temples. The sword in her hand had yet to be sheathed. She appeared to have just finished sword practice.
At first, her expression was as cold as usual, but Qin Wanyuan still noticed her gaze lingering on Lin Que for a moment, her pupils trembling slightly.
“What is it?” Jiang Moqing asked directly.
“Senior Sister, thank you for saving my life yesterday. I came to express my gratitude,” Qin Wanyuan said with a gentle smile. “This spiritual meal was prepared by my own hands; it’s a small token of appreciation. I hope you’ll accept it.”
Hearing Qin Wanyuan’s polite words, Jiang Moqing didn’t respond with her usual rebuke about her being a calculating person. She simply nodded and turned back inside the cave.
The three of them returned to the pavilion within Jiang Moqing’s residence. Qin Wanyuan took out the spiritual meal, and Jiang Moqing silently picked up her chopsticks and began to eat without saying a word.
Qin Wanyuan believed that a person’s eating habits could reveal much about their character and upbringing.
Lin Que often prioritized efficiency when eating. He had the unrestrained style of a swordsman. Qin Qian’er, on the other hand, chewed slowly and carefully; it was a habit instilled by her family’s upbringing from childhood.
As for Jiang Moqing, her eating style seemed to be a blend of Lin Que’s efficiency and Qin Qian’er’s elegance.
She was polite, but also valued practicality.
This made Qin Wanyuan even more curious about Jiang Moqing’s background. With such refined manners, she likely received a noble education from a young age just like her own younger sister.
Perhaps the reason Jiang Moqing hides her real surname is related to her family.
During the meal, Jiang Moqing kept her gaze lowered, eyes fixed on the dishes in the meal box. She seemed a little lost in thought, as if recalling something from the past.
Qin Wanyuan guessed she was thinking about the food Lin Que had cooked before.
Although Qin Wanyuan had prepared this spiritual meal herself, it had been made under Lin Que’s guidance….naturally, it carried his familiar flavor.
“Thank you. It tastes very good.”
After the meal, Jiang Moqing finally looked up and expressed her thanks to Qin Wanyuan.
Qin Wanyuan blinked in surprise. This was probably the first time her icy senior sister had spoken to her so politely.
“As long as you like it, Senior Sister, that’s more than enough,” Qin Wanyuan replied courteously.
The two of them then chatted a bit about the strange beasts they had encountered the previous day. Jiang Moqing mentioned that she had already reported the abnormal situation to An Xiaoyao.
Hearing his teacher’s name, Lin Que suddenly remembered. He should bring that egg to An Xiaoyao for inspection.
Even though the huge egg was clearly a rare treasure and something most people wouldn’t show to outsiders, Lin Que held great respect for his teacher. No matter how valuable the item, he felt he could trust her completely.
As this thought crossed his mind, Lin Que found himself wanting to slip away quietly. After all, conversations between women, especially between a current and a former lover, were the most torturous. Even though he had done nothing wrong, he still felt like he was trapped in a battlefield of jealousy.
He had only come here because Qin Wanyuan wanted to check on Jiang Moqing’s condition and to confirm her injuries for himself.
Jiang Moqing looked to be in good spirits now. Although her injuries had been more serious than Qin Wanyuan’s at first, she was likely to recover more quickly in the end.
After all, Jiang Moqing was a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. As long as her foundation wasn’t damaged, there wouldn’t be any lasting consequences.
Just as Lin Que was about to find an excuse to leave, Qin Wanyuan suddenly spoke up.
“By the way, Senior Sister, I’m still worried about your injuries. Why not let Lin Lang take a look? His medical skills are quite impressive.”
“…..”
Jiang Moqing didn’t say anything. She neither agreed nor refused, merely turning her gaze toward Lin Que. Qin Wanyuan did the same, though her eyes held a hint of pleading.
“She’s right. If there are any lingering effects, that wouldn’t be good.”
Since it was a request from his partner, Lin Que didn’t decline. He took out a fine thread from his storage ring, intending to use the hanging thread method to take her pulse.
When it came to his ex, he knew how to maintain boundaries. Especially in front of his current partner, Qin Wanyuan. He needed to be mindful and avoid any misunderstandings.
However, Qin Wanyuan shook her head. “Lin Lang, why don’t you take her pulse directly? That should be more accurate, right?”
“But physical contact between men and women is frowned upon. I doubt Senior Sister would agree to that.” Lin Que blinked, looking a little conflicted.
She wouldn’t agree? Not likely!
Just looking at the favorability level…. Jiang Moqing’s favorability toward Lin Que was as high as eighty-two. There was no way she’d resist physical contact with him.
As expected, the key to winning over Jiang Moqing wasn’t her, but Lin Que himself.
Thinking about it this way, Qin Wanyuan grew even more curious. Just what had Senior Sister Jiang done to Lin Que to make someone as devoted as him this guarded?
After a moment of thought, she turned to Jiang Moqing again. “Senior Sister, you don’t mind, do you?”
“I don’t,” Jiang Moqing replied calmly. She was already rolling up her sleeve to reveal a slender, fair wrist.
Seeing this, Lin Que no longer tried to refuse. He put away the fine thread, extended three fingers, and placed them on Jiang Moqing’s wrist, sending a trace of spiritual energy along her meridians to examine her condition.
Jiang Moqing didn’t resist, allowing Lin Que to proceed freely. Yet those cool clear eyes of hers kept drifting toward him, and before she realized it, their gazes met.
In Lin Que’s eyes, Jiang Moqing saw seriousness and restraint and a faint elusive distance.
It was completely different from the gentle gaze of the youth she remembered from dreams and memories.
Her heart suddenly tightened, as if an invisible hand had gripped it hard.
But the pain quickly faded as the Heartless Valley technique began to circulate.
Even so—
Lin Que who was taking her pulse still noticed the brief disruption in her pulse. He too was looking into her eyes.
That coldness in her gaze was much like when they first met, yet Lin Que couldn’t forget the madness and near-overflowing possessiveness that those same eyes had once revealed.
Though the scene was restrained, Qin Wanyuan still noticed it. She opened the system interface to check the favorability levels between the two.
Lin Que’s favorability remained unchanged, while Jiang Moqing’s was gradually rising with the increasing physical contact. But it soon dropped back down, hovering around eighty, as if she were locked in an intense internal struggle.
Just as the favorability seemed to be at a stalemate, a voice suddenly rang out in Qin Wanyuan’s mind.
[Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. The reward will be distributed automatically.]
As the voice fell, Qin Wanyuan suddenly felt a rush of clarity and energy, and even sensed a slight increase in her strength.
It’s already complete? Wait….what was the reward for this mission again… Stamina potion, a boost to my physique, and… a charm increase for Lin Lang.
She paused in brief surprise, then immediately checked the favorability levels. At that moment, Jiang Moqing’s favorability toward Lin Que had already surpassed eighty-five.
She was now in a state of falling in love.
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