A Quiet Night.
Morning.
When the first drop of morning dew on the tender green leaves fell onto the stone tiles, Qin Wanyuan woke up. She got out of bed, moved her legs a little, and a smile appeared on her lips.
“My waist and legs aren’t as sore and weak as before. Looks like the system’s physique enhancement is really working.”
Before receiving three rounds of physique enhancement, even if she drank two stamina potions, she could barely last one round with Lin Que and the next day, she would be completely limp and powerless, sleeping until noon.
Without the potions, she’d sometimes even pass out entirely. While that floating, dreamy sensation was oddly pleasant, it wasn’t a long-term solution.
But today, she was able to wake up early.
That brought her an unexpected joy.
[See? This system told you. Our relationship is mutually beneficial. You won’t lose out.]
The system spoke proactively in Qin Wanyuan’s mind.
“Even so, I…”
Qin Wanyuan felt conflicted. The system wasn’t wrong. Its arrival had completely changed the course of her life, giving her the power to resist fate.
But the price… was helping Lin Que win over other women.
If she didn’t accept, Lin Que would die in the calamity. If she did accept, she would have to endure watching him be intimate with other women and even risk having him taken away.
So deep down, Qin Wanyuan’s feelings about the system were full of contradictions. She definitely couldn’t say she liked it, but she couldn’t live without it either.
With a soft sigh, Qin Wanyuan looked over at Lin Que, still asleep in bed. As she gazed at his handsome, peaceful face, her hand involuntarily reached out to gently stroke him.
To protect this one and only happiness in her life, she had to keep working hard.
She stepped into the courtyard, drew her spiritual sword, and began practicing the sword techniques she had comprehended the day before under the morning sun.
With her improved physique and heightened perception, her movements had become more fluid, and many techniques she hadn’t understood before suddenly became clear.
After completing a full set of sword forms, Qin Wanyuan wiped the sweat from her brow just as she heard applause coming from the doorway.
“You’ve improved a lot,” Lin Que said with a smile, praising her.
“But I’m still far behind Lin Lang…”
This time, Qin Wanyuan didn’t respond cheerfully as she usually did. Instead, she looked a little anxious.
She and Lin Que were both in the Core Formation stage, but unlike her, Lin Que could leap across an entire major realm and slay several Nascent Soul level demon beasts. Meanwhile, she could only flee under Jiang Moqing’s protection.
I’m still… too weak…
Qin Wanyuan’s eyes dimmed slightly, her gaze lowered in frustration.
Suddenly, a large hand gently rested on her head, ruffling her hair in a firm yet tender way.
“As long as you have the desire to grow stronger, you will sooner or later,” Lin Que said with a smile.
“…Let’s hope so.”
Qin Wanyuan nodded, accepting his words.
In her previous life, she had been too complacent, lacking the drive to improve, which was why her cultivation progressed so slowly. But in this life… she had already sensed the opportunity to break through to middle stage Core Formation.
At a conservative estimate, it would take less than half a month to succeed. It was far faster than in her past life.
That morning, Lin Que did the cooking, preparing a nourishing spiritual porridge along with a few homestyle side dishes.
At the table, the family chatted casually.
“By the way, isn’t Qian’er starting at her new academy today?” Qin Wanyuan asked.
Previously, due to her injury, the little girl had insisted on staying home to keep her sister company, so enrollment had been delayed.
“Mm. I heard the sect master will personally come to lecture today, so we’re supposed to head over early,” Qin Qian’er replied.
“The sect master is a great master of the Path of Enlightenment. Listening to his lecture will surely bring some insight,” Qin Wanyuan nodded.
“Mhmm.”
As they chatted, Qin Wanyuan took out the salted egg yolk pastry Lin Que had given her last night and handed it to her younger sister.
“Qian’er, this is a gift Lin Lang brought back for you from Ten Thousand Treasures City yesterday. Go ahead and accept it.”
Taking the pastry, Qin Qian’er glanced at Lin Que, her expression slightly complicated.
“…Thank you, Brother-in-law.”
She finally addressed him with that title.
Seeing the change in her sister, Qin Wanyuan smiled in relief.
“No need to thank me. We’re family,” Lin Que replied with a polite smile as well.
Now that he understood their previous poor relationship had been caused by a misunderstanding, he naturally wasn’t going to hold a grudge against a young girl. After all, living under the same roof and giving each other the cold shoulder every day would’ve been far too exhausting.
After a harmonious breakfast, the door to the cave residence was knocked on.
Jiang Moqing had arrived.
At first glance, she looked as cold and composed as always, but the weariness in her eyes was hard to hide.
“I’ve finished compiling the cultivation technique,” Jiang Moqing said in a calm tone.
“Senior Sister, please come in!”
Qin Wanyuan warmly welcomed her and this warmth wasn’t just for show. She was genuinely excited.
After all, what Jiang Moqing brought was a cultivation technique that could heal Lin Que’s injured right arm. Once his arm recovered, he could become even stronger, greatly increasing his chances of surviving the ordeal two years from now.
Almost at the exact moment Jiang Moqing stepped over the threshold, the system’s voice rang out in Qin Wanyuan’s mind:
[Main Quest: Let Jiang Moqing and Lin Que be alone together for one hour.]
[Reward: Slight increase in Lin Que’s charm, slight increase in host’s physique, slight increase in comprehension, 1x Stamina Potion, cultivation technique “Cloud Sea Reversal Art”.]
The system’s sudden appearance made the enthusiastic smile on Qin Wanyuan’s face freeze.
I should’ve guessed it. You didn’t talk to me this morning out of kindness. So this is what you were waiting for!
She had come to realize it. This system never showed up without an agenda. It acted like it was just making casual conversation, but in reality, it only wanted to emphasize the benefits it brought, just to push her to keep completing its tasks.
[……]
At this point, the system pretended to play dead.
Fine. I already said I wouldn’t stand in the way of Jiang Moqing’s pursuit of Lin Lang, and I won’t go back on my word. Once everything is over, I’ll face her head-on, fair and square.
This was a decision Qin Wanyuan had made long ago and she wouldn’t waver.
Yes, this wasn’t a system meant to help Lin Que court other women.
Rather, it was a system meant to help those women court Lin Que.
After bringing Jiang Moqing inside, the group chatted briefly.
“This cultivation technique needs to be taught in a place sheltered from the wind. It can’t be done in the pavilion,” Jiang Moqing explained.
“Then let’s go to the bedroom,” Qin Wanyuan said with a blink, pointing toward the room she shared with Lin Que.
“This… wouldn’t that be a bit inappropriate?”
Seeing how casual Qin Wanyuan was about it, Jiang Moqing was actually caught off guard.
“It’s fine. After all, there aren’t any guest rooms in our cave dwelling. If you don’t mind, Senior Sister, we could also go to the secluded cultivation room? But there’s no table or chairs there, so it’s not ideal for hosting guests,” she explained.
It was the truth. Originally, the cave dwelling was supposed to have guest rooms. But since neither Qin Wanyuan nor Qin Qian’er had any close friends in the sect and the same went for Lin Que? they had repurposed the two guest rooms into a food storage room and a secluded cultivation chamber.
“Let’s go to the cultivation room, then… going into your bedroom… just wouldn’t feel right,” Jiang Moqing said quietly, a shadow passing through her eyes.
She really couldn’t imagine what might happen if she actually went into Lin Que’s bedroom. Into the love nest he shared with Qin Wanyuan.
They probably made love there every night, didn’t they? Just like how it used to be between me and my junior back then…
Just picturing that scene made Jiang Moqing’s chest tighten.
“Well then, I won’t disturb you two any further,” she said.
Qin Wanyuan smiled, then took her younger sister’s hand. “Come on, Qian’er. I’ll take you to the school.”
“I can go by myself…” Qin Qian’er glanced uneasily at Lin Que and Jiang Moqing, then gave her sister’s hand a slight squeeze, as if to remind her of something.
But Qin Wanyuan acted as if she hadn’t noticed.
“It’s fine. I need to greet your new instructor anyway. See what kind of person they are.”
“I see…”
Seeing her sister so insistent, Qin Qian’er couldn’t say much more. She simply let Qin Wanyuan lead her away as the two of them left the cave dwelling together.
Before leaving, both of them turned to look back at Lin Que and Jiang Moqing from afar, their eyes filled with a complicated emotion that was hard to put into words.
Leave a Reply