IVYSCP - Chapter 136
Chapter 136
"Master, I've returned."
Hearing the familiar voice, Chu Qianshan snapped her eyes open and sat up from the reclining chair. "You still remember how to come back, you…"
The scolding words died on her lips. Chu Qianshan stared in shock at the person her troublesome disciple was holding by the hand.
A while ago this little brat had sent word that she was going to form a Dao bond, and attached a gift list that nearly gave away the entirety of Little Cangshan. Then just a few days later she came crying that it was off. And now she had actually brought the person back with her!
Ling Qingyue was getting unnerved by the stare. She had no idea why Chu Qianshan was looking at her like that. She pulled her hand out of Pei Yin's palm, raised it properly, and saluted. "Greetings, Senior Chu."
"Good, good, good…" Chu Qianshan murmured in response, slowly walking over to Pei Yin and staring at her. "Hey, didn't you say she wasn't…"
"Master." Pei Yin cut her off. "We're tired from traveling. I'll take Qingyue to rest first."
Chu Qianshan caught the urgency in her words and looked at Pei Yin with a meaningful grin.
In such a rush to shut her up—could it be that things between the two of them were still just one-sided wishful thinking on her family's part?
"Fine." Chu Qianshan sat back down and spoke slowly. "Oh, right. I put some of your grandmaster's odds and ends in the eastern room. There aren't any spare rooms at the moment, so you two will just have to make do and squeeze in together."
Pei Yin glanced at Chu Qianshan.
Chu Qianshan winked at her.
Don't say your master never helps you.
Off to the side, Ling Qingyue quietly suggested, "We could just carve out a cave dwelling anywhere. I'm not picky."
Chu Qianshan shook her head at that, putting on a troubled look. "Won't work. Little Cangshan is covered with formations. Every blade of grass, every tree is a formation node. Nothing can be disturbed recklessly."
Ling Qingyue pressed her lips together.
She had never imagined that Little Cangshan truly had no spare rooms. Which meant she'd have to stay with Pei Yin.
"One more thing." Chu Qianshan added a reminder. "Don't go wandering around either. Falling into some formation by accident would be bad. Pei Yin, since you brought someone back, you're responsible for looking after her properly. Understood?"
Pei Yin nodded. "Understood."
With that, she turned to look at Ling Qingyue beside her, whose face was twisted with indecision.
By now Ling Qingyue was thoroughly regretting everything. Why had she agreed to come to Cangshan with Pei Yin? The whole place was crawling with these blasted formations!
With her earlier experience of getting lost still fresh in her mind, Ling Qingyue knew full well she had to stick close to Pei Yin. Even the area outside Little Cangshan was full of formations—up here, there was probably one at every step.
Thinking this, Ling Qingyue hesitated and then reached out to tug on Pei Yin's sleeve.
Pei Yin looked down at the gesture. Seeing Ling Qingyue's rare compliant manner, she couldn't help but curve her eyes.
Chu Qianshan, off to one side, cracked open an eye and let out a silent snort.
This disciple of hers had more wits about her than a honeycomb. Who would have thought she'd fall for such a straightforward one? Far too easy to fool.
Pei Yin led Ling Qingyue to her small courtyard. The detached residences on Little Cangshan were mostly built from wood and stone, harmonizing with the formations to channel the five-element forces of heaven and earth. They were exceptionally suited for healing and calming body and mind. Though not as grand and imposing as the great halls of the immortal sects, they had their own distinctive charm—serene, elegant, and refreshing to behold.
Ling Qingyue took a deep breath. Cool moisture seemed to seep into her entire being, and without realizing it, she began to relax.
"Do you like it?"
"Mm." The reply came reflexively before she caught herself. Ling Qingyue coughed. "It's alright."
Pei Yin laughed softly. "If you like it, that's good."
Ling Qingyue looked at her oddly.
Where exactly had she just said "like"?
"The day is growing late, and traveling here has cost us both considerable energy. Would Qingyue like to rest for a day first? Afterwards, we can explore Cangshan together. How about that?" Pei Yin's tone could only be called gentle.
Hearing her say "Qingyue" again and again, Ling Qingyue's ears started itching once more. She raised her hand to rub them and found them burning hot. "S-sure."
She followed Pei Yin to the bedroom. Ling Qingyue was just wondering how they were going to rest. Was she supposed to sleep with Pei Yin?
Unbidden, the image of herself pressing Pei Yin against the peach tree to kiss her sprang into her mind, followed immediately by the memory of Pei Yin holding her down and kissing her earlier in the day.
Ling Qingyue managed to make herself blush just thinking about it.
"You take the bed, I'll take the daybed… Qingyue? What's wrong?"
Something cool touched her cheek. Ling Qingyue jolted back to reality. Seeing Pei Yin right in front of her, she hurriedly stepped back twice to put distance between them. "Fine, fine. You take the bed, I'll take the daybed. Either works."
Pei Yin's hand still hung in the air, the lingering scorching warmth still in her palm. Hearing Ling Qingyue's incoherent reply, she laughed outright.
Ling Qingyue felt too guilty to look at her. "What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing." Pei Yin turned around and repeated her earlier words. "You take the bed, I'll take the daybed."
"Oh."
The lamp was extinguished, and silence fell over the room. Ling Qingyue lay in her inner garments on Pei Yin's bed, covered by the quilt. Fine threads of a delicate fragrance wound around her nose, as if her whole body were wrapped in it. For a fleeting moment, Ling Qingyue felt as if Pei Yin were holding her in her arms.
She shut her eyes, but sleep refused to come for a long time. Then faint sounds reached her ears.
It seemed like it was snowing.
Ling Qingyue opened her eyes and turned her head. Sure enough, through the half-open window lattice, she saw snowflakes drifting gently down.
Her gaze shifted and fell on Pei Yin on the daybed. Ling Qingyue pressed her lips together awkwardly.
Pei Yin was tall, her legs long. Lying on the daybed, she had to curl her legs up. She looked thoroughly put-upon.
Tilting her head, Ling Qingyue glanced at the empty space beside her. She hesitated for a long while before finally throwing back the covers, getting up, and walking to the daybed.
"Pei Yin." She called out quietly.
Pei Yin slowly opened her eyes, her gaze not entirely clear. "What is it?"
"Um…" Ling Qingyue tried to make her voice sound as natural as possible. "I was just thinking… that bed looks like it could fit two people."
Pei Yin blinked, fully awake now.
Ling Qingyue saw her just staring without speaking or moving and immediately regretted making the first move. "If you don't want to, forget it."
She walked briskly back to the bed. Just as she lifted the corner of the quilt, a soft question came from behind.
"Do you sleep on the inside or the outside?"
Ling Qingyue gave a hmph, climbed onto the bed, and shifted to the inner side, facing the wall with her eyes shut.
A moment later, another person's warmth pressed close behind her, the scent stronger than what lingered on the quilt. Yet for some reason, this time drowsiness came swiftly. Ling Qingyue closed her eyes and before long had fallen into a deep sleep.
Pei Yin lay on her back, not at all sleepy. She listened to the steady breathing beside her, unconsciously adjusting her own breath to match the same rhythm. It seemed quite amusing.
She didn't know how much time had passed. Just as sleep was beginning to creep over her in tandem with the breathing of the person beside her, an arm suddenly draped across her waist, and then a fuzzy head burrowed into the crook of her neck.
Pei Yin's eyes flew open, her pupils contracting sharply. "Ling… Ling Qingyue…"
Her voice was barely audible, as if afraid of disturbing the one in slumber.
Ling Qingyue didn't hear a thing. She found a comfortable position in Pei Yin's embrace and went right on sleeping.
Pei Yin glanced down, then slowly tilted her head to rest against Ling Qingyue's forehead.
The next morning, half-asleep, Ling Qingyue was vaguely aware that she was holding something very fragrant and very warm. She gave it a reflexive squeeze—and instantly remembered that she had slept with Pei Yin the night before.
Then what else could she be holding!
In disbelief, she cracked open one eye. Before her was a face of excessive beauty. Pei Yin seemed to still be asleep, and with her brows and eyes softened of their usual coolness, she looked almost tender.
There was no denying it—Pei Yin was exceedingly good-looking.
Ling Qingyue remembered the first time she saw Pei Yin. Pei Yin had stumbled by chance into her peach grove. Ling Qingyue had been practicing her sword moves back then, and catching sight of Pei Yin standing beneath a peach tree, her sword form had come to an abrupt halt.
Ling Qingyue blinked, and abruptly met a pair of clear crystalline eyes.
In that instant, Ling Qingyue could barely tell whether she was seeing the Pei Yin of their first encounter or the Pei Yin now lying at her side.
If she had to choose, she'd much rather it were the former—that she'd simply grown groggy and drifted back to the moment she and Pei Yin first met.
Unfortunately… reality rarely turns out as one wishes.
Staring at someone and getting caught at it. Utterly mortifying.
Ling Qingyue silently withdrew from Pei Yin's embrace and stared up at the ceiling with a sort of hopeless resignation. "I don't sleep very neatly. My apologies."
Beneath that surface calm, a whole other tempest was raging.
Ling Qingyue was shrieking inwardly in utter collapse.
Why did she always end up losing her composure and making a fool of herself in front of Pei Yin!
"It's fine." Pei Yin's voice carried a trace of drowsy languor. "Did you sleep well last night?"
"F-fine." Ling Qingyue forced a couple of dry laughs.
Before Pei Yin could ask anything further, Ling Qingyue scrambled up in one motion. "I feel like I've rested enough! We can go exploring now!"
Pei Yin looked at her, then rose as well. "Alright."
By the time the two of them had washed and dressed and stepped outside, Chu Qianshan was already leaning against the courtyard gate, looking their way.
Seeing their auras already mingled together, Chu Qianshan knew they had shared the bed last night. Looked like those efforts of hers—rousing the formations in the middle of the night to bring about this snowfall—hadn't gone to waste after all.
"Master."
"Senior Chu."
Chu Qianshan nodded and headed toward the study, waving a hand at them. "Off you go, do whatever you're doing. No need to mind me."
The moment Pei Yin moved, she felt her sleeve being tugged.
Ling Qingyue turned her head away as Pei Yin looked at her, refusing to meet her gaze, but her grip on that length of sleeve was tight.
Pei Yin's lips curved, and she reached out to take Ling Qingyue's hand.
"I won't let you go."
Ling Qingyue's attempt to pull free faltered. Her gaze froze. The sleeve slipped from her fingertips as she let Pei Yin clasp her hand tightly.
"Oh."
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