Chapter 195: Just a Battle of Lips and Tongues
As cooking smoke curled upwards, the rice cakes in the steamer had been steamed until they were soft and fluffy.
Sprinkling a layer of stir-fried sesame seeds released a fragrant aroma, and Wei Rui went to the kitchen to help.
Ji You, meanwhile, entered the house and sat opposite Yan Shuyi, their eyes meeting, as if the battle from yesterday's kiss had not yet ended.
The reason for this atmosphere was partly due to their personalities.
She had been too tender when kissed last night, her eyes almost melting, her entire being dissolving into the embrace of a stranger. Today, she constantly wanted to regain her cold demeanor, relying on the aura of the Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain.
Another part of the reason was that the jealousy about the tail had not yet dissipated.
Some things are just like that; you can remain calm when pretending not to know, but once you ask, no matter how the other person tries to quibble, the jealousy takes a long time to fade.
Before long, Ji You's knee was kicked.
The foot, clad in moon-white boots, was now full of arrogance, the arrogance of a Master Jian.
Ji Hanfei glanced at her, pondered for a moment, then opened his mouth and made a "boop" sound, which made Yan Shuyi instinctively touch her veil, then clench her pink fists, her eyes brimming with Killing Intent.
It wasn't a kiss, just a battle of lips and tongues.
Just then, Wei Rui brought the food to the table.
Kuang Cheng also followed, bringing the prepared rice cakes in separate steamers into the main hall. One portion was given to Ji You, one to Wei Rui, and another was to be sent to the Orphanage.
"Giving so much? Isn't that inappropriate?"
Kuang Cheng looked at Ji You with some disbelief: "I never thought I'd hear that from Brother Ji."
"It seems we'll be eating rice cakes until the New Year. Won't we get tired of it?"
Ji You turned to look at Yan Shuyi, who, after a long period of thought, reluctantly nodded.
She was indeed going to stay here for the New Year, seriously considering whether she would get tired of eating rice cakes every day, even though she had woken up this morning feeling embarrassed about being kissed and stubbornly said she would leave.
Wei Rui set the plates down and whispered to Kuang Cheng: "Why isn't Sister Yan saying anything to Young Master Ji today?"
Kuang Cheng couldn't help but purse his lips: "It's the jealousy of a concubine from the second branch, isn't it?"
"?"
Yan Shuyi glanced at Kuang Cheng, causing him to hold his breath.
Calling her Brother Ji's concubine had displeased her, but she couldn't let Wei Rui learn not to speak to her beloved.
He wasn't as reckless as Brother Ji and simply couldn't handle a woman with Fairy Yan's personality.
Ji You looked at Kuang Cheng, thinking, 'You really don't care about my life.'
After lunch, the four of them carried the packed baskets and walked towards the Orphanage in the west city. Along the way, they saw horse-drawn carriages passing by on the street.
Among them were officials visiting the capital, cultivators coming to visit relatives, and several Immortal Villas under Tianshu Academy arriving from their respective provinces and counties, making arrangements step by step to obtain resources for the coming year.
Every year at this time, the merchants in Shengjing City are the most profitable.
After all, visiting relatives and friends always requires fine wine and delicious food.
As the four passed by a riverside restaurant, a young attendant suddenly came down from upstairs and bowed to Ji You.
"Young Master Ji, Young Miss Lu invites you upstairs for a chat."
"Ah, please thank Young Miss Lu for her kindness, but I'll have to decline today."
Ji You looked up at the second floor, where Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan were on the left side of the pavilion, smiling gently at him.
Seeing him wave his hand in refusal, the Lu family sister nodded, her gaze involuntarily falling on the woman beside him.
As a Tianshu Academy Inner Courtyard Disciple from a rural private cultivation background, Ji You was quite unpopular within Tianshu Academy, but as a man, he was very sought after in Shengjing City's marriage selection circles.
Now that a woman appeared beside him, even with Kuang Cheng and Wei Rui accompanying them, it still drew attention.
"It seems to be that woman we saw last year."
"?"
Lu Qingqiu couldn't see the Face, but the figure seemed very similar, so she turned to her sister and said, "A woman came to Tianshu Academy to find Ji You last year, probably around the New Year. I just don't know which family she's from."
And along the way, besides the Lu family sisters, other Senior Sisters from Tianshu Academy also waved to Ji You, asking if their Junior Brother would like to come upstairs for a chat.
Ji You politely responded to each, waving goodbye.
The short path from the city center to the west city was now full of obstacles, as if everyone wanted his life.
Wei Rui pulled her short jacket tighter: "Why does the wind pick up everywhere we go on this road?"
Kuang Cheng lowered his voice: "This seems to be Sword Qi. I've seen it on Brother Ji too—"
"?"
Princess Changle and the Immortal Sect Disciples who had come to Shengjing City also had a banquet, and they greeted the four when they approached.
However, this greeting was not for Ji You, but for Wei Rui.
Zhao Yunyue actually didn't want Wei Rui to have too much contact with people from the Immortal Supervisorate, so she asked her to come up and introduce some talented individuals from the Immortal Sects to her, but Young Miss Wei waved her hand in refusal.
"Thank you, Sister Yunyue, for your kindness, but Rui'er has something else to do later."
Princess Changle didn't insist, her gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Ji You, then noticing the woman beside him, carrying a hint of resentment: "As the ancient saying goes, 'birds of a feather flock together,' so sister, you must keep your eyes open lest your efforts be in vain."
Before Wei Rui could answer, she felt another gust of Qi.
Meanwhile, the Lingjian Mountain Disciples sitting upstairs shifted their gaze to Yan Shuyi, their eyes holding an unreadable expression.
The spirit mirror can conceal aura and obscure Heavenly Dao, even those in the Linxian Realm cannot see through it. They only felt that the figure was somewhat familiar, but they couldn't be sure.
Zhao Yunyue now sat back in her chair, her brows slightly furrowed, her thoughts a little troubled.
Although the Great Xia imperial power was beneath the Immortal power, as a Princess of Great Xia and having received the Legacy of Lingjian Mountain, her status was not bad at all.
Among the many women she had met, only Lu Qingqiu could compete with her.
Yet, both of them had failed in their attempts to become Ji You's Dao Companion.
She had originally thought that Ji You was extremely ambitious, and that he coveted the Eldest Daughter of Dan Zong, wishing to become a live-in son-in-law on Dan Mountain.
Who knew that in the past few days at a banquet, she heard from a Tianshu Academy Disciple that a woman with no Spiritual Qi fluctuations around her had moved into Ji You's courtyard and had been there for nearly ten days and nights.
Zhao Yunyue was actually quite embarrassed by this strange behavior.
Because it was as if someone was saying that despite her multiple identities, she was not as good as a Mortal woman.
Liu Junchi spoke at this moment: "Junior Sister Yunyue, have you found any leads on the matter I asked you to inquire about a few days ago?"
"I've inquired; the Dan Sect's convoy should arrive in a few days."
"Will there be Dry Yuan Pills?"
"There should be, but as you know, such Medicinal Pills are scarce. Even with money, they are extremely difficult to buy; they are usually acquired in advance before they even enter the market."
Liu Junchi frowned slightly: "Junior Sister, you must help me."
He had only recently entered the Integration Dao Upper Realm, and his actual combat power and understanding of Heavenly Dao were still a step behind, requiring a long period of tempering.
However, because the Heavenly Dao Conference was to be held next year, he wanted to achieve a good ranking in the Heavenly Dao Conference and enter the Sage Enlightenment Ground for cultivation. Long-term seclusion was impossible, which was why he hoped to obtain a Dry Yuan Pill.
This Medicinal Pill could only be refined by the Dan Sect, and it had miraculous effects on stabilizing one's Realm, enhancing the Human-Heavenly Dao connection, and comprehending Dao methods.
The Seven Great Immortal Sects had a quota of Dry Yuan Pills each year, and Lingjian Mountain also had some.
But these Medicinal Pills were usually taken by some Elders as soon as they arrived.
Even if a few were fortunately left, they would be reserved in advance by some Worldly Families with marital ties to the Immortal Sects, rarely flowing through normal channels into the hands of Disciples who truly needed them.
Therefore, his main purpose in coming to Shengjing City this time, besides inquiring about the snowy region demon stone and meeting Princess Changle, was for this Medicinal Pill, so he entrusted Zhao Yunyue to keep an eye out for him.
The official roads in Qingyun World were maintained and repaired by Great Xia, and the roadside post stations were also operated by Great Xia, so inquiring about the Dan Sect's whereabouts was not difficult.
Zhao Yunyue looked at Liu Junchi's earnest eyes, then nodded.
The two of them had been interacting under Chong Wang's suggestion these past few days and were quite satisfied with each other.
However, at this initial stage of acquaintance, being asked to help with this and that still made Zhao Yunyue feel a bit used.
But this was how things were in Qingyun World; genuine sincerity was rare.
"How about this, Senior Brother, when the Dan Sect contingent arrives in a few days, I'll ask someone to invite the Dan Sect siblings to my banquet as guests. You can purchase through them, but whether you can actually get it will depend on you, Senior Brother."
Liu Junchi bowed after hearing this: "Then many thanks, Junior Sister."
Zhao Yunyue smiled faintly, then remembered the rumors about the Eldest Daughter of Dan Zong and Ji You, and suddenly felt that something interesting was about to happen.
If the rumors were false, it would still be fun.
If the rumors were true, it would be even more fun.
After all, Ji You's courtyard now housed a Mortal woman, and who knew what kind of rumors would spread then.
At this moment, Ji You and his group of four had already delivered the rice cakes to the Orphanage, and incidentally took a few children to stroll around the West Market,
buying them some shoes and socks and the like.
Ji You, who had returned from the Snow Region, was now a wealthy man, and naturally a target for spending.
The Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain bought many things, and the money came from Ji You's pocket.
She had her own money, lots of it, but she didn't spend it.
"Young Master Kuang said that Young Master Ji is actually quite stingy. For so many years, only Sister Yan and children could make him willingly part with money, and he wouldn't show the slightest sign of distress."
Yan Shuyi was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I know."
A treasured sword, whose quality others might deem unworthy of her, still hung by her bedside.
Wei Rui picked up a small box placed on the stall: "Do they have osmanthus scented ones?"
Yan Shuyi turned to look: "Qingyan?"
"Yes, Sister, do you want some?"
Qingyan is a fine salt powder, not very granular, suitable for cleaning the mouth and teeth. Sometimes it's mixed with other things like mint leaves, dried osmanthus, or some heat-clearing Chinese herbs to remove dirt, kill bacteria, and make the mouth fragrant.
Yan Shuyi had her usual Qingyan and didn't really need to buy any, but after pondering for a moment, she couldn't help but ask: "Do they have a chili flavor, but one that doesn't make *me* spicy after brushing?"
Wei Rui froze for a moment, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: "Then who would it make spicy?"
"The scoundrel."
"?"
Wei Rui and Kuang Cheng hadn't even held hands yet, so they couldn't understand the scene in the Master Jian's mind.
Yan Shuyi naturally couldn't buy such strange green salt, so she left the stall and walked up to Ji You: "Ji You, I want to eat candied fruit."
Ji You took out a piece of broken silver from his pocket and placed it in her hand: "Buy more, so you can have them at home for New Year."
"I also need to buy some roasted sweet potatoes and charcoal. We're out at home. I heard Wei Rui say that these vendors will be resting in a few days.
The East and West markets will be converted into a lantern street, and then you won't be able to buy anything."
"Charcoal—no rush, I'm exploring the Five Great Halls these two days. As for sweet potatoes, I'll go check the nearby vegetable market."
As Ji You spoke, he thought to himself that this girl's jealousy seemed to have dissipated quite a bit, and he hoped no more cats with their tails sticking up would suddenly appear.
Waiting for Ji You to leave the stall and head towards the vegetable market, Yan Shuyi, holding the candied fruit, returned in Wei Rui's direction.
Kuang Cheng had already returned with the children from the Orphanage, having bought shoes, socks, and cotton clothes. Besides Wei Rui, there were two other women standing before him.
One of them had her head bowed and chest sunken, clearly a maid by her attire. The other stood like a Young Miss in a cyan cloud-water skirt, yet she was also a cultivator in the Micro Illumination Realm.
On her way back, Yan Shuyi saw the Young Miss-like woman continuously looking at her, seeming to be very concerned about her.
"Miss Fang, are you not planning to return home for New Year, and will you stay at Tianshu Academy?"
"No, I won't. I plan to seclude myself in the academy for a period. Besides, there are a few banquets among fellow cultivators within the Sect. Although cultivators emphasize being unburdened by external things, some Face must still be given."
Fang Ruoyao replied to Kuang Cheng with a shallow smile.
The daughter of Yuyang County Magistrate, she entered the academy for cultivation using her brother's military merit quota, but even now she remains in the Micro Illumination Realm, unable to advance an inch.
She initially refused to accept her fate. Before Pei Ruyi left, she had asked her, 'Senior Sister, didn't you say in Yuyang County that my Aptitude was excellent?'
Pei Ruyi told her, "Yes, it's quite good."
To this day, she has actually accepted half of her fate.
The half she accepted was that her cultivation Aptitude was not good. Not to mention compared to the students in the Outer Courtyard, she couldn't even compare to those merchants and vendors in Shengjing City who had some connection to Worldly Families and thus possessed some cultivation.
However, when facing Kuang Cheng, Wei Rui, and this unknown woman—three Mortals—she still maintained a subtle, proud Immortal aura in her demeanor and words.
At this moment, Fang Ruoyao looked at Kuang Cheng and couldn't help but recall the half of her fate she hadn't accepted.
And that half was Ji You.
Her former fiancé had established an Immortal Villa in Feng Province, set out with the envoy, and with a single Sword Qi, he had slain the Soldier King and persuaded the Demon Emperor. Although the Inner Courtyard disliked Ji You, they could not deny the fact of his extraordinary talent.
And that marriage contract from back then was the half she couldn't let go of.
Thinking of this, Fang Ruoyao couldn't help but look at Yan Shuyi again, her gaze unconsciously falling on her lower abdomen. She stared for a long time, then her Face gradually turned pale.
When Ji You returned after buying sweet potatoes, Fang Ruoyao had already left. At this moment, Yan Shuyi narrowed her beautiful eyes, like a cat constantly tasting vinegar.
The earlier innocent charm, inadvertently revealed when buying candied fruit, seemed to have never existed.
"Did you encounter another cat with its tail sticking up?"
Kuang Cheng had just recovered from his shock and looked at Ji You, saying, "We just met Miss Fang."
Ji You's mouth twitched. Thinking of today's constant difficulties, he said, "It was a major mistake not to check the almanac before going out today."
"That's not important, Brother Ji, what's important is offspring!"
"?"
Kuang Cheng was a little excited: "Miss Fang just asked me to convey her congratulations on your offspring! It suddenly dawned on me, Brother Ji, you truly are Brother Ji!"
Wei Rui arrived from a distance, holding a pair of exquisitely crafted tiger-head shoes in her hands, her excitement no less than Kuang Cheng's.
Ji You was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Yan Shuyi, finding that the little Master Jian was blinking nonchalantly.
She actually knew many things.
She knew that Princess Changle and Lu Qingqiu wanted to marry him, and she also knew that he originally had a fiancée named Fang Ruoyao. Sometimes, even if she couldn't recognize them at first glance, she could figure it out by listening to their conversations.
Just now, the stranger's former fiancée had been staring at her belly, seemingly wanting to confirm if she was already pregnant with his child.
Just the Micro Illumination Realm, unable to project Divine Thought far, yet she still probed her.
However, for some unknown reason, the little Master Jian did not stop her weak Divine Thought and gave her the illusion of being pregnant with a baby in her belly, which was not difficult for her, being in the Yingtian Realm.
Ji You's cultivation was much higher than Fang Ruoyao's, so he could naturally tell. At this moment, he couldn't help but silently mutter to himself, thinking that this little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain was truly a bit wicked.
Returning to Tianshu Academy from Shengjing City, the stove in the first room was rekindled.
Several kinds of candied fruit were placed on the lacquered red wooden cabinet, and there were several sacks in the corner containing vegetables and sweet potatoes.
At this moment, the little Master Jian sat coldly arrogant in the stranger's arms, her lips slightly parted, her tongue being teased, her gaze calm and composed.
From this angle, she could see the cloth dolls she had bought earlier.
Frogs, butterflies, all without tails.
Besides these two cloth dolls, there was also a pair of tiger-head shoes on the lacquered red wooden cabinet, specially bought and given to them by Wei Rui after believing the slander.
This reminded her of Ji You's audacious question about how many children she wanted to have.
Thinking of this, Yan Shuyi suddenly began to gently part her pearly teeth and bite him again. After several times, Ji You slowly opened his eyes.
Seeing the other party's eyes, the little Master Jian immediately sharpened her gaze, looking down from above, sharp as a knife, staring straight ahead, forcing Ji You to close his eyes.
Yan Shuyi had a lovely scent, but it wasn't a strong perfumed smell; it was more like a subtle floral fragrance, refreshing and pleasant.
This fragrant Qi was usually only fortunate enough to be smelled by her personal maid, but now, the one who understood this scent the most was this stranger, Ji You.
After a while, the sweet, subtle-scented small mouth was released. Ji You looked at the continuously panting Yan Shuyi, finding that she still had a calm expression, but a fine layer of sweat had appeared on her nose.
"Ji You, your taste in fiancées is really bad."
"I told you she wasn't my fiancée. Besides, I wasn't the one who chose her before the engagement was broken."
Yan Shuyi wiped her small red mouth: "What does it matter to me, the Master Jian? It's not me getting married. In the end, you're the one who suffers."
Ji You then lowered his head and leaned in, seeing the little Master Jian very obediently raise her slender, jade-like neck, her rosy small mouth slightly open in her panting, and her fragrant tongue couldn't help but slightly peek out.
Seeing this scene, Ji You stopped his motion to kiss her and straightened up again.
The little Master Jian immediately curled her feet slightly, couldn't help but punch him, and said coldly and arrogantly: "If you look for another fiancée, remember to call me to vet her for you. After all, women understand women's thoughts best, it's always better than your terrible taste."
Ji You said, "I don't believe a word you say: "Do you have a lot of opinions about Fang Ruoyao?"
1
"Her conduct is extremely poor. Despite only being in the Micro Illumination Realm, she still puts on airs in front of old friends. Her jealousy is also extremely strong; when she saw me, she even carried a resentment wishing for my death. She's exactly the kind of woman I dislike the most. If I were to choose for you, she would certainly be a thousand times better."
Ji You gazed at her slightly flushed, pretty Face for a long time, thinking, 'Your abacus beads are going to bounce off my Face.'
But at this point, answering yes or no would probably lead to a hole being poked in his chest. Ji You understood this kind of transparent hypocrisy all too well.
Especially after learning that Yan Shuyi had feigned pregnancy, making Fang Ruoyao's Face turn pale with jealousy, Ji You gained a whole new understanding of her wickedness.
The little Master Jian was quietly watching him, waiting for his answer. Her amber-like eyes were deep and boundless, revealing no hidden emotions.
However, without any response, she found the stranger leaning in again, pressing close to her pretty Face, and taking her mouth, causing her slender eyelashes to tremble slightly.
This time, Ji You no longer opened his eyes to look at her expression; he was completely absorbed in the deep kiss.
Before long, Yan Shuyi couldn't help but wrap her arms around his neck, her brocade sleeves slipping to her elbows, her jade-like arms fair and hot, and her gasps began to rise.
Wintering is like this; one always needs to find something to pass the time.
Hopscotch, stick-hitting-tiger-chicken-eating-worm.
Hopscotch, stick-hitting-tiger-chicken-eating-worm, kissing.
Hopscotch, kissing, kissing.
Kissing, kissing, kissing.
Ji You currently didn't dare to make any other moves, because he felt his Physical Body still couldn't handle it.
Using Soldier King as the benchmark, it was clear that the Yingtian Realm could still utterly defeat him, and continuing like this would only be a waste.
Thus, this peaceful wintering life began to extend beyond the courtyard. Yan Shuyi would sometimes conceal her Qi and cover her Face with a veil, taken out for walks by the stranger.
When they occasionally encountered women from Tianshu Academy, Yan Shuyi would condescendingly ask him if he liked them, acting as if she were truly helping him choose a fiancée, seemingly completely forgetting that she had just been kissed for a long time in the courtyard.
Ji You criticized each of them for points where they were inferior to the little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain: appearance, figure, and smoothly navigated every pitfall.
In the evening, with the fiery clouds dyeing the sky, Yan Shuyi received a message from Zhuo Wanqiu.
She had been away from the mountain for quite a long time this trip, causing Yan Jingxiang to come to the Cloud Top Palace daily to inquire. Zhuo Wanqiu then relayed the message, asking her when she would return.
The suggestion of "visiting relatives" was originally given by Zhuo Wanqiu, but after a long time, Zhuo Wanqiu also became a little scared.
She wasn't worried about the Master Jian's safety, as the current Master Jian had the spirit mirror protecting her, and even those at Perfection in the Upper Five Realms would have to expend some effort to attack her.
What she was worried about was whether one day the Master Jian would return holding a chubby baby boy.
Yan Shuyi had just returned from a stroll with Ji You. After seeing this message, she thought in silence for a long time, sometimes frowning, sometimes pursing her lips, her gaze heavy. It took her a long time to remember who Zhuo Wanqiu was.
"I'll stay here for New Year, and I won't be back for a long time."
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