“So, that means she’s the Emperor’s daughter?”
Pei Qingxuan’s gaze was cold as she looked at the little girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old.
There was no visible emotion in her eyes, but Xu Ping’an keenly noticed the aura around Pei Qingxuan subtly shift.
Jealousy?
Not quite. It was more like a hint of resentment?
Maybe.
Xu Ping’an wasn’t entirely sure.
After all, such feelings could only reveal the general mood, not what was truly on someone’s mind.
“That’s how things stand. As for her, I really can’t take her in. Master… you know I’m not cut out for cultivation, but she does have some potential. I just checked her body a moment ago… ahem—”
Xu Ping’an suddenly caught a strange look in Pei Qingxuan’s eyes and quickly changed his wording.
“I took her pulse. Although she’s naturally weak, her meridian structure is stable and orderly. The Qi inside her flows smoothly. She’s a good candidate for cultivation.”
Pei Qingxuan pursed her lips. Seeing the little girl lower her head, unwilling to meet their gaze, she pouted slightly, clearly a little annoyed.
But then again, who wouldn’t be? Her husband suddenly brings home a little girl, a gift from someone else no less. Who would be happy about that?
“If that’s the case… then let’s accept her for now. I’ll find a suitable cultivation method for her and send her to the appropriate peak. That’ll do…”
“P-Pei Sect Leader, I—I want to follow Mister.”
The timid little girl suddenly piped up with determination.
Normally, the more timid a person is, the less likely they’d speak up for themselves.
But once they do, it means they’re serious about it.
Xu Ping’an looked at Li Zhi’er in surprise.
“Your Highness Yuanle, as you just heard from Master, I’m not cut out for cultivation. You won’t learn much from following me.”
“I’m not… afraid.”
The little girl lifted her head, eyes firm on Xu Ping’an. But after speaking, her big eyes quickly grew timid again and she lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.
Well… earlier I joked about the Taohua Curse, but this time… this really is a ‘Peach Blossom’!
Xu Ping’an rubbed his forehead silently and looked to Pei Qingxuan as if to ask, “What should we do?”
Pei Qingxuan pouted and turned her head away, clearly saying, “I don’t care.”
“Well, then. Since that’s the case, you’ll learn medicine from me. But there are special medical techniques I can’t teach you—you don’t have the qualifications, and you can’t avoid the Heavenly Dao’s scrutiny. You’ll only learn general medicine, understand?”
“Okay!”
The little girl’s face lit up with joy, her voice rising several notches.
But when she caught Xu Ping’an’s scrutinizing look, she shyly lowered her head again, unable to look at him.
Great, she’s stuck to me now.
Xu Ping’an gave Pei Qingxuan a helpless look, and Pei Qingxuan turned her face away with a frown that clearly read, ‘I’m not happy.’
“Ahem~ Apprentice, I still have some matters to discuss with Master. You go rest in one of the nearby rooms. Tomorrow, I’ll start teaching you medicine.”
“Th-Thank you, Master.”
“Don’t call me Master. I can’t teach you much, so just call me Mister.”
“Thank you, Mister.”
The little girl glanced at Xu Ping’an, then hurriedly lowered her head.
Just as she turned to leave, Xu Ping’an called out.
“Here, take this. When you go back to your room, rub some on the wound on your foot. You don’t want an ugly scar there later, do you?”
“Ah!”
Li Zhi’er’s cheeks instantly flushed a rosy red when she heard her foot mentioned.
She hurried over, grabbed the porcelain bottle on the table, and then dashed out with quick, tiny steps.
She even forgot about the pain in her foot.
In this era, a woman’s feet were a private matter.
Not just looking, but even talking about them was somewhat inappropriate.
Xu Ping’an was so straightforward about it, but the little girl had never been around other men before, so naturally, she was extremely shy.
She ran all the way to the door of a nearby room, not even knowing which one she had chosen, and pushed it open.
When the door of the next room closed with a “thud,” Xu Ping’an turned back to Pei Qingxuan.
“Jealous?”
“No~”
His wife pouted, looking like the type of jealousy that couldn’t be soothed.
Xu Ping’an chuckled softly and stepped forward, wrapping his arms gently around Pei Qingxuan from behind.
He rested his head on her shoulder.
“You know, I must be having some bad luck this year. I usually don’t like these kinds of things, but sometimes there’s no other way. I’m soft-hearted—otherwise, I wouldn’t have brought you back and cared for you so much.”
At his words, the awkwardness on Pei Qingxuan’s face disappeared a bit. She turned and met his eyes.
“Husband…”
“Hm?”
“I don’t care how many concubines you have, but I hope you don’t forget me, and you don’t stop loving me.”
“Alright, alright. My Qingxuan treasure is the best. How could I not love you?” Xu Ping’an soothed her softly.
Before, she had lost her memory and her intelligence was close to that of a child.
But now that her memories had returned, she was still so dependent on him.
Thankfully, even if he couldn’t cultivate, at least he lived long enough.
“Foolish wife, I never planned to take concubines anyway. Isn’t having you enough? You don’t let me sleep at all. If it were someone else, they’d be buried under three feet of grass by now.”
“Husband~”
Hearing that, Pei Qingxuan immediately protested, her face flushing with the color of the setting sun. Her phoenix eyes shimmered with affection, full of unspoken longing.
Her expression clearly meant she wanted him again.
“Stop, stop, stop. We’re about to leave. At least let me rest for two days first. When we return to the Liuyun Sect, find a quiet spot and you can have your fun all you want, okay?”
Pei Qingxuan pouted and slowly melted into his embrace.
“Husband, you said that, no backing out~”
“No backing out. When have I ever gone back on my word?”
Wait… did he just make a promise he shouldn’t have?
Why does his waist feel so cold all of a sudden?
No, before leaving, I still need to make a trip to the Hall of Ten Thousand Harmonies to get some medicine.
Otherwise, just relying on the Nine-turn Divine Pill won’t be enough to withstand this much strain.
After soothing his wife, Xu Ping’an stepped out of the room and approached the neighboring door.
He wasn’t foolish enough to barge in and check the little girl’s foot.
He already guessed that after walking around so long, her feet must be blistered, and anyone would immediately take off their shoes and apply medicine.
If he didn’t knock first and just entered, he’d definitely see those jade-like little feet.
Hmm… why won’t his knocking hand obey him?
Could there be a seal on the door?
No, no.
He’s a married man, and besides, his Peach Blossom Curse is already bad enough. This flower is too small, still a bud.
No, this is a serious principle—it’s been at least five years now.
He mustn’t make a fundamental mistake!
With great willpower, he finally knocked on the door.
“Applied the medicine?”
“J-just… Mister!? Ah!”
There was a flurry of rustling noises from inside. No doubt, the little girl was hurriedly putting on her shoes.
“Don’t rush, I’m not coming in. You don’t have to come out either. I just wanted to remind you not to forget to eat later.”
Xu Ping’an planned to head out in the afternoon to the Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence to check on Li Yu’er, then stop by the Hall of Ten Thousand Harmonies to stock up on medicinal ingredients.
He already had all the main medicines, all stored safely in his gourd.
But the auxiliary medicines weren’t so complete.
Besides, he might as well gather whatever he could.
Who knows how long it would be before they could come out of the Liuyun Sect again? If he ran out of medicine, what then?
As he walked down the steps, the door behind him suddenly opened.
The little girl’s face was flushed red, a hint of anxiety in her eyes. She was wearing shoes but no longer had socks on inside, revealing a glimpse of her instep and foot arch.
White and smooth, her skin was like the thin membrane inside an egg—delicate and translucent.
In the sunlight, he could even see faint blue veins tracing near the tender arch of her foot.
Noticing Xu Ping’an’s gaze, Li Zhi’er’s face instantly blushed a deep red.
But she held back her shyness and even deliberately lifted her skirt a little.
As the skirt moved, even her slender ankle was exposed.
Xu Ping’an snapped back to reality and looked up to see the little girl’s shy face, tears glistening in her eyes.
“M-Mister, does it… look pretty?”
Her raven-black hair and jade-like cheeks were half-shy.
Her autumn water-like eyes trembled with hesitation. Standing in the breeze, she gently plucked a dewy blossom, bowing low in her green lotus skirt.
Who wouldn’t be moved by such a sight?
“Y-yes, it looks beautiful. But… you should put your skirt down first. It’s not proper, not proper…”
Xu Ping’an swallowed hard and forced himself to look away.
He had to admit, this girl’s beauty was no less than Pei Qingxuan’s.
What made it rare was that Pei Qingxuan was a fully blossomed plum blossom, while this little girl was more like a lotus just beginning to bloom.
The plum blossom stands bitterly in the cold, its fragrance born from the snow.
Pei Qingxuan’s beauty was that untouchable flower on the high ridge—distant, awe-inspiring, and envied.
But this little girl was like a pure white lotus bud, the half-hidden flower trembling in the wind, half-open, half-concealed. It stirred both longing and a sense of protection.
It was enough to make one’s heart race.
Rubbing his forehead to clear the persistent memories, Xu Ping’an composed himself.
“Princess Yuanle, I believe I was clear before, and you understood. I already have a wife, and you’re too young. It’s really not appropriate. I know this may hurt your feelings, but I’m only doing this for your own good. You can’t let your heart dwell on a married man like me.”
“I don’t care!”
“But I do, Your Highness…”
Xu Ping’an smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Great, I’ve got another one involved!