Creak—
Accompanied by the soft turning of a wooden hinge, the door was gently pushed open by Xuanya’s spiritual power, and the master and disciple pair stepped into Gantang’s room one after the other.
No sooner had they entered than a stifled, odd sound, laced with heavy breathing and nasal moans, filtered into their ears.
What made Lu Qiancha’s heart tighten even more was that, amidst those intermittent sounds, her own name seemed to be mixed in.
Shimei’s hidden illness has gotten this severe?! She’s suffering alone in her room, even unconsciously calling out for me…
A sharp sense of guilt instantly gripped Lu Qiancha’s heart. It was all her fault for not caring enough about her Shimei, so much so that she hadn’t even known about such a serious illness.
The Wolf Cub wore a grave expression, silently following behind Xuanya, her steps heavy as she headed toward the bedroom.
However, when the sight inside the bedroom came into full view without any obstruction—
“Wha—?!” Lu Qiancha gasped, her blue eyes going round as saucers.
She saw Gantang lying on the bed with her eyes half-closed, her expression focused.
The shocking sight made Lu Qiancha’s little face flush bright red like a cooked shrimp, and the ears atop her head stood straight up in surprise.
Xuanya’s lips twitched hard, reacting swiftly as she covered Lu Qiancha’s eyes with one hand, pressing her little face into her embrace.
“Sh—Shifu?!”
Gantang’s muddled voice got stuck in her throat the moment she saw the two figures at the door, one tall, one small. The haze in her eyes receded like a tide, replaced by utter shock and panic.
“A-And Shixiong?! Why… Why are you…?” Her voice trembled uncontrollably, words tumbling out in confusion, “…Why didn’t you knock…?”
“…Gantang, change your clothes first, then come out and talk.”
Xuanya’s voice betrayed no emotion, but her movements were swift. She held the Wolf Cub, who was burning with embarrassment and wishing she could dig into the earth, tightly in her arms, and walked toward the guest room.
A short while later, Gantang, now neatly dressed, moved awkwardly into the guest room, her expression embarrassed. Facing the two who sat, one big and one small, she felt as though even the air was thick with awkwardness, making it hard to breathe.
Taking a few deep breaths in secret, she mustered her courage and, with a hint of complaint, asked, “Shixiong, Shifu, why… why did you come in without a word?”
“Your Shixiong worried you were hiding an illness, and, anxious for you, came to find me,” Xuanya replied calmly, sipping her tea as her gaze swept over Gantang’s still-flushed cheeks, her tone smooth and unruffled.
“Gantang, your Shixiong is pure and innocent, ignorant of such… matters of human nature. As a Shimei, you ought to be clearer and more upright in your words and actions from now on—don’t let such misunderstandings occur again.”
Xuanya’s attitude toward the matter was rather open-minded. As long as feelings didn’t cross the line or harm the Dao heart’s foundation, she didn’t intend to interfere. Still, reminders had to be given where needed.
“Y-Yes, I will heed your teaching, Shifu…” Gantang’s voice was barely a whisper, two more clouds of red blooming on her cheeks as she bowed her head even lower.
“Furthermore,”
Xuanya turned her gaze to the little figure beside her, who had been fidgeting ever since they entered—Lu Qiancha was trying her best to shrink herself into a ball, her face crimson, little hands twisting her hem anxiously, and her big fluffy tail stiff and awkward behind her.
“Go apologize to your Shixiong. She was genuinely worried for you, concerned for your safety, but in the end…”
Xuanya’s voice paused meaningfully, her unsaid words lingering in the air, her clear and cool eyes calmly resting on Gantang, letting the embarrassment speak for itself.
Gantang’s face was red enough to drip blood. She turned toward Lu Qiancha and bowed deeply, her voice full of sincere guilt: “I’m sorry, Shixiong, for making you worry needlessly. It was my fault.”
“It’s… it’s nothing… I… I understand…” Lu Qiancha waved her little hands in panic, her big sapphire eyes swirling with dizzy confusion, her mind still reeling from the shocking scene just now, her little head buzzing.
Xuanya took in her disciple’s dazed and shaken state, fully aware of how much that earlier scene had rattled Lu Qiancha’s pure heart.
“Gantang,” Xuanya spoke again, her voice regaining the sternness of a Shifu, “though you did not intend it, your negligence in cultivation is still a fact. To calm your mind and focus, you are to practice ten thousand sword swings every day for the next month—no slacking off.”
“What?! Ten thousand?!” Gantang’s almond eyes went wide as she let out a despairing cry of disbelief.
“Oh?” Xuanya shot her a frosty look. “Too few? Then make it twenty thousand…”
“No, no, Shifu, ten thousand is enough! I’ll get it done!” Gantang hastily waved her hands, swallowing hard.
She grabbed her practice sword by the door and rushed out of the guest room toward the small courtyard, as if her feet were on fire.
Once Gantang’s figure had vanished, Xuanya slowly lowered her gaze to the little Wolf Cub still dazed in her arms, her voice gentle as she soothed, “Alright, your Shimei is truly fine now, so you can rest easy.”
“Mm…” Lu Qiancha nodded, the fluffy ears on her head giving a faint, unconscious twitch.
Now that she’d confirmed her Shimei was fine, it was as if she’d finally snapped back to herself.
She jumped out of Xuanya’s warm embrace, her short legs dashing away without a backward glance, hurrying back to her own room as if being chased by ferocious beasts.
“Slow down! Watch your step!” Xuanya called after her, shaking her head helplessly before rising to head to the courtyard to supervise the now-punished disciple.
Once she’d dashed into her own room, Lu Qiancha slammed the door shut with a bang, leaning back against it, her chest heaving.
Yet the blood-stirring scene from earlier seemed to have taken root in her mind, replaying itself over and over.
No matter how she used the Ice Heart Art, held her breath, or tried to calm her mind, it wouldn’t go away.
“Ugh…” Lu Qiancha’s gaze grew unfocused, a familiar sense of restlessness quietly spreading through her body, leaving her uneasy.
Like a little beast searching for somewhere cool, her gaze drifted to the chilly edge of the table.
After a moment, the Wolf Cub tried to prop herself up from the tabletop, but that troubling, heart-stirring restlessness still wouldn’t fade. Instead, it coiled even tighter inside, making her all the more uncomfortable.
Left with no choice, Lu Qiancha hurriedly straightened her slightly messy clothes, her little head still dizzy and confused, and stumbled out in search of sanctuary in Xun Xue’s room.
“Xiao Qiancha?” Xun Xue looked at her daughter, who’d burst in with a flushed face and quickened breath, and couldn’t help but gently furrow her elegant brows. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
She reached out to touch Lu Qiancha’s forehead.
“Niang Qin…”
Lu Qiancha, like a small boat that had found harbor, threw herself into Xun Xue’s soft embrace, burying her burning little face deep in the crook of her mother’s neck, letting out a muffled whimper tinged with grievance and discomfort. “I… I feel… it’s here…”
Her words tumbled out, her voice muffled, “…I feel terrible… My whole body feels strange…”
Xun Xue was taken aback at first, but when she saw her daughter’s condition, she instantly understood.
She couldn’t help but laugh softly, a teasing note in her voice. “Oh? Our little Qiancha is growing up, is she? So… what would you like Niang Qin to do for you?” She deliberately stretched out the words.
“Ugh…” Lu Qiancha grew even more flustered at her mother’s laughter, reaching out to lightly slap Xun Xue’s arm.
Her little face burrowed even deeper, leaving only the tips of her trembling ears visible as she murmured in a tiny, mosquito-like voice, “Niang Qin… you’re mean… You already know everything…”
“Pfft~ Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing my little darling.” Xun Xue, seeing her daughter at her wit’s end, finally relented.
Chuckling, she scooped up the flustered little Wolf Cub in her arms and headed toward the nearby big bed, covered in Yun Jin.
Big paw pad socks.
The picture and the chapter exploded together.