Chapter 7: Me? A Bad Woman?

—Relax.

It was as if a magic spell called “Word Spirit” had been cast upon him.

Upon hearing the girl’s words, a sensation of comfort, like soaking in a hot spring, spread through his entire body.

Lin Xiangyi could feel the needle-like headache miraculously recede significantly.

What is this? This familiar feeling—where have I felt this before?

Before he could recall, the girl’s ethereal voice sounded beside his ear.

“Keep going, relax, and let your body go.”

Another branch of controlling spirits—the Mind System, also known as the Heart Control Art.

It could influence a person’s spirit, consciousness, and thoughts to a certain extent, and it was the only Life Spirit System skill Shen Ye possessed.

It was a little trick she had learned from her mother.

Using Spiritual Power to soothe the mind, plus a little verbal guidance, just like now.

Shen Ye took the man’s hand, wrapped it with both of hers, and continued applying the “magic.”

The whole process was natural and unforced, so much so that before Lin Xiangyi could even react, the girl had already taken his hand.

This strange familiarity again—we*’ve only just met, so why don’*t I feel any aversion to her actions at all?

Lin Xiangyi*’s face flushed slightly. His hand was tightly held by Shen Ye’*s, and he could clearly feel that compared to his own, the cat-eared girl’s hand was much smaller and more delicate.

With their bodies so close, the girl*’s fresh scent of pine after rain drifted into the man’*s nose, making his heartbeat quicken slightly.

But before his mind could wander, a familiar warmth spread from where it made contact with Shen Ye’s cool little hand.

Is this… Spiritual Power? Wasn’t she just recovering? How can she use it this quickly?

Lin Xiangyi was shocked inside.

Based on his understanding of Shen Ye’s physical condition, even at the fastest, she would need two or three days before she could mobilize her Spiritual Power again. But the current situation truly caught him off guard.

Is this what Spirit Beings are like?

Spiritual Power users born from gathered spirits, favored by heaven.

At this level, if it were a human, they’d probably be dead already.

He swallowed hard, and suddenly thought of someone.

Could Senior Brother do something like this?

This was his first time being in close contact with a Spirit Being. In his past understanding, the strongest Spiritual Power user he knew was his Senior Brother.

But Senior Brother had never seemed to suffer serious injuries before—minor wounds, he could heal himself easily.

If Senior Brother’s Spirit Body were injured to this degree, could he recover this quickly?

Lin Xiangyi had no answer in his heart.

While he stood there dazed, Shen Ye had already quietly withdrawn her ability and let go of his hand.

She looked at him, the man’s dazed expression reflected in her eyes.

There’s still a long way to go, Xiangyi.

“Alright, that should feel much better now.”

Shen Ye released her hand and smiled at Lin Xiangyi.

Almost at the same moment he inwardly praised how cute the girl’s smile was, Lin Xiangyi noticed that the needle-pricking sensation in his head had completely dissipated.

He was deeply shaken and stared at the girl before him in disbelief.

Although the difficulty differed from the treatment he had just performed.

The incredibly precise Spiritual Power control, the output and time several times smaller than his—all of it proved that the girl’s mastery over Spiritual Power was far beyond his own.

“Is this… the Heart Control Art?”

“Mhm. Seeing how tired you were, I took the liberty of doing it. You don’t mind, do you?”

Shen Ye spoke hesitantly, a hint of worry in her voice.

At this moment, Lin Xiangyi was even less able to say that if it weren*’t for his own reckless decision, Shen Ye wouldn’*t have been put in such a passive position because of her identity as a Spirit Being.

“N-no… I don’t mind.”

He turned his head away, avoiding Shen Ye’s gaze.

Watching Lin Xiangyi slowly drop his initial guard, Shen Ye smiled softly. She knew this was the beginning of earning his approval.

Although this time she met her Junior Brother as a Spirit Being, and it took a while to clear up the misunderstanding.

This incident still made her realize something.

As his Senior Brother, she actually knew very little about her closest Junior Brother.

So then, let’s get to know each other again, Junior Brother.

She spoke, a trace of warmth in her voice:

“Please take care of me from now on, Xiangyi.”

The slightly rising tone carried a gentle familiarity, and the last two syllables were wrapped in her soft, velvety voice, drifting into Lin Xiangyi’s heart.

The man’s face instantly burned with heat. A blush spread from his neck to the tips of his ears. He stepped back slightly, covering half his face with his right hand, desperately trying to control his expression.

In his eyes, which dared not meet hers, flickered a flustered reaction to her affectionate address.

Sure, I allowed her to call me that, but doesn’t she know how alluring her voice is?

Or is she doing it on purpose?

Damn! Is this how Senior Brother fell for her trick?

Lin Xiangyi suddenly realized that from the moment he met Shen Ye until now, he had been bewitched by those delicate, beautiful features.

That adorable, girlish appearance, paired with those clear and gentle eyes, truly made it hard to feel wary of her.

But what bothered him more was the faint, almost imperceptible sense of care that seemed to come from an elder.

She looks younger than me, yet her tone carries a natural tolerance, like she’s looking after a junior.

That feeling… it’s a lot like Mom…

Ah, no, no, no.

He quickly shook his head, dispelling the stray thoughts.

Regardless, the fact remains that Senior Brother’s cultivation was delayed because of her.

If it*’s just for healing, then that’*s for the best.

But judging by how she’s acting with me—so familiar and close.

It*’s obvious that she’*s already settled things with Master and Senior Brother, and now she’s trying to win me over.

Is she trying to conquer our entire sect for Senior Brother’s sake?

This woman—!

With that thought, a sudden surge of resolve rose in Lin Xiangyi’s heart. He pointed at Shen Ye and shouted:

“You bad woman! Don*’t get too cocky! No matter how much you try to win me over, I’*ll still keep a strict watch for Senior Brother!”

After dropping that “harsh” remark, Lin Xiangyi fled in embarrassment, retreating into the inner room.

Leaving Shen Ye alone in the living room, stunned.

Bad woman?

Who? Me?!

I—I—I, what did I do?

I only helped ease your mental strain—how does that make me a bad woman?

And who exactly are you keeping watch for?

Shen Ye clenched her small fists, feeling indignant at her Junior Brother’s offensive behavior.

Even if I can*’t turn back, even if I’*ve become a Spirit Being with ears and a tail, I’m still your Senior Brother! Not some bad woman!

Just as Shen Ye was seething…

A moment later, Lin Xiangyi walked out of the inner room again, holding a teacup in his hands.

He approached Shen Ye and sat down under the girl’s gloomy stare.

After a moment of silence, he spoke first, his voice sounding a bit unnatural:

“…I had a bad attitude just now. I’m sorry.”

“Also, the reason you couldn’t hide your Spirit Being identity—it was actually my fault. I apologize for that.”

He turned his face away, unable to look at Shen Ye, and gently pushed the steaming cup of tea in front of her.

“This is the clear tea my Senior Brother likes best. If you don’t mind, please have some.”

A hint of guilt, a hint of shyness, and a bit of embarrassment from his earlier “harsh words” made Lin Xiangyi unable to face the girl directly.

He just kept his head down, staring at the teacup, hoping Shen Ye would accept his apology.

But after a while, the cup of tea was still not picked up.

In the silent living room, only the occasional birdsong and car horns from outside the window could be heard.

Time slowly gnawed at Lin Xiangyi’s heart, anxiety spreading like wildfire across dry plains.

Does she know it was deliberate on my part? Is she unwilling to accept my apology?

He couldn’t help but look at Shen Ye, and caught a glimpse of a shimmering droplet falling through the air, landing on her lap.

Huh?

Sensing something wrong, he looked up, trying to see Shen Ye’s face clearly.

But at that moment, Shen Ye picked up the cup.

The steam from the tea obscured her face and drifted into Lin Xiangyi’s eyes. The hot vapor stung them, and a few tears formed from the physical irritation.

He squinted, his vision of the cat-eared girl’s expression blurred.

Just as he rubbed his eyes to try and see clearly, Shen Ye spoke:

“Mhm. Thank you.”

Her voice was very soft, betraying no emotional fluctuation.

Then she raised the teacup, blew on the steam, and took a small sip.

Shen Ye closed her eyes, as if savoring a rare treasure.

She didn’t set the cup down afterward. Instead, she held it in her hands, staring at the tea inside, lost in thought.

“Truly fine tea.”

“Ah, yes… I’m glad you like it.”

Lin Xiangyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

What was wrong with me earlier? How could I say something like that to a guest who just arrived?

Even if I need to be cautious, she*’s still Senior Brother’*s friend. If I treat her badly, it would tarnish Senior Brother’s reputation.

But in a corner Lin Xiangyi failed to notice.

Shen Ye stared at the teacup in her hands.

She sat there blankly, her delicate face as if swept by the tides of the past, rippling with a sorrow that was heartbreaking to witness.

But sadly, this sorrow that surged up in an instant soon vanished like dandelion seeds in the wind, reined in by her own restraint, completely unnoticed by the man before her.

Yeah, I love it. I love it the most.

Her slightly parted lips didn’t speak those words.

The girl’s slender jade fingers gently caressed the body of the cup.

The tea was scalding hot, bringing with it the warmth of being alive.

Being alive to drink this cup of tea—that’s more than enough, Junior Brother.

Her tail swayed gently behind her, silently speaking all the joy she couldn’t put into words.