Dong Yuner took the books and materials for opening the Sword Edge Spirit Vein and left happily to study them on her own.
Lin Huanhuan was once again the only one left in the bedroom.
Lin Huanhuan lowered her head and muttered, “She only knows how to say these sweet things. I hope she can keep it up forever. She probably will…”
After thinking for a while longer, Lin Huanhuan did not continue wasting time. She sat cross-legged and began to seek the most perfect state.
The moon rose above the willow branches.
Lin Huanhuan opened her eyes, a flash of annoyance appearing in them.
The reason she woke up was for nothing else but simply because someone was knocking on the door.
Dong Yuner had already entered seclusion for cultivation, so Lin Huanhuan was the only one available. Naturally, it fell to her to receive the visitor.
“Who on earth is it? It’s the middle of the night, yet they’ve come to visit. I was just about to sleep, but I’ve been disturbed again.”
Muttering to herself, Lin Huanhuan put on a pale yellow outer robe before walking to the main entrance and pulling the door open.
A young woman in blue robes came into view. A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Huanhuan’s eyes. ‘Why is she here?’
The visitor was none other than Ye Jinxi.
Ye Jinxi awkwardly pinched the corner of her clothes and said with a smile, “I have something to talk to you about. You wouldn’t be unwelcoming, would you?”
Lin Huanhuan puffed out her cheeks unhappily. Crossing her arms, she said, “Since you know you aren’t welcome, coming here anyway is a bit too tactless.”
“Normally, after what happened last time, shouldn’t you be very embarrassed and avoid me at all costs? To think you’d actually dare to come here on your own initiative; you’re certainly thick-skinned.”
“I feel embarrassed too, which is why I hesitated for so long before coming. Otherwise, I would have come to see you a long time ago.”
Having long known Lin Huanhuan’s personality, Ye Jinxi didn’t feel angry. She ignored Lin Huanhuan’s mocking tone and stepped past her, walking inside.
“I’m coming in first. Talking outside isn’t very polite, and it won’t be good for your reputation either.”
“Ha, you—”
Lin Huanhuan’s eyelid twitched, but she had no choice but to follow her in. Ye Jinxi saw that the osmanthus tree in the courtyard was growing well and nodded. She found two stools and sat down, then pointed to the stool next to her and smiled. “Don’t mind me, have a seat.”
Lin Huanhuan froze for a moment before reacting. She was so angry she almost laughed.
“This is supposed to be my home, right? You’re in my house telling me not to be formal—do you think that’s polite?” She sat down, suppressing her anger.
Ye Jinxi laughed and said, “Don’t worry about it so much. There’s no benefit in being so petty.”
“Right, since you don’t want to talk about what happened last time, I won’t ask about it. Let’s continue being friends, and we’ll act as if that incident never happened. How about it?”
Ye Jinxi made the proposal enticingly. Lin Huanhuan bit her lip, her heart inevitably swaying.
‘Damn it, Ye Jinxi really is a heroine. She resolved the last incident with just a few words. Oh well, it’s not like I lose anything anyway, so I’ll just agree.’
Lin Huanhuan nodded and said, “Since you’ve asked me so sincerely, I’ll agree. I wouldn’t want you to start kneeling and throwing a tantrum on the floor; that would look bad on you.”
Ye Jinxi smiled helplessly but didn’t argue. Lin Huanhuan just had that kind of personality and meant no harm, so there was no harm in humoring her.
Lin Huanhuan’s expression softened a bit as she asked, “So, tell me, what exactly did you come here for this time?”
‘A sudden show of kindness always hides an ulterior motive. Although Ye Jinxi’s favorability toward me is quite high now, it’s unlikely she’ll treat me like that blonde guy. This means this person most likely wants to ask me for a favor, and it’s probably not a simple one.’
In an instant, Lin Huanhuan had guessed the gist of the matter. She looked at Ye Jinxi with disdain, as if looking at a paramecium, intending to use this method to lower her favorability.
Ye Jinxi completely ignored it and simply smiled. “Did you forget? About half a month ago, I asked for your help in opening the Hidden Spring Spirit Vein, and you agreed at the time. You won’t go back on your word now, will you?”
“I’ve already gathered all the materials. I should have come to find you a long time ago, but after what happened that day, I was afraid you’d hold a grudge. I hesitated for a long time, but I came anyway.”
In a slightly admiring tone, Ye Jinxi said, “Because I feel you aren’t the type of person to let personal feelings interfere with business. While it’s not exactly business, it’s close enough.”
Hearing these words, the expression on Lin Huanhuan’s face suddenly stiffened, and she swallowed hard.
‘Holy crap, how could I forget about this? What on earth was I thinking back then, actually agreeing to help her open the Hidden Spring Spirit Vein? If Bai Lingfeng finds out about this, he’ll skin me alive!’
‘I could gloss over things from the past, but this is the real deal. It requires taking off all our clothes and being in the same room. Even if we’re both women, it’s not safe. After all, everyone knows I like girls…!’
‘She’s even saying sweet things on purpose, afraid I’ll refuse, right?’
‘If I had known, I wouldn’t have let her in. I should have just pretended not to hear and kept her locked out.’
Lin Huanhuan lowered her head in silence, thousands of thoughts racing through her mind. Ye Jinxi sat quietly, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Lin Huanhuan’s profile with a smile on her lips.
Lin Huanhuan looked up at her, even entertaining the idea of simply playing dumb and trying to muddle through.
Lin Huanhuan sighed softly. “That’s fine, but not today. It’s getting late, and I was just about to sleep. How about you come back another time?”
Lin Huanhuan decisively used a delaying tactic, intending to put the matter off for now. Perhaps there would be a turn of events after some time passed.
Ye Jinxi didn’t fall for it at all. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I have everything ready. This kind of thing must be done at night; otherwise, what if someone comes to visit while we’re in the middle of it during the day?”
“And the most crucial point is that you should know, Huanhuan, the greatest use of a spirit vein during the Foundation Establishment Stage is to serve as a substitute for the best heavenly material or earthly treasure when forging the Dao Base, and it won’t cause any rejection reaction.”
“Both of us are on the verge of breaking through to Foundation Establishment and shaping our Dao Bases. How long are you going to keep putting this off? There’s no time like the present. Tonight is the best time.”
Cold sweat broke out on Lin Huanhuan’s forehead. She wiped it away with the back of her hand, feeling that the situation was indeed thorny. There was no way to refute those words.
No matter which way she looked at it, she had no reason to evade or refuse.
After staring at each other for a long time, Lin Huanhuan held her forehead and nodded. “Fine, fine, fine. Let’s start opening your spirit vein right now.”
“However, I still have to say one more thing. The process of opening a spirit vein requires very intimate contact. There’s no taking this back once we start.”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely not regret it.”