After taking He Wanying’s punch, Lin Guiming had a rough idea of her current strength.
She wasn’t too far from the standard of one horse’s strength, but there was still a gap.
To achieve one horse’s strength and enter the Skin Tempering Realm, she’d need some time to train.
Meanwhile, He Wanying’s face was flushed, her hands clutching her skirt hem, looking at Lin Guiming with a mix of indignation and regret.
“Husband, you… I…”
She was both angry that Lin Guiming had lifted her skirt and remorseful for instinctively punching him, worried he’d be upset.
“Call me Senior Brother.”
Lin Guiming’s mouth twitched as he spoke.
“Wuu”
He Wanying lowered her head, letting out a small whimper, muttering to herself, “You took advantage of me and still won’t let me call you Husband. What’s that supposed to mean…”
“Ahem…”
Lin Guiming seemed to realize his earlier behavior was inappropriate and coughed awkwardly.
“Uh… I was wrong just now, but it was only to test your current level.
From what I can tell, you’re still a bit away from the Skin Tempering Realm, but with my help, you’ll reach it in just a few days.”
“Oh…”
He Wanying nodded, but she didn’t seem particularly happy.
“Ahem—”
At that moment, an obviously deliberate cough came from behind them—it was Mother He.
“Uh, Guiming…”
“Master’s Wife.”
Lin Guiming turned and bowed to her.
“No need for such formalities. We’re all family now… in every sense.”
Lin Guiming’s expression froze, but he didn’t say anything, only asking, “Does Master’s Wife have something to say?”
“I do.”
Mother He smiled.
“I’m delighted that you’re teaching Wanying to cultivate, and I’m sure she’s eager to learn from you.
But cultivation requires a balance of work and rest.
It’s late now, so let’s rest for today and start formally tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
Lin Guiming nodded.
He hadn’t planned to continue anyway.
He Wanying was still growing, and lack of rest could affect her development.
“Oh, about the room situation…”
Mother He spoke again.
“No problem, Master’s Wife. Just find me any guest room.”
Lin Guiming said promptly.
“The He family doesn’t have guest rooms…”
Her next words made Lin Guiming’s expression freeze.
“Master’s Wife, you mean…”
Though the He family lacked powerful cultivators, Mother He was skilled in business, making the family quite wealthy with a large residence.
Lin Guiming had seen plenty of empty rooms earlier.
“The He family doesn’t have guest rooms.”
“But…”
“The He family doesn’t have…”
“Alright, alright, I get it…”
Lin Guiming said with a wry smile.
“But Master’s Wife, what am I supposed to do then?”
“Just share a room with Wanying.”
“Huh? But…”
Lin Guiming was shocked.
“Master’s Wife, men and women shouldn’t be so close. How can Junior Sister and I…”
He Wanying, standing nearby, trembled, her face flushing red.
She lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers, but said nothing.
“You’re already engaged, aren’t you?”
“…”
If Mother He hadn’t brought it up, Lin Guiming had almost forgotten the compromise he’d made earlier.
“Even so, we can’t…”
“You’re engaged, right?”
Mother He repeated, her face and eyes full of amusement, sending a chill down Lin Guiming’s spine.
“Yes…”
“Then that settles it.”
Mother He had her own calculations.
Though Lin Guiming and Wanying were engaged, it was just words for now.
If Lin Guiming left one day, it’d be an empty promise.
But if they shared a room and something happened… that would change things.
Best case, if she got pregnant, it’d be set in stone…
She was quite familiar with this tactic—she’d done the same back in the day.
She didn’t believe that a young, vigorous engaged couple sharing a room could spend the whole night without something happening.
Wanying’s training might not happen tomorrow…