It was a moment of vindication.
In front of Li Qingqing.
Jealousy between women truly does blind the eyes, to the point where Zhu Yuexi forgot the essence of this matter: whoever could have a better time with him would gain more face.
Did she really think she was an emperor, bestowing riches and honor on whomever she favored?
Xu Sheng could exploit her psychology, but he couldn’t understand it.
Nor did he need to. If he understood, that would be a problem.
……
The dining room was now practically occupied by Mo Ruxue.
Apart from Xu Sheng, anyone who approached Mo Ruxue couldn’t withstand the pressure of her Spiritual Energy, let alone eat there.
Since Zhu Yuexi had stayed the night in Xu Sheng’s room, Li Qingqing naturally brought breakfast to his room.
Zhu Yuexi was woken up by Li Qingqing.
As a cultivator, and someone who was particular about her bed, she had barely slept deeply since arriving at Peach Blossom Spring.
She often tossed and turned all night.
But last night, staying in Xu Sheng’s room—or rather, sleeping in his arms—she had slept so soundly…
Zhu Yuexi felt an urge to stay again tonight.
So, when she was sleeping so sweetly and heard Li Qingqing’s voice early in the morning, her first reaction was definitely anger.
Without even opening her eyes, she snapped at Li Qingqing’s voice.
“Take that breakfast out!”
She heard Li Qingqing reply.
“I’m delivering food to Master. If you don’t want to eat, you can leave.”
Hearing that, Zhu Yuexi suddenly remembered she was still in Xu Sheng’s room—even in his arms.
Panicked, she pulled the blanket over herself.
Xu Sheng simply gave Zhu Yuexi a glance, then reached out to take the glass of milk from the tray Li Qingqing was holding.
“These days, with Mo Ruxue breaking through, you don’t need to send breakfast. And for all meals… if I don’t say what I want, don’t make anything.”
At first, Zhu Yuexi felt a bit nervous and shy, since it was her first night with Xu Sheng.
But seeing his almost dismissive reaction, anger welled up inside her.
She glared at his profile until he noticed.
Xu Sheng turned his head.
“What?”
Still that indifferent attitude.
It seemed that after the night together, their relationship—and his attitude toward her—hadn’t changed at all.
Zhu Yuexi couldn’t quite articulate her feelings.
There are many subtle moments between people.
Only you can feel them. Mentioning them to the person involved would cost you your dignity; telling others would seem overly sensitive.
Faced with such a subtle moment, Zhu Yuexi’s approach was…
“Bastard.”
Xu Sheng: ?
Li Qingqing: ?
Faced with Zhu Yuexi’s temperament, Xu Sheng found it a headache.
“What kind of reaction is that?”
“What kind of reaction… I…”
Zhu Yuexi was choked by Xu Sheng’s casual words.
She even forgot that Li Qingqing was right there, and that after last night, she could have taken the chance to salvage her pride in front of Li Qingqing.
Xu Sheng had a “sudden realization.”
“I see. Zhu Yuexi, you don’t actually think our relationship has changed, do you?”
His expression held a hint of mockery, his eyes full of scorn—something the proudest Zhu Yuexi couldn’t tolerate.
But how could she argue with Xu Sheng? Before she could gather her words, he continued.
“Good, as long as you haven’t. I think you should be very clear about the relationship between us. I really don’t like you speaking to me in that tone…”
With that, he reached out and pinched her chin.
Quibbling over a few curses might seem like petty female behavior, but when your pet dog growls at you, would you choose to forgive it?
You can’t be too kind to a dog, especially when it’s done something wrong.
Zhu Yuexi glared fiercely at Xu Sheng, but in the end, she said nothing.
……
Li Qingqing was very clever.
Xu Sheng felt she had deliberately chosen that moment to enter.
Given Zhu Yuexi’s personality, seeing his attitude early in the morning would make her react, and she’d end up being scolded.
And given Zhu Yuexi’s personality, after everything that had happened last night—provoked by Li Qingqing—she would definitely try to mock Li Qingqing the next day.
So how to avoid the second scenario?
Appear while Xu Sheng was scolding Zhu Yuexi.
Having been seen in such an embarrassing situation, how could Zhu Yuexi still strut in front of Li Qingqing?
Sipping tea, Xu Sheng looked at some messages coming from the sect below. He glanced up at Li Qingqing, who was serving him.
When Li Qingqing served Xu Sheng, he only needed to give her a look, and she could tell whether to hand him tea or grind ink.
Now, sensing his gaze, she understood that he was recalling the morning’s events, so she didn’t respond.
How could someone be so smart?
And besides being that smart, so obedient…
But after the plan was complete, he would leave this world forever and probably never see her again.
Xu Sheng sighed inwardly.
“No need to provoke Zhu Yuexi anymore. Her progress is almost done. The rest is waiting for Mo Ruxue to come out of seclusion.”
Li Qingqing nodded and didn’t ask what would happen if Mo Ruxue broke through to the Tenth Realm after seclusion.
It seemed she unconditionally trusted Xu Sheng.
……
Zhu Yuexi sat cross-legged in her room, absorbing the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth while sensing the changes caused by Mo Ruxue’s breakthrough in the dining room from afar.
She had told Xu Sheng she was going into seclusion—anyway, until Mo Ruxue came out, she didn’t plan to see him.
But as she meditated, Zhu Yuexi suddenly felt something strange.
It was as if… someone was peeping at her.
Zhu Yuexi pictured Xu Sheng’s face in her mind.
Could it be that bastard Xu Sheng peeping at me?
He had given her no face this morning, and now he was peeping at her…
Zhu Yuexi opened her eyes.
She met Xu Sheng’s gaze.
They were less than two inches apart.
Startled, Zhu Yuexi cried out and fell backward.
“…”
She really hadn’t expected that after claiming to be in seclusion, Xu Sheng would so blatantly enter her room and get that close.
This wasn’t just peeping!
But then Xu Sheng “turned the tables” and accused her first.
“Didn’t you say you were going into seclusion?”
Seclusion was just an excuse not to see Xu Sheng. Anyway, since Mo Ruxue was about to break through and no one was watching her, she didn’t need to put on a show for anyone.
But she hadn’t expected Xu Sheng to take it so seriously.
He had been so cold to her this morning… and now that she said she wouldn’t see him, he came running over anyway, didn’t he?
Zhu Yuexi felt a hint of smugness.
“Taking advantage of Master’s upcoming breakthrough to sense the changes in Spiritual Energy around me—isn’t that also a form of seclusion?”
She thought Xu Sheng would have to beg her before she’d accept treatment.
Unexpectedly, Xu Sheng stroked his chin and nodded thoughtfully.
“Maybe. Then go into seclusion.”