Ruan Se flinched as if scalded, springing out of Lai Li’an’s embrace and retreating several steps back.
Her face was redder than it had ever been, her lips trembling as she tried to explain, but she didn’t even know where to begin.
“Daoist Friend Su! Let me explain!”
Her voice was shaking.
“It’s not what you think! When I was drawing water, I slipped and splashed Senior’s robes, and then I… I fell too, and then… and then…”
The more she spoke, the more flustered she became, until she no longer knew what she was saying.
Su Wan’er said nothing.
She simply watched Ruan Se’s flushed face, watched her master’s soaking wet robes, and her gaze finally settled on Ruan Se’s face.
It was a face she had never seen before—delicate, beautiful, cold and alluring. Prettier than any woman she had ever laid eyes on.
Su Wan’er’s fingers unconsciously tightened around the bedcovers.
Her eyes reddened further, but she bit her lip and held back her tears with all her might.
Lai Li’an glanced down at his drenched robes, then looked back and forth between the two women.
He suddenly felt that this situation was trickier than facing a siege.
Those enemies could at least be blasted with talismans—what could he use to blast this situation?
Lai Li’an took a deep breath, slowly got to his feet, walked over to the low couch, bent down, and looked at Su Wan’er.
“Awake?”
Su Wan’er looked at her master’s face, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.
Lai Li’an reached out and felt her forehead, then gently squeezed her fingers, as if checking her condition.
“Your pulse is steady.”
He straightened up.
“Ruan Se, go fetch a cup of water.”
Ruan Se fled as if granted amnesty, turning and running out.
She nearly tripped over the threshold again, stumbled, barely caught her balance, and disappeared through the doorway.
The room fell quiet once more, leaving only the two of them.
Su Wan’er looked at her master’s drenched robes, and her eyes reddened again.
“Master…”
Her voice was barely a whisper.
“Are you… going to abandon me?”
Lai Li’an blinked, turning to look at her.
Su Wan’er bit her lip, her gaze darting away, unable to meet his eyes.
“This disciple was unconscious for so long, couldn’t help with anything, and always held Master back… Master now has someone more capable by his side, someone prettier, someone better at alchemy… Does Master think this disciple… is useless now…”
The tears in her eyes finally spilled over, rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto the bedcovers, leaving small dark patches of dampness.
Lai Li’an looked at Su Wan’er’s pitiful expression and suddenly felt both amused and a little sorry for her.
This girl—she’d been unconscious for a month, and the first thing she did upon waking wasn’t to worry about her own body, but to fear that her master might be taken from her.
He sighed and reached out to pat Su Wan’er on the head.
“What exactly goes through that head of yours all day?”
Su Wan’er froze at the pat, then looked up at her master through tear-filled eyes.
“You are the Venerable Self’s disciple,” Lai Li’an said, enunciating each word clearly.
“Once the Venerable Self accepts a disciple, he does not abandon them. What do more capable people, prettier people, or better alchemists have to do with me?”
He paused, withdrew his hand, and stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Heal properly. Once you’re better, continue your training. The Venerable Self has plenty for you to do—don’t complain about being tired when the time comes. And remember to thank Daoist Friend Ruan properly—she’s the one who saved you.”
Su Wan’er blinked, tears rolling off her lashes.
She lowered her head and roughly wiped her face with her sleeve.
When she looked up again, her eyes were still red, but a small curve had formed at the corner of her lips.
“Mhm. I still need to help Master win the championship at the Alchemy Grand Assembly.”
Er… should I tell her the Grand Assembly is already over?
Meanwhile, Ruan Se stood at the doorway holding a cup of water, hesitating about whether to go in.
She had heard what Senior said, and her fingers tightened slightly around the cup, sending tiny ripples across the water’s surface.
But she didn’t linger at the doorway for long.
Taking a deep breath, she walked in with the cup.
“Daoist Friend Su, here’s some water.”
She offered the cup to Su Wan’er, her gaze darting away, not daring to meet her eyes.
Su Wan’er took the cup and took a sip, but her gaze remained fixed on Ruan Se’s face.
Ruan Se felt deeply uncomfortable under that stare.
She took two steps back and clasped her hands demurely in front of her.
“Daoist Friend Ruan.”
Su Wan’er spoke, her voice so calm it was almost unnatural.
Ruan Se’s shoulders stiffened slightly.
“These past days… have been hard on you.”
Su Wan’er’s tone was so flat that it made Ruan Se even more uneasy.
“Master told me that you saved me, that you cared for me all this time…”
She paused, set the cup down on the small table beside the couch, and looked up, staring straight at Ruan Se.
“Thank you.”
Ruan Se froze for a moment, then hurriedly waved her hands.
“Daoist Friend Su is too kind! This was all Senior’s doing—I merely… merely assisted from the side. Senior’s alchemy technique is the truly impressive part. I was only…”
“Daoist Friend Ruan.”
Su Wan’er cut her off, and the look in her eyes made Ruan Se feel something was off.
“May I ask you a question?”
Ruan Se’s heart suddenly began to race.
She had a feeling she knew what the question was, but she couldn’t refuse.
“…Go ahead.”
“What are your feelings toward my master?”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Lai Li’an was wringing water from his sleeve, and his hands unconsciously paused at the question.
But he didn’t turn around.
He continued wringing, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing.
Ruan Se’s face flushed crimson.
Her lips trembled.
“I merely admire Senior’s mastery of the Alchemy Path…”
But even as the words left her mouth, they felt wrong, because she knew they were a lie.
Her feelings toward Senior had somehow become… different.
When had it started?
She couldn’t say, but the feeling was definitely there, growing stronger by the day.
Ruan Se lowered her head, clutching the hem of her skirt with both hands.
“Is that all…”
Su Wan’er looked at those evasive eyes, and her heart sank little by little.
During the days she’d been unconscious, many things must have happened between Master and Ruan Se.
Too many for her to catch up on. Too many for her to make up for.
Su Wan’er’s eyes began to redden again.
She bit her lip, holding back her tears with all her might.
She told herself not to cry.
She couldn’t cry like a spoiled child.
But she couldn’t help it.
It was like someone had quietly taken away the thing she treasured most, and she couldn’t shout, couldn’t scream, couldn’t snatch it back—because the one who took it had also done her a great kindness.
Su Wan’er’s tears finally fell, silently, one by one, landing on the bedcovers and leaving small patches of dark dampness.
When Ruan Se saw Su Wan’er’s tears, she panicked completely.
“Daoist Friend Su! Don’t cry!”
She hurried forward, reaching out to wipe Su Wan’er’s tears, but her hand stopped halfway and retreated, not knowing what to do.
“Senior and I really have nothing going on! That just now really was just a fall! I—I…”
The more she spoke, the more frantic she became, until she was on the verge of tears herself.
Lai Li’an listened to the two girls behind him and sighed inwardly.
What a mess this is.
He turned around.
One girl was crying like a weeping willow in the rain, the other was red-faced with panic.
Lai Li’an was silent for a moment, then spoke.
“Stop crying, both of you.”
Both girls looked up at him simultaneously.
“Ruan Se, step outside for now.”
Ruan Se immediately turned and ran out of the room.
This time, she remembered to lift her feet over the threshold and didn’t trip again.
The room fell quiet once more, leaving only the soft sound of Su Wan’er’s sniffles.
Lai Li’an walked to the couch and looked at Su Wan’er.
The girl sat with her head bowed, tears falling one by one, her shoulders trembling slightly like a kitten soaked in the rain—utterly pitiful.
He sighed and sat down at the edge of the couch.
“What are you crying about?”
Su Wan’er sniffled, her voice muffled.
“This disciple isn’t crying.”
“Your tears are soaking the bedcovers, and you say you’re not crying?”
Su Wan’er said nothing, only burying her head lower, the tips of her ears bright red.
Lai Li’an looked at her like this and suddenly felt at a loss.
This girl—unconscious for a month, wakes up jealous, too afraid to admit it, cries when pressed, and won’t even acknowledge the tears.
He’d never dealt with anything like this before and had no idea how to handle it.
“Wan’er.”
Su Wan’er’s shoulders trembled slightly.
“The Venerable Self asks you a question.”
Su Wan’er looked up at her master through tear-filled eyes.
“What kind of person do you think the Venerable Self is?”
Su Wan’er was stunned.
She didn’t know how to answer.
“The Venerable Self is used to making decisions for you,” Lai Li’an said, his tone calm.
“Before you even woke up, I had already made some decisions on your behalf.”
Su Wan’er stared at him blankly.
“Ruan Se saved your life. That debt of gratitude, the Venerable Self has repaid it for you. I taught her alchemy, helped her win the championship—that’s settling what I owe her.”
His voice was unhurried.
“From now on, there’s no debt between you—only friendship.”
Su Wan’er’s lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.
“As for anything else…”
Lai Li’an stood up.
“You’re overthinking it.”
His tone remained calm, yet it made Su Wan’er feel incredibly at ease.
“You are the Venerable Self’s disciple. She is the Venerable Self’s friend. That’s all.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the door.
He paused at the threshold, glancing back at Su Wan’er.
“Rest well. Tomorrow, training resumes.”
Then he stepped out of the room.
Su Wan’er sat on the couch, staring blankly as her master’s figure disappeared through the doorway.
Then she lowered her head and held back the last of her tears.
She wiped her face with her sleeve, trying to make her swollen eyes look somewhat normal.
Since Master said training resumes tomorrow, then she would train.
She would become stronger—strong enough that Master wouldn’t have to stand in front of her, strong enough to stand at his side.
As for Ruan Se…
Su Wan’er’s gaze flickered slightly.
She was here first.
She wasn’t going to let anyone take her master away again.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.