Chapter 130
Chapter 130: You Are the Latecomer!
Jiang Wan Sheng, whose mouth was covered, drooped his brows, his eyes filled with pitiful grievance.
When Shi Zi Chu moved his hand away, Jiang Wan Sheng, still aggrieved yet obedient, spoke softly, “The hot water is ready. You go take a bath, and I’ll prepare the bed for you.”
He was pitiful, wronged, yet diligent.
Shi Zi Chu nodded and turned toward his room.
The petty Jiang Wan Sheng set up a sound-isolating barrier, a move that seemed more like an attempt to cover up something.
After taking a bath, Shi Zi Chu lay on his bed.
Tonight, Jiang Wan Sheng seemed a little out of character. He simply sat on the edge of the bed, so well-behaved, it was unlike him.
Shi Zi Chu, who lay on his side facing him, raised an eyebrow and teased, “Have you changed your ways?”
Jiang Wan Sheng shook his head.
“Qing Qing has many things hidden in her heart.” Jiang Wan Sheng raised his hand, the cool tips of his fingers pressing gently against Shi Zi Chu’s forehead, tapping twice.
“Get a good rest.”
His voice, low and cool, was unexpectedly gentle.
Once Shi Zi Chu closed his eyes, Jiang Wan Sheng extinguished the candle and left.
…
The next day.
Shi Zi Chu woke early, having dreamt nothing through the night. As she was about to pick a plain white dress, she noticed a delicate pink gown lying beside her pillow.
There was also a flower crown resting on top of it, dewdrops clinging to the petals like pearls.
Looking at the pink dress and flower crown, Shi Zi Chu was certain that Jiang Wan Sheng hadn’t snuck in.
She reached out and caressed the gown.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
The door was tapped lightly, and Jiang Wan Sheng’s voice called out from outside, “Qing Qing, breakfast is ready.”
Shi Zi Chu responded, “Come in.”
Jiang Wan Sheng entered, his eyes landing on Shi Zi Chu, who was standing with her hair flowing freely, her body adorned in the pink dress.
The tailored gown suited her perfectly, its lively and charming design making her look as fresh as a peach blossom.
“Beautiful,” Jiang Wan Sheng praised without holding back. He walked around her, admiring her from every angle. “Qing Qing, this is the first time I’ve seen you wear such a pink dress. You look like a peach blossom.”
Shi Zi Chu took the flower crown from him and handed it over, saying, “Help me style my hair.”
Jiang Wan Sheng seemed to have an idea and immediately ran out, the sound of his silver ornaments ringing in the air.
Before long, he returned with a flower in his hands.
Trusting him, Shi Zi Chu closed her eyes and allowed him to work his magic.
Once her hair was done, Jiang Wan Sheng held up a mirror and, with a confident tone, asked, “How’s it? Looks good, right?”
In the mirror, the young woman gazed back—her face fresh and rosy, crowned with a pink flower wreath. Her long hair had been intricately braided by Jiang Wan Sheng and hung down her back.
Shi Zi Chu pulled one of the braids forward and noticed it was decorated with several flowers, the braid itself beautifully complicated.
No one could resist liking their own beauty, and Shi Zi Chu was no exception.
She let the braid fall behind her again and smiled, “I look like a peach blossom spirit.”
Jiang Wan Sheng cupped her face and gently rubbed her cheeks, his joyful expression matching the brightness of her own. “Such a beautiful peach blossom spirit, and she’s mine.”
After teasing each other, the two of them left the room, where a steaming breakfast was already set on the stone table in the courtyard.
Shi Zi Chu had only eaten a few bites when the courtyard door was knocked on.
Jiang Wan Sheng stood and went to answer, only to find Pei Luo Xiu outside. He almost slammed the door shut.
“Big Sister Shi!”
Pei Luo Xiu didn’t give Jiang Wan Sheng the chance to close the door and quickly squeezed in.
Jiang Wan Sheng grabbed her arm, “Don’t wander off!”
The yard was filled with traps, and he didn’t want to waste any spirit plants on saving people.
“There are traps in the yard,” Shi Zi Chu said kindly. “Follow Sheng Sheng.”
Pei Luo Xiu obediently nodded.
Jiang Wan Sheng led her over.
Pei Luo Xiu sat down and, noticing Shi Zi Chu’s appearance, her eyes brightened. She quickly shared the news, “They’ve all gone out to investigate.”
Shi Zi Chu responded.
It was now morning, and Water Road Village seemed peaceful and quiet, as always.
After breakfast, Pei Luo Xiu and Jiang Wan Sheng went to investigate further.
Shi Zi Chu returned to the adjacent courtyard and, in its desolate and ruined state, saw Xing Lan.
“Master,” she called out as she approached.
Seeing her in the pink dress, Xing Lan seemed to suspect something.
Noticing Xing Lan’s cold demeanor, Shi Zi Chu shook his hand playfully, “Master~”
“I’m not angry,” Xing Lan replied, clasping her hand in his. “Do you wish to speak?”
As he had said last night, he couldn’t bear for Jiu Jiu to rest in such a place.
Since he had taken the initiative to let go, he was not upset.
Shi Zi Chu pointed toward a house. “Before I was three, that was my room.”
Before her brother’s birth, her father had not been too bad to her.
“When my brother was born, my father’s attention shifted entirely to him.” Shi Zi Chu’s gaze turned to the kitchen. “That’s when I started learning how to cook.”
Children younger than three or four couldn’t reach the stove, so she had to stand on a stool to cook.
Xing Lan stared at the stove in the kitchen, unable to imagine that scene.
Seeing the sympathy in Xing Lan’s eyes, Shi Zi Chu continued, “When I was four, my brother was one. After he weaned, my father handed him over to me to take care of.”
“When I was five, Aunt Lin moved next door with Jiang Wan Sheng.”
…
Xing Lan listened as Shi Zi Chu spoke about her life until she was seven or eight.
When she was stopped from continuing, she smiled and said, “Master, it’s all in the past. I can continue if you wish.”
“It’s enough,” Xing Lan said.
If learning about Jiu Jiu’s past with Jiang Wan Sheng meant she had to open old wounds, it was fine not to know.
Seeing that Xing Lan truly didn’t wish to hear more, Shi Zi Chu said, “Then, Master, go investigate the news.”
She would rather Xing Lan obtain the Azure Luan Sword than have it fall into Chu Zhi Rou’s hands.
Xing Lan nodded.
Once he left, Shi Zi Chu left the house and made her way toward the back mountain.
Few cultivators ventured to the back mountain—mainly because it was dangerous, and they were unfamiliar with the situation in the village.
…
On the other side,
Xing Lan and Jiang Wan Sheng met at a corner.
The two, who disliked each other, both turned to leave at the same time, but neither did.
“Do you treat Jiu Jiu well?”
“Do you treat Qing Qing well?”
The two questions rang out simultaneously, making the atmosphere even stranger.
Jiang Wan Sheng, cool and distant, spoke first, “I know you treat Qing Qing well, but if you hadn’t meddled, I wouldn’t have been separated from Qing Qing for so long.”
He had returned to Water Road Village on April 17th, while Qing Qing had been taken by Xing Lan on April 16th.
The thought of that missed chance made him angry.
Xing Lan, with a cold tone, said, “I only regret not meeting Jiu Jiu sooner.”
Jiang Wan Sheng opened his mouth, but the words that came out were twisted, “I don’t think someone like Venerable Xing Lan would be deceived.”
Anyone who knew Qing Qing would know she was not the same person inside as she appeared on the outside.
Having raised Qing Qing for so many years, Xing Lan couldn’t have been unaware of her nature.
“Trying to sow discord is useless.” Xing Lan’s gaze was cold and disdainful. “If you missed your chance, it means you and Jiu Jiu are not destined to be together. Young Master Jiang should understand.”
Jiang Wan Sheng laughed in anger.
He didn’t hesitate to speak with venom, “You old man! Taking advantage of your position as master to seduce Qing Qing is one thing, but now you dare to turn black into white? Get this straight, you are the latecomer!”
If it were anywhere else, he might have been too intimidated by Xing Lan’s cultivation to speak like this.
But here, both of them were at the ninth layer of Qi Refining!
Who’s afraid of who!