Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Lu Shi Qing’s Thoughts

Feng He Yun pulled at Lu Shi Qing and urged, “Third Junior Brother, hurry and apologize to Fifth Junior Sister,” then he added, “When she was in danger, you were so worried you even scolded Junior Sister.”

“Now that you see Fifth Junior Sister, how can you say nothing?” he pressed.

Embarrassment flashed across Bai Mu Mu’s face. She wished she could sew Feng He Yun’s mouth shut.

Shen Sang Ruo lifted her eyes, studying Lu Shi Qing with interest.

Before, she had always thought Lu Shi Qing despised her and wished her dead. After all, he had used the Seven Emotions Gu on her twice. But judging by how he reacted when he thought she had died, it seemed he did not simply dislike her. At the very least, he cared.

He had once said that a person like her, who broke rules, would never stir even a thread of feeling in him. He would not care for her at all, so she would not grow feelings she should not have. To prove he felt nothing, he did many things that hurt her. Now he had slapped his own face.

[How can a person be this petty?] she thought. [Ridiculous.]

Since she had no more feelings for them, their strange behavior looked almost amusing. Shen Sang Ruo watched them like a cold ruler, observing their every word and move as if they were ants.

Meeting her bright, probing gaze, Lu Shi Qing, for once, turned his eyes away. There was a rare awkwardness, as if she had seen through him, and his presence no longer felt as forceful as before.

“Third Junior Brother, say something,” Feng He Yun begged, afraid he would be dragged down by Lu Shi Qing.

“Shi Qing,” Wen Xuan called softly, looking at him.

After a moment of silence, Lu Shi Qing spoke in the same hard tone: “Why should I apologize to her? I did nothing wrong.” He added, “The Seven Emotions Gu was to help her control her emotions. I did nothing wrong.”

“The one who should apologize is her,” he said, turning his aim on Shen Sang Ruo. “You pretended to die on purpose to draw our attention.”

“Shen Sang Ruo, what a trick. You were willing to risk your life to set a trap.”

“With a heart that deep, you do not deserve to be our Junior Sister, and you are not the least bit like Junior Sister.”

He leaned close to Bai Mu Mu, acting full of disgust toward Shen Sang Ruo and full of care for Bai Mu Mu. If the System had not stayed silent with no hint of rising affection, Bai Mu Mu would have thought Lu Shi Qing had truly changed toward her. [What am I to them, some prop in their game?] she wondered, yet she could only show a gentle smile.

Lu Shi Qing’s words, which made no sense, left Feng He Yun and Wen Xuan stunned. How could this be Shen Sang Ruo pretending to be dead? The reason was forced and illogical. He was arguing for the sake of targeting Shen Sang Ruo. With such a different attitude than before, they even wondered if Lu Shi Qing had been bewitched.

Lu Shi Qing knew how absurd he sounded, but he could only keep up his usual image. Inside, he was tangled with doubt. It was not just the things he had said in the past that kept him from softening. There was also a worry rooted deep in his heart. [What if I treat her well and we repeat the same mistakes?] he thought.

He still felt he should not be too kind to Shen Sang Ruo or get too close. For the Shen Sang Ruo who had broken the purity between them, his attitude should be disgust. But after her accident, he had wavered a little. People often regret only after they have lost something. He wondered if he should try, even a little, to improve their relationship.

And Shen Sang Ruo’s attitude toward them felt too strange. Even with all his bias, he could not ignore it. His eyes flickered as he formed an idea. [If she is pretending or not, I can find out with a test.] Until he had an answer, he would not show her a friendly face.

“What are you even talking about, Third Junior Brother?” Feng He Yun shouted.

“Shi Qing, your bias against Little Ruo is too deep,” Wen Xuan said with a disappointed shake of his head.

They knew how stubborn Lu Shi Qing was. In this state, he clearly would not apologize. Feng He Yun and Wen Xuan grew even more anxious.

Shen Sang Ruo waved a hand and said, “Go on. I do not care to argue. If Third Senior Brother thinks something is true, then for him it is.” She added, “Big Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother, you do not need to persuade him.”

The time when she needed their apology had long passed. An apology could not erase what lay between them. If they apologized, did that mean she had to forgive?

Seeing her about to leave, Wen Xuan hurried out, “Little Ruo, will you not return to the sect with us?”

“We came to find you,” Feng He Yun said. “You should come back with us. Otherwise, how can we explain to Sect Master Shen and Master?”

Shen Sang Ruo answered with a cool face, “When did I say I was returning to the sect? I left to train. Why would Sect Master and Master blame that?” Right now her momentum was strong. It was the best time to keep training and improve her cultivation.

“Then we will go with you…” Wen Xuan began.

She cut him off at once and said, with clear impatience, “I did not know my Senior Brothers had so much free time. You are Disciples under Master Ling Xiao. If you do not train hard and instead spend all day chasing people around, how does that make sense? Do you not have your own tasks?”

“Besides, when you are injured, you should return to the sect to heal at once. If you stay, you will only slow me down. I should not have to be the one to tell you that, should I?”

Her disdain showed plainly in her eyes.

Wen Xuan wished he could sink into the ground. Being pushed away by someone you care about hurt this much. They finally understood how badly they had treated Shen Sang Ruo before.

Bai Mu Mu’s eyes turned, and she fell weakly against Wen Xuan, grabbing his sleeve as she said, “Second Senior Brother, I feel awful.”

She had to make sure they all returned to the sect and stayed far from Shen Sang Ruo. She finally understood: whenever they were in front of Shen Sang Ruo, they acted strangely. Only by keeping them away could she finish her strategy tasks. Her first direction had been wrong. The strategy tasks were what mattered most. She should not waste time on Shen Sang Ruo. Once she completed the tasks and became an immortal, even a hundred Shen Sang Ruo would be nothing to her. But she carved today’s grudge deep in her heart.

Shen Sang Ruo smiled as if watching a play and said, “Your most beloved Junior Sister looks close to collapse. Are you not taking her back to the sect?”

Wen Xuan hesitated again, then said, “Little Ruo, we will come find you after we recover.”

Shen Sang Ruo let out a breath inside. At last, she had shaken them off.