Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

After a quick shower, Jingliu changed back into her everyday clothes.

The sky outside is gradually brightening, and soon the sun will rise.

After standing by the window in a daze for a while, Jingliu adjusted her breathing, calmed her mind, and prepared to make breakfast.

I went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door only to find that there were no ingredients left.

If we go out to buy it now, given Master's daily routine, it might be too late.

Left with no other choice, she had to abandon the idea of ​​doing it herself.

Let's just buy what's ready-made.

Qingxin Residence is located on Changjie Street at the foot of the mountain, where shops on both sides open on time every morning.

Although the dietary habits and preferences of each immortal ship are different, they are highly interchangeable.

Some ordinary people in this line of work will leave their hometowns and go to other ships to do business, thus avoiding the fierce competition in their local areas.

Walking through the bustling streets, Jingliu couldn't help but recall Cangcheng from his childhood.

She was 6 years old that year.

The first time I met my master was when I was having breakfast with my father and we happened to meet him sitting at a small table in the Luofu Tea House.

The father went up to greet him, and during their conversation, he learned that the master had come to buy special morning tea for his mother, Qiu Zhiyan.

The ancestors of the Qi family were from Luofu. Perhaps due to heredity, their descendants have a strong preference for the food of their hometown.

After Qiu Zhiyan married her master's father, she followed her husband's lead and gradually developed a liking for morning tea.

However, the Luofu Morning Tea Shop near his master's house was closed for renovations that day, so he had to go to another place to buy it.

Recalling this moment, Jingliu's lips curled into a gentle smile.

She has never been picky about food; in most cases, as long as it doesn't taste bad, it's fine.

Looking back on the old days, I suddenly realized: after moving to Luofu with my retired mentor, our eating habits seem to have become like those of a married couple... well...

Back then, they had neither real power nor official status; the saying "the master leads and the student follows" is more appropriate...

They have the substance but no official title, so there's no question of them being a harmonious couple.

I wonder who Master will choose to lead in the future... Stop—

Jingliu immediately shook off the thought that had subconsciously entered his mind.

Overthinking is pointless and only adds to your troubles.

People should distinguish between primary and secondary matters; facts are more important than names.

The thought of the Black Tower's implication that Ruan Mei was now the one who couldn't have what she wanted filled Jing Liu with a sense of pleasure, and he couldn't help but hum softly.

She walked into a dim sum restaurant that looked nicely decorated, glanced at the menu, placed her order through Yu Zhao, and noted that it was for takeout.

The staff were busy on both sides, separated by glass partitions, making the whole process open, transparent, clean and hygienic.

Before long, Jingliu brought back a feast to Qingxinju, just in time to see Qi Zhimu and Hanya walking into the living room.

"Master, Sister Han Ya, good morning, I've bought breakfast."

"Thank you for making the trip." Han Ya smiled.

Shrimp dumplings, steamed siu mai, steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce, chicken feet, glutinous rice chicken, and buns with different fillings are just some of the many dishes available.

The portions were a bit large, but that was a minor issue; those who had served as Cloud Riders were all big eaters.

Regardless of whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner, as long as the portion isn't excessive, there's almost never any leftover food.

"I'm done eating."

More than ten minutes later, Jingliu put down his chopsticks.

The crow was even faster, having put down its utensils two minutes earlier.

Qi Zhimu didn't even look up, quickly devoured the remaining breakfast, left a single sentence, and got up to leave.

"Come to my study later."

"...Okay." Jingliu agreed, and this time he didn't let his mind wander.

Just as I was about to clear the table, Han Ya started clearing it first.

Jingliu observed Hanya's movements and expressions, wondering if he had actually been exposed at that moment.

Unfortunately, nothing could be seen on the crow.

"You've been staring at me, is there something you want to say?" Crow asked in his usual tone.

"...Last night..." Jingliu only managed to utter two words, then stopped himself from speaking.

"What happened last night?" The crow continued moving, but its tone remained perfectly normal.

"It's nothing..."

Unable to find any flaws, Jingliu gave up the idea of ​​asking further questions.

Whether or not the exposure has been confirmed is no longer important.

Actually, she knew; the answer had always been hinted at...

The crow hadn't seen her at all yesterday, but when she came back from buying breakfast just now, she wasn't surprised at all that she had bought more than enough for two people.

If she wanted to pretend she knew nothing, Jingliu didn't think she would overlook such a small flaw.

This suggests that the crow is hinting at something—

Han Ya and her master probably knew everything, but they didn't mention it to save face for her.

After all, hiding in the closet is hardly a respectable act.

Everyone has secrets or things they don't want to easily talk about with outsiders, but there are always exceptions.

Han Ya was fully aware of Jing Liu's awkward situation, but he pretended not to know anything and spoke softly.

"Lord Zhimu is trustworthy. No matter what troubles we have, he won't find it troublesome, provided you are willing to talk to him."

"Whether it's personal concerns or conflicts, we need to communicate more; silence won't solve anything."

"I understand." Jingliu had clearly taken these words to heart.

"Qingxinju has been uninhabited for hundreds of years and lacks many daily necessities. I'm going to the supermarket."

The crow lightly patted Jingliu's shoulder, picked up the packed reusable bag, and went out.

As soon as her figure disappeared, Jingliu turned his gaze to the study.

It's likely true that she went out to buy daily necessities, but it's even more likely that she left the space to herself and her master.

No matter the time, Crow and Snow Robe always took good care of her...

From the time she was trained until she lost consciousness, her two older sisters took care of her for a long time during the medicinal bath training.

We cannot let the crow's good intentions go to waste.

Knock on the study door, and Qi Zhimu's voice came from inside.

"Master, I'm here..."

Upon seeing the scene inside, Jingliu was stunned.

Qi Zhimu sat at his desk, on which was a plate of plum blossom wine, two cups already filled.

"Please sit down."

"Um……"

Jing Liu sat down opposite Qi Zhimu, not quite understanding the latter's intentions. He couldn't discern any emotional inclination from him, and couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"There are some things I want to tell you."

"...Master, there's no need to worry. Your disciple will listen to whatever you say."

"I won't go into too much detail about what you already know; there's not much I really want to say."

Qi Zhimu picked up his wine glass and drank half of it. His calm gaze met Jing Liu's as he slowly began to speak.

"All things in the universe and all living beings follow a cause-and-effect relationship. Simply trying to find out who is right and who is wrong, and assigning responsibility, is of little significance."

"Some things have happened, and that's it. We are not the last kings; we cannot go against time and change the causes of the past."

"All we can do is face the consequences of our own actions, whether good or bad, and bear the consequences ourselves."

"Master has reincarnated four times, and in each life there are bonds that are hard to sever. You are my second incarnation, and also one of the fruits I have borne."

"So Master will take responsibility and won't deliberately avoid you, and there's no need to do that now."

" Accordingly—"

At this point, Qi Zhimu paused and finished the remaining plum blossom wine in his cup.

Jingliu, with his attention highly focused, immediately grabbed the wine jar and filled it for him.

She had a guess at what her master wanted to say...

"—Master will not avoid women other than you."

…You guessed right.

Jingliu remained silent, and his emotions did not flare up or cause a medical episode.

Having experienced so much recently, and with such a huge impact, it's time to learn to accept it gradually and heal my mental illness.