Fairy, please have some self-respect. I am not the reincarnation of your deceased husband.

The next day.

Since the area near the Jade Jade Sect's mountain gate is a no-fly zone, the two of them had to walk down the mountain.

The journey was silent, accompanied only by the chirping of insects and birds in the forest, creating a very tranquil atmosphere.

Chen Lianshu always lagged behind Mu Qianxue by half a step.

Just as he was secretly plotting how to escape, a cold, questioning voice suddenly came from ahead:

"Junior brother, you've been a disciple for quite some time, yet you've remained in the outer sect. Have you ever considered joining the inner sect?"

The way he called him "Junior Brother" sounded natural, but that should have been the way people from the same master addressed each other.

However, Chen Lianshu did not investigate further, taking it as just a casual remark from Mu Qianxue.

"No, Senior Sister Mu."

He shook his head and answered truthfully:

"This disciple is of mediocre talent. It is already a stroke of luck that I can stay in the outer sect. I dare not hope to enter the inner sect."

Even for outer disciples, the four spiritual roots are only below average, slightly better than those of menial disciples.

Given his circumstances, unless some "blind" elder takes a liking to him, accepts him as a disciple, and makes an exception for him, he'll likely be rejected.

Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to advance to the inner sect in this lifetime.

"Um."

Mu Qianxue responded softly, her thoughts already racing.

The two are now merely nodding acquaintances.

If you want to rekindle your relationship, you need to get closer to each other, at least... become friends.

However, she was naturally aloof and rarely took the initiative to get close to people, so she was completely clueless about this.

However, since I don't know how, I'll learn.

Yesterday she flipped through many storybooks, in which the romance between men and women often began with an unintentional touch.

Then... why not pretend to stumble and lure him to help you up?

When their skin touches, the distance between them will naturally shorten.

If he doesn't help her up, she can easily fall into his arms, and things will definitely progress very quickly!

Thinking of this, Mu Qianxue deliberately slowed her pace and walked side by side with her junior brother.

She turned her head to look at his handsome profile, her tone noticeably gentler than usual:

"However, qualifications are not everything."

"Mental fortitude and perseverance are sometimes more important than talent."

"?"

Chen Lianshu was surprised.

Unexpectedly, this senior sister, known for her aloofness and coldness, would encourage him.

This is far too unusual.

However, since the other party said that, he could only go along with it and reply:

"Thank you for your guidance, senior sister."

"It's good that you understand."

When she saw his gaze turn towards her, Mu Qianxue's heart stirred slightly.

The time has come—

She seemed to trip over an inconspicuous withered vine, her body swayed slightly, and she leaned slightly towards her junior brother.

However, the ideal is full, but the reality is very skinny.

"!"

At first, Chen Lianshu did subconsciously want to reach out.

But then I thought, with Senior Sister Mu's cultivation level, how could she be tripped up by a mere withered vine?

It must be my own illusion.

So he quietly withdrew his hand, which he had just raised.

As expected, the opponent quickly regained his footing, and his pace was even three points faster than before.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, I managed to hold back.

If I had actually reached out to help her just now, I might have offended my senior sister.

Ahead, Mu Qianxue appeared calm, but her mind was in turmoil.

This was completely different from what she had expected.

After all, memories in dreams are just memories.

When she personally sensed the other person's presence approaching, she began to panic uncontrollably, and even at the last moment, she instinctively steadied herself.

Feeling that unfamiliar flutter in her heart, she sighed helplessly.

Messed up again…

A subtle atmosphere permeated the air.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, the two took to the air on their swords.

As night fell, they finally found a flat spot to light a fire and rest.

The campfire crackled, occasionally sending up a few sparks.

Mu Qianxue looked at her junior brother through the fire, feeling deeply confused.

Along the way, she made several attempts, either by expressing concern or by creating opportunities.

However, Chen Lianshu remained distant and polite, giving her no chance to take advantage of him.

Even conversations were extremely rare.

If you don't take the initiative to speak, the other person will remain silent.

She's starting to regret it.

If I had actually fallen into his arms just now... would the atmosphere be different now?

However, she did not give up.

I recall stories where the male and female protagonists would often express their feelings under the cover of night.

Perhaps... I should be more proactive and say something more appropriate?

Yes, having a heart-to-heart talk under the moon is a good start.

"..."

Meanwhile, Chen Lianshu, who was being watched, felt a chill run down her spine.

Along the way, his impression of this Senior Sister Mu had changed from "cold and unapproachable" to include labels such as "strange behavior and unpredictable".

Judging from her posture, she clearly had something to say, but remained silent for a long time, which made him quite uneasy.

"Junior brother..."

After watching quietly for a while, Mu Qianxue finally spoke.

She silently encouraged herself, trying to sound more natural this time. She cleared her throat, her voice softer than usual.

"The moonlight is bright tonight."

"Senior Sister Mu is right."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lianshu paused in his work with the firewood, glanced at the horizon, uttered a word of agreement, and then fell silent.

After waiting a moment and receiving no response from him, Mu Qianxue had no choice but to continue on her own, speaking to herself:

"When I used to live a secluded life in the mountains, the days were monotonous, but occasionally looking at the moonlight was a small comfort."

"I wonder if you do anything else besides cultivating after nightfall, Junior Brother?"

She tried to make her tone sound casual and conversational, but when she asked the question, even she felt it sounded awkward.

How elegant it is to talk about moonlight in storybooks!

But why does it become so dry when it's her turn?

Chen Lianshu thought that his senior sister was testing his diligence in cultivation.

After a moment of contemplation, he answered cautiously, his tone far from casual:

"I am dull-witted, but I can only make up for my shortcomings with diligence. I dare not slack off."

Well, that shuts things down again.

Perhaps she really isn't good at initiating conversations.

Gazing into those clear eyes illuminated by the firelight, the image of him collapsing in her dream overlapped with reality. Mu Qianxue was momentarily dazed and blurted out:

"Your eyes..."

She realized she had said something inappropriate halfway through her sentence and quickly stopped talking, but she still managed to attract the other person's attention.

"Um?"

Chen Lianshu raised his eyes, puzzled:

What's wrong with my eyes?

When she met his gaze, Mu Qianxue felt her heart beat faster for no apparent reason.

She should have responded with a compliment to brush it off, but what came out of her mouth was a dry, uninspired remark:

"Have you felt uncomfortable staring at the firelight for so long?"

Chen Lianshu was clearly taken aback.

Clearly, he hadn't expected this kind of question.

But out of politeness, he still said:

"It's alright, thank you for your concern, senior sister."

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

Mu Qianxue pursed her lips slightly, secretly clenching her sleeve, but still nodded, trying to appear calm:

"Okay, that's good then."

She abruptly looked away, adding an even more superfluous explanation:

"Those who cultivate the Tao should take good care of their bodies."

"Senior sister is right."

"...I'll go take a look around."

He then calmly stood up and left, feigning composure.

Only she herself knew how embarrassed she felt at that moment.

A conversation under the moon should have sparked feelings between them.

But she turned the conversation into a medical consultation, which led to this awkward situation.

That's not how it is in the storybooks at all.

After a whole day of probing, Chen Lianshu's reaction was completely different from the description in the book.

Logically, the two should have been having a pleasant conversation and sharing their feelings by now.

But reality remained distant, and her probing only added to the distance between them.

Mu Qianxue felt a deep sense of self-doubt.

It's so easy to describe in the storybooks, so why does it feel so unnatural when it happens to me?

Am I... simply incapable of doing this well?

"!"

Recalling her husband's cold attitude, she suddenly realized something:

I was really desperate and grasping at straws.

After all, stories are fictional, but the human heart is complex.

If you really want to get closer to him, perhaps you should learn from someone who is truly skilled in this field.

Take, for example, the demonic saintess "Shen Yueli".

When it comes to captivating hearts, that person is undoubtedly a master.

In her past life, even though she and her husband knew each other first, that vixen was still using various methods to steal her away.

If her husband hadn't been so determined and devoted to her, she probably would have succeeded.

"..."

Mu Qianxue's gaze gradually hardened as she made up her mind.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly calmed herself down and turned back to the campfire.

After all, the night is still long and the road is still long.

Now that she has found her husband, she will not let go in this life.

Although I am not good at this, I can learn from the other person's methods.

Use their methods to protect your husband!

……

Meanwhile, in Qinghe Town.

A young girl in a black robe sat by the window, toying with a warm, smooth jade pendant between her fingers.

"Heh~~"

Moonlight shone through the jade pendant, illuminating her delicate, smiling face.

Especially those crimson eyes, which looked eerily bright in the night.

"A little undercover agent~"

Shen Yueli whispered softly to the jade pendant, her voice filled with tender affection:

"If you were given a different boss, how would you feel?"

He gently pressed the jade pendant to his heart, sensing that familiar aura gradually approaching.

Although her tone was gentle and tender, every word revealed an extremely obsessive possessiveness:

"This time, I can't let you escape again..."

"My dear husband~"