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

As dusk settled, clouds and mist swirled around the mountaintop.

Although Pei Wanyun walked calmly and her expression remained normal, the hand holding the jade pendant tightened its grip as she got closer to the scripture pavilion.

Just like her heart at this moment: tense, chaotic, and uneasy...

Despite the unexpected turn of events, she found her husband ahead of schedule.

Not only did they renew their master-disciple relationship, but they also had the opportunity to rekindle their romance.

This should have been a joyous occasion, but Chen Lianshu's explanation aroused her suspicion.

I just hope it won't turn out as she suspects.

Mu Yatou, I hope you don't end up like me, with memories.

Otherwise... it would be a real problem.

"..."

Upon reaching the entrance of the scripture pavilion, the door was found to be tightly closed.

"call--"

Pei Wanyun let out a long sigh of relief, and only after her mind had completely calmed down did she slowly push open the door and enter.

"?"

However, the aloof and cold figure in white was not in the pavilion, and all the scrolls and books had been neatly categorized.

It seems that the girl has already taken care of the "lessons" she left behind.

He did not linger, left the scripture pavilion, and headed towards his disciple's residence.

Logically speaking, as the peak master's first disciple, Mu Qianxue should have resided in a side hall of her palace.

But the girl only liked quiet, and since there were only the two of them, master and disciple, on Jade Spirit Peak, there was no need to adhere to formalities, so they let her choose a courtyard she liked to live alone.

Deep in the bamboo forest behind the mountain.

The small but charming and tranquil courtyard was the residence of her eldest disciple.

The courtyard gate was ajar.

Pei Wanyun did not knock, but pushed the door open and entered.

"?"

Mu Qianxue was practicing her swordsmanship in the courtyard when she heard the sound and turned around. She saw that gentle figure standing in front of the courtyard gate.

Upon seeing that the person who came was her master, she was somewhat surprised, but she quickly regained her composure.

He lightly turned the sword, twirling it in a neat flourish, then sheathed it and bowed slightly in courtesy, saying:

"Master."

"Um."

Pei Wanyun gave a light reply, walked slowly over, and sat down on a bamboo chair in the courtyard.

"Practicing swordsmanship?"

Her gaze fell on her disciple, scrutinizing him closely without any attempt to conceal it.

From a naive young girl to a cold and aloof sword cultivator.

From a disciple dependent on her master, to a "rival" who subtly confronted her on their past life's path of love...

As her master, she saw all of this.

Time flies, yet it feels like yesterday.

"Yes, disciple was just reviewing the 'Frosty Sky Sword Technique'."

Mu Qianxue put the sword back on her waist.

"I wonder what brings you here, Master...?"

Pei Wanyun smiled gently, her voice soft and gentle:

"I've come to ask you some questions."

"Please speak."

"Please sit down."

Pei Wanyun did not immediately ask a question, but instead gestured for her disciple to sit down.

This time, she wasn't acting with any ulterior motive as she had with Chen Lianshu; she was simply expressing the kindness of a teacher.

I also hope to use this opportunity to smooth out the invisible generational gap between the two of us.

It was just casual conversation between sisters.

"Yes."

Mu Qianxue sat down opposite her as instructed.

"Snowflakes".

After her disciple was seated, Pei Wanyun spoke, her voice softer than usual, filled with concern:

"I just wanted to ask..."

"Have you been having a hard time at the outer gate lately?"

"It's not hard work."

Although Mu Qianxue did not understand the meaning, she took it as her master's usual concern.

After all, aside from matters of the heart, their master was good in every way, except that he sometimes worried too much.

"It's nothing more than dealing with some trivial matters."

"Yeah?"

Pei Wanyun nodded, feigning understanding.

"Have you made any friends?"

To avoid arousing suspicion, he followed up with the question as usual:

"Or perhaps you encountered some 'special' person?"

"...I have never seen anyone special."

As expected, these words put Mu Qianxue at ease, and she didn't think about it too much.

Unlike her previous denials, this time her answer was vague:

"I did make a friend."

"He's an outer disciple, and... he's quite interesting."

Mu Qianxue had long anticipated that her master would search for her husband's whereabouts again.

She had already prepared her response to this.

If you keep hiding it, it will be exposed sooner or later, and it will only arouse suspicion.

It would be better to reveal half the truth, which would dispel suspicions and provide an opportunity to stay in the outer gate for an extended period.

After all, her master always encouraged her to socialize, and now that she had made a "good friend," the other person was unlikely to "break up the couple."

"Oh?"

Pei Wanyun knew perfectly well who the other person was talking about, so she feigned surprise, which somewhat alleviated her doubts, but she did not relax her guard:

"That person has caught your attention, it seems..."

"He's really an interesting person."

"So, you've been frequently going back and forth to the outer gate lately because of him?"

"Um."

Mu Qianxue did not deny it.

This matter can't be kept secret sooner or later, so it's better to come clean sooner rather than later.

"Um…"

Pei Wanyun seemed to ponder for a moment, then said seriously:

"If he has some talent, I might take him as my disciple."

"That way you won't have to keep going to the outer gate."

But Mu Qianxue sighed softly with regret:

"well--"

"This disciple also hopes for the same."

The two engaged in a question-and-answer session, each leaving no room for misunderstanding.

"Unfortunately, his talent is mediocre, far below the standard of the inner sect."

After all, she was too busy hiding her husband to deliberately expose him.

As her rival, she knew all too well the methods her master had used, and that she was no match for him.

Only by exploiting information asymmetry can one achieve victory.

"Yeah?"

Pei Wanyun also feigned regret.

As my disciple answered, the doubts in my heart gradually disappeared.

"You've lived alone since childhood, and when you finally made a friend, it just so happens to be an outer disciple..."

"but--"

Her tone shifted abruptly, as if she were genuinely considering her disciple's well-being, even at the cost of using personal connections:

"As your teacher, I can make an exception and transfer him to Jade Spirit Peak to keep you company."

"This…"

Mu Qianxue really didn't expect her master to say such a thing.

But it does suit the other person's personality.

Although it was unexpected, she quickly came up with a solution:

"Never mind."

"After all, I don't want my master to be criticized for this."

"Fine..."

This response was reasonable, and Pei Wanyun's doubts were temporarily dispelled.

If we continue to probe, my disciple might see through our scheme.

"Alright, if we keep talking, it'll just make me seem like a nag."

"Disciple understands; this is Master's concern."

"Alright, let's end this topic here."

"Since you're here, let's take this opportunity to test how your cultivation has been going lately."

Pei Wanyun smiled faintly, which meant she could "rest assured for now" about her disciple.

"Come, practice the sword techniques you just reviewed, and let your master see them."

"Yes."

Mu Qianxue stood up, drew her sword, and began to wield it, the sword light flowing like frost.

"Hmm, not bad, it seems you haven't become lazy."

"I won't bother you any longer."

After a brief examination, Pei Wanyun did not linger and got up to leave.

"Respectfully seeing off our Master."

Mu Qianxue bowed to bid farewell.

Pei Wanyun, who had turned her back to him, smiled even more deeply.

The unease in my heart was soothed, leaving only a surge of anticipation.

……

I just returned to my palace.

A ball of snow-white fluff landed at her feet; it was her spirit pet, "Snow Flame."

The little guy had a scroll in its mouth and was waving its paw at the handsome young man on it, as if it wanted to express something.

"Heh~"

Pei Wanyun naturally understood what the little thing meant.

He bent down and gently patted the other person's head affectionately.

"Little Snow Flame... I'm sorry to have worried you."

"Don't worry, this won't happen again."

She gazed at the young man in the painting, her fingertips tracing the three characters "Chen Lianshu" on the jade plaque, her eyes gentle and tender.

"Because I've found him."

In just a few days, she was going to give her disciple a "surprise"—she was going to have a junior brother.