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

"!"

The moment their palms touched, Mu Qianxue froze.

For some reason, she felt that every inch of her skin had become unusually sensitive, and she could even clearly feel the slightest friction of the fabric.

The hand that her husband held firmly was clearly the hand she most often used to wield her sword—

But at this moment, it was as if all the strength had been drained away, and he could only let the other party lead him, slowly drawing a sword path.

She felt as if she had lost all support; if her husband hadn't been there to support her, she probably would have slumped over and leaned against him.

The progress suddenly accelerated.

[Ding! The tribulation is being repaired...]

[The correct path: 15%]

It even jumped to 15% in one go.

"?"

This aroused Chen Lianshu's suspicion, and he looked down at the top of his senior sister's head.

That icy red heart is a unique manifestation of the progression of fate.

And it is still ongoing and has not stopped.

But looking at her face again, it was still as cold and aloof as frost, her gaze fixed on the tip of the sword, as if she were completely immersed in the way of the sword, without the slightest abnormality.

But if one is truly single-minded... how could things turn out this way?

The swordplay resumed, and the two figures turned slightly.

"..."

With her husband's breath close to her ear, Mu Qianxue tried to suppress her racing heart, but no matter what she did, she couldn't calm her heartbeat.

Even silently reciting the Heart-Cleansing Mantra was completely useless.

At this moment, her senses seemed to be completely concentrated in this small space of touch, and were being magnified infinitely…

[Ding! The bond is being repaired...]

[The correct path: 16%]

[The correct path: 17%]

The system notification sounds rang out one after another.

Progress is accelerating at an astonishing pace.

In just this short time, he had almost equaled the "efforts" he had put in over the past month.

"?"

Chen Lianshu's doubts deepened.

This growth was so sudden and rapid that it far exceeded any previous one.

Even the rapidly progressing "master-disciple relationship" pales in comparison.

"You overexert yourself here; you should tone it down a bit."

"Only in this way can the sword's momentum continue."

Mu Qianxue's cool voice rang out at the right time, her tone as usual.

But upon closer inspection, there seems to be a slight tension.

This was the result of her best efforts to maintain it.

After silently reciting the calming mantra more than ten times, I was finally able to calm my mind temporarily.

At least... he could manage to respond.

"Your guidance is correct, senior sister."

Chen Lianshu responded gently.

Although no clue was revealed on his face, he did not relax.

After silently apologizing, he gently pulled his senior sister's hand behind him.

The distance between the two immediately closed, and they were almost touching.

"!—"

Mu Qianxue's breath hitched.

too close.

It's really...too close.

She instinctively tried to take a half step back, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot and she couldn't move.

One reason is because they crave that moment of intimacy.

Secondly, because... she had almost no strength left...

[Ding! The bond is being repaired...]

[The correct path: 18%]

Progress has been made again.

Mu Qianxue felt that she was about to give up.

Even the calm and aloof surface is about to collapse.

The tips of my ears were already burning like red-hot irons, but fortunately, my hair covered them so that nothing unusual was visible.

And at this very moment—

"Senior sister, your mind seems troubled."

Chen Lianshu's voice slammed down like a heavy hammer.

"?!"

The moment the words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze.

A gentle breeze through the bamboo grove caressed their hair.

Mu Qianxue, who was already becoming increasingly engrossed in the experience, froze in shock.

Even the hand being held by the other person trembled slightly.

She suddenly looked up and met her husband's gaze, which was very close to hers.

Those eyes, which were always clear and peaceful, now held a clear hint of probing.

Clearly, her inner turmoil could no longer be concealed.

"..."

Mu Qianxue opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

From the moment her husband drew near, all the prepared words, all the nonchalant behavior, and all the pretense of calm self-control crumbled completely.

Especially when exposed like this, they are speechless and at a loss for what to do.

At this moment, she could clearly see her own reflection in her husband's eyes—

Her eyes darted away, her lips trembled slightly, and there was not a trace of her usual calm demeanor.

[The correct path: 19%]

The system notification sounded again, as if confirming her current state of mind.

"I…"

Mu Qianxue finally spoke, but her voice was somewhat hoarse.

This should have been denied.

As usual, I should respond calmly with: "Junior brother is overthinking it."

Then he calmly withdrew, maintaining his usual indifferent attitude.

Therefore, even if he noticed something amiss, he would have no reason to expose it.

But... I kept repeating the words of denial to myself.

That excuse, as a way of refusing, simply couldn't be uttered at that moment.

Especially under her husband's watchful eye.

His gaze was so calm that it made it hard for her to hide her emotions.

"I…"

Mu Qianxue lowered her eyes slightly and repeated it in a low voice.

She no longer concealed it and frankly admitted:

"I am indeed feeling a bit unsettled..."

However, the voice was so soft that it was almost impossible to hear unless the two were very close.

After acknowledging it, the hand that was being held did not pull away; the fingers instinctively tightened, as if trying to hold onto that tenderness.

"..."

But Chen Lianshu did not respond, and just stared at her quietly.

"..."

I don't know if it was because of being frank, or for some other reason.

The shyness that Mu Qianxue had been showing before gradually subsided after this conversation, leaving only a faint tension and panic.

But beneath her dark hair, her reddened earlobes remained unchanged.

After a long while, Chen Lianshu took half a step back, creating some distance, and bowed to her.

"It was my rudeness, please forgive me, senior sister."

"…Um."

Mu Qianxue responded softly, her initial tension suddenly replaced by a sense of emptiness and loss.

Even as the distance between them widened, her hand instinctively reached forward slightly, as if trying to hold on, but then quickly withdrew.

"The sword style... is indeed different from before, and it's hard for you to adapt for a while. I don't blame you."

"Let's end our morning study session here."

"Tomorrow... I'll take you to explore different parts of the inner sect."

"That…"

Chen Lianshu sheathed the Qinghe Sword, looked at her senior sister's still calm expression, paused, and then thanked her:

"Thank you for your guidance, senior sister."

Having said that, he turned to leave.

Mu Qianxue stared blankly at his retreating figure as he turned and walked towards the courtyard gate, then suddenly spoke:

"Will you come to morning study again tomorrow?"

Chen Lianshu paused slightly and turned around to look.

Moreover, his expression was calm, revealing no emotion, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

"If Senior Sister doesn't mind the inconvenience..."

"I don't mind."

She answered immediately, as if she were answering a question.

Then realizing he had been too hasty, he quickly composed himself and added:

"After all, the key to morning practice is consistency."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Sister."

He nodded slightly, then turned and left.

Only after that figure completely disappeared at the end of the bamboo forest did Mu Qianxue slowly exhale and gently press her hand to her chest.

The beating there was still rapid.

However, it was no longer all panic.

There was even a hint of sweetness from the intimacy with her husband, and a touch of relief from finally being able to be at ease.

"It seems we've been discovered...?"

She murmured to herself, unsure of how much her husband had truly seen through, but couldn't help but chuckle softly.

So be it, if that's how it is.

Since it can't be hidden...

Then I won't hide it anymore.

only--

She looked up toward the main hall of Jade Spirit Peak, a resolute glint in her eyes.

Master, your disciple will not back down.

[The correct path: 20%]