No matter what, Gu Qiancheng is truly Zhu Pingniangâs junior, and no matter how much Zhu Pingniang trusts me, it shouldnât exceed Gu Qiancheng by so much.
Thereâs only one answer then.
The threat I pose in Senior Zhuâs mind... is it not even comparable to Gu Qiancheng?
No matter how one thinks, Gu Qianchengâs involvement in Zhu Pingniangâs "romantic entanglements" shouldnât be a threat, right... What did Zhu Pingniang just say... Gu Qiancheng is looking for her mother?
Indeed, he felt that Gu Qianchengâs infatuation at first sight with Miss Yun was somehow off.
Xu Changâan: "..."
At the very least, he is a man who both admires and respects his teacher, so how could he be less than Gu Qiancheng or Qinling in this regard?
It should be noted that even if Qinling approached Li Zhibai, it must be to indirectly approach Zhu Pingniang... Zhu Pingniang was jealous of Qinling, yet she is the only one not jealous of him.
Thus, Xu Changâan realized that in Zhu Pingniangâs eyes, the threat he posed was even less than that of a small amoeba.
For a moment, he couldnât tell whether he was being trusted or looked down upon.
He had forgotten that after entering Beisang City, he had grown up under Zhu Pingniangâs watchful eyes, frequently visiting the brothel, and Zhu Pingniang had personally attempted to "seduce" and "flirt" more than once.
In terms of Xu Changâanâs lifestyle, Zhu Pingniang could say she understood perfectly well and naturally trusted him.
Earlier, saying he seemed like a young lady was no joke.
The girls in Flower Moon Building are beautiful, and Xu Changâan would occasionally glance at them, including her, but his eyes never contained a hint of lust, not even admiration...
That feeling was like seeing a blooming flower in a garden; regardless of whether one likes it or not, they would always take an extra look.
Therefore, sometimes she would think that perhaps Xu Changâanâs preference isnât for women.
He simply likes Yun Qian as a person.
For a man with such a disposition, Zhu Pingniang naturally trusts him without question... Hmm, if only he didnât carry those unfathomable secrets.
ââ
Xu Changâan deeply sensed the trust from a jealous, possessive woman.
He sighed softly.
Faced with such a woman as Miss Zhu, how could he possibly lie?
It was as if making sure Senior Zhu didnât become jealous of Miss Yun was crucial... Hence, he couldnât keep addressing her as "senior" and, for Miss Yunâs sake, had to bow down.
Xu Changâan cleared his throat, resting a finger on Zhu Pingniangâs ruler, the slight imbalance causing her fingernails engraved with Gu Qianchengâs name to scratch a slanted mark on the ruler.
"Miss Zhu." Xu Changâan untied a sachet from his waist and placed it in his palm.
"Hmm?" Zhu Pingniang paused in her busy movements and softly said, "Donât plead for Qiancheng; if she dares to say she has a crush on Ah Bai, Iâll skin her alive."
When Zhu Pingniang spoke, her tone was light and soft, very gentle.
But the content of her words was far from gentle.
"Iâm not talking about any waist accessory." Xu Changâan was also helpless; how did Zhu Pingniang link it to the bell?
"I always wonder what a big man does with a sachet, posing as a gentleman. Iâve never seen you carry such things before." Zhu Pingniang scoffed, "Indeed, after going up the mountain with a wife by your side, itâs different, you even dress yourself up."
"Itâs not a sachet, itâs a hair tie." Xu Changâan said.
"Hair tie? Oh... bonded to be husband and wife, a couple in love... a couple in love..." Zhu Pingniang murmured a few times, and then her face suddenly darkened. She smiled at Xu Changâan with curved eyes.
"You cheeky brat, are you here to tease your elder sister?"
Showing off your affection for your spouse in front of her?
Even as an elder who ought to bless her juniorsâ love, as an older single woman who perfectly missed out on love, she really couldnât stand affairs of love.
"Sitting together with a courtesan in such a narrow space, drinking wine together... how dare you mention Miss Yun?" Zhu Pingniang picked up the wine cup on the table, lightly rubbed her finger over her own lip print on the cup, and clicked her tongue, "A philanderer."
A few words, and Zhu Pingniang forgot she was using her tactics to "force" him to drink.
Xu Changâan pretended not to hear, once again tapping the sachet with his finger, then carefully and firmly reattached it to his waist.
Zhu Pingniang: "..."
She suddenly realized something, raising her head, "Not a waist accessory?"
Xu Changâan nodded.
If itâs not a waist accessory, then itâs not Gu Qiancheng.
So the person heâs willing to let know, but feels shy to say it aloud... thereâs only one.
At this moment, the rapid water flow next to the pavilion brought a cold breeze.
The cold wind creeping in made Zhu Pingniang shiver multiple times, she took a deep breath, pulled out a white cloak from her storage ring, draped it over her shoulders, and grabbed a hand warmer to hold close to her heart.
For a moment, the pavilion was filled with the scent of spices from the cloak, the smell of charcoal, and a faint musk, subtly emitting a fragrant breeze.
The Immortal Sect doesnât feel cold, but when Zhu Pingniang is in Beisang City, she represses herself to look like an ordinary woman.
Holding the hand warmer, Zhu Pingniang spoke in a muffled voice, "Is it that Miss Yun?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"When I took her to see the teacher, the teacher asked me to seek a cultivation technique from you, thatâs when."
"Oh, how come theyâre getting along so well?" Zhu Pingniang asked.
"Not exactly good friends." Xu Changâan cautiously replied, "For the teacher, weâre just juniors."
"True."
After a moment of silence, Zhu Pingniang seriously said, "You young couple are really quite interesting."
Looking at Zhu Pingniangâs calm demeanor, Xu Changâan couldnât figure out her thoughts for a moment.
After learning it was Yun Qian and Li Zhibai drinking together, Zhu Pingniangâs attitude was strange.
It wasnât like the tangled relief when she thought it was him, nor the furious frustration when she realized it wasnât him... but it was this calmness that made Xu Changâan feel an illusion of a storm on the horizon.
Thatâs what Xu Changâan thought, and then it started raining.
The sound of rain pitter-pattered, forming a curtain, and dropped into the river, leaving fine pits.
Xu Changâan thought about it and said, "Miss Zhu, actually... it shouldnât be said they were drinking together, but rather the teacher was drinking alone while Miss Yun was just watching."
Xu Changâan was very careful with his words, since Zhu Pingniang had said earlier that she disliked seeing displays of affection, he didnât call her "wife" anymore and reverted back to "Miss Yun."
How could Yun Qian drink with anyone other than him?
So from beginning to end, it was just Li Zhibai getting interested, drinking alone, and chatting with Yun Qian.
"Enough, werenât you absent, and it was just the two of them alone?" Zhu Pingniang asked.
"Yes." Xu Changâan didnât lie.
With her arms crossed and hair brushed away from her ear, Zhu Pingniangâs eyes crinkled with unfathomable emotions as she stared at Xu Changâan, "With Ah Baiâs personality, whether she drinks with someone or lets someone watch her drink all alone, itâs the same."
Being alone with Li Zhibai and making her quit tea for wine, whether theyâre drinking together or not doesnât matter anymore.
"..."
Xu Changâan remained silent.
He hadnât anticipated Zhu Pingniang actually feeling jealous of Miss Yun.
"What, you didnât expect me to be jealous of Miss Yun?" Zhu Pingniangâs voice broke in.
Xu Changâan looked up to see Zhu Pingniang smiling.
He was taken aback.
Sensing Xu Changâanâs bewildered gaze, Zhu Pingniang couldnât hold back her laughter any longer; she laughed for a while, then placed the hand warmer into Xu Changâanâs chest, "What, got scared, silly boy? Did you really think your elder sister is a big jar of jealousy?"
Xu Changâan placed the hand warmer on the table and said helplessly, "Miss Zhu, you..."
"Blame me, huh." Zhu Pingniang rolled her eyes at Xu Changâan, "It was you who teased me first, wasnât it? If you had told me earlier it was Yun Qian and Ah Bai opening a wine jar, would I have been unnecessarily jealous on the side? All my petty intentions got guessed by you, canât I scare you a bit then?"
Xu Changâan: "..."
Honestly, given how Zhu Pingniang behaved earlier, he felt calm saying it out loud, which was quite bold.
Nonetheless...
Xu Changâan still felt something wasnât quite right.
Was Zhu Pingniang really teasing him?
His preconceptions led him to believe that given Yun Qianâs beauty, her "threat level" would be extremely high, top-tier.
Thinking Zhu Pingniang would definitely be immensely jealous, he couldnât speak out.
Miss Yun is so attractive, did she really not feel anything?
"Donât look at me like that." Zhu Pingniang seemingly read Xu Changâanâs thoughts; she clicked her tongue and pointed at Xu Changâanâs face.
"That Yun Qian of yours isnât even as good as you."
"..."