Zhu Pingniang was dragged away from Yun Qian by Wen Li, and though displeased, her mouth remained merciless.
"Ah Li, youâre also a girl whoâs been married before, what are you being so reserved for?"
Thatâs what she said.
Been married before?
Wen Li listened to Zhu Pingniangâs words, her expression calm. She only went back to her original seat and sat down, and then... what greeted Wen Li were Yun Qianâs confused, curious eyes.
Been married before?
Had her husbandâs Senior Wen ever been married?
"...Huh." Miss Lu beside them was also dumbfounded.
Fairy Wen... just like Miss Yun, is also... a married woman?
She really doesnât look like it.
Yun Qian had an excellent figure; even though she was a bit immature in handling certain matters, there was a lazy air in her bones. When she leaned on Xu Changâan, those moist eyes of hers could stir up all kinds of fantasies in anyone who saw them. Saying that she was mature in matters between men and women, that her Rank far surpassed Zhu Pingniang and Li Zhibaiâs, that she was a solid, textbook married womanâwasnât wrong at all.
And... Wen Li?
Though she was also extremely beautiful, she completely lacked Yun Qianâs feminine charm. No matter how you looked at her, she didnât seem like a woman whoâd ever been married.
Miss Luâs eyes went wide.
Especially since, compared to a woman, Wen Li still carried a bit of a manâs air about her. Under such circumstances, saying sheâd "been married" or somethingâMiss Lu felt it was more likely sheâd have had a wife instead.
But.
Miss Lu glanced at the playful smile hanging on Zhu Pingniangâs lips and gently patted her own cheeks.
Ms. Zhu would never lie, and... even less would she ever joke about a womanâs "chastity."
Miss Lu fixed her gaze on Wen Li, who looked like a Nine Heavens Immortal.
Which meant...
This Fairy Wen was also a "married woman." If that was the case, then what about her husband?
An Immortalâs lifespan was unfathomable. Could he have been buried in the long river of time? But no, that didnât feel right. Miss Lu kept feeling that Wen Li wasnât all that experienced in matters between men and women. She looked extremely cleanânothing at all like Miss Yun.
She was done for.
Curiosityâshe was just really, really curious now.
The gossip fire in Miss Luâs heart was blazing. She desperately wanted to sink her teeth into this melon of Wen Li having been married, so she stared at Zhu Pingniang with burning eyes, waiting for her explanation.
Yun Qian was the same. Even though she knew that Wen Li, as her husbandâs fated person, must be a girl as clear and sharp as mountain spring water... that didnât stop Yun Qian from being interested in the matter.
At present, among the women by her side who had actually married, there was only her.
If Wen Li was too, then Yun Qian could temporarily classify Wen Li into the same "camp" as herself and Ah Qing?
"Ah Li, why arenât you saying anything?" Zhu Pingniang looked longingly at Yun Qianâs fingers, then gave a little hum. "I didnât lie to them. If youâve been married, then youâve been married..."
Wen Li was very calm; she even tilted her head and thought for a while, feeling that what Zhu Pingniang said actually did make some sense. But she really didnât want her junior sister to misunderstand, so she was just about to explain to Yun Qian where this whole "getting married" thing actually came from, when she was cut off by Zhu Pingniang.
"Ah Li, I suddenly remembered something... About Sikong Jing, I still havenât asked how you feel about him," Zhu Pingniang said.
"Sikong... Jing?" Wen Liâs eyelashes trembled lightly. She didnât ask, but she might as well have written "Who is that?" across her face.
"Right, you have absolutely no interest in any man other than Changâan. That kid from the Fire Spirit Sect fought you over the Sword Testing Spring for years, and in the end he couldnât even get you to remember his name... really is cruel." Zhu Pingniang muttered, then before Wen Li got even more confused, said, "The Young Sect Leader of the Profound Sword Bureauâthe one who wants to ask for Muyu Peakâs hand in marriage and take you home as his wife."
"Oh." Wen Li nodded.
It did seem like thereâd been something like that. She hadnât paid it any mind.
So, Zhu Pingniangâs answer was already obvious.
Her feelings about Sikong Jing? She couldnât even remember who he wasâhow could she have any feelings?
Hearing this, Yun Qian remembered something.
Sikong Jing was that "Senior Sikong" her husband had said he actually didnât dislikeâin fact, even thought he was a decent person... Mm, what Yun Qian actually remembered was that Sikong Jing had gone to find Xu Changâan, asked him to speak up in front of Wen Li on his behalf, and then... given Xu Changâan a huge sum of money.
Her husband loved money, so that Sikong Jing was probably a good person.
Miss Lu: "..."
Miss Lu, right beside them, froze.
Sikong Jing... was he the Sikong Jing sheâd met?
On the very day Yun Qian entered the Immortal Sect, Sikong Jing had come to pay respects to Zhu Pingniang. At the time, it seemed to be Qingluo whoâd guided him, and then Sikong Jing had come to find her first, after which sheâd led him to Zhu Pingniang.
Sheâd even, as a maid, stayed at Zhu Pingniangâs side and witnessed the entire greeting process. Because it was the only Immortal Sect sheâd seen recently, Miss Lu still had a deep impression of himâmainly because sheâd later looked into it and learned about what Sikong Jing had done around the Flower Moon Building, which she found hilarious.
That seemingly earnest young man carrying a sword had been walking around the Flower Moon Building with a wad of silver notes, telling anyone he met that he wanted to redeem them, to rescue them from the Sea of Suffering...
It was very especially dumb, very funny.
Miss Lu didnât dislike this kind of "looking down from on high" that actually came from good intentions, and neither did the girls in the Flower Moon Building. So they only thought Sikong Jing was funny, not something to be mocked.
Some girls even felt he was kind of cute, and specially drew him into storybooks.
That very same silly, blank-faced young man sheâd seen... had once proposed marriage to Fairy Wen?