Climbing Through the Window

The carriage passed through the grounds of the Worship Hall.

Le Ling looked out through the carriage window and saw Qian Daoliu standing before the main hall with his hands behind his back, smiling at her.

She bit her lip, huffed, and pulled down the curtain.

Inside the carriage, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan exchanged looks after seeing her reaction.

Xie Yue tilted his head to look through a gap in the curtain and happened to see the Great Offering standing before the Worship Hall's main hall.

He understood at once and gave Hu Liena a meaningful look.

Seeing her brother's signal, Hu Liena looked out the window as well and instantly understood!

"Little Le Sister, did you argue with the Great Offering?"

"Are you angry with him?"

Sitting beside Le Ling, Hu Liena linked arms with her and asked curiously.

Le Ling instinctively complained, "He pretended to be drunk and tricked me last night!"

The three of them froze for a moment after hearing her, then could not help laughing.

Hu Liena laughed. "So even the Great Offering has such an adorable side!"

"Adorable?!"

Le Ling huffed again. "Since you think he's adorable, I'll give him to you!"

"No! Little Le Sister, don't set me up like that. If those words reach the Great Offering's ears, I'll be in deep trouble!"

Hu Liena was immediately startled by her words.

"I was only joking."

Le Ling smiled.

"If you really gave him away, you wouldn't be able to bear it either, right?"

Hu Liena leaned closer, looking at her with a meaningful smile.

Le Ling fell silent.

Back when they had been in love, she had felt that they belonged to each other. But ever since the day he got married, she no longer felt that way!

So what did it matter whether she could bear it or not?!

Seeing Little Le Sister suddenly fall silent, seemingly lost in thought and in a poor mood, Hu Liena did not ask any further questions.

The carriage soon arrived at the academy.

The four got out and headed to the Great Deacon Class to begin their afternoon lessons.

Three hours later, the dismissal bell rang.

The four left the academy and took the carriage back to Spirit Hall.

As soon as she got into the carriage,

Le Ling said to the guard driving it, "Don't take the road that passes in front of the Worship Hall on the way back. I remember there's a small road behind the Worship Hall. Take that one instead."

The driver frowned. "But that route is a much longer detour!"

"It's fine. We're not in a hurry anyway. A little farther is no big deal."

"Yes, Miss Le."

Le Ling rested her cheek on one hand and leaned against the windowsill, gazing at the fading glow slowly sinking beyond the horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

Hu Liena and the other two had noticed that she had seemed preoccupied ever since leaving that afternoon, so they did not disturb her.

Meanwhile, before the Worship Hall's main hall.

Qian Daoliu had been standing before the hall waiting since sunset, but after an hour, the carriage had yet to appear.

Just then, Steward Yao happened to finish handling some matters and walk over, where he saw his master standing at the hall entrance waiting for someone.

He suddenly remembered that the guards at the foot of the mountain had informed him earlier that Miss Le Ling's carriage had returned, but had taken the road around the back mountain of the Worship Hall.

When he had gone down at noon to inform the guards of the order prohibiting carriages from passing through, he had also told them to keep an eye on Miss Le Ling's carriage every day from then on.

Whenever her carriage returned, they were to notify him so that he could inform his lord.

But he had been busy earlier and completely forgotten about it!

"Oh no!"

Steward Yao hurried forward.

"My lord, an hour ago, the guards at the foot of the mountain informed this subordinate that Miss Le Ling's carriage had already returned to the Papal Palace by taking the road around the back mountain of our Worship Hall."

"This subordinate was busy earlier and forgot to tell you."

He lowered his head, afraid of being punished.

The moment he heard that Ling'er's carriage had gone around the back mountain, Qian Daoliu knew Le Ling was avoiding him!

He sighed.

Steward Yao could also tell that Miss Le Ling was avoiding his lord.

His eyes shifted, and he quietly suggested, "My lord, should we simply prohibit carriages from using the back mountain road as well?"

Qian Daoliu immediately glanced at him, then suddenly smiled. "Old Yao, you really are more cunning!"

The master and servant had known each other for many years. Usually, Qian Daoliu only called Steward Yao Old Yao when teasing him!

Steward Yao scratched his head and chuckled.

"Then this subordinate will go take care of it immediately."

With that, he quickly left the front of the Worship Hall and headed down the mountain.

No matter what, as long as his lord could see Miss Le Ling more often, he, as a subordinate, would only be happy if his master was happy!

Late at night.

After dinner, Le Ling returned to her room. After cultivating for two hours, she entered the bathing room for a soak.

She especially loved soaking in the bath,

because it made her feel relaxed in both body and mind. Qian Daoliu knew that too.

So when he had previously asked Steward Yao to prepare daily necessities for her, he had specifically instructed him to place a large wooden bathtub in the bathing room for her use.

After soaking for half an hour, Le Ling felt comfortable all over.

As she dried the ends of her damp hair with a towel and walked out of the bathing room, she muttered, "It would be even better if I could drink a cup of fermented rice wine while soaking in the bath!"

"Ah, what a pity there isn't any!"

Just as her words fell, a sound suddenly came from outside the window. She instinctively turned to look, but the window was properly shut, and there was nothing there.

Had she misheard?

Le Ling did not think much of it. She yawned, quickly dried the ends of her hair, and went to bed.

About half an hour later, she gradually slipped into deep sleep.

At that moment, the window suddenly opened from outside. A golden-haired man flapped three pairs of wings and flew onto the windowsill.

Qian Daoliu entered the bedroom, put away his Angel Wings, and walked to the bedside. Sitting down, he gently caressed the woman's smooth, tender cheek with his large hand.

"Drinking while soaking in the bath!"

The man smiled. "Ling'er, aren't you afraid you'll get drunk, slip into that big wooden tub, and drown?"

Earlier, he had stood on a large tree branch beside the window and heard her say that she wanted to drink while bathing. He had immediately laughed.

It was because of that laugh that he had accidentally bumped the window glass and made a sound, nearly exposing himself!

Qian Daoliu stood up, took off his shoes, outer robe, and trousers, then quietly climbed into bed beside Le Ling and pulled her into his arms.

Just as he lay down, the person in his arms began to furrow her brows, her expression turning sorrowful and pained.

The man knew she had fallen into another nightmare!

Qian Daoliu gently cradled her head, lowered his head, and kissed her, letting her feel the warmth of being loved in her dream so that she could escape that nightmare.

After returning to Spirit Hall that day, he had specifically consulted a physician about the causes and treatment of nightmares.

The physician had said that nightmares were a psychological illness that only developed after a person suffered an enormous shock.

Most cases were triggered by witnessing a beloved family member or lover die before one's eyes and being traumatized by that scene!

Some people developed them for other reasons.

Once someone suffering from nightmares entered deep sleep, they would fall into endless, dark, terrifying nightmares and be unable to escape!

Only after being tortured until they were exhausted in body and mind would they suddenly awaken under intense stimulation. Waking up under such circumstances was extremely painful.

If it continued for a long time, those suffering from nightmares would eventually suffer a mental breakdown from prolonged torment and repression. In mild cases, they would go mad; in severe cases, they would die!!