Dreaming of Everyday Life with Mistress

As the lingering sound of the wind chimes under the eaves faded, You Su's Adam's apple bobbed, and the bitter medicine slid into her lungs.

Stay awake for a long time?

A gloomy expression crept into You Su; getting caught up in this situation was definitely not his intention.

Although he wasn't on the verge of death, he was exhausted and unable to withstand the unfathomable depths of the ocean. Moreover, there was a naive girl who needed his protection. How could he linger in this gentle embrace?

"Thank you, Mistress... but I was just a little tired, that's why I slept in a bit."

"No. Your body has already fully recovered, but your Divine Sense remains weak and feeble. I think this is a lingering effect left by that Dream-Eating Ghost. This medicine is excellent for nourishing the Divine Sense and is often used for those who are listless. Forcing you to stay awake is to get you used to being awake. When you feel tired and sleepy again, it means your Divine Sense has returned to normal, and you can sleep peacefully again."

He Shutong spoke slowly and deliberately, her fingertips still lightly resting on his wrist. Her cool, spring-like breath seeped into his skin, suppressing his struggling pulse. It was as if she was concerned about his body, but more like she was confirming the effects of the medicine.

Upon hearing this, You Su's eyes widened slightly, wondering to himself, "Where could I find such a pill?"

Even if he wasn't Alchemist, he knew that the Divine Sense was extremely fragile. This kind of pathological condition, which goes against the natural order, was basically impossible to use to treat the Divine Sense, because if the Divine Sense malfunctioned, the person would essentially be rendered useless. Who would risk so much to save someone they cherish unless they were desperate?

His Mistress clearly didn't need to resort to such a desperate method, but how could Mistress utter such a clumsy lie?

You Su instantly understood that the Mistress wanted to feed him medicine was not the one who had studied at the Xuanxiao Sect for more than half a year, but the naive young Sword Cultivator from a dilapidated sect in a remote city. This lie could not fool him, but it could fool the innocent boy at the time.

You Su was shocked, only then realizing that his Mistress also had such a cunning side, going so far as to trick him into drinking medicine in order to keep him by her side...

When he looked up again, his Mistress was also looking at him with tender affection, her smile gentle and kind, which stirred his heart.

You Su felt nervous under their gaze. He blinked as if he was dazed, trying to bring his Divine Sense back to reality during the brief moment he closed his eyes. However, he found that he was indeed clear-headed and the dizzying feeling of his consciousness wandering around did not come.

Oh no... Mistress is really worried...

"Are you still sleepy?" He Shutong asked with concern when she saw You Su blinking frequently.

You Su concealed his embarrassment well, rubbing his eyes. "No, it's just that my eyes are still a little sore."

"Your eyes are sore?" He Shutong focused her gaze on You Su's clear eyes.

"N-nothing." You Su deliberately turned her head away, pretending to be shy.

He Shutong became even more curious upon seeing this, pressing her head even closer as if she wanted to see it more clearly.

Seeing the boy's wet eyes, her heart ached as if pricked by a needle, and she stammered, "Are you... sad?"

"No, this disciple is overjoyed." You Su turned his body halfway to the side, like a proud boy who didn't want his parents to find out he was secretly crying.

You Su wasn't really crying. As the master of this place, squeezing out a single tear was just a matter of a thought. In order to distract his Mistress from dwelling on why he hadn't woken up for so long, he had no choice but to resort to this tactic.

The tears were fake, but the feeling of being trapped in the current situation and wanting to cry but being unable to was real.

To his surprise, the next moment a soft, warm object gently pressed against his back, and a delicate fragrance wafted from the back of his neck to his cheek.

He Shutong gently embraced the boy from behind, her sigh as soft as an icicle melting and falling from the eaves in winter.

"Silly child..."

She seemed to be telling the boy through her actions that he didn't need to feel secretly pleased as if he were blessed by heaven for the gentleness she showed; she was meant to be this way, and she would always be this way.

You Su's body stiffened slightly; he hadn't expected his Mistress to react so strongly.

His previous embraces, whether initiated or guided, were all attempts to shorten the distance between him and his teacher's Mistress. However, his Mistress's wife's first initiative did not bring him the joy of fulfilling his wish. Instead, he felt an immense weight, the weight of his Mistress's wife's affection. He had never realized so profoundly how important he was to his Mistress.

A wave of immense guilt filled his chest, and he then began to ponder why he had entered his Mistress's dream—not out of longing for Mistress, but out of curiosity about Mistress presence in his dream.

He wanted to know the reason, hoping to use this to better understand his Mistress, so that he could fulfill the presumptuous thought he had been unable to suppress ever since he learned that she was a fake Mistress.

But he didn't take responsibility for his curiosity. Instead, because of his "Prince-for-Cat" scheme, his Mistress was unable to complete her goal of creating the dream. She must have been extremely anxious to resort to such a desperate measure and forcefully keep him here. How could he possibly feel the slightest bit of blame?

These past few days have been fraught with danger; he hasn't even dared to close his eyes. His mind has been constantly on edge, leaving him utterly exhausted. This sleep is a welcome respite. At least he can still be here intimately cuddling with his Mistress, which means he's not dead yet. The only one he needs to worry about is Bai Ze. However, this foolish cat has managed to survive until today despite all the deception from the Ganlong Venerable. Her ability to protect herself shouldn't be underestimated.

Thinking of this, You Su sighed inwardly, and his conflicted thoughts gradually became clear.

Since there's no way to escape, instead of looking back and forth, it's better to fulfill one's responsibilities.

He Shutong was unaware that in those brief moments of close embrace, You Su's inner world was undergoing such complex changes. When she realized that she had unconsciously embraced the young man, she quickly and slowly withdrew, a blush of peach pink appearing on her fair face, which was as pure as a snow lotus, and her fingertips unconsciously caressing the snow-white ribbon of her dress.

He Shutong was at a loss for how to explain her behavior, which was unbecoming of her status, when You Su spoke first, dispelling her self-righteous embarrassment.

"Mistress... I'm so hungry."

He Shutong raised her eyebrows slightly and calmly replied, "It would be abnormal if you weren't hungry after sleeping for so many days. What would you like to eat?"

You Su smiled and said, "Egg noodles will do."

He Shutong felt another pang of pain in her heart, lamenting that this child was so used to poverty that he was foolish enough to ask a Void Glimpse Venerable for just a bowl of egg noodles.

"You went up the mountain to chop firewood and accidentally dropped your axe into the river. You met me and asked me to retrieve it for you, but I pulled out three axes instead. One was a gold axe, one a silver axe, and one an iron axe. I ask you, which one did you drop into the river?"

Without hesitation, You Su said, "I dropped the iron axe."

He Shutong shook his head and sighed softly, then lightly tapped You Su's forehead with his knuckles as a form of instruction:

"You dropped a golden axe, do you know why?"

You Su shook her head.

"Because you met me, and I am your teacher's Mistress, I will naturally give you the best."

You Su's pupils dilated slightly, and ripples of emotion stirred within her.

"Mistress, I..."

"Alright, from now on remember that you are not a child who is not cared for. Even if you eat delicacies every day, it would not be too much for you. However, since you have just recovered from serious injuries, a bowl of egg noodles is a good choice." After saying that, He Shutong gracefully stood up.

"No... I meant to suggest that I do it myself."

He Shutong raised her eyebrows slightly and pressed down on You Su, who was about to get up. "Are you worried that I can't cook?"

"No, this disciple believes that Mistress is a Xuan Tian Sword Immortal, how could her hands be involved in such filthy matters?"

"I'm not so delicate as to not even be able to cook a bowl of noodles for my own disciple. I'll be fine soon, so just lie down and relax."

He Shutong gave the order sternly, You Su immediately lay down obediently.

Only after the Fairy stepped outside did her cold expression melt away, and a look of relief appeared on her lips.

She had never lifted a finger to do housework since childhood, so in the real world, how could she dare to offer to You Su? Fortunately, this was a dream, and she could transform egg noodles into anything she wanted.

The thought of You Su being amazed and impressed by the delicious food she would cook filled He Shutong with joy and made her feel full of energy.

However, upon entering the kitchen, she realized a serious problem—she had never eaten egg noodles before.

Having been pampered since childhood, how could she possibly eat such simple food in the He Manor? As she grew up and closed herself off from love, she lost her appetite and basically subsisted on Grain Avoidance Pills.

But that's okay, she can keep changing her appearance until she can conjure up a bowl of egg noodles that satisfies her.

He Shutong nervously placed the noodles in front of You Su. The porcelain bowl was filled with white noodles, and the rising steam blurred You Su's cool and aloof features.

She lowered her eyes and stared at the bowl of noodles, her ten fingers nervously clasped together—this was the fifteenth time she had conjured up egg noodles, and in her pursuit of perfection, even the scallions sprinkled on top were as neat as snowflakes.

"It smells so good!"

You Su praised him enthusiastically, showing great eagerness.

In fact He Shutong meant by "soon" had actually taken more than half an hour. He Shutong nervously handed the noodles to You Su, feeling that You Su's enthusiasm wasn't because she was looking forward to her noodles, but probably because she was really starving.

You Su immediately picked up a golden fried egg and put it in her mouth. Her eyebrows and eyes relaxed instantly, and she exclaimed in amazement:

"My Mistress's cooking skills are amazing!"

He Shutong's earlobes flushed slightly. She reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her wide sleeve brushed against the table, carrying with it a cool, pine-scented fragrance. "It's just some simple food."

The boy's hand holding the chopsticks paused suddenly, the soup reflecting the subtle light in his eyes.

"Mistress... why can I only get eggs and not noodles?"

You Su's cheeks were bulging from his food. He had already mentally prepared himself that no matter how bad his Mistress's cooking was, he would wolf it down and never disappoint Mistress.

"The noodles are at the bottom; since you need more nourishment, I added a few extra eggs."

"How many are there?"

"About... seven or eight."

For the first time You Su felt that even a bowl of egg noodles could be such a luxury, and she made up her mind that even if she choked, she would swallow all of her Mistress's heavy love.

As the first sip of broth, carrying the aroma of wheat, slid down his throat, his eyelashes fluttered, as if he were swallowing a galaxy of stars. The noodles were certainly not particularly delicious, but You Su's hard work was impeccable, and it truly made He Shutong had put her heart into it, feel gratified.

Looking at his puffed-out cheeks, He Shutong suddenly recalled the young beast she had seen on the snowy plains a hundred years ago, which was also so unguardedly satisfied when it held the minced meat that the hunters had fed it.

"Eat slowly." She couldn't suppress the smile on her lips. "There's still some left in the pot..."

Before he could finish speaking, the boy suddenly put down his chopsticks, and the last drop of soup in the bowl slowly slid down the porcelain wall.

"Mistress, has junior sister woken up?" You Su stared at the empty bowl, the sound of her Adam's apple bobbing clearly in the silence. "She hasn't eaten yet, has she?"

He Shutong's fingertips dug into her palm beneath her wide sleeves. The sound of rain pattering on banana leaves outside the window suddenly amplified. She saw the boy's shadow flicker on the window paper, and a strange jealousy welled up inside her. For some reason, she blurted out without thinking:

"While you were unconscious, people from the Eastern Snake Clan came. Your junior sister's clan sensed her awakened bloodline and came to take her home. Only then did I learn that she was actually a snake demon who had run away from home. I originally wanted to keep her, but she returned to her clan to undergo a baptism of ancestral blood, which is a necessary process for the snake clan to awaken their bloodline. I had no evidence to keep her, so I had no choice but to release her."

"Junior Sister is a snake demon?!" You Su feigned surprise, her eyes wide with shock, as if she were finding out for the first time.

What truly shocked You Su was not his junior sister's departure or her identity as a snake demon, but the fact that although it was still a long time before his junior sister was taken away by her clan in reality, it had been brought forward to before today in the dream orchestrated by his Mistress.

This is clearly... a deliberate act by the Mistress to remove her junior sister from the Mandarin Sword Sect...

"Not bad," He Shutong replied calmly. She twirled the crackled celadon teacup in her palm, but the tea remained untouched. As if feeling this wasn't quite enough, she added, "She was reluctant to leave, clearly very attached to you. But with cultivation at the forefront, one cannot be bound by romantic feelings. She is a sensible person, and I hope you can understand. She asked me to tell you to cultivate diligently, lest she catch up with you when you meet again."

That definitely sounds like something a junior sister would say...

You Su sighed inwardly at how shameless his noble Mistress was in lying. He was secretly pleased by Mistress unusual possessiveness, but on the surface, he still put on a sorrowful and heartbroken appearance.

His knuckles gripped the edge of the table, the white bones looking as if they were about to pierce his skin. He Shutong gazed at his drooping neck, where an unhealed sword scar snaked deep into his collar, like a wound that had been forcibly torn open. She suddenly stood up, her moon-white robes brushing against the boy's taut back, and as she wrapped her arms around him, it was as if she were folding up a pair of broken crane wings.

"Even though humans and demons are different, as long as we have the will, we can reach the same destination." She rested her chin on the top of his head. "This road is arduous, but your Mistress will always be by your side."

When He Shutong sensed You Su's trembling through his thin spring robe, she realized how clumsy her thoughts had been. She had actually used the young man's feelings for his junior sister to emphasize the weight of her own constant presence by his side...

The boy in her arms buried his face even deeper into her bosom and said in a muffled voice, "Now, all I have left is my Mistress..."

As the lamentations subsided, He Shutong's earlier self-reproach vanished instantly.

Though clumsy, it was undeniably effective. Since it was a dream no one else knew about, simply remembering that I owed Lingruo a favor was enough...

The rain under the eaves gradually subsided, and the twilight stretched the shadows of the two embracing figures, casting them onto the screen painted with ink bamboo, resembling a pair of cranes with intertwined necks.

For the next three days, the air in Tingyu Pavilion was filled with the aroma of tea from dawn till dusk.

He Shutong placed a black piece on the sandalwood chessboard, watching the boy opposite her deep in thought, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

You Su's chess style was much like his sword-wielding style—reckless yet full of hidden strategies, always surprising her when she thought victory was assured.

"My Mistress is letting me win again." You Su held the white piece, hesitating to place it, the moonlight filtering through the window swirling between his eyelashes. "This game clearly had a double three-point checkmate."

He Shutong swept the chessboard aside with a flick of his sleeve, and the white jade chess pieces tinkled as they fell into the wicker chess basket. "Playing chess is not about winning or losing, but about passing the time."

She raised her hand to pour tea, the Biluochun Tea unfurling in the Glazed Cup like new leaves in early spring. "Speaking of which, where did you learn this Five-in-a-Row game?"

"My junior sister taught me." You Su was used to using her junior sister as a shield.

He Shutong was so caught up in the satisfaction he got from yielding to You Su that he didn't ask any further questions. Little did he know that it was You Su, who was being modest.

These days they brewed tea, played chess, chatted, practiced swordsmanship, and even spent the whole night admiring the moon, staying within the Mandarin Sword Sect without ever stepping out.

The situation only changed when You Su suggested going into the city for a stroll one day.

He Shutong initially wanted to refuse, but softened her stance after You Su pleaded that she had never been out with her Mistress before.

It wasn't that she was unwilling, but she worried that the residents she hadn't met might turn against her. But she didn't know that You Su was also the owner of this dream, so how could she allow the dream to change?

You Su stood at the entrance of the blue brick street, clutching a rabbit lantern. The way she looked up reminded He Shutong of the first melting snow on the Azure Mountain.

The city was brightly lit and bustling with activity, as they were celebrating the defeat of the Evil Demon.

"Does Mistress know how mortals celebrate?" His fingertips brushed against the revolving lanterns hanging from the vendors' stalls, the warm yellow light shimmering in his eyes. "They guess riddles, eat Fu Yuan Zi, and also..."

"I also need to buy a Silk Flower for my sweetheart." The flower seller smiled and handed over a twin lotus, its petals entwined with silver threads and glistening with morning dew. "A young man of your caliber and appearance is worthy of this twin lotus."

A blush crept onto You Su's ears. "What man wears flowers?"

But then He Shutong bent down and picked up a pure white magnolia branch. "This one is very good."

The next moment, she put it on the boy herself.

Suddenly, at the end of the long street, a familiar face exclaimed, "Young Master You! Isn't this your wife?"

The young man smiled and waved, but didn't explain that this was his master's Mistress. He Shutong stammered, unsure how to explain to this strange mortal.

In fact, the difference in their appearances clearly showed their age difference, so no one would be so abrupt; it was all an arrangement made by You Su after some thought.

The street was bustling with people. You Su tentatively took his Mistress's slightly cool hand in his, as if she was worried about getting lost because she was blind.

He Shutong stiffened slightly, but let him lead her through the bustling crowd, even holding her hand tightly. After all, it was just holding hands; she was already used to it.

Thousands of red lanterns drifted away with the wind, as if the Milky Way had been overturned. She suddenly wished that this dream would never end, so that the sword immortal with his shoulders covered in frost and snow could forever be a mortal amidst the fireworks.

In the stillness of the night, You Su leaned on her shoulder, dozing off.

The effects of the Calming Powder have finally worn off.

I could have written more, but I don't have time anymore, sob sob.