On the way back, Mu Zibai happened to see Wenren Qingyi coming out of her room. He had just been about to greet her when she planted her hands on her hips, lifted her chin, and gave a huff before swaggering off.
Mu Zibai was left standing there, completely dumbfounded.
What was that about?
Xiao E was helping Wenren Lingmeng change her clothes.
"Your husband is back."
"Mm."
"You weren't watching over Lingmeng?"
"I had a maid stay with her. When I heard you'd disappeared, I came out to look for you. Don't worry. As soon as Miss wakes up, she'll come tell us."
"Oh."
"I just heard it from Third Young Lady. I never would've guessed you were an expert in the Mystic Armor Realm, sir. You can take on two Dragon People in the Mystic Armor Realm by yourself. You're a martial arts genius!" Xiao E said excitedly.
She lavished praise on Mu Zibai, her gaze taking on a new warmth as she looked at him with newfound respect.
More than anything, she was astonished. She'd spent every day with Mu Zibai and had never realized he was a cultivator. He must have had some way of hiding it.
Xiao E didn't ask, either. As a servant, she wouldn't pry into her master's affairs.
Her husband was not only a brilliant writer, but also had a gift for cultivation. In other words, he was both a scholar and a warrior. Wasn't he exactly the kind of man Miss had always wanted?
Most importantly, with such talent, her husband was bound to achieve great things one day.
"Our Miss is sure to fall for you, sir," Xiao E said with a smile. "I bet the eldest young master kept you talking for ages. He must've wanted you to join him on the battlefield. That's how he was with the second and third young masters when they were little."
Mu Zibai listened absentmindedly, only nodding along. He looked at Wenren Lingmeng and held her hand, lost in thought.
Seeing his expression, Xiao E fell silent. She quietly left and closed the door behind her.
Wenren Lingmeng felt a familiar warmth in her palm and knew it was Mu Zibai's hand.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but being unable to touch that familiar hand had left her uneasy and anxious. Now that she felt its familiar warmth again, her heart immediately settled.
Little by little, Wenren Lingmeng had come to regard Mu Zibai as the most important person in her life, someone she couldn't live without.
During her treatment, she had felt someone pouring Spiritual Power into her body. Her body seemed to respond, and she'd been overjoyed, thinking she might finally wake up.
She'd been so excited. The first thing she'd thought was that she'd soon be able to see Mu Zibai. She wanted so badly to know what he looked like, to touch his face. He must have been so gentle.
She wanted to etch his gentle face into her heart, never to forget it.
For a while, she'd been thrilled and anxious. But as time dragged on, even though there'd been some signs of progress, she still couldn't wake up. It seemed there was no hope after all. She'd never felt such despair or disappointment.
Before, it didn't matter if she didn't wake up. She'd grown used to disappointment. But now things were different. There was someone she wanted to see.
She wanted to wake up and meet the person she longed to see, but her hope had come to nothing. All that remained was despair and resignation.
She'd thought this was fine, too. With Mu Zibai by her side, she wouldn't be lonely; instead, she'd feel warmth and comfort beyond measure.
Listening to his stories, letting him feed her porridge, lying in his arms to bask in the sun, sleeping with him, bathing with him...
The more she thought about it, the more she felt she'd lost her mind. How could she have such shameful thoughts?
An idea had taken root in her heart: if things stayed this way, Mu Zibai could remain by her side forever, and she could keep relying on him.
But then she heard Wenren Qingyi telling her about Mu Zibai, and she was stunned. He was both a scholar and a warrior.
She already knew he was a gifted writer, but she'd never imagined he was also a cultivator.
Wenren Lingmeng didn't know much about cultivation, but she'd heard Mu Zibai subdued two Dragon People alone and earned Wenren Longhong's praise. He must be quite capable.
A man like him had boundless prospects. If he stayed by her side, she would only become a shackle holding him back, limiting his future.
Thinking again about her selfish thoughts, she was overcome with shame.
Her husband treated her so well, yet she was being selfish. She wanted to get better as soon as possible. She didn't want to hold him back or become a burden to him.
But Wenren Lingmeng felt helpless and powerless. All she could do was cry out in anguish, to no avail.
Just then, she heard a sigh beside her.
Was he sighing?
Wenren Lingmeng panicked. What did that sigh mean? Was he tired of her? Did he hate her?
Of course. Who would want to spend their whole life with someone suffering from Soul Loss Syndrome? She could only stare blankly. How was that any different from watching a piece of wood? A piece of wood might even be better.
In Wenren Lingmeng's eyes, Mu Zibai had the talent to become a lord or minister one day, yet he spent every day looking after a useless person like her. His future was bleak.
Perhaps Mu Zibai was worried about his future, too.
And there was her status as a princess. Mu Zibai couldn't take a concubine or divorce her, which meant they could never have children or carry on his family line.
Continuing the family line was important.
All sorts of jumbled thoughts crowded into Wenren Lingmeng's mind, leaving her restless. How much patience could anyone have to care for someone with Soul Loss Syndrome for so long? Especially someone with the condition whom they had no feelings for to begin with.
Wenren Lingmeng was terrified that Mu Zibai would grow tired of her or leave her. She wanted to know what he was thinking. Was he tired of her?
She was so afraid—far more afraid than she'd been when she was all alone.
Before Mu Zibai came, she'd grown used to loneliness. If he left, she wouldn't be able to get used to it again, and she wouldn't be able to let anyone else into her heart.
Over these past few days of treatment, she'd felt that keenly.
That was the third sigh. Wenren Lingmeng's heart clenched. She worried about what was wrong with Mu Zibai. Was he tired of her, or did something else weigh on his mind?
Mu Zibai placed two fingers on Wenren Lingmeng's forehead, felt its temperature, and sent a wisp of Spiritual Power into her body.
If she really was asleep, he only needed to interrupt the process or help Wenren Lingmeng complete it.
It was like a program running, preventing other programs from starting. He only had to interrupt that program or speed up its completion, and the others could start.
That was Wenren Lingmeng's current state. What Mu Zibai couldn't understand was why she'd fallen into it in the first place.
It was all an unsolved mystery.
But what truly left Mu Zibai silent was what had appeared in his shop.
[Points: 439817] [Item 1: Brother Jie's Black Glasses, Price: 1,000 points] [Item 2: Broken Conch Fragment, Price: 1 point] [Item 3: Drift Bottle from the Sea of Time, Price: 10,000 points] [Item 4: Flowing Enlightenment Fruit, Price: 200,000 points] [Item 5: Unopened Sword, Price: 500 points]
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