Sure enough, a minute later.
[System Notice: Group member [Feng Qing'er] has claimed your red envelope.]
Lu Jiuyuan's lips curved slightly.
[Feng Qing'er: Hmph! Don't get smug. I'm only accepting it for now; that doesn't mean I'm convinced by you.] [Lu Jiuyuan: Whatever you say!] [Feng Qing'er: Hmph!]
Then her avatar went dark, indicating she was offline.
Looking at that "Hmph," Lu Jiuyuan couldn't help laughing.
Feng Qing'er talked a big game about not being convinced, but her actions told a different story.
[Lu Jiuyuan: Remember to explain what you just did, or I can't promise you'll still get the next treasure!]
After sending that message, Lu Jiuyuan went offline too.
Late at night.
Lu Jiuyuan lay in bed, staring at the pitch-black ceiling and tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
His mind kept drifting from Lu Xueqi's smile by the lake that day, to the chatter from those women in the group, to the trip to the Southern Border that would begin in a few days.
He sighed and sat up.
If he couldn't sleep, then he wouldn't.
He put on his outer robe and stepped outside.
The moonlight was beautiful.
Cool moonlight blanketed the mountain path, while the bamboo grove cast shadows of varying depths across it.
Lu Jiuyuan walked slowly along the path. Before he knew it, he had reached the back mountain of Xiaozhu Peak.
Someone sat on the Bluestone Platform.
She wore white as pure as snow, her black hair tossed by the night breeze, drifting in the moonlight.
Lu Jiuyuan stopped short.
Why was his master, Shuiyue, here?
He was about to slip away quietly when Shuiyue turned her head slightly and spoke in a calm voice. "Since you're here, come sit for a while."
Lu Jiuyuan paused, then walked over.
Only when he drew closer did he notice what Shuiyue was wearing. The usually meticulously dressed head of the peak was clad in nothing but a nightgown thin as cicada wings.
The fabric was so sheer that the moonlight passed through it, revealing the faint outline of her graceful figure, enough to stir the heart.
Lu Jiuyuan's gaze lingered on her, unable to pull away. His Adam's apple bobbed.
He stood behind Shuiyue, the night breeze carrying the faint, delicate fragrance of her.
When he saw her slender shoulders quiver slightly, Lu Jiuyuan didn't hesitate. He quickly took off his outer robe and gently draped it over her.
Shuiyue paused. She looked down at the robe on her shoulders, then up at Lu Jiuyuan.
In the moonlight, the young disciple's expression was gentle and his gaze clear, without a trace of disrespect.
"You're thoughtful." Shuiyue gave him a faint smile as she looked at his light clothing. "But what about you?"
"Master, don't worry. I'm not cold." Lu Jiuyuan sat beside her, leaving a respectful distance between them. "The night breeze is chilly. Why are you out here alone, Master?"
Shuiyue was silent for a moment before softly replying, "I couldn't sleep."
"Neither could I, Master."
They sat side by side, gazing at the same bright moon.
The night breeze swept past, and the bamboo grove rustled.
A night bird called in the distance, its cry long and lonely.
"Jiuyuan."
"Yes, Master?"
"Are you afraid?" Shuiyue suddenly asked.
Lu Jiuyuan turned to look at her. "Afraid of what?"
"The Southern Border." Shuiyue gazed at the moon, her voice calm. "With the Beast God's emergence, chaos will engulf the world.
"Fenxiang Valley is watching us like a hawk, and the remnants of the Demon Sect are stirring.
"There's no telling what dangers await us on this journey."
Lu Jiuyuan thought it over, then answered seriously, "I'm not afraid."
"Why not?"
"Because I can beat them."
Shuiyue froze for a moment, then laughed softly.
The laugh was quiet, but it sounded far more lively than her usual reserved demeanor.
"You really are..." She shook her head. "Such a confident child."
"It's not confidence," Lu Jiuyuan said earnestly. "It's a fact."
Shuiyue turned to look at him, a complicated glint in her eyes.
In the moonlight, her disciple's profile was sharply defined, and his brow held a natural steadiness.
He was at the middle stage of the Taiqing Realm—the youngest person ever to reach that realm since the founding of the Qingyun Sect.
He was handsome, talented, dependable, responsible, gentle, and considerate. A man like that was practically the perfect dream lover.
If she were a few decades younger, she might have been willing to marry him!
Wait!!!
What was she thinking? He was her disciple.
Shuiyue gathered her thoughts and stole another glance at Lu Jiuyuan's profile.
The night breeze rose again, stirring her hair.
Shuiyue gathered the robe around herself and suddenly felt drowsy.
For some reason, she felt unusually at ease beside this disciple.
The pressures of being the head of the peak, her worries about the world, and the loneliness she kept buried in her heart all seemed less important at that moment.
"Jiuyuan."
"Yes, Master?"
"As for the Southern Border..." Her voice gradually grew quieter. "I'm counting on you to look after that girl, Xueqi."
"I will."
"And Wen Min may not know when to keep her mouth shut, but she has a kind heart... Please look after her, too."
"Understood, Master."
"And you..." Shuiyue's voice grew softer still. "Take care of yourself, too."
Lu Jiuyuan murmured a quiet "Mm" and glanced at her.
In the moonlight, Shuiyue's eyes had already drifted shut, her eyelashes casting faint shadows on her eyelids.
She leaned against his shoulder, her breathing gradually growing deep and even.
She had fallen asleep.
Lu Jiuyuan didn't move.
He simply sat there and let her lean against him.
The night breeze continued to blow. He reached over to tug the robe back into place and cover her properly.
Moonlight spilled over them like water.
As Lu Jiuyuan gazed at the moon on the horizon, he suddenly thought of the women in the group.
Every one of them was stunning, every one extraordinary.
But at that moment, someone else was resting her head on his shoulder.
She was the head of Xiaozhu Peak.
She was his senior within the sect.
She was an ordinary woman who couldn't sleep, sitting alone in the middle of the night, gazing at the moon.
He lowered his head slightly and looked at the person asleep against his shoulder.
Shuiyue looked peaceful in her sleep, her brow smooth and her lips curved in what seemed to be the faintest of smiles.
[Ding—Group message.] [Feng Qing'er: Group owner, are you there? @Lu Jiuyuan] [Yun Yun: Maybe he's asleep?] [Feng Qing'er: Asleep, my foot! I can't sleep!] [Yun Yun: Can't sleep +1] [Medusa: Can't sleep +2] [Bibi Dong: Guess what the group owner is doing?] [Medusa: I bet he's keeping a beauty company? (grinning)] [Feng Qing'er: As if the group owner could have a beauty keeping him company! He's such a blockhead!]
Lu Jiuyuan glanced at the group messages, the corner of his mouth twitching.
He looked down at Shuiyue asleep on his shoulder, then at the noisy women, and couldn't help finding it a little amusing.
Freeing one hand, he sent a reply to the group.
[Lu Jiuyuan: I am, actually, keeping a beauty company.] [Lu Jiuyuan: A very special beauty.] [Lu Jiuyuan: Go to sleep, you lot. Good night.] [Feng Qing'er: What? You're actually keeping a beauty company? What beauty could be prettier than us?] [Bibi Dong: @Lu Jiuyuan, you're awful!]
After sending that, he closed the group chat and left the women to raise a storm behind him.
Lu Jiuyuan lowered his eyes to look at the person sleeping against his shoulder. After hesitating for a moment, he shifted slightly.
Shuiyue furrowed her brow, nuzzled against his shoulder, found a more comfortable position, and went on sleeping.
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