Qian Renxue (Seeking Collection and Follow-up Reads)

"Oh! Brother Qinghe, it has been three autumns since we last met."

Yu Tianshuo carried Dugu Yan as he walked toward Xue Qinghe, who was chatting with his sister-in-law.

Upon seeing Yu Tianshuo, Xue Qinghe first revealed a look of delight, but then, as if recalling something, her face flushed red before she grew somewhat embarrassed and angry—though she returned to normal in the very next instant.

The gentle woman beside them didn't notice this, but Yu Tianshuo saw it all clearly.

Seeing this, Yu Tianshuo couldn't help but smile. Although the previous incident had been a bit awkward, they were partners now, so in the end, he had just let Qian Renxue vent for a while and called it even.

Meeting again today, she must have remembered those earlier events; otherwise, her expression wouldn't have been so comical.

The thought lasted only a moment, and in reality, Yu Tianshuo had already reached the two of them. After wishing his sister-in-law a good morning, he asked Xue Qinghe.

"Brother Qinghe, I'm planning to take Yanyan out for a stroll. I wonder if you'd be interested?"

As he spoke, he flashed a smile and nudged Dugu Yan toward Xue Qinghe.

Dugu Yan was sharp; she immediately put on a bright smile and called out sweetly.

"Brother Qinghe!"

At this, Xue Qinghe forgot whatever had happened before. She smiled, took Dugu Yan into her arms, nodded at Yu Tianshuo, and said.

"Of course I'm interested. Let's head out now."

As she spoke, she rubbed her cheek against Dugu Yan's, making the little girl giggle with joy.

Seeing that Xue Qinghe agreed, Yu Tianshuo chatted with his sister-in-law for a moment and asked her to take his senior brother back inside, as he was still stuck in a horse stance and couldn't get up.

Hearing that her husband had yet to recover, the woman covered her mouth to hide her laughter. She nodded, gave a few instructions to take good care of Yanyan, and then hummed a tune as she went off to make fun of her husband.

When Yu Tianshuo looked up, he caught a glimpse of the envy in Qian Renxue's eyes.

The moment their gazes met, her expression returned to normal, shifting back into the Xue Qinghe she was meant to portray.

Yu Tianshuo was sharp; with a roll of his eyes, he roughly guessed what was going on.

Qian Renxue was likely envious of the life he led—having family to care for and love, and being able to bicker and play from time to time.

At this thought, Yu Tianshuo's gaze softened.

He stepped forward, draped an arm over Xue Qinghe's shoulder, and gave a wide smile, teasing her.

"Brother Qinghe, seeing as Yanyan likes you so much, you'll have to bleed a little today and buy her plenty of things."

Xue Qinghe was stunned, instinctively trying to figure out if there was some hidden meaning behind Yu Tianshuo's words.

But Yu Tianshuo didn't give her time to think; he pulled Xue Qinghe out of the manor and toward the carriage waiting at the gate.

Once they were seated, Yu Tianshuo took Dugu Yan back into his arms, teasing her every now and then and laughing heartily at her indignant little expressions.

Watching this, Xue Qinghe's expression gradually softened, and the look of envy appeared in her eyes once more.

She no longer cared if there was a hidden motive behind Yu Tianshuo's words; she chose to believe he was just a brother who loved his sister and wanted to get some treats for her.

The carriage sped along, but that didn't dampen the warm atmosphere inside.

Yu Tianshuo teased Dugu Yan, while Qian Renxue watched on with envy.

It wasn't until the carriage stopped that they were pulled out of that cozy bubble.

Yu Tianshuo looked at Xue Qinghe with a smile and said.

"Brother Qinghe, we've arrived."

Xue Qinghe returned the smile and replied.

"Mm, let's go."

The two stepped out of the carriage one after the other.

Seeing the market, Dugu Yan hopped down from Yu Tianshuo, her little legs spinning like wheels as she ran toward a jewelry stall, urging them on as she went.

"Brother, hurry! Yanyan wants to see this!"

The two exchanged a glance, smiled, and stepped forward to follow behind Dugu Yan.

At the same time, a transparent film formed around Xue Qinghe. Once it enveloped Yu Tianshuo, she reverted to her female voice and asked him.

"Your hunt for the spirit ring went quite smoothly this time. To think you managed to get your master a hundred-thousand-year spirit ring. You should ask him later if he wants a token from the Elder Hall to verify his status."

"There are also some spirit bone rewards; if you aren't in a hurry, we can prepare those for you as well."

Only then did Yu Tianshuo realize he hadn't told his master about becoming an Elder Hall consultant, which made him feel somewhat awkward.

However, he smiled and cut off Qian Renxue's topic, looking at Dugu Yan, who was busy fiddling with the jewelry.

"No rush for that."

"Our goal today is to relax. You should go with Yanyan and see if there's anything you like. If not, we'll just try another shop."

Hearing this, Qian Renxue stopped her questioning and ceased overthinking things.

She simply stared at Yu Tianshuo in a daze, as if she couldn't quite comprehend what he had said.

Yu Tianshuo reached out and patted Qian Renxue on the back, nudging her forward as he continued.

"Just like that—relax. Keeping your nerves on edge all the time is exhausting."

After saying this, he revealed a wide smile, signaling for her to go take a look as well.

Qian Renxue couldn't quite understand, but she still followed Yu Tianshuo's suggestion, walking over to Dugu Yan's side to help her pick out some jewelry.

Yu Tianshuo simply watched from where he stood, a gentle smile on his face.

However, a voice suddenly ringing in his ear interrupted his good mood.

"Kid, is it really appropriate for you to have the Young Mistress picking out jewelry at a roadside stall like this with a child?"

"You could at least find a decent shop. What is this supposed to be? Are you looking down on our Young Mistress's wealth?"

Listening to the incessant nagging of Snake Lance Douluo, Yu Tianshuo merely picked at his ear.

Watching the scene of Qian Renxue putting jewelry on Dugu Yan, he spoke to the hidden Snake Lance Douluo.

"As long as they like it, the price is secondary."

Dusting off his fingers after picking his ear and leaving that final remark for Snake Lance Douluo, Yu Tianshuo walked toward the two girls who were waving him over.

"Besides, how long has it been since you've seen your Young Mistress smile like this?"

Snake Lance Douluo stared blankly at Yu Tianshuo's retreating back, stunned by those words.

That's right, how long had it been since the Young Mistress had smiled like this?

It seemed she hadn't smiled this way ever since she left the side of the Grand Pontiff.

Snake Lance Douluo just watched in a daze.

He watched the genuine, heartfelt smile on the Young Mistress's face after Yu Tianshuo was made to wear a lady's headband by the two girls.