"It wasn't Junior Sister Mingwei," Sword Venerable Mingxiao explained. "It was someone else."
"Someone else?" The moment he heard that this had nothing to do with his beloved junior sister, the Sect Master's wits immediately returned.
There were so few women around his junior brother that he could count them on one hand. With the slightest guess, he could figure out who this "someone else" was. He glanced at Sword Venerable Mingxiao, an eager look of gossip appearing on his face. "This someone else... is Song Zhizhi?"
Sword Venerable Mingxiao nodded with a dark expression and recounted what had happened today. At the same time, he was puzzled. "Why was she angry? I apologized to her, yet she only became more distant."
"You mean you left without a word and didn't tell the young lady?"
"And when you came back, you still put on airs as a Sword Venerable and refused to lower yourself to explain and apologize properly?"
The Sect Master looked at Sword Venerable Mingxiao with an expression that said, How could someone this stupid be my junior brother? Had his brain been eaten by Sea Demons?
"Junior Brother," the Sect Master sighed, "what am I supposed to say about you? I think Song Zhizhi merely ignoring you is already her giving you face."
"If it were me, and I went out on business without leaving Mingwei so much as a message or contacting her during that time, with your Junior Sister Mingwei's temper, she'd toss my things off Main Peak. For three months, I wouldn't even dream of getting within half a step of her."
Sword Venerable Mingxiao frowned in thought.
The Sect Master looked at him and spoke earnestly. "Junior Brother, if you want to get along well with your Dao companion, you can't care so much about saving face. Besides, you were at fault first in this matter. Lower yourself and coax the girl a little. If you keep holding yourself so high, sooner or later you'll end up like the Sect Master of the neighboring Heavenly Feather Sect—kicked away by his Dao companion, forced to watch his Dao companion pair up with someone else while drowning your sorrows in drink every day."
Sword Venerable Mingxiao imagined Song Zhizhi in another man's arms, and discomfort surged through him. His face grew so cold it nearly frosted over. Sitting upright, he asked in a low voice, "Then what should I do?"
When it came to coaxing girls, the Sect Master had plenty to say.
"Your senior brother is a few hundred years older than you and more experienced in this regard. I'll teach you two moves right now. As long as you learn them, you'll be able to handle ninety-nine percent of conflicts between married couples."
"First move: actively admit your mistake. How can two people living together avoid conflicts? When one arises, remember this—whether it's your fault or not, you must admit your mistake immediately. You absolutely cannot put on airs, nor can you argue with your Dao companion. Sometimes, you win the argument and lose your Dao companion. The Sect Master of the neighboring Heavenly Feather Sect is a living example."
"Second move: give her what she likes. Girls all like the feeling of being valued. When you apologize, buy her some things she likes to coax her as well. Once she sees your sincerity, her anger will fade."
The Sect Master patted Sword Venerable Mingxiao on the shoulder. "Junior Brother, this is all experience hard-won by your senior brother!"
Sword Venerable Mingxiao nodded thoughtfully. "Senior Brother, I understand."
"It's good that you understand." The Sect Master looked gratified. "When are you planning to hold the Bonding Ceremony? Your Bonding Ceremony cannot be handled carelessly. The heads of all the major sects must be invited in advance."
Sword Venerable Mingxiao thought of the still-unclear relationship between himself and Song Zhizhi and sighed. "We'll discuss this later."
Song Zhizhi was awakened by a burst of fragrance the next day. She got up and pushed open the door, only to see the white-clad figure not far away.
He seemed to like wearing white. In all the days Song Zhizhi had known him, she had never seen him wear any other color. Yet even among the uniform Sword Sect elder robes, Xie Xiuji seemed to wear them better than anyone else.
Song Zhizhi looked away, nodded at Xie Xiuji, and said calmly, "Morning."
Sword Venerable Mingxiao's gaze fell on Song Zhizhi. He cleared his throat. "I remember you said last time that you wanted dumplings. I brought some for you. Eat them while they're hot."
Song Zhizhi's gaze landed on the several plates of crystal-clear, plump dumplings he had set out. Smelling their fragrance, she swallowed, but when she remembered yesterday's events, she forced herself to look away. "No need. A Fasting Pill will do. You should keep those dumplings for yourself."
She was a woman of principles. No meal would buy her off! Song Zhizhi thought.
Sword Venerable Admits His Mistake
"Really not eating?" Sword Venerable Mingxiao lowered his head to look at the dumplings and said regretfully, "Then these pickled mustard greens and egg dumplings, these three-delicacy dumplings, and these shrimp and pork dumplings will have to be thrown away if no one eats them."
What? Pickled mustard greens and egg dumplings? Three-delicacy dumplings? Shrimp and pork dumplings? Damn it, this man was actually using her favorite foods to tempt her!
Song Zhizhi abruptly turned her head and saw Xie Xiuji packing a plate of dumplings into a food box. Her mouth moved faster than her reason. "Wait!"
"Hm?" Sword Venerable Mingxiao looked at her, seemingly unable to understand why she had stopped him.
Song Zhizhi gritted her teeth. "I thought about it. Wasting food is shameful. Since you specially brought them here, I'll reluctantly eat them."
"I just don't want to waste food. Don't get the wrong idea."
Song Zhizhi picked up her chopsticks, lifted a dumpling, and took a bite. The wrapper was thin as a cicada's wing, while the meat filling inside was fragrant, fresh, and bursting with juice, leaving an endless aftertaste.
Once again, Song Zhizhi wanted to poach the chef for the Sword Sect. Unfortunately, no matter how many times she asked, Xie Xiuji stubbornly refused to tell her which restaurant the chef who made these dishes came from.
With the heart of a petty man, Song Zhizhi guessed that Xie Xiuji might want to use delicious food to keep her in his grasp, which was why he kept the chef's name so tightly hidden.
The more Song Zhizhi thought about it, the angrier she became. That dog of a man—did he think one meal of dumplings could buy her off? Dream on! She wasn't that easy to coax!
Song Zhizhi bit into the dumplings furiously, her expression savage as though she were chewing Xie Xiuji's bones. The man sighed inwardly. As expected, she was still angry.
He recalled the secret his senior brother had taught him last night. He had accomplished the second one, giving her what she liked. There was still the first—actively admitting his mistake—
Sword Venerable Mingxiao stood beside Song Zhizhi, his tone sincere. "It was wrong of me to leave without saying goodbye this time. No matter how urgent the situation was, I should have informed you before leaving. If there truly hadn't been time to tell you then, I should have sent you a voice transmission afterward to let you know. I promise there will not be a next time."
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