Chapter 47

Xie Xiuji gave a short laugh. "All right."

He gently placed his warm, dry hand over Song Zhizhi's lower abdomen. As he continued channeling spiritual power to the child, he looked at Song Zhizhi with a solemn expression. "Once I've made things clear between us to Martial Uncle Qingyu, I'll ask her for your hand in marriage."

Feeling the comforting spiritual power flow into her body, Song Zhizhi's ears flushed pink at Xie Xiuji's words. She gave a vague hum of assent.

After channeling spiritual power to Song Zhizhi, Sword Venerable Mingxiao watched her enter the room to change clothes before opening the door of the small building and walking out.

Qingyu stood in the courtyard with her hands behind her back. Hearing the movement, she turned and gave Xie Xiuji a complicated look. "You... what exactly is going on between you two?"

Qingyu did not believe that Xie Xiuji and Song Zhizhi could have fallen for each other over the past few days, then done something improper. Even if her disciple had been bewitched by Xie Xiuji's pretty face and developed feelings for him, her martial nephew was cool and upright by nature, always open and aboveboard in his actions. He would never seize such an opportunity to paw at Song Zhizhi like a starving ghost in a den of lust.

Yet what she had just witnessed had truly happened, and Xie Xiuji's hand just now...

Remembering it still made Qingyu feel rather awkward.

Sword Venerable Mingxiao lowered his eyes and bowed to Qingyu in the manner of a junior. "Zhizhi and I knew each other before she entered the Sword Sect."

"Over a month ago, I was severely injured while slaying a tiger demon. Had Zhizhi not saved me, I fear my days would have been numbered. She saved my life." Recalling what had happened that day, Sword Venerable Mingxiao's face softened. "It was love at first sight for me. When we met again in the Sword Sect, I was overjoyed. I wished to take her as my disciple, hoping that being near the water's edge would let me catch the moon first and win her heart."

In the cultivation world,

master and disciple

romances were common, but when Sword Venerable Mingxiao spoke of his original intentions, a trace of embarrassment still showed on his face, as though he felt ashamed of his selfish motives.

Qingyu recalled the day of the disciple-taking ceremony. She had indeed snatched Song Zhizhi away from Xie Xiuji that day. She believed seven or eight parts of what he said, but she was not so easily fooled by a few words that she would forget what she had just seen. Her gaze sharpened as she stared at Xie Xiuji. "You say you're fond of my disciple. Then have you two already gone that far? And what was that just now? You..."

Sword Venerable Mingxiao's sword-straight back bent slightly. He cupped his hands toward Qingyu and pleaded guilty. "Just now, Mingxiao was unable to restrain his feelings and behaved improperly. I ask Martial Uncle to punish me."

Qingyu shot him a glance. "You think you can muddle this through by taking all the blame yourself? Mingxiao, you may be number one in swordsmanship, but you're still too green when it comes to schemes."

Unable to restrain his feelings? Qingyu did not believe a single word of it. She was several hundred years older than Xie Xiuji and had practically watched him grow up. How could she not know his character? Even if he and Song Zhizhi were mutually in love, he would never make an improper move before their relationship had been made clear.

She looked past Xie Xiuji. "Speak. What exactly are you hiding from me?"

Song Zhizhi walked out of the small building. Without its protective formation activated, the wooden building was not soundproof, and she had heard most of what Xie Xiuji said just now. Her heart was a jumble of emotions.

She knew Xie Xiuji wanted to protect her reputation, which was why he had taken all the blame upon himself and refused to mention the child.

No matter the world, becoming pregnant before marriage would inevitably damage a girl's reputation. Xie Xiuji did not want Song Zhizhi to suffer others' gossip because of it.

He had concealed the matter, even at the cost of damaging his own reputation. Song Zhizhi pressed her lips together and walked to his side. She took his hand on her own initiative. Xie Xiuji's eyes trembled as he looked at her.

Song Zhizhi said to Xie Xiuji, "Don't hide it anymore. How could something like this possibly stay hidden? I don't care about those people wagging their tongues."

"What exactly are you two hiding from me?" Qingyu narrowed her eyes at them, a bad feeling rising in her heart.

Song Zhizhi took a deep breath. Before Xie Xiuji could speak, she said to Qingyu, "Master, I'm pregnant."

Qingyu: ?

Pregnant with what?

What pregnant?

"What did you say? Say that again?!" This time, Qingyu's shout cracked.

Qingyu thought perhaps the sun was too harsh, leaving her old eyes dim and her head spinning, her ears ringing, so she had misheard. Her good disciple had not said she was pregnant, right?

Song Zhizhi stroked her belly, which had not begun to show. "Master, I'm pregnant. The child is almost two months along now. I've thought it through carefully. I intend to give birth to this child."

"I'm sorry. I've been hiding this from you all along."

Qingyu felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She seized Song Zhizhi's hand and checked her pulse. Sure enough, she found the slippery pulse. Just as Song Zhizhi had said, it was nearly two months. Judging by the timing, she had already been pregnant before entering the Sword Sect.

"You two..." Qingyu looked at Song Zhizhi and Xie Xiuji, her expression complicated.

Sword Venerable Mingxiao tightened his grip on Song Zhizhi's hand. "Martial Uncle Qingyu, I wish to marry Zhizhi as my wife. Please grant us your blessing."

Song Zhizhi's parents had long since passed away. She only had an uncle, but they were not close.

Qingyu was Song Zhizhi's master and Xie Xiuji's martial aunt, so she had the greatest say in matters concerning their lifelong union.

Qingyu released Song Zhizhi's hand. She sighed, her brows furrowing as though she had encountered some difficult problem.

Song Zhizhi looked at Qingyu, her heart rising to her throat.

Qingyu looked at Xie Xiuji, then at Song Zhizhi. Seeming to have made up her mind, she said to Song Zhizhi, "Put the marriage aside for now. Zhizhi, come with me. There are some things I need to tell you. After you hear them, decide whether you still wish to marry Mingxiao. If, after hearing them, you still insist on your current decision, I will not stop you."

Song Zhizhi heard the gravity in Qingyu's tone and could not help feeling uneasy. What did Master want to tell her?

Song Zhizhi was not a bold person. She feared the unknown and hated trouble. Sometimes, when she encountered something difficult to resolve, her first reaction was to flee from it. Combined with Qingyu's expression and tone just now, Song Zhizhi vaguely felt that what Qingyu was about to tell her was likely no simple matter.

"Go." Xie Xiuji squeezed Song Zhizhi's fingertips and looked at her with gentle eyes. "I'll wait for you here."

Rankings

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Transmigrated into a Book

Sweet Romance

Time Travel and Rebirth Romance

Tu Yanyan

Amnesia Trope