No. 007 Sucker

Meanwhile, Luo Mingxi, who had stayed behind at Endless Peak, was not doing so well.

After getting her boat capsized in a little ditch called Wen Yan, Luo Mingxi had shut herself away in her room, unable to muster enthusiasm for anything. It was only when Lin Chunhe came looking for her that she learned Wen Que had actually left her behind and gone down the mountain with Qiu Jinyou for some fun.

She really was a sucker!

Not one of her senior sisters had thought to comfort her!

At that moment, Luo Mingxi realized that shutting herself away was useless. If nobody was going to feel sorry for her, she might as well pull herself together and plow through the whole world. That would cheer her up.

When she had let Wen Yan go, it was partly because the Demon Race elders had given her no chance to object. Besides, she and Qiu Jinyou had still been reeling from the shock Wen Que had given them. It honestly had not occurred to her to do anything.

As for being hurt, Luo Mingxi was a little. But that was all.

Luo Mingxi knew she was petty and never let a slight go unanswered. Wen Yan had plainly meant to use her as a shield. She had saved him out of kindness, and he had treated her good intentions like donkey liver and lungs. Did he really think she was made of clay?

She would have to think carefully about what grand gift to send that little prince of the Demon Race.

Then she remembered that Qiu Jinyou had taken Wen Que home without even thinking to bring her along, and she puffed up with indignation.

Well, she missed home too.

Why not go back for a visit herself? The looks on those people's faces when they saw her return to the capital would surely be a sight!

When she was in a foul mood, she had to find something fun to let off steam. That settled it. She was going home!

"Hey, hey, hey! Little junior sister, where are you going?"

Lin Chunhe was still talking to Luo Mingxi and had not noticed she had been lost in thought for ages. Now she had stood up and was leaving without a word, looking as though she was on her way to pick a fight.

Lin Chunhe had heard what happened. The Demon Race elders had come right up to the sect gates, but unfortunately, he had been lost on Thousand Mechanisms Peak at the time and missed the whole thing. Still, he could imagine how unbearable such a blow must have been for someone as proud as his little junior sister.

So Lin Chunhe had spent ages finding the right words and preparing his speech, hoping to give Luo Mingxi some comfort.

From the look of things, though, his little junior sister did not appreciate it.

"I'm going home for a visit." Luo Mingxi cast him a sidelong glance. She had never thought much of this soft-spoken Lin Chunhe.

Lin Chunhe was fairly good-looking, with fine, well-proportioned features. But his eyes and brows were too gentle, making him look easy to bully. His appearance was nothing like Wen Yan's, with that delicate softness and alluring charm.

Luo Mingxi was not into that sort of thing.

Of course, even if she were, a fellow disciple was a little too close to home.

But when everyone else was gone, this soft-spoken fellow had been the only one to clumsily try to comfort her. Luo Mingxi appreciated the gesture.

"Lin Chunhe."

"Huh?"

Lin Chunhe and Luo Mingxi had entered the sect on the same day and joined Endless Peak on the same day. Lin Chunhe had arrived half an hour before her, becoming Endless Peak's fourth disciple and putting him ahead of her. Luo Mingxi had been furious. Her young-mistress temper had nearly left everyone unable to save face.

Having Wen Que ahead of her was galling enough. Wen Que had been at Endless Peak for more than ten years and was still only in the Qi Refining Stage. And Lin Chunhe had arrived a mere half hour before Luo Mingxi! Yet that silly fool wanted to be her senior brother!

Luo Mingxi was now at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, while Lin Chunhe had only just reached Foundation Establishment!

He was only the tiniest bit stronger than Wen Que!

"Wen Jiujiu went with second senior sister to visit the Qiu Family. How about we go take a look too?"

"Huh?" Lin Chunhe stared at her. Had she not just said she was going home for a visit?

How had she turned around and decided to visit second senior sister's home instead?

Luo Mingxi said with righteous conviction, "Second senior sister has gone home this time to prepare for her wedding. As her family from Endless Peak, we ought to go early and help. We can't wait until the wedding day, then shamelessly show up just to feast and drink, can we?"

"Uh... right..." said Lin Chunhe.

Luo Mingxi made a good point, but Lin Chunhe still felt something was off.

Luo Mingxi certainly was not going to tell the little fool that she only wanted to see whether he could hear Wen Que's thoughts too!

Luo Mingxi and Lin Chunhe's arrival took Qiu Jinyou by surprise.

"What are you two doing here?"

"I—" Lin Chunhe had barely opened his mouth when Luo Mingxi gracefully planted an elbow in him and nudged him behind her.

"We were worried about second senior sister, so we came to see how she was doing."

Lin Chunhe had just steadied himself. When he looked up, he saw Wen Que smiling. Before he could say a word of concern, a familiar voice exploded beside his ear.

[Hahahahaha! Little junior brother always looks like his cerebellum never finished developing. It cracks me up every time I see him!]

Lin Chunhe: ??

Luo Mingxi and Qiu Jinyou looked at each other, then at Lin Chunhe's expression. They exchanged a glance. Good. He could hear it too.

What "his cerebellum never finished developing" meant no longer mattered.

"Little junior brother, this is your first time visiting the Qiu Family, isn't it? How about I show you around?"

Without giving Lin Chunhe a chance to react, Qiu Jinyou grabbed him and dragged him away.

That left Luo Mingxi and Wen Que staring at each other.

Wen Que could not shake the feeling that Luo Mingxi's gaze was a little dangerous.

[What's gotten into little junior sister? If she doesn't explode after keeping quiet for so long, is she going to turn twisted instead? Or was this blow so heavy that it's already warped her innocent little heart? Sure enough, Wen Yan has always held a special place in her heart.]

Luo Mingxi: !!!

Damn it, could everyone stop bringing up Wen Yan? That was a stain on her past. She wished they would all forget it.

Oh, forget it. She could not forget it herself.

Right now, all she could think about was making that little Demon Race prince pay for spurning her kindness and trying to send her down a dead-end road.

"Little junior sister... this is your first time here too, isn't it? How about I show you around?"

"Third senior sister, you sound awfully familiar with the place." Luo Mingxi knew Wen Que occasionally followed Qiu Jinyou home to cadge a meal. Apparently, she was quite popular with the Qiu Family.

But judging by how at ease she was, and how respectfully the servants treated her, she might as well have been in her own back garden. It hardly seemed like an occasional visit. She had quite the standing with the Qiu Family!

"Familiar enough." Wen Que straightened her back, raised her chin, and looked thoroughly proud of herself.

"Your hat's about to fall off," Luo Mingxi warned mischievously.

Wen Que immediately drew her neck in and gingerly felt the top of her head. Good. Her hat was still there.

That hat was equipment that kept her alive—sometimes, saving face mattered as much as saving her life.

[Little junior sister is awful. She's smiling away, but who knows what she's saying about me in her head? Tsk!]

Luo Mingxi: Hah. But we all know what you're saying about us in yours!

[Still, little junior sister showing up here now isn't right, is it? According to the timeline, shouldn't she have gone home already? Oh no, little junior sister has missed a whole round of drama!]

Luo Mingxi: Hm?