Page 19

At the mention of gossip, Ye Zhenzhen's round eyes curved into two little crescent moons, delight written all over her face.

Shen Xingyan had barely stepped off the flying boat when he spotted the three Cloudsky Sect disciples riding an Azure Luan, looking rather shabby. He gave them an arrogant sidelong glance, then strode over with a face like thunder and stopped before Ye Qingyao. "Ye Qingyao, come with me. I have something to ask you."

Shen Xingyan led Ye Qingyao into a nearby grove. His face darkened as he demanded, "Why didn't you come the other day? Do you know I waited for you all night? The whole night! Every minute, every second was agony. All I could think about was you."

"Ah Yao, how can you be so cruel? How could you torment me like this?" His eyes were faintly red, with dark circles beneath them. He looked exhausted and wounded.

Ye Qingyao had already felt a little guilty for standing Shen Xingyan up. Hearing that he had waited all night made it harder still to meet his wounded, puppy-like eyes. She did not like him, but she bore him no real ill will. She was racking her brains for a way to comfort him and explain herself when she heard Ye Zhenzhen's thoughts:

[You rotten scumbag. How do you have the nerve to act so devoted in front of Senior Sister?]

[What do you mean you waited for Senior Sister all night? When she didn't show up, you spent the whole night tumbling between the sheets with Luo Bingyao, your junior sister from the sect. Agony? You were in seventh heaven.]

Ye Qingyao: ...

How did Little Junior Sister know everything? I almost fell for that scumbag's lies again.

"I'm terribly sorry. Cloudsky Sect forbids us from going down the mountain without permission. I was about to leave that day, but an elder from the Discipline Hall happened to spot me, so I had to turn back." Her voice could not have been flatter.

"What about the Communication Jade Tablet I gave you? Why couldn't I reach you afterward? I couldn't hear your voice or see your face. Do you know how worried and miserable I was?"

"The Discipline Hall elder confiscated it. He said we weren't allowed to contact people outside the sect."

"Those old fossils at Cloudsky Sect are hopelessly set in their ways!" Shen Xingyan flung his sleeve in anger. "Sects should strengthen their ties and share what they have. How can they shut themselves away and cling to old ways? Sooner or later, they'll bring disaster down on themselves. Don't you agree, Ah Yao?" As he spoke, he leaned his face closer to hers.

Ye Qingyao was poor with words and even worse at lying. The small lie she had just told had left her cheeks warm, and now, with Shen Xingyan pressing her for an answer at such close range, she lowered her head at a loss. To Shen Xingyan, however, she looked like a delicate young woman, shy and vulnerable enough to stir his protective instincts. In her pale green gauze dress, the blush on her cheeks made her lovelier still, like a water lotus bowing shyly in the cool breeze.

"Ah Yao, I misjudged you. You must have been upset when they took the tablet, too. Did they punish you?" Shen Xingyan began spinning his own tale in his head. His tone softened, his earlier arrogance and accusations melting into tenderness. He reached for Ye Qingyao's slender hand, wanting to draw her soft, fragrant body into his arms.

A figure in pink suddenly rushed forward and shoved Ye Qingyao hard. "Where did this little vixen come from? Don't you dare seduce my Shen!"

Luo Bingyao had followed them and arrived just in time to see Shen Xingyan getting close to another woman. Jealousy flared, and she stepped in at once to teach her rival a lesson and stake her claim. This was her first time accompanying Shen Xingyan to search for treasure in the Secret Realm as an inner sect disciple. She had specially chosen a pink gauze dress scattered with flowers and cinched tightly at the waist, thinking it made her look youthful and romantic. In truth, it only made her face look coarser.

Ye Qingyao stumbled and nearly fell. The jolt almost sent Ye Zhenzhen flying out of the bamboo basket as well. Shen Xingyan moved to steady her, but Luo Bingyao planted herself firmly in his way.

Ye Qingchuan shot over like a flash of lightning and caught Ye Qingyao, helping her regain her footing. He had been hiding behind the trees and watching. He had barely restrained himself from rushing out when Shen Xingyan started pawing at his senior sister. The moment he saw Luo Bingyao shove her, he came racing over like the wind.

"You dare bully my senior sister!" Without hesitation, he sent a fierce streak of sword light slashing toward Luo Bingyao.

Luo Bingyao dodged the sword light and took the opportunity to nestle into Shen Xingyan's arms like a frightened little bird. "Shen, save me."

Shen Xingyan looked at the face in his arms. It had been vicious when she shoved Ye Qingyao; now it wore a gaudy, ingratiating smile meant to please him. Disgust rose in his heart. She was common, nothing like Ye Qingyao, who had the pure beauty of a lotus rising from clear water. He pushed Luo Bingyao aside without thinking. "Junior Sister Luo, we aren't that close. Please keep your distance. You should call me Senior Brother Shen."

He stepped forward to check on Ye Qingyao and reached for her wrist. "Junior Sister Ye, are you all right? I'm truly sorry. Female disciples at my sect often come to bother me. Junior Sister Luo is always eager to help, and she thought you were clinging to me like those other women. That's why she acted so rashly."

Ye Qingchuan was about to shove his hand away, but Ye Qingyao had already dodged it. "Senior Brother Shen, I'm fine."

She had nearly been struck by Sword Qi, yet Shen Xingyan had acted as if he hadn't seen it. Now he was gazing at Ye Qingyao with such concern. Luo Bingyao glared at Ye Qingyao, a vicious glint flashing through her eyes before she suddenly smiled. "I misunderstood just now. May I ask your name and which sect you belong to?"

"Ye Qingyao, Cloudsky Sect."

Ye Qingyao? At the sound of that name, Luo Bingyao's intuition suddenly told her why Shen Xingyan's attitude toward her had changed so completely. Could his Ah Yao be Ye Qingyao?

Jealousy twisted her features. Her eyes looked steeped in poison.

"What a coincidence. We share a character in our names. I'm Luo Bingyao, and Senior Brother Shen usually calls me Ah Yao." She deliberately moved closer to Shen Xingyan and began playing with his hair, making them look intimate. This time, Shen Xingyan did not push her away. Instead, he watched Ye Qingyao's face to see whether she was jealous.

[Tsk.]

[These two sure love putting on a show.]

But when he saw that Ye Qingyao was as calm and distant as ever, her expression unruffled, annoyance showed on his own face instead.

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