Chapter 61

Pei Ling's lips curved. His fingers lingered for a moment on the stray tuft of hair atop her head, but in the end, he stepped aside. Qiao Ranran ducked into her little wooden hut without looking back and slammed the door.

"Heh." Pei Ling looked at the wooden door, which probably still let in a draft, and laughed.

Even with Pei Ling's help grinding all the Blood Jade Nectar into a mist, it would take Qiao Ranran a long time to absorb it and let it transform her Meridians. Yet as she began her seclusion, all she could think was: Ah, I wonder if I have enough Grain-Bigone Pills. I only just finished my last round of seclusion, and I haven't restocked!

Pei Ling turned and found Xi Lingge watching him with a complicated expression.

"Greetings, Uncle-Master Xi." Pei Ling cupped his hands in salute. There was not a flaw in his bearing or his words; even his gaze had softened a little, though it remained unfathomable. "Senior Sister has just entered seclusion. Did you have any instructions, Uncle-Master Xi?"

Xi Lingge gave a derisive "heh." He had stood there watching for so long that he refused to believe the boy had not noticed him. Pei Ling had simply ignored him. As for his apprentice, Pei Ling had blocked her view, so she had no idea he had been there for some time.

From that distance, with Pei Ling in the way, Xi Lingge could not see what they were doing. On the surface, it looked as though the boy had cornered and bullied his apprentice, who had then fled into the hut with her face bright red.

Xi Lingge did not know why Qiao Ranran had blushed, but he had already spun an entire drama in his head. He