"Mm... all right."
Pei Ye fell quiet for a while, then turned and smiled. "I thought you might find me affected, Director."
"Always laying your true feelings bare readily brings the scent of sunshine to mind. It's much more endearing than pretending to be profound. I rather like it."
"..." Pei Ye gave her another somewhat bewildered look.
They had dinner together, then returned to the old residence and spent four hours in the Book Tower. The woman probably rose late not because she liked sleeping, but because she habitually went to bed late. By the time they parted, it was deep into the night again.
Pei Ye did clearly feel how seriously she took this matter, working to resolve every one of his uncertainties.
"Cui Zhaoye doesn't seem quite as reliable as I imagined. I'll join you in contemplating the sword over the next few days," she said mildly before they parted.
And so it went for the next two days.
He had to admit that this woman who could not cultivate was actually an enormous help. Her understanding and reason were frighteningly sharp, and her perspective was often both far-reaching and profound. She did not naturally know the answers to those questions, but she would prop her chin on her hand and think and reason alongside the boy. Soon, through their discussions, those questions revealed their hidden forms.
Pei Ye was surprised that even after he reached the level of "spiritual enlightenment," she could still discuss sword state with him.
As for his sword... Pei Ye had not drawn it for three days.
Because he had suddenly realized that it was not what he wanted to do here. Even his race against the clock to train over the previous twenty-odd days had actually been because the circumstances lay