“Uh… this is a misunderstanding, Lord, really! I didn’t mean to summon you here… no, no, I didn’t mean to change the contract either…”
Bai Shuo, quick as a monkey, jumped up and shrank into a corner of the bed, stammering in nervous confusion.
Fan Yue stared at her quietly, saying nothing.
Bai Shuo forced an awkward, dry laugh, her expression looking even more pitiful than a cry. “I swear I didn’t mean it… I-I’m just afraid, afraid of… dying…”
Suddenly, Fan Yue reached out his hand towards her.
“Mercy, Lord! I’ll never dare deceive you again! Please, for the sake of my family who rely on me, don’t hold this against me!” Bai Shuo squeezed her eyes shut and yelled, waiting for the demigod’s wrath to strike her down. But the blow never came—instead, she felt a warm breath on her face.
Gathering her courage, Bai Shuo opened one eye. The young man was right in front of her, with his finger poking her cheek, his expression… well, in Bai Shuo’s words, it looked like pure curiosity.
What’s going on? Am I seeing things…? Bai Shuo held her breath, blinking in disbelief.
“I…” Fan Yue began, slowly letting out a word.
Finally! He’s talking! Bai Shuo leaned closer eagerly, desperate to catch every word the Lord of Hao Yue Hall was about to say. But Fan Yue fell silent again, leaving her and him staring at each other, her face a big question mark. “What?”
“You…” he said, seeing her respond. He tilted his head with a look of bewilderment.
“What?”
What do you mean ‘I’? What do you mean ‘you’? Just say it already! Bai Shuo groaned inwardly, but then, looking into his confused eyes, she had a sudden hunch. Trembling slightly, she gathered her courage and pointed a shaky finger at Fan Yue. “Are you trying to ask… who you are?”
The young man nodded.
She pointed to herself hurriedly. “And… who I am?”
He nodded again, still gazing at her with that curious, puzzled look.
Bai Shuo stared at him in silence. After a long moment, she patted his shoulder and shouted, “My dear disciple, I’m your master! How could you forget me!”
* * *
The bright sun hung high in the sky, blazing down without a breeze to cool the rare heat in the Eastern Sea. Bai Shuo lay comfortably in a wooden rocking chair under a tree, lazily swinging her legs as she napped.
A large lotus leaf shaded her from the harsh midday sun, held by a plain-looking young man kneeling under the tree, sitting upright with total seriousness, making sure she stayed cool.
Old Turtle slowly entered the garden from outside, transforming into his human form. Though aged, he was still sprightly. With a heavy cough, he looked at the pair under the tree.
Bai Shuo jolted awake, rubbing her eyes groggily. Seeing Old Turtle’s disapproving stare, she yawned. “Old Hei, you’re back…”
He dropped the basket of herbs he’d gathered and snorted, “Oh, how nice for you. You leave an old man like me to go herb gathering off-island.”
Bai Shuo grinned. “Hey, we made a bet! If I could refine a first-grade elixir, you’d be in charge of the island’s herb supply this month.” She stretched lazily. “Nothing beats sleeping in every day. No wonder some people, since taking on disciples, have a lighter shell and a stronger tolerance for wine—it must be great to live free!”
In her own small kingdom within the herb hut, Bai Shuo always wore this cheeky, smart-mouthed grin, lording over everyone. She glanced at the young man beside her. “Mu Mu, doesn’t your master speak the truth?”
“Yes.” The young man nodded woodenly, without a second’s hesitation.
Bai Shuo patted his shoulder in approval. “Good boy.”
The boy’s eyes brightened, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Seeing this rare expression, Bai Shuo leaned in closer with surprise. “Mu Mu, are you smiling?”
The young man blinked, staring blankly at her.
“Come on, smile for your master again.”
He stared at her, struggling to lift the corners of his mouth as she’d asked, though it lacked the natural charm of before.
“No, no, that’s wrong—you’re just smirking, not smiling.” Bai Shuo tapped his face with two fingers, adjusting his expression. “Here, lift it just a bit more, like this…”
The young man obediently followed her fingers, adjusting his expression bit by bit to match what she wanted.
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