As they say, familiarity breeds ease. This time, when Bai Shuo found herself against a cool but warm body, she looked up sharply—and indeed, it was that familiar face.
Dark eyes stared back at her intently. It wasn’t Mumu.
A chill ran through Bai Shuo, and she stammered uncontrollably. “Lord…Lord…Lord Hall Master…I…I…”
She struggled to lift herself up, but her hand accidentally pressed right over the dark star in the center of Fan Yue’s chest, causing his brow to furrow.
“I…I didn’t mean to!” Bai Shuo panicked even more, jerking her hands away as if burned. But in her flustered state, her balance faltered, and she toppled back down onto Fan Yue’s chest with a thud.
There was a muffled groan—whether from pain or anger, she couldn’t tell.
Bai Shuo gave up, not daring to move a muscle. She lay there like a fish out of water, squeezed her eyes shut, and braced herself. Whatever! It’s not the first time I’m risking my neck. Kill me if you like!
“It hurts,” came a low voice from beneath her.
Bai Shuo froze, eyes flying open. The person beneath her was watching her, an expression of faint bewilderment and even…a touch of hurt.
Bai Shuo sprang up, clutching his shoulders in excitement. “Mumu?!”
“Master, it’s me.”
Her little disciple obediently called to her, his gaze never straying from her face.
Bai Shuo hugged Fan Yue tightly, her heart soaring. “Thank goodness, you’re back!”
The boy’s body stiffened for a moment, then, just as he had done countless times before, he wrapped his arms around her.
“Yes, I’m back.”
As he held Bai Shuo, her eyes began to mist over, a swirl of emotions churning inside her. Though they had only been apart for a few days, it felt as though she hadn’t seen her little disciple in ages.
In the flickering candlelight, the hall was silent, the shadows of the two embracing figures casting a gentle, unspoken warmth.
“Wait, let Master check you over!” Bai Shuo suddenly remembered the serious injuries her disciple had suffered at the hands of the evil dragon. She quickly began to inspect his face and hands with concern. “Are your wounds healed?”
Fan Yue grasped her hands, stilling her fidgeting. “Don’t worry, Master. They’re all healed.”
Only then did Bai Shuo notice that he was shirtless. Indeed, there wasn’t a single mark on him. His lean frame and the few dark strands of hair spilling across his chest gave him an unexpectedly…striking appearance.
Bai Shuo was about to praise his resilient divine physique, but the words got lost in her throat as she found herself uncharacteristically flustered. She didn’t realize that her gentle little disciple had taken on a slightly more commanding tone when he held her hand firmly.
For some reason, the boy’s subtle smile at her dazed expression lifted his mood considerably.
“Master, I’m hungry.”
The boy suddenly leaned close to Bai Shuo, softening his tone.
This ill-timed plea snapped her out of her daze. She blinked in surprise and realized how close his face was—and that their fingers were somehow interwoven.
Bai Shuo’s cheeks flushed crimson, and she jumped to her feet, smacking her forehead on the screen with a loud thunk.
“Ow, ow, ow…” she whimpered.
A pair of hands gently touched her forehead, massaging it, accompanied by a gentle scolding, “So clumsy.”
The affectionate reprimand caught her off guard. Bai Shuo looked up and saw a faint smirk on her disciple’s lips, giving her an inexplicable sense of foreboding. “Mumu?”
The boy’s hand stilled, and he looked back at her with his usual puzzled innocence. “Hm?”
Seeing the familiar gentleness in her disciple’s gaze, Bai Shuo relaxed, pulling his hand away. “It doesn’t hurt, Master is fine. I’ll go make you something delicious!”
She turned to leave, but felt a tug on her sleeve.
“Huh?”
Bai Shuo looked down, confused.
“Master made a promise and didn’t keep it.”
The boy’s soft voice came with a hint of reproach, and Bai Shuo felt a twinge of dread.
Here it comes…
Her little disciple was usually gentle and easygoing, but he had his boundaries. She had promised not to abandon him, a promise she’d failed to keep—she hadn’t just broken her word, but had practically buried him.
“Mumu, I…” Bai Shuo hung her head, unwilling to meet his eyes, and mumbled guiltily, “I was wrong…”
“You promised to take me to eat all over Nan Hai City after we left Foreign City.”
The boy’s slightly annoyed voice reached her ears.
Huh?
Her spirits soared as if granted a second life, and she quickly comforted him, “Of course, of course! I promise we’ll go to every restaurant in Nan Hai City after the grand assembly!”
“No, now.”
Her disciple shook his head firmly.
“Now?”
Fan Yue nodded.
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