When Pei Lengxue entered the Spirit Gathering Array, she remembered it was early December. On that day, Profound Star Sect had experienced a light snowfall. As she looked out from the platform in front of the Spirit Gathering Array, half of the scenery was covered in snow, while the other half displayed hints of spring with birds singing joyfully.

“Spring has arrived… I’ve been building my foundation for almost five months?” Pei Lengxue mused.

The breeze gently rustled her long, chestnut-black hair, and her orange eyes sparkled with anticipation. She gazed toward Sky Cloud Peak in the southeast direction.

She squinted her eyes and stretched lazily, like a cat, filled with expectations. She anticipated the moment when her senior brother would see her and immediately come forward for a warm hug and proposed to her. Considering she had already reached marriageable age…

Though Pei Lengxue knew it was unlikely, what if?

What if!

She gave her cheeks a light pat to dispel her daydreams, took a deep breath, and gathered her tangled hair into her hand. Realizing her hair needed some care, she summoned a flying sword from her storage pouch and decided to take a bath to make herself fresh and fragrant before seeking out her senior brother.

The atmosphere in Sky Cloud Peak’s courtyard was serene. When Pei Lengxue landed with her flying sword, she noticed a clothes rack nearby filled with bedsheets and clothes, most of which seemed to belong to her. They appeared to have been washed yesterday and were still not completely dry.

Since her senior brother didn’t possess a disciple’s token and couldn’t enter Profound Star Sect, it definitely wasn’t him who washed her clothes. So, who could it be? Could it be that goofy girl? Was she really so diligent?

Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly heard the sound of sweeping coming from her bedroom.

“Er…”

Inside the room, Ye Anping was holding a broom and sweeping the floor. Upon hearing her call “Er,” he immediately stood up and turned to look at her.

“Hmm?”

“Senior Brother?!”

Er… Senior Brother…

Ye Anping blinked in confusion, not saying anything, but when he saw his junior sister’s teary eyes, he put down the broom and opened his arms.

“Come here.”

Hastily stomping her feet on the floor, Pei Lengxue bit her lip, opened her arms wide, and then pounced into Ye Anping’s embrace. Although Ye Anping had mentally prepared himself, her enthusiastic hug still left him with sore ribs.

Seeing the bed behind her, he decided to go with the flow of her momentum and allowed himself to be pushed onto the bed by her.

Ye Anping didn’t say anything, just gently stroked her hair as she held onto him.

After a moment, he finally spoke, “Haven’t had enough yet?”

Pei Lengxue shook her head, “A little longer… I’ve missed you for five months…”

“Five months? Does that mean you won’t let go of me for a week or two?”

“Yeah…”

Ye Anping chuckled, showing a helpless smile, and relaxed, lying flat on the bed. He let her cuddle as she pleased.

“By the way, do you remember what your senior brother told you before entering the Spirit Gathering Array?”

“I remember. After establishing my Foundation, I need to use my spiritual energy to force out the remaining cold energy in the Cold Sky Sand. If the elders ask, I’ll just say it was an accident…”

“Good,” Ye Anping nodded in satisfaction. He had given Pei Lengxue a method that would likely hide the fact that she possessed the Singular Water Spirit Root from most of Profound Star Sect’s elders. Only someone like Sima Xuanji or one of the five Grand Elders, such as Real Cloud Immortal, might suspect something if they saw how Pei Lengxue emerged from the Spirit Gathering Array. Otherwise, it was unlikely that anyone else would think about the “Singular Water Spirit Root.”

After a while, Ye Anping gently pushed Pei Lengxue off his body by holding her shoulders.

“Senior Brother, haven’t had enough yet…”

“You’re already this old and still acting like a spoiled child.”

Ye Anping tapped her nose playfully, brushed aside her disheveled hair, and then used his fingers to lift it slightly. He reached into his storage pouch and took out a delicate wooden box.

“Here, a gift from your senior brother for turning fifteen.”

Pei Lengxue’s raised hair flattened slightly. She quickly reached out and took the box, judging by its size, there should be a book or a piece of calligraphy inside. If it was calligraphy…

Could it be…

An engagement letter? A betrothal letter for engagement!!!

She bit her lip, and with trembling hands, she untied the rope on the wooden box. With anticipation in her heart, she removed the box’s lid and peeked inside.

When she saw the four characters “仙宫艳图” (Pictures of the Immortal Palace) inside the box, her thoughts seemed to merge with the entire universe, freezing for a moment.

“Pictures of the Immortal Palace?” Pei Lengxue looked at Ye Anping with a puzzled expression. “What kind of book is this?”

“Just some miscellaneous book.”

“…”

Pei Lengxue forced a smile and nodded lightly. She opened the first page but didn’t seem to understand it. So, she flipped through a few more pages, and when she saw the two little figures on one page, she pursed her lips.

“Senior Brother…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve come of age, and you’re giving me a comic book?” Pei Lengxue frowned with disdain and glanced at him, “Do you still see me as a little girl? I’m old enough to get married!”

“Ah– a comic book? Well, you’re not wrong…” Ye Anping felt a bit embarrassed and quickly explained, “Junior sister, this is not an ordinary comic book. It’s interactive; you can infuse it with spiritual energy, and the characters inside will come to life.”

Pei Lengxue showed no interest whatsoever. She felt that her five months of anticipation in the Spirit Gathering Array had been shattered in an instant. She forced a smile and said, “Oh, thank you, Senior Brother.”

Ye Anping didn’t know how to explain the content of the book to her. If he explained it too explicitly, it would be too inappropriate, making him seem like a rogue senior brother.

After pondering for a while, he hurriedly added, “If you don’t understand it, you can ask Senior Sister Xiao. I got this book from her, and I thought it might be meaningful to you.”

“Senior Sister Xiao?”

Hearing this, Pei Lengxue was slightly startled. She just noticed that her senior brother was wearing the attire of a Profound Star Sect accompanying disciple, similar to what she was wearing now, but for male disciples. Her eyes widened suddenly.

“Senior Brother, are you Xiao Yunluo’s accompanying disciple?”

“Yes, on the day you and Feng Yudie entered the Spirit Gathering Array, Senior Sister Xiao came to find me. She said I became her accompanying disciple, so I accompanied her back to the Hundred Lotus Sect. I established my Foundation there…”

“You went back to the Hundred Lotus Sect together?”

“Yes.”

“This… I see.”

Pei Lengxue nodded, shifted her gaze away, and then put the book back into her storage pouch. She stood up.

“Senior Brother, Elder Qin asked me to go to the Main Peak.”

Ye Anping raised an eyebrow. “Take a bath, change your clothes, and then go.”

“No need. I’ll wash up when I return. It won’t take long. Wait for me.”

Pei Lengxue smiled faintly, then walked out of the room and summoned her flying sword, flying towards the direction of the Main Peak.

Ye Anping sighed like an old father and stood up to continue tidying up the room.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yunluo was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for herself and Ye Anping. Although she had been embarrassed to talk to Ye Anping for several days due to a certain adult book, things had gradually developed in the direction she had anticipated.

While not exactly romantic, their interactions were becoming more comfortable and natural. In the mornings, they attended early classes together. As an accompanying disciple, Ye Anping would sit beside her and help her grind ink and write notes.

At noon, they would sit together at the stone table in the courtyard, bask in the sun, and practice Qi cultivation. They would also discuss the lessons taught by Master Qi for the day.

In the evenings, they would meditate together in the small Spirit Gathering Array in the courtyard to refine their Qi. Afterward, they would each take a bath, say goodnight, and go back to their respective rooms to sleep.

Apart from the four actions of holding hands, hugging, kissing, and dual cultivation, Xiao Yunluo felt that she and Ye Anping were extremely compatible Dao companions.

‘I wonder when Lengxue will come out… Should I try hugging him today?’

With these thoughts in mind, Xiao Yunluo placed the rice balls she had prepared into a lunchbox and prepared to call Ye Anping for class.

As soon as Xiao Yunluo pushed open the door and stepped out of the room, she saw a woman standing in the courtyard, causing her to hold her breath. The woman was holding a spiritual sword, her thick long hair covering her face, and she exuded a strong aura of hostility.

If it were nighttime, Xiao Yunluo suspected that she would have been terrified and screamed. She stared at the woman for a long time before recognizing her as Pei Lengxue.

“Ah– Lengxue? Are you out?” Xiao Yunluo asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“Yes,” Pei Lengxue nodded, her disheveled hair covering her face. She walked closer to Xiao Yunluo and said, “Yunluo, my senior brother said he became your accompanying disciple and will be living with you…”

“… …”

Although her tone was calm and gentle, Xiao Yunluo couldn’t help but gulp nervously as she looked at the spiritual sword in Pei Lengxue’s hand.

“Um, yes, that’s right.” She quickly recited the explanation she had prepared days ago, “Lengxue, I wanted to surprise you. You like Young Master Ye, right? Since Young Master Ye can’t enter the Profound Star Sect regularly, I thought that if he becomes my accompanying disciple, you two can see each other more often…”

Pei Lengxue tilted her head ninety degrees to the right.

“Surprise?”

Listening to Xiao Yunluo’s explanation, Pei Lengxue was momentarily stunned. Her previously resentful expression instantly brightened. She quickly changed the grip on her spiritual sword and placed it behind her.

“Oh, I see…” Pei Lengxue pursed her lips. “Thank you, Yunluo.”

Xiao Yunluo felt relieved that her explanation had worked. However, she also felt a strange sense of disappointment, realizing that her time with Ye Anping might be coming to an end. Ten days were definitely not enough.

“By the way, I made some pastries. Do you want to have them together?”

“No, thanks– My senior brother is waiting for me. I should go back.”

“Ah– Alright.”

As Xiao Yunluo watched Pei Lengxue leave, she stood in the courtyard for a while, feeling a mix of emotions. Then, she looked down at the two breakfasts she had prepared and thought for a moment. Finally, she returned to her room and devoured both servings.

After finishing the meal, she felt her stomach bloated, her chest heavy, and a sense of sadness enveloping her.

PS:

The romance storyline has been developed for about thirty chapters, and the plot is progressing slowly. Starting from the next chapter, the plotline will be advanced.