Chapter 15: There Is No Time Like the Present
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Su Yunyue, however, seemed eager to try and said excitedly, “Grandfather, in my opinion, our Su family should send two young ladies over!”
“What!” Many members of the Su family stared at her in astonishment. No one had expected her actually to take Su Yunqing’s words to heart.
Su Zhentian’s temples throbbed violently. It was impossible to tell whether he was angered or merely shocked.
Su Yunqi frowned. “Little Moon, that would…”
Before she could finish, Su Yunyue interrupted her. “Sister, our Su family was in the wrong from the beginning. It is only right that two of our daughters marry into their family now. I think that rather than letting some other girl go there and oppose you, I might as well marry in myself. At least you and I are sisters by blood, so we will naturally stand together.”
“What nonsense!” An elder of the Su family, a short and stout man, stepped forward angrily.
“Little Moon, you must not say such things again.” Su Zhentian could not help frowning as well, though he did not forget to study Xiao Jinghuai’s expression.
Xiao Jinghuai was naturally somewhat surprised. He had not expected her to say something so startling either.
Su Yunyue did not feel that she had said anything wrong. Instead, their opposition irritated her, and her expression instantly turned cold. “Are we not the ones at fault in this matter? I am willing to apologize on behalf of the Su family. How can that be wrong?”
…
When Su Yunqing returned to Phoenix Perch Academy, she had just raised her foot to enter the courtyard when she noticed a young man standing beneath the large tree outside. With his arms crossed, he tilted his head slightly and fixed his gaze on her.
“Has Third Miss Su’s matter been settled?”
“Thank you for today. I’ll treat you to a meal another day.” She studied the young man before her, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. She did not know why he had helped her, but gratitude was still due where gratitude was due.
“Why wait for another day when today will do?” He lifted his head, revealing a handsome face. His phoenix-shaped eyes held a smile, their outer corners slightly raised. A beauty mark beneath his left eye added an alluring touch to his features.
“Then wait a moment.”
After thinking it over carefully, she decided that it would be best to repay the favor now. At least then she would not need to waste any of her cultivation time worrying about it later.
She moved quickly, putting her things away and locking the door before coming back out.
“It’s getting late. Would you be willing to eat something at the academy cafeteria?”
The cafeteria was nearby, and they could return as soon as they finished eating, saving her a considerable amount of time.
“Are you in a hurry?” he asked, looking at her with a smile tinged with amusement.
“Yes. I still need to cultivate, so I am indeed in a hurry.” She nodded and answered bluntly, without any intention of exchanging empty pleasantries.
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“Hahahaha, you certainly are frank. Very well, let’s go to the cafeteria.”
The young man was in an excellent mood and immediately strode toward the dining hall.
By the time they arrived, quite a few people were still eating. The moment the two of them appeared, everyone’s eyes turned toward the entrance.
As they walked inside, they could hear snippets of conversation.
“Why did Su Yunqing come back so quickly? And she doesn’t even have a scratch on her?”
“How strange! She struck Su Yunyue, yet the Su family actually let her off?”
“Forget all that for now. Aren’t you curious why she’s walking beside Young Master Pei?”
“Exactly! It really is strange. Young Master Pei even stepped in to help her earlier! That was Young Master Pei, after all! Normally, even if a young lady fell right beside him, he would simply walk past as though he had not seen it. When has he ever helped anyone?”
“Shh! Keep your voice down. What if they hear you? Perhaps Young Master Pei likes her?”
“Hah! Look at her—she’s as skinny as a monkey, all dried up and hardly attractive at all. How could she compare with a beauty like Su Yunqi? Forget Su Yunqi—even Su Yunyue is probably prettier! Why would he choose to help Su Yunqing and antagonize Su Yunyue?”
“Maybe Young Master Pei stands to gain something from her?”
Their words plunged Su Yunqing into thought.
Gain something from her? What benefit could anyone possibly obtain from her in her current state? Everyone knew she was a good-for-nothing, an uneducated fool. So what exactly was he after?
“Third Miss Su, if I told you that I have nothing to gain from you, would you believe me?”
At that moment, his voice sounded. He stopped walking and turned his head toward her, still wearing that faint smile.
Hearing this, she came back to herself and followed his lead. “Then, Young Master, would you tell me why you helped me?”
“Perhaps because you are interesting?”
He tilted his head slightly. A trace of languor appeared in those phoenix-shaped eyes, though it vanished in the blink of an eye.
“Hmm?”
What kind of answer was that? Her interest in questioning him immediately disappeared.
“看来 you don’t believe me. Forget it. I only helped you on a whim, and today’s meal can be considered repayment.”
Since she did not want to owe him anything, this arrangement was perfectly satisfactory.
“All right.” She smiled faintly and followed him to buy their meals.
The meal ended quickly. He finished eating at almost exactly the same time she did.
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The two of them left together. Even as they departed, she could still hear people discussing them. But having lived through another lifetime, she was no longer as angry or concerned about idle gossip as she had been in her previous life. She had endured words far more vicious than these, so such remarks seemed insignificant now.
The men’s and women’s dormitories were in different areas. When they reached the fork in the road, she raised a hand.
“Young Master Pei, I’ll be going back first.”
“All right.”
He suddenly smiled, and it was as though everything around them had lost its color. For one brief instant, she was dazzled by his beauty, but the feeling disappeared moments later.
After all, love could wound a person deeply. Since she had already stumbled once in her previous life, she had no desire to repeat the same mistake now that she had been given another chance.
This time, she would rely on herself. As long as she cultivated diligently and became strong enough, no one would dare bully her.
With that thought, her gaze grew exceptionally resolute.
The young man opposite her naturally noticed the change in her emotions. Without saying anything more, he turned and walked away.
She, too, quickened her pace. The moment she returned, she began cultivating without even pausing to catch her breath. She truly did not want to waste a single moment.
While she cultivated, the two little creatures guarded her on either side. If one looked closely, one could even see a faint radiance covering their bodies.
Su Yunqing, however, was completely immersed in cultivation and noticed nothing. She drifted through that wondrous sensation until she felt something tapping against her thigh.
Only then did she open her eyes, still reluctant to leave that state. The surrounding spiritual energy gradually faded, and her breathing slowly steadied.
She then realized that dawn had broken. She had cultivated through the entire night without noticing. If Little Mist had not reminded her, she would probably have been late.
She quickly tidied herself, returned the two little creatures to her contracted space, and hurried outside.
She discovered that her physical condition was better than it had been the day before. Her body felt lighter, and joy naturally welled up inside her. This was the benefit of cultivation. In the past, she would be out of breath after walking only a short distance. Now, even after running the whole way, she felt no such strain.
When she reached the classroom, she noticed that quite a few people were looking at her with sympathy.
Hmm? Were they pitying her?
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