After My Paranoid Act to Woo My Cold Master Failed - Chapter 45

“I’m back!” Shen Shuheng pushed the door open and rushed to her Master’s side, full of excitement.

Fu Xueke looked up from her book, her gaze softening. “You’re back.”

“Mhm! Master, guess what I brought you!” Shuheng hid one hand behind her back, clutching a small oil-paper bag. She leaned over, her face inches from Fu Xueke’s. Her thick eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes sparkled with a clever, mountain-creature sort of mischief.

“Your Master does not know,” Fu Xueke replied. She had smelled the osmanthus immediately, but seeing the girl’s hopeful expression, she decided to play along.

“Master must guess at least once! Don’t just say you don’t know!” the girl pouted.

“Carrots,” Fu Xueke said.

Shuheng shook her head. “No, it’s something cooked.”

Fu Xueke tapped her fingers on the table. “Orange-fried cherries?”

Shuheng burst into a giggle. “What kind of dish is that? I won’t tease you anymore. Close your eyes.”

Fu Xueke closed her eyes, a smile blooming on her lips. A faint floral scent filled the air, followed by the touch of a warm, soft pastry against her lips.

“It’s osmanthus cake,” Fu Xueke’s voice flowed like a cool stream.

Shuheng used her fingertips to push the cake into Fu Xueke’s mouth. “Correct! Your reward is a piece of cake.”

The moment the pastry hit her tongue, a cloying, overwhelming sweetness assaulted her senses. It was so sugary it made her head spin; she felt as if she were stepping into a pile of rotting cotton, a wave of nausea hitting her. She felt terrible, yet she maintained her spring-breeze smile, chewing slowly and swallowing as if she were tasting the finest delicacy in the world.

“Is it good?” Shuheng’s eyes curved into crescents. “A-Heng made it herself just for Master.”

Fu Xueke took a calm sip of tea, the slight bitterness washing away the worst of the sugar. “A-Heng is so good. Give the rest to Master as well.” She couldn’t let the girl taste it; it was truly, deathly sweet.

The Burn

Shuheng sat beside her, resting her chin in her hands. She watched as Fu Xueke took a bite of cake followed by a large gulp of tea. Soon, the teapot was empty.

“Master, I’ll go boil some water for you,” Shuheng offered. She summoned her Spirit Fire to heat the kettle.

Without the tea to buffer the sweetness, Fu Xueke felt a bit sick to her stomach, yet she continued to eat with a poised, calm expression. When the water finally whistled, Shuheng poured a fresh cup.

As Fu Xueke reached for the cup, Shuheng blocked her. “It’s too hot, let me cool it for you.”

Suddenly, Shuheng’s face grew serious. Her brow furrowed as she grabbed Fu Xueke’s hand. “When did you burn yourself? There’s a blister!”

The burn was tiny, but because they were so close, Shuheng had caught it. “Master is so careless. From now on, let A-Heng make the tea.”

“Does it hurt?” Shuheng gently held the finger and blew on it. The cool breath sent a ripple through Fu Xueke’s heart that refused to settle. Shuheng crushed a white medicinal pill over the burn, the rich fragrance of herbs filling the room.

The Secret Taste

Shuheng watched her Master intently. The scent of the cakes was so tempting that she began to salivate. Even though she had promised they were only for Master, she couldn’t resist.

Just as Fu Xueke was about to finish the last piece, Shuheng reached out, grabbed her wrist, and snatched the half-eaten cake with her mouth.

The expected deliciousness did not arrive. Instead, a sweetness so intense it made her vision go dark hit her. Because it was something her Master had already bitten, she couldn’t bring herself to spit it out in her mind, this was basically an indirect kiss. She scrunched up her face and swallowed it whole.

“Don’t choke, drink some water,” Fu Xueke said, handing her the cup.

Shuheng took it, her guilt momentarily forgotten in favor of her “little plan.” She rotated the cup so her lips touched the exact spot where Master had sipped, and drained the tea.

“Master, I’m so sorry… it’s terrible. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Fu Xueke looked at her with feigned confusion. “You think it’s bad?”

“It’s deathly sweet!” Shuheng cried.

Fu Xueke shook her head. “My sense of taste was damaged by an illness when I was young. I cannot taste some things clearly. But your cake is soft, translucent, and smells of fresh flowers. It is excellent.”

“Master… you can’t taste good food?” Shuheng’s voice was full of pity.

“I have no obsession with food. To me, a feast and an Inedia pill are the same. But for your first attempt, this is very impressive.”

Shuheng’s face flushed with a rosy glow, like sunset clouds. Fu Xueke watched her, thinking: She is still such a child, so easily coaxed. I must stay by her side forever to protect her from being tricked by others.

The Great Sect Tournament

Half a month later, in Moon-Cold Valley.

“Your mind must be focused on your cultivation now. Do not be distracted,” Fu Xueke warned.

The waterfall roared behind them. Shuheng stood in her green robes, looking as resilient as a stalk of bamboo. “I understand.”

Fu Xueke watched her. For the past two weeks, she had stayed by Shuheng’s side, constantly wondering: Who is the person she likes? A disciple from our sect? Or someone else?

Shuheng stepped into the freezing torrents. Her sword flashed like a cold star. Under the immense pressure of the water, she leveled her blade, and the spray transformed into the phantom of a white dragon, roaring as it froze the stream mid-air.

Wind stopped, water stilled. The girl in the river looked back at Fu Xueke.

Fu Xueke’s heart hammered against her ribs. A voice in her head screamed: She is so wonderful, are you really going to let someone else have her? Cast aside your morality. Trap her. Make her yours.

The scene shifted to the Great Sect Tournament.

Shuheng stood on the stage in her green robes, her sharp sword-glance sweeping her opponent off the platform. She was high-spirited and radiant, attracting the burning gazes of countless men and women in the audience.

Fu Xueke’s eyes turned icy. The thought that one of those people might be the one Shuheng “loved” made her heart churn with a restless, violent jealousy. For the first time in a hundred years, her “Still Water” heart-method failed her.

At this moment, she didn’t want to be a Master. She wanted to snatch her disciple away and hide her in a place where no one else could ever look at her.