Even If You're My Senior, It's Still Forbidden - Chapter 29.2

Ji Weining gradually calmed down as well. Her junior sister couldn’t handle much more for now, it was better to let her grow up a bit more. She could wait.

She could wait.

After changing clothes, Ji Weining lay beside Su Jin’an, tucking the blanket snugly around her and placing a hand on her abdomen.

“Senior sister’s hand is so warm,” Su Jin’an murmured, turning over to rest her head on Ji Weining’s arm and clasping the hand that had slipped beneath her clothes.

“My junior sister is so soft,” Ji Weining whispered, feeling Su Jin’an gently squeeze her hand. “As long as it feels good and comfortable for you, that’s all that matters.”

Outside the window, the stars twinkled brightly, the night had deepened.

Yu Qing had finally uncovered the person in the local gentry’s household who intended to harm him. But just as she was about to apprehend and question the culprit, the person bit off their tongue and committed suicide right in front of her. The situation had grown even more critical, prompting her to head to the Hua residence to find Ji Weining.

She knocked on the door of the courtyard she had instructed Hua Rong to take them to, but after several attempts, there was no response. She scaled the wall and entered, pushing open the doors to the three rooms inside. After searching the entire courtyard, she found it empty.

Beneath the bed in the slightly larger room, Yu Qing discovered a box and opened it. Inside lay a “Compendium of Spells,” its contents undisturbed. Her fingers traced the edge of the box, her gaze uncertain where to rest. Having made up her mind, she headed toward Hua Rong’s quarters.

From the main room of the Hua residence came a call: “Xiao Hua?”

“Have you finished investigating the case?” Hua Rong had just settled her daughter, Hua Le, to sleep and was about to rest herself when she was surprised to see Yu Qing seeking her out.

Yu Qing asked with difficulty, “Did you take Immortal Ji to the east courtyard?”

“Wasn’t it the west courtyard? The one you designed and said you wanted for the future?” Hua Rong looked at her, puzzled, clearly remembering Yu Qing had specified the west courtyard.

Hua Rong continued, “Oh, and I also told them about the things you left under the bed.”

Yu Qing’s expression cracked, unsure how to explain the situation to Hua Rong.

“Alright!”

She knew Hua Rong had no sense of direction, yet she had still entrusted her with the task. It was all her fault. Overwhelmed with regret, Yu Qing arrived at the entrance of the east courtyard, uncertain whether to enter or leave.

Early the next morning, Ji Weining was just thinking of fetching some snacks to satisfy a craving when she opened the door and found Yu Qing leaning against it, dark circles under her eyes, as if she had waited there all night.

“Senior Sister Ji, did you sleep well last night?” Yu Qing asked with a hint of resentment.

“Mm,” Ji Weining replied. How could she not sleep well with such warmth and softness in her arms? In contrast, Yu Qing seemed to have worn herself out investigating the case, ending up in her current state.

Yu Qing brought up the serious matter: “The investigation into the local gentry is complete. I’d like to discuss it with you, Senior Sister, whenever you have time.”

Su Jin’an was still asleep, having exhausted herself from practicing spells day after day. Ji Weining only wanted her to rest a little longer. “Later, perhaps. My junior sister is still sleeping.”

Yu Qing’s gaze fell on the mark on Ji Weining’s lip, and she swallowed the words she had been about to say, murmuring instead, “Alright.”

“What are you planning to do now, Senior Sister Ji?”

Ji Weining didn’t feel it was necessary to go out. If Yu Qing could help her with the task, she could return and spend more time with her junior sister. “Is there any fresh produce available?”

“I’ll buy some for you, Senior Sister. You can stay here.” Yu Qing nodded, retrieving a box she had previously left in the west courtyard. “Also, this is for you. See if your junior sister might find it useful.”

“I thought you were going to give me that specially crafted Immortal-Binding Rope of yours?” Ji Weining asked curiously, then pulled out a book she had hidden in her sleeve overnight. “Oh, and this too.”

“No!” Yu Qing uttered the word with visible discomfort, clearly unwilling to discuss the topic further. She quickly added, “If you want to use it, Senior Sister, feel free. I haven’t tried it myself.”

Just as Ji Weining had suspected, it was something related to Yu Qing and Hua Rong. Yu Qing didn’t seem like the type to take on a disciple casually, if she had accepted Hua Le, it must have been because of Hua Rong.

Ji Weining smirked. “You two really have quite the imagination.”

“You keep the book. I’m still more experienced than you.”

“Mm.” Yu Qing glanced up, her eyes lingering on the mark on Ji Weining’s lip, unable to offer any rebuttal.

Ji Weining returned to the room and lay down beside Su Jin’an. She traced her junior sister’s eyebrows with her fingers, twirled strands of her hair, and played with them gently. The person before her remained fast asleep, undisturbed.

After a while, a knock came from outside the door.

“I didn’t know what you wanted, so I bought some fresh ingredients.” Yu Qing handed a basket of vegetables to Ji Weining.

Ji Weining glanced inside everything was indeed fresh. Her junior sister wasn’t picky, and she herself cooked without much fuss. She nodded in acknowledgment and asked, “Good. By the way, do you know who designed this house?”

Yu Qing stiffened at the question, though Ji Weining seemed to like the courtyard. Tentatively, she asked, “Why do you ask?”

“I’d like to get the blueprints from them,” Ji Weining replied.

“Alright.” Yu Qing retrieved a stack of architectural plans from her Qiankun pouch, flipping through them until she found the specific drawings for this courtyard. She handed them to Ji Weining. “These are all of them.”

“You designed this?” Ji Weining was astonished, never having imagined Yu Qing possessed such skills.

Yu Qing admitted it, explaining, “You know I come from a farming family. When I was young, I learned some carpentry from my mother.”

Before she was told about her spiritual bone, she had no understanding of cultivation and had never set foot in that world until the year a Taoist priest offered ten taels of silver to take her to Qingheng Mountain in place of his son for the trials.

After that, no one ever asked how she had entered Qingheng Mountain.

Gradually, everyone there forgot about her, until she returned to Taoyuan Town.

“It’s quite good,” Ji Weining remarked. Cultivation was a long journey; one had to learn other things to pass the time, just as she herself had taken up cooking to while away the hours.

Ji Weining stood at the doorway, hesitating for a moment before beginning to criticize, “Your house doesn’t even have a proper hall, I don’t even know where to have you sit!”

This was indeed Yu Qing’s fault. Originally, this house wasn’t meant for guests. The words stuck in her throat, and she had no response to Ji Weining’s reproach, swallowing them back once again.

“Would it be alright if I come find Senior Sister Weining around noon?”

Ji Weining calculated the time and figured it should work out.

“Fine.”

Only then did Yu Qing leave the Hua residence and head to the yamen. After wandering around for a while, she examined the corpses once more. As expected, she couldn’t discern any differences among them at all.

The foul stench of the corpses clung to her, filling her with nothing but disgust and revulsion. Being a coroner was clearly not a job for just anyone.

Seeing that it was still early, Yu Qing went to the Hua family’s shop.

“Master Yu Qing.” Hua Rong was minding the store with Hua Le.

“Are you here to teach Lele today?”

Yesterday, Yu Qing had informed her that she would be investigating some matters for a few days and wouldn’t be able to teach Hua Le. Since Hua Le was still young, Hua Rong wasn’t in a hurry. If Yu Qing was eager to teach, she wouldn’t stand in the way. After all, private tutoring was hard to come by, and if Hua Le could embark on the path of cultivation because of it, she would be more than happy to see it happen.

“I came to see you.” Every time Yu Qing thought of Ji Weining’s bitten face appearing before her, she would think of Hua Rong.

Hua Rong was a child she had watched grow up. She didn’t know when it started, but Hua Rong’s figure had taken over her thoughts. She should have stopped her from marrying that scoundrel years ago.

Fortunately, Hua Rong had separated from that man, and he would never be seen again.

Yu Qing was consumed with jealousy, yet she could never bring herself to act on the desires that played over and over in her heart. She stood behind Hua Rong, watching her step by step become the wealthiest person in Taoyuan Town.

She watched as Hua Rong opened shops in the surrounding areas. She still remembered how Hua Rong had once rushed headlong into her arms just to buy a bag of preserved fruits. And now, shops filled with preserved fruits had spread all over Taoyuan Town.

“Why are you looking at me?” Hua Rong was puzzled, wondering what had gotten into Yu Qing these past few days, always seeking her out.

“Sit at the entrance and help attract some customers for me.” Hua Rong’s mind was entirely on money, thinking only about how to earn a bit more while she could.

Yu Qing knew her nature well she hadn’t even charged tuition for Hua Le, afraid that Hua Rong might not send her over.

“Master, are you going to teach Lele now?” Hua Le, her hair tied in two buns, toddled over. Her chubby, adorable appearance was utterly endearing.

Hua Rong gestured, “Go teach in the backyard.”

“Alright,” Yu Qing replied bitterly.

“Lele has memorized all the books you asked for these past few days,” Hua Rong made small talk.

Hearing this, Hua Le said to Yu Qing, “Lele is very good, isn’t she?”

“Yes, Lele is very good. You’re the best child Master has ever seen.” Yu Qing patted her head and led her inside.

Hua Rong busied herself outside while Yu Qing took Hua Le into the room. By noon, when Hua Rong was about to take Hua Le for lunch, Yu Qing left to find Ji Weining.

At that time, Ji Weining was teaching Su Jin’an a new spell.

“Do you like it?” The spell in her hand was water-based, shaping into a heart in her palm, then transforming into a flower the next moment endlessly changing.

“Have you grasped it, junior sister?”

Su Jin’an nodded. The array in Ji Weining’s palm wasn’t particularly difficult, the real challenge lay in controlling spiritual energy to manipulate its transformations.

“This technique has the effect of deceiving the senses. It’s even more effective when used underwater,” Ji Weining remarked, considering the water-aligned nature of the array.

“Underwater?” Su Jin’an voiced her confusion.

Ji Weining explained, “There is a clan in the East Sea that lives underwater.”

“The Merfolk clan?” Su Jin’an recalled what she had read in books, the heart of a merperson was considered a medicinal ingredient, which had led to the deaths of many merfolk.

“Yes, but they are rarely seen now. Most have submerged deep into the East Sea.”

The East Sea was their home, the place where they had lived for millennia.

“I saw them decades ago while traveling, but now I don’t know where they are.”

Ji Weining then took out a glowing pearl from her Qiankun pouch. “This is a mermaid’s tear pearl.”

“It’s formed when a merperson sheds tears.”

“Such a large one, she must have cried for a long time.” Su Jin’an didn’t understand merfolk well, but she knew this pearl was neither small nor easily obtained.

“Yes, her relative passed away, and their heart was taken.”

The heart of a merperson was used to guide travelers, ensuring they would meet again in the next life.

However, few merfolk was willing to do this. If a merperson offered their heart, it was undoubtedly out of profound love.

“Senior sister, do you know a lot about this?” Su Jin’an asked, turning to Ji Weining.

Hearing the unusual tone in her junior sister’s voice, Ji Weining quickly shook her head. “Only a little. The merfolk are too mysterious.”

They were the only clan living underwater, with no others like them. The world knew very little about merfolk, relying only on ancient tales passed down over centuries.

Later, they were exploited and gradually became what they are now. The merfolk resides in the East Sea, rarely emerging, and no one knows their current strength.

“It seems Yu Qing is here.” Ji Weining heard a knock at the door, stood up, and went to answer it.

When Yu Qing saw Su Jin’an, she paused for a moment, her eyes immediately catching the bite mark on Su Jin’an’s neck. What the two of them had been doing here seemed self-explanatory.

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