My Green Tea Junior Sister Smells So Good - Chapter 20

The Third Junior Sister looked at Shen Qingyi in disbelief. “Senior Sister, you want me to apologize to her?”

“Should you not? Do you not understand what you did wrong? If the Little Junior Sister hadn’t wanted to leave a path open for you, you’d be at the Discipline Hall receiving lashes for bullying a fellow disciple right now.”

Du Yuanluo felt everyone’s eyes converging on her and uncomfortably tugged at Shen Qingyi’s sleeve.

However, Shen Qingyi showed no intention of backing down, staring intently at the Third Junior Sister. She would not rest until a head was bowed.

Though the Third Junior Sister wasn’t as dazzling as Shen Qingyi or Jiang Linchuan, she was still a prominent figure on Yunyin Peak. Despite her docile appearance before the elders and seniors, she held absolute authority over the junior disciples.

Since Shen Qingyi hadn’t left, the other disciples didn’t dare move past her, and every pair of eyes was fixed on the scene.

The Third Junior Sister stared back at Shen Qingyi with a sense of grievance. Usually, Shen Qingyi was cold but not petty, as long as it wasn’t a matter of principle, a soft word and an admission of guilt would usually settle things.

But this time, Shen Qingyi’s gaze was like fire, offering no room for retreat.

Forcing the Third Junior Sister to apologize to a newly entered outer disciple was no different from a public slap in the face and it was all to back up this mortal woman.

The grievance in the Third Junior Sister’s eyes slowly turned to anger. Why humiliate her in public? Had Shen Qingyi come to her privately, she could have saved some face. “Second Senior Sister, must you force me like this?”

“Am I forcing you? Did you think about ‘forcing’ her when you used private punishment on the Little Junior Sister? Is asking for a simple apology not considered an act of mercy?”

Shen Qingyi had chosen this moment specifically, she wanted everyone to see.

“Second Senior Sister, you protect her like this just because she dared to profess her love in public? I dare to do that too! She has only known you for a few days, while we have shared a bond for many years. The ‘hundred years of harmony’ spoken of by mortal couples is a mere illusion, but we have truly been together for a century. Before, you and the Eldest Senior Brother were a pair. I couldn’t compare to him and didn’t dare hinder your future. But what is she? How does she dare?”

The Third Junior Sister became more agitated as she spoke, as if a pure snow lotus she didn’t dare defile had been chewed up by a cow.

However, her words resonated with many.

Countless people admired Shen Qingyi, but few dared to dream of becoming her Dao companion. If it were Jiang Linchuan, everyone would be envious but accepting. But if it was a useless mortal girl, many felt indignant and unwilling. The Third Junior Sister had voiced what many were thinking.

“Give up on that thought. In this life, I only seek to guard the Yunyin Sect. I will not be bound by private feelings. Let me never hear another word of this gossip again, and do not mention the Eldest Senior Brother.”

“Then why does Second Senior Sister protect her so much? Is that not ‘private feelings’?”

This question stumped Shen Qingyi. Could she say it was a debt from a past life? Cultivators believed in the cycle of karma and reincarnation, but Shen Qingyi’s memory wasn’t exactly from a “past life” the reversal of time was unprecedented.

If she said it outright, not only would no one believe her, she might even be accused of falling into a cultivation deviation (Qi Deviation).

“Yes, I am protecting her. If you want to bully her in the future, you’ll have to go through me first.”

Shen Qingyi decided to simply own it. Regardless, she was here today to warn everyone, no one was allowed to bully Du Yuanluo.

The Third Junior Sister hadn’t expected that by questioning Shen Qingyi, she would end up forcing her to give Du Yuanluo an official “status.” Tears welled in her eyes, but refusing to show weakness before the crowd, she turned to leave in a rage.

Shen Qingyi was relentless, grabbing her and pulling her back to face Du Yuanluo. “You haven’t apologized yet.”

Having already lost her dignity, the Third Junior Sister refused to lose face further. She stubbornly kept her head up. “I will not apologize to her. I will go to the Sect Leader myself to receive punishment.”

“You must apologize even if you are punished. A mistake is a mistake.”

Shen Qingyi was firm. The Third Junior Sister didn’t dare fight her further and could only unwillingly cup her hands toward Du Yuanluo in a perfunctory bow as an apology.

Shen Qingyi knew when to stop, lest she stir up too much hatred for Du Yuanluo.

Du Yuanluo’s heart felt so full it was nearly overflowing. She watched Shen Qingyi walk out of the hall but didn’t dare follow. The Yunyin Sect had a strict hierarchy. Shen Qingyi had given her the ultimate protection, but she couldn’t overstep her bounds and break the rules.

She had originally intended to bear the wind and rain herself so Shen Qingyi wouldn’t get wet, but with one move, Shen Qingyi had stopped the storm entirely.

Even though Shen Qingyi had left, no one dared to mock Du Yuanluo anymore. Not even a strange look was cast her way. The difference in status between her and Shen Qingyi had now been made very concrete.

Walking out of the hall, Du Yuanluo didn’t know whether to return to her quarters or go thank Shen Qingyi.

To her surprise, as soon as she stepped out, she saw Shen Qingyi standing under the corridor waiting for her. Du Yuanluo was the last to enter the sect and thus the last to leave, she didn’t know how long Shen Qingyi had been waiting.

“Pack your things. From now on, you live with me,” Shen Qingyi said expressionlessly.

Du Yuanluo’s heart felt like it was flying into the clouds. Her mouth hung open, unable to say a word.

Shen Qingyi had intimidated the junior disciples today, but she had also pushed Du Yuanluo into the eye of the storm. This was a tribulation Du Yuanluo was destined to face in this life, and Shen Qingyi wanted to protect her as much as possible.

However, seeing Du Yuanluo’s dazed, dreamlike expression was both funny and irritating. She couldn’t help but give the back of Du Yuanluo’s head a light swat.

“Stop daydreaming. If your mind is full of distractions, I’ll find you somewhere else to live.”

Du Yuanluo snapped out of it, raising three fingers in a vow. “I’ve taken Senior Sister’s words to heart. I will definitely practice hard. Before I am able to help Senior Sister, I won’t touch so much as a finger of yours.”

You’d need the ability to touch me first, Shen Qingyi thought. The rumors about her being “clueless of the heights of heaven and depths of the earth” weren’t entirely baseless.

Shen Qingyi was almost moved to laughter by her. “Go pack your things already.”

Du Yuanluo gave a quick reply and vanished in a flash.

To Du Yuanluo, achieving Dao was a distant dream, but the fact that Senior Sister allowed her to share a room meant at least that Senior Sister was willing to wait for her and that Senior Sister wouldn’t give anyone else a chance before she caught up.

In truth, Du Yuanluo didn’t have much to bring. She had arrived with a small bundle, and she returned with that same small bundle.

She hid something carefully between the layers of her clothes. Shen Qingyi wouldn’t have rummaged through her things anyway. But she acted suspiciously every day, fiddling with the contents of the bundle and hiding it like a thief whenever Shen Qingyi approached.

Since receiving that “big promise” from Shen Qingyi, Du Yuanluo began to practice with great sincerity.

Most of the Yunyin Sect followed the Way of the Sword. Previously, she had no interest in fighting, but now she refused to leave the practice stage. Even when she was beaten black and blue every day, she wouldn’t stop.

Shen Qingyi didn’t stop her. Though she knew Du Yuanluo wouldn’t achieve much in swordsmanship, learning a move or two for self-defense was good.

Du Yuanluo would fall asleep from exhaustion every day. After a few days of adjusting, one night when the moon was high, she saw that Shen Qingyi was fast asleep. She crept out of bed, took the small bundle from the cabinet, and tiptoed out of the room.

She didn’t realize that Shen Qingyi didn’t actually need to sleep, she was merely resting her spirit. Her every move was clear to Shen Qingyi.

Not long after she left, Shen Qingyi silently followed.

By the moonlight, Du Yuanluo was doing needlework.

At this moment, Du Yuanluo looked like the other fairies of the Yunyin Sect, her hair styled in an elegant “flying immortal” bun and her thin robes fluttering in the spiritual energy of the peak. Yet, she was doing needlework like a gentle, virtuous mortal woman.

This scene reminded Shen Qingyi that, ultimately, she was just a mortal girl who wanted a stable life. The cultivation and sword practice were just a means to stay by her side.

Shen Qingyi felt a bit guilty. She shouldn’t have given her expectations that couldn’t be met. She had seen Du Yuanluo’s talent in her past life, it was impossible for her to enter the Dao through the sword.

Perhaps she could try other methods. For instance, her nominal master, Elder Songhe, was an alchemist.

The thought startled Shen Qingyi, why was she so eager for Du Yuanluo to enter the Dao? Soon she relaxed, why shouldn’t she hope for it? Since she wanted to compensate her, she should give her the best.

In the hazy moonlight, Du Yuanluo accidentally pricked her finger. She sucked on it for a moment before continuing her stitches.

Shen Qingyi summoned a night luminescent pearl, lighting up the area around Du Yuanluo as if it were day.

Du Yuanluo turned and saw Shen Qingyi. In her surprise, she hurriedly tried to hide her work, but there was nowhere to put it.

In her panic, she stuffed it into her bodice, only to prick her chest with the needle.

Seeing her flustered state, Shen Qingyi felt both amused and pained. She pulled the embroidery out from Du Yuanluo’s collar. “What are you hiding? I didn’t say you couldn’t do it. In the future, do your needlework in the room with a lamp.”

As she spoke, she unfolded the embroidery. It was a piece of pure white silk, cut into the shape of a dudou (undergarment), embroidered with exquisite feather-leaves.

It clearly took a lot of effort. Shen Qingyi didn’t care much for clothing, but since Du Yuanluo liked it, she planned to offer some praise as compensation for her harsh words in her previous life.

But the words died in her throat. Below the unfinished feather-leaves, two words were neatly embroidered: “Qingyi.”

The praise she intended to give turned into: “You’re neglecting your cultivation for such idle trifles.”

Shen Qingyi had scolded many junior disciples like this before, but this was the first time she had scolded Du Yuanluo this way.

Whether out of shame for “neglecting her work” or shame over the unfinished undergarment, Du Yuanluo’s face turned crimson. She snatched the dudou from Shen Qingyi, dashed back into the room, wrapped it back into the bundle, and pressed it to the very bottom of her clothes.

From then on, Shen Qingyi never saw her do needlework again.

Not only did she stop the needlework, but besides cooking one meal a day for Shen Qingyi, she spent all her time either meditating or practicing the sword. She was even more diligent than her Senior Sister.

Shen Qingyi couldn’t bear it and told her not to tire herself out.

Du Yuanluo replied seriously, “Senior Sister is willing to wait for me, but I cannot make Senior Sister wait too long.”

Shen Qingyi: “……”

Seeing that she refused to slacken even for a moment, Shen Qingyi suggested she didn’t need to cook every day anymore.

Du Yuanluo refused again. “I can’t help Senior Sister with anything right now. If I lose even this small use, wouldn’t I truly become a waste?”

Shen Qingyi didn’t want her to waste effort in an area where she lacked talent. She began to contemplate a way for Elder Songhe to officially accept Du Yuanluo as his disciple in a way that felt earned.