My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 15

That hand was slender yet powerful, with thin calluses lingering on the palm and fingertips likely marks left by years of sword practice. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell it belonged to someone trained in martial arts, and moreover, to a person of considerable resolve. Otherwise, such distinct traces, born only from long-term rigorous practice, would not have formed. It stood in stark contrast to Du Yunge’s delicate, slender hands, which bore almost no signs of martial training.

Xue Shuyan gazed at their intertwined hands, her thoughts drifting uncontrollably. In that fleeting moment, she thought, Even if Yunge ends up incapable of anything, it doesn’t matter, I will protect her.

In that brief instant, she had pledged her entire life.

As the hand slowly but firmly clasped Du Yunge’s, the distinct warmth and texture of another person made Du Yunge instinctively shrink her neck slightly. Even the rims of her ears flushed a vivid, fiery red, as radiant and intense as the sprawling peach blossom groves that bloomed across the back hills of Wangyou Mountain every spring. However, she had always been unguarded around others, and such an intimate gesture did little to raise her suspicions, let alone awaken any deeper understanding. Instead, she turned to Xue Shuyan with a gentle smile:

“Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Xue Shuyan nodded solemnly.

Qiu Yueman, completely oblivious to the atmosphere between the two, continued sharing her speculations:

“We cannot fully believe in matters of ghosts and gods, yet we cannot dismiss them entirely. Besides, this girl seems genuinely frightened. She has no connections to the outside world and couldn’t have been bribed there’s absolutely no reason for her to betray Miaoyin Sect. With the most plausible human factors ruled out, only supernatural explanations remain. In my opinion, why not first escort these people down from Wangyou Mountain and, on another day, invite a master to chant scriptures and ward off evil spirits? What do you think?”

Feng Chengchun happened to recall her plan to go down the mountain another day to light a perpetual lamp, celebrating their sect leader’s growth from the naive girl she once was. She chimed in:

“Since that’s the case, I’d also like to invite someone to light a perpetual lamp for our sect leader. Why not combine the two events?”

For a moment, both guardians Qiu Yueman and Feng Chengchun, along with Xue Shuyan, turned their gazes to Du Yunge, awaiting her final decision. Du Yunge pinched her palm hard, feeling a sharp sting, before letting out a long sigh. When she spoke, her voice was as soft and sweet as ever:

“Let’s proceed as Guardian Qiu suggested.”

Given Qiu Yueman’s usual penny-pinching, thrifty nature, her initiative to suggest hiring someone to perform rites was the utmost display of concern she could offer. After all, conducting such ceremonies cost money.

Since Qiu Yueman had shown goodwill, and Feng Chengchun seemed somewhat convinced despite lacking ironclad evidence linking the incident to He Zhenzhen it wouldn’t be right to dismiss their goodwill. Du Yunge decided to agree for now, planning to investigate privately later what exactly had happened to the fainted girl.

After dealing with the matter, Qiu Yueman belatedly remembered to ask about what had happened at the martial arts contest for marriage that night. She hadn’t done anything else all evening except for one task organizing the gift lists brought by those who had come to participate in the contest. She meticulously checked each item, cataloged them, and stored them in the warehouse. Anything that could be directly used by Du Yunge was set aside, while the rest was securely locked away in the storeroom, waiting for future use. Given how she usually treated the storeroom keys as if they were her own beloved daughter, it was safe to say that these items wouldn’t suffer any loss even a hundred years later.

Having spent the entire evening in the storeroom, Qiu Yueman naturally had no idea what had transpired at the contest venue. It wasn’t until her subordinate, who had been stationed at the venue to report any emergencies to her immediately, informed her that something had indeed gone wrong as if bad omens always came true that she hurried to the meeting hall. On the way, she only managed to grasp the general situation and had no idea how the matter had been resolved. Cautiously, she asked:

“So how was it resolved in the end? Do we need to offer compensation?”

At the mention of the word “compensation,” the pained expression on her face as if money, even money that wasn’t hers, was about to slip away made even bystanders like Du Yunge and Xue Shuyan feel a sympathetic pang. Du Yunge quickly explained:

“No, Guardian Qiu, please set your mind at ease. There’s no need for apologies or compensation. Thanks to Senior Sister Xue stepping in to compete in the arena, she won the martial arts contest for marriage. After today, I’ll still be staying on Wangyou Mountain.”

Only then did Qiu Yueman feel as though the heavy stone of “money” that had been weighing on her heart finally lifted. Even Xue Shuyan’s perpetually expressionless and unchanging face seemed to soften and become more pleasing to her eyes:

“Oh my, I always knew someone like Shuyan was the most reliable!”

To express her genuine delight, Qiu Yueman affectionately patted Xue Shuyan on the shoulder and said to Feng Chunchen with a smile, “Sister Chun, you’ve truly raised an excellent disciple. It’s really something to be envied. When I have some free time someday, I’ll make a special trip down the mountain to find a disciple with extraordinary talent and obedient nature, teach her well, and pass on my legacy to her when my time comes.”

Feng Chunchen asked in surprise, “You have a legacy. Oh, I see, you mean that big bunch of keys? In that case, it does hold some value to pass down. But speaking of which, how could you possibly associate Shuyan with the word ‘obedient’? This child has always had her own ideas, and I think that’s a good thing.”

“This is our sect leader’s martial arts contest for marriage, Sister Chun. A martial arts contest for marriage,” Qiu Yueman gave Feng Chunchen a strange look, as if this were something every normal person in the world should understand, yet she was standing before someone utterly clueless:

“Didn’t we state clearly when we sent out the invitations? Whoever wins this contest gets to marry our sect leader.”

Feng Chunchen still hadn’t grasped the implication: “So?”

Qiu Yueman glanced at Du Yunge, then at Xue Shuyan, and suddenly fell silent. After hemming and hawing for a long time, she couldn’t come up with a clear explanation:

“Anyway! Oh, Sister Chun, I have to say, you’re so sharp when reviewing the account books, but at times like this, you’re really not getting it. Just remember one thing Shuyan is absolutely devoted to our sect leader. Isn’t that right, Shuyan?”

The last sentence clearly shifted the conversation, turning directly to Xue Shuyan. Though Xue Shuyan had not yet officially become the deputy leader of the Miaoyin Sect, her status was still below Yun Anxue’s, so she couldn’t possibly ignore the inquiry from the Guardian Qiu. Moreover, it would be inappropriate to keep holding Du Yunge’s hand while being addressed by an elder. So, Xue Shuyan released Du Yunge’s hand and nodded slightly to Qiu Yueman, replying:

“Guardian Qiu is right.”

Whether others understood or not, at least Du Yunge, for once, had a rare moment of clarity and grasped what Qiu Yueman was trying to say:

Since Xue Shuyan had intervened decisively at her martial arts contest for marriage, regardless of her motives, who had entrusted her, or whether she ultimately succeeded in marrying the Miaoyin Sect Leader Du Yunge, in the eyes of others, Xue Shuyan was bound to be linked to Du Yunge in a relationship deeper than that of ordinary senior and junior disciples or even that of sect leader and deputy.

To put it more plainly, Xue Shuyan’s reputation was now completely tied to Du Yunge.

In the over ten years since Xue Shuyan had appeared in the Miaoyin Sect, she had maintained a spotless record. Not only were there no romantic rumors about her, but there had never been even a hint of unfavorable gossip, which spoke volumes about her prudence and integrity. For someone so upright and beyond reproach to stake her own reputation to protect another person to step into the martial arts contest for marriage and bear the pressure of potentially becoming the talk of the entire martial world for a long time, if that couldn’t be called absolute loyalty, then what could?

At least, that was how Qiu Yueman saw it.

That was why she spared no effort in reminding Du Yunge that Xue Shuyan was truly devoted to her and that she must treat Xue Shuyan well. Because if the Miaoyin Sect were to be safely passed on to the next generation of successors, they would undoubtedly need to rely on Xue Shuyan’s strength. They absolutely must not let Xue Shuyan’s heart grow cold.

Feng Chengchun finally caught on as well. It wasn’t that she had been slow to react, as if infected by Du Yunge’s demeanor, but rather because she had already discerned the deeper, less obvious connection: “Xue Shuyan has feelings for Du Yunge.” This made it difficult for her to consider the more superficial aspects. For a moment, she felt both amused and regretful, thinking how much better it would be if Xue Shuyan weren’t her disciple and Du Yunge weren’t the child entrusted to her care by the former Miaoyin Sect Leader. In that case, she wouldn’t have to worry about so many constraints and would do everything in her power to facilitate this match.

With this thought, Feng Chengchun couldn’t help but sigh sincerely:

“Sect Leader, don’t blame me for being long-winded, but Shuyan is truly devoted to us.”

Du Yunge nodded deeply in agreement though her line of thinking was likely entirely different from Feng Chengchun’s.

“Alright, since this matter is temporarily resolved for now, everyone should return to their rooms and get some rest.” Feng Chengchun let out a heavy sigh, feeling that her mental resilience had been forged to an unprecedented level of strength tonight. “Since the sect leader has expressed the intention to start anew and build a proper foundation, she must pick up the sword techniques she has neglected for so long. She absolutely cannot continue to be idle like this.”

“Tomorrow morning, I ask the sect leader to rise early for sword practice. Xue Shu Yan, don’t spoil her too much. As soon as she wakes, assist her with washing up, and once she’s ready, bring her to the training hall. Yun Mei and I will be waiting for you there.”

Xue Shuyan and Du Yunge responded in unison, “Yes.”

That night, as Du Yunge lay in bed, she found herself tossing and turning restlessly. No matter how she positioned herself or curled up under the covers, she felt unbearably agitated. Yet, she couldn’t pinpoint the reason for her unease, so she simply attributed it all to He Zhenzhen, the woman who had taken her life in her previous existence and, in this life, had likely already caused trouble on Mount Wangyou during the martial arts tournament.

Gnashing her teeth silently, she rolled over and over in bed. Fortunately, her bed was a finely crafted ten-poster canopy bed; otherwise, it wouldn’t have withstood her restless movements, and she would have surely tumbled to the floor long ago.

Du Yunge was a girl with a genuinely kind heart, raised under the careful guidance of Feng Chengchun and others. She knew nothing of arrogance or taking advantage of favoritism rare qualities that set her apart from those in high positions who looked down on their subordinates. Otherwise, the earlier incident where she was stopped from leaving by overly cautious maids would never have occurred.

In wealthy households, if the master was in a bad mood, servants would keep their distance to avoid becoming targets of misplaced anger. But even staying away wasn’t a foolproof strategy. If the master’s temper persisted, someone might still be singled out as a scapegoat. And if one were unlucky enough to be unjustly blamed, there was nothing to be done, the hierarchy was unbreachable.

Du Yunge, however, was nothing like these people. Even when she was so furious she felt like a pufferfish about to burst, she would never take her anger out on others. At most, she would grit her teeth silently while clutching her blanket and roll around a few more times in bed. This time, though, her rolling must have been a bit off, as she accidentally bumped her head solidly against one of the bedposts.

The impact was sharp and disorienting. She let out a small cry of pain, tears welling in her eyes as she clutched her nose. For a moment, her mind went completely blank, and if she had to put words to the sensation, it would be just two:

So painful!

The commotion she made was loud enough to startle Xue Shu Yan, who had been preparing to sleep in the outer chamber. As a highly skilled martial artist, Xue Shu Yan’s senses were exceptionally sharp, especially when it came to someone like Du Yunge, who didn’t know how to conceal her presence or muffle her sounds. Even the slightest noise from inside was easily audible to her.

It so happened that Xue Shuyan hadn’t had time to change her clothes yet. She immediately got out of bed and went to the inner chamber door, knocked three times, then pushed it open and entered. Facing Du Yunge, who lay on the bed with tear-filled eyes, she asked:

“Yunge, what were you just doing?”

Du Yunge was still in so much pain that her mind wasn’t working clearly though, to be fair, it wasn’t usually very sharp to begin with. Hearing this question, she blurted out without thinking:

“Thinking about He Zhenzhen!”

The second half of her sentence was, “That person is really terrible, but thankfully Senior Sister Xue defeated her.” However, before she could say it, Du Yunge was startled by Xue Shuyan’s expression:

Why did Senior Sister Xue seem angry?

Although Xue Shuyan’s most common expression was a blank face, her current demeanor couldn’t be categorized as merely expressionless it had escalated to “expressionlessly angry.” If the previous Xue Shuyan resembled a deep, thousand-year-old cold pond, then now she was like a vast, desolate plain swept by an endless icy wind. Even Du Yunge, who had spent a long time with her, couldn’t help but shrink back slightly and ask in a small voice:

“Senior Sister Xue, why are you angry?”

Xue Shuyan’s expression softened a little so as not to frighten Du Yunge, but she still wanted to understand what was going on. So she sat down by Du Yunge’s bedside, separated by a layer of rain-cleared-blue gauze curtains, her hand unintentionally resting less than a foot away from Du Yunge’s:

“Why is Yunge thinking about such a person?”

Du Yunge carefully studied Xue Shuyan’s expression and thought back to what she had just said. Finally, it dawned on her how suggestive her earlier reply to Xue Shuyan must have sounded. She hurriedly explained:

“I didn’t mean to collude with the enemy, Senior Sister, please don’t overthink it. I, Du Yunge, am a person of the Miaoyin Sect in life and a ghost of the Miaoyin Sect in death. I would never secretly conspire with outsiders!”

Xue Shuyan fell silent for a moment, unsure whether to first explain that she wasn’t afraid of Du Yunge colluding with the enemy but rather worried that Du Yunge might have suddenly changed her mind and developed feelings for He Zhenzhen, or to tell Du Yunge not to misuse idioms in the future. In the end, she said nothing, merely tucked Du Yunge’s quilt in more securely, then stood up and let down all the bed curtains:

“Sleep.”

Just as Xue Shuyan was about to rise and leave, a hand suddenly reached out from behind the bed curtains and gently tugged at the hem of her robe.

Du Yunge had little talent for martial arts and had never been willing to put in the hard work before. Compared to an expert like Xue Shuyan, she had almost no strength in her hands. A slight tug from Xue Shuyan would have been enough to break free, but Xue Shuyan seemed spellbound, halted in her tracks by this simple, feeble gesture of restraint. After a long pause, Du Yunge asked softly:

“Senior Sister Xue, could I trouble you to sleep with me tonight? I can’t fall asleep.”

She truly couldn’t fall asleep.

“The impact of ‘returning from the dead’ was simply too overwhelming. Moreover, Du Yunge had, within just a few hours, experienced reuniting with the murderer, avoided repeating the mistakes of her past life, and faced the shock of discovering that there might truly be a traitor within the Miaoyin Sect. All these events left her unable to sleep, even as she lay in bed. Her mind was a chaotic whirl of thoughts, and countless voices, both real and illusory, echoed in her ears, making her head throb with pain. All she wanted was a good night’s rest to regain her strength.

After a long silence, Xue Shuyan finally spoke, but her voice was so soft that Du Yunge couldn’t make out a single word:

‘Without any proper standing, this isn’t quite appropriate.’

Du Yunge genuinely hadn’t heard a thing being sharp-eared and clear-sighted was never a trait she, as a martial arts mediocrity, possessed. ‘Senior Sister Xue, I didn’t catch what you said just now. What was it?’

‘I said…’ Xue Shuyan sat down by her bedside again and drew back half of the outer bed curtain. Now, only a thin layer of sky-blue gauze separated them, a distance that was neither overly intimate nor improper, yet close enough to let Du Yunge, who needed companionship, feel a tangible sense of security:

‘I’ll be right here. Until you fall asleep, I won’t go anywhere.'”

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