My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 33.1

When Du Yunge woke early the next morning, Xue Shuyan had already been up for quite some time and was combing her hair in the outer section of the green gauze cabinet.

Since she wasn’t of pure Hu descent but only had some Hu ancestry, her hair wasn’t like that of true Hu people, who might have red, brown, or blond hair but was instead jet black, just like the Han people. Even her eye color was no different from that of the Han. Only her slightly deeper facial features and accent hinted at her Hu heritage.

But Hu ancestry, once it was part of you, it was hard to explain away. No matter how much Hu or Han blood flowed in your veins, the saying “Those not of our kind must have different hearts” was taken to heart by the people of the Central Plains. Hu goods could be used; Hu horses could be ridden; Hu delicacies could be eaten if they tasted good but Hu blood?

Drive them out with clubs.

Yet mixed-blood individuals like Xue Shuyan not only faced disdain within the Central Plains but were also unwelcome beyond the frontier, caught in a difficult position, rejected by both sides. The Han people of the Central Plains, bound by Confucian principles of benevolence and propriety, at least regarded mixed-blood individuals as human, no matter how much they despised them. But beyond the frontier, in some extreme places, people like Xue Shuyan weren’t even considered human, and the mistreatment they endured was truly indescribable.

Xue Shuyan quickly finished combing her hair, securing her long locks with a dark amber rhino horn hairpin. When she saw Du Yunge emerge from the green gauze cabinet, she stood and bowed, asking:

“Did you sleep well last night?”

If Du Yunge had listened carefully, she might have detected a hint of guilt in her senior sister’s question. But Du Yunge trusted her senior sister implicitly and replied without a second thought:

“Quite well. I’m not picky about beds. Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister.”

Only then did Xue Shuyan fully relax, feeling secretly pleased though not a trace of it showed on her face. She picked up the basin and went outside to toss out the water, then returned with a fresh basin of water at just the right temperature for Du Yunge, bringing it into the inner section of the green gauze cabinet. She also moved all the braziers from outside inside, so while the outer room cooled down, the inside of the green gauze cabinet became as warm as spring.

Mount Emei was known for its beautiful scenery and high elevation. On this early winter morning, even with several braziers burning in the large room, there was still a slight chill in the air. The water drawn from outside was especially cold; a sip of it straight from the source would send a chill straight from the throat to the heart. That’s why Xue Shuyan had thoughtfully adjusted the water temperature to just the right level, careful not to let her sect leader catch a chill.

As soon as Du Yunge dipped her hand in the water, she recognized the meticulous care her senior sister had taken in these small details. Deeply moved, she hurried through her washing. Her hair, which she always left loose while sleeping, was only loosely tied with a silk ribbon matching her outer robe after she got up. But after she had finished cleaning her teeth with green salt, she belatedly realized a small but not insignificant problem:

She didn’t know how to style her hair.

Back in the Miaoyin Sect, there were always dedicated maids to comb her hair, but here at Emei, a place both unfamiliar and distant, where could she find someone to help with such a task? Although the Emei Sect Leader had instructed that “the honored guest must be well taken care of,” it felt trivial to trouble others over such a small matter. Moreover, Du Yunge was already uncomfortable with familiar people getting too close, let alone strangers she had just met.

Just then, Xue Shuyan knocked on the wooden frame of the green gauze cabinet in the outer room and asked,
“What’s wrong, Yunge?”
As if her gaze could pierce through even this single layer of emerald gauze, taking in every move Du Yunge made inside.

At the sound of Xue Shuyan’s voice, Du Yunge knew her savior had arrived. After all, someone naturally quiet and reserved always seemed more trustworthy than those full of sweet talk. Besides, Xue Shuyan was known for being reticent yet swift in action even Feng Chengchun had praised her:
“No matter the task, as long as it’s serious, you can’t go wrong leaving it to Shuyan!”

So without a second thought as to how Xue Shuyan had noticed her predicament after she’d only been staring blankly at the dressing table for a few moments, Du Yunge immediately called out to her senior sister:
“Senior sister, senior sister, do you know how to style hair?”

Xue Shuyan gave a slight nod and took the horn comb from her hand:
“Let me.”

And so, that morning, Du Yunge stepped out with the exact same hairstyle as Xue Shuyan one heading to Emei’s martial arts hall, the other to the Emei Sect Leader’s quarters for tea and conversation. The moment the two walked out side by side, even Du Yunge faintly caught the sound of Emei disciples’ playful whispers and sharp, ambiguous intakes of breath, but when she looked more closely, there was nothing.

Xue Shuyan, tall and slender, looked crisp and striking with her high ponytail, exuding an air of spirited elegance. Yet, the same hairstyle on Du Yunge bore no resemblance to such vigor or sharpness not that it was unattractive, but it clearly wasn’t her style. It gave off an inexplicable sense of being marked by someone else.

When Du Yunge arrived as promised at the Emei Sect Leader’s quarters, the sect leader had already brewed tea in anticipation. A small pool of apricot-green tea soup rested in a white porcelain cup, looking even clearer and more translucent up close. As she drew nearer, an orchid-like, profound fragrance wafted over, refreshing and soothing.

Having sampled fine teas from across the land in the Miaoyin Sect, Du Yunge recognized it with just a slight sniff:
“West Lake Longjing?”

The Emei Sect Leader nodded with satisfaction. “Indeed, this year’s pre-Qingming new tea. This is all that’s left, I’ve been reluctant to brew it, originally planning to savor it at leisure someday. Little did I expect your visit, Sect Leader, so it’s perfect to serve our honored guest. Since you’ve traveled far, please, you first.”

Du Yunge immediately stepped aside modestly. “I lack both virtue and ability, and dare not presume in your presence, Sect Leader. Please, you first.”

The Emei Sect Leader chuckled. “There’s nothing urgent about today’s meeting just sharing tea with a junior. Please, Sect Leader, set aside formalities and relax.”

As they were speaking, a maid brought in tea snacks six delicate vegetarian pastries arranged in a plum blossom-shaped box. Regardless of their taste, they were certainly a feast for the eyes. At the very center of the box lay a type of candy Du Yunge had eaten countless times as a child the very culprit that had given Xia Yecheng endless headaches, prompting her to write multiple letters to Emei begging them to send less of it, lest Du Yunge develop a toothache.

It had to be said that this move was quite clever. Upon seeing the candy, both the Emei Sect Leader and Du Yunge burst into laughter, and the overly polite, distant atmosphere between them instantly vanished.

West Lake Longjing tea had long been renowned for its excellence. As the saying went, “Fresh tea, finer fragrance; small pot, better brew. If not simmered over pine fire, one might mistake it for a sip of rosy clouds”, a testament to its enduring, delicate aroma. Among West Lake Longjing teas, the pre-Qingming and pre-rain varieties were the most famous, with authentic pre-Qingming Longjing yielding only a few trees’ worth each year, making it exceptionally precious.

Du Yunge lifted her teacup and noticed several fully unfurled pre-Qingming Longjing leaves at the bottom of the pale apricot-green infusion. Each bud was uniform and stood upright like blossoms, so vivid they were a delight to behold even at a glance. After taking a small sip, the lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth prompted her to praise sincerely:

“Excellent tea!”

This praise opened the floodgates for the Emei Sect Leader. The elderly woman had always been enamored with refined pursuits, and after meeting Du Yunge, she regarded her as a kindred spirit. The two chatted about various topics for a while, eventually landing on the subject of the qin. Coincidentally, the Emei Sect Leader was also quite interested in the Miaoyin Sect’s “Heavenly Demon Enchanting Melody” and eagerly extended an invitation:

“If you have some free time, Sect Leader, you are welcome to practice the Heavenly Demon Enchanting Melody in our qin room. Just send word in advance, and I will ensure the room is cleared so no one else can learn your sect’s secret techniques.”

At this, Du Yunge sighed with a troubled expression and waved her hand dismissively. “Let’s not talk about that, Sect Leader. Playing the Heavenly Demon Enchanting Melody is truly a case of harming others while injuring oneself. Before I even began formal training, just striking the first note destroyed one of our training hall’s qins and nearly injured my hand. Thankfully, my senior sister blocked the fiercely snapping string for me. Later, even when I switched to the ‘Flying Waterfall and Pearls’ qin, it barely managed to contain the melody. Even those listening nearby felt restless and agitated, their qi and blood churning, a slight misstep could lead to internal energy deviation.”

“I came down the mountain this time only to retrieve our founding sect leader’s relics and bring them back to Mount Wangyou. I dare not attempt such a dangerous feat here on Emei Mountain.”

Support