My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 35

Why could she confirm that the girl was Xue Shuyan even when she couldn’t see clearly? It was simple even if Du Yunge were to flatter herself ten times over, she wouldn’t dare claim she had been so composed and steady since childhood. In the midst of the obscuring mist, the figure standing there exuded a unique aura of calmness and stability.

Dreams can shift according to the dreamer’s state of mind. As Du Yunge thought this, the mist surrounding Xue Shuyan abruptly dissipated, allowing Du Yunge to see the younger version of Xue Shuyan more clearly. This teenage Xue Shuyan appeared to be no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in a dark blue cotton outfit, her long hair still tied up in a high ponytail. It was unclear whether she had already undergone her coming-of-age ceremony wait, perhaps the Hu people didn’t observe such customs but she already faintly resembled the unflappable iceberg she would become in the future.

However, at this stage, her composure was clearly not yet fully cultivated. Compared to the older Xue Shuyan, who was truly expressionless, this younger version seemed almost flustered and gritting her teeth as she shouted at the similarly young girl standing before her:

“Why do you have to take everything from me?!”

Suddenly, Du Yunge felt a tug on her hand. Looking down, she realized she had physically entered the dream. Her small hands were being pulled by two people her left hand tightly gripped by Xue Shuyan, as though letting go would mean losing her to the other person.

The face of the person holding her other hand, however, was blurry. Even when Du Yunge focused her gaze, she couldn’t make out any distinct features. The girl’s hair was styled in twin buns, just like Du Yunge’s, indicating she was no older than thirteen or fourteen and hadn’t yet reached adulthood. She held Du Yunge’s hand just as firmly, and when she laughed, it sounded like silver bells clear, melodious, and sweet. Her voice had a sugary quality, unmistakably that of someone who, like Du Yunge, had been cherished and pampered while growing up:

“Dear sister, believe me, this is the last time I’ll ever take anything from you.”

“From now on, whatever you want, I’ll give it to you, alright? Please, just this once, let me have Yunge~”

The girl’s tone carried a coquettish, pleading quality, yet it was perfectly measured not overly sweet nor excessively affected. Like Xue Shuyan, her speech still bore traces of the Hu people’s distinctive, slightly stiff accent, but the sharpness of it was softened by her sweet, charming demeanor. Just hearing her speak was enough to evoke genuine affection and pity for such an adorable, sweet-natured girl, making one want to give her everything especially since she promised it would be the last time she’d ever take anything.

But considering the girl’s age, this was truly unsettling.

A girl not even fifteen years old already possessed such skill in leveraging her strengths and could effortlessly win others’ trust, what kind of profound cunning did that imply? Moreover, judging by her tone, she had already taken many things from Xue Shuyan before. Xue Shuyan was not the type to tolerate even an inch of provocation, let alone repeatedly. If someone dared to cross her one too many times, she would likely grab her Yanling Blade and eliminate the reckless fool without hesitation. So why were they still able to interact?

Du Yunge suddenly thought of someone, a person Xue Shuyan had mentioned only reluctantly:

Her cousin, who insisted on competing with her over everything.

With this in mind, everything fell into place. Two closely related individuals would naturally have similar tastes, and their preferences in companions would likely align. However, girls at this age often harbored a subtle possessiveness: “Since we’re close, you can’t be close to anyone else.” Thus, the two had likely clashed over Du Yunge. The fact that Xue Shuyan hadn’t resorted to violence and driven her cousin miles away was probably due to their blood ties.

But if this really was Xue Shuyan’s cousin, then she must also be of Hu descent. Even if her features were unclear or unremarkable, her accent when speaking the Central Plains’ official language would have given her away.

As for her own origins and memories, Du Yunge couldn’t claim much certainty having never met her father, not even seen his memorial tablet but she was absolutely sure of one thing: she had never left Wangyou Mountain. Given her lack of martial prowess, venturing down the mountain was impossible without the protection of a top-tier expert like the current Xue Shuyan.

Thus, the presence of two Hu girls on Wangyou Mountain, who had likely stayed for some time was deeply puzzling.

While Du Yunge was lost in thought, the two began arguing again. Clearly, the less articulate Xue Shuyan was at a disadvantage. This explained why Xue Shuyan genuinely disliked her cousin. An introverted person who avoided unnecessary connections with anyone but Du Yunge would hardly appreciate a clever, smooth-talking rival who constantly competed with her. Even a blood-related sister would be hard to tolerate, let alone a distant cousin!

Little Xue Shuyan was still trying to assert her claim over little Du Yunge: “I won’t give Yun’ge to you!”

The Hu girl laughed brightly, a hint of pride in her voice: “Fine, don’t give her up then. But what good will that do? I know Yun’ge actually likes me the most, right?”

Du Yunge: ??? Sorry, wait a minute, who are you???

However, before she could voice this heartfelt question, the surroundings suddenly blurred in an instant. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself awake from that abrupt and disjointed dream. The sky was just beginning to brighten, far earlier than her usual waking time typically, it was Xue Shuyan who roused her from sleep. Speak of the devil, Xue Shuyan happened to step in from behind the green gauze screen, likely intending to wake her. Surprised to find her already awake, Xue Shuyan paused briefly before instructing her:

“The clothes for today are already laid out on the rack, and the washbasin is ready. Once you’ve freshened up, I’ll come back to do your hair. After breakfast, we’ll go bid farewell to the Emei Sect Leader.”

Du Yunge had been about to suggest that staying a few more days wouldn’t hurt, but then two critical matters came to mind:

First, their purpose for descending the mountain wasn’t to linger at Emei for leisure; they were on their way to Jinling’s Qinhuai district to audit the accounts, so they truly couldn’t afford to delay. Second, it seemed there had been some ghostly disturbance at Emei the previous night otherwise, why would Xue Shuyan’s expression have been so grave while facing the darkness?

Thus, Du Yunge obediently swallowed the words that had nearly escaped her lips and quickly began to rise and prepare for the day.

After bidding farewell to the Emei Sect Leader, Du Yunge felt a pang of guilt for not being able to keep her promise to tour Mount Emei with the disciple named Qin Shanshan, leaving the latter’s enthusiasm unreciprocated. Unable to locate Qin Shanshan at the moment, she approached a random Emei inner disciple after all, the inner disciples were few in number and likely all acquainted and said:

“Please convey to your senior or junior sister Qin Shanshan that I deeply regret not being able to tour Mount Emei with her as planned. If she is willing to visit the Miaoyin Sect next year, I will warmly welcome her.”

But an unexpected complication arose.

“Qin Shanshan?” The Emei disciple repeated the name, perplexed. “Could the Sect Leader be mistaken? There’s no such person in our sect!”

Du Yunge was startled, a chill running down her spine. To avoid showing unease in front of an outsider, she forced a smile and asked, “Could it be that this friend keeps to herself, so you’re not familiar with her?”

“Impossible,” the Emei disciple replied, equally bewildered. “Since joining the Emei Sect, we rarely use our secular names. We might use them occasionally when traveling incognito for convenience, but here on the mountain, we always address each other by our Daoist names. Even with outside guests, we wouldn’t casually share our secular names. Moreover, there are only a dozen or so inner disciples in Emei, and we all know each other very well. None of us has the secular name Qin Shanshan!”

Just as Du Yunge was on the verge of being terrified out of her wits, Xue Shuyan steadied her with a firm hand on her waist, helping her regain her balance. Only then did Xue Shuyan speak calmly: “I know what’s going on.”

“But there’s no need to worry. That person has most likely already left.”

As soon as Xue Shuyan spoke these words, it was as if she had given Du Yunge a reassurance pill. At the very least, upon learning that the presence outside the window last night which had forced Xue Shuyan to be fully on guard was human and not a ghost, Du Yunge felt as though she had narrowly escaped death. Cold sweat had already soaked through her inner robe. She let out a small sigh and asked softly:

“So, Senior Sister knows who this person is?”

Xue Shuyan remained silent for a long moment before replying, “It’s someone who neglects their duties.”

“In any case, this person is frivolous and has a minor grudge against me, which is why they came sneaking around Mount Emei at night. But I can stake my life and honor on the fact that they pose no threat to your sect. Please rest assured, and do not let this trivial matter disturb anyone beyond the two of us. Otherwise, I would feel deeply uneasy.”

There’s a saying: “A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold,” and another: “A word carries the weight of nine tripods.” Both phrases seem tailor-made for someone like Xue Shuyan. Throughout her life, she had embodied the principle of “never making promises lightly, so as never to betray others.” Few had ever received a guarantee from Xue Shuyan, let alone such a solemn plea. If Xue Shuyan was willing to stake her life and honor on something, then to nitpick and gossip about it would be utterly devoid of chivalry!

Thus, the Emei disciple hurriedly patted her chest and vowed:

“Senior Sister Xue, rest assured. This matter will remain known only to heaven, earth, you, me, and Sect Leader Du. Beyond that, no fourth living, breathing soul will ever learn of it. I will take this secret to my grave!”

After Xue Shuyan thanked her, she hurriedly led Du Yunge away from Mount Emei. Unable to contain her curiosity, Du Yunge cautiously observed Xue Shuyan’s expression, afraid she might anger her, and asked:

“Who was that person, Senior Sister? Is she an acquaintance of yours?”

“…You could say that.” Xue Shuyan gave her a deep look, and for some reason, Du Yunge thought she detected a hint of relief in that gaze. She couldn’t be sure if she had imagined it, but by the time she tried to confirm whether Xue Shuyan truly felt that way or if her eyes were playing tricks on her, Xue Shuyan had already turned her head away and murmured to herself:

“It seems you really don’t remember anything. But perhaps that’s for the best.”

Only after they had completely left the gates of the Emei Sect did they hear a long sigh from behind:

“Sect Leader Du—”

When Du Yunge turned to look, she saw the elderly sect leader, who no longer possessed the beauty of her youth but was as spirited as ever. Standing with her hands behind her back, she called out to Du Yunge from afar, her tone carrying the weight of an elder’s earnest advice:

“Remember to cherish the one before you.”

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