My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 7

Du Yunge stumbled dazedly to the seats arranged not far from the martial arts contest stage. Guided by a maid, she sat down absentmindedly before vaguely recalling that she seemed to have forgotten something. However, she truly couldn’t remember what it was.

She pressed her temples firmly, feeling as if the entire world was veiled in a layer of mist before her nothing and no one was clear. Ever since Du Yunge woke up in her long-unoccupied bed at the Miaoyin Sect, this hazy, disoriented feeling had lingered. Unless she made actual contact with someone, all memories related to that person would not be awakened in her mind.

When one’s mind is unfocused, it’s easiest to speak or act recklessly, and Du Yunge was no exception. As she carefully examined the towering martial arts platform in front of her, an inadvertent remark slipped out in her daze:

“I was born on the day of Frost’s Descent, and I died on the day of Frost’s Descent.”

“I suppose that counts as a somewhat mysterious connection to this day.”

These words were truly terrifying, especially when she was dressed in fiery red wedding attire, sitting atop the high platform like a blazing flame, her eyes dazed as she uttered them. Even Feng Chengchun, who prided herself on having “eaten more salt than others have eaten rice,” was so startled she nearly fell backward.

Fortunately, Guardian Chun was someone who had weathered many storms. Silently repeating to herself, “It’s nothing, just a small scene; the sect leader has been a bit foolish for quite some time,” she quickly stuffed a piece of pastry into Du Yunge’s mouth, attempting to use food to seal her sect leader’s unrestrained lips. Her swift hand speed truly lived up to her reputation as the most talented among the four guardians Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in the art of hidden weapons:

“What nonsense are you saying, child? Today is the auspicious day your martial arts contest is about to conclude. Stop uttering such inauspicious words.”

Only then did Du Yunge realize the madness she had spoken. Luckily, Feng Chengchun immediately found a suitable excuse for her aberrant remark:

“Did Xue Shuyan bring you some bizarre and supernatural storybooks from the foot of the mountain again? I’ll have to have a good talk with her another day. The sect leader is already so grown up, yet she still reads storybooks and listens to tales like a child, how unbecoming.”

Du Yunge: Sorry, Senior Sister Xue. Please take the blame for me this time. I’ll definitely repay you for bearing this burden someday.

Perhaps the older one gets, the more prone they are to worrying. With someone as troublesome as Du Yunge, Feng Chengchun, though not yet at the age of knowing fate, already had the mindset of someone in their seventies. She wished she could impart all her life experiences to her sect leader through daily admonitions:

“Even if the sect leader absolutely dislikes martial arts, she should still learn a little. Or, if she truly has no interest in that area, she should learn how to manage a household. Otherwise, when you start a family and establish a career in the future, if that ‘career’ isn’t in your hands, even with us as your backing, you won’t be able to stand confidently before your partner.”

Du Yunge nodded obediently and replied, “Alright, I’ll start practicing the sword seriously tomorrow.”

In her past life, wasn’t it precisely because she lacked talent in martial arts and was inept at managing household affairs that she grew increasingly diminished in presence after following He Zhenzhen? Even with the support of Miaoyin Sect, she often felt that “these achievements aren’t mine” in daily life. Moreover, she couldn’t possibly trouble the four guardians Chun, Xia, Qiu, and Dong or Xue Shuyan to make special trips to back her up whenever something happened. Thus, she found it harder and harder to hold her head high before the master of He Manor.

This clearly shows that in life, regardless of whether it’s between men, women, or both, having one’s own career is undoubtedly the top priority at least it keeps one’s back straight and confidence firm.

Therefore, in this second chance at life, she not only needed to avoid He Zhenzhen but also make progress in this regard. Even if she performed poorly, she had to grit her teeth and push through, which was far better than adopting the mindset of “since I can’t do it well, I just won’t do it” and giving up everything, as she had in her past life.

Feng Chengchun had repeated similar advice to Du Yunge several times before. However, this was the first time Du Yunge had responded with such earnestness, clearly taking it to heart. Feng Chengchun looked her over with relief, her eyes brimming with affection and approval, making Du Yunge feel deeply ashamed, thinking how troublesome and foolish she had been in the past:

“Since the sect leader has said so, it’s better to act sooner rather than later. Why wait for a specific day? Tomorrow, you can start learning swordplay again with Shuyan.”

Du Yunge, her mouth still full of pastry, mumbled a vague “Okay.” But as soon as she swallowed the sweet, soft chestnut cake, a maid beside her brought over a bowl of sweet soup. Coincidentally, it was served in her favorite Longquan celadon lotus-petal bowl, and as if fate had orchestrated it, the bowl was filled to the brim with something pitch-black:

“Sect Leader, Senior Sister Xue said that since the frost has descended and the weather is cold, even with brocade screens blocking the wind, it’s still not good for your health. She specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare a bowl of black rice, red date, and longan soup for you to ward off the cold and nourish your body.”

What a familiar bowl, and even the contents looked exactly the same.

Although Du Yunge clearly understood that she had been granted a second chance at life by some unknown divine favor, in her mind, it had only been three hours since He Zhenzhen forced her to drink a bowl of pitch-black poison and then ran her through with a sword. Asking her to drink this bowl of soup without any reservations was truly asking too much.

As she turned her head, she caught sight of Xue Shuyan, who had somehow appeared behind her. In Xue Shuyan’s eyes, which always seemed to hold the eternal snow of the western peaks, there was a faint trace of concern and warmth. Feng Chengchun also drew a silver needle from her medicine pouch to test for poison, then nodded slightly at Du Yunge and said with a hint of teasing laughter:

“It’s good stuff. Drink it, Sect Leader. It’s rare for Shuyan to be so considerate.”

With things having reached this point, even if the shadow of her trauma could cover the entire peak of Mount Wangyou, Du Yunge had no choice but to gulp down this bowl of sweet soup, which embodied Xue Shuyan’s rare care and tenderness.

Du Yunge’s hand trembled almost imperceptibly as she lifted the bowl. The dark concoction that He Zhenzhen had forced down her throat earlier seemed to have settled in her seventeen-year-old stomach, now churning violently and making her nauseous. Had she not been pressing her lips tightly together, she would have surely vomited everything in her stomach.

She pressed her lips so hard that her tongue could taste the faint fragrance of rouge flowers, mixed with a lingering bitterness that completely overwhelmed the sweet broth that had accidentally slipped into her mouth. It seemed that most beautiful things in the world hid sorrowful, untold stories beneath their dazzling appearances.

Just as Du Yunge was about to muster the courage to gulp down the contents of the bowl, a hand suddenly reached from behind her, firmly gripping the rim of the bowl and effortlessly halting her movements.

That hand was unmistakably familiar, it was Xue Shuyan’s.

When Du Yunge turned to look at Xue Shuyan, she found her expression had reverted to that of the stern, unapproachable senior disciple of the Miaoyin Sect, devoid of any warmth. Even her words were cold:

“No need to force yourself.”

Feng Chengchun asked curiously, “Isn’t this the sect leader’s favorite? It’s thoughtful of Shuyan to remember. What’s wrong? Is it not well-made, or do you have no appetite? If you don’t like it, we can take it away. There’s no need to force yourself.”

Du Yunge had spent a considerable amount of time at the He Manor in her previous life. Though her tenure as the manor’s mistress had been brief, thanks to He Zhenzhen, she had made significant progress in reading people’s expressions. Seeing Xue Shuyan’s expression, her heart immediately sank:

Oh no, Senior Sister Xue must have misunderstood.

Despite Xue Shuyan’s perpetually cold demeanor, Du Yunge had rarely been on the receiving end of such an attitude from her. Even a cold expression had subtle distinctions. If one had to differentiate, Xue Shuyan’s coldness toward outsiders was a “step back, you’re annoying, shut up” kind of coldness, while toward Du Yunge, it was a helpless, indulgent “what am I going to do with you” kind of coldness.

For some reason, Du Yunge managed to detect a faint, subtle hint of grievance in Xue Shuyan’s current expression.

She was so startled by this thought that she nearly laughed out loud: This was Xue Shuyan! Who would dare to show her a displeased face? Who could make her feel wronged? Such a person probably hadn’t even been born yet!

But Xue Shuyan’s unusual expression was undeniably real. In her panic, Du Yunge quickly came up with a seemingly reasonable excuse and deeply admired her own brilliance:

“Lately! I haven’t been fond of this. I’m sorry for wasting Senior Sister’s kindness. I prefer snow pear and silver ear soup now.”

Feng Chengchun smiled, seemingly unfazed, just as Du Yunge had anticipated. After all, changes in taste and preference were perfectly normal. “Take this away and prepare a new sweet soup for the sect leader.”

But for some reason, Xue Shuyan looked even more dejected, though the feeling was fleeting, it was still noticed by the sharp-eyed Feng Chengchun. Watching these two children she had practically raised, she suddenly understood the exhaustion felt by matriarchs in ordinary households. Taking advantage of the moment when Du Yunge was looking down at the participants in the martial arts contest below, Feng Chengchun quietly asked:

“What’s wrong, Shuyan? Don’t take it to heart, the sect leader didn’t mean to create distance between you.”

Xue Shuyan let out a soft sigh, so faint that if Feng Chengchun weren’t so perceptive, she might have missed this rare display of genuine emotion:

“I know.”

“As I’ve said before, Yunge she’s just childish at heart, unable to settle down.”

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