The Cold, Aloof Senior Sister Deserves To Be Paired With A Peerless Beauty - Chapter 11

Today, she was going to give her a spirit mine.

The faint glimmer of dawn filtered through the gaps in the foliage and the exquisite carved wooden windows, casting dappled shadows across the floor. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth rising after last night’s rain, it wasn’t unpleasant, but the lingering humidity was somewhat stifling.

However, this dampness did not touch the clean, orderly room, which remained refreshingly comfortable.

The gauze curtains hanging from the bed fluttered in the breeze. Behind them, the bedding was a complete mess, a stark contrast to the otherwise meticulous arrangement of the room, looking as if someone had deliberately broken the rules of order.

A few rays of warm sunlight hit the gauze curtains, making them glow with a faint shimmer, further highlighting the half-hidden, charming face nestled within the disheveled blankets.

After an unknown amount of time, the figure on the bed stirred. She moved slightly, but only to lazily roll over and continue sleeping before finally, slowly opening her eyes.

The stinging light forced Mu Zhi to close her eyes for a while to adjust; her sleepiness was so heavy she nearly drifted off again.

With eyes hazy from sleep, Mu Zhi sat up lazily. It wasn’t until she took in the unfamiliar room that she shook off some of her grogginess.

She raised a hand to cover a yawn and murmured, “Where is this? Did my house get smaller?”

As she woke up further, Mu Zhi instinctively moved to call for a maid to help her dress. But as she fully processed the strange room, the memories of last night came rushing back.

She had run over to tell Chi Li she was afraid, and then Chi Li had used magic to turn the crashing thunder into the likeness of fireworks before her eyes.

At the time, she had been so dazed by the sight that her fear truly vanished, but for some reason, while Chi Li was holding her, she had become overcome with drowsiness.

Mu Zhi’s gaze swept across her surroundings. Her eyes lowered slightly as she thought of something, and an unconscious smile played at the corners of her lips.

It seemed Chi Li hadn’t sent her back to the room prepared for her, but had instead simply laid her down on her own bed.

Mu Zhi looked down at the corner of the quilt she was clutching. It was permeated with a faint, lingering fragrance, not a heavy floral scent, but something indefinable.

It was mixed with the fresh scent of bamboo leaves and a hint of light tea; it was elegant, much like the person herself.

Chi Li’s figure naturally appeared in Mu Zhi’s mind. she remembered through the haze of last night that she hadn’t been a quiet sleeper; she had rolled around several times until she curled directly into Chi Li’s arms. Chi Li hadn’t pushed her away, but instead placed a hand on her back, gently patting her as if soothing a child to sleep.

Thinking of this, Mu Zhi suddenly felt her face grow hot.

She cupped her face with both hands, attempting to cool herself down, but she only stopped when her hands became warm as well.

“Why is it so fragrant?”

Mu Zhi muttered to herself. The quilt carried the exact same scent as Chi Li, making her face turn as red as a ripe fruit once again.

In Mu Zhi’s eyes now, Chi Li was no longer just the aloof Eldest Senior Sister, she was someone who also liked sweets and liked to make herself smell nice.

Then, as if remembering something, Mu Zhi frowned and spoke up.

“Wait, where did Senior Sister go?”

She searched the room for that familiar figure but only saw breakfast laid out on the table. It consisted of all her favorite foods, there was no need to guess, Chi Li had prepared this for her.

Mu Zhi had just walked over to look when some noise outside caught her attention.

The door was pushed open, and Mu Zhi saw the tall, familiar figure in the courtyard.

Chi Li’s back was toward her, she was tall and slender, wearing simple robes. Her wide sleeves were tied back to her elbows with green hair ribbons. She was looking down at something on the ground, which somehow gave her a touch of earthly “fireworks” (domesticity), making her seem less like an exalted immortal master.

“Good morning, Senior Sister.”

Mu Zhi spoke, a sweet smile on her face.

Hearing Mu Zhi’s voice, Chi Li turned around. After looking at her, a faint smile appeared in Chi Li’s eyes as she spoke.

“You’re awake? I’ve prepared breakfast for you in the room.”

Mu Zhi glanced out of the corner of her eye at the table full of her favorite foods, her smile growing even brighter. “I saw it. Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Saying this, Mu Zhi didn’t go back into the room to eat. Instead, she ran over, squatted down, and carefully looked at what Chi Li was planting. With a look of curiosity, she asked, “What are you planting?”

“Immortal grass.”

Mu Zhi was even more confused. She looked up at the figure whose silhouette was blurred by the backlight. “Why are you planting immortal grass, Senior Sister?”

Chi Li smiled, masking the complexity in her eyes. After a moment of thought, she answered, “I plan to study the art of alchemy.”

“Why? Aren’t you a sword cultivator, Senior Sister?”

As Mu Zhi spoke, she remembered that even though Chi Li was a sword cultivator, her skill with talismans was also excellent. Now that she wanted to study alchemy, she likely just wanted to learn more.

At that thought, Mu Zhi looked at the seeds Chi Li had planted personally with unconcealed admiration.

Chi Li looked at Mu Zhi, her thoughts dark and unclear, and did not reply further.

Seeing that Chi Li didn’t answer again, Mu Zhi didn’t press the matter. But looking at the patch of land in the courtyard used for planting, she thought for a while and then said:

“Then I’ll spend some money to hire people to plant the grass for you. You shouldn’t have to work so hard.”

Mu Zhi spoke casually; Chi Li knew well that Mu Zhi’s family fortune could easily afford such things.

Chi Li smiled and shook her head, putting down the trowel in her hand. She said to Mu Zhi, “There’s no need. It’s better if others don’t know about this.”

Hearing Chi Li’s words, Mu Zhi’s beautiful eyes darted around, a flash of mischief appearing in them. She asked, “Do I count as ‘others’?”

“No.”

Chi Li’s answer was crisp and accompanied by a smile, causing a different look to surface deep in Mu Zhi’s eyes but mostly, it was joy.

“You are my most beloved Junior Sister.”

After saying that, Chi Li pulled the squatting Mu Zhi up and said warmly, “You haven’t reached the stage of inedia (fasting) yet, you can’t skip breakfast.”

With that, Chi Li led her back into the room.

As Mu Zhi ate the breakfast Chi Li had prepared, she turned to see Chi Li taking out a set of water-blue robes from somewhere. The style looked extremely simple, but in Chi Li’s hands, the fabric flowed like water.

“This is made from silk spun by Ice Silkworms. It is exceptionally effective against fire.”

“Aren’t we going to the Sword Pavilion? Is there fire in the Sword Pavilion?” Mu Zhi’s eating motion paused.

“It is called a Sword Pavilion, but in truth, it is more like a furnace,” Chi Li explained.

In her previous life, because Mo Fan’s aptitude was too poor, Immortal Yilin feared he wouldn’t survive. He had gone to the Artifact Pavilion overnight to find Ice Silkworm silk and refined a set of clothes for Mo Fan.

Mo Fan had indeed relied on those clothes to endure until the end, but because of his final negligence, he caused Mu Zhi who should have left safely to be injured while saving him.

Ice Silkworms were rare to begin with, it took a thousand years of spinning to make a single garment.

Mo Fan’s aptitude certainly required it, but even though Chi Li knew Mu Zhi could successfully enter the Sword Pavilion without this garment, she refused to give it to Mo Fan. Thus, she had moved one step ahead of Immortal Yilin and taken the item from the Artifact Pavilion.

Now that the clothes were already made this way, even if Immortal Yilin found out later, he couldn’t very well make Mo Fan wear a woman’s dress.

As for Mo Fan, it would be best if he died in the Sword Pavilion.

By the end of her thoughts, Chi Li had suppressed the murderous intent in her eyes.

At this moment, Mu Zhi emerged from behind the screen after changing.

Dressed in the water-blue robes, with patterns traced in similar-colored thread along the hem that shimmered with her movements, she looked more charming than ever.

Mu Zhi ran up to Chi Li, her expression joyful. She held her skirt and spun around, asking, “Does it look good?”

Chi Li stared for a long moment, then nodded thoughtfully.

“It looks good. It fits you perfectly.”

As she spoke, Chi Li beckoned Mu Zhi to come closer.

Mu Zhi thought Chi Li wanted a better look, so she obediently walked over. Then, an object was tucked into her hair, a bead swayed slightly, making a crisp ringing sound.

Unable to bear taking it off to look, she reached up to touch the cool, hanging bead. Then, she looked around the room and ran to the dressing table.

The bronze mirror reflected Mu Zhi’s figure, her face filled with unconcealed excitement as she saw the cyan jade hairpin Chi Li had personally placed in her hair.

The end of the hairpin was a pale pink, carved into the shape of a peach blossom, with cyan jade beads dangling below.

As Mu Zhi watched, she instinctively touched one of the beads.

The bead didn’t feel cold at all; instead, it carried a bit of warmth, seemingly different from the others.

“The bead you are touching contains a wisp of my primordial spirit. If you encounter danger, just crush it, and I will appear by your side.”

Chi Li spoke, seemingly unaware that her words carried an intimate promise.

Hearing this, Mu Zhi rolled the bead between her fingers for a moment, her eyes lowered in thought.

The person in the mirror wore a bright, radiant smile. She didn’t turn around, but simply looked at the figure standing behind her through the bronze mirror.

“Does this mean Senior Sister will always be by my side?”

Chi Li reached out to help Mu Zhi adjust the hairpin. Hearing Mu Zhi’s words, she nodded and said, “You could say that.”

Mu Zhi’s smile grew even more brilliant and clear, as if making the meticulously carved flowers on the hairpin pale in comparison.

“That’s wonderful. Senior Sister will always be with me.”

Chi Li knew Mu Zhi liked to cling to her, so she didn’t hear anything unusual in that sentence.

She took out another jade talisman and said softly, “Don’t turn around, I’ll help you put it on.”

With that, her hands reached around Mu Zhi’s slender waist to arrange the hanging cord of the jade plaque, eventually tying it to Mu Zhi’s waist.

The warmth of the person’s breath behind her was close at hand. Fingertips would occasionally graze her waist by accident, the warmth made her body stiffen instinctively.

“This is the sect’s communication jade talisman. I’ve already carved your name on it. When you want to find me, you can use it to send a message.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Zhi’s face lit up with joy. She was enchanted by the jade talisman. Then, as if remembering something, a trace of disappointment flickered in her eyes.

“It’s a pity I can’t talk to Mother.”

A faint curve appeared at the corner of Chi Li’s mouth. “You can.”

As she spoke, Chi Li took the talisman and injected a wisp of spiritual energy. The talisman glowed slightly with a light that wasn’t piercing.

Mu Zhi immediately cupped the jade talisman carved with her name and called out in a sweet, sugary tone:

“Mother.”

Mu Mother’s gentle voice came from the talisman. After answering Mu Zhi, she asked if she was eating well and so on.

Even though Mu Mother couldn’t see her, Mu Zhi still nodded her head like a pounding pestle and said, “Don’t you worry, Mother.”

Seeing Mu Zhi chatting happily, Chi Li shook her head with a hint of helplessness and cleared away the dishes.

Once Chi Li had left the room, Mu Zhi deliberately lowered her voice, as if she were about to do something sneaky.

“Mother, can I give Senior Sister a spirit mine?”

She spoke casually, as if she didn’t realize what a massive amount of wealth a spirit mine represented.

Mu Mother did not refuse, however, and spoke warmly: “If Zhi’er wants to give one, then of course you can.”

Mu Mother seemed to think for a moment before speaking again. “How about this: when you both come to visit next time, you can pick one out for her yourself.”

When Chi Li returned, she only heard Mu Mother’s final sentence.

“Pick one out for what?”

Mu Zhi was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She immediately hid the jade talisman. Fearing Chi Li wouldn’t accept if she knew, she decided to give it to her secretly later. She improvised an excuse:

“Nothing.”

Chi Li looked at her expression but didn’t think much of it.