The pale-golden pill lay on the red carpet.
Both of them froze.
Song Yan’s half-raised palm slowly lowered.
Her lovely eyes were wide with genuine shock.
The haughty tilt of her chin vanished as she stared at the pill in the broken bottle pieces.
Li Qingmu exhaled through his nose, dropped gracefully to one knee, and started gathering the broken pieces of the bottle into his palm with care.
His movents were sluggish and pitiful.
Song Yan’s lips parted, but no sound ca out.
A bit of guilt crossed her proud features.
She had struck harder than she intended again.
But the man she was starting to feel bad for grinned like a shaless fox internally.
『Heh... I might have outdone myself this ti. I knew her pride would make her reject it outright, but I never dread things would get so heated that the bottle would actually break. Perfect. Now I look like the poor fool who only wanted to give her sothing precious. This ice-cold peacock will lt from sheer guilt—watch.』
He kept his face carefully downturned and made sure to look utterly devastated.
A tiny, suppressed giggle bubbled in his chest but he crushed it ruthlessly.
Outside, only pained silence was allowed.
Song Yan shifted her weight.
Her fingers twitched, then extended toward him.
She was quite hesitant.
"Here, let —"
But by the ti her hand reached out, Li Qingmu had already collected every last shard.
He rose smoothly with an expressionless face.
He did not reach for the pill on the floor.
Instead, he spoke softly.
"This was a Stage Two Peach Blossom Immortal Pill that’s specially refined for won. It beautifies them, refines bone structure and bestows a natural fragrance... or maybe you don’t rember? The very first ti we t, you told this junior to refine a beauty pill for you."
He grabbed his chest.
"You said it in jest but..."
A faint and bitter smile.
"I never forgot. Just like I never forgot you."
He used his cultivation to crush the bottle fragnts in his palm into nothing.
"I don’t have the wealth or power to move a woman of your status the way she truly deserves. But I thought maybe this one pill you calmly asked of would be enough to make you smile. I tried my best."
A thread of qi lifted the untouched pill from the carpet and floated it gently toward her open hand.
"I’ve kept the only heartwarming promise we ever made to each other. Now... we can go back to being Grand Elder Song and Li Qingmu."
He gently bowed his head.
"I’m sorry for bothering you all these years."
The pill settled into her palm.
Song Yan didn’t even notice.
Her fingers closed around empty air for a heartbeat before realizing the consequence.
Her proud chest rose and fell quickly.
She looked frightened.
Li Qingmu swished his wide sleeves and walked away in an unhurried manner.
Just as his hand touched the latch—
"Stop."
The single word left her lips.
But it lacked its usual imperial thunder.
It trembled, like she was pleading.
He paused to glance back.
"Does Grand Elder need anything else?"
Song Yan flinched as though struck.
『Call Big Sis Song... not that...』
Her brows pressed together in distress.
She drew a deep breath, lifted her chin and tried to summon her usual regal fire.
"How can you just..."
"Do you dare just walk away like—"
The words faltered.
Her boldness shook.
This is fear.
Fear that she’d hurt soone irreplaceable.
Li Qingmu only bowed slightly.
"Goodbye, Grand Elder."
The doors closed shut.
Song Yan stood rooted for three long breaths.
Then she dashed forward as if to chase him.
Halfway across the chamber she skidded to a halt and bit her lower lip in frustration.
Outside the ornate doors.
Li Qingmu leaned against the archway with a smile as he appreciated nature.
『HAH! Absolute genius. It seems my acting skills are just as unrivaled as my cultivation. I wonder what her face looks like right now. Probably red as a tomato. Heh.』
He pushed off the wall and strolled down the path.
The line of disciples parted like a hostile sea.
an glares and wicked smirks followed him.
"Look at him strutting out already. Tch, he must think he’s so special."
"Grand Elder probably scolded him until he cried. Now he’s leaving to save face."
"Good! She doesn’t waste ti on children. Only true n who’ve cultivated thousands of years deserve even a glance from her."
Gu Jiayue stood silent at the front.
Her tanned cheeks were oddly flushed.
『...Did things not go well? Not that I care if that pervert succeeds or anything, but... he’s still the man the Peak Master favored.』
That’s when Li Qingmu noticed her and waved at her with an innocent smile.
She jolted and spun away with a huff.
『Is he gonna touch —!?』
Her ear tips were already bright red.
══════
Half a week later.
Morning mist kissed the tiny abode.
Li Qingmu was bothered.
He sat cross-legged on the porch, chin in hand as he tapped an impatient finger against his knee.
Across the yard, Li Zimo and Li Er sat with newly transcribed manuals open in their laps.
They’re simplified versions he made for his kids.
Zimo peeked at her brooding father.
"Er-er, what’s wrong with Father? He’s been like that ever since he went to visit that friend."
Li Er calmly polished his small sword while reading.
"It’s possible the friend is another woman he loves. Given Father’s... tendencies, it wouldn’t be strange. Perhaps she rejected him."
Zimo shook her head vigorously.
"No way! Father’s too handso and amazing."
She humd with certainty.
"No woman could reject him!"
Li Er closed his eyes and nodded solemnly.
"True. There is no arguing that."
Li Qingmu muttered under his breath.
"Half a week already and that woman still hasn’t taken the bait... is she really so petty? I thought she was a mature lady that knows how to act. Can my absence truly have wounded her pride that deeply?"
He shook his head and sighed.
At that exact mont, the air rippled.
A storm of peach-pink rose petals swirled down from the sky like a fragrant tempest.
A breathtaking woman in flowing scarlet robes landed with perfect grace.
Li Zimo’s jaw dropped.
"She’s... so beautiful..."
Even Li Er’s ears turned scarlet and the sword polish rag froze mid-motion.
Song Yan ignored the children completely.
She walked straight toward Li Qingmu with a stern yet imperial expression.
That "chin high, eyes cold" look.
By the ti she arrived, Li Qingmu had already closed his eyes and assud the posture of soone deeply occupied in their profound cultivation.
He spoke without opening his eyes.
"To what do I owe the honor this random day?"
Song Yan refused to look directly at him.
She flicked her sleeve.
"That pill you made was nonsense. I threw it away."
Li Qingmu’s eyes snapped open.
He gasped audibly.
Song Yan quickly tossed sothing at him with deliberate nonchalance.
He caught it on reflex.
It was a gorgeous pill bottle.
It looked exquisite and outrageously expensive.
She gave him a snooty side-eye.
"Refine another one properly this ti. Return it in this bottle. Is that clear?"
Inside, Li Qingmu cursed vividly.
『This damned heartless woman—!』
Behind her, the children’s eyes bulged.
They exchanged horrified glances and scread in unison inside their minds.
『That’s Father’s friend!? SHE’S HOT!!』
Song Yan turned to leave.
But Li Qingmu’s voice stopped her.
"That night..."
His eyes narrowed gently.
"Why did Grand Elder visit my humble abode?"
She paused and lifted her chest proudly.
"Don’t be that conceited. I was rely conducting a routine peak inspection."
The truth is that she had grown anxious imagining him sharing a room with Madam Chen and flew over to confirm with her own eyes.
But she could never tell him that.
With a final haughty huff, she adjusted her robes subtly to prop her ample assets higher then vanished in another swirl of peach petals.
Li Qingmu lowered his head and stared at the fancy bottle with a dejected face.
"What a waste of ti..."
Perhaps this woman is simply out of his league.
His thumb brushed the bottom of the bottle.
Huh?
He turned it over.
Engraved in tiny, elegant script, was a na.
Li Qingmu.
His eyes widened.
"That’s why it took her half a week... she felt bad for breaking my bottle, got a custom replacent, but her pride wouldn’t let her simply apologize or hand it over. So she covered it with that ridiculous excuse—"
He brought the bottle to his nose and inhaled deeply.
Snap!
"Aha!"
He laughed triumphantly.
"That’s the lingering fragrance of the Peach Blossom Immortal Pill."
So she did consu it after all.
He shook his head, grinning wide.
"Woman, your pride is taller than the heavens."
From the yard, Zimo whispered.
"Er-er... has Father finally gone mad?"
"Mhm. He surely has."
Li Qingmu rose with hands clasped behind him.
"I suddenly feel like taking a nice walk."
The children nodded obediently.
He stepped lightly through the courtyard gate as he humd an old tune.
Three steps later...
Thud.
His foot caught on sothing soft.
He stumbled and cursed.
"Damn rock—"
He looked down.
Chen Yuling was lying in the dirt.
Her robes were soaked with sweat and her beautiful face was colored a fever-red.
Her lips trembled as she gasped shallow breaths.
Her proud peaks rose and fell rapidly.
He could even see sweat crawling down her thighs.
How did one of the man-hating beauties of Fragrant Flower Peak end up here!?
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