Finally understanding why Qin Si had been avoiding her, Bai Shengyi breathed a sigh of relief, though the "price" for this understanding was heavy.
"Hiss..."
Her tongue accidentally brushed against the wound at the corner of her lips. Bai Shengyi grumbled, "Couldn't you have been gentler, you brute!"
"It's my fault, I'm the brute."
The brute, Qin Si, was now exceptionally open and cheerful, a smile gracing his eyes and brows, even as Bai Shengyi's glares were nearly flying his way.
He reached out to touch the corner of Bai Shengyi's lips. The icy chill seeped into her senses, and Bai Shengyi instinctively recoiled.
"Don't move."
Bai Shengyi froze. Moments later, she realized the wound at her lip had vanished. Then, someone's gaze, burning with intensity, returned to her.
Bai Shengyi shot him a displeased glance, raising an eyebrow. "Don't push your luck!"
Regretting not managing to gain any further favors, Qin Si shook his head and feigned a pout. "A'yi, how can you be so heartless, using me and then discarding me..."
"Stop, stop, stop!" Bai Shengyi said. "Behave yourself!"
She had discovered that after their talk, Qin Si was becoming increasingly unrestrained in front of her, and more multifaceted.
She just felt a little unaccustomed to it.
Bai Shengyi touched her shoulder, feeling goosebumps prickle all over her.
Qin Si's gaze had not left Bai Shengyi. Naturally, he noticed her subtle movements. His phoenix eyes were filled with amusement, and he chuckled softly, "Alright, I won't tease you anymore."
He, too, had sensed his own changes. But he understood that these changes would only be revealed to Bai Shengyi.
He would not hide anything from her, and he would learn to express himself more openly.
"Chui Ming usually doesn't come to my place. She's here this time to get the Ding Jian Xing Zhu, which stabilizes spatial anomalies."
Qin Si took out a small box that looked somewhat familiar to Bai Shengyi. "It's this. You and Feng Wuya were on a mission in the Liuguang Secret Realm previously for this very item. It can stabilize fractured space."
Bai Shengyi suddenly understood. Qin Si was belatedly explaining to her why Chui Ming had appeared in his residence.
"Because she's my contracted spirit beast, this barrier doesn't affect her. I'll tell her not to come over privately in the future."
Just as Bai Shengyi was about to say that it wasn't necessary, she heard Qin Si speak again.
"A'yi, the women I interact with most are Chui Ming, Mo Shuxin from Zhen Dan Peak, and Fang Yao, whom you've also met. According to the rules, I have to call Mo Shuxin 'Aunt Mo'; she's my mother's sister. Fang Yao is one of the heads of the Xun Zhen Auction House; she was promoted due to her outstanding abilities."
"From now on, I will try to maintain distance from them. But I also hope that if you feel uncomfortable with how I interact with them, you will tell me directly. I haven't liked anyone else, and I worry I might not be able to perceive your emotions in time..."
Empathizing with her, Qin Si felt it was necessary to properly explain his relationships with Chui Ming and the others to Bai Shengyi.
He didn't want Bai Shengyi to misunderstand, nor did he want her to bottle up her discomfort.
Qin Si didn't realize how endearing he appeared in Bai Shengyi's eyes.
So endearing that Bai Shengyi hugged him tightly, wishing she could give him all the good things.
"Okay," Bai Shengyi said with a smile. "Then A'si, we're agreed. If you feel uncomfortable with how I interact with any men around me, you must also tell me directly."
She also disliked mutual misunderstandings.
Seeing that it was still early, Bai Shengyi recounted what the outsiders they had encountered in the Qianyun Secret Realm had said to Qin Si.
"They said the secret realm key was given by Song Sheng. Initially, Feng Wuya and I both guessed they meant Song Sheng. No wonder Feng Wuya, with all his eavesdropping skills, couldn't find anything."
Qin Si's gaze turned cold, and a mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"It's not surprising. The lineage of Venerable Song Sheng has always had close ties with outer continents. And that secret realm key was likely not given by Venerable Song Sheng, but by Xia Xilou. Xia Xilou, under the guise of training abroad these past few years, has actually been continuously befriending people from outer continental sects."
"What does he want to do?"
"To be accepted into a good sect in an outer continent to cultivate." Qin Si worried Bai Shengyi might not understand, so he explained, "People who leave our continent, unless they are already considered promising talents by the outer continents, are not recognized by them. To cultivate in an outer continent, one can only become a rogue cultivator."
But in outer continents where Golden Cores were as common as dogs and Nascent Souls were everywhere, a Golden Core rogue cultivator from the continent of Divine Abandonment would struggle even to survive!
In fact, even those chosen as promising talents would face all sorts of unequal treatment, bullying, and suppression after entering a sect. It could be said that the disdain and belittling of cultivators from the Divine Abandonment Continent by the outer continents were etched into their very bones.
Bai Shengyi suddenly understood why the academy had forced its promising talents to rapidly increase their cultivation before the Divine Enlightenment Grand Gathering.
"During this period, I will continue to undergo secluded cultivation until the academy's secret realm training begins. I will not be going out for now."
Having made this decision, Bai Shengyi immersed herself in diligent practice once more.
Qin Si was not idle either. Although Venerable Qing Lan was present, he felt that given Venerable Qing Lan's personality, he wouldn't be able to deal with Venerable Song Sheng. Therefore, after carefully arranging his various affairs, he also entered seclusion.
The Divine Enlightenment Academy fell into a strange and brief period of calm.
The Grand Ning Dynasty, Bai Family.
The Duke of Rong paced anxiously in his room.
"Has Bai Shengyi replied yet?" the Duke of Rong asked the butler, his brow furrowed deeply. "Wasn't she told to return for the annual banquet?"
The Bai family was currently quite glorious.
However, some of this glory stemmed from Bai Shengyi entering the Divine Enlightenment Academy and gaining fame across the continent with her Spirit Root Purifying Pill at the Pill Duelling Competition. Another part came from the Spirit Root Purifying Pills the Bai family was now selling to the public.
The Duke of Rong wanted to showcase the Bai family's strength to the imperial family and elevate the Bai family further. To do this, he needed the outside world to see that Bai Shengyi and the Bai family were united in purpose.
"Not yet. Perhaps she's been delayed on her journey."
"What delay could she possibly have? I think she's simply not listening to my words!" The Duke of Rong, anxious, spoke without restraint.
"Look at that Spirit Root Purifying Pill. I said it was sufficient for the Bai family to sell exclusively. But she insisted that the Song and Xia families also sell it. Now look, the Song and Xia families have also risen in status, becoming rivals to our Bai family. It's utterly foolish!"
The butler felt his words were inappropriate and remained silent.
The Duke of Rong then asked, "Where is Bai Yuyue? Have him go and urge Bai Shengyi again!"
"Bai Yuyue is not in the manor."
"Bang!"
The Duke of Rong, enraged, slammed his walking stick onto the table.
"Not here again! Are these people trying to make me die of anger? Go, I don't care what method you use, but I must get a definitive answer today. Is Bai Shengyi coming back or not?"
The butler remained motionless. "Your Grace, I... I cannot fulfill this request."
The Duke of Rong became even more incensed!
His face turned from green to white, then from white to green.
Just then, a young servant ran in happily to report.
"Your Grace! The Second Young Lady has returned!"