The boy stopped crying the moment the words left his mouth. Perhaps sensing that Shen Yue could not see him, his chubby little hands clutched tightly at Shen Yue's robe. His voice, however, remained nasal as he said, "Master, please don't ignore me. When you ignore me, Rong Hua feels sad, stifled, and it hurts like death."
Shen Yue had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bed and let him tug at her sleeve. Only after the boy gradually fell asleep did she tiptoe out.
—
Rong Hua diligently wrote calligraphy, while Shen Yue sat beside him, sipping spiritual tea and reclining leisurely on a soft couch.
"Master, I'm finished," the boy said, happily putting down his brush and running to Shen Yue.
He grasped Shen Yue's long, fair hand, his short, soft little fingers tracing the characters he had practiced today onto Shen Yue's tender palm. Each stroke, horizontal and vertical, was written slowly. His beautiful, bright eyes blinked, displaying an eagerness for praise.
Shen Yue nodded slightly and continued to drink her spiritual tea, her voice clear and cold, "Continue writing."
Instead of the praise he expected, Shen Yue's response was exceptionally indifferent.
Rong Hua looked at the immortal, whose eyes were covered by a white cloth with golden floral patterns, feeling a pang of sadness.
"Master," he called softly.
Shen Yue propped her head on her hand and said indifferently, "What is it?"
Rong Hua replied that it was nothing and slumped over the desk, listlessly practicing his calligraphy.
There was a rhythmic knock at the door.
Rong Hua glanced at Shen Yue before saying, "Come in."
A man with a refined and handsome appearance entered. The moment he did, his gaze lingered on Shen Yue for a moment.
He carried a lunchbox and respectfully bowed, "Disciple Jiang Ling greets Master."
Shen Yue nodded in acknowledgment.
"Disciple is here to deliver lunch." Jiang Ling had specifically requested this duty, solely to catch a few glimpses of his Master. Unfortunately, his cultivation was ordinary, and he could not capture his Master's attention.
He felt both envy and jealousy towards Rong Hua, recognizing the boy's more fortunate circumstances.
Rong Hua joyfully opened the food box, and the aroma immediately filled the air, whetting the appetite.
He picked up a small plate of exquisite pastries and, with a fawning smile, presented it to Shen Yue. His fair, delicate face beamed with a sweet smile, "Master, please try these. They are delicious."
Shen Yue, after all, was a little tempted. She had not eaten anything since arriving, and the most she had consumed was spiritual tea.
However, outwardly, she responded with her usual aloofness.
The understanding young disciple immediately began to act spoiled, and Shen Yue could only 'reluctantly' eat the entire plate.
Seeing Shen Yue finish, Rong Hua happily went to eat his own meal.
"This character is wrong," a slightly deep voice uttered softly, but Shen Yue heard it clearly.
"Where is it wrong?" a clear, elegant voice suddenly sounded from behind. Jiang Ling turned his head abruptly, so nervous he didn't know how to respond. This was the first time he was this close to his Master.
Shen Yue could not see. She could not point out Rong Hua's mistakes, whether in his movements or his calligraphy.
Jiang Ling was someone she had heard about; he was a good instructor, gentle in nature, and could guide Rong Hua occasionally.
Shen Yue conveyed this thought to Jiang Ling.
"Yes, of course," Jiang Ling readily agreed. A faint smile appeared on his usually steady and handsome face, "I will certainly not fail Master's expectations!"
Shen Yue's indifferent expression softened slightly, and she let out a soft "Mm."
Even this small gesture caused Jiang Ling to feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. His blood instantly began to boil, and his heart pounded uncontrollably.
His Master was standing right beside him; it was the first time he was this close...
Ah... so happy!
Suddenly, a soft little child clung to his leg, saying in his milky voice, "Master, hug."
Shen Yue's attention was completely captured by the boy, and she scooped him up.
The boy hugged Shen Yue's neck, resting his chin on her slender shoulder. "Master, sleepy."
Jiang Ling's gaze met the boy's. The faint gleam in the boy's eyes startled him. He sensed something was amiss but dismissed it a moment later, thinking he might have misread. After all, he was just a young boy; how could such an emotion appear?
Rong Hua had been unhappy recently. Previously, Qingxin Hall only had his Master and him. Now, there was an annoying addition.
His Master was only gentle with him, only hugged him, only spoke more to him. Even though his Master was cold, the boy felt that his Master's eyes were only on him.
Only he had this privilege. He was extremely happy when he first realized this and had loved this Master very much.
However, since Jiang Ling's arrival, his Master would often talk to Jiang Ling, and spent less time with him.
— How annoying!
"You wrote this character wrong. You're penalized with copying it 100 times." Jiang Ling's brows were knitted with dissatisfaction at the boy's careless attitude. The character had been written incorrectly several times already.
Rong Hua looked at him with a blank expression. "I don't need you to teach me! I know all of it! Don't come here again."
Jiang Ling glanced at him indifferently, not taking the child's words to heart.
He saw a figure in white out of the corner of his eye. Jiang Ling's lips curved slightly. Before he could say anything, a white figure skipped over and hugged Shen Yue's leg.
A childish voice, laced with milkiness, said, "Master."
Shen Yue stroked his soft hair and then turned to ask Jiang Ling.
"How is the learning progressing?"
Rong Hua scrunched his fair, plump face into a frown, clearly displeased.
Jiang Ling nervously pursed his lips and replied truthfully, "He often writes characters incorrectly. Despite numerous corrections, he still cannot get it right, so I made him copy it 100 times."
"Master... I don't want him to teach me." The boy hugged Shen Yue's leg, softly pleading.
Shen Yue couldn't help but frown and reprimand in a low voice, "Nonsense!"
Rong Hua's eyes welled up, and he buried his head in embarrassment and grievance.
Only one eye was visible. When that eye caught sight of the man blushing in front of his Master, a strange crimson glow flashed within it.
Shen Yue did not want to raise a child, so she handed the boy over to Jiang Ling. The main reason was that the child was too clingy, sometimes making Shen Yue feel genuinely impatient. Now that someone was helping her with him, it was a great relief.
However, she had underestimated the child's capacity for trouble.
After 'cultivating' for several days, Shen Yue wanted to see what had become of the little doll.
"Master, I..." Jiang Ling lowered his head in shame, his words faltering, "I have failed your expectations. Regarding my junior disciple... I cannot teach him."
Jiang Ling was a gentleman, kind in nature, and possessed great patience with children. However, when it came to Rong Hua, Jiang Ling could only sigh.