His face held no joy, and his tone was terrifyingly calm, as if the person at the door was not the master who raised him, but a stranger passing by.
Aside from calling out "Master," Rong Hua said nothing more.
Yin Jing, however, moved closer to the white-robed immortal.
"Immortal Master, the snow outside is heavy, and I feel the cold. Could you please close the door?"
Almost as soon as Yin Jing finished speaking, the door automatically shut. Of course, it wasn't Shen Yue who closed it; the man had already closed it with spiritual energy before she could.
Yin Jing, unaware that Rong Hua had closed the door, mistook it for Shen Yue and thanked her.
"Thank you, Immortal Master."
In the time it took for these few words to be spoken, Rong Hua, after the initial glance at her, had kept his gaze fixed on Yin Jing's face, not moving an inch.
Though Shen Yue couldn't see, she could still sense from Rong Hua's continued silence that an invisible wall had been erected between them, an insurmountable barrier.
Shen Yue recalled hearing the man playfully teasing Yin Jing when she first entered, his tone light, gentle, and lively. She rarely saw Rong Hua like this.
At this moment, Shen Yue felt as if she were the extraneous one.
Well... she supposed she truly was.
The dragon poison had not yet been resolved, and Shen Yue's body temperature had dropped considerably. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but a tickle in her throat turned into a cough.
Despite her best efforts to suppress it, it still leaked out.
Rong Hua's expressionless face faltered slightly, yet he still refused to look at Shen Yue, only stealing glances from the corner of his eye.
Yin Jing, on the other hand, spoke in a teasing manner, "Immortal Master, you get sick too? Is it because the snow outside is too heavy?"
While the snow outside was heavy, it was actually not cold. This snow was not ordinary mortal snow; it was snow devoid of any temperature.
Shen Yue didn't know how to respond. She was a person of few words to begin with, and the awkward atmosphere only made her feel more at a loss.
Yin Jing also sensed that something was unusual.
She observed the immortal before her.
Her skin was as white as snow, and her white brocade robe was embroidered with silver lotuses. Her face, so radiant it outshone the moonlight, was incredibly striking.
A soft white cloth was wrapped around her eyes, and Yin Jing guessed that this Immortal Master's eyes must be very beautiful.
This was because her features were so clear and tranquil, like a lake on a spring night. Though they seemed too serene to be disturbed by ripples, a gentle breeze could easily stir them.
Such a person was inherently noble, yet Yin Jing found herself inexplicably feeling a sense of sorrow the longer she looked.
Yin Jing became entranced, her eyes unblinking. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but no words came out.
She simply felt that this Immortal Master seemed very sad.
Rong Hua did not notice Yin Jing's gaze. After a moment of silence, he walked to Shen Yue's side.
"Master, are you afraid of the cold?"
He knew, of course, that immortals could not be susceptible to cold, but seeing Shen Yue's pale, sickly face, he couldn't help but ask.
As the man drew closer, Shen Yue felt his warm breath. The distance between them was neither too close nor too far, resembling that of a master and disciple, respectful but lacking intimacy.
Shen Yue suppressed the tickle in her throat, her clear, cool voice tinged with a subtle warmth, "It's nothing."
As if feeling this answer was too brief, she placed one hand behind her, her long sleeves trailing, and said calmly and placidly, "Do not worry."
Rong Hua's slightly cold and stiff expression softened somewhat. "Why didn't Master notify this disciple when you returned? So I could have welcomed you."
Shen Yue pursed her lips, about to reply, when someone else spoke first.
"Rong Hua." Yin Jing finally tore her eyes away from the immortal and said, with the intimate tone unique to her and the man, "Your disciple is too un
Filial."
Rong Hua shifted his gaze and looked at the young woman.
"Nonsense."
Their affection had grown significantly over the past two years. Shen Yue could clearly feel that with just a simple sentence from Yin Jing, Rong Hua's attention was immediately captured. He was no longer the child who used to trail behind her.
Yin Jing huffed, her voice sweet and innocent, carrying an unconscious hint of娇意 (endearment/playfulness), "How am I speaking nonsense? My two eyes are watching."
Only those in close relationships would tease and banter so openly. Shen Yue couldn't see Rong Hua's expression, but she imagined he was smiling, a hint of tenderness in his eyes.
This unique gentleness belonged to this particular young woman.
Even with Shen Yue, the superfluous one, present, it didn't make the two of them feel awkward. Their eyes were only for each other, and they could only see each other. Their souls might belong to the same world.
And this world was very small, capable of containing only two people.
Shen Yue almost laughed. When the great villain was so clingy in her childhood, she had felt a little anxious, afraid the plot would develop in an unpredictable direction, making it impossible to reel back. She hadn't expected to be so worried; indeed, plots never lied.
Everything was proceeding normally, which put Shen Yue at ease.
As if suddenly remembering someone else was present, Yin Jing glanced awkwardly at the Immortal Master, her earlobes turning red, and chided in a blaming tone, "Immortal Master is still here."
Rong Hua looked over again. His ink-black eyes revealed no emotion, like the dark, endless night.
Shen Yue could clearly feel the man's indifferent gaze upon her and offered a very faint smile, "You two have a very good relationship."
Shen Yue had always been static, like the pale moon in the sky, unapproachable.
This was the first time Yin Jing had seen her smile. Although the smile was faint, it caused a moment of blankness in her mind.
Humans are visual creatures. Those in the cultivation world were all handsome and beautiful, each more outstanding in appearance than the last.
Yet, none could compare to this Xi Yu Immortal Venerable. Her exceedingly fair complexion was like flawless white jade, and her exquisitely refined features were like a blooming, magnificent white magnolia, pure and untainted.
The soft white cloth covering her eyes added a touch of fragility.
However, this fragility did not evoke pity; instead, it awakened the deepest desires for wickedness and destruction.
The singular thought was—to defile her.
Yin Jing swayed in a daze and instinctively looked at Rong Hua beside her.
And Rong Hua—was not looking at Shen Yue.
He lowered his eyelashes, his handsome features growing even more somber, his expression remaining indifferent, as if devoid of any emotion.
He was answering Shen Yue's words but dared not look at her face.
Even knowing Shen Yue couldn't see.
"Indeed, as Master observes."