Qin Si immediately felt he might be overthinking things the moment the words left his lips.
Venerable Qinglan had been in seclusion for over a decade. If he truly knew Bai Sheng Yi, wouldn't that mean time would have to rewind to before Bai Sheng Yi was even born?
That didn't make sense.
But as Qin Si looked up, he saw Venerable Qinglan gazing at the mountains, his clear eyes actually holding a look of memory and nostalgia.
"Martial Uncle?"
Qin Si's heart sank. His phoenix eyes fixed on Venerable Qinglan, a sharp and direct reminder in them.
"Chianying and I only recognize A Yi as our junior sister."
Venerable Qinglan turned his head upon hearing this and said, "I won't be going into seclusion again anytime soon. You don't need to worry about Song Sheng; as long as I'm here, he wouldn't dare act rashly. Just focus on your own affairs."
Clearly, he had no intention of dwelling on the previous topic.
Qin Si wanted to ask more, but in the blink of an eye, the scenery changed, and he found himself a hundred meters away.
Qin Si's face instantly darkened. The sense of urgency to improve his strength and the pressure he felt intensified!
Previously, when the three great Venerables were in seclusion and Xia Xilou was traveling in distant lands, he had deliberately slowed his cultivation speed after entering the late Nascent Soul stage. Partly because he felt his cultivation had progressed too quickly before, and partly because he subconsciously believed his strength was quite good, at least enough to move freely and at ease across the continent.
However, in just these three days, first failing to protect Bai Sheng Yi in the main hall, and then being easily dismissed by Venerable Qinglan, Qin Si was greatly disheartened.
Qin Si had come with a question and left with a mind full of doubts and dejection, his face as black as ink. Just then, as soon as Cui Ming contacted him, she became incredibly arrogant.
"Damn it! Dog... Master, you finally contacted this old lady! If you ever cut off our contract link again, this old lady will..."
"If you have something to say, say it," Qin Si interrupted icily.
Cui Ming's eyes almost rolled into the heavens.
She retorted crossly, "Two man-made spatial rifts have appeared deep in the Cloud Unknowing Swamp. I caught two brats from the Supreme Sect here, and I suspect Li Tingyun is behind it. Be careful recently; who knows if they've infiltrated the continent from elsewhere."
"Mm."
"Also, this time the rift was too big, and Cui Yu's father and I couldn't handle it, so we went to your place to get a box of Fixed Space Star Beads, and coincidentally bumped into..."
Before Cui Ming could finish speaking, Qin Si said, "I see A Yi. If it's not important, we can talk later."
With a "snap," the contract link was severed again.
"Qin Si! You dog-like master, I...!" Cui Ming let out another roar of fury.
The fierce tiger roar startled the birds nearby. Cui Yu's father uttered a helpless comfort, "Ah, cub's mother, you're already over a hundred years old. Why do you bother arguing with Qin Si? Qin Si is not much older than Xiao Yu'er, he's still just a child."
"What child! One is human, and the other is a tiger; how can they be the same!"
Upon hearing this, Cui Ming became even more agitated, twisting Cui Yu's father's ear.
"What's wrong with me being over a hundred years old? I'm still beautiful and young at a hundred years old. Why should I yield to him! Humph! Let him cut off our contract link; he'll know better when he's misunderstood by a young lady!"
Originally, Cui Ming had felt a little guilty, thinking she had been negligent before and wanted to give Qin Si a heads-up. Now, that guilt had flown away for hundreds of miles.
On the other side, as Qin Si looked up, he saw Bai Sheng Yi standing up from the lounge chair, her voice cool.
"Qin Si, you're something else. Hiding from me, yet keeping a great beauty in your own residence."
As her red lips parted, Qin Si's mind went blank; he didn't understand what Bai Sheng Yi meant.
"What great beauty?"
Bai Sheng Yi crossed her arms, her expression serious and displeased. "Still trying to deny it? I saw it all, a stunningly beautiful woman... *puchi*..."
She couldn't maintain her act any longer.
"You're talking about Cui Ming, aren't you?"
Qin Si stepped forward, gently brushing a strand of hair from Bai Sheng Yi's eyes. Seeing her light smile, he felt the oppressive feeling in his heart dissipate unknowingly.
Bai Sheng Yi pushed Qin Si's hand away and huffed, "Why didn't you tell me your contracted partner could transform? I was standing on her last time; that's so disrespectful."
Bai Sheng Yi believed that the reason for dividing demons into demonic beasts and spiritual beasts lay in their personhood. For demonic beasts, once they could transform into human form, they were no different from humans.
Like her being directly carried by someone, flying along while being驮ed... Bai Sheng Yi imagined herself stepping on a beautiful woman's back and shivered.
"I was negligent," Qin Si said. As someone born and raised in this world, he couldn't understand Bai Sheng Yi's slight awkwardness, but he didn't argue with her. He just explained softly, "Cui Ming won't mind."
"Alright, that matter is settled. Let's talk about the next thing."
Bai Sheng Yi suddenly placed her hands on Qin Si's shoulders. Qin Si instinctively bent his knees slightly with her movement, making Bai Sheng Yi more comfortable.
This considerate action warmed Bai Sheng Yi's heart. The stern questioning tone she intended turned into a gentle address, "Darling, A Si, tell me, why have you been avoiding me these past two days? Hmm?"
Qin Si's ears immediately turned red!
"Bai Sheng Yi!" Qin Si reprimanded softly, "You... you..."
The usually cold and indifferent young prince, the vice-dean, was essentially a pure young man.
That redness gradually spread to his angular face, his slightly protruding Adam's apple, his long, slender neck...
He was excessively handsome and sexy.
Bai Sheng Yi couldn't help but whistle.
Her gaze fell on Qin Si's face and eyes without any concealment, not allowing Qin Si to evade.
"What? You don't like me calling you that?"
"But I really like it. A Si, I think you need to explain yourself," Bai Sheng Yi said openly, her eyes fixed on Qin Si, a bright smile gracing her lips.
She was so direct, yet so trusting.
At that moment, Qin Si felt as if her eyes were filled with starlight, mesmerizing and intoxicating.
He admitted he couldn't resist an emotion as rich and potent as aged wine, an emotion that was overly direct.
He admitted that even though he had fallen first, in this relationship, he was no match for Bai Sheng Yi's frankness.
"A Yi..."
Qin Si sighed softly and couldn't help but reach out to caress Bai Sheng Yi's face.
Bai Sheng Yi didn't urge him, waiting quietly for him to speak.
"I was scared."
As the words left his lips, Qin Si felt that admitting his incompetence and timidity to Bai Sheng Yi wasn't as difficult as he thought.
"I felt guilty, and for a moment, I didn't know how to face you."
Bai Sheng Yi recalled for a moment, and then suddenly understood Qin Si's meaning.
She reached out and hugged Qin Si tightly.
"Worried that Venerable Song Sheng would harm me?" Bai Sheng Yi rested her head on Qin Si's chest and uttered the man's hidden worries, word by word, "Felt you couldn't protect me? Felt your strength wasn't enough? Afraid you wouldn't be able to protect me in the future?"
"Qin Si."
Bai Sheng Yi called his name, then lifted her head and pressed a kiss to his lips before abruptly pulling away, laughing softly, her eyes sparkling with unbridled charm.
"Don't underestimate me."
"And don't belittle yourself either."
We are both young, and the future holds infinite possibilities.
As we walk side by side, we will fear nothing on the road ahead.