Chapter 1 The Stunned Yu Qingwu

Yu Qingwu stiffened slightly and slowly turned her head to see several familiar figures descending from the mountainside.

Third Brother Ning Yu, Ninth Sister Zhou Shuangshuang, Fourth Sister Su Qing, Sixth Sister Hu Die.

And… Eldest Brother Xiao Fengyun…

The one who had spoken just now was Sixth Sister Hu Die.

At this moment, apart from Hu Die, the expressions of the others were rather strange.

Could it be that after Xiao-shixiong and the others returned to the Xiao family, they didn’t mention her and Xie Jin Yan’s matter?

Her gaze met Xiao Fengyun’s, and Yu Qingwu quickly looked away, instead smiling at Hu Die and asking, “Sixth Sister, where have you all been?”

“Hey, where else could we go? Picking herbs in the mountains, of course.” As Hu Die spoke, she stepped forward and took Yu Qingwu’s arm, directly squeezing Xie Jin Yan away. She pulled Yu Qingwu along, complaining bitterly as they walked, “Shijie, you have no idea. Ever since you returned to the capital, Shifu has been assigning us increasingly heavier tasks. Today, he sent us all to pick herbs in the mountains, saying that the sect is currently poor and we’re about to take in new disciples. The sect’s dormitories aren’t enough lately, so he told us to pick herbs to sell for money. He said that if we do that, we can live in the newly built dormitories. I have no interest in living in any new dormitories, but Shifu also said that if we don’t go, we won’t pass the monthly assessment, and we can forget about graduating.”

“If I can’t graduate, my dad will definitely break my legs.”

“You tell me, Shifu, the old man, he’s got a chest full of gold hidden away, why doesn’t he take it out? He just has to torment us disciples…”

Hu Die’s face was full of frustration. As she spoke, she tugged on Yu Qingwu’s arm, tentatively saying, “That… Shijie, Shifu has always favored you the most. How about… how about you talk to Shifu? It’s fine if he doesn’t want to take out his own money. We few hundred disciples can each chip in a little, but please don’t make me go to the mountains to pick herbs every day anymore. You know, I’m not very good at this. I don’t even recognize the herbs…”

So… after all this talk, it’s just that she, Hu Die, doesn’t want to go to the mountains?

This Hu Die, after half a year apart, she’s still as fond of shirking responsibility as ever.

Yu Qingwu felt somewhat helpless, but perhaps because of Hu Die’s complaints, the oppressive, tense feeling she had when she entered the gate slowly disappeared. The familiar warmth of the past gradually returned on the road leading to the dormitory.

When they reached the gate of the women’s dormitory, Yu Qingwu stopped and turned to look at Hu Die, who had a bitter expression on her face. She gently patted her head and said with a helpless smile, “Hu Die, why are you still so fond of shirking responsibility after half a year? Shifu arranged for you to pick herbs for a reason. Just go. Why are you complaining so much?”

Hearing this, Hu Die immediately protested, pouting her lips and shaking Qingwu’s arm, acting spoiled as she called out to her, “Second Shijie, but going to the mountains is really tiring, and there are so many mosquitoes. Look, I’ve been bitten all over, covered in bumps.”

“When I was at home, not to mention being bitten by mosquitoes, I didn’t even wash my own clothes. But now I come here and get abused every day…”

As Hu Die spoke, she immediately rolled up her sleeves, extending her arm covered in red welts towards Yu Qingwu, trying to gain her sympathy.

This was Hu Die’s most common trick, which she had used countless times in front of Yu Qingwu since she was a child.

Although Hu Die was ranked sixth, she was actually very young, only sixteen years old now. Therefore, Yu Qingwu had always been particularly fond of her.

However, she was already a young woman after all, different from when she was a child. Since she came to learn, she couldn’t be spoiled all the time.

Qingwu glanced at her helplessly, shook her head, and said, “Hu Die, Shijie won’t help you plead with Shifu. Besides, you came here to learn. It was fine when you were little, but now you’re a grown woman. You can’t be as pampered as you used to be.”

“Second Shijie, but I…”

“You what? Are you going to say that you have four or five maids serving you at home?” After all, she was a girl she had helped raise. With one look, Yu Qingwu guessed what Hu Die wanted to say.

Gently patting her shoulder, Qingwu said softly, “Hu Die, how many of our fellow disciples aren’t from famous families? How many aren’t wealthy? Not to mention you, even Seventh Brother is the current crown prince. At home, not to mention four or five maids, he probably has a dozen serving him. But when he comes to the sect, doesn’t he still have to do everything himself? Have you ever seen him complain?”

Hu Die had originally wanted to say something, but when she heard Yu Qingwu say this, she was immediately choked.

That’s right. Xie-shidi, even a prince, has to go to the mountains to work. She’s just the daughter of an ordinary martial arts master. Her family runs a security company, which can be considered wealthy, but it’s still far from being comparable to a crown prince.

But… so what if Xie-shidi is a crown prince?

He’s a man after all, and he’s older than her, so he can naturally endure more hardship.

After thinking about it, Hu Die reluctantly tugged on Yu Qingwu’s sleeve, “Second Shijie…”

Just as she was tugging with all her might, a hand suddenly pulled the Second Shijie standing beside her away.

Yu Qingwu staggered and suddenly fell into Xie Jin Yan’s arms.

Even though she had prepared herself on the way here, she still felt extremely embarrassed in the eyes of others, and also panicked. She hurriedly straightened herself, raised her eyes to meet his slightly gloomy gaze, lowered her voice, and asked him with a hint of disguise and pleading, “Your Highness, why did you come? Have you finished packing your things?”

Her lips were tightly pursed, and everything from her eyes to her movements revealed her nervousness, as well as a hint of suggestion, suggesting that he not expose their relationship.

Heh, she had said so nicely on the way here, that she didn’t want him to face it alone, and didn’t want him to be bullied.

But now, as soon as she saw that Xiao Fengyun, she tried her best to keep her distance from him, and didn’t even dare to admit that she was his wife.

A flash of displeasure crossed his eyes. Xie Jin Yan snorted coldly and sized up the tense woman in front of him, raising an eyebrow and saying, “Yu Qingwu, when did I have a dozen maids serving me? Did you see it with your own eyes?”

“Hey, that’s right, Second Shijie, you returned to the capital, and Seventh Brother also lives in the capital. Have you ever been to his residence?” At this time, Hu Die also chimed in, looking excited and enthusiastically saying, “I heard my dad say that the capital is very big, much bigger than our Shu region, and it’s extremely prosperous. I haven’t been there yet after growing up so much!”

“And and, I heard that the palace is also very big, and the houses in the palace are as tall as a hundred people put together…”

The more Hu Die spoke, the more excited she became. As she spoke, she looked at Xie Jin Yan again and asked, “Seventh Shidi, is the house you live in also as tall as a hundred people?”

Seeing that Hu Die’s questions were increasing, Yu Qingwu’s mood became more and more tense. She quickly interrupted her, “That, Hu Die, Seventh Shidi must be very tired after traveling all this way…”

“Sixth Shijie, if you really want to know, you’ll know when A-Wu and I go back together.” However, the next moment, Xie Jin Yan’s meaningful voice came from her ear.