Su Bei's body stiffened. On instinct, he turned to glance at his prodigal apprentice before swallowing hard at the sight of the suspicious-looking bottle of water Mo Li handed him. He looked up at Mo Li's cool, indifferent gaze, which seemed entirely normal. The wind blew gently, brushing through Mo Li's silver hair. With a very odd look in his eyes, Su Bei examined the water. After triple-checking, he felt he was beginning to understand this woman's true nature...
What, Anna's Palace of Brocade?
He smirked and scooted back a little. Clearly, he wanted to stay away from this woman who might rip out his kidneys at any moment. He replied, "I'm not thirsty; I don't feel like drinking water."
He paused, then for some reason, added, "Of course, I don't want any cookies either..."
Mo Li was momentarily stunned, not immediately grasping what Su Bei meant.
Xiao Ruoching watched the scene with a complex expression. She stepped forward and, looking straight into Mo Li's eyes, said coolly, "Elder Xi is a very outstanding elder. Miss Mo, you should heed your father's words and not act rashly."
For some reason, her fondness for this woman had diminished considerably.
Mo Li rose gracefully, her legs together. Holding the small bottle with both hands behind her back, she leaned forward slightly, looking at Xiao Ruoching with apparent interest. Then, to Xiao Ruoching's disbelief, Mo Li suddenly leaned close to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Are you afraid I'll snatch away your beloved master?"
Xiao Ruoching's eyes instantly widened. Her body froze before she took a step back, pressing her lips together as she said, "Miss Mo, what are you talking about?"
Mo Li gave a knowing smile. She extended her index finger and gently nudged Xiao Ruoching's chin, but Xiao Ruoching quickly slapped her hand away.
"Don't you understand in your heart what Mo Li is saying, Miss Xiao?" Mo Li stressed the words "Miss Xiao" heavily.
Xiao Ruoching snorted coldly and straightened her chest. No longer constricted by bindings, it appeared much fuller than before. "Whether I understand or not, I don't know. But Miss Mo, please conduct yourself with dignity! Don't always put on that superior air. Compared to me, you're not that impressive. You always approach Master with ulterior motives. What exactly are you aiming for?"
Mo Li smiled at her and turned away without answering.
Her senior sister's temperament hadn't changed at all from her previous life. She was poor at concealing her emotions; nearly all her thoughts were written on her face. It was no wonder Su Bei was fond of her, given such a frank nature.
Just as Xiao Ruoching took a deep breath, preparing to deflate the arrogance of the clueless young woman before her, she suddenly heard a faint cry nearby.
Then came the gentle voice of a woman, as melodious as silver bells, "Da Bai, where are you off to again? Come back here!"
Su Bei instinctively turned his head, looking in the direction of the sound. Sunlight reflected off the snow. A woman with delicate, jade-like hands was lightly lifting the corner of her ruqun, taking small steps as she chased a large, pure white cat. Plum blossoms against the snow set off her exquisite figure. Her long, dark hair cascaded from a break in the sunlight—half hidden behind her, half shyly spilling before her.
Somehow, to Su Bei's surprise, the large white cat suddenly leaped into his arms.
Su Bei looked at the plump creature that had suddenly appeared in his hands. Eyeing the fat cat, he reached out and scooped it up.
"Da Bai, don't run off!"
Xiao Ruoching and Mo Li both stopped, looking meaningfully at the woman before them.
The Confucian Sage's daughter, Li Zijun.
Seeing Su Bei catch the white cat, Li Zijun's brows knitted slightly, and her eyelashes fluttered. Then, she smiled softly at Su Bei and said in a tender voice, "Thank you, sir, for helping catch Da Bai. He's always running off!"
Su Bei blinked, looking at the woman before him as if she were a rare treasure. He inhaled deeply, his heart swelling with emotion, almost moved to tears.
Could there really be such a woman in the world, whose gentleness one could feel with a single glance? So extraordinary, she was unlike anyone he had ever seen! It's a pity. If her identity weren't so sensitive, he would have tried to coax her into becoming his apprentice, no matter what. Having such an apparently tender apprentice to gently massage his legs and knead his shoulders... that would be the ideal life!
Su Bei cleared his throat subtly, adjusted his moon coronet with a nonchalant air, and, trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible, looked at the woman before him. "You're too kind. Is this... your cat, Immortal? Is his name Da Bai?"
Li Zijun looked up, her gaze meeting the man before her.
This was the man she had yearned for day and night since her reincarnation. Her heart was filled with countless words she wished to tell him, but at this moment, she could only bury them deep inside.
With a faint smile on her face, she took the plump cat from Su Bei and replied, "Yes, sir."
She paused, then gave a slight nod to the two women before her as a greeting.
Yet, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Is this fate? To think that in this life, she would meet her senior sisters here...