"Eighth Junior Sister, why are you running?"
As this voice rang out, the shadow seemed to run even faster.
Warm sunshine scattered across No-Sword Peak as Su Bei arrived at the peach orchard behind the pigsty.
Then, his eyes widened in surprise. It had only been two days since his last visit; how had a straw-thatched hut appeared nearby?
The peach orchard was well-tended, its branches swaying gently in the wind. Bathed in the deep red glow of dusk, tender buds had already sprouted, and one could faintly hear someone humming.
Su Bei then caught sight of something within the shadows of the trees, as if three thousand strands of white hair were fluttering in the air.
Dan Wulan stood on tiptoe, holding a watering can, her cool eyes narrowed. Although her expression remained cold, the slight upward curve of her lips suggested she was in a good mood.
Then, Dan Wulan's ears twitched slightly. She turned to look at Su Bei, her long lashes fluttering once.
"Ninth Junior Sister? What are you doing here?"
Dan Wulan glanced at Su Bei, pointed towards the nearby straw hut, and said calmly, "From now on, I will live there."
Su Bei was somewhat taken aback. How had No-Sword Peak gained another woman all of a sudden?
Although Su Bei could not understand why Dan Wulan suddenly had this idea, he still smiled and asked, "Is that so? Junior Sister, have you seen your elder sister? I have no idea where she's run off to."
Dan Wulan's eyelashes trembled slightly. She put the watering can behind her back, hesitated for a moment, and finally replied, "Mm, she's over there."
After speaking, she avoided Su Bei's gaze and gently, meticulously inspected the tender sprouts blossoming on the peach tree branches.
She, however, was inwardly pondering why her sister had been acting oddly since yesterday. She hadn't even gone to the Sword Sect's lively longevity feast. What exactly had happened between her and Senior Brother?
Seeing Su Bei walk in that direction, Dan Wulan held her breath and slowly followed.
Su Bei finally found Dan Wuque. She was standing under an apricot tree, flustered and red-faced, her lips tightly pursed. The single, distinct cowlick on top of her head was spinning rapidly, like a helicopter rotor.
"Eighth Junior Sister, what's wrong with you? Why have you been avoiding Senior Brother since yesterday?" Su Bei looked at Dan Wuque curiously and asked.
Dan Wuque raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, like ripples spreading when a leaf falls into a lake.
Her small hands fidgeted as she spoke in a soft voice, "I... I think I'm pregnant."
Su Bei's eyes widened in shock. He swallowed hard and asked, "Pregnant? Whose... is it?"
Deep down, he felt a momentary sense of loss, as if he had suddenly lost something precious. Who was the scoundrel? If I find out who it is, I'll tear him to pieces!
Dan Wuque's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She glanced up at Su Bei, then quickly lowered her head again, her voice barely a whisper, "It's... Senior Brother's."
Su Bei hadn't heard clearly—or perhaps, he hadn't dared to.
"It's! It's Senior Brother's!!"
This time, Dan Wuque finally mustered the courage to say it aloud to Su Bei.
The only sound was the soughing of the wind in the branches.
Behind a large tree, Dan Wulan's ears perked up instantly, her eyes filled with disbelief, her small hands gripping tightly.
Su Bei, his face etched with exasperation, approached Dan Wuque and said helplessly, "Junior Sister, don't talk nonsense. How could you be pregnant? This..."
Dan Wuque took a step back, her hands protectively covering her belly. Her eyes, fixed unwaveringly on Su Bei, showed a hint of urgency as she said, "You... You still won't admit it!"
Come on? How could that be possible?
Suddenly, remembering Dan Wuque's usual antics, Su Bei's expression turned puzzled. He licked his lips lightly and tentatively asked, "Junior Sister, do you... even know how someone gets pregnant?"
"How do you know you're pregnant?"