Yun Qian would sometimes be told by Xu Chang’an to read more books, and other times he’d tell her she reads too much.
Her time was precious, so naturally, she wouldn’t waste it on anything other than the books personally transcribed by Xu Chang’an.
But Yun Qian felt that Li Zhibai was a special person, and not just because she read a lot.
It was like what she said to Li Zhibai.
"He really likes you."
The same words, with another girl, she’d ask, "Do you like him?"
Through this exchange, the difference between Li Zhibai and other women became evident.
As a girl, being liked by her husband and able to make him happy was naturally impressive.
"He really likes me? Him?" Li Zhibai withdrew her gaze from the plum blossoms: "Are you talking about Chang’an?"
"Mm." Yun Qian thought her ability to freely call him Chang’an was indeed impressive.
Watching Yun Qian’s expression, Li Zhibai casually remarked, "I’m his teacher, that child listens well."
Evidently, as Xu Chang’an’s teacher, Li Zhibai never considered him as a man, nor did she think about whether Yun Qian’s words had other meanings.
Just the teacher and the student, why think more?
"You...no, sister." Yun Qian seriously asked, "How can you naturally call him Chang’an?"
Yun Qian felt that except for at night on the bed, she rarely called him by name, usually... if she could call out "husband," it was already with a peak atmosphere.
Thinking about it, she lived with Xu Chang’an, he often called her "Miss," she just had to respond, very rarely...rarely would she actively call him.
So, hearing Li Zhibai naturally call Xu Chang’an by name, Yun Qian minded.
"Sister, are you saying...?" Li Zhibai looked at Yun Qian’s sudden dilemma, froze for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.
When Xu Chang’an called Yun Qian, it was always "Miss," "Miss Yun."
It was also because of this that when she saw Yun Qian, she subconsciously couldn’t equate Yun Qian with Xu Chang’an’s wife, coupled with her temperament, she could comfortably call Yun Qian "sister."
Is it a problem in the marriage?
"I call him Chang’an because I’m his teacher." Li Zhibai hesitated before speaking.
This was a universal answer.
"I could never be his teacher." Yun Qian shook her head, thinking that Xu Chang’an didn’t want her to teach him calligraphy, maybe for reasons related to Yang Guo and Little Dragon Girl?
"That’s a matter for you as a couple." Li Zhibai picked up two candied fruits from the plate and walked to Yun Qian’s side, handed her one with a calm gaze, and then said, "I haven’t had a Daoist companion, nor have been married, so I don’t know about marital matters."
Other questions aside, asking her about marital matters was something she couldn’t answer.
"I see." Yun Qian nodded, took the candied fruit and ate it, not knowing what she was thinking.
Li Zhibai leaned closer to Yun Qian, catching a faint scent of soap from her, found herself a bit dazed, quietly watching Yun Qian.
At this moment, the two girls stood together, of similar height yet the difference in their aura was clear.
Yun Qian adorned in a black and white mixed long dress, exuding elegance and tranquility, the dark waist cinched tightly accentuating her figure, her long hair styled by Xu Chang’an into a slanted chignon, mature yet retaining feminine charm, was unmistakably a married woman.
Compared to Yun Qian, Li Zhibai’s good figure was hidden beneath a tidy, traditional Daoist robe, barely discernible, her waist-length hair bundled up into a crown with a black band, her face quite ordinary, lacking discernible femininity.
Only after seeing Yun Qian did her long-lived serene expression suddenly become lively, and she gained a few more degrees of feminine charm.
According to Xu Chang’an, Yun Qian seemed to be about twenty-five or six, while Li Zhibai appeared more mature, nearly thirty, but close.
In Li Zhibai’s view, from any perspective, it was proper for Yun Qian to call her sister.
"Holding the candied fruit, why aren’t you eating?" Yun Qian ate the fruit, noticed Li Zhibai holding one in her daze.
"Oh." Li Zhibai snapped out of it, shook her head, placed the fruit in her mouth, savoring the sugar dissolving, calmly said, "Sister is indeed a beautiful person."
"I was asking about the candied fruit." Yun Qian suddenly remembered something: "He said this is called... a feast for the eyes? So sister forgot to eat the candied fruit?"
After a pause, she regathered her thoughts, helplessly said, "Sister, do you know what you’re saying?"
Li Zhibai gazed at Yun Qian’s pretty face, felt her heart struck by something, couldn’t help quickening her heartbeat.
This Miss Yun indeed felt very sisterly, somehow making one wish to protect her.
"I think you don’t know, though...it is indeed a feast for the eyes." Li Zhibai looked at Yun Qian’s lips and faintly saw traces of lipstick once applied, now only a subtle mark remained.