CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 20: MAKING IT CLEAR [FIRST UPDATE]

"So, what should we do?" Si Lin frowned, echoing Yue Zhao’s concern about Gu Qingqing getting hurt, and asked directly.

"Qingqing hasn’t realized her feelings yet, and if we rush to make things clear, she might realize she likes Jun Wu, which would be counterproductive. So, what we should do now is reduce her time spent with Jun Wu before she becomes aware," Yue Zhao said calmly, his eyes flashing.

It was obvious that this wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. He had thought it through carefully. Although he had never been in love, he had read many storybooks and thought that Gu Qingqing was still doing fine. As long as her time with Jun Wu was reduced and she met some new friends, she might forget her feelings for him.

"Alright." Si Lin nodded in agreement.

"Additionally, this is a good opportunity to introduce some outstanding young men to Qingqing. As long as Jun Wu isn’t the only peer around her age, she might not fall for him," Yue Zhao continued.

"That’s easy. I know many talented young men," Nan Hua responded, as the most sociable among the five, he indeed knew many outstanding youths.

"Then I’ll leave this to you, make sure Qingqing makes more friends and preferably forgets about Jun Wu," Yue Zhao said to Nan Hua with a perfect smile.

Seeing Yue Zhao’s smile, the others couldn’t help but shiver. Every time Yue Zhao smiled like that, it never meant anything good!

"Okay, I’ll make sure to complete the task," Nan Hua put away his fan and promised earnestly.

...

Jun Wu was still unaware of Yue Zhao and the others’ decision, otherwise, he would definitely challenge them to a duel.

However, he was also thinking of ways to deal with Si Lin and the others. Having known Gu Qingqing for so long, he understood Si Lin and their personalities all too well. He knew they wouldn’t just sit back and watch their junior sister get taken away by another man. Their possessiveness as sister-complexes was beyond the imagination of those who weren’t familiar with them!

For this, he even consulted his friend, Tian Qi, the Young Sect Master of the Tianyuan Sect, only to be laughed at heartily by Tian Qi.

But in Jun Wu’s view, if he could really handle Si Lin and the others and stop them from interfering with his relationship with Gu Qingqing, it would be worth enduring Tian Qi’s ridicule!

After exchanging messages with Tian Qi throughout the night, Jun Wu indeed learned a few things. Early the next morning, he went to Gu Qingqing’s residence to find her.

Gu Qingqing had just gotten up and was washing up. Knowing Jun Wu had arrived, she let him wait outside, finished washing up quickly, and stepped out with her hair down.

"Jun Wu, have you been waiting long?" she asked a bit shyly.

"No," Jun Wu quickly shook his head, looking at Gu Qingqing’s loose hair, his ears reddening slightly, "You don’t need to hurry, you can fix your hair before coming out."

"Ah, is it messy?" Gu Qingqing bit her lip, feeling a bit embarrassed, "The maids’ hairstyles don’t suit me, and I can’t do it myself. I was going to wait for senior brother to help me."

For years, whenever she was with Si Lin and the others, her hair was always styled by them in turns. She never quite learned the skill. Back when she was in Huazhou City, even Yun Ran helped her style her hair. Now that she’s with Si Lin and the others, she naturally lets them handle it.

"How about," Jun Wu paused, feeling a bit awkward, "I help you style it."

"Ah?" Gu Qingqing looked at Jun Wu in surprise, "You know how?" She was skeptical, as she hadn’t heard of Jun Wu being skilled in hairstyles before?

"I can give it a try." Jun Wu said with a determined look, even a bit eager to try.

"Well... okay." Being stared at by Jun Wu, Gu Qingqing felt that heart-racing feeling again, and nodded in a daze.

By the time she came to her senses, she had already been pulled into the room by Jun Wu and seated in front of the dressing table.

She opened her mouth to stop Jun Wu, but seeing his serious expression, she closed it again, thinking she would let Jun Wu give it a try, and if it didn’t work out, she could always ask her senior brothers to redo it.

Jun Wu was unaware of Gu Qingqing’s thoughts. At this moment, he focused intently on styling her hair.

He had actually wanted to do this for a long time. Back on Spirit Hidden Mountain, seeing Si Lin and the others style Gu Qingqing’s hair, he had resolved to one day style her hair as well and even practiced secretly for a while. Now that he finally had a chance, he couldn’t be happier.

By the time Yue Zhao arrived, Jun Wu had mostly finished and was inserting the hairpin he had prepared for Gu Qingqing.

Seeing this scene, Yue Zhao’s pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly stepped up to the dressing table.

"What is Prince Jun doing?" he asked Jun Wu, a trace of displeasure flickering in his eyes.

"Second senior brother, you’re here. Jun Wu is helping me with my hair." Since she was facing away from Yue Zhao, Gu Qingqing didn’t notice his odd behavior and was still telling him proudly about Jun Wu helping with her hair, "Jun Wu’s skills seem pretty decent."

For the first time, Yue Zhao felt a bit stifled. He hadn’t expected his junior sister to be so naive, and his smile froze for a moment. He took a deep breath to adjust his expression, "Well, Prince Jun is quite dexterous, seems very practiced. You’ve styled many people’s hair before, right?"

The smile on Gu Qingqing’s face faded slightly, and she felt an inexplicable sense of displeasure.

Jun Wu’s hand paused as he was inserting the hairpin. He glanced up at Yue Zhao with a sharp gaze, and Yue Zhao met it unflinchingly. Their gazes clashed in the air, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Young Master Yue is joking. I’ve just styled my mother’s hair a few times," Jun Wu retracted his gaze and explained in a casual tone.

He finished adjusting the hairpin and after checking to make sure it was secure, he released his hands and straightened up, looking at Gu Qingqing.

"Alright, Qingqing, how do you like it?" Unlike the distant tone he had with Yue Zhao, Jun Wu’s voice was exceptionally gentle.

Gu Qingqing quickly snapped back to reality and examined herself carefully in the mirror. She found that Jun Wu had done her hair in a style she liked, matching her age. Most importantly, the hairpin on her head suited her taste perfectly, and she couldn’t help but touch it.

"I crafted the hairpin myself. Do you like it?" Jun Wu explained proactively, seeing Gu Qingqing continually touch the hairpin.

"I like it." Gu Qingqing nodded, turning to Jun Wu, "Thank you, Jun Wu, I really like it, and the hairstyle too."

Because she liked it, Gu Qingqing smiled brilliantly at Jun Wu, prompting him to curve his lips into a smile as well.

"Cough, cough," unable to bear Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu’s excessive contact, Yue Zhao lightly coughed twice to attract Gu Qingqing’s attention. After Gu Qingqing looked over, he softly spoke, "Geng Geng, it’s time for you to choose your servants. I’ve already had them wait in the courtyard outside, you can go select them yourself."

Yesterday, Yue Zhao had already mentioned this matter to Gu Qingqing, so she wasn’t surprised. She nodded, stood up from her chair, and looked at Yue Zhao, "Second Senior Brother, is there anyone here I need to pay attention to?"

In a place like the Lingxi Sacred Land, many servants are generations deep, with complex relationships. Gu Qingqing was new here and not very familiar with the place. Rather than explore by herself, it was better to directly ask Yue Zhao.

"No, you just pick whomever you like. There’s no need to overthink it." Yue Zhao smiled very gently. Even if things were complicated behind the scenes, he could handle it for Gu Qingqing, so she didn’t have to worry about these matters at all!

Gu Qingqing nodded, and the three of them walked outside together.

As expected, when they arrived at the courtyard, all the servants were already waiting there as Yue Zhao had said. Seeing the three of them approach, they all paid their respects.

"You may rise. This is the Saint Master’s closed-door disciple and also your future master. Now stand up straight and raise your heads." When facing the servants, Yue Zhao’s aura suddenly became apparent. Although he still appeared gentle, he was hard to ignore.

"Yes."

Everyone slightly raised their heads, but they did not dare to look directly at Gu Qingqing and the others, with brows lowered, and appeared obedient.

Gu Qingqing quickly scanned the crowd, pointing as she went. Soon a group had stood forward, "Alright, these people will stay; Senior Brother, you can take the others away."

Yue Zhao glanced at those Gu Qingqing had chosen and noticed that they were generally the more good-looking ones among the group. He gained a further understanding of Gu Qingqing’s preference for appearances. However, he also saw there were quite a few good candidates among them, so he said nothing more and just waved the unchosen ones away.

Next, Gu Qingqing picked a few to serve her personally and some to manage affairs, then dismissed the rest.

"These are your people now, their contracts will be sent over shortly, keep them safely," Yue Zhao reminded her with some concern.

"I know, Senior Brother, I’m not a child anymore." Gu Qingqing wrinkled her nose, a little unhappy with Yue Zhao’s childhood treatment, but still replied obediently.

"To me, you’re still a kid." Yue Zhao patted Gu Qingqing’s head, smiling dotingly.

Gu Qingqing stuck out her tongue, rubbing her head against Yue Zhao’s palm, her actions full of dependence.

Jun Wu’s eyes darkened at the side, he looked at Yue Zhao, just as Yue Zhao looked back. Both of their glances were sharp, but then they each looked away.

At this moment, Rong Ye came in, led by a servant. Seeing Gu Qingqing and Yue Zhao, he immediately waved the servant away, and upon seeing Jun Wu, a trace of displeasure appeared in his eyes. He then walked up to Gu Qingqing, directly pushing Jun Wu aside.

"Geng Geng, master asked me to call you, he needs to talk to you." Once he fully blocked Jun Wu’s line of sight, Rong Ye said with a smile.

"Master is looking for me? Let’s go now then," hearing that Wen Guiyun was looking for her, Gu Qingqing immediately stood up and said.

"Master only asked me to bring you over," Rong Ye said to Gu Qingqing with a bit of difficulty, his implication very obvious.

"Geng Geng, you go ahead, I’ll return first, and come find you this afternoon." From Rong Ye’s back, Jun Wu stepped out, looking at Gu Qingqing, his expression with a hint of grievance, yet he spoke sensibly.

"Jun Wu," Gu Qingqing paused, feeling not so great about leaving Jun Wu just like that, full of apology, "When I return from Master, I’ll come find you."

Jun Wu instantly beamed with joy and responded with, "Alright."

Rong Ye and Yue Zhao were originally relieved at successfully separating Gu Qingqing and Jun Wu; however, upon seeing the exchange between Jun Wu and Gu Qingqing, they exchanged a glance, feeling somewhat vexed.

Gu Qingqing and Rong Ye left together, leaving Yue Zhao and Jun Wu standing in place. Once their figures vanished, Yue Zhao turned to look at Jun Wu.

"Prince Jun, don’t you need to attend to the affairs of Yunlan Sacred Land usually? You seem a bit too idle." Yue Zhao looked at Jun Wu, his smile back to its perfect, cold state, and said in a bland tone.

"The affairs of Yunlan Sacred Land are managed by my father. To me, none of those things are as important as accompanying Geng Geng." Jun Wu knew Yue Zhao had seen through his intentions and spoke directly.

Yue Zhao hadn’t expected Jun Wu to be so straightforward, and his smile faded noticeably.

"Prince Jun, Geng Geng is still young. We don’t wish for her to get involved in matters of the heart too soon." Since Jun Wu was so blunt, Yue Zhao decided not to beat around the bush either, speaking directly.

"I know Geng Geng is still young, but whether to get involved in matters of the heart should be decided by Geng Geng herself." Jun Wu looked at Yue Zhao, not retreating an inch.

"Geng Geng hasn’t awakened to these matters yet, Prince Jun, don’t lead her astray." Yue Zhao’s eyes suddenly sharpened, his smile almost gone.

"I will protect Geng Geng and won’t let her get hurt, and I don’t mind that she hasn’t awakened yet. I can wait, but she must be mine!" Jun Wu’s attitude turned forceful, for the first time firmly stating his position.

"Geng Geng doesn’t belong to anyone! Don’t think that just because you are the Saint Heir of Yunlan Sacred Land, we would agree to anything between you and Geng Geng." Yue Zhao was completely immune to Jun Wu’s pressure, speaking equally firmly.

"Geng Geng doesn’t belong to anyone, but she’s also not yours. The matters between me and Geng Geng will proceed as long as she agrees, even if you don’t!" Jun Wu retaliated just as sharply.

"Heh!" Yue Zhao let out a cold laugh, feeling there was no more to say to Jun Wu. With their positions clear, no matter what Jun Wu did, they would stop him from getting together with Gu Qingqing!

With this in mind, he directly flicked his sleeves, ignored Jun Wu, and turned away.

Jun Wu stood in place, watching Yue Zhao’s departing figure, his eyes narrowed. Thinking of Gu Qingqing, his expression softened a bit, and he left Gu Qingqing’s courtyard.

...

When Gu Qingqing and Rong Ye arrived at Wen Guiyun’s residence, the flower hall was full of people, all top figures of Lingxi Sacred Land, discussing Gu Qingqing.

"Saint Master, I heard your closed-door disciple has excellent talent, only fifteen years old, yet already having an eighth-tier cultivation?" A white-haired elder in a crimson purple brocade robe asked, stroking his beard.