CHAPTER 270: 0178 A TEA PARTY THAT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A TEA PARTY (TWO-IN-ONE)

Xu Chang’an walked alone in the courtyard, holding an umbrella, feeling the rain once again shift from gentle to heavy, he sighed softly.

The rain was supposed to have stopped.

"This weather... truly is unpredictable."

Xu Chang’an stood helplessly, looking at the sky darkening once again, his gaze swept past the unusually bright room, over the silhouette flickering on the window.

Even though he couldn’t see the scene inside the room, it didn’t stop Xu Chang’an from thinking... that the room must have the best view in the world.

Because Miss Yun was inside, and so was his teacher.

Recalling that fleeting glimpse from Li Zhibai he saw just moments ago, Xu Chang’an’s expression intensified along with the rain.

He increasingly couldn’t make sense of this world.

Those elders who once had to be treated cautiously, as if walking on thin ice, but now...

"..."

Was he really so far behind Yun Qian?

Xu Chang’an considered himself not particularly useful, but at least he thought he was much better at dealing with people than Yun Qian.

That girl, with her cold nature and aversion to interacting with outsiders, it was obvious she wasn’t suited to making friends.

Yet in reality, the teacher-student relationship he’d painstakingly maintained for over a year couldn’t match Yun Qian’s achievement in just one day.

Xu Chang’an lowered his head, the corner of his eye twitched slightly.

Thinking it over, he felt the only reason he could lose to Miss Yun was because of one thing.

He lost to gender.

If he were a woman, would he be more popular than Miss Yun?

Hmm.

Just thinking casually.

"No, it’s not just a casual thought," Xu Chang’an said.

He wouldn’t deceive himself, so he entered his daily time of introspection.

Xu Chang’an easily unearthed the darkest thoughts in his heart—

It wasn’t because Yun Qian was liked by Li Zhibai that he had such thoughts, but purely because... if he were a woman, he could now join that tea gathering upstairs without any reservations?

If he joined the tea gathering, he could take care of Yun Qian up close.

Miss Yun didn’t know tea etiquette and didn’t like to interact with people. If he wasn’t around, even if Xu Chang’an was just downstairs, he would still feel uneasy.

As for Li Zhibai, who wore scanty clothes...

Xu Chang’an hadn’t even considered the matter.

——

In the room, indeed there was the best view.

Li Zhibai, rarely drinking alone, completely suppressed her protective True Essence, and even actively intensified the alcohol fumes.

The result was that the scent of Jade Dew Wine on her became even stronger, mixed with the peony fragrance in the room, giving the room a rich and exquisite fragrance.

Li Zhibai’s lips curved into a subtle arc, like a crescent moon in a clear night sky, her fair skin couldn’t be hidden even by the lamplight highlighting her eyes.

Yet, with all her elegance, her eyes were fixed on the girl sitting quietly across from her, obviously, that girl was the truly beautiful one.

Li Zhibai held her wine cup, sipping to wipe away the lingering droplets on the rim.

Perhaps from drinking or breaking the seal given by Zhu Pingniang, or maybe regaining some youthful beliefs, Li Zhibai looked at the girl before her and suddenly felt somewhat inferior.

"Sister... why are you so beautiful?" Li Zhibai murmured.

After speaking, she was startled, realizing her words were quite rash and inappropriate.

Yun Qian naturally wouldn’t think Li Zhibai was saying anything inappropriate, she said naturally, "If I look better, he might like it more."

Appearance truly wasn’t important to her husband but Xu Chang’an was still a man... having an extra spark is always welcome.

This was her principal reason for looking well.

"?"

Even Li Zhibai was momentarily taken aback by Yun Qian’s unconventional thinking, but could only nod, following her lead.

Yun Qian swallowed the candied fruit in her mouth.

The candied fruit was far less tasty than what Xu Chang’an made, but because it was made from fruits, and Xu Chang’an... often tended to the orchard on Muyu Peak.

Therefore, in Yun Qian’s eyes, it was different.

To Li Zhibai, who served such "treasures" to entertain her, Yun Qian became even more satisfied, as she ate the candied fruit and looked at Li Zhibai, she said, "Sister is also a beautiful person."

Li Zhibai thrived on her temperament.

A person with such a stark contrast between external and internal would indeed be extremely attractive to men.

If Yun Qian weren’t present, even the young man outside who prides himself on clarity of mind wouldn’t be able to resist her charm.

"Me?"

Li Zhibai blinked, having long lost awareness of her charm, but she sincerely believed Yun Qian wouldn’t speak flattery or compliment.

So, did this sister before her genuinely think she was a beautiful person too?

For a moment, True Yuan fluctuated, and she gradually released her sealed cultivation.

Beyond the Sword Hall, the girls of Muyu Peak frolicked and clamored, their laughter reaching her Spirit Platform, while Li Zhibai watched Yun Qian elegantly eat candied fruit, her mood serene as the moon.

"The taste of this wine is not bad," Li Zhibai uttered a soft cough, feeling that talking with Yun Qian was truly pleasant.

Even if these words were considered meaningless and a waste of time in her past, now mixed with Yun Qian’s voice, it felt like a gentle breeze sweeping over dandelions, soothing and tingling.

She wanted to hear Yun Qian speak a little more.

Yun Qian’s hair tilted slightly, a strand of black hair slipped down, she picked up the empty wine jug on the table, shook it, then hung it on the tableware, and said, "Sister, after drinking, why do you behave foolishly, are you drunk?"

Li Zhibai: "..."

Foolishly?