Chapter 9: Less Work, More Study!
Looking at Mu Tao’s joyful expression despite her pale complexion, Li Yu felt a mix of emotions.
The little protagonist’s happiness was a good thing, but behind that happiness was perhaps the most audacious, face-saving decision of her life.
Regardless, food was a necessity.
So, three people, each with their own thoughts, finished a rather subdued lunch.
The moment the last person put down their chopsticks, Mo Yichu, as if he had been waiting for centuries, immediately stood up and efficiently cleared the table, using the excuse of washing dishes to swiftly escape the uncomfortable “meal.”
Li Yu could tell that in the eyes of these few-hundred-year-old “youngsters,” she, the almost-thirty “elder,” was indeed difficult to get along with.
No matter, this was good.
If the male protagonist was afraid of her, he naturally wouldn’t have any thoughts about her precious little radish. [T/N: 小白菜 (xiǎo báicài), literally “little white cabbage,” is a slang term for an innocent, pure, or naive person.]
However, the little radish was truly weak. After sitting for a while, her breathing became uneven, alarming Li Yu. She quickly helped her back to bed, tucking her in tightly, as if wanting her to breathe only through her nostrils.
But as soon as the blanket was in place, a bruised and purple little hand escaped.
The small hand gently tugged at her sleeve. Li Yu looked down and met a pair of clear eyes.
Mu Tao didn’t speak, just quietly looked at Li Yu.
Her eyes held a fear of waking from a dream.
Li Yu sat down by the bed, took the small hand in hers, and gently patted it. “Sleep, I’ll stay with you.”
Mu Tao nodded and closed her eyes.
The girl fell asleep quickly and seemed to be resting peacefully, but Li Yu was afraid of waking her if she left, so she stayed a while longer.
I’ll just work here, she thought.
Working here would prevent the male protagonist from returning to seduce her little disciple and allow her to gain some favor with the little disciple when she woke up, favor that could potentially save her life later.
Sitting like this was quite relaxing. There was nothing to do; she could even let her mind wander.
This job comes with food, accommodation, and the opportunity to slack off.
Excellent, excellent.
So, Li Yu peacefully spaced out.
Suddenly, the system issued a life-threatening warning.
Li Yu checked the system data and nearly spat out blood.
【Character Compatibility: 75%】
This was a dangerous number.
But she couldn’t understand. The only other person in the room had been asleep for a while. How was her compatibility decreasing?
No, she had to leave!
One shouldn’t die without understanding why!
Once again, she gently pried open the small hand clutching her sleeve and quickly left the room without looking back, hurrying towards her own residence.
Confused, she followed the path back, finally reaching her door. Just as she thought she could relax, she opened the door to a figure that made her eyes widen in surprise.
“Done with work?” the person asked, leaning against the window, casually playing with a plum blossom they had picked up from somewhere, a hint of amusement in their voice.
Li Yu finally understood who was responsible for the drop in her compatibility.
She exhaled slowly, closed the door, and walked to the table, resuming her usual aloof demeanor.
Li Yu: “Qingxuan Revered One, why are you here today?”
“Nothing much, just couldn’t stop thinking about it after I left yesterday. Felt I had to meddle a bit to feel at ease.” Si Qinglan tilted her head innocently, her peach blossom eyes twinkling with curiosity as she looked at Li Yu. “I originally wanted to plead for your little disciple, but it seems I made a wasted trip. You two are getting along surprisingly well.”
Li Yu: “You followed me.”
Si Qinglan: “You didn’t notice?”
Li Yu: “I noticed.”
—Impossible.
But to say she hadn’t noticed was also impossible!
All she could do was lie through her teeth and bluff her way through.
As long as her heart was strong enough, she could calmly meet the other person’s gaze!
After a few seconds of staring, Li Yu’s character compatibility increased by five percentage points. The weight on her heart lifted.
“I thought I had fooled you this time. What a disappointment.” Si Qinglan sighed, the regret in her eyes quickly replaced by a gossipy glint. “Did you call Little Mo Yichu over?”
“Such an intimate name?” Li Yu couldn’t help but ask.
“What’s wrong? I saved that child years ago. Can’t I be a little more affectionate?” Si Qinglan got up, walked over to Li Yu, and sat down opposite her. “I call your disciple Little Taotao, and I don’t see you making this face.”
Little Taotao…
Ugh! Goosebumps!
Unable to respond to that, Li Yu chose silence.
“Sigh, you masters are all so cold and aloof. No wonder the younger generation is afraid of you.” Si Qinglan looked smug. “Not like me, approachable and much more likeable.”
Li Yu: “…”
“I digressed!” Si Qinglan shook her head and asked, resting her chin on her hand, “Why did you call him over?”
Li Yu: “Mu Tao is sick. Someone needed to decoct the medicine and cook.”
Si Qinglan chuckled meaningfully. “I thought you tried to avoid that master and disciple pair as much as possible.”
Li Yu understood what she meant.
In the original novel, Weisheng Xuanzhu was deeply devoted to Li Yu.
He even abandoned his home of millennia, traveling from the North Sea to Mount Chao Yao in the South Sea, just to be near her.
However, Li Yu had no romantic feelings for him, and he was content to be the silent guardian by her side. They had been colleagues for over three thousand years, maintaining a respectful distance.
But this guy’s setting was rather comical.
He either never slept, or slept for hundreds or thousands of years.
He was sleeping when the protagonist killed her master.
He was still sleeping after the protagonist killed her master.
The protagonist killed his beloved and imprisoned his direct disciple; how could she possibly wait for him to wake up?
So, he died in his sleep, becoming the only one of the renowned Three Revered Ones of Chao Yao who died peacefully before even fighting.
How tragic, how lamentable…
—And a little bit laughably pathetic.
“Silent again.” Si Qinglan plucked a petal from the plum blossom. “It seems we really can’t have a proper conversation.”
Oops, spaced out!
Li Yu thought that for the sake of her future, she really needed to be able to converse with Si Qinglan.
So, she decided to offer a brief explanation.
Li Yu: “I was just thinking about something else.”
“Are you explaining yourself to me?” Si Qinglan asked, disbelief evident in her voice.
Was it that surprising that she explained herself?
It seemed the original owner really never bothered to explain anything to anyone.
Better cover it up.
Li Yu: “Consider it that, if you will.”
Si Qinglan pursed her lips, looked at Li Yu, hesitated for a long time, and finally asked what she really wanted to know.
“You used to abstain from earthly food, fearing contamination, striving for that detached, transcendental state. What happened? Did a single failed closed-door cultivation suddenly change your mind?”
“…” Not a change of mind, more like a change of core.
“I thought you wouldn’t soften.”
“…” Well…
The original owner was a little soft-hearted, at least “she” had asked for medicine for the little protagonist from someone she didn’t really want to contact.
“This is quite surprising.”
“…” She woke up like this, who wouldn’t be surprised?
Si Qinglan was clearly used to not receiving any responses.
Li Yu thought she had grasped the essence of aloofness—silence and a profound air.
However, the next second, her recently recovered character compatibility dropped by three points.
What essence? There was no essence!
She hadn’t mastered it at all!
An indescribable weariness, a faint sadness of the living dead, appeared in Li Yu’s eyes.
This expression made Si Qinglan frown.
Si Qinglan: “I feel like I don’t know you anymore.”
Li Yu: “We were never close.”
Tired, can’t keep up the act anymore.
Li Yu sighed and closed her eyes as if to escape.
When she opened them again, Si Qinglan was gone.
Fine, she left, but she still deducted two compatibility points before leaving…
She was wrong, she didn’t want to build a relationship with this colleague anymore.
She hoped this person wouldn’t show up uninvited again. She was dying, literally dying!
75% compatibility, she couldn’t afford another drop!
When would this thing increase on its own?
【Um, Host…】
【Character Compatibility recovers slowly when you are alone.】
Huh? There’s such a setting?
How slow was “slowly”?
【One point every twelve hours!】
Li Yu: “…”
So, one point per day if she sees no one. No wonder it hadn’t increased after a night’s sleep.
So she couldn’t be too proactive? This went against every worker’s instinct.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
An icy-faced immortal, who had been cold and aloof for thousands of years, suddenly spending every day with a junior would definitely be suspicious.
It was because the original owner was usually cold, quiet, and reclusive, unfamiliar with almost everyone on Mount Chao Yao, that she hadn’t been immediately exposed.
From tomorrow onwards, she would have to spend as much time alone as possible.
No, wait, she promised Mu Tao she would eat with her.
If she didn’t eat, the little protagonist’s unhappiness was secondary; she herself would be hungry!
How about…
Clocking in twice a day, grabbing a meal, and then leaving?
Although this would reduce her time with the protagonist, which wasn’t good for gaining favor, leaving early would give her more time to study that skill tree.
Once she understood the skill tree, she could teach the protagonist spells every day. Then she wouldn’t have to worry about not gaining enough favor to save her life, right?
Yes, this was the right approach.
Less work, more study!
It was decided!
As for the skill tree, she was too tired today. She’d study it tomorrow.
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