In the following days, Qin Yi once again locked himself away, completely focused on alchemy. It seemed like he had forgotten that the entire prince's residence had been granted to him, as he continued to live in the guest courtyard. The only change was that Li Qinglin's family had moved out, leaving the place feeling much quieter. Everything else felt the same.
Minghe stayed in another guest room in the courtyard, spending most of her time in the backyard, sitting cross-legged and contemplating the sword formation. It seemed that the sword formation called Liusu was truly very meaningful to her. Just as she had said before, you do your alchemy, and I pursue my path. Even though they were under the same roof, there was no need for any awkwardness between them.
It seemed that Minghe had reached a level where she no longer needed to eat or bathe. There was no awkwardness between them, and any romantic scenarios like those in stories about living with Minghe were out of the question. Occasionally, he would see her outside, and she would nod respectfully before passing by.
Qin Yi found it hard to strike up a conversation with her. The distance between them felt as vast as the galaxy, and it hadn’t diminished just because they were "living together." In fact, as long as she didn’t initiate a conversation, the feeling of distance only grew, making it seem like he couldn’t even speak in front of her.
No one talks to a star that is light-years away.
He could somewhat understand the frustration that Dong Huazi must have felt when Minghe was at Changsheng Temple. Knowing that she was a powerful figure, yet not knowing how to approach her was a tough spot. He could only roll around in desperation, seeking protection from a big shot, but that would only earn him disdain. He couldn’t even pay her rent and ended up losing a bunch of monsters because of her formation.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt sympathy for this boss. She was probably the most unfortunate boss in history.
Fortunately, Qin Yi never intended to talk to Minghe. She was too beautiful, and he felt that getting too close could raise Li Qingjun's suspicions. He preferred this comfortable arrangement where they could each go about their own lives without bothering each other.
"By the way, Bangbang, you’ve seen a lot. Have you ever seen that legendary gaze that purely appreciates beauty without any hint of lewdness?"
Liusu asked, "What’s that?"
"I heard that beautiful women often experience this. Others look at them with wicked eyes, but there’s someone who looks at them purely, so she confirms that this gaze belongs to the person she’s been waiting for."
"What nonsense..."
Qin Yi sighed, "I always feel like my gaze belongs to the latter."
Liusu finally understood and chuckled, "You think a few glances make Minghe feel this way? Are you sure your head isn’t being messed with?"
"…I’m sure you didn’t hit me." Qin Yi laughed, "It’s just a joke. I don’t have any thoughts about her."
Liusu looked doubtful, "Really no thoughts?"
"I said, that’s just my pure appreciation for beauty."
Liusu said, "Then look at me for a moment."
Qin Yi shot her a look of disdain.
"Exactly! I love how you can be dismissive while still applying medicine to me."
"Come on..." Qin Yi sat down with the prepared herbs and laid Liusu flat on a soft mat.
Although everyone had their own concerns these days, Qin Yi sometimes felt that this kind of life was quite comfortable, as if he had returned to the old house in Xianji Village with Liusu. Back then, they were cautious around each other, but now their relationship had improved significantly, and they could joke around more easily, which was much more enjoyable than in Xianji Village.
However, Qin Yi also felt a bit strange.
Recently, Li Qingjun had been very busy and rarely came to see him. Yet he didn’t have that longing feeling that people usually have when they’re in love. He was focused on alchemy and cultivation without any emotional distractions, which felt surprisingly stable. It was only during his free time that he would start to miss her, which made him feel a bit more normal.
Isn’t this how love is supposed to feel? As someone trying this for the first time, Qin Yi wasn’t sure. Hmm, it seemed like those top students in love still managed to study well? Maybe it was similar; perhaps the romantic novels were misleading?
"Bangbang." He slowly applied the herbs to Liusu and asked, "Am I a bit too carefree?"
"Hmm?" Liusu was enjoying the moment and didn’t immediately respond, "What do you mean?"
"I feel like I don’t have that constant urge to stick to Qingjun. Aren’t people in love supposed to think about each other all the time?"
"I wouldn’t know; I’ve never..." Liusu started to say but then realized she had said too much and quickly stopped.
Qin Yi was lost in thought and didn’t notice.
Liusu sighed in relief and spoke in a relaxed tone, "I think it’s pretty normal. Has Li Qingjun been clingy to you?"
Qin Yi paused for a moment, realizing she had a point…
"Maybe it’s just not the right time." Liusu casually said, "Right now, you both have a lot on your minds. If you were constantly thinking about each other, that would be a bit heartless, right? Besides, Li Qingjun isn’t really suited for political affairs. She’s probably exhausted and overwhelmed right now, with so many things on her plate."
"Why do I feel like you’re enjoying this?" Qin Yi finally snapped back to reality.
"Am I?" Liusu denied it, "You’ve been restless lately, thinking too much."
"I’m not restless! My success rate in alchemy is over ninety percent; I’m doing better than before."
"You’ve never been serious when applying the Yinhun grass." Liusu scolded, "When doing something, you need to focus on it. If you can think of other things while applying medicine, then you might also be distracted while cultivating, which could lead to problems. Remember, even a small crack can lead to a big disaster, so you need to be cautious..."
Qin Yi listened and felt like there was some truth to it. He quietly accepted the lecture and seriously applied the herbs.
Liusu let out a comfortable sigh.
It didn’t take long to finish applying the medicine. Qin Yi put everything away and asked, "Does this really help you? You need soul energy, not just to avoid damage to the stick."
"This stick isn’t my body. I want you to apply it evenly so that the medicine can penetrate all angles and nourish my soul." Liusu suddenly said, "Hey, even though this herb isn’t very powerful, for me, it’s like a long-awaited rain after a drought. The effect is amazing. I used to be too weak to even hit you, but now I could easily take you out while you’re sleeping. Are you scared?"
Qin Yi playfully flicked the sharp end of the stick, as if teasing a pet cat, "Be good, don’t be so proud."
"…" If Liusu were really a cat, she would probably be puffing up her fur right now.
"Qin Yi!" A voice called from outside. Qin Yi felt a surge of joy and rushed out to greet her.
He saw Li Qingjun coming over, looking exhausted, like a wilted eggplant. Qin Yi quickly supported her and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing, just feeling really hard..." Li Qingjun looked more than just tired; she seemed completely drained, hanging onto Qin Yi for support. "I didn’t realize running a country could be so troublesome..."
Looks like Liusu was right after all.
She really wasn’t suited for this kind of work. It was like forcing a bad student to take an exam, suffering without making any progress.
Qin Yi pressed his lips together, feeling even stronger about wanting to take her far away from all this. Of course, he wouldn’t show it. Instead, he took out a pill made from the purple lotus root material, "This pill is ready. Take it back, dissolve it in water for a bath. It will nourish your true energy and help relieve fatigue."
Li Qingjun leaned in and directly took the pill, looking adorably lazy, reminiscent of Ye Ling.
Qin Yi couldn’t help but ruffle her hair and finally asked tentatively, "Since you’re not suited for political affairs, why not just let it go?"
Li Qingjun entered the courtyard and laid her head on the stone table, "I can’t… You don’t understand, Nanli is in a terrible situation… The national treasury is running low, and we can barely pay the soldiers… There’s so much more… It’s all a mess, and it might take years to fix. The battle with Mang has failed again, and Dong Huazi knows our situation very well. He must have told everything to them… With an enemy who knows our weaknesses so closely, how can I let it go…"
Qin Yi fell silent.
(End of Chapter)