A/N: We met the extra chapter goal! Thank you to those who dono’ed and thank you to the monthly subs for their continued support uwu <3 Hope you enjoy the extra chapter!
When morning broke, Qin Siyi’s thoughts still remained on Li Fangyin’s peculiarity. She quickly got dressed and went off to find him.
“Young Heir, was it really nothing?”
Li Fangyin looked up. He smiled in greeting. “What was?”
Gui Linghuo glanced between Qin Siyi and Li Fangyin curiously. He never knew that the two spoke to each other.
“Last night,” Qin Siyi said. She glanced at Gui Linghuo.
Gui Linghuo’s eyes widened. He frowned and turned to Li Fangyin suspiciously. “What about last night?”
Li Fangyin was a bit speechless. “It…it isn’t anything like you’re thinking about.”
Gui Linghuo turned to Qin Siyi. Her face had flushed when she realized that her words had been misconstrued. She embarrassedly swatted at Gui Linghuo. “It isn’t that.”
The young man breathed a sigh of relief. He made a move to stand. “Then, shall I go to give you two some space, or—”
“No, no. You can stay,” Li Fangyin waved his hand, letting Gui Linghuo sit back down. He glanced at Qin Siyi and left the fireplace.
Qin Siyi quickly followed.
When the two were in a more secluded area, Li Fangyin sighed. “You’re sharp, aren’t you, Miss Qin.”
Qin Siyi frowned. “So, there was something?”
“It’s nothing too drastic. But it seems like the ghost cultivators have gotten desperate. In the middle of the night, like a bunch of thieves, they were trying to launch a sneak attack. The barrier blocked them though,” Li Fangyin said, scoffing. “Don’t worry. My people took care of them last night.”
“But what’s preventing them from trying again?”
“If they try again, we’ll deal with it again. If trash accumulates throughout the week, you don’t just let it sit there, do you? You throw it out,” Li Fangyin said. “The concept is the same, even if the trash we’re referring to are people.”
Qin Siyi fell silent.
Li Fangyin observed her for a moment before lightly clearing his throat. “If you’re worried, then—”
“Can I help?”
“…What?”
“Can I help with dealing with those people?” Qin Siyi asked.
Li Fangyin hesitated.
He hated to think this way, but out of Gui Yin’s disciples, Qin Siyi was the least outstanding. However, if she were compared to anyone else in her generation, one would say she was above average. It was just a shame that the two she was up against were Shan Yu and Gui Linghuo.
If Li Fangyin needed an extra hand, he might actually ask Gui Linghuo instead. But when he thought about the scene from last night and looked at the way Qin Siyi watched him now, he felt a twinge of guilt.
“Alright,” Li Fangyin agreed. “Are you good with arrays?”
Qin Siyi visibly brightened. She nodded slowly, as if trying her hardest to conceal her excitement.
“Good. Then, while my people take care of the trash, you will be in charge of fortifying parts of the camp that they damaged,” Li Fangyin said. He glanced at the sky for a moment. “Come find me at the main gates in the afternoon.”
Qin Siyi nodded. She watched Li Fangyin walk off and felt a hint of excitement.
Back when they were still at Shuangye Peak, Qin Siyi loved studying arrays and matrixes the most. Sometimes for days on end, Qin Siyi would wake up, turn over, and grab a book off of Gui Yin’s shelves. Centuries upon centuries of knowledge were stored on those shelves. Many were not attainable elsewhere as well, as they were books personally written by Gui Yin’s hand.
Where she lacked in martial or even musical abilities, she made up for in her excellence with arrays and matrixes.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Qin Siyi excitedly went to her tent, in order to prepare for the afternoon. But when she arrived, she was met with an unexpected guest.
“Da-shixiong,” Qin Siyi greeted.
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“Ktf Tbecu Lflg jcv P rjk rbwfbcf agslcu ab ygfjx lc ijra cluta. Pa ybatfgfv wf j iba, rb P jrxfv lo P mbeiv tfiq,” Hlc Vlsl rjlv.
“…Lfiq? Qlat ktja? Jjc P tfiq?” Xel Olcuteb jrxfv. Llr rxfqalmlrw kjr lii-mbcmfjifv.
“Fixing the array around the camp,” Qin Siyi said. “Da-shixiong, you’re not good with arrays.”
Gui Linghuo’s face blanched slightly. He cleared his throat. “That is true. Then, if you need me for anything, tell me, okay?”
“Yes, Da-shixiong,” Qin Siyi agreed.
She waited for Gui Linghuo to leave, but the man continued to linger at her door. “Is there something else?”
“Um,” Gui Linghuo hesitated.
Last night, Li Yan had convinced Gui Linghuo to ask Qin Siyi if she was handling everything okay. But looking at her now, the question almost felt futile. While growing up, Qin Siyi had always been the most level-headed one. The only one who could get on her nerves was Shan Yu. She probably hadn’t been affected by the departure of Gui Yin and Shan Yu at all. He had probably worried for nothing.
He swallowed the question and shook his head. “Never mind.”
Qin Siyi gave him an odd look and ducked back into her tent.
Gui Linghuo let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Since when had it become so hard to speak with Qin Siyi?
Today, Li Yan was getting supplies with the expedition team, leaving Gui Linghuo alone at the camp. Initially, he had thought about having a heart to heart with Qin Siyi, but the young woman’s movements were giddy, as if she had a lot on her mind and no time to talk. Now, he had no one to talk to and nothing to do.
“Linghuo?”
Gui Linghuo glanced up.
Li Fangyin’s mouth slowly closed. Now, why did this one look like a kicked puppy?
“You…are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Gui Linghuo said. “Did you need something?”
“No, nothing. I, uh,” Li Fangyin’s words dried up. “Did you see your shimei earlier?”
“Yeah.”
Li Fangyin laughed awkwardly. He wondered if the two had gotten into a fight. But what would they even fight about? They haven’t exactly been crossing paths with each other recently.
Li Fangyin awkwardly sat down beside Gui Linghuo. No other words were said. The two men sat silently, whether it was to look at the sky or observe the birds or watch people walk by. Eventually, the sun began to set. Li Fangyin finally stood.
“Why’d you sit here with me all morning?” Gui Linghuo murmured.
Li Fangyin glanced at Gui Linghuo. “You seemed like you wanted company.”
Gui Linghuo met the older man’s gaze and smiled slightly. “Thank you.”
Li Fangyin awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “Um…yeah. If you need to talk, just come…find me?”
Gui Linghuo held back a laugh. He nodded sincerely. He stood as well and followed Li Fangyin back into camp. Once they neared Gui Linghuo’s tent, the two men departed.
Li Fangyin breathed out a slight sigh of relief and shook his head. He could command troops, boost their morale, and cut down enemies. But as he got older, he found that it was more and more difficult to deal with the emotional side of things. Perhaps it was because the battlefield numbed people. It had been a long time since Li Fangyin had been around people rather than soldiers.
Just as he was about to return to his tent, in order to write his reports, he heard a commotion just at the border of the camp. Li Fangyin paused. He took a step back from the tent and turned to figure out what all the noise was about.
When he arrived, he found his sister looking up at Qin Siyi with wide-eyes and an impressed glimmer to her gaze.
“You’re so impressive, Siyi!” Li Yan exclaimed. “No one else could tell, but you actually found such a small hole!”
Qin Siyi smiled sheepishly, her face dusted a pretty pink. She gestured vaguely. “It…just…I just felt that something was off.”
“What happened?” Li Fangyin asked.
“Ge!” Li Yan excitedly bounced over to Li Fangyin and dragged him over. “I was just coming home, right? And I saw the array team making sure everything was still working properly. But then Siyi pointed out that there was something wrong with this area. Everyone scanned it and said it was fine, but then when they tested to see if it was actually okay, the array suddenly began to crack!”
Li Fangyin’s eyes widened slightly. He glanced at Qin Siyi.
“It started from this tiny hole,” one of the cultivators explained, his face flushed.
“Yes! If Miss Qin hadn’t seen it, none of us would have noticed it! They would have definitely been able to break in tonight and ambush us,” another commented.
“Miss Qin, you have a rare talent!”
“No, no. I just spent a lot of time in my shizun’s library, reading about arrays and matrixes. I’m just a novice, really,” Qin Siyi said.
“There’s no need to be so humble, Miss Qin! If you’re a novice now, then with a bit more practice, I’m sure you’ll be one of the great masters in the future!”
The cultivators let out a full-bellied laugh.
“That’s right! Don’t forget us when you become famous!”
Qin Siyi wanted to bury herself in a hole. Aside from her martial siblings and Gui Yin, no one had ever showered her with this much praise. She glanced at Li Yan, who was singing the same song as the rest of them. Her face warmed further and the palpitations in her heart grew even stronger.
Li Fangyin, who was watching her the entire time, felt as if he had just found the final piece to the puzzle.
He lightly cleared his throat. “Have you all finished surveying the barrier?”
“Yes, Sir!”
“That’s good,” Li Fangyin hummed. He glanced between Li Yan and Qin Siyi. “Then, shall we head back?”
“I actually saw a stash of berries near our camp, so I wanted to stop by there first before I went back,” Li Yan said.
“That’s—”
“I’ll come with you,” Qin Siyi rushed to offer. She turned to Li Fangyin. “Young Palace Lord, I’ll accompany A-Yan.”
Li Fangyin’s words were choked back. “A-alright. You two be careful. The skies are going to be dark soon.”
“With A-Si by my side, nothing will happen to us,” Li Yan said, immediately moving to hug Qin Siyi’s arm. She waved cutely. “We’ll see you later, Da-ge.”
Li Fangyin hummed absentmindedly, but no one noticed his abnormality.
“It’s this way!” Li Yan said, tugging Qin Siyi through the underbrush.
Her expression brightened when she saw the berries. Her hand immediately left Qin Siyi’s, leaving Qin Siyi’s hand hanging awkwardly in midair. The young woman quickly retrieved her hand and hid it behind her back, as if she were a thief who was afraid of being caught. She carefully walked over to Li Yan and watched her pick the berries.
Li Yan rubbed one against her skirt and stood. “A-Si, try this!”
Soft fingers brushed against her lips. Qin Siyi unwittingly parted her lips, allowing the sweet berry to enter her mouth. At first, she was embarrassed, but then she was stunned. The thing that should taste a little tart and a little sweet only tasted like candy.
“Isn’t it amazing?!” Li Yan exclaimed. She smiled happily. “There was a jiejie I came with. She said that these are Candy Berries. Before they’re ripe, they’re actually venomous, but around this time of year, when they’re this perfect color, they’re sweet as candy.”
A berry that lures you in with its sweetness, yet could potentially kill you with its toxins. Qin Siyi somehow felt that it was fitting that Li Yan was the one who let her taste such a thing.
Li Yan observed her expression carefully. “Do you like it? I confirmed over and over that it isn’t poisonous right now. When winter comes, if it hasn’t been plucked, it’ll turn a dull grey—that’s when it’s poisonous!”
“I know. I trust you,” Qin Siyi reassured her.
Li Yan breathed a sigh of relief. She crouched back down and began to pick some more. Her next words came out a little sheepishly: “I’m not as good of a pastry maker as Laoshi and I’m not a fast learner like Shan Yu. Shan Yu said you crave sweets the most when you’re homesick or upset. Since I can’t make you anything, I hope these will suffice.”
“Do you…think I’m upset?” Qin Siyi asked, surprised as she watched Li Yan stand.
Li Yan smiled sadly. “Even I’m sad that Laoshi had to leave, much less you. And you were so close to Shan Yu too. I’m sure you miss them right now, even if you haven’t said anything.”
Qin Siyi stared at Li Yan blankly.
Li Yan shifted uncomfortably. “Or am I wr—”
“No. You’re right,” Qin Siyi said, her voice getting quieter. She averted her gaze. “I didn’t think anyone would really notice. You and your brother are very sensitive to other people.”
Li Yan pouted slightly. She shifted the basket in her arm and held Qin Siyi’s hands.
Unlike Shan Yu’s hands, which were full of calluses, Li Yan’s were a little softer. It was clear she could still wield a sword, but her practice wasn’t quite as vigorous.
Qin Siyi met Li Yan’s gaze.
“A-Huo is a bit dense at times, but know that he still really cares about you,” Li Yan said. She pressed her lips together, looking a little upset. “After fighting for so many years, it feels like everyone’s forgotten how to interact with other people properly. Even my brother seems to have lost a bit of his old sensitivity. But don’t be afraid to talk to A-Huo if you’re feeling upset. He’s your Da-shixiong. You two are family. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone else, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you talked to him.”
Qin Siyi ignored the way her heart quivered. “Then…can I speak with you?”
Li Yan’s eyes widened slightly, but she was soon smiling again. “Of course, you can! If—if you want to speak to me, you can whenever you want!”
Li Yan could hardly contain her excitement. Of course, there were some things that couldn’t be said between a woman and a man. Of course, Qin Siyi would want to come to her to talk about some things!
“What do you want to talk about? I’m all ears,” Li Yan said.
Qin Siyi glanced at their hands again and slowly pulled away. Thankfully, Li Yan hadn’t seemed to notice.
What did she want to talk about? There were many things, but when asked, Qin Siyi couldn’t put a finger on it.
She wanted to whine about how Gui Linghuo doesn’t play with her anymore, that Li Yan doesn’t seem to even remember her as a friend. She wanted to groan about how much she missed Shuangye Peak and the simpler times that came with them. She wanted to mourn the decade that had gone by, stuck in this endless war when she should have spent her life as a normal kid who just happened to cultivate.
These thoughts flitted through her head, but none seemed to suit her relationship with Li Yan at the moment.
If it was Shan Yu, Qin Siyi would have already spilled everything out. If it was Shan Yu, she might have started crying already.
“Shan Yu,” Qin Siyi mumbled.
“Hm?”
“I…I miss Shan Yu,” Qin Siyi said.
Li Yan’s expression crumbled sympathetically, immediately making Qin Siyi’s heart seize.
See? It wasn’t the same. The response wasn’t quite right.
Li Yan’s pained expression made Qin Siyi feel bad. She wanted to comfort her, take care of her, and hold her in the palm of her hand. What were her worries compared to Li Yan’s?
“I also miss her,” Li Yan mumbled. She smiled sadly. “It’s just not as lively without her, huh?”
“Yeah,” Qin Siyi nodded. “It isn’t.”
Qin Siyi hesitated for a moment and smiled. “But it’s fine. Shizun is by her side.”
Li Yan immediately brightened. “Mn! She’ll make it back to our side safe and sound. And when she comes back, we can go back to Shuangye Peak together! And then we can make Wulian Flower Cakes with Laoshi. And then New Year’s will come. And we’ll actually celebrate it this time. And it’ll be so much fun!”
Qin Siyi’s smile became a little softer and more genuine, as she watched Li Yan dance around.
As they began to walk back to the camp, Qin Siyi’s smile dimmed. Her mind drifted to Gui Yin’s story of the Wulian Flowers. She had given nearly every kind of love to Li Yan already, hadn’t she? The last kind was “hate”.
Remembering the sharp pang of irritation from earlier, Qin Siyi glanced at Li Yan’s back.
It was probably time to let go.
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
thank YOU for the READS
mentally i am slinging my arm around Li Fangyin’s shoulders like “yes you’ve figured Something is going on between those three youths, but Qin Siyi is close (if not already) moving on with her feelings, and Shan Yu is also involved, dontcha know?” (WHICH I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BTW. the whole berries and sweets and flowers metaphors etc!! im just eating them up) at this rate, Li Fangyin is also gonna need a supporting character to figure out these relationships and feelings… i think we should tease him >:3 he seems very teasable
don’t worry, li fangyin secretly has a Massive brain uwu but he’s also one of the most teasable characters so, y’know– thanks for reading!!!!!!1
Thank you so much for this chapter! 🤧
thanks for reading!!!!
qin siyi was giving some real second male lead vibes in this chapter and the teensy-tiny bit of angst was chef’s kiss
LMAO she does seem like the second male lead 😭 thanks for reading!! i hope you’ll find more angst in this story to be happy about uwu
Seeing as this baby does have an Angst tag, i’m sure i’ll have plenty of Angst to cry about later!
Thanks for the angst, I mean, the translation 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
skdfkdsfg wait i’m the original author tho– either way THANKS FOR READING!!!!!!!!! and always welcome for the angst uwu
Even better, and more embarrassing, thanks for the writing!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
no embarrass! it’s okay!! (´꒳`)♡
I love the Li siblings so much.