Tap… tap… tap…
The sound of high heels stopped just outside the door. After a barely perceptible pause, the door to Bibi Dong's room was gently pushed open.
Dai Chengfeng's guess was correct.
Sure enough, in walked Bibi Dong, dressed in an elegant long dress. In one hand, she carried a delicately layered lunchbox, and in the other, a bottle of aged, aromatic red wine.
Seeing this, Dai Chengfeng wore an appropriately "respectful" smile and stepped forward to greet her:
"Teacher, you've worked hard."
He naturally reached out, taking the lunchbox and wine bottle from Bibi Dong's hands. His warm fingertips brushed lightly against her cool hand, his movements smooth and courteous.
Bibi Dong's gaze first landed on Dai Chengfeng's face, a flicker of satisfaction passing through her eyes.
Though this rebellious disciple of hers could be unreliable at times—prone to overstepping boundaries—he was also remarkably dependable in others…
With these thoughts in mind, Bibi Dong nodded slightly at Dai Chengfeng as a response.
Then, her gaze moved past Dai Chengfeng to the figure standing by the window—Qian Renxue.
At this moment, Qian Renxue stood silently there. The profile of her face beneath her golden hair appeared somewhat cold, tense, and tinged with a faint hint of unease that was hard to detect.
This resulted in her not wearing the polite smile she usually displayed when pretending to be Xue Qinghe, nor did she make any attempt to greet Bibi Dong.
Her eyes were lowered, fixed on a pattern in the carpet, as if lost in her own thoughts.
She even showed no reaction to Bibi Dong's return.
This deliberate silence and disregard, in Bibi Dong's eyes, was particularly glaring.
For a moment, Bibi Dong's heart sank slightly, her delicate brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
A trace of thin anger and…
A deeper, more complex sense of loss quietly washed over her.
The reason Bibi Dong had come to Tian Dou City was ostensibly due to her talented disciple Dai Chengfeng's request. But deep down, in a corner of her heart that even she didn't want to explore, a voice softly reminded her:
You came to Tian Dou City, at least in part, because of the girl standing by the window—your blood-related daughter, Qian Renxue, who now seemed more like an enemy than a child.
The last time Qian Renxue had abruptly appeared at the Spirit Hall, calling her "sister" for the first time, it was like a stone thrown into a still lake, rippling through Bibi Dong's heart with waves she couldn't ignore.
It was in that moment…
Shock, anger, loss…
And something soft, something maternal, left an indelible mark on Bibi Dong's memory.
Bibi Dong felt that she wasn't ready to truly mend their mother-daughter bond.
But she believed that at the very least, they shouldn't remain enemies…
Thus, today she had actively sought out Qian Renxue, even going so far as to prepare this meal and wine. What she unconsciously hoped for wasn't necessarily to immediately repair their relationship—or even expect Qian Renxue to become too close to her—but rather…
Just to hope that they wouldn't continue to be adversaries.
"But now it seems I'm going to be disappointed. She hasn't changed after all…"
Bibi Dong gazed at Qian Renxue, who was deliberately ignoring her, and sighed softly in her heart.
Meanwhile, Dai Chengfeng gently placed the lunchbox and wine bottle on the nearby dining table. His intimacy with Bibi Dong was such that while he couldn't claim to know her every thought, he had a fairly good idea of what was on her mind.
Thus, Dai Chengfeng noticed the shift in Bibi Dong's emotions.
He stepped forward, his expression a mix of helplessness and apology, and addressed Bibi Dong:
"Teacher, please forgive me."
"Princess Qian Renxue didn't mean to be disrespectful. She… is upset with this disciple, and her emotions haven't quite settled yet, which is why…"
Dai Chengfeng paused tactfully, not elaborating further. Instead, he raised his eyes to meet Bibi Dong's, giving her the subtlest of winks—a silent signal conveying a shared understanding.
It was my fault.
Bibi Dong was momentarily taken aback, her gaze darting quickly between Dai Chengfeng and Qian Renxue.
The suggestive look in Dai Chengfeng's eyes, combined with the lingering blush on Qian Renxue's cheeks—which Bibi Dong interpreted as anger—led her to a conclusion.
"Why would Xiao Xue be angry with Dai Chengfeng? What connection could they possibly have?"
Ah.
That must be it.
Bibi Dong instantly misinterpreted the situation.
She suddenly understood: Dai Chengfeng was extraordinarily talented, and back when he was at the Spirit Hall, Qian Renxue had expressed favor toward him, even suggesting he become a disciple of Qian Daoliu.
However, in the end, Bibi Dong had almost forcefully claimed him as her own disciple, cutting off any possibility of him serving under Qian Daoliu or being used by Qian Renxue.
Perhaps…
In Qian Renxue's eyes, this was seen as an offense and harm to her grandfather—and to her faction?
Was she expressing dissatisfaction on behalf of her grandfather, and perhaps on her own behalf?
For a moment, this reasoning seemed perfectly logical and coherent to Bibi Dong.
Moreover, she couldn't think of any other reason why Dai Chengfeng would anger Qian Renxue.
It certainly couldn't be that Dai Chengfeng had kissed Qian Renxue forcefully, causing her to feel both embarrassed and furious, right?
Bibi Dong chuckled softly and shook her head, dismissing the absurd thought from her mind.
After all, though Qian Renxue was her adversary, Bibi Dong had watched her grow up. She knew how proud her daughter was.
How could she possibly care about Dai Chengfeng after only a few encounters?
But since she now "understood" that Qian Renxue's anger wasn't directed at her, the coldness that had briefly surfaced between Bibi Dong's brows dissipated, replaced by a sense of clarity and a slight calm.
With that in mind, Bibi Dong turned to Qian Renxue and spoke, her voice losing some of its usual imperial authority and instead carrying…
An almost imperceptible tone of attempted calm:
"Is it because of the matter of him becoming a disciple?"
"The choice was mine to make. If this has caused you any displeasure, there's no need to take it out on him. You can speak to me directly."
Bibi Dong's sudden explanation-like words finally brought Qian Renxue—who had been feeling a mix of embarrassment, worry, and panic—fully back to her senses.
She had been concerned that Bibi Dong might notice the strange atmosphere between her and Dai Chengfeng.
Now, hearing Bibi Dong redirect the focus to the "disciple dispute," Qian Renxue felt a wave of relief, but also a surge of complex emotions.
She quickly glanced at Dai Chengfeng beside her. His seemingly calm yet subtly mischievous expression made her instantly flush with both shame and irritation, her ears heating up once again.
Qian Renxue forced herself to refocus, meeting Bibi Dong's inquiring gaze. She tried to keep her voice calm and unruffled, even adding a deliberate air of indifference:
"Sis… Sister, you're overthinking things. It's all in the past now. There's no need to bring it up—I've already let it go."
"That's good."
Bibi Dong nodded in satisfaction.
Qian Renxue then spoke again: "But I wonder, Sister, why exactly did you invite me here today?"
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)