Chapter 12: Older Brother |
He remembered that at the time, he had been quite puzzled. He had thought the mountain wind had blown it away, or that some careless menial servant had accidentally picked it up, but he had not paid much attention to it; sect uniforms were issued every month, and he did not lack them.
But now, it was hanging there quietly and neatly on the clothesline in Junior Sister Yun Heng’s courtyard, glimmering under the moonlight, with traces of careful washing and ironing still visible.
Lu Fengmian: “……”
Several thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
Had Junior Sister Yun Heng found it? Or… had she taken it?
Considering the girl’s usual attention toward him, as well as some of her late-night actions that did not quite match her image as a “cold and aloof junior sister”… Lu Fengmian felt that the latter possibility seemed more likely.
Just then, the door to the main room creaked open, and Junior Sister Yun Heng quickly walked out.
The moment she saw Lu Fengmian standing in the courtyard, she very obviously froze. A rare trace of alarm flashed through her eyes; her gaze swept quickly across the clothesline, then returned to Lu Fengmian’s face, her thin lips pressed tightly together.
“S-Senior Brother?”
“Junior Sister Yun Heng, pardon the disturbance. I happened to be passing by, remembered something, and came over to check on you.”
Seeing that his gaze had moved away and that he did not seem to intend to ask about the robe, Junior Sister Yun Heng quietly let out a breath of relief, though her tone was still somewhat stiff: “Senior Brother… what is it?”
Lu Fengmian took out the jade box containing the Cold Pool Pearl from his storage ring and handed it over. “I went to the spirit beast garden this morning, and Lord Fuzhu bestowed this treasure upon me. I observed that the water-attributed spiritual energy within it was pure and cold, so it might be of help to your cultivation. That is why I specifically brought it to you.”
Junior Sister Yun Heng’s gaze fell on the jade box. Then she looked up at Lu Fengmian, and a trace of emotion flashed through her eyes.
She did not take it immediately, but instead asked, “Since it was bestowed by Lord Fuzhu, it must be a treasure. Why did Senior Brother not keep it for yourself?”
“The pearl’s properties do not fully match my primary cultivation methods; to me, it is only icing on the cake.”
Lu Fengmian pushed the jade box forward again, his tone sincere. “But you are different. This treasure can help you refine your sword qi and stabilize your ice attribute. Seeing your cultivation improve is exactly what I, as your senior brother, would be happiest to see. Take it.”
Only then did Junior Sister Yun Heng extend both hands and solemnly accept the jade box.
When her fingertips brushed against Lu Fengmian’s warm palm, she trembled slightly. She opened the lid, and the ice-blue spiritual pearl lay quietly on the soft velvet cloth, radiating pure, icy light and spiritual energy.
“Thank you, Senior Brother,” she said softly, clutching the jade box tightly, her long eyelashes lowered to conceal the surging emotions in her eyes.
“This Cold Pool Pearl was bestowed by an ancient exotic beast, so it must be an extremely precious treasure. Senior Brother had not even used it himself, yet he specifically brought it to me.” Junior Sister Yun Heng’s thoughts churned endlessly.
“He treated me so well. But did he see that robe? He probably didn’t, right? He did not seem to notice it just now. If he saw it, would he think I was strange? I only felt that the robe carried Senior Brother’s scent, and hanging it up made me feel at ease. That did not count as stealing, did it? I had already washed it very clean, and I had even mended it.”
“No, now is not the time to think about this! Senior Brother came all this way to deliver a treasure, yet I am standing here thinking nonsense! I must thank him properly!”
She pressed her lips tightly together, lifted her head, and said, “This is a very good item. I will make proper use of it and will not let down Senior Brother’s good intentions.”
Seeing that she had accepted it, Lu Fengmian’s smile deepened. “Good. If you have any questions about cultivation, you may ask me at any time. It is getting late; you should rest early and stop staying up late practicing swordsmanship.”
“Mm,” Junior Sister Yun Heng nodded. She hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Senior Brother, did your tasks go smoothly today?”
“It was fine. The arrangements for the small competition had basically all been settled,” Lu Fengmian answered. His gaze once more swept past the clothesline, as though by accident, and then moved away again as if nothing had happened. “All right, I’m heading back. You should rest early too.”
“Take care, Senior Brother.” Junior Sister Yun Heng stood where she was and watched Lu Fengmian turn around and walk out of the small courtyard.
Only after that moonlight-like figure had completely disappeared into the night did Junior Sister Yun Heng finally relax completely.
She lowered her head and looked at the jade box in her hands, then turned to look at the robe hanging on the clothesline that she had carefully washed and dried, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly into a faint arc.
She pressed the jade box tightly against her chest, feeling the cool spiritual energy radiating from it.
Junior Sister Yun Heng had no full siblings. Although the Yun family had many members, she had been the youngest daughter in the family, and the age gap between her and her clan’s older brothers and sisters had been quite large, so she had rarely had the chance to spend time with them. Later, after the family suffered a great upheaval, she had become even more alone.
She did not know what it felt like to have an older brother. But she thought that, if she really had had one, he probably would have been like Senior Brother.
On the other side, after Lu Fengmian returned to the side hall and closed the door, the perfect smile on his face vanished in an instant, and his expression became somewhat complicated.
He silently called out in his heart, “System, are you there?”
【Host, the system is always at your service.】
“I’m asking you,” Lu Fengmian said, rubbing his forehead, “Does Junior Sister secretly collecting my clothes count as a junior sister’s normal dependence on and respect for her senior brother? Or is it already a bit unusual?”
【Analyzing...】
【Preliminary assessment: potential dependency-expression disorder accompanied by mild hoarding tendencies. Common among individuals lacking a sense of security or specific emotional bonds; such individuals obtain psychological comfort and a sense of belonging by collecting items related to the person they depend on.】
Lu Fengmian’s mouth twitched. “……Speak human language.”
【Simple explanation: she feels that you are like a reliable older brother, but she does not quite understand how to normally express closeness and dependence. Taking your clothes is like a young beast collecting things carrying its mother’s scent.】
Lu Fengmian: “……”
He felt that the system’s metaphor was a bit strange, but for some reason, it was also very fitting.
“Then what should I do? Pretend not to know? Or find an opportunity to point it out tactfully?”
【Suggestion: maintain the current situation and pretend not to know. At present, this behavior will not cause substantial trouble or harm to either the host or the target individual, and it appears to be one of her important methods of psychological self-regulation.】
“……All right.” Lu Fengmian sighed. “Do systems also come with psychological counseling functions?”
【This system is the “Perfect Older Brother” system. Its purpose is to assist the host in perfectly handling all interpersonal and non-interpersonal affairs inside and outside the sect, including but not limited to cultivation improvement, administrative management, conflict mediation, psychological counseling, spirit beast soothing, and dietary supervision. The host may regard it as an all-around professional assistant tool.】
Lu Fengmian: “……” What a hodgepodge of a profession this really was!
Forget it. Junior Sister Yun Heng had a tragic background and a withdrawn personality, so having a few special little hobbies… as long as she did not harm herself or others, he would let her be.
He shook his head, temporarily casting these thoughts aside, sat back down on the tatami, and took out the Taiyi Condensing Gold Pill.
He had better focus on his own cultivation first. Tomorrow would be another full day.
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