"So, Sister, do you act all coy like this with other n when they sell you things?"
"How could I?" Bai Ruxue rolled her eyes at her sister. "They can sell to or not. If they don’t, I’ll just go to another stall. I only act coy for one man."
"Who?" Xiao Qing asked, her curiosity piqued.
"You silly." Bai Ruxue gently flicked her sister’s forehead. "It’s Xiao Mo, of course~~~"
With that, Bai Ruxue happily went on her way, continuing her grocery shopping.
And just as she had said, her sister only ever acted coy with the older won, the aunties at the market.
As for the male vendors, her sister would simply na her price. If they agreed, she’d buy. If not, she’d turn and walk away without a second thought.
After they finished shopping, Xiao Qing followed her sister ho to cook.
Xiao Qing had always thought her sister was rather hopeless.
But seeing how skillfully her sister started the fire and cooked, Xiao Qing knew she must have practiced countless tis and endured a lot of hardship to get this good.
At lunch, her sister would always set aside the at from the dishes for Xiao Mo, not touching a single piece herself.
Only after Xiao Mo put down his chopsticks would she eat whatever at was left.
But Xiao Qing also noticed that this human man would deliberately leave behind plenty of the dishes her sister loved.
In the afternoon, Xiao Qing started helping her sister clean the house and yard. From the rooms inside to the courtyard outside, her sister was ticulous in her cleaning.
After they finished cleaning, her sister would also pick up a book and sit in the courtyard, reading alongside Xiao Mo.
However, Xiao Qing noticed that even though her sister was holding a book, her attention was always on Xiao Mo.
The mont Xiao Mo reached out his hand, her sister would pour him a cup of tea.
The mont he rolled his neck, her sister would stand up and massage his shoulders.
It was as if her sister anticipated his every need from his slightest movent.
As evening approached, it was ti for Xiao Qing to follow her sister into the kitchen to cook dinner.
After dinner, her sister would roll up her sleeves and heat water for Xiao Mo’s bath.
These were all trivial chores. Just watching her sister perform them made Xiao Qing feel that it was all so boring and tedious.
"Sister, don’t you get tired of doing all this every single day?"
Seven days after arriving in Shiqiao Village, while bathing with her sister in the tub, Xiao Qing couldn’t help but ask.
"Tired of it? Why?" Bai Ruxue blinked. "It makes very happy."
"How could it make you happy?" Xiao Qing didn’t understand. "Doing the laundry, cooking, cleaning the yard, even heating his bathwater... What’s there to be happy about?"
"Well..." Bai Ruxue pondered how to answer as she scrubbed her sister’s back. "I don’t really know either. It’s just... as long as I can be by his side, as long as I can do things for him, even the most insignificant little things, I feel happy."
"..."
Xiao Qing didn’t understand what her sister ant.
But as the days passed, Xiao Qing found that this man... he wasn’t so bad.
He had a very good temper and always wore a gentle smile.
And whenever she wanted to learn to read, he would patiently teach her.
Another ten days passed, and Xiao Qing realized she’d actually grown accustod to this way of life.
But then ca the seventeenth day of Xiao Qing’s stay in Shiqiao Village.
That night, sothing went wrong while Bai Ruxue was absorbing the Moon Essence.
When she woke up the next morning, Bai Ruxue’s face was pale and she was completely listless, like a mortal who had caught a bad chill.
"Sister, you just rest today. I’ll take care of the chores," Xiao Qing said, her heart aching at the sight of her.
Fortunately, her sister’s condition wasn’t serious. She would be fine after a couple of days of rest.
"But Xiao Qing, are you sure you can handle it?" Bai Ruxue asked, worried.
’It took a full two months to learn all these chores properly.’
’Xiao Qing has only been learning for a little over two weeks.’
"Of course I can. You just rest, Sister. Besides, how could you possibly work in your condition? What if your tail pops out?"
"Well... alright, then..."
Bai Ruxue had no choice but to agree.
Xiao Qing tucked her sister in and left the room.
Just then, Xiao Mo was also getting up.
Xiao Qing told Xiao Mo that her sister was sick, but it wasn’t serious and there was no need to call a doctor. She would be fine in a couple of days.
Xiao Mo went into the room to check on Bai Ruxue.
Bai Ruxue assured him that she was really fine and would be well soon, adding that it had happened before.
’It must be a small problem with her cultivation,’ Xiao Mo thought. ’But it’s probably not serious.’
’Otherwise, Xiao Qing would be more worried than I am.’
After Xiao Mo left, Bai Ruxue sat in her room, watching through the window as Xiao Qing gathered his clothes, folding them one by one.
Xiao Qing was doing a very good job.
It was just... Bai Ruxue had a strange feeling in her heart.
’These are all things that I’m supposed to be doing...’
By noon, Bai Ruxue was feeling much better. She felt restless and couldn’t sit still, wanting to go to the kitchen to cook for Xiao Mo.
But Xiao Qing gently pushed her out of the kitchen. "You need to rest, Sister. I’ll cook."
Before long, Xiao Qing brought the dishes out from the kitchen.
"Brother Xiao, Sister, my cooking isn’t very good, so please don’t mind ."
"Not at all. It’s delicious, Xiao Qing."
"Really? Then have so more, Brother Xiao."
"Alright."
"You should eat more too, Sister."
"Ah... okay..."
Bai Ruxue picked at the rice in her bowl.
Xiao Qing’s cooking was genuinely delicious.
It was a good thing that Xiao Mo enjoyed Xiao Qing’s cooking.
But... Bai Ruxue felt a stuffiness in her heart, as if sothing was blocking it.
That afternoon, lying back in bed, Bai Ruxue watched through the window as Xiao Qing poured water for Xiao Mo and massaged his shoulders.
She watched as Xiao Mo taught Xiao Qing how to read.
She heard Xiao Mo occasionally praise her, saying, "Miss Xiao Qing is very clever."
Bai Ruxue felt the tightness in her chest grow even worse.
’Why?’
’What’s wrong with ?’
’Could it be that my sickness is getting worse?’
That evening, Aunt Chen heard that Ruxue had caught a chill, so she made a special trip to Xiao Mo’s courtyard to visit her.
"You silly girl, you’re usually so hale and hearty, aren’t you? How could you catch a chill in the middle of sumr? Your auntie here brewed so dicine for you and put it in this gourd. Drink a bowl before bed, then heat up the rest and drink another bowl in the morning. You’ll be right as rain in no ti."
Aunt Chen said to Ruxue in her room.
"Thank you, Aunt Chen." Bai Ruxue took the gourd with a faint smile.
But soon after, the young woman lowered her head, as if sothing was weighing on her mind.
"Ruxue, what is it?" Aunt Chen asked.
"It’s nothing, Aunt Chen." Bai Ruxue quickly shook her head. "I’m fine."
"Don’t give that." Aunt Chen gave her a look. "You’re a simple girl; you wear your heart on your sleeve. You think I can’t tell when sothing’s on your mind? Go on, out with it. You can’t bottle up your worries when you’re sick, or you’ll never get better."
Bai Ruxue gently bit her lip, her eyes filled with hesitation as her fingers nervously kneaded the blanket.
Aunt Chen didn’t rush her, patiently waiting for the girl to open up.
"Aunt Chen..." After a long mont, Bai Ruxue finally looked up.
"Yes?"
"Today, Xiao Qing took care of Xiao Mo in my place. She folded the clothes so neatly, the food she cooked was delicious, and she cleaned the yard perfectly. I should be happy for her, so why... why do I feel so empty inside? Sotis my chest feels so tight I can’t even breathe."
Bai Ruxue’s small hands clenched the blanket.
"Aunt Chen, what kind of sickness is this...?"
"Oh?"
Aunt Chen froze for a second, then, as if in sudden understanding, the corners of her lips curled into a knowing, teasing smile.
"Let your auntie guess. Does your chest only feel tight when Xiao Qing gets close to Xiao Mo?"
"Mhm."
"And when Xiao Mo praises her, you know you should be happy for your sister, but you still feel an inexplicable sense of disappointnt."
"Yes, exactly!"
Aunt Chen pointed to the girl’s heaving chest. "And does it sotis feel sour right here, like you’ve been drinking vinegar?"
"That’s right! That’s never happened to before. Aunt Chen, how did you know?"
"Oh, you silly girl..."
Aunt Chen sighed and gently poked the girl’s forehead.
"It’s because you’ve fallen in love with him..."
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