Master, stop pretending. I know you are not a good person.

Chapter 4: The Little Apprentice Has Some Tea
"Master, morning."

He Qing slowly opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. Lu Li, the young man she rescued yesterday, came in carrying a copper basin of water.

His timing was just right. He Qing came out of her trance one second ago, and he woke her up the next second.

He Qing nodded slightly: "Morning."

Lu Li put down the basin with a smile, took out a handkerchief and handed it to He Qing: "Master, wipe your face."

Lu Li was wearing a school uniform borrowed from a disciple of Tianxuan Mountain. His face was glowing white in the morning light, and his fluffy natural curls had been tied into a ponytail, with the ends of his hair swaying gracefully in the air.

Compared to yesterday's disheveled and shabby look, he looks a lot brighter.

Looking at Lu Li's pure and flawless beautiful face, He Qing's depressed mood due to the obstruction in breaking through the realm improved a little.

"Thanks."

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard at the door again, and the next moment, Gu Changnian also came to the door with a basin of water.

There was a moment of silence, somewhat awkward.

Gu Changnian looked at the copper basin in the room, then looked at the one in his hand.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Master, I am late."

He Qing retracted his gaze, put the handkerchief over his face, and said gently: "It's not late, it's just that he came earlier than you."

Then, He Qing heard Lu Li say, "I'm sorry, I took the initiative to serve Master. Brother, you won't be angry, right?"

Under the handkerchief, He Qing's eyebrows twitched: Why do you listen to this?
She lifted the veil and looked at Lu Li.

Lu Li's profile was extremely beautiful, and his expression seemed a little worried, but there was a barely noticeable curve at the corner of his lips.

He Qing looked at Gu Changnian again.

Gu Changnian pulled the corner of his lips uncomfortably: "No, it's just that you have worked hard."

Lu Li tilted his head, and asked in confusion and gentleness: "How could that be? Isn't it natural for a disciple to serve his master? Senior brother, is it hard for you to serve the master?"

"..."

These words hit Gu Changnian's sore spot directly.

The process of Gu Changnian serving the original owner was not only hard, it was simply humiliating.

When He Qing came here this time, it was the first time that the original owner used force on Gu Changnian.

But before this, the original owner had often made advances towards Gu Changnian. Now that Lu Li brought this up, Gu Changnian's face immediately turned pale.

He Qing looked at Gu Changnian's increasingly ugly expression, and then looked at the faint smile on Lu Li's lips. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes and sweat profusely -

My goodness, this new little apprentice of mine, could it be that he is a complete jerk?

But no matter what, He Qing couldn't let Gu Changnian's hatred for her continue to increase, so she cleared her throat and said, "Okay, let's get down to business. Changnian, since your injury hasn't healed yet, there's no need to hurry. I'll go back to the mountain with Lu Li first, and you can go with the people from Tianxuan Mountain."

Gu Changnian's eyes flashed with surprise, and then he said: "My disciple's injuries are no longer serious. You can go back with Master."

He Qing could tell that Gu Changnian had tried his best to speak calmly, but he still couldn't conceal the urgency in his voice.

He Qing knew what he was worried about——

Gu Changnian chased Hua Chiyu, a disciple of Tianxuan Mountain, down the mountain secretly, and then drew his sword to injure his master. According to the original owner's temperament, he would definitely be furious about this.

Is Gu Changnian worried that she would vent her anger on the heroine and use some sinister methods in private, which is why he was so obedient and took the initiative to ask to go with her?
But how?

In the novel's plot, the original owner was so ashamed of himself for using force this time that he went back to Yaoguang Sect to remain in seclusion. So what follows is the plot where the relationship between Gu Changnian and the heroine warms up.

If she really lets Gu Changnian go with her, who knows how this kid will curse her in his heart... She needs to think about it carefully.

He Qing threw the handkerchief back into the basin and said calmly, "You can get out now."

"Yes."

After closing the door, Lu Li went about cleaning the basin as usual, as if nothing had happened.

"Lu Li." He Qing called him, "Come here."

Lu Li walked over and looked at He Qing suspiciously, his dark eyes full of innocence.

He Qing looked at him for a while and asked, "Why did you use such words to provoke Gu Changnian just now?"

Lu Li was slightly startled, then he lowered his head and said in a very low voice: "Master is the only person I can rely on. But I didn't know that Master already has such an outstanding disciple..."

He Qing heard this, and the vigilance in his eyes faded a little -

Is this because he is worried that he won't be able to win the master's favor?

Although he looks steady at ordinary times, he is still a teenager at heart, and he protects his own interests in a gossipy way.

However, being able to tell it frankly like this is very much in line with He Qing's temperament.

He Qing smiled for the first time since she entered the book world. She said, "Don't worry, I will teach you well and will not ignore you. You need to grow up quickly."

Only when you grow up can you practice with me and help me break through, young man...

Lu Li looked at that bright smile for a while, then suddenly smiled: "I will, Master."

■

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was strong. Insects chirped in the bushes on both sides of the narrow path. At this time, two disciples of Tianxuan Mountain who were exploring the way ahead turned back and reunited.

"There is a village ahead. Do you want to stay there?"

After hearing this, the others all looked towards a big tree not far away.

He Qing was sitting high up on the big tree, seemingly meditating with his eyes closed, and was unaware of what was happening here.

This kind of situation is not the first time that He Qing has encountered this situation since they started traveling together.

Seeing the leader of a sect set off for the journey back to the mountain, the disciples of Tianxuan Mountain not only did not feel the slightest bit relieved, but instead felt very angry with nowhere to vent.

Along the way, He Qing always stayed not too far from the team. Once he stopped to rest, he would find a high place to meditate without saying a word.

With this attitude, even if you just meet a random traveler on the road, you won't feel so unfamiliar.

That would have been fine. They had encountered several attacks from demons during their return to the mountain. Although they were not unable to cope with them, He Qing had never taken action once and sat so high up as if he was afraid of being affected.

They couldn't help, and the disciples of Tianxuan Mountain had to respect her as an elder. Since He Qing didn't express her opinion, they couldn't take the initiative and felt restricted.

Now, they have been unable to tolerate it any longer and are staring at Gu Changnian with burning eyes.

Xu Gaizhi, a male disciple who had a good relationship with Gu Changnian, covered his lips with one hand and said in a mosquito-like voice: "Changnian, how about asking the Immortal Master for his opinion?"

Gu Changnian glanced over there, then quickly looked away, saying uncomfortably, "Since Master has not given any instructions, let's just rest here."

Another disciple was unhappy and said with a gloomy face: "You always say that. We have been traveling for several days. The next town is far away. Isn't it just right to rest in a village?"

Hua Chiyu knew what Gu Changnian meant, and he stammered, "It's common for us to sleep outdoors when we go down the mountain to gain experience. There's no need to force it."

"That's not what I meant." The disciple retorted, "If the Immortal Master had never made it clear, would we have to sleep outdoors all the way? Maybe the Immortal Master did this on purpose, waiting for Chang Nian to ask her."

(End of this chapter)