He had just been reborn when he was imprisoned by his nemesis, the Empress?

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Yunshu regretted them.

I think this question is asked too early; Yi'er is still so young.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yi replied without hesitation.

"Like this, Master."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yunshu froze, instinctively tightening her grip on Xu Yi's arm.

She lowered her head, her nose gently brushing against the top of Xu Yi's soft hair, her voice trembling slightly.

"Silly disciple, I am your master... I watched you grow up, how can you say such a thing?"

Hearing her trembling voice, Xu Yi found it really amusing to tease her, so he deliberately tilted his head and said in a serious tone...

"Is that not allowed? I only said I wanted to find someone like Master, not Master himself."

Shen Yunshu's mood immediately plummeted. She felt both upset and embarrassed, as if she had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

She forced a smile, her voice flat.

"Hmm... Oh, I see. Master must have misheard... heard it as..."

I misheard you as wanting to find your master to be your Daoist partner.

She couldn't bring herself to say the second half of the sentence, and her face gradually flushed.

Shen Yunshu quickly changed the subject, her tone somewhat flustered, and used both hands and feet to put Xu Yi on the bed.

"Alright, let's go, let's go... to sleep... It's getting late, children need to rest more to grow taller."

After settling Xu Yi in, Shen Yunshu turned and walked out of the room.

She leaned against the pillar outside the door, gently pressing her burning cheeks, her cool eyes filled with struggle.

Shen Yunshu, you've changed so much in the last two years. How could you have such inappropriate thoughts about your own disciple?

She recalled what she had done these past few days, secretly kissed his lips, and tried every means to prevent him from contacting other girls...

I'm so abnormal.

Perhaps I really should suppress this feeling and stop letting it spread.

After all, Yi'er is still young. He may only regard me as his master and his closest elder.

I cannot destroy this purity.

......

In the following days, Xu Yi clearly sensed that Shen Yunshu had changed.

She would still cook for herself and take good care of his daily life, but the intimacy between them had faded considerably.

Shen Yunshu no longer hugged him or touched his head as frequently as before, and spoke to him more politely. She even stopped hugging him when she slept.

It felt like going back to the early days of their relationship, a time filled with distance and awkwardness.

Was it something I said a few days ago that upset her?

Xu Yi sat under the tree, holding a twig in his hand, silently drawing circles on the ground.

Xu Yi felt he was becoming more and more concerned about Shen Yunshu, and seeing her like this made him feel empty inside.

Shen Yunshu hid in the bamboo forest not far away, her gaze fixed on Xu Yi's lonely figure, and her heart ached.

Is Yi'er truly happy?

She hoped he could live a happy and carefree life, but her current actions clearly contradicted her initial thoughts.

However, if I were to become as intimate as before without any restraint, I might do something even more uncontrollable and out of line.

Will Yi'er hate me, resent me, or even want to escape from me by then?

After sitting for a while, Xu Yi slowly stood up, dusted himself off, and walked into the house.

He walked along, calling out in a drawn-out voice.

"Master, Master..."

It seems I need to pretend to be wronged; I can't continue like this.

Shen Yunshu, who was in the bamboo forest, tensed up when she heard his voice.

That aggrieved tone was like a thin thread, tightly tugging at her heart.

She instinctively wanted to rush out and hug Xu Yi, but she stopped abruptly as soon as she took a step.

Xu Yi went inside and searched the room thoroughly, but couldn't find Shen Yunshu.

They're probably avoiding me.

Looks like I'll have to use my ultimate move.

Xu Yi slowly walked to the shadowy corner of the room, squatted down, curled up, hugged his knees with his arms, and buried his head deep in his arms.

Shen Yunshu hid in the bamboo forest and used his divine sense to see clearly the scene inside the house through the walls of the house.

When she saw the little guy pitifully curled up in the corner, her defenses crumbled instantly.

She no longer cared about restraint or transgression; in a flash, she appeared in the room.

He quickly walked to the corner, squatted down, and carefully hugged that small, trembling body into his arms.

Her embrace was still soft and warm, carrying a familiar fragrance, her touch gentle yet reassuring.

"No, don't cry, Master... can't bear to see you cry."

Shen Yunshu's voice was somewhat flustered as she gently patted his back with her fingertips, her tone full of heartache and sobs.

Xu Yi deliberately moved to the side, gently pushing her cheek with his small hand, his voice muffled.

"No, don't hug me."

Shen Yunshu was stunned for a moment, and looking at his reddened eyes, she felt even more guilty.

She grasped Xu Yi's small hand, gently kissed it, and spoke with a hint of pleading in her voice.

"Yi'er, don't be angry with your master... okay? Your master won't avoid you anymore, you can do whatever you want with him..."

Xu Yi looked at the panic in her eyes, and the frustration in his heart gradually dissipated.

He gently nuzzled Shen Yunshu's slender, soft neck and asked softly.

"Why has Master been avoiding me all this time? Does he not like me anymore?"

"How could I not like it?"

Shen Yunshu quickly shook her head, hugging him even tighter, her cheek pressed against the top of his head.

"You are Master's only disciple in this world, how could Master not like you?"

She paused, her voice tinged with hesitation.

"It's just... I've been having some things on my mind lately, and I'm really confused. I didn't mean to avoid you..."

As Shen Yunshu felt Xu Yi's dependence in her arms, the unease and turmoil in her heart gradually dissipated.

Forget about overstepping the bounds or seniority; all she wanted was to stay by her Yi'er's side and watch him grow up safely and happily.

As for those inappropriate thoughts and feelings, she would try her best to suppress them and not let anyone notice.

I will not let these thoughts affect Yi'er.

......

About four months later, under Shen Yunshu's deliberate control, Xu Yi gradually lost some weight.

He was no longer the chubby little boy he used to be; his figure had become more proportionate, and a heroic air had appeared between his brows.

The sun was shining brightly that day, and Xu Yi was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard.

As he was getting into the swing of things, his head was suddenly pressed down, the force not gentle, but rather a casual suppression.

These are definitely not Shen Yunshu's jade hands. Although they feel nice, they are far inferior to Shen Yunshu's.

"You must be my sister's apprentice? Your talent is truly terrifying; you've already reached the Yuanfu Realm at such a young age."

A clear, slightly arrogant female voice rang out from above.

Xu Yi stopped practicing his swordplay, turned slightly to the side, and looked up.