Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

When Shen Wei left the Wen residence, the night was already deep. He walked under the moonlight and returned to Wangyue Pavilion.

The moment the door was opened, Ye Qingci was still sitting upright on the couch, her eyes slightly closed, meditating to heal her injuries.

After several days of careful recuperation, Ye Qingci's complexion has improved considerably, no longer as pale as it had been when she was seen at the ancient temple.

Shen Wei didn't go in immediately, but stood at the door, pondering repeatedly in his mind:

What kind of excuse should I use to get her to accept the pill in a legitimate way?

He remembered that when he offered to escort her, he made his reasons clear: he was escorting her for the three thousand spirit stones; it was a transaction with a price tag.

However, the Tongxuan Healing Pill in his hand is always priceless and hard to find. Even if the price were increased tenfold, let alone three thousand spirit stones, it might not be possible to find one.

If such a precious elixir were given away for no reason, it would inevitably arouse Ye Qingci's suspicion, making him question his motives and possibly even revealing his identity.

"..."

He stood at the door for a moment, stunned, but ultimately couldn't come up with a suitable excuse.

Forget it, to hell with it. All he wants is for her to recover her cultivation and go to the Jade Balance Sect on her own.

Once she arrives safely at the Jade Balance Sect, we might never see each other again in this lifetime, so why should I care what she thinks?

With that thought in mind, Shen Wei no longer hesitated and walked straight over.

Sensing footsteps, Ye Qingci slowly opened her eyes.

Before Shen Wei left Qingyun City yesterday, he used telepathy to tell her that he needed to go out for a day or two.

So when he returned, Ye Qingci did not ask where he had been. Instead, she subconsciously wanted to ask him what information he had gathered that day.

Before she could speak, Shen Wei had already walked up to her without any further pleasantries or preamble.

He took out the Tongxuan Healing Pill from his pocket and handed it to her.

Ye Qingci looked down and saw that the pill was smooth and shiny, with a faint glow. A clear and mellow medicinal fragrance instantly spread out, refreshing and pleasant.

"This is the Profound Meridian Healing Pill. After taking it, your damaged meridians will recover within a day. With your cultivation level, once your meridians are restored, you won't need my escort anymore."

Ye Qingci's question caught in her throat, and she was completely stunned, staring blankly at the pill Shen Wei handed her.

She stared blankly at the pill in front of her for a long while, then slowly raised her eyes to look at Shen Wei, her clear and cold eyes full of doubt.

It took her a long while to understand what he meant.

But... why is that?

Why would he give me such a precious elixir? Why, of all times, is he urging me to leave?

Why?

She frowned and asked, puzzled.

"No reason."

Shen Wei avoided her gaze, his tone extremely cold.

She noticed all of this, and seeing that he refused to answer her question, Ye Qingci's gaze returned to the pills, and she slowly shook her head:

"This elixir is too precious; I cannot accept this reward without having earned it."

"If you don't swallow it, I will destroy it with my spiritual energy."

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingci was taken aback, seemingly not expecting such a response.

Shen Wei was unwilling to explain further, because he knew that the two of them might never see each other again in this life, so he decided to be straightforward.

Ye Qingci stared at Shen Wei for a long while, and from the impatience in his eyes, she realized that he was not joking.

"But I will not leave."

"Why?" Shen Wei was taken aback, his tone tinged with surprise.

"Now that my cultivation has been restored, I will never abandon the people of Qingyun City." Ye Qingci raised his eyes, a righteous glint in them.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wei was taken aback, then seemed to laugh in exasperation.

"You seem to have forgotten why you ended up in this situation."

"Whatever situation I end up in is my own fault, and it has nothing to do with you."

"But you... you're acting very strangely today."

At this point, Ye Qingci's gaze towards him changed, as if she were sizing up a complete stranger.

"You talk as if you know me very well."

"And what about you? Do you really know me? At least I didn't arrange where you went without your permission, and I didn't force you to do anything you didn't want to do."

"I've arranged it this way... for your own good."

Ye Qingci glanced at him lightly, her expression composed.

"I gave you three thousand spirit stones, so you should follow my instructions."

"Now that things have come to this, do you really think I'm escorting you for those three thousand spirit stones?"

Shen Wei's voice involuntarily grew louder.

"Why is that? Could it be that you've taken a liking to me?"

"You're right, I have indeed fallen for you, so I want to protect you and get you out of this dangerous place."

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, and only the soft breathing of the two people remained in the room.

Since she could remember, Ye Qingci had been favored by many people because of her excellent appearance and unparalleled talent.

From childhood to adulthood, she has seen countless expressions of affection and admiration, and has long been accustomed to them.

She had never seen a confession like Shen Wei's, which was strange, straightforward, and somewhat clumsy.

But what's even stranger is that she doesn't dislike it.

After a long while, she suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and spoke firmly.

"But if I were to recover my cultivation, in terms of strength, the one who should be protected should be you."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Weiding stared at Ye Qingci for a long while.

Shen Wei suddenly didn't want to waste any more words.

After all, he thought about it again and realized that her personality was just that stubborn. If she really made up her mind to do something, no one could stop her.

So Shen Wei seemed to compromise and spoke up.

"Fine... whatever you want, but you have to swallow this pill. As for whether you stay or leave afterward, that's up to you."

He took a step back. If Ye Qingci could truly recover her cultivation, with her Nascent Soul stage cultivation, few could indeed threaten her safety.

Why should someone at the Nascent Soul stage worry about someone at the Deity Transformation stage?

After saying this, Shen Wei had no more strength to argue. He went straight to the bedside, lay down, closed his eyes, and prepared to rest.

Ye Qingci still had many questions for him, such as where he had gone today, his unusual behavior, and the truth of his confession. However, seeing his tired and resistant demeanor, she decided not to say anything more.

She remained silent, turned off the light, and lay down beside him.

Just like when the two first met.

Shen Wei's breathing was normal, but she just couldn't fall asleep.

She glanced up and gently swept her eyes over Shen Wei, who was fast asleep. Was everything he said true?

Was the reason he escorted me really, as he claimed... because he had taken a liking to me?

Countless thoughts swirled in her mind, refusing to subside for a long time.

......

......

The next day, when Ye Qingci opened her eyes and got out of bed, Shen Wei was nowhere to be seen.

The room was empty except for the Tongxuan Healing Pill, which sat quietly on the pearwood table, its lustrous sheen shining brightly in the morning light.

She stood up, walked slowly to the table, picked up the pill, and examined it for a long time. It was indeed the Meridian Opening Pill.

After hesitating for a long time, he finally tilted his head back and swallowed the precious pill.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the throat, and a rich medicinal power swept through the entire body in a moment, both gentle and powerful.

She closed her eyes, returned to the bed, held her breath, and focused all her energy on absorbing the medicinal power of the pill to repair her damaged meridians.