One of my fairy-like friends

However, this time, the cold snort sounded much less indifferent and even a bit coquettish.

Yue Wuxia silently recalled what Yue Qingying had said earlier...

"Master, you're probably number one in my heart right now, but... the higher you stand, the harder you might fall. What if one day I lose all interest in you..."

Yue Wuxia understood Mingyan's personality. Mingyan was by no means a fickle person; otherwise, he wouldn't have wanted to have them all, but rather played with one and then discarded it. Yue Qingying's words were more of a "threat" to herself. Her purpose was simple: to make her compromise with Mingyan.

She was furious because her two apprentices had gone so far as to commit such insubordination...

Yue Qingying's words were wrong, but did she really have to refuse Ming Yan?

Is it really that unacceptable? Actually, it's just a matter of being criticized by others... No, even a few words of criticism won't make a difference, because Ning Mengru, who was most likely to say anything, compromised much earlier. No one will laugh at her, not even Yue Qingying...

Should we... continue to indulge him one more time? Time and time again, we've let Mingyan get into this state. If we continue to indulge him, what will he become in the future?

Her initial idea was to use her position in Mingyan's heart to restrain him, but now it seems she has somewhat forgotten her original purpose...

Have I spoiled Mingyan too much?

But...

"Master... what are you thinking about?" Seeing that Yue Wuxia remained silent, Mingyan couldn't help but squeeze Yue Wuxia's hand again and asked softly.

Yue Wuxia snapped out of her reverie, hesitated for a moment, then turned around. She looked at Ming Yan and saw him staring intently at her, his eyes filled with her reflection. She remained silent for a while...

We've already indulged ourselves countless times, so one more time won't make a difference...

There will always be a way to control him in the future... Besides, if I don't make myself more important in this rebellious disciple's heart, how can I properly control him?

Thinking of this, Yue Wuxia finally gave herself a way out... She couldn't stay angry with him forever, could she?

Yue Wuxia sighed softly and said, "Go and call your senior sister over. I have something to say to her."

Mingyan never expected that his master, who had just seemed very resistant, had actually agreed in his heart. He nodded, released Yue Wuxia's hand, and then got up and turned to walk towards Yue Qingying's room.

Yue Wuxia lifted the hand that Mingyan had been holding, a feeling she couldn't quite describe welling up inside her...

She always felt she was spoiling and indulging Mingyan too much, but every time it came to a crucial moment, she couldn't help but spoil and indulge him again...

Am I a qualified teacher? Have I truly guided him onto the right path?

Chapter 220 Senior Sister's Twin Ponytails

Mingyan arrived at Yue Qingying's door. He raised his hand to knock, but the door opened directly, and Yue Qingying reached out and pulled Mingyan inside.

Mingyan was caught off guard, and then found it amusing. "Senior sister, can't you wait any longer?"

Yue Qingying pulled Mingyan into the house. She was wearing a sailor uniform, a short skirt, and black knee-high socks. Her beautiful hair was tied into pigtails, making her look youthful and beautiful. Although he had seen similar makeup before, Mingyan still couldn't take his eyes off her. As soon as she finished speaking, Mingyan's eyes never left Yue Qingying.

Senior sister is so pretty....

“Ning Feixuan and Feixuan have already reached Taiyi, but I haven’t.” Yue Qingying’s tone was calm, without any intention of blaming Mingyan. “I don’t want to fall too far behind them…Junior Brother.”

“I know, so I went to see Master before I came.” Ming Yan didn’t rush over, but instead took Yue Qingying’s hand and smiled, “I talked to Master about cultivation.”

“Cultivation… Ah, you’re qualified to… cultivate together?” Yue Qingying quickly realized, somewhat surprised. “Master has agreed?”

Previously, Yue Qingying had gone to find Yue Wuxia while Mingyan, Ning Mengru, and Ning Feixuan were engrossed in their cultivation. However, Yue Qingying had clearly run into a wall. Not only did she fail to persuade Yue Wuxia to accept the offer, but she also angered Yue Wuxia. Helpless, Yue Qingying could only leave temporarily. But unexpectedly, after Mingyan returned, he actually managed to persuade his master.

"Hmm." Mingyan smiled and said, "Although Master didn't say directly that she agreed, the fact that he sent me to find you means that she agreed, doesn't it?"

Yue Qingying paused for a moment, then smiled gently, "Junior brother is really amazing... Didn't you ask me to go see Master before? But the results weren't ideal. It seems that only the one who tied the knot can untie it. Only if you personally step in can Master have a way out."

"Senior sister, let's not delay any longer, let's go quickly." Ming Yan reached for Yue Qingying's hand, somewhat impatiently.

"Huh?" Yue Qingying couldn't help but look down at her rather unusual attire, her face slightly flushed. "Wearing this to see Master... isn't that a bit inappropriate? Isn't it a little shameless?"

"What's the big deal? What we wear now will all be the same later, won't it?" Mingyan said with amusement. "If Senior Sister feels ashamed, then we can have Master wear similar clothes later."

As he spoke, Mingyan used his other hand to touch Yue Qingying's twin ponytails. His senior sister's hair was of very good quality and felt very smooth. He tried to pinch one of her twin ponytails and gently tugged it.

That amount of force certainly wouldn't have hurt Yue Qingying, but her head still tilted slightly. She gave Ming Yan a coquettish look, "Junior brother..."

"Senior sister, where did you learn this hairstyle?" Mingyan asked curiously. He had never seen his senior sister with a similar hairstyle before, and he didn't remember teaching her...

Actually, I've never seen my senior sister wear this hairstyle, nor have I seen anyone else wear a similar hairstyle.

"My sister taught me this hairstyle. She said it has a unique advantage, but she didn't say it out loud. She just told me I'd find out 'when the time comes'." Yue Qingying was a little confused. She didn't understand what Wang Qingchu meant, but seeing that Mingyan seemed to like it, she was satisfied too.

Mingyan didn't understand either, but if his sister said that, then she must have a reason. Without thinking too much about it, Mingyan took Yue Qingying's hand and led her towards their master's room.

Since there are only women in the inner courtyard of the Phoenix Clan, it doesn't really matter that the clothes are a bit revealing. Besides, even though the clothes are short, they are only short compared to the long skirts that everyone usually wears. In fact, the parts that need to be covered are still covered.

Yue Qingying did not resist. Since her junior brother didn't care, she didn't intend to resist, even though she felt shy.

The two arrived at Yue Wuxia's room. Yue Wuxia had already gotten up by then. She frowned when she saw that Yue Qingying was dressed very strangely.

"Master." The senior sister and junior brother bowed first. Yue Wuxia nodded and then said, "Qingying, what kind of clothes are you wearing? What kind of decorum is this?"

Yue Qingying pursed her lips. As expected, her master had made things difficult. However, this was her junior brother's insistence, and even if her master was angry, she would not back down.

Before Yue Qingying could speak, Ming Yan spoke first, "Master, these are all gifts I gave to my senior sister. Have you forgotten? I also gave you similar gifts."

Mingyan had once given Yue Wuxia a teacher's office lady outfit. Perhaps it reminded her of some embarrassing scenes, but Yue Wuxia's ears burned, and she turned her face away, letting out a soft hum.

Seeing this, Yue Qingying gave up on speaking and instead looked tenderly at her junior brother beside her, her heart softening.

When Mingyan interrupted, Yue Wuxia stopped worrying about Yue Qingying's attire. She took a deep breath, turned back to look at Yue Qingying, stared at her for a while, then looked at Mingyan. She pursed her lips and said, "Remember, this is the only time."

Mingyan and Yue Qingying exchanged knowing smiles. Mingyan was immune to Yue Wuxia's words like "This is the only time, the last time."

Yue Qingying, however, felt that the so-called "only once" rule held no sway over her junior brother. She couldn't control him, nor could she control herself...

Saying it out loud was simply a way to save face for myself.

However, Yue Qingying and Ming Yan certainly didn't care about that at the moment... that wasn't the point at all.

--------------------------

Several more days passed, and Yu Mudan, who had been waiting for Ming Yan to come to her, felt uneasy. Could it be that Ming Yan said one thing and did another?

His previous behavior didn't seem like he was ignoring me. Didn't he say he wanted to get to know me better? Why isn't he contacting me at all?

In fact, not only Yu Mudan, but even Gu Hanshuang, who was standing to the side, was a little puzzled. Ming Yan hadn't come for quite a while, and she wondered what he was busy with. Did he go to see Yu Mudan?

But... wait a minute, Gu Hanshuang didn't believe that Mingyan had gone to find Yu Mudan. If that were true, she thought Yu Mudan would definitely come to her and show off, but Yu Mudan didn't do that.

Moreover, Gu Hanshuang felt that Ming Yan genuinely wanted to be her friend, and wouldn't suddenly turn against her...

Maybe something's bothering them...

Chapter 221 Gu Hanshuang softens

After getting what he wanted, Mingyan walked out feeling refreshed and invigorated.

After two training sessions, Mingyan's strength increased again, but not significantly. This was mainly because his cultivation level was already quite high, making it difficult to achieve the kind of clear and noticeable improvement he had before.

It seems that I'll have to have Aunt Ning and my master accompany me in cultivation; that would be the most efficient way...

It's been a few days since I last saw Gu Hanshuang and Yu Mudan; I should go see them.

After thinking for a moment, Mingyan strode towards the courtyard where the two lived. He made a grand entrance in front of Gu Hanshuang's door, knocked, and soon Gu Hanshuang opened the door and welcomed Mingyan inside.

Yu Mudan naturally took it all in. Her stunningly beautiful face darkened slightly. What exactly did Ming Yan mean? Going to see Gu Han Shuang right in front of her, did he really not take her seriously?

Tragically, even if Mingyan really didn't take her seriously, she still had to win his trust and support. Otherwise, if Mingyan sided with Gu Hanshuang, the consequences would be unbearable for her.

This was the first time Yu Mudan had ever felt so humiliated... Even after fighting Gu Hanshuang for so long, she had never felt so humiliated...

As for Mingyan and Gu Hanshuang, after Gu Hanshuang welcomed Mingyan into the room, she personally poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him.

"So polite?" Ming Yan smiled and took the teacup. He felt that Gu Hanshuang was not like Gu Hanshuang anymore. In the past, Gu Hanshuang would at most nod in acknowledgment, but now she was actually pouring tea for him personally.

“Friends and business partners are different.” Gu Han Shuang smiled lightly, her voice clear and captivating. She was a great beauty, but her sharp, sword-like aura always made people overlook her stunning looks.

“…” Mingyan lowered his head. The tea was fragrant. He took a sip. It was slightly bitter, but not astringent. It tasted more like a shot of strong liquor than tea. After taking another sip, Mingyan suddenly remembered what Yu Mudan had said about flowers and tea. He felt a little strange. He put down his teacup and looked at Gu Hanshuang. He saw that she was also sitting to the side, smiling at him.

"Have you sparred with An Ran these past few days?" Ming Yan asked with a smile.

Gu Hanshuang shook her head and said, "It seems you've been quite busy these past few days. I haven't even left the house."

“It was I who neglected you, but I did have some things to take care of these past few days,” Mingyan said.

Gu Hanshuang smiled, saying nothing and asking nothing.

Seeing this, Mingyan hesitated for a moment before taking the initiative to speak: "Yu Mudan came to me before and tried to befriend me."

"Hmm... what do you think?" Gu Hanshuang's emotions remained calm, her tone steady, just like the way she held her sword.

"What do you mean, what do you think... She told me some things about the past." Mingyan smiled and said, "You should know, right? My attitude hasn't changed. I still hope that the two of you can reconcile."

Mingyan did not show his preference for Gu Hanshuang in front of her. If he did, it would be easy for her to see it as acting and would arouse her suspicion. Or rather, he could show it, but at this stage, he could not make it too obvious.

"To make you empathize and get closer to me?" Gu Hanshuang smiled gently. "Right?"

"That's probably what she really thinks... You can't hide it from her," Mingyan said with a helpless smile.

"I know Jade Peony too well." Gu Hanshuang's lips curled up slightly, and a faint disdain appeared in her eyes after she looked away from Ming Yan.

This disdain was clearly not directed at Ming Yan, but at Yu Mudan.

Although her approach was similar to Yu Mudan's, she knew Yu Mudan too well; Yu Mudan's actions weren't genuine...

“I think you two really have a love-hate relationship,” Mingyan said with a smile. “You two should have become very good friends.”

It's such a pity that such close friends are enemies.

“Even if there was a chance, that was in the past. Can we forgive each other now? Even if we do forgive each other, how good can our relationship be?” Gu Hanshuang shook her head and smiled. “I can be magnanimous, but that’s not because I’m generous. It’s just that I don’t want to make things difficult for you right now. As for what she thinks, whether she doesn’t want to reconcile or she does, it doesn’t matter to me.”

"It's good that you two can reconcile. I don't expect your relationship to be any better in the future." Mingyan shook his head. "However, her approach to me wasn't as sincere as yours. She had too many ulterior motives, and many of her actions were driven by self-interest... But I'm not in a position to say such things. Putting aside my relationship with you, wasn't my relationship with Yu Mudan also driven by strong ulterior motives?"

“You’re always doing this for our own good, but Yu Mudan might not be. She just wants to use you. It’s different.” Gu Hanshuang shook her head.

"In your heart, am I that good?" Mingyan laughed. "Maybe I'm also trying to use you?"

"Use us?" Gu Hanshuang smiled and shook her head. "What do we have that you could use? If we're talking about cultivation, we're all inferior to you. You even have followers like An Ran... or maybe not followers, it doesn't matter. Anyway, you have no need to use us, or rather, we're not qualified to be used by you."

Ming Yan was speechless. He didn't know how to refute these words. He truly had no intention of using them for anything, nor was there anything he needed to do to achieve his goals...

Or rather, he did consider using it, but this use was not the same as the use Gu Hanshuang was referring to.

Mingyan's plan was simply to exploit the conflict between the two to better win them over, and then alleviate or even eliminate the conflict altogether...

“I never imagined I was so highly regarded by you.” Mingyan shook his head.