Chapter 18: The Beautiful and Kind-Hearted Little Angel

Although Yan Shu had more or less given up, she still clung to a sliver of hope in her heart. She hadn’t forgotten about the matter of the seal either. Even though there was the shortcut of dual cultivation, Yan Shu was, at her core, a conservative person. Not to mention how exceptionally rare a suitable partner was, she simply couldn’t bring herself to find someone she didn’t like just for the sake of lifting a seal. That simply wasn’t something she could do.

Therefore, she diligently resumed her cultivation. If Xiao Jihan would truly spare her life, then the fate of the Xuantian Sect would be rewritten, and she would have all the time in the world to improve her cultivation at her own pace.

Besides, even if she spent her life stuck at the late Foundation Establishment stage, Yan Shu didn’t think it was a bad bargain. Compared to the mere decades of life in her previous existence, a cultivator’s lifespan was nothing short of endless.

Thinking of it that way, she was still the one who had come out ahead!

Of course, if she could break through, that would be even better.

Time slipped away swiftly as she cultivated. Yan Shu felt it had been no more than an hour, yet dawn had already arrived.

Remembering what she’d done the night before, she felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation for Xiao Jihan’s reaction.

She hadn’t exactly been subtle—surely he must have noticed. Had her goodwill reached him? Was he willing to accept it? Had his favorability risen or fallen?

Why does it feel more nerve-wracking than playing the stock market?

With the male lead’s unpredictable way of thinking, Yan Shu truly had no clue.

She cast a Dust Removal spell and took out a fresh set of clothes from her storage pouch. Although cultivators had such spells and could remain spotless, her modern upbringing made her feel odd if she didn’t bathe.

In the original owner’s memory, the Xuantian Sect had several spirit springs—excellent places to bathe. But Xiao Jihan was on the Supreme Peak, and as his backup food supply, she couldn’t take a single step away. Truly vexing.

Just as she was thinking this, Xiao Jihan’s clear, cool voice sounded from outside the door: “Master, it’s time for breakfast.”

Yan Shu’s heart immediately began to race wildly. She calmed herself before responding, “Come in.”

Xiao Jihan entered, carrying a bowl of spirit porridge. As he had the day before, he silently placed the porridge and side dishes on the table.

Yan Shu, nervous and pretending nonchalance, glanced up at him.

Favorability: -49 (Dislike)

Grass! Grass! Grass! (A certain plant)

Yan Shu could hardly believe her eyes!

Had Xiao Jihan just increased his favorability toward her by 26 points in one go?!

No wonder he seemed even more handsome than yesterday—positively angelic, beautiful inside and out!

Joy surged in Yan Shu’s heart, and she nearly wanted to grab his face and plant a big kiss on it. Even Xiao Jihan’s increasingly cold, phoenix-like eyes did nothing to dampen her spirits.

Xiao Jihan, seeing her bright, sparkling gaze fixed on him as if she were about to pounce on a delectable treat, immediately frowned. A surge of unpleasant memories flooded his mind.

Favorability: -50 (Hatred)

Favorability: -51 (Hatred)

Favorability: -52 (Hatred)

Yan Shu: …

So she really wasn’t his type, was she?

Yan Shu quickly turned her face away and said, “You… you should go eat first. I’ll put the dishes away myself when I’m done.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jihan didn’t move. He recalled his surprise at finding the extra set of dishes in the cabinet that morning, the furnace that had exploded thanks to the celestial spirit grass, and the spirit herbs left on the rack last night that had nearly lost all their energy.

He was silent for a moment, then said, “Disciple has no meal.”

Hm?

Yan Shu turned to him in surprise. “Why not?”

Seeing the astonishment on her face, a flash of understanding crossed Xiao Jihan’s mind.

As expected.

He watched her quietly, missing nothing of her expression, and said flatly, “There’s a limit to the allocation of spirit rice. On the Supreme Peak, only Master has a share.”

Yan Shu immediately understood. She asked in disbelief, “So, you’ve been on the Supreme Peak for over a year and haven’t eaten a single meal?”

Xiao Jihan responded coolly, “Disciple has already formed his foundation and can fast.”

That sounded…

Yan Shu was instantly overcome with guilt. She hurriedly stood up, stepping aside for him. “You should eat. It doesn’t matter if I do. This little bit of spiritual energy does nothing for me, but you’re still growing.”

The words “still growing” somehow reminded Xiao Jihan of her remark last night: “This child…”

Favorability: -53 (Hatred)

Favorability: -54 (Hatred)

Yan Shu was baffled. Had she said something wrong?

According to the novel, Xiao Jihan hadn’t even been sixteen when he joined the Xuantian Sect. Now, more than four years later, he was barely twenty. Coupled with years of abuse and starvation before, even with the protagonist’s halo, it had still left its mark, making him somewhat thin.

It gave him a delicate, sickly beauty.

Although Yan Shu had seen his body with her own eyes and knew there was nothing frail about it, men generally developed until twenty-two. Was there really anything wrong with saying he was still growing?

Had she wounded the great male lead’s pride?

For once, Yan Shu’s mind worked quickly.

She hastened to explain, “I didn’t mean to imply you’re small. What I meant was…”

Seeing Xiao Jihan’s face grow darker and darker, Yan Shu panicked. She blurted out, “You’re not small, really! I’ve seen it. You’re not small anywhere—definitely not! I—”

Before she could finish, Xiao Jihan stepped forward abruptly, picked up her bowl of spirit porridge, and drained it in one gulp.

He didn’t even touch the side dishes.

Yan Shu fell silent.

Xiao Jihan set down the empty bowl and looked at her. “Master is right. This is a time for me to grow, so from now on, I won’t be bringing you porridge anymore.”

Yan Shu: …

I suspect you’re taking revenge, but I have no proof.

Looking at Xiao Jihan’s dark expression, Yan Shu carefully tried to negotiate: “Can’t we ask them to send more up? That way, we’d both have enough to eat.”

Xiao Jihan shot her a cold look. “Master seems unfamiliar with the Xuantian Sect’s current situation. The sect, located in Yunzhou, is supported by the Shangguan royal family. However, the Shangguan clan hasn’t produced a single spiritual root bearer in three generations, so their tribute has been reduced by more than half.”

“Spirit rice is the essence among grains. Out of a hundred bushels, you might not get a single pound—so it’s extremely rare. At present, only the masters who have taken disciples receive a share.”

Yan Shu understood: spirit rice was limited and only distributed to those masters who had accepted disciples, who then divided it among their students.

So… she’d been taking Xiao Jihan’s food for over a year?!

Yan Shu’s face flushed, not from anger but from shame.

She stammered, “Th-then from now on, you should have it. As a mutated thunder spiritual root, the energy in spirit rice is useless to me.”

She was telling the truth. The spiritual energy from a bowl of porridge compared to what she gained from a night of cultivation was barely a drop in the ocean.

She only craved the porridge because it tasted so good—and, much like with bathing, not eating felt odd to her.