Snowflakes danced in mid-air, and through the bone-chilling cold wind, the hem of Mu Qingyue's simple yet understated white robe fluttered, but could not conceal her aura that was farther than the moonlight and colder than an iceberg.
A bundle of long hair tied up and half-dripping down in smooth cascades seemed to merge with the snowy scenery around, shimmering silver under moonlight, yet failing to overshadow that cold and fair face. The clearly defined thin lips, though rosy, showed not a trace of a smile, presenting a beauty that was as cold as it was aloof, naturally exuding a sense of indifference akin to the high peaks of snowy mountains, impossible to ignore.
It's just... no one could see her entirely clearly.
Because beneath brows like distant mountains crowned by mist, her unseen eyes were covered by a band of ink-black fabric totally contrasting with her skin color.
"Where are you taking my junior brother?"
With hands clasped behind her back, the tall and slender Mu Qingyue asked once more, as snowflakes, cold as Sword Qi, swirled in a frozen, bone-penetrating chill.
"Senior Sister, it's me who wants to go."
Lu Jin'an chuckled softly as he stood up, and as he stepped forward, the three people sitting around the table noticeably saw a road of warmth emerging where the ice and snow met a sudden thaw.
Seeing this, Guan Wen secretly thought, it definitely looks like Senior Mu likes the senior brother.
Moreover, when mentioning the senior brother, Senior Mu always referred to him as "my junior brother," never omitting the word "my."
"It has nothing to do with Junior Zhao." Lu Jin'an shielded Zhao Shize behind him, "Otherwise, I wouldn't go no matter who invited me."
"You want to go?" Even as the frost withdrew, Mu Qingyue's tone remained as steady as ever.
Lu Jin'an gazed intently at Mu Qingyue, whom he had known since the age of ten; her temperament was perpetually unchanged.
Her coldness was different from Zhu Nanzhi's.
Zhu Nanzhi's aloof demeanor was somewhat related to the Qingmiao Palace's "Supreme Forget Love Immortal Technique," yet Forget Love bears deep feelings, so she was like the brightest plum blossom on the snowy peaks, where snow was soft, and the plum blossom was beautiful.
But Mu Qingyue's coldness exuded from her very bones, like a perpetually frozen glacier, cold and icy.
Even if the chill between them felt less severe than elsewhere, Lu Jin'an could still feel Mu Qingyue's cold.
"I want to go." Lu Jin'an smiled faintly, "But not to see women."
"Senior Mu!" Guan Wen's eyes spun, and suddenly she raised her hand and said, "Men never admit they go to brothels just to see women, they pretend a lot!"
The moment these words were spoken, Jiang Wuya and Zhao Shize snapped their heads to look at this Fourth Junior Sister, wondering why she was stirring trouble.
Guan Wen ignored the stares from her senior brothers, a smug smile playing at her lips; wasn't it the case that senior brother didn't believe Mu Senior Sister liked him? So let's test whether Senior Mu likes him or not～
Lu Jin'an glanced sideways at Guan Wen, instantly able to tell what this Fourth Junior Sister was up to.
"Lying?" Mu Qingyue stepped slightly toward Lu Jin'an, her lightly drifting silver-white hair inadvertently brushing past his nose, "Are you wanting to play with women?"
"If I wanted to play, I would have done so long ago, why wait until now..." Lu Jin'an said, noticing Mu Qingyue's hands that were initially behind her gradually coming into view, particularly drawn to the circle-like object in her left hand.
The black color was as striking as the cloth covering Mu Qingyue's eyes, particularly vivid against her fair skin.
And Lu Jin'an quickly discerned what exactly she was holding.
A small collar with golden spikes around it, with a little hook in the center... a collar!?
Lu Jin'an's expression shifted, wondering what Senior Sister intended by holding such an item...
With a soft touch of her fingers, Mu Qingyue held the edge of the collar to her chest, aiming its hook in Lu Jin'an's direction.
Aloof Senior Sister, silver hair, white robes, black cloth over her eyes, holding a collar... These three combined should evoke a sense of discord or desire, but Lu Jin'an did not feel this way.
Firstly, because Senior Sister Mu Qingyue wasn't as inclusive as their Master; secondly was the discomfort lingering in Lu Jin'an's heart.
"Senior Sister," Lu Jin'an weighed his wording as he spoke, "Are you planning to capture a mount or a Spiritual Pet?"
"Maybe..." Mu Qingyue faced Lu Jin'an, "Is it pretty?"
"You mean the collar, right?"
"Mm."
"Pretty nice." Lu Jin'an calmly complimented.
"Junior Brother, you like it too?" Mu Qingyue said, lightly pushing the collar toward him. Lu Jin'an instinctively retreated two steps. Before he could speak, Mu Qingyue's voice followed closely.
"Junior Brother, why are you avoiding it?"
Lu Jin'an's expression changed; Mu Qingyue's brief question triggered a memory of similar words spoken by another woman.
'Husband, why are you avoiding it?'
Zhu Nanzhi's coquettish laughter, with a strange tone, flashed in his mind, inexplicably overlapping with the current Mu Qingyue.
Only, Mu Qingyue was frighteningly cold, her voice devoid of any emotion.
"Junior Brother, why are you avoiding it?" Mu Qingyue spoke again, taking another step, closing the distance between her and Lu Jin'an.
Lu Jin'an could feel his heartbeat quicken, probably still shadowed by the trauma Zhu Nanzhi left behind, so he linked it to Mu Qingyue...
Senior Sister Mu Qingyue was purely a cultivation fanatic; though they trained under the same master, his interactions with her over the years were limited.
How could she be the same as Zhu Nanzhi... the same?
A twitch at the corner of Lu Jin'an's eye, because even his exchanges with Zhu Nanzhi were not that numerous!
Thinking so, as Lu Jin'an covertly retreated, he asked, "Senior Sister, you're asking if I like the look of the collar, not whether I like the collar itself, right?"
Jiang Wuya, Guan Wen, and Zhao Shize cast curious glances at the Senior Brother already separated by a dining table, thinking surely Senior Mu was asking the former question, how could the Senior Brother think of anything so outrageous?
Senior Mu likes you; she doesn't aim to treat you like a dog.
Furthermore, why did you back up so far, Senior Brother?
Upon hearing Lu Jin'an's counter-question, Mu Qingyue didn't immediately answer but instead turned her head slightly.
Though they had never seen Senior Mu's eyes, Jiang Wuya and the others knew what she meant right away.
So without further thought, they left in a heartbeat, not interfering with their senior brothers' and sisters' romantic dialogue.
In the lush shade of the trees, Lu Jin'an, distanced further from Senior Mu, could feel spiritual power silently surging in his hands clasped behind his back.
Mu Qingyue walked toward Lu Jin'an, "Junior Brother, don't avoid it, this is merely a gift."
A gift?!
Understanding that he was no match for Senior Sister Mu Qingyue, Lu Jin'an decisively prepared to flee, but Mu Qingyue quickened her footsteps, her voice once again reaching his ears, leaving him momentarily stunned.
"I have, also prepared a gift of my own."
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Author's Note: I kindly ask everyone to chase the read until Tuesday, we're about to launch and it involves recommended slots, once launched, there will be daily updates, please continue to chase the read for these two days～
Thanks from the author～