Xu Fan scratched his head, looking with a bit of difficulty at the Little girl in front of him whose face was dusty but whose big eyes were glued to him. "Qing He, I'm still young. Can we talk about those things later..."
There was no helping it; being handsome had its own troubles.
In the short time it took to say goodbye to Ji Hanyue, Xu Fan had been targeted by the village beauty, Qing He.
Although born in a backwater place like Yellow Sand Village, Qing He was pretty and had the personality of a modest girl from a humble family.
Hearing Xu Fan's words, she only revealed a shallow, faint red dimple and twirled her braid around her finger. However, the stolen glances she cast at Xu Fan were filled with unmistakable affection, carrying a hint of shyness unique to a young girl. "We can try being good friends first..."
Xu Fan raised an eyebrow. "Just friends?"
Qing He's eyes lit up. "Mhm."
Thinking about the unfinished farm work in the fields, Xu Fan nodded absentmindedly. "Alright then!"
Qing He smiled immediately. Looking at Xu Fan's handsome face, which still carried a hint of childishness, she extended her pinky and said seriously, "We'll be good friends. Pinky swear, a hundred years, no changes."
Xu Fan thought about it; this shouldn't count as any kind of flag. After all, they were just friends, so he agreed readily.
He also extended his pinky and slowly moved it closer.
Closer and closer~
However, just as Qing He's fair little finger was only 0.01 centimeters away from Xu Fan's fingertip, a snow-white hand, countless times smoother and more delicate than Qing He's, suddenly reached out and forcefully pulled Xu Fan's hand back.
Xu Fan looked at the panting Ji Hanyue, whose forehead was beaded with fine sweat from running too fast, and couldn't help but wear a strange expression.
Qing He was stunned. She withdrew her hand like a startled little rabbit. Looking at Ji Hanyue's stunningly beautiful face, which seemed like a perfect creation of God, she felt a sense of inferiority. "You... who are you?"
Ji Hanyue forcibly suppressed the inexplicable sour feeling in her heart and tried to remain calm. "I am Xu Fan's Master. I do not approve of your relationship."
Both Xu Fan and Qing He's eyes widened at the same time.
Xu Fan: Master? How did I suddenly end up with a Master?
Qing He: Why does Xu Fan's Master even care about things like making friends?
Xu Fan scratched his head, somewhat puzzled. "Sister Hanyue, when did you become my Master? How come I didn't know?"
Ji Hanyue's face looked as if it were covered in a thin layer of frost, but her smooth, delicate hand remained tightly clasped around Xu Fan's palm. "I'm not yet, but I will be soon."
Xu Fan: (・_・)???
A quarter of an incense stick later.
Xu Fan's parents looked in shock at the small flame that appeared out of thin air in Ji Hanyue's hand. Their expressions instantly became filled with immense fear, and they almost knelt on the ground. "Please do not take offense, Immortal! We were blind not to recognize Mount Tai before..."
Ji Hanyue quickly held back Xu Fan's parents, her expression gentler than ever before. She really looked the part. "Elders, there's no need to be so formal."
"Additionally, I would like to discuss something with you both. I wish to take Xu Fan as my disciple..."
Ji Hanyue's expression suddenly turned serious again. She used a bunch of high-sounding cultivation terms to deceive and mislead these two illiterate elders.
Xu Fan stood to the side, listening with a mix of amusement and speechlessness.
After Ji Hanyue finished speaking, Xu Fan's parents were completely swayed. They hurriedly looked at Xu Fan. "Faner, this is a wonderful opportunity! Why don't you take this Immortal as your Master!"
Xu Fan's lip twitched as he resisted, "Dad, Mom, there's still a lot of farm work to do at home..."
Xu Fan's parents were taken aback. Hearing this, they seemed a bit hesitant. After all, having dealt with the land their whole lives, the idea that agriculture was the foundation was deeply ingrained in their bones.
Hearing this, Ji Hanyue stepped on Xu Fan's foot without changing her expression. Her hands, however, were not slow at all as she placed an exquisitely crafted jade pendant on the table, smiling brightly. "Elders, if you agree to Xu Fan's matter, I can give you this jade pendant. Its value is worth at least ten years of your family's harvest."
This was a jade pendant her Imperial Father had left her before he died. It was one of her few keepsakes.
Of course, compared to this jade pendant, Ji Hanyue clearly had a thought she was even more unwilling to let go of—taking Little Xu Fan out to see the world!
Xu Fan's parents said nothing. They silently put away the jade pendant and then kept urging Xu Fan to call her Master.
Xu Fan couldn't take it anymore. He pulled Ji Hanyue aside and said helplessly, "Sister Hanyue, it's not that I don't want to go with you, but my parents are getting old. I really want to spend more time with them..."
Ji Hanyue stared straight at Xu Fan, her resolve unwavering. "I promise to bring you back to visit them every year."
Xu Fan choked on his words, his expression even more helpless. "Sister Hanyue, why go to such lengths?"
"It's not like I won't come looking for you in the future..."
Ji Hanyue didn't say anything upon hearing this, but she imagined a scene in her mind.
[Ji Hanyue's Mental Theater]
[Ten years later: Little Xu Fan's face has long since become honest and dark. He brings that pretty woman who appeared at the village entrance and a child to find her.]
[Seeing her, Xu Fan's eager smile carries a faint hint of distance, yet it's humble and fawning as he pulls his child over. "Come, Little Little Xu Fan, quickly call her Fairy Sister!"]
[She really wants to help Little Xu Fan, but he waves his hands in fear, his expression slightly subservient. "Immortal Hanyue, I've come to ask to borrow some money because the fields have been in a drought these past few years..."]
Thinking that such a scenario might actually happen in the future, Ji Hanyue shuddered. She looked at Xu Fan with an unfriendly expression. "No! You must agree to be my disciple!"
"Otherwise, I'll stay at your house and never leave!"
Xu Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, unable to understand Ji Hanyue's train of thought.
But what he didn't know was that Ji Hanyue's thinking was actually very clear.
She had been pondering a question: she wasn't anyone to Xu Fan, so how should she repay him for being so good to her?
Using money or goods was clearly insufficient to measure this feeling, but as for offering herself in marriage... just thinking about it made Ji Hanyue feel quite uncomfortable.
But!!!
If she became Xu Fan's Master, things would be completely different!
She could naturally be good to Little Xu Fan as a matter of course!
After all, if a Master isn't good to their disciple, who else would they be good to?
Naturally, Xu Fan could always stay by her side, and she could also prevent Little Xu Fan from turning into that heartbreakingly unfamiliar person in the future!
Simply perfect!
Ji Hanyue suddenly felt energized at the thought. The way she looked at Xu Fan was like a hungry wolf looking at delicious meat, her eyes glowing green, as if she wouldn't let him leave if he didn't agree.
Seeing Ji Hanyue's unfriendly gaze, Xu Fan gave a bitter laugh and finally gave in helplessly.
On the way out of Yellow Sand Village, Ji Hanyue felt that her back no longer ached, her legs didn't hurt, her eyes weren't uncomfortable, her heart was at ease, and her whole body was full of energy.
The beautiful curve of her lips never disappeared. She kept calling out like someone who had lost their mind, "Faner! Faner!"
Xu Fan's lip twitched as he endured and answered Ji Hanyue's thirty-seventh call. "I'm here."
Ji Hanyue became unhappy. She stopped and pinched Xu Fan's cheek as if kneading dough. "How many times have I told you? You have to call me Master!"
Xu Fan squeezed out a helpless smile. "Master, I'm here."
Ji Hanyue was happy now.
While resting by the roadside, Ji Hanyue stroked Xu Fan's fluffy little head and said softly, "Since you have so sincerely acknowledged me as your Master, Faner, then as your Master, I naturally cannot mistreat you."
Xu Fan looked up at Ji Hanyue from the corner of his eye, feeling like his cheap Master was trying to feed him empty promises.
Ji Hanyue stuffed a white steamed bun into Xu Fan's hand, patted her impressive chest, and said seriously, "You took care of Master for a whole winter; from now on, it's Master's turn to take care of you!"
"As long as you don't do anything to betray Master in the future, Master will take care of you for the rest of your life!"
Xu Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he still pretended to be obedient and agreed.
Of course, he didn't really take Ji Hanyue's words to heart. After all, he used to make empty promises all the time.
In every previous life, when he was about to die, to prevent his Ex-Girlfriends from being overly heartbroken, he would always make them an empty promise. He'd say things like if there was a next life, they would be husband and wife again and never be separated. It was just talk anyway, so he didn't feel any psychological burden.
But what he didn't know was that Ji Hanyue wasn't making an empty promise.
And it was this seemingly insignificant promise that, like a shackle filled with love and hate, accompanied him across a thousand years of time...