Ch 88 Part 4 – Illusion (IV)

“You remember very well.”

On Meng Qi’s side, it was the warmth of beautiful scenery. Sunlight shone through the windows into one of the four bamboo houses, which Meng Qi used to refine medicines. Half of the small abode was used as a refining room, and the other half was a simple study room. At this moment, she was sitting in front of a bamboo desk, with a piece of rice paper spread on it.

Yun Qingyan was sitting opposite her. After praising her, he stared at the row of characters Meng Qi wrote on rice paper: “What is this?”

“Cangmingsan pill formula.” Meng Qi answered.

“Oh?” Yun Qingyan said with interest: “Just now, you said that you can imbue a spell into a pill to greatly improve the efficacy of its medicinal effect?”

“Yes.” Meng Qi nodded at the man; her face was beaming. In a blink of an eye, she had been living here for almost a month. Everything really seemed to return to the past. Every day, Meng Qi would get up early and cook breakfast. In fact, whether it was her or Yun Qingyan, they actually could make do without eating for a long time. But she still cooked simple meals every day. Although her cooking had nothing worth boasting about, Yun Qingyan always liked to eat whatever she cooked. After breakfast, Meng Qi would meditate. In the afternoon, she and Yun Qingyan would go to the refining room together. Either Yun Qingyan taught Meng Qi arrays, or the two discussed the method of refining.

When Meng Qi learned the new form of the Lihuo Great Fire Array, time was pressing, so she barely swallowed everything in one go. This time, she took the chance to ask for more guidance from Yun Qingyan. The man was the same as before, teaching her everything he knew without reserve.

With such dazzling happiness, one month passed like flying. Meng Qi also took care of the medicinal field every day. The spiritual plants which had flowering when she came one month ago were now withered, and some had even produced fruits. Still, Meng Qi felt that time flew too fast. Just like the time she passed with Yun Qingyan in her previous life, the happy days always seemed to have passed in a blink of an eye.

At this moment, the two were sitting face to face. Meng Qi finished writing the last stroke on the paper and said: “Sovereign Qingyan, Cangmingsan Pill has a very potent side effect. After taking it, the spiritual sea will be damaged, and the cultivator won’t be able to use aura for three days. I wonder if we can pair Cangmingsan Pill with something like Beiming Spell or other spells to heal the spiritual sea. Such as…” Meng Qi’s head tilted slightly as she spoke. “…Jiuhuiyang Spell?”

“This idea is quite interesting.” Yun Qingyan smiled.

Meng Qi also smiled back embarrassedly. Yun Qingyan was always very patient with her. No matter how stupid or naive her idea was, he never laughed at her. Instead, he would accompany her to discuss her idea enthusiastically. Meng Qi lowered her head, not daring to look directly at Yun Qingyan, who seemed to have more smiles after their reunion.

Meng Qi’s cheeks were blushing slightly. She whispered, “It is my whimsical idea to imbue a spell into a pill. But nothing stipulates that only the same spell can be imbued into a corresponding pill, so…”

“Don’t move.” Yun Qingyan suddenly said.

“Eh?” Meng Qi was startled and subconsciously raised her head.

Yun Qingyan reached out his hand and moved his slender fingers towards Meng Qi, but he suddenly stopped when he was about to touch her forehead.

He seemed to sigh softly: “There is ink on your forehead.”

“Eh? Oh!” Meng Qi nodded and quickly wiped her forehead awkwardly.

“On the left too.” Yun Qingyan gestured to her left.

“Here?” Meng Qi obediently wiped her left forehead.

Yun Qingyan seemed to sigh again and moved his fingers toward Meng Qi. His fingertips were warm. He gently wiped Meng Qi’s left forehead: “Here.”

Yun Qingyan retracted his fingers right after, without the slightest meaning to tease the girl at all.

Meng Qi’s face turned red as she quickly reached out to wipe off the ink on her forehead. She inwardly berated herself for showing an embarrassing side in front of Yun Qingyan again.

She sat awkwardly for a long time, not knowing what to say. The place on her forehead that was touched by Yun Qingyan’s warm fingertips seemed to be burned by a flame, and it was still a bit hot even now.

The bamboo house was extremely quiet for a while. Neither Meng Qi nor Yun Qingyan took the initiative to break the silence first. Only the pill cauldron behind her made a slight cracking sound from time to time, billowing the air with a slightly bitter medicinal fragrance.

“S-sovereign Qingyan.” After a long silence, Meng Qi mustered her courage and murmured: “I…”

“Meng Qi.” Yun Qingyan asked suddenly: “Did you dislike it?”

“Huh?” Meng Qi was stunned. She subconsciously raised her head and looked at the man in confusion.

The white-robed young man seemed to sigh again. Then he raised his hand and reached out to Meng Qi’s forehead. As they lightly fell on Meng Qi’s forehead, the slightly warm fingertips were far warmer than the sunlight that shone into the room.

“Did you dislike it?” Yun Qingyan repeated the question.

Meng Qi suddenly froze. Her eyes widened as she stared at Yun Qingyan in a daze. The warm touch on her forehead, the slightly cold fragrance from the man’s body…as soon as she raised her eyes, Meng Qi could see Yun Qingyan’s wide sleeves hanging in front of her eyes, along with a slender, perfect hand that was so close within her reach.

“I…” Meng Qi murmured again. Her brain was totally in chaos.