CHAPTER 328: CHAPTER 326: SIBLINGS (PART 2)

"Although there’s no need to keep our relationship a secret, do we really have to show it off in public? I’m a bit shy... By the way, if you don’t let go now, the headmaster might physically lecture me under the pretense of ’corrupting morals’ or ’inappropriate conduct’ out of sheer jealousy."

Ming Shuiyun glanced at the flashing Platinum Tower and quickly released the hand she was holding, belonging to Le Yuxin.

After being dragged around by her, Le Yuxin realized they had arrived near the Falling Star Lake. Finding a pavilion to sit down, he asked, "Don’t you have any classes this afternoon?"

"...I do."

"Great, a student’s life isn’t complete without skipping classes at least once." Le Yuxin used his handkerchief to wipe the stone bench beside him, and like a gentleman, said, "Please have a seat in Shuiyun Palace."

Ming Shuiyun obediently sat down. Seeing the sarcastic expression on Le Yuxin’s face, she realized how rash she had been earlier and anxiously asked, "Are you angry?"

"How could I possibly be angry? I wouldn’t be angry at you even if I was angry. After all, you are my Sword Master."

"I was wrong."

Le Yuxin casually remarked, "You did nothing wrong. The first rule of the sword sheath is that the Sword Master never makes a mistake. The second rule is if the Sword Master makes a mistake, refer to the first rule."

"I’m sorry." Ming Shuiyun sincerely said, "I shouldn’t have dragged you away like that, exposing our relationship. Now we’ve completely been exposed to the other Sword Seekers, losing your chance to observe from the shadows... I’ve been a burden to you."

"I didn’t mean that." Le Yuxin blinked innocently. "How could you be a burden? I’m just your leg pendant, your assistant, your subordinate, your tool. It’s always the tool that doesn’t work, never the master’s fault for not using it properly."

Despite apologizing and admitting her mistake, Ming Shuiyun felt she had humbled herself significantly, yet Le Yuxin’s expression remained impenetrable and sarcastic. She felt somewhat helpless. "Then what do you mean? Just tell me, and I’ll correct it, alright?"

"What’s the point in saying it? As a sword sheath, I can’t criticize the Sword Master. Even if I don’t say it, the Sword Master should understand."

"I don’t understand what you’re implying! Just tell me plainly!"

"Yes, what I say is pointless."

Ming Shuiyun’s chest rose and fell with frustration, and she finally let out a sigh, "Fine, it is indeed pointless."

"Exactly," Le Yuxin nodded, "what I said is indeed pointless."

Ming Shuiyun was on the verge of a breakdown. "That’s not what I meant by pointless!"

"So, is what I said pointless?"

"Then tell me what you mean!"

"Saying it would make it pointless."

Ming Shuiyun fell silent. She looked at Le Yuxin for a while and then suddenly started to undress.

Hmm!?

Le Yuxin raised an eyebrow, glanced at the Platinum Tower— the headmaster is watching! How about we change locations?

Then Ming Shuiyun abruptly pulled open her collar, revealing her fair neck with a look of courageous resolve: "Go ahead, bite me!"

Le Yuxin blinked as he watched.

Oh no!

Did I break her?

Is the tolerance of young girls these days really this low?

Le Yuxin had been going in circles verbally with Ming Shuiyun intentionally, a mix of sarcasm and coldness.

Ming Shuiyun had openly dragged him away in front of everyone, fully exposing their relationship to the Sword Seekers and sword sheaths. It’s not too serious, considering Ming Shuangli and Ming Dailan’s groups were already exposed.

And among the three exposed groups, Ming Shuangli was the strongest, Ming Dailan the weakest. No one would target Shuiyun’s group first.

Of course, saying there’s nothing at stake isn’t entirely true— had Le Yuxin continued to conceal his identity, he would have had more room for maneuver and retained the initiative.

Thus, Le Yuxin had two strategies:

Severely reprimand her, scolding Ming Shuiyun until she cried and never managed to escape Le Yuxin’s grip again;

Gently teach her, melting Ming Shuiyun’s heart and spirit like ice cream, making her his devoted follower.

While both options were feasible, Le Yuxin shouldn’t carry either out: reliance is the most ambiguous emotion and easily transforms into love.

He detested using his advantageous position to control others’ emotions, whether as a teacher-student or sword sheath-Sword Master relationship. To Ming Shuiyun, Le Yuxin was her only special one, and any emotions she developed were irrational.

Simply put, bullying the innocent violated Le Yuxin’s moral code.

She might be irrational, but Le Yuxin couldn’t afford to be.

Yet Le Yuxin needed to control her.

This created a conflict: Ming Shuiyun’s growing emotional needs versus Le Yuxin’s inability to reach beyond human limits... Most importantly, Le Yuxin had no intention of forming feelings beyond a transactional relationship with her.

Everyone was here for business, not romance.

Thus, Le Yuxin devised a brilliant way to express his temper—being unreasonable!

He could control Ming Shuiyun, make her resent him, and enjoy himself in the process. This approach, being rationally aggressive yet senselessly overbearing, felt immensely satisfying, not having to consider the other party’s feelings, worrying about what to say, directly starting with sarcasm, and weaving in hidden barbs, expecting others to guess his thoughts without saying a word—a true guide to earthly delights.

Of course, Le Yuxin dared to do this because Ming Shuiyun couldn’t beat him, nor could she change sword sheaths, allowing him to act with impunity while she had to treat him kindly. As time went on, Ming Shuiyun wouldn’t claim she liked him, and even if she became an emperor, the first thing she’d do wouldn’t be using hormone drugs on Qin Le Yin then throwing him into a pigpen. That’s how good-natured Ming Shuiyun was.

However, Le Yuxin hadn’t expected Ming Shuiyun to obediently reveal her neck for him to suck blood, so he did not hesitate.

He leaned towards Ming Shuiyun’s neck, noticing her body trembling uncontrollably. He perversely sniffed twice, catching the scent of youthful milk-like fragrance. However, he then let out a disgusted sigh and pushed Ming Shuiyun away with disdain.

"The blood of a naughty child smells foul," he said calmly, "Eat more vegetables and exercise more, or you won’t become a qualified provider."

Ming Shuiyun’s body trembled again—earlier from fear, this time from anger.

No young woman could bear being told she smelled foul, even by a blood-sucking pervert.

I just wanted to see that expression on your face, Le Yuxin thought with a sly grin.

You want me to suck your blood, but I won’t. After all, sucking blood was Le Yuxin’s ultimate containment strategy for Ming Shuiyun and shouldn’t be used lightly, lest it increases her resistance. It was like Le Yuxin sneaking to a cyber café; the first time getting spanked terrified him, but the twentieth time, he just obediently pulled down his pants and would even kindly ask his dad, ’Didn’t you eat?’

Feeling the emotional interaction had peaked, successfully lowering Ming Shuiyun’s favor to the "30 years east river, 30 years west river, Qin Le Yin just you wait" level, Le Yuxin sobered up, speaking seriously, "If anything happens, I’ll reach out to you. If you have any updates, feel free to inform me. Beyond that, enjoy your campus life to your fullest... You get my point?"

"Got it." The subtext was clear—don’t bother me unnecessarily, Ming Shuiyun understood.

"If there’s nothing else, run to class at Shuiyun Palace. If the teacher’s in a good mood, maybe they won’t mark you absent, so...?"

"Goodbye."

Watching Ming Shuiyun scurry away, Le Yuxin raised an eyebrow, humming a tune as he headed to the cafeteria. After eating, he made his way to the academy’s mailroom, delighting in the discovery of a letter from Qing Lan.

He wasn’t in a hurry to open it, opting to return to the dorm, take a shower, refresh himself, and slowly savor this piece of Spirit literature. Meanwhile, he contemplated what advice to give Qing Lan, having her use the Youth Daily to outwit Blue Flame... Speaking of which, isn’t the first issue of the rankings supposed to be published soon?

As Le Yuxin emerged from the shower, hair still damp, he heard a knock on the door.

Safe in the dorm zone, Le Yuxin wasn’t afraid of any attack upon opening the door, so he did so to see if a neighbor came by to offer comfort.

When he opened it, the sight of a graceful figure in white attire greeted him.

"I think," Le Yuxin looked at the moon outside, "good girls shouldn’t wander alone to a man’s place at night."

"Hello, Mr. Hongle," Qian Yuya bowed her head in greeting, "I’m Qin Yueshi’s friend, Qian Yuya."

"Hello, Miss Qian Yuya."

Le Yuxin said:

"I am Qin Yueshi’s brother, Qin Le Yin."