Dawn was just breaking, with hazy light filtering through the window. Ming Li opened her eyes to see Zhou Zixi’s furrowed brow as he slept. She watched him quietly for a moment before carefully withdrawing from his embrace and sitting up.

Perhaps he had seen something unpleasant in his dreams; his frowning expression was somewhat heartbreaking.

Ming Li gently pressed her finger between his eyebrows. Zhou Zixi’s eyelids trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes with the cold detachment of someone just awakening.

Seeing Ming Li sitting at the edge of the bed instead of in his arms, he frowned and pulled her back.

In just two years, her junior brother had grown much taller, his figure now overlapping with the one in Ming Li’s memories.

Ming Li said, “You seemed to be sleeping uneasily.”

Zhou Zixi came to his senses and said in a hoarse voice, “I dreamed that you turned into a cat, Senior Sister. No matter how I called you, you wouldn’t respond—just kept meowing.”

Ming Li: “…”

She pushed away the person embracing her.

Zhou Zixi fell back onto the bed as she pushed him away. He lazily raised his eyes to watch her get up, her clothes half-covering her. As Ming Li reached out to dress, one could faintly see marks from last night’s passion on her fair skin.

“How are your eyes?” Ming Li asked with her back to him.

Zhou Zixi said, “Fine.”

Because he had previously been blind and unable to see, even after being revived by the life vein, Ming Li still habitually asked about his eyes.

By now, Zhou Zixi was fully awake. He got up and dressed with Ming Li, asking what she wanted to eat. After hearing her answer, he went to the kitchen in the back courtyard to prepare breakfast.

The spring sunlight was warm, making one feel lazy. Ming Li lay by the window watching the flowers blooming in the courtyard while Zhou Zixi stood behind her, braiding her hair. She occasionally tilted her head to glance at herself in the mirror.

At noon, Chen Zhou came punctually to call them for lunch.

The senior brothers chatted about the foolish things the new disciples had done during training, comparing which household’s disciples were more stupid and which were smarter. During this time, they received news of Dou Lanmin’s seven-star token breaking. Everyone rushed over immediately, only to learn it had been dropped accidentally, whereupon they scolded Dou Lanmin severely.

Dou Lanmin, traveling abroad to handle Bei Dou’s merchant association affairs, encountered numerous troubles every year. At a meeting where merchant associations from all over the continent gathered to negotiate, the atmosphere would change from harmonious to filled with constant sarcasm, then escalate to verbal fights, and finally to physical confrontation.

Dou Lanmin had initially been watching the commotion, not knowing that when others started fighting, he would be affected, breaking the seven-star token he carried with him and instantly summoning his senior brothers and sisters from Bei Dou.

The assembled merchant association presidents were stupefied.

After placating his senior brothers and sisters to leave, Dou Lanmin turned around, cleared his throat, and asked the merchant association presidents, “Still want to fight?”

No more fighting.

Everyone sat back down and negotiated honestly.

*

Over the past two years, Zhou Zixi’s temper had been worn down considerably by everyone. His senior brothers sometimes indulged him, sometimes came down hard on him, and day by day, his emotions slowly returned.

Several months ago, Zhou Zixi finally agreed to go down the mountain.

Ming Li took him throughout Seven Star City to see the fireworks and lantern festivals. She also went with Dong Yeyun to take him to the imperial capital for a few days.

After Emperor Wen Xiu’s death, the crown prince ascended to the throne. Although the new emperor had intellectual deficiencies, his position remained relatively stable due to the Empress Zhou’s merchant association and the support of the Dong Yang forces.

Every day in the imperial capital, power struggles played out beneath the surface, with undercurrents surging.

Dong Yeyun went to the palace to visit Empress Zhou Caicai and saw her busy coming and going, showing no fatigue but rather full of energy.

Ming Li saw Princess Chang Xi at the Martial Supervision Alliance. She had taken over the alliance and controlled the protective formation, continuing to guard the imperial capital and the new emperor.

Unexpectedly, she also saw Fang Hui and Qian Li at the Martial Supervision Alliance.

Qian Li seemed somewhat embarrassed when he saw her, rubbing his nose, but he took the initiative to greet her.

“You didn’t go with Qiu Hong?” Ming Li asked, standing outside the Martial Supervision Alliance gate.

Qian Li, standing at the entrance, shook his head: “There are many things to keep busy with in the imperial capital. There are especially many troubles every day, which suits me well. I don’t need to think too much.”

Ming Li nodded.

Qian Li said, “Qiu Hong is here too.”

Ming Li continued nodding.

Qian Li added, “The food in the imperial capital is also very delicious, and the climate is nice.”

Ming Li: “Mmm.”

Qian Li said, “There are also many powerful people, with Life-and-Death Realm cultivators everywhere, which stimulates my cultivation.”

Ming Li nodded.

“There are also people who dislike me here and those who want to kill me,” Qian Li said. “But I’m quite good at staying alive.”

Ming Li continued nodding.

Qian Li: “…”

He finally couldn’t resist and, with a twitching temple, said to Ming Li, “Did you come specifically to make me uncomfortable?”

Ming Li replied in confusion, “I haven’t done anything.”

Qian Li said dejectedly, “I always remember the past embarrassment and don’t have the face to see you.”

“Then don’t remember the embarrassment,” Ming Li thought for a moment and said, “Remember something funny instead.”

Qian Li was stunned and looked up at her: “What funny thing?”

Ming Li turned to consult Zhou Zixi beside her. Zhou Zixi glanced at Qian Li with boredom and said lazily, “Let him die.”

“Oh,” Ming Li nodded with sudden realization, raising her hand to point at Qian Li, “You’re dead.”

Qian Li: “…”

Ming Li slightly lifted her chin, gesturing for him to die quickly.

Qian Li wiped his face, expressionless: “Isn’t this more embarrassing?”

Ming Li: “It’s very funny, hurry and die.”

After a brief standoff with her, Qian Li finally compromised, twisted his face, and fell to the ground pretending to be dead.

Coincidentally, at this moment, the main gate of the Martial Supervision Alliance opened from the inside. Fang Hui and Qiu Hong walked out and paused when they saw Qian Li lying at the entrance. Qian Li opened his eyes, his face full of panic, clearly written with “let me explain.”

Ming Li and Zhou Zixi had already flash-stepped away when the door opened.

*

The two separated from Dong Yeyun in the imperial capital. Dong Yeyun had to repay the debt owed to friends who had come to rescue him earlier. Ming Li and Zhou Zixi walked through the mountains and fields, leisurely heading back toward Bei Dou.

Under the moonlight, new green sprouts grew on the field ridges. In the grand moonlight with no stars visible, Zhou Zixi carried Ming Li on his back along the ridge path, circling through layers of terraced fields to reach the highest point.

Ming Li wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head to look around, her expression serene.

Several communication talismans flew in. After reading them, Ming Li said, “Senior Brother is asking when we’re going back.”

Zhou Zixi asked, “When?”

“There’s no rush, there’s nothing important recently,” Ming Li said. “Let’s first go to a tea garden of an elder to bring back some new tea for Aunt Qu and the others.”

This elder was a friend of Long Yu Su and Dong Yeshou. Every few years, Dong Yeshou would bring the children to visit the tea garden.

Even though her father and mother had passed away, Ming Li still kept the promise.

While they were away, Ming Li and Zhou Zixi would receive messages from Chen Zhou every so often, asking where they were. Chen Zhou never asked what they were doing, just where they were.

Ming Li said they were in the mountains, then Chen Zhou asked which mountain.

Ming Li replied that she didn’t know the name, so Chen Zhou asked what was in the mountains.

Ming Li was puzzled by Chen Zhou’s messages. Based on experience, she should be the one worrying about Chen Zhou when he was away, always asking where he was. How had it reversed?

“Senior Brother, I won’t be abducted, don’t worry.”

Chen Zhou felt that the possibility of his junior sister being abducted was indeed very small, so he stopped asking Ming Li and started asking Zhou Zixi instead. For this junior brother who had been captured multiple times, Chen Zhou expressed that he was very concerned about him when he was away.

Zhou Zixi received dozens of communication talismans from Chen Zhou. After reading them all, he finally replied: “I’m with Senior Sister.”

Don’t you think your messages are a bit excessive?

Chen Zhou, far away in Bei Dou, received the message and rolled his eyes, no longer bothering with these two, and went to play with Fu Yuan and the others.

*

As time passed, Zhou Zixi became increasingly indulgent toward those around him.

Although he still complained verbally, he was no longer like before, truly unmoved and able to coldly observe others’ joys and sorrows.

On this day, Chen Zhou came to Ming Li’s courtyard for meals as usual. Dong Yeyun, who had been away, had also returned. Qing Ying, bringing ingredients from Wu Fang Kingdom, was busy with Zhou Zixi in the kitchen.

Ming Li wouldn’t let Chen Zhou help, because he would replace all the sour and spicy dishes Zhou Zixi made for her.

The three sat in the front courtyard drinking tea and chatting while waiting. Dong Yeyun had brought gifts back from outside, but Ming Li didn’t like any of them after looking through them, so Dong Yeyun packed them up and went to put them in her storage room.

Shortly after, Dong Yeyun came out carrying a box of sound-recording stones and asked Ming Li, “Why did you collect so many sound-recording stones?”

Ming Li, sitting under the eaves, looked back, “I didn’t put those there.”

“Used ones?” Chen Zhou asked.

Dong Yeyun brought the box and sat between the two, taking one out to look at it, then nodded: “Used ones.”

He infused it with star power, and they heard a voice from the stone saying, “Although I initially chose the wrong hall in Bei Dou, my master is very good, the best adult I’ve ever met.”

Ming Li listened, slightly stunned, and Dong Yeyun also paused.

This was Zhou Zixi’s voice.

Chen Zhou took a second sound-recording stone from the box and infused it with star power: “Senior Brother is a person with a cold face but a kind heart, a poisonous tongue but a soft heart. To have such a senior… is very fortunate.”

“Sometimes I envy Qing Ying for getting more attention from Senior Sister, but she is like a sister to me, and I’ve received much care from her over the years.”

“Senior Sister… I don’t know if I can return to Bei Dou after I leave this time. Some words I may not have time to say, or perhaps I dare not say.”

“Senior Sister, I like you.”

Ming Li took the sound-recording stone from Dong Yeyun’s hand and listened to Zhou Zixi’s words again.

These must have been recorded in the sound-recording stones when he left Bei Dou.

“What about me?” Dong Yeyun, not hearing what Zhou Zixi had said to him, searched in confusion through the box, taking out each sound-recording stone and infusing it with star power.

Chen Zhou repeatedly listened to Zhou Zixi praising him for having a cold face but a kind heart, while Ming Li repeatedly listened to Zhou Zixi’s confession.

When Zhou Zixi and Qing Ying brought the dishes over, they heard the same person’s voice saying different words from the sound-recording stones in the three people’s hands.

Qing Ying: “What are you listening to?”

Zhou Zixi: “…”

“You have one too,” Chen Zhou tossed one of the sound-recording stones to Qing Ying, who infused it with star power and heard Zhou Zixi’s words praising her.

Qing Ying turned to look at Zhou Zixi: “Wow—”

Dong Yeyun looked up and asked Zhou Zixi: “What about me?”

Zhou Zixi expressionlessly placed the dish on the table, ignored everyone else, opened the door, and slammed it shut.

In the past, he could have said without blushing or his heart pounding, “Yes, I said that. Yes, I like Senior Sister, so what?”

Now he could no longer be as he was before.

Ming Li put away the sound-recording stone, stood up, and knocked on the door.

The door opened, and Zhou Zixi reached out with his long arm, quickly pulled her in, and then slammed the door shut again.

Before Ming Li could see him, Zhou Zixi pressed her head against his chest and fell onto the carpet. From the corner of her eye, she noticed his ears were slightly red. At this moment, the sound-recording stone played: “Senior Sister, I like you.”

Zhou Zixi said through gritted teeth: “Who dug these out?”

Ming Li couldn’t hold back anymore and burst out laughing. Both inside and outside the room, people’s laughter that they couldn’t suppress fell into Zhou Zixi’s ears, remaining on this ordinary day.