Trust me

For some reason, Yun Qian's thoughts drifted to the bundle Lin Huaiyu had sent. The strange medicinal herbs inside, and the ancient prescription called "Cough Relief Powder," lingered in a corner of her heart.

She gently lifted Zhihua, who was lying on her lap, onto the table, stood up, walked to the cabinet, and took out the black bundle that had been carefully stored away.

Zhihua leaped lightly and landed precisely on Yunqian's slender shoulder, settling down steadily. It lowered its head to sniff the scent of the bundle, a knowing glint in its cat eyes.

“This is an ancient remedy passed down in our clan for a long time,” Zhihua said. “It’s said to be incredibly effective at curing all kinds of stubborn coughs.” It turned its little head to look at Yun Qian’s profile. “These past few days, I’ve been hearing your junior brother’s suppressed coughs. I suppose Lin Huaiyu went to all the way back to the clan’s territory and searched through the entire medicine storehouse just to treat him, right?”

Yun Qian remained silent, neither admitting nor denying.

She couldn't help but recall her last meeting with Lin Huaiyu, which ended on such an unpleasant note. She never imagined that he would actually remember her request and put it into action.

"Now that you've got the medicine, why don't you give it a try?" Zhihua tilted her head and asked, puzzled. "The effects of Yu Ke San are clearly recorded in the clan's records; it is indeed a rare and effective remedy."

It stared at Yun Qian's calm and expressionless profile for a long time, then suddenly realized something, its whiskers trembling slightly: "Ah! I understand! You don't believe him!"

This cat is sometimes clumsy and sometimes surprisingly perceptive. Yun Qian was amused by its blunt revelation, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. She was quite frank and did not try to hide it: "Yes, I really don't believe him."

Her gaze became distant and serene, her voice carrying a hint of world-weary indifference: "It's not just him. In this world, I trust no one except the people of Cangmin Mountain."

Zhihua seemed to sense the subtle loneliness and perseverance hidden deep within her words. It didn't refute her, but simply rested its fluffy little head gently against Yun Qian's temple, with a soothing tone.

"I dare not speak presumptuously about other matters," it said softly, its tone unusually serious. "But the prescription for this cough remedy is indeed genuine, without any problems. You might really be able to give it a try."

Yun Qian's hand, holding the medicinal herbs, paused almost imperceptibly. Zhi Hua sat on her shoulder; from this angle, she couldn't see the cat's expression at that moment.

After a brief silence, Zhihua seemed to have made up her mind and spoke again, her voice clear: "If you are still worried about me, I can test the medicine on you first."

Upon hearing this, Yun Qian glanced at it, a complex emotion flashing across her eyes, which ultimately turned into a barely audible sigh. She didn't reply, but silently took out her usual medicine furnace from her Qiankun bag, released a little spiritual energy from her fingertips to light the fire, and then carefully began to brew the medicine according to the steps and dosages recorded in the prescription.

A bittersweet medicinal scent, tinged with a strange, refreshing herbal fragrance, gradually filled the room. The aroma was so strong that Yun Qian's brows furrowed, and she could barely open her eyes.

The process of brewing Yu Ke San was extremely complicated and time-consuming, requiring someone to carefully monitor the heat at all times. Yun Qian couldn't bear the almost solidified bitterness, so she finally had to use her spiritual power to lift the medicine furnace and move it to the courtyard, only then did she feel that her breathing was a little easier.

Zhihua stayed by her side the whole time, never leaving her side. Even though it was a divine beast, it was just like an ordinary kitten that depended on its owner, even when it was dozing off, it would snuggle close to Yun Qian's clothes.

Yun Qian sat quietly on a stone bench in the courtyard, her gaze fixed intently on the leaping flames beneath the medicine furnace, controlling the heat with utmost precision. This continued until the sky began to lighten and dawn broke.

She closed her eyes slightly, spreading out most of her divine sense to carefully perceive the fusion and changes of every bit of medicinal power within the medicine furnace.

A gentle breeze blew by, ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead.

An extremely delicate and subtle fragrance drifted into her nose, completely different from the bitter medicinal smell she had previously detected.

She opened her eyes and saw a tall, slender figure in a blue robe who had appeared in the courtyard at some point. He was standing with his back to her, half-squatting in front of the medicine furnace, observing its condition.

It is Lin Huaiyu.

Yun Qian remained silent, simply gazing at the retreating figure. But she knew that with Lin Huaiyu's cultivation level, he must have sensed her the moment she opened her eyes.

Sure enough, the next second, Lin Huaiyu turned his head. The golden light of dawn outlined the perfect profile of his face, and a familiar smile, tinged with languor and unruliness, spread across his face as he met her gaze precisely.

"Long time no see." He stood up and walked over to sit down beside her with remarkable ease. "Have you missed me?" His tone was light and playful.

As he spoke, he casually pointed his finger towards Zhihua, who was still fast asleep at Yun Qian's feet. A faint light flashed, seemingly casting a small soundproof spell around the little white cat. Then, he used a wisp of gentle spiritual power to gently push the fluffy little thing a little distance away from Yun Qian.

He didn't mention a word about the unpleasant confrontation under the moon last time, his attitude as natural as if those misunderstandings and tests had never happened.

Yun Qian remained silent. In fact, thanks to the cat and the pot of medicine in front of her, the name Lin Huaiyu and his intentions had been swirling in her mind almost constantly these past few days.

She wanted to uncover his true purpose, and was also wary of whether he would become the sharp blade hanging over Cangmin Mountain.

The morning air on Tianyan Mountain carried the fresh scent of grass and trees. A brief silence fell between the two. After a long while, the carefree smile on Lin Huaiyu's face gradually faded. He turned his head, his gaze calmly falling on Yun Qian's face, his voice unusually peaceful and solemn:

"Yun Qian".

He called her name, and said clearly, word by word, "You can rest assured. I, Lin Huaiyu, will never be your enemy, and I will never be an enemy of Cangmin Mountain. I will not kill you, nor will I harm you."

His gaze was focused and earnest, as if he wanted to etch this promise into her heart through her eyes: "Of course, you can choose not to believe me. But I am a person who always keeps my word. Now that I have said it, I will definitely do it."

Under his direct and heavy gaze, Yun Qian subconsciously averted her eyes, lowered her head, and looked back at the bubbling medicine stove that emitted a bitter and fragrant aroma.

Even she herself found it somewhat absurd. She claimed to have no trust in Lin Huaiyu, but deep down, she would always find herself uncontrollably feeling a strange, inexplicable sense of trust.

She always felt that Lin Huaiyu possessed an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if they had some kind of connection in the distant past. But this feeling was elusive, and she had no idea where it came from.

"If you really can't trust me..." Lin Huaiyu suddenly leaned closer, his warm breath almost brushing against her ear, his voice low and almost seductive, "Why don't you place a symbiotic charm on me too? What do you say?"

Yun Qian suddenly looked up and met his smiling, yet unfathomable eyes.

She discovered that this person was truly inexplicable to the extreme!

"Trust me." He looked at her and repeated, his tone carrying a barely perceptible earnestness.

Yun Qian let out a soft snort, turned her face away, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "What difference does it make to you whether I believe it or not? You can still come and go freely in this courtyard and overhear my conversation with Zhihua perfectly, can't you?"

"It wouldn't really be called eavesdropping." Lin Huaiyu touched his nose, a rare look of embarrassment on his face. "I'm just a little curious. I want to know why that cat can stay by your side so easily."

Yun Qian pursed her lips, remaining silent. It was the truth; Lin Huaiyu's cultivation far surpassed hers. If he truly wished to conceal his presence and lurk nearby, she would have no way of detecting him.

The vast difference in their strength, and the fact that he has never truly harmed her, may suggest that Lin Huaiyu, at least for now, does not harbor any ill intentions.

"If you like these kinds of fluffy little things..." Lin Huaiyu saw that her expression seemed to be softening, and a glint flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, he changed the subject and quickly made a hand seal with his fingertips.

In a flash of light, a beautiful white fox with fluffy, smooth fur and a clever, lively eye appeared out of thin air beside the medicine furnace! It sat gracefully, its large, fluffy tail swaying gently, tilting its head and curiously observing Yun Qian with its seemingly expressive fox eyes.

Yun Qian stared at the white fox that had suddenly appeared, speechless for a moment.

She really wanted to crack open Lin Huaiyu's head to see what strange and wonderful ideas were inside!