Chapter 4 What do you see in me?
Si Yao's eyelashes trembled slightly in her sleep, and she vaguely sensed that something was wrong. When she suddenly opened her eyes, she found that the wind outside was strong and had blown the door open.
The curtains and bed curtains fluttered in the wind. Si Yao glanced out the window and, after the wind stopped, felt that the moonlight was particularly beautiful tonight.
She slowly got out of bed, put on an outer garment, and walked out of the room barefoot.
A moment later, Si Yao gently pushed open the door to Xiao Yezi's room.
At this moment, Xiao Yezi was lying in bed, breathing evenly, sleeping soundly.
Si Yao closed her eyes slightly, and then slowly retreated.
In a daze, Si Yao felt that Xiao Yezi seemed to have been by her bedside just now.
Was it all a dream?
Perhaps it was all a dream.
Si Yao didn't think about it any further and went back to her room to sleep until dawn.
When she woke up in the morning, she stretched, changed into a light purple gauze dress, and went to the window to do her hair.
At this moment, the chattering of several female disciples could be heard from inside the courtyard.
Si Yao looked out the window and realized it was a female disciple from Chifeng Academy.
She wondered why these people, who never visited the Snowfall Courtyard, were here now, wondering what kind of wicked business they were up to.
The female disciples were talking to Xiao Yezi in the courtyard.
Xiao Yezi had a broom in his hand and had already swept away most of the dead branches and fallen leaves in the yard.
The female disciples hovered around Xiao Yezi, chattering incessantly like sparrows.
"Junior brother, junior brother, why did you choose Snowfall Academy? Look at the environment here, it's not even a tenth as good as Wind Breeze Academy."
"Junior brother, you don't actually like girls who wear red, do you?"
"I admit Elder Si Yao is beautiful, but I would look great in red too!"
"What are you saying, senior sister? Xiao Ye is only twelve years old!"
“Junior Brother Xiaoye, you can still back out now. As long as our master speaks on your behalf, the sect leader will definitely agree to let you transfer to Chifeng Academy.”
They talked as they pleased, but Xiao Yezi kept her head down and cleaned, not saying a word.
Si Yao secured a simple wooden hairpin in her hair, then leaned over the window and whistled at the female disciples, "How come that old woman Su He hasn't given up yet? She even sent you guys over to bewitch my disciple?"
When the female disciples saw Si Yao, they panicked and looked embarrassed. They quickly scurried away, looking disheveled.
Si Yao raised the corners of her mouth, chuckled softly, and climbed over the window into the courtyard.
She looked around and exclaimed, "Wow! Xiao Yezi, did you clean all of this?"
She clapped her hands. "Good apprentice, how come you're so diligent?"
Xiao Yezi raised his head and bowed to Si Yao, "Master, it's more comfortable to live in a tidy courtyard."
Si Yao's lips twitched, but she still nodded. "You're right. If you're tired, you can take a break."
"No, I can finish sweeping right away." After saying that, he continued to work diligently.
Si Yao sat on a stone bench in the courtyard with her legs crossed, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze lingering on Xiao Yezi.
This apprentice was a great deal; he looks obedient and likes to work.
Si Yao closed her eyes, hummed a little tune, and felt very happy.
"Si Yao!"
A short while later, just as Si Yao was about to fall asleep, a woman's shrill voice rang out.
Si Yao almost tumbled off the stone bench. When she looked up, she realized that the person who came was Qu Sui, the elder of the Flower Cinema.
"My Snowfall Courtyard has always been deserted, but I never expected it to be so crowded now." Si Yao clicked her tongue. "Qu Sui, what are you doing here this time?"
After she finished speaking, she glanced around the yard and found that Xiao Yezi had already swept up the fallen leaves that had accumulated over the years. He was now wiping the doors and windows with a cloth after filling a bucket with water.
Qu Sui also saw Xiao Yezi's actions, and her resentment grew even stronger. Pointing at Si Yao's heaving chest, she said, "You've disappointed me so much! Is this how you train your apprentices?"
Si Yao yawned. "I'm taking on a disciple, and one minute Su He sends someone to try and turn Xiao Yezi against her, and the next minute you, Qu Sui, personally intervene. Give it a rest. It's already a done deal, what are you still struggling for?"
Qu Sui was furious and couldn't bear to see Xiao Yezi ruined by Si Yao. She took a deep breath and said, "I'm not here to steal your disciple. I just want to remind you when you're going to pay back the thousand mid-grade spirit stones you owe me from the last mahjong game."
Hearing this, Si Yao was furious. "You were the ones who set me up last time, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet, and you're already here to collect your debt!"
Qu Sui said, "Whether you set up a trap or not is not the point; the point is that you do owe me spirit stones."
Having said that, she stretched out her hand and opened her palm, "Elder Si Yao, return it quickly!"
Si Yao stood up, crossed her arms, turned her head away, and sneered, "I have no money, and I won't give you my life either!"
Qu Sui had anticipated that she would say this, so she calmly replied, "If you have no money or life, you can use Xiao Yezi as collateral."
"You..." Si Yao's eyes widened, and she pointed directly at Qu Sui in anger, "This is your wishful thinking! Dream on, it's impossible!"
Qu Sui instantly turned hostile, "Then I'll give you ten days to return the spirit stones! If you don't return them by then, I'll report to the sect leader, and the sect rules will deal with you accordingly!"
Si Yao put her hands on her hips and said, "The matter of spirit stones is a private matter between the two of us. How can it be brought up with the sect rules? I think you were instigated by that woman Yu Ke. The two of you are trying to kick me out of Chuixue Courtyard!"
Qu Sui's face flushed red, she was so angry that she was speechless, and she stormed off.
Si Yao calmed herself down, sat back on the stone bench, and looked back at Xiao Yezi, only to find him still meticulously wiping the doors and windows.
"Xiao Yezi, you saw it just now, didn't you? Everyone is dissatisfied with you becoming my apprentice."
After she finished speaking, Xiao Yezi did not stop what she was doing, nor did she turn around. "What do you mean by that, Master? Have you changed your mind? But I have no regrets."
These words struck Si Yao as a slight surprise. "But what is it about me that you see in me?"
In fact, the smarter disciples all know that other elders or the sect leader are better choices.
So Si Yao really couldn't understand why Xiao Yezi would choose her.
Xiao Yezi turned around, her clear eyes gazing at Si Yao from afar. "Other elders have countless disciples, but Master, you only have me as your disciple. Perhaps this is what I've set my sights on."
Is this even a reason?
Si Yao will take it as a reason for now.
She smiled sincerely, a genuine smile playing on her lips, "I understand."
Si Yao didn't stay in the courtyard for long before leaving.
After finishing cleaning the yard, Xiao Yezi returned to her room.
He suddenly felt dizzy, and his temples suddenly throbbed with pain.
Xiao Yezi's legs felt unsteady. He struggled to walk to the bedside, his body swaying, and then collapsed onto the bed.
He woke up again in just a few breaths, feeling a heavy head and a blurry consciousness.
"Yan Ao!"
As soon as he finished speaking, black mist appeared, and Yan Ao appeared in front of Xiao Yezi.
Xiao Yezi sat up in bed, his brows furrowed slightly. "It's almost noon, and I'm only waking up now?"
Yan Ao was completely bewildered. "Your Excellency, have you forgotten? You woke up early this morning and cleaned the Snowfall Courtyard spotless."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yezi couldn't sit still any longer. He got up and went to the front door, taking in the entire clean and tidy courtyard.
Say it again.
Yan Ao repeated himself, adding, "Even your subordinates were astonished. It's unbelievable that Your Excellency can sweep the floor and wipe the doors and windows. The energy and spirit you have when you're working is far more than that of the maids in our sect..."
Xiao Yezi's once spirited and youthful face turned ashen.
However, Yan Ao quickly realized something was wrong and looked nervous. "Your Excellency, you just said that you thought you had just woken up?"
Xiao Yezi's eyes glazed over slightly. He couldn't recall a single thing about Yan Ao's mention of cleaning the courtyard.
However, Yan Ao would never lie.
He took a deep breath and clenched his fist. "It seems there really is something wrong with my body."
"Hmph! It's all that woman's fault!" Yan Ao said indignantly. "Your Excellency needs to kill her as soon as possible so that you can return to normal and no longer live like a young boy."
A hint of annoyance flashed through Xiao Yezi's mind. "Do you think I don't want to? I almost succeeded last night."
Yan Ao's eyes widened. "What went wrong later? That woman seemed perfectly fine today."
Xiao Yezi closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling slightly. He suppressed his frustration, "My cultivation has declined by more than half since I became like this, but even so, killing a Golden Core cultivator like her is not difficult for me."
Yan Ao's tone suddenly became urgent, "That's right, that woman is just a Golden Core cultivator. She was only able to reach the Golden Core stage because of her relationship with the Venerable One..."
"Shut up!" Xiao Yezi was a little annoyed, which frightened Yan Ao so much that he immediately lowered his head as low as he could.
Then Xiao Yezi said, "Last night, at the crucial moment, the seal I formed in my palm suddenly disappeared, and even the spiritual energy was depleted."
"Such a strange thing!" Yan Ao was completely baffled.
Xiao Yezi made a gesture, "Observe me in secret these next few days and see if I will do anything strange again."
After saying that, he instructed Yan Ao to leave.
A moment later, Si Yao's singing of a little tune drifted from the courtyard.
"Xiao Yezi."
Her presence grew closer and closer until Xiao Yezi turned around and realized that she was standing in front of the room door carrying a large bag.
Xiao Yezi remained calm and nimbly approached Si Yao. "Master, what's wrong?"
"These are new bedding and a few new clothes that will suit you," Si Yao said, looking around the room. "This place is a bit simple, I'm sorry to have to make do with it."
After saying that, Si Yao picked up the bag and was about to walk towards the bed. "Now, your teacher will help you make the bed."
Xiao Yezi quickly took the package containing bedding and clothes from Si Yao's hands. "Master, how can I trouble you with such a small matter? Let me do it."
He spoke politely and courteously.
Si Yao took a deep sniff, her eyes filled with emotion, "As expected, one's own disciple is the best; she knows how to care for her master."
After saying that, she put on a smiling face again, and it was hard to tell whether it was just her glib tongue or genuine smile.
Xiao Yezi turned his back, his grip on the package tightening. He gritted his teeth, his heart roaring: This woman is shameless to the extreme, full of sweet talk and shamelessness!
A note from the author:
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