"Are you sure Qingqiu is really your third sister, and Pei Yunxi is really your fourth sister?"
Mu Qingren sat up, looking at Jing Zhe with a serious expression. The white expanse in front of her swayed up and down as she stood up, making Jing Zhe's heart itch.
"Or are they all your... love sisters?"
"..."
Jing Zhe looked embarrassed. He did want Qingqiu and Pei Yunxi to become his "sisters-in-law," but it seemed quite difficult at the moment.
Since that's not the case at this stage, we shouldn't be wronged.
"Of course not, my beloved sister is His Highness the Pavilion Master!"
First, we need to calm Mu Qingren down. Previously, Jing Zhe only wanted to tell Mu Qingren about his family's connection with the Prince of Jin, and didn't mention his older sisters, so he had to tell her the whole story again.
Upon hearing this, Mu Qingren looked astonished: "You have...seven older sisters?"
Jing Zhe nodded.
Does that mean I'll have...seven older sisters in the future?
Although she was the oldest in terms of age, she would eventually have to follow her husband's lead after marriage. According to seniority, she should indeed call her "sister" at least seven times...
For someone who wasn't particularly good at socializing, Mu Qingren felt a lot of pressure and smiled bitterly to herself.
Jing Zhe added a few more bundles of firewood and talked to Mu Qingren while holding her close.
The two talked more and more, mainly because Mu Qingren asked questions, digging into almost everything about Jing Zhe from childhood to adulthood, and had a general understanding of how he was closest to his fifth sister and how his fourth sister was the strictest with him, etc.
However, Jing Zhe never mentioned his romantic affairs, and Mu Qingren didn't ask any further questions.
As it grew earlier and earlier—it seemed like midnight had long passed—Jing Zhe urged, “Your Highness, let’s hurry up and get some sleep! We have to participate in the martial arts tournament tomorrow, and it won’t be good if we’re not in good spirits.”
Are you sleepy?
Mu Qingren blinked her big eyes at Jing Zhe, seemingly unwilling to look away for even a moment.
"Not sleepy."
Perhaps he had gone a bit too far, or perhaps he had gotten carried away with Mu Qingren… Jing Zhe was wide awake now.
Mu Qingren smiled and said, "I want to sleep too, but I'm not sleepy at all! Besides, I don't have to play tomorrow."
"Tomorrow is the first day of the competition, aren't you going to participate?"
Mu Qingren shook her head and said, "Not only will I not be going tomorrow, but I won't be going the day after tomorrow either."
He then explained it to Jing Zhe.
It turns out that there were too many sects participating in the martial arts tournament, and many sects were far from strong enough to win first place. After all, the first place is basically determined by the four major sects. So why did they participate?
It's all for fame.
Small sects can easily make a name for themselves in the martial arts world if they can make an appearance in a martial arts tournament and then play the role of a dark horse.
If a small sect were to face off against the four major sects right from the start, it would not only fail to gain fame, but would likely lose face.
Therefore, the rules of the martial arts tournament are that the participants from the four major sects do not need to compete first. After the other sects compete to determine the last four people, the four people from the four major sects will be added to the final competition.
Over the years, apart from the four major sects, only Lin Qingshan has stood out. He once narrowly lost to Pei Yunxi, which can be considered a legendary tale.
So, for the first two days of the martial arts tournament, Mu Qingren was relatively relaxed.
The rain outside had stopped sometime ago, leaving only the howling north wind. The two talked for a while longer, and finally fell asleep in each other's arms as dawn approached.
...
When Jing Zhe opened his eyes, Mu Qingren was looking at him with tenderness, making him wonder if she had gotten up too early or if she hadn't slept all night.
"Aren't you asleep?"
"woke up."
Mu Qingren got up, naked, and found Jing Zhe's clothes. She first checked the wound on his back, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was nothing seriously wrong. Then she started to help him put on his clothes.
"I'll do it myself."
As he got up from the ground, the cold air instantly enveloped him, and Jing Zhe shivered, saying, "You should put it on quickly too."
Mu Qingren stubbornly shook her head: "You have a wound on your back, and besides, I like wearing it..."
Having said that, Jing Zhe could only let her help him get dressed, and then urge her to put on her clothes as well.
"It's time to go back..."
Mu Qingren looked at Jing Zhe with a hint of melancholy in her eyes. Although they had talked everything out last night, she still found it difficult now that she was fully awake.
How to talk to Wang Yingqiu, how to handle daily interactions with Jing Zhe, and even how to meet again in the future, and how to practice martial arts like last night... all seemed like unattainable dreams.
For a moment, she even wished time could stand still...
Seemingly anticipating her worries, Jing Zhe smiled and said, "Your Highness, don't worry, I will come to see you often!"
"You... often... contact me?"
With so many disciples in Wuxian Pavilion, including Wang Yingqiu, can he go there often? Or is he looking for her or...?
Seeing her disbelief, Jing Zhe smiled and said, "After the martial arts tournament ends tonight, go back to Wuxian Pavilion, wash up, and wait for me. Do you think I'll go or not?"
"..."
Mu Qingren blushed, feeling a little expectant.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "By the way, if you want to find Yingqiu at Wuxian Pavilion in the future... just go directly there, you don't need to ask me again."
Jing Zhe nodded, and then walked out with Mu Qingren.
When they came out, they found that the ground was fine, but the surrounding woods were covered in white, and there were still a few snowflakes falling from the sky, turning the whole world into black and white.
"It's snowing."
Mu Qingren said.
Jing Zhe took her hand and said with a smile, "In my hometown, we have a custom that says people who get together on the day of the first snow will stay together for life."
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