As soon as Fang stepped out of the library, someone suddenly jumped out from behind and patted him on the shoulder, "So you've been here."
Qinghe changed into a blue robe today, finally resonating with her name. Qirong also wore blue, simple and elegant, like a gentleman.
Shen Xun looked at the two of them and asked a question, "I want to know, how many matching outfits have you two prepared?"
Qinghe really thought about it, but perhaps there were too many to give an answer right away.
Shen Xun waved his hand, "Never mind, what do you want with me?"
Qinghe: "We're planning to go down the mountain to gather information, do you want to come along?"
Shen Xun raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid that people will start mistaking me for your son again?"
Qinghe said indifferently, "What's there to be afraid of? Anyway, I'm not the one who'll suffer."
Shen Xun: "..."
She had a point, so he said, "No." Then he turned and left, not giving them a chance to react.
Seeing this, Qinghe looked up at the sky behind him and said with feigned regret, "The weather is so nice today, there must be a lot of food stalls on the street, like steamed buns, osmanthus cakes, roast duck, you name it, right, Young Master Qi?"
Young Master Qi chimed in, "That's right, Miss Qinghe."
"There's so much delicious food, it would be a shame to miss it. Since someone isn't going, we can save that money. Let's go, the two of us."
Qi Rong: "Mm."
Before they had taken more than a few steps, Shen Xun said, "Wait a minute, I suddenly remembered that I haven't had breakfast this morning and I'm starving. I'm going to go buy something to eat."
After saying that, he walked out as if nothing had happened. Qing and Qi Rong looked at each other and smiled, and followed him.
The academy is renowned, and the surrounding area is bustling. Just as Qinghe had said, the foot of the mountain is filled with stalls and delicious food.
The three of them randomly found a noodle stall, ordered three bowls of oil-splashed noodles, and sat on small stools to observe the people on the street.
Since the admissions ceremony ended, most of the cultivators who came to Tianqi Academy have left. The travelers coming and going are all locals who are out shopping. Qinghe looked around and didn't see many outsiders.
She looked at Qi Rong and saw that he was also looking around the street with a slight doubt between his brows.
Before long, a few people came to eat noodles. They sat at the square table opposite Qing and the other two. They first called the owner for food and chatted casually while waiting.
One person said, "Nothing new has happened lately, it's pretty boring."
One person replied, "Who said that? My second aunt's cousin's nephew is getting married in a few days."
"Getting married is a new thing."
"Do you know who she married? It's Miss Hu, the most beautiful girl in our town, and she's also a disciple of Tianqi Academy. She's really something!"
"Really? When?"
The man thought for a moment and said, "Probably in another ten days or half a month."
"That long? No, that's not long. Let's talk about something closer to home."
"Then let's talk about something closer to home." The man looked around and whispered, "You've all heard about what happened at Yangqu Mountain, haven't you?"
"Yangqu Mountain? What happened?"
"Your information is too outdated," the man said. "I only heard it from others. Yangqu Mountain collapsed overnight. It was shattered into pieces, with rocks rolling for dozens of miles. Even the ground shook three times!"
The man exclaimed in surprise, "Who did this?"
"I don't know, but I don't understand. Yangqu Mountain has been standing there for quite a few years, so why would someone suddenly want to blow it up?"
One of them took a sip of tea and said, "You don't know, do you? Because there's treasure inside."
"What treasure?"
“A stunning beauty,” the man said. “It is said that on the day of the landslide, someone nearby saw an absolutely gorgeous woman. Her appearance and demeanor were simply divine!”
"Really?"
"Of course it's true, my information is always very accurate..."
Qinghe, who was drinking tea, choked on her drink upon hearing this. She wiped her lips and looked at Qirong: "The great beauty they're talking about, it can't be you, can it?"
Qi Rong glanced at her. "What do you think?"
Qing and Xu coughed lightly, changing the subject: "According to what they said, it seems that someone is indeed helping us in secret, without showing their face or asking for anything in return. What exactly is their purpose?"
Shen Xun sipped his tea lazily and said, "Don't make assumptions about others. Maybe they were just trying to help out."
Qinghe glanced at him and said, "Even you don't believe what you're saying."
Qi Rong said, "No matter who did it, this outcome is not bad for us. As long as Senior Zhuge succeeds in refining the pill, everything will return to normal."
The three of them thought the same thing and stopped discussing the topic.
The noodles arrived shortly afterward.
There were three bowls in total. The three people picked up their chopsticks and ate leisurely, but then they heard the voice of a fourth person.
The voice was clear and crisp, right beside her ear, but Qinghe couldn't see where the owner of the voice was.
Qi Rong put down her chopsticks and pointed her index finger at the space between her eyebrows. A ray of red light flew out and landed on the last remaining seat.
Tong was still wearing that ill-fitting outfit, the overly long hem hanging to the ground, the sleeves swaying back and forth, and she kept clamoring for noodles.
Before Qinghe could speak, Qirong said, "His clothes look a little familiar."
Qinghe tapped the table, a subconscious, guilty gesture.
Shen Xun said jokingly, "How could it not look familiar? These clothes are yours."
Tong was displeased when she heard this. "Who said this is his? It's clearly mine. It was given to me by my little follower."
The sidekick Qinghe promptly covered his mouth and chuckled, "Isn't he out of clothes? Giving clothes to others is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I'm just doing a good deed." Then, he turned to Tong with a fierce look and said, "Didn't you want to eat noodles? Here's a bowl for you. Eat more, don't choke."
Tong shuddered at the sight of her contorted expression, picked up her chopsticks, and finished a whole bowl of oil-splashed noodles under Qinghe's watchful gaze.
The owner, who was watching the pot cook noodles, glanced back and saw another child at the table. He couldn't help but look on with envy and sighed to himself, "A loving couple, with both a son and a daughter, how happy they are!"
It's unclear which one he mistook for a girl; after his exclamation, he went back to cooking his noodles.
As the sun sets, the sky is painted with a magnificent crimson glow.
Qinghe and Qirong walked back, with Shenxun and Tong following on either side; the four of them took up half the street.
Tong is playful and always looking at this and touching that. He is always jumping around and can't stay still. Helpless, Qinghe can only hold his little hand to prevent him from running around, just like a worried old mother.
Seeing the envious and jealous glances cast at him from those around him, Qinghe couldn't help but sigh and rub his forehead. Shen Xun's words had indeed come true once again, and this time he had an extra son.
As expected, Luo Fan was seen again when they arrived at the mountain gate.
He is truly a responsible person; with him at Apocalypse Academy, nothing ever goes wrong.
Seeing the four of them return hand in hand, Luo Fan joked, "You two really look like a harmonious family of four now."
Qing smiled insincerely, as if he didn't want to hear those words again.
He recognized Tong and was pleased to see him, saying, "You little phoenix, you've been at the academy for so long without showing yourself. I used to feed you meat all the time."
Tong arrogantly turned her head away, "That's what a follower should do."
Qinghe: "Do you see everyone as a follower?"
Tong: "Isn't that right?"
Qinghe: "..."
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