Chapter 30: Had he already been so attentive to others?
After saying goodbye to Qin Shaoyang, Sheng Zhiyi wandered around the library, floor by floor.
The library was filled with rows of bookshelves, displaying many ancient books on martial arts techniques, as well as stories, anecdotes, and miscellaneous notes. Sheng Zhiyi was eager to read them, really curious about what exactly "The Story of the Thousand Gold in Liu Cui Fang" was about.
But she didn't forget the most important thing: to find Ji Fuguang.
He could only reluctantly stuff the book into the innermost part of the book and cover it with a thick and heavy set of "Taoist Classics". Judging from the fact that the set of books had been there for a long time but had hardly been read, he knew that the storybook was safe for the time being.
After carefully arranging everything, Sheng Zhiyi checked the first, second, and third floors, and sure enough, Ji Fuguang was nowhere to be found.
She walked up the stairs to the fourth floor and found herself in a quiet corner. On a long table by the window, several bamboo scrolls were laid out, and a figure sat there, holding a brush in his hand, copying the scrolls one by one onto the blank book in front of him.
The warm spring sunshine outlined half of his face with a golden edge, making him look as smooth and lustrous as jade, almost melting into the bright spring light.
Sheng Zhiyi took a few steps forward hastily, then deliberately slowed down and quietly walked over, afraid of disturbing Ji Fuguang's actions.
She took a teacup from her storage bag and gently placed it next to the bamboo slips.
The celadon porcelain piece placed on the table made a soft sound.
Ji Fuguang stopped his wrist, turned his face, and looked at Sheng Zhiyi.
For some reason, Sheng Zhiyi felt that his gaze had become even more indifferent, making her feel somewhat at a loss.
She pointed to the teacup and said with a smile, "Senior brother, have some tea."
Ji Fuguang stared at the familiar teacup, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Sheng Zhiyi intently observed his expression, secretly delighted.
You wouldn't believe it!
She took out the teacup that Ji Fuguang often used!
I knew you're a germaphobe and wouldn't just use an outside cup to drink tea. How about that? Isn't this service so comforting?
"Junior Sister's touch is truly masterful." Ji Fuguang finally spoke, a smirk playing on his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; instead, it added a touch of coldness. He didn't take the teacup, but instead looked down at it as if it were something dirty. "But this teacup has been handled by someone else and has been tainted by... the scent of another place. I'm afraid my health condition can't handle it."
He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as needles, piercing Sheng Zhiyi. "Junior Sister's meticulous care, perhaps it should be reserved for someone else, or... perhaps you've already been attentive to others?"
Sheng Zhiyi stood there, stunned.
This was the first time she had ever felt Ji Fuguang's aggression. His previous light mockery and playful remarks seemed like mere jokes. The real Ji Fuguang was sharp and cold, and his words seemed to conceal a deeper meaning, leaving her unsure how to respond.
"Please move aside, Junior Sister." Ji Fuguang lowered his head again and continued copying the book. His pen moved swiftly and smoothly, and his tone was cold. "So as not to block the sunlight."
Ji Fuguang's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over her head. Sheng Zhiyi's breath caught in her throat for a moment. She subconsciously looked at Ji Fuguang, but could only see his profile as he focused on copying. He didn't even want to look at her!
Sheng Zhiyi turned and left, unlike when she came, when she was afraid of disturbing Ji Fuguang. Her footsteps were heavy and loud as she left.
Hearing the footsteps fade into the distance, Ji Fuguang didn't look up once; he focused intently on copying the bamboo slips in front of him. After a moment, he suddenly stopped writing and tore the page out.
Sheng Zhiyi casually found a secluded corner to sit down, Ji Fuguang's words kept echoing in her mind.
Is it blocking the sunlight?
Thinking of what Ji Fuguang said, Sheng Zhiyi almost laughed out of anger.
What a load of bullshit excuse!
The long table was by the window. Ji Fuguang sat at the table, while she stood further inside, where she could block the sunlight.
The lie you made up was so outrageous, were you doing it on purpose to annoy her?
Sheng Zhiyi kicked angrily, thinking she was kicking Ji Fuguang, but instead hit her own toe. She was in so much pain that she quickly covered her mouth, afraid of making a sound and disturbing others.
In a flash, Ji Fuguang's cold gaze and harsh words... were suddenly strung together like scattered beads!
Yes, when they met again after she was drunk, Ji Fuguang wasn't this angry. Suddenly mentioning other people or bystanders, he must have seen it!
I saw her talking to Qin Shaoyang, and I might even have seen her smile at Qin Shaoyang.
So that's how it is! He thought she had just finished being "attentive" to someone else and then turned around to be "attentive" to him?
Sheng Zhiyi felt increasingly aggrieved. She had deliberately cleaned up his usual teacup to sincerely apologize to him, so how did it turn out like this in his eyes?
That bastard Ji Fuguang, who does he think he is, fawning over everyone?
If she really had a penchant for serving others, she would have gone to serve the injured Qin Shaoyang directly. Why was she arguing with Ji Fuguang here?
Thinking of this, Sheng Zhiyi suddenly had a thought.
Qin Shaoyang was injured because Ji Fuguang did it to help her. From Ji Fuguang's perspective, perhaps...
This whole affair started because of Sheng Zhiyi. Ji Fuguang stood up for her and incurred Qin Shaoyang's wrath. But Sheng Zhiyi, as the culprit, was actually close to Qin Shaoyang. If that's the case, it seems understandable that Ji Fuguang would be angry...
Sheng Zhiyi then shook her head.
This idea is too strange. It makes it sound like Ji Fuguang is just standing up for her. Weren't the things Ji Fuguang did all to uphold the rules of the sect? Does Ji Fuguang also have personal feelings?
However, if that's not the case, another hypothesis is even more terrifying...
Ji Fuguang was unhappy because he saw her fawning over Qin Shaoyang.
No, no, that's even more wrong!
Sheng Zhiyi told herself this aloud in her heart.
Ji Fuguang is a righteous leader with a clear conscience. He only cares about the greater good of the world and takes the well-being of the people as his own responsibility. He has no personal feelings for his children. How could such a trivial matter shake his determination?
She must have misunderstood something!
As she pondered this, Sheng Zhiyi became restless. She got up and walked behind a bookshelf, secretly peeking out and seeing Ji Fuguang's back through the gaps between the shelves.
Upright, dignified, and solemn, he continued to write diligently, unmoved by anything.
Yes, this is the real Ji Fuguang.
Sheng Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief, deliberately ignoring the inexplicable feelings in her heart.
Suddenly, a mechanical voice from the system echoed in my mind:
[Good afternoon, player Sheng Zhiyi!]
[A new strategy guide has been released. Please check your inbox.]
[Strategy Task: Write a poem together with Ji Fuguang to gain his favor.]
[Task Reward: 100 points]
[Punishment for failure: Extinction of existence]
[Task completion countdown: 06:00:00]
[Please complete the current strategy mission as soon as possible!]
Sheng Zhiyi was startled by the sudden sound and bumped her arm on the bookshelf.
Even though she knew that Ji Fuguang might not be able to hear her from so far away, she immediately turned around, leaned against the bookshelf, and hid herself completely.
She waited nervously for a while, but heard no other sounds. She then secretly peeked out with one eye.
Ji Fuguang sat upright, looking down, still writing furiously.
Keep writing, and sooner or later you'll become nearsighted!
Even though she knew that such an eye disease wouldn't exist in the cultivation world, Sheng Zhiyi still cursed viciously in her heart.
Relieved, she then carefully examined the strategy guide for this mission.
After seeing the task requirements, Sheng Zhiyi finally felt relieved.
Thankfully, it was just a matter of the two of them writing a poem together.
Under the current circumstances, this task is already the optimal solution.
She couldn't bring herself to smile at Ji Fuguang, let alone say anything nice.
According to the system's previous mechanical judgment standards, as long as her handwriting and Ji Fuguang's handwriting appeared on the same piece of paper, it should be considered that she had completed the task.
All she had to do was wait for Ji Fuguang to get up and leave, then steal two scraps of paper, scribble a few lines on them, and she would be done.
Just as Sheng Zhiyi made up her mind, she heard a voice say, "Ji Fuguang, I have studied this technique for a long time. Could you please take a look at it for me?"
She glanced over discreetly and saw Chen Huaiyu holding a book, his brows slightly furrowed, his expression solemn.
Chen Huaiyu was the eldest disciple of the sect leader's senior sister. He entered the sect very early and had a high seniority. A hundred years ago, he became the youngest elder of the Tianyan Sect.
When they were trapped in the secret realm, Ji Fuguang sent a message to Chen Huaiyu, asking her to come and take care of the new disciple. She was fond of drinking and was initially quite dissatisfied, but Ji Fuguang promised to give her "Celestial Wine," which finally made her happy.
She was the one who told everyone about the inner sect selection.
As expected of a sect elder, he usually seems lazy and unreliable, but in private he is actually very meticulous in his studies.
Sheng Zhiyi sighed inwardly, and saw Ji Fuguang put down his pen, stand up and take the book, "Elder Chen, let me see what kind of magic it is first."
Chen Huaiyu, acting very familiar, patted Ji Fuguang on the shoulder and said, "No need for Elder Chen, just call me Senior Sister. Within the sect, you have a deep understanding of magic. Take a look, is this 'Clear Water Turns into Sweet Wine' technique feasible?"
She rubbed her hands together and looked over expectantly. "Actually, it doesn't have to be as magical as it's described, like 'Heavenly Drunkenness' in terms of taste. As long as it's somewhat similar, that's fine. My requirements aren't high at all."
...
Sheng Zhiyi noticed that Ji Fuguang paused for a moment, clearly speechless. He raised an eyebrow at Chen Huaiyu and said, "Elder Chen, the magic you've painstakingly researched is just to make water taste like wine?"
Chen Huaiyu raised an eyebrow. "The jar of 'Celestial Intoxication' you gave me last time, I drank it sparingly and only had it for two days. No other wine has this flavor. I searched the entire library before I found this technique! Please take a look for me!"
Ji Fuguang was clearly not interested in this messy spell. He said, "Elder Chen, I still need to copy the book. Let's do it another day."
Sheng Zhiyi frowned as she listened. How could she steal waste paper if Ji Fuguang didn't leave?
She turned her gaze to Chen Huaiyu, hoping that this willful elder would forcibly take Ji Fuguang away.
Following Ji Fuguang's words, Chen Huaiyu looked at the transcribed books on the table, her eyes widening in disbelief. "You're still copying the sect's history? We were told to copy one book a year when we entered the sect, but no one ever checks. You don't actually copy them every year, do you?"
"So what?" Ji Fuguang said indifferently.
Chen Huaiyu looked at Ji Fuguang with shock and surprise, as if he were examining some rare treasure.
As Ji Fuguang was looked at by her eyes, he thought of another pair of bright eyes and felt increasingly irritated.
He said in a deep voice, "Elder Chen, I have other matters to attend to, so please excuse me and make yourself at home."
Ji Fuguang's attitude was unusually cold and hard today, which surprised Chen Huaiyu. However, she needed his help after all, and seeing Ji Fuguang's attitude, she couldn't continue to pester him. She could only turn around and prepare to leave.
Unexpectedly, even the willful and capricious Chen Huaiyu couldn't do anything about Ji Fuguang. Sheng Zhiyi frowned. Did she really have to wait a whole day for Ji Fuguang to leave before stealing the waste paper?
Chen Huaiyu's expectations were dashed, and he grumbled unhappily, "I was already unlucky enough, and then I had to be assigned all sorts of random sect missions. And now that I've finally found a spell, nobody knows how to cast it..."
Sheng Zhiyi's expectations were also dashed, and she grumbled unhappily, "I was unlucky enough as it was, and then I ended up getting inexplicably angry trying to please Ji Fuguang, and now I can't even complete the task..."
Ji Fuguang suddenly stopped writing.
Both of them shut their mouths and watched his movements.
Ji Fuguang put the brush down on the inkstone, looked at Chen Huaiyu, and said calmly, "Elder Chen, please wait."
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