Waiting at the small courtyard gate was none other than Dean Gu, whom Xie Xun had just met yesterday.
Upon seeing Xie Xun, Dean Gu's face immediately broke into a smile, "Young man, we meet again."
Xie Xun said, "You've been waiting at my door for a while, how could we not meet?"
"I'm here for official business," Dean Gu straightened his back and stroked his goatee. "I pondered it after returning home yesterday, and I believe you are most suitable for Luming Academy."
Xie Xun knew that this old man must have come specifically for this matter.
He remained stoic and repeated his words, "I have no interest in studying."
"Don't reject so hastily, for I have not finished speaking!"
Dean Gu glanced towards Jiang Xiaoxiao, "I've heard that this young lady by your side is a practitioner of the arts. If you agree to join Luming Academy, I shall grant her a position in the Yin Yang Office."
"The Yin Yang Office?"
The term was unfamiliar to Xie Xun.
"It was established upon the Crown Prince's proposal, a secret agency dedicated to dealing with demonic forces. I shall be in charge."
Dean Gu explained, "The imperial court established the Yin Yang Office specifically to combat the rampant evil spirits these days. As you know, charlatans roam the streets while true practitioners are hard to find."
"Some time ago, the Crown Prince personally visited the Heavenly Master's Mansion to request that the senior disciple Zhang Hengyi take charge of the Yin Yang Office, but was rejected. The matter has now fallen upon my shoulders."
"Thus far, I have yet to find suitable candidates. However, I've heard about the case you both handled at the Ning residence yesterday, and I believe this young lady shows promise."
The Yin Yang Office was proposed by the Crown Prince himself, and Dean Gu was recruiting talents on his behalf.
Understanding the crux of the matter, Xie Xun's eyes darkened, his tone chillingly cold.
"No!"
He stepped forward, retrieved his keys, and opened the courtyard gate.
"Hey, you brat..." Before Xie Xun could shut the gate, Dean Gu squeezed himself in, glaring at him, "Still as stubborn as you were as a child!"
Xie Xun remained silent, calmly observing Dean Gu.
Unable to sway him, Dean Gu decided to lay his cards on the table.
"When I saw you yesterday, I felt an indescribable familiarity. After pondering, I realized - who else could it be but you? All these years, and you've grown so much."
Xie Xun clearly had no patience to listen further and turned to enter the house.
"Your Highness, the Third Prince!"
Dean Gu's demeanor finally turned solemn as he swept his robe aside and knelt before Xie Xun.
"Fourteen years ago, when the Empress met her unfortunate end, I was reassigned away from the capital."
"Upon my return, I learned that the Empress had passed away, and Your Highness had already been sent away."
"It was my failure that I could not remain by Your Highness's side during those crucial moments."
"The reason I have come personally is not to serve the Crown Prince. I merely wish to... offer my humble assistance in facilitating Your Highness's return to the capital."
Dean Gu's words reminded Xie Xun of that rainy night fourteen years ago.
After his mother's sudden death, everyone claimed he had brought ill fortune, that he was a cursed star who not only harmed his mother but might one day harm the nation itself - a cursed star deserving to be burned alive.
He knelt outside the Imperial Palace, but his father, enraged, refused to see him.
His only mother was gone, and the only teacher he trusted had also left.
At the age of five, Murong Yuan came to him with an umbrella, telling him that the teacher had resigned upon learning of the Empress's demise, allegedly caused by Xie Xun's ill omen.
The icy rain pierced his small body like needles, piercing his heart.
The three-year-old Xie Xun fell gravely ill, burning with fever and unconscious.
When he awoke, he found himself in Stone Mill Village, with only an old nursemaid by his side.
It was only by chance that he later discovered his former teacher had taken over Luming Academy.
Yet he never went to seek him out, even when they sat face-to-face at the teahouse yesterday.
For a three-year-old child, the trauma of those events had left too deep a scar, too dark a shadow.
"So you were reassigned away from the capital?" Xie Xun murmured softly.
"There is nothing I can say now to make amends," Dean Gu regretted not being there to protect the child who lost everything overnight. Taking a deep breath, he raised his head.
"Your Highness, if you wish to return to the capital, the Yin Yang Office presents a great opportunity. At the very least, Luming Academy is an option. I can forge you a false identity to gain admission through the imperial examinations."
After a long silence, Xie Xun slowly replied, "You may return for now. I need to consider this matter."
Hearing that Xie Xun did not outright refuse, Dean Gu knew there was hope. A smile finally spread across his aged face, "Then I shall await Your Highness's favorable response."
...
After Dean Gu left, Jiang Xiaoxiao asked Xie Xun, "Why didn't you agree to his proposal?"
Xie Xun said, "Gaining admission to the capital through the imperial examinations would make it difficult to approach the Crown Prince."
"What about the Yin Yang Office?" Jiang Xiaoxiao suggested, "I could pass the entrance exam."
After considering, she added, "If you dislike the idea of attending the academy, I could clear the path for you to become the head of the Yin Yang Office instead."
Xie Xun looked at her deeply, "If I'm not mistaken, the senior disciple Zhang Hengyi whom the Crown Prince requested from the Heavenly Master's Mansion is your martial uncle, correct?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao nodded in affirmation.
"Since your martial uncle refused to leave the sect, it's evident that the Heavenly Master's Mansion is unwilling to become entangled with the imperial court. Do you realize that by joining the Yin Yang Office, you would be involving the entire Heavenly Master's Mansion?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "I am no longer a disciple of the Heavenly Master's Mansion."
"Hmm?"
"I am your bride-to-be."
Xie Xun: "..."
...
Xie Xun went to the kitchen to cook porridge for Jiang Xiaoxiao.
That morning, the servants from the Ning residence had delivered identical breakfast meals to both Jiang Xiaoxiao's room and Xie Xun's quarters. The culinary skills of the Ning household's cooks were exceptional.
However, Jiang Xiaoxiao later claimed that the food did not taste good.
With such exceptional skills, it was impossible for the food to be unpalatable.
Yet Jiang Xiaoxiao's expression at the time did not seem like she was lying.
Xie Xun realized that Jiang Xiaoxiao exhibited a reaction akin to an imprinting reflex.
The first bowl of porridge she ate after leaving the mountain was cooked by him, and she had become accustomed to that taste. Anything prepared by others would be subconsciously rejected.
The first set of clothes she wore after descending the mountain was bought by him. She had grown attached to that set and expected every subsequent outfit to be identical, regardless of color, style, or even if made from precious materials. She would not spare a second glance at any other options.
The porridge was done, bearing the familiar taste.
Jiang Xiaoxiao dutifully picked up her spoon and finished the entire bowl.
The heavy rain from the previous night had caused some damage to the vegetable garden. After tending to the fallen crops, Xie Xun returned to the house.
Perhaps due to the late hour they had retired the previous night, he felt a lingering drowsiness and decided to take a short nap.
He had just lain down when the rain started again outside.
The sound of raindrops aided his slumber, and Xie Xun fell into a deep sleep.
Having finished her meal, Jiang Xiaoxiao was brimming with energy.
With Xie Xun napping in the west wing and no one to keep her company, the constant croaking of frogs in the fields grew increasingly irritating.
Once the rain eased, Jiang Xiaoxiao grabbed a small hoe and rushed outside. She dug a hole, caught all the frogs, and tossed them into the pit, covering it with a broken sieve she had found by the roadside.
Finally, peace and quiet.
Jiang Xiaoxiao returned to the small courtyard, but Xie Xun had not yet awoken.
She sat idly in the main hall, losing track of time until dusk fell.
It was only then that she realized something was amiss.
Entering the west wing, she found Xie Xun lying motionless on the bed, his breathing labored and an unnatural flush on his face.
Jiang Xiaoxiao placed her hand on his forehead - it was burning with fever.
There didn't seem to be any village doctors nearby, and seeking medical assistance in the town would require a lengthy journey, wasting precious time.
Jiang Xiaoxiao remembered a remedy she had learned in the mountains: using egg whites to reduce fever.
So Jiang Xiaoxiao got up and went to the kitchen to beat two eggs with a small bowl. It took her a great effort to separate the egg whites from the yolks.
She brought the whipped egg whites back to the west room and started to undress Xie Xun.
Applying egg whites to reduce fever is a folk remedy, but she had seen the Third Senior Brother use it before, and it was quite effective.
It's just that the areas to be rubbed were quite extensive - the forehead, palms, soles of the feet, the front and back of the chest, all needed to be rubbed.
Xie Xun was lying flat, and being unconscious, he was much heavier than when he was awake.
At first, Jiang Xiaoxiao undressed him with great caution, but after failing to take off his robe for a long time, she became increasingly impatient. With a forceful tug, she tore it right off.
...She used too much force, and his pants were also ripped off.
Jiang Xiaoxiao picked up the small bowl, scooped out some egg whites, rubbed them carefully in her palms, and then rubbed them on his forehead.
Next were his palms, chest and back, and lastly the soles of his feet.
In his dazed state, Xie Xun felt someone touching him all over, and a chilly sensation covered his body.
He woke up with a start. Jiang Xiaoxiao was squatting at the edge of the bed, continuously applying something to the soles of his feet.
More importantly, he...wasn't wearing pants!
"You...!"
Xie Xun's face, which had been flushed from the fever, instantly turned pale with rage, too angry to speak.
Jiang Xiaoxiao heard the sound and looked up with her little head.
When her gaze met Xie Xun's eyes, filled with embarrassment and anger, she was still somewhat dazed.
It wasn't until she saw Xie Xun turning around on the bed, searching for clothes, that Jiang Xiaoxiao realized what had happened. She let out a delayed "Oh" and said, "I didn't rub that area."
Then she added, "That area doesn't normally require egg whites, but if you need it, I can try..."
Xie Xun's temples throbbed. "...I don't need it!!!"
After all, Jiang Xiaoxiao was a cultivator, with superhuman strength. Her previous forceful undressing had ruined all of his clothes.
Xie Xun had no choice but to find a clean set of clothes to change into.
He didn't even dare return to the bed, sitting on the farthest stool from Jiang Xiaoxiao, frowning at her. "What were you doing just now?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao pointed to the egg whites in the small bowl. "Reducing your fever!"
"Who reduces fever like that?"
Recalling her previous actions, Xie Xun's breathing quickened, and his face darkened a few shades.
"I saw the Third Senior Brother do it on the mountain. It was quite effective."
After saying that, Jiang Xiaoxiao glanced at Xie Xun.
Xie Xun's tense expression remained unchanged.
"Are you angry because I undressed you?" Jiang Xiaoxiao asked, her face full of sincere innocence. "If you're really that upset, you can undress me too!"
Xie Xun: "..."
Doesn't the Heavenly Master's Mansion teach about propriety between men and women?
Jiang Xiaoxiao carefully observed Xie Xun's reaction and realized he didn't seem too keen on undressing her.
"I'll go cook for you as an apology."
It wasn't until Jiang Xiaoxiao left that Xie Xun dared to lie back down.
The fever hadn't fully subsided, and his head was still heavy and his eyelids drooping.
However, Xie Xun didn't dare sleep.
He was afraid the previous incident might happen again.
In all his life, he had never experienced such a shock.
Especially when an utterly clueless girl looked at him with the most innocent expression and uttered the most suggestive words.
It was simply too much!
...
There were still embers in the stove, so Jiang Xiaoxiao added a few sticks of firewood. Once the flames rose, she started rinsing the rice to cook porridge.
This was the first time in her life that she had cooked.
Beside her were a bag of white rice and a bag of broken rice.
The white rice looked more nutritious, so for someone who was sick, she should cook the white rice.
She scooped out three large bowls' worth.
For the water...she just added randomly, enough to get it cooked.
Xie Xun had been waiting for a long time for the porridge Jiang Xiaoxiao was cooking, but before he could smell the porridge, he caught a whiff of a scorched aroma.
Xie Xun propped himself up and walked towards the kitchen, pushing open the door.
Jiang Xiaoxiao's face was blackened by the smoke.
But the rice in the pot was even blacker than her face.
"It seems...scorched."
Jiang Xiaoxiao gripped the rice paddle and gave it a forceful stir, flipping even more scorched rice to the surface.
Xie Xun looked at the pot bottom, which was nearly burned through, and couldn't help but hold his forehead. "In the future, please stay away from the kitchen!"
The scorched rice was scooped out by Xie Xun and placed in a washing basket for Jiang Xiaoxiao to take out and discard.
Jiang Xiaoxiao thought it was a pity, and then remembered she had caught many frogs earlier, so she carried the scorched rice towards the pit.
She removed the broken bamboo basket, grabbed one of the frogs, and tried to feed it some scorched rice.
The frog, which had been croaking "gu-gu gu-gu," made a "ge" sound as it frantically tried to spit out the scorched rice, its eyes rolling back.
Jiang Xiaoxiao: "..."
Dinner was cooked by Xie Xun - he stir-fried cured meat, braised eggplant, and made stir-fried eggs with chives and a pot of mushroom soup.
The portions were generous, made according to Jiang Xiaoxiao's appetite.
However, Jiang Xiaoxiao ate very little today.
Xie Xun noticed that she barely touched her chopsticks and asked, "Not to your taste?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao held her chopsticks and, instead of answering, asked back, "Are you still angry?"
If she hadn't brought it up, it would have been fine, but now that she did, Xie Xun felt his face darken.
But he couldn't stay angry either, or else he would have to explain the reason for his anger.
After thinking it over, Xie Xun said, "In the future, you can't undress men randomly."
Jiang Xiaoxiao didn't expect that her attempt to help would cause so much trouble. She nodded, "Okay."
Then she asked, "So you're not angry anymore, right?"
Xie Xun: "I'm not angry."
Only then did Jiang Xiaoxiao feel relieved and finally dared to pick up her chopsticks.
Xie Xun watched her eat with a good appetite and suddenly realized that his fever had indeed subsided significantly.
His cheeks were no longer hot, and his head wasn't as heavy as before.
Jiang Xiaoxiao ate very quickly today, almost finishing her meal as soon as Xie Xun put down his chopsticks.
After wiping her mouth, Jiang Xiaoxiao stood up and prepared to go outside.
Xie Xun called out to her, "What are you doing?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao said, "I'm going to call a doctor for you."
"No need to call a doctor." Xie Xun said, "We have regularly stocked medicinal herbs for clearing heat and detoxifying. I've already prepared them, just need to decoct them. Do you know how to decoct medicines?"
Jiang Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment. "I think...I do."
Apart from turning small on the full moon nights, she had never been sick before. Decocting medicines was something she had seen, so she should know how to do it, right?
Hearing the words "I think," Xie Xun knew he couldn't trust her.
"I'll do it myself then."
He swiftly retrieved the medicine packet, rinsed it, and placed it in a medicine pot, then set it over the fire.
It had rained during the day, and the sky seemed to have been cleansed, with bright, twinkling stars in the evening.
While waiting for the medicine to decoct, Xie Xun noticed the stars in the sky. He thought of something and turned to look at Jiang Xiaoxiao, who was standing by the door. "Your next transformation into a child form seems to be during the Mid-Autumn Festival."
