"Young Master Lan Ji, you're back?" Granny Xu was cooking in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, she came out and saw that Lan Ji was not alone. She hurried to the kitchen to brew tea for them.
"Have a seat!" Lan Ji sat down on the stone bench under the tree. He wanted to ask Qin Lie why he had fallen for his sister at first sight. Previously, when he had mentioned that they were adding another layer to their familial bond, Qin Lie had rejected the idea with a cold indifference.
Qin Lie gazed longingly towards the house, hoping that the graceful figure would appear before him.
Lan Ji shook his head in disbelief. "Tell me, why did you suddenly fall for my cousin at first sight?"
Qin Lie averted his gaze. He didn't know how to explain it. After some thought, he said, "I was smitten the moment I laid eyes on her." Whether in his past life or this one, only she could strum the strings of his heart, making him repeatedly succumb to her charm, rendering him powerless.
Lan Ji couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Wow! Brother, do you have to be so intense? I thought you weren't interested in women. Turns out you're such a smoldering romantic." His sister's allure was truly great.
Qin Lie felt a little awkward and touched his nose.
"Qin Lie, you should know that Ling Yue was disfigured by a great fire, right?" Lan Ji was curious how Qin Lie could have fallen for her at first sight without even seeing her face.
"I know," Qin Lie nodded.
"Her face is covered in scars, and she looks ugly. Are you really okay with that?" Lan Ji probed.
"I don't mind. As long as it's her, it's fine." He didn't care about those things. As long as it was his beloved Yue, no matter what she looked like, he would love her.
Lan Ji smiled and patted Qin Lie on the shoulder. "Brother, I support you. Go for it! If you ever need my help, just say the word." He had been friends with Qin Lie for so many years and was well aware of his character. If Qin Lie could truly end up with Ling Yue, he would be delighted.
"Thank you!" Qin Lie expressed his sincere gratitude.
Granny Xu brought over the brewed tea. "Young Master Lan Ji, have some tea. I'll go get the sliced watermelon."
"Where's Ling Yue?" Lan Ji called out to Granny Xu.
"She's in her room. She seemed a bit down when she came back," Granny Xu said, glancing worriedly towards Ling Yue's room.
"I'll go check on her." Lan Ji got up and walked towards Ling Yue's room.
Qin Lie also wanted to go see her, but he knew that Ling Yue's low mood was because of him.
Ling Yue had just taken a bath and was lying on her bed, eating Spirit Fruit. Hearing a knock on the door, she flashed out of her spiritual space and opened the door to find her cousin Lan Ji standing there. "Cousin!"
The moment Lan Ji saw Ling Yue, he was stunned. He knew she was beautiful, but he didn't expect her to be this breathtakingly gorgeous, like a celestial fairy from the heavens. Her beauty was captivating, enchanting, and alluring, with an innate grace and laziness that exuded a fatal charm, bewitching without effort.
"Cousin." Ling Yue waved her hand in front of Lan Ji's face. Her injuries had healed, so she didn't need to disguise herself at home.
Lan Ji snapped out of his daze and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Granny Xu said you were in a bad mood, so I came to check on you."
"I'm fine now." Ling Yue's mood was great. She had found her own little world, where nothing was missing, and after bathing in the Spirit Lake, her cultivation had also improved.
"That's good. Granny Xu has cut some watermelon. Let's go have some." Lan Ji knew Qin Lie was eager to see Ling Yue, so as a friend, he had to help him.
"Okay." Ling Yue didn't think too much about it and followed Lan Ji out.
Hearing the footsteps, Qin Lie looked up, and the moment he saw Ling Yue, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked exactly the same as in his memories. He longed to hold her in his embrace and feel her sweet, fragrant presence against him.
Surges of desire coursed through him, and Qin Lie found himself reacting. He quickly averted his gaze and circulated his cultivation technique to calm himself down.
As soon as Ling Yue saw Qin Lie, her expression turned cold. "What is he doing here?"
"I met him at the gate and invited him in to sit for a while," Lan Ji laughed awkwardly. Why did it seem like Ling Yue really disliked Qin Lie?
"I'm not feeling well. I'm going back to my room." Ling Yue turned and headed towards her room.
"Ling Yue," Lan Ji felt like he had done something wrong.
"Yue'er," Qin Lie rushed to her side and grabbed her hand. "Yue'er, I was wrong. I was really wrong. Please give me another chance?"
Ling Yue coldly shook off Qin Lie's hand and walked towards the house.
Watching Ling Yue's retreating figure, a tinge of redness appeared in Qin Lie's eyes, but his gaze gradually became resolute. He would definitely win Ling Yue back, no matter what punishment she had in store for him. As long as she forgave him, he could endure anything.
