What bad intentions could my Daoist partner possibly have?

Chapter 20 "Ah, does he like me?!"

At noon, the sun was shining brightly.

Su Lingyin glanced at Li Qingan as he walked in, then subtly withdrew her right hand, which was holding a pastry.

Shen Jianwei, who had subconsciously taken a bite, saw that the other half of the pastry was about to fall to the ground. She quickly lowered her head, opened her mouth, and steadily caught the other half of the pastry in her mouth.

"Yinyin, it's not fair, why don't you..."

Before she could finish speaking, she heard the door open and quickly turned her head to look, her pretty face immediately turning red.

When did your fellow villager's brother come back?
He must have seen me eating in such an unladylike manner...

She quickly turned her back to Li Qing'an, picked up the teacup on the table, and gulped down the tea.

Su Lingyin glanced at her best friend but didn't pay much attention to her reaction, as it seemed quite normal.

Li Qing'an found it amusing; this girl didn't seem shy at all when she ate the steamed bun directly from the sword sheath yesterday.

So cute.

Li Qingan glanced at Shen Jianwei without making a sound, then turned his gaze to Su Lingyin.

The fact that Su Lingyin didn't leave shows that she doesn't care about him slapping her face earlier. How can she tolerate that?
It's a pity about the remaining payment...

"It's quite lively outside right now. I heard that the Dong Mansion was burned down, and I guess everyone inside is dead."

"Good riddance!" Shen Jianwei immediately perked up: "You were quick, fellow villager."

Li Qingan looked at her with a half-smile, and Su Lingyin said calmly, "Jianwei, he can't possibly run from the south of the city to the north in such a short time, then slaughter the Dong family and return from the north to the south."

“Oh, right…” Shen Jianwei suddenly realized, “Then who could it be that didn’t even the City Lord’s Mansion react immediately?”

"I don't know."

Li Qingan spoke while looking at Su Lingyin.

At this moment, she was bathed in sunlight, which gilded her silhouette with a soft gold. Her outer garment was removed, but her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) still covered her entire body meticulously. From the high neckline to the hem of the skirt at her ankles, it strangely outlined the curves hidden by the fabric.

Black is inherently slimming, and the sash around her waist subtly accentuated her slender waist and rounded hips, creating a beautiful effect of delicate branches bearing abundant fruit.

A pure white Yaohua necklace hung down her chest, its soft halo resting precisely on the top of her slightly undulating curves, rising and falling gently with her breath.

Her silver-white hair was half-draped down, yet it clearly revealed the contours of her entire face—her lowered eyelashes cast shadows on her cheeks, and her slightly pursed cherry lips were moist. Her cool, ascetic aura was even more captivating in the sunlight.

Her attire was quite proper, but the tension between her cool demeanor and the underlying vitality beneath the fabric created a unique tension, unexpectedly turning her conservative outfit into a curtain that drew people in to peer into her life.

Li Qing'an never expected that Su Lingyin would give him such a strong visual impact simply by taking off her outer garment.

A strange feeling, a mixture of sacredness and blasphemy, spread through his heart, forcing him to quickly look away to avoid an overly strong physical reaction.

A hint of a smile flashed in Su Lingyin's eyes. Now he should understand her attitude of 'only showing it to him', right?

On one side, Shen Jianwei glanced at Li Qingan, then at Su Lingyin, biting her lower lip lightly, a strange sense of jealousy creeping into her eyes.

Why is it that a best friend's heart can be so turbulent?
Looking at myself, as soon as I wear even a little bit of thick clothing, it's like a flat plain...

"Let's not talk about the Dong family anymore. You're back just in time; dinner can start now!"

Shen Jianwei clapped her hands and quickly invited Li Qingan and Su Lingyin to sit down: "Speaking of which, the three of us have never eaten together before."

Li Qingan sat down opposite the two women and couldn't help but look at their faces.

One is aloof and distant, the other is bright and lively.

Like the North and South, each has its own charm.

I can’t get enough of it.

Li Qingan didn't speak up, and Su Lingyin wasn't someone who could liven up the atmosphere, so the energetic Shen Jianwei became the key to livening things up.

With every smile and frown, two charming dimples would appear and disappear, attracting the attention of Li Qingan and Su Lingyin.

Her eyes are peach blossom eyes.

As Li Qingan ate and looked around, a sudden surprise brought a smile to his lips.

No wonder it's so attractive.

Where did you get the yin energy from?

Hearing Su Lingyin's sudden question, Li Qingan leaned back in his chair and slowly said, "I dug up an ancient tomb, killed a female ghost, and then collected the yin energy she had accumulated over the years."

He paused, then added, "I'm starting to train my body now."

"Oh~ No wonder you're so short of spirit crystals, so you're cultivating." Shen Jianwei suddenly realized, the steam rising from the hot pot giving her bright face an even more hazy and mysterious beauty.

Li Qingan nodded with a smile: "Body tempering is good." Shen Jianwei nodded seriously, then suddenly put his arm around Su Lingyin's arm and said with a smile: "It really is very good, otherwise, wouldn't I freeze to death staying next to Yinyin?"

"Her?" Li Qingan glanced at Su Lingyin. "She's so warm, how could she be cold?"

“Oh, right…it must be really comfortable to hug and sleep with in winter.” Shen Jianwei looked at Su Lingyin and chuckled, “I totally agree.”

It's perfectly normal for best friends to share a bed and chat late into the night.

Su Lingyin rolled her eyes at her. Her skin, slightly flushed from the alcohol, was fair with a rosy glow, and her azure eyes seemed to hold a thousand charms.

Li Qingan took a sip of wine and could tell that both women had a high alcohol tolerance, especially Shen Jianwei, who drank one glass after another without changing her expression. On the other hand, Su Lingyin blushed easily, but not in a way that made her unable to drink.

"My dear fellow villager, let me tell you a secret. Don't let Lingyin's cold exterior fool you; she's actually quite the secret pervert..."

Su Lingyin quickly pinched Shen Jianwei: "You've had too much to drink, don't talk nonsense!"

"How could I possibly be drunk?" Shen Jianwei snorted and continued, "Anyway, you're not indifferent to Li Qing'an, so what's wrong with telling him?"
Hey little brother from my hometown, let me tell you, Lingyin recognized what that thing I gave you at first glance, and she even knew how to wear it!

"So, if you want to pursue her, you can talk about some bold topics!"

After returning home, Li Qingan naturally saw the package that Shen Jianwei had given him—white stockings, the kind with suspenders.

So after hearing this, I couldn't help but take a second look at Su Lingyin. She's a bit of a closet flirt, isn't she?
Feeling slightly uncomfortable under Li Qing'an's gaze, Su Lingyin lowered her head. Had she really been betrayed by her best friend?
"So, you know a lot about this too?" Li Qingan asked Shen Jianwei with a smile.

Shen Jianwei blushed slightly, but still readily admitted, "So what?"

"It's fine." Li Qingan smiled, his gaze softening slightly—since Su Lingyin had her head down anyway.

"Humph~"

Shen Jianwei raised her chin smugly, but then realized something was wrong. Lingyin was right next to me, so why was she looking at me like that again?
Oh right, I had to help him pursue Ling Yin...

Shen Jianwei hurriedly looked away and said to Su Lingyin beside her, "Yinyin, when are you going to become his Daoist partner? It's not like you don't like him."

Su Lingyin looked up at Li Qingan and said, "He knows."

"What do you know?" Shen Jianwei was extremely anxious. Couldn't her best friend give her a definite answer on this matter?
What if he falls for someone else, and I can't keep him in check...

“Sister Shen, we chatted upstairs for a while, so don’t worry.” Li Qingan changed the subject: “Speaking of which, the spiritual energy in Yanzhou has been a bit off lately.”

Shen Jianwei looked at Li Qingan and opened her mouth. How could she not be worried?
And your expression doesn't look like you're not worried at all.

She didn't want to press the matter further, lest she ruin the otherwise pleasant atmosphere.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation between the three of them continued. Because Li Qing'an was testing the waters, he talked with Su Lingyin for quite a while about the revival of spiritual energy.

Seeing this, Shen Jianwei felt that the meal was quite worthwhile.

However, their relationship still hasn't progressed at all.

I really need to think of something, otherwise my fellow villager always looks at me with such tenderness, and I'm so shy...

"I won't see you off, you can all go together..."

"I have something else to do."

Li Qingan and Su Lingyin spoke almost in unison.

Standing in front of Mingyue Tower, Shen Jianwei watched Li Qingan and Su Lingyin leave in different directions, feeling speechless.

Just how troublesome are you guys?

Forget it, I'm too lazy to deal with it today!
Shen Jianwei closed the door to avoid seeing or being bothered, went to her room on the top floor, and climbed directly into bed.

Taking a nap is her usual routine.

I get sleepy as soon as it's time to sleep. The only reason I was able to spend the whole day with Li Qing'an yesterday was because I was tempted by the delicious food.

She drifted off to sleep, feeling as if she had a very long dream, but there was nothing in the dream except for a pair of eyes that were gently staring at her.

It's kind of creepy...

As those eyes drew closer and closer, Shen Jianwei was so frightened that she immediately opened her eyes.

Those were Li Qing'an's eyes; I absolutely couldn't be mistaken.

Because his eyes were as gentle as Li Qing'an's.

Shen Jianwei sat up abruptly, her peach blossom eyes wide open.

"Oh, does he like me?!"

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(End of this chapter)