Sincerity for Sincerity

Seeing Bai Qianshuang on the verge of tears, Ye Chuan realized he might have teased her a bit too much. He coughed awkwardly and said, "Just kidding."

Bai Qianshuang was still too serious—she blushed so easily now, a far cry from the aloof immortal she used to be.

"Qianshuang, let’s become cultivation partners from now on," Ye Chuan said, holding her small hand.

"..." Bai Qianshuang didn’t resist as he held her hand, merely lowering her head with a soft hum of acknowledgment.

Ye Chuan checked his phone and noticed that the personal quest—"Make Bai Qianshuang Fall in Love with You"—still hadn’t been completed. In fact, the progress bar hadn’t moved at all.

"Hiss..." He frowned, watching the girl in front of him who kept her head down in silence.

"Why hasn’t the quest been completed yet?" he wondered.

"Maybe it’s not enough?" Ye Chuan suddenly spoke up. "Qianshuang, look at me."

Bai Qianshuang raised her head, only to feel his lips press against hers the next second. Her eyes widened in shock.

Her hands pushed against him reflexively at first, but soon, her fingers clutched tightly at his clothes.

Half a minute later, Ye Chuan leaned back, amused by the way Bai Qianshuang buried her face like an embarrassed ostrich. "This is what cultivation partners do, right?"

"I... I wouldn’t know," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Bai Qianshuang had no experience in such matters—her only knowledge came from the occasional gossip among her fellow sect sisters.

Most of it revolved around dual cultivation techniques to enhance their training.

Cultivation partners, as far as she understood, were simply companions who practiced together... with the occasional need for "harmonizing yin and yang."

"..."

Seeing Bai Qianshuang’s flustered expression, Ye Chuan discreetly checked his phone again. The quest still hadn’t been completed.

Her affection meter still wasn’t full.

"Maybe just kissing isn’t enough?"

Would filling her affection meter do the trick?

"What’s wrong, Ye Chuan?" Bai Qianshuang asked softly, having calmed down a little after noticing his thoughtful silence.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about how much time we have ahead of us. Weren’t you going to stay with me until my lifespan runs out?" He stroked the back of her hand.

Smooth. Nice texture.

Bai Qianshuang fell silent for a few seconds, recalling her earlier promise. "A long time."

Initially, she had only planned to stay with Ye Chuan for a century as repayment for taking her in. After all, an ordinary mortal’s lifespan rarely exceeded a hundred years—most didn’t even make it that far, succumbing to illness within mere decades.

But Ye Chuan’s cultivation level had skyrocketed as if he were drinking water, making lifespan seem like a trivial concern.

If nothing went wrong, he might even live as long as the heavens themselves.

And for some reason, the thought of being with Ye Chuan for so long filled her with inexplicable joy.

"Ye Chuan, I want to be with you for a very long time," she whispered.

Ye Chuan blinked in surprise but smiled. "Me too."

They stayed at the park until evening before returning home.

The entire way back, Ye Chuan kept puzzling over the affection meter. Bai Qianshuang clearly had feelings for him—so why wasn’t the quest completing?

"Maybe it won’t happen until after the revenge?" he mused. Perhaps Bai Qianshuang’s heart couldn’t fully open to him until the matter of her sect’s vengeance was settled.

Maybe he should try something tonight.

"What’s bothering you?" A familiar, childish voice echoed in his mind.

"Huh?" Ye Chuan was startled by Lilith’s rare initiative. "Lilith, you’re actually talking to me?"

She barely ever showed up. If not for the daily refresh of magical items, Ye Chuan might’ve forgotten she was even one of his tenants.

"Your emotions are affecting me."

"..."

"What’s on your mind?"

"Nothing much. Just figuring out how to win a girl’s heart."

"Am I being too impatient?" Ye Chuan sat on the sofa, chatting with Lilith while watching Bai Qianshuang cook in the kitchen. He couldn’t help but smile.

"I saw the whole thing. You... don’t actually like that girl, do you? What are you trying to do?"

Ye Chuan froze at Lilith’s words. After a pause, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

"It’s a long story."

"If you’re just toying with her, you should stop now," Lilith’s voice dripped with disdain, as if she were picturing him with an arrogant, leg-crossed pose in some void.

"You can’t receive true affection without giving it first."

"..." Her words struck a chord.

In the past, he’d had many girlfriends—but aside from Luo Xi, whom he genuinely loved, the rest were all for personal gain.

And the way he was treating Bai Qianshuang wasn’t any different.

It was all just for the quest rewards.

"You’re right, Lilith, my dear."

"...Disgusting nickname."

"Hahaha." Ye Chuan laughed, but the frustration in his heart had already dissipated, replaced by calm clarity. "Thanks, Lilith."

Lilith didn’t respond.

"True feelings for true feelings," Ye Chuan muttered, standing up.

Once he recognized his own problem, he stopped obsessing over the quest rewards and walked straight into the kitchen.

"I can handle this," Bai Qianshuang said when she noticed him entering.

"It’s fine. Cooking together is better, isn’t it?" Seeing her chopping ingredients on the cutting board, Ye Chuan added, "I’ll prep the garlic, ginger, and scallions. You handle the rest."

Bai Qianshuang nodded lightly. She wasn’t using a kitchen knife—instead, she wielded her own sword.

Mainly because she found it more comfortable. A few precise slashes achieved the desired results, and even tougher ingredients like pork bones were no match for her blade.

Thud, thud. Ye Chuan smashed garlic cloves with the flat of his knife before peeling them.

The sound drew Bai Qianshuang’s attention, and she glanced sideways.

She watched his focused expression, the slight sway of his bangs, and the golden evening light spilling across the floor, casting their intertwined shadows.

Without a word, Bai Qianshuang noticed her own shadow and subtly inched closer to Ye Chuan—until their silhouettes overlapped.

Like a secret she couldn’t voice, she kept her head down, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she continued chopping.