The Best in the World

The spring breeze grew warmer, carrying the gentle warmth of the sun.

Xie Lingyu gently swirled the teapot. Flowers from a nearby branch, carried by the breeze, drifted slowly onto the table. Xie Lingyu glanced sideways, then softly picked one up.

"What color is it?" Chu Xingchen sat to the side, asking softly.

[A pale, delicate pink.]

As she wrote, Xie Lingyu pinched the petal and waved it gently in front of Chu Xingchen.

Chu Xingchen’s gaze remained calm as he quietly watched Xie Lingyu. Recently, he seemed able to faintly pierce through the illusion. At this moment, Xie Lingyu was dressed in azure-white robes, her beautiful hair appearing to be bound by a pristine white ribbon, fluttering along with the spring breeze.

He asked, "How long have I been back?"

[Half a month.]

"Has it been that long?"

[In the past, you would lie there for half a year at a time. Now, only half a month has passed, and you think time is moving fast?] Xie Lingyu raised her hand to write, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth as she whispered, "You're clearly just a lazy bum, so why pretend to be diligent?"

Chu Xingchen dazed out slightly, not because of Xie Lingyu’s written answer...

But because he seemed to have heard something.

It sounded like Xie Lingyu saying something about being 'diligent'?

Was it a hallucination, or was it the Xie Lingyu within the illusion speaking?

Seeing Chu Xingchen’s strange reaction, Xie Lingyu reached out to write again:

[What is wrong?]

Chu Xingchen shook his head gently. "Perhaps I’ve just been too busy lately. Suddenly having a moment of leisure feels wrong. Or maybe, knowing there is a mountain of things to do but being unable to do anything right now makes me feel uneasy."

Xie Lingyu didn't answer immediately. Instead, she placed a teacup in front of Chu Xingchen and tucked the fallen petal beneath it.

Only after finishing this did she reach out to write softly:

[Do not overthink it. Talented people in this world are as plentiful as carp moving down a river; who is to say there isn't someone out there doing better than you?]

Seeing this answer, Chu Xingchen raised his eyebrows with a smile. "True enough. Hearing you say that, I suddenly feel I can lie here with a much clearer conscience."

Xie Lingyu chuckled at his words. She didn't reach out to write this time. Instead, holding her teacup and looking at Chu Xingchen’s smug expression, she spoke in a soft tone, "Look at you. But slowing down your pace is good; you always run so fast, it’s hard for me to keep up."

Chu Xingchen tried his best to maintain his expression. This time, he had definitely heard it faintly. It wasn't the Xie Lingyu of the illusion speaking, but the Xie Lingyu of reality.

Furthermore, the current Chu Xingchen could also faintly make out her expression.

It was a look of warmth, tinged with a certain maidenly charm.

Hmm...

A very different side of Xie Lingyu.

The conversation came to an abrupt halt, yet no one found it strange.

A comfortable companionship meant that sudden silences were never awkward.

Xie Lingyu cupped her tea. After a moment, she suddenly began to hum a little tune. Her tone was soft, and the lyrics were indistinct.

The melody felt gentle and winding, quite unlike Xie Lingyu’s usual temperament.

Chu Xingchen’s expression remained unchanged, but he strained to listen. Although it was blurry and he could only catch snippets of sound, he felt it was enough. If there were chances in the future, he would surely hear the full version.

Xie Lingyu’s humming didn't last long; she stopped after a short while and looked toward the corridor.

Li Yingling approached with Li Xingtian by her side. She seemed to be whispering a reprimand to Cui Hao, who wore a look of grievance. Chen Baiqing followed behind, chatting with Lin Luoyu beside him.

Yun Li brought up the rear; it was a cultivation maniac far more exaggerated than Li Xingtian.

During its time in the Tianyan Sect, at least ninety percent of its time was spent in bitter cultivation.

Li Yingling walked to the corridor and stopped lecturing her junior brother, turning her gaze toward her Master.

The group gathered around, offered their greetings, and took their seats.

Cui Hao familiarly took the spot closest to his Master.

Nowadays, apart from cultivation, Chu Xingchen’s disciples spent their remaining time handling affairs—processing intelligence, making arrangements, or going on missions with Tianyan Sect disciples when safety was confirmed.

Having cultivation base without experience meant one might not handle matters well.

This time, Li Yingling had taken Cui Hao on a mission. Clearly, Cui Hao’s way of doing things had not yet received the approval of his Eldest Senior Sister.

Once everyone was seated, Li Yingling didn't mention her dissatisfaction with Cui Hao. Instead, she naturally began recounting what they had seen on their mission.

She didn't mention what Cui Hao had done to anger her; on the contrary, she praised him several times for handling matters appropriately.

Lin Luoyu and Chen Baiqing had formed a team, contrasting with the intense dynamic between Li Yingling and Cui Hao.

Chen Baiqing was the type who only cared that the job got done; as long as the process didn't cause major trouble later, he allowed subordinates to use different approaches.

Lin Luoyu had won Li Xingtian’s deep approval; she was serious and reliable, never doing anything superfluous.

Their journey had been smooth sailing, lacking the tumultuous flavor of Li Yingling’s trip.

As for Li Xingtian, there wasn't much to say.

Recently, he hadn't gone on missions or cultivated much. Most of his time was spent being dragged away by Lu Xuan to research if there was anything amiss with his divine soul.

The results weren't told to Li Xingtian but were reported directly to Chu Xingchen.

When Li Xingtian tried to ask, the answer was always: "Ask your own Master."

The experience of being a lab rat was novel, but certainly not something to boast about.

Yun Li held its hot tea, sipping slowly.

As a cultivation maniac, it didn't have much to chat about, though its progress was indeed rapid.

The group conversed in an orderly fashion. When they spoke, they would also raise their hands to write. Although it looked slightly eerie, they wanted their Master to know what they were discussing.

In this small sect, if the Master’s voice were missing, it would seem extremely desolate.

Li Xingtian wore a smile on his face. He looked at his Third Junior Sister, who appeared gentle and obedient; at his Eldest Senior Sister, glowing with high spirits; and at Cui Hao, who relied on their Master and spoke flattering words.

He looked at his Fourth Junior Sister’s peaceful, warm smile.

As long as everyone could be together like this, no amount of sacrifice on his part would be too much.

Li Yingling only told half the story before Cui Hao took over.

Cui Hao opened his mouth only to praise his Eldest Senior Sister’s brilliance and martial prowess. He told the story with twists and turns, but in his version, every tide was turned by Li Yingling’s decisions.

He made it sound as if he were just an insignificant minor character following his Senior Sister’s orders.

The flattery was heavy, yet everyone listened with great interest.

The tea in the cups reflected the clear night sky and the joyous expressions of the crowd.

A breeze blew, rippling the surface of the tea.

Chu Xingchen’s heart gradually found peace.

Indeed, compared to the fake disciples in the illusion who only knew how to be obedient and flatter him, the disciples before him—who would also cast their gaze toward others—felt much more real.

Unknowingly, the voices in his ears gradually became clear.

The fog in Chu Xingchen’s eyes slowly dissipated as he looked calmly at Li Yingling, who was laughing unreservedly.

A bead appeared silently in Chu Xingchen’s hand.

Li Yingling turned her gaze toward Chu Xingchen and laughed clearly:

"Master, hurry up and tell me—who are you best with in the whole world? Is it me?"

These were spoken words, leaving no written trace. It was clear that this sentence was never intended for him to know.

Chu Xingchen maintained a faint smile on his face, offering no answer.

He and the people gathered here at this moment.

They were all the best in the world to one another.

And he believed that he was absolutely their...

Best in the world.