RPDPHW Chapter 52

“Don’t mind, don’t mind, of course, I don’t mind at all.”

Yun Yifei only cared about whether Gu Qingyin was willing to go with them. As for everything else, of course, it didn’t matter to him.

After all, for him, bringing along a few people from the Bloodflame Sect wasn’t much of an issue. They had plenty of people anyway, so letting these few blends in with their group naturally wouldn’t be a problem.

“Alright then!” Zhong Shujin turned her head to look at Shan Wenshu and Lin Ziyan beside her and asked, “Sister Shu, Ziyan, what do you think?”

Zhong Shujin wasn’t worried about much, except for Shan Wenshu’s health—she wasn’t sure if she could endure the long journey.

“What do you think?” Lin Ziyan gently tucked a stray lock of Shan Wenshu’s hair behind her ear and asked softly, “Do you want to go together?”

Shan Wenshu hesitated for only a moment before replying, “Mm, let’s go together then.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.” Lin Ziyan then looked up and answered to Zhong Shujin, “Then we’ll go with you. If Qingqing is with us, I won’t have to worry about her health.”

Gu Qingyin agreed, “Mm, that works too.”

With her watching over Shan Wenshu, plus the fact that Shan Wenshu’s mindset had improved a lot recently, and she had taken the Fire Poison Ganoderma, her health wouldn’t be a major issue in the short term.

The interaction between Lin Ziyan and Shan Wenshu was somewhat intimate. The people present noticed it and felt a little strange, but no one thought too deeply about it.

After all, they were both women. In their eyes, closeness between the two women was nothing more than a sign of comradely affection—who would think any further?

No one paid much more attention to their actions. At that moment, Qiu Chengye, who was seated above, changed the topic and said, “Master, I feel that this matter is still somewhat inappropriate. After all, Second Young Master Yun is engaged to Qingyang Sect, and we have never gotten along with them. If we go with Second Young Master Yun, it might not be the best idea…”

Qiu Chengye’s concerns were indeed valid. After all, Feiyun Manor and Qingyang Sect were about to become in-laws. In that case, the two families would be united, and if Qingyang Sect wanted to go against their Bloodflame Sect, how could Feiyun Manor simply stand by and do nothing?

He believed that traveling with Feiyun Manor for a short distance—just until they left Tang Sect’s territory—before parting ways would be the best option. But accompanying them all the way to Qingyang Sect? That would be unwise.

Before Zhong Shujin could respond, Yun Yifei had already spoken up, cutting in, “Senior, there’s no need to worry. I am going to Qingyang Sect this time to annul my engagement. Moreover, Feiyun Manor is not as rigid as the rest of the martial world. We certainly wouldn’t side with Qingyang Sect against you just because you are from the Bloodflame Sect. Please rest assured.”

As he spoke about annulling the engagement, his gaze happened to land on Gu Qingyin.

Zhong Shujin furrowed her brows slightly, suddenly losing her appetite.

Sitting across from them, Leng Shaoying raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Annul the engagement? But the young lady of Qingyang Sect is a well-bred, virtuous woman. What’s this? Even such a beauty isn’t to Second Young Master Yun’s liking?”

“Miss He is indeed a fine woman,” Yun Yifei replied, “but unfortunately, I am not worthy of her. If I were to marry Miss He while my heart belonged to another, it would be unfair to both of us. It’s better to end things early than to let us both suffer in the future.”

He let out a bitter smile, then turned to Gu Qingyin again and continued, “Even if I don’t know whether I will ever win her heart, I have to take this step first. Otherwise, all my words would be empty promises, and how would I have the face to pursue her?”

His eyes were filled with deep affection. Everyone present could see that his feelings for Gu Qingyin were unmistakable.

A man willing to throw caution to the wind for an uncertain future, without a trace of regret—such devotion was indeed rare.

As a result, all eyes at the table turned to Gu Qingyin, seemingly waiting to see her reaction.

To their surprise, Gu Qingyin remained utterly indifferent. As if completely unaffected, she continued calmly placing food onto Zhong Shujin’s plate, just as she had before.

It seemed she was deliberately pretending not to understand.

“Heh, Second Young Master Yun is truly devoted.” Zhong Shujin’s eyes had lost all warmth. She pulled out a smile of unclear meaning, deliberately leaning closer to Gu Qingyin. Her left hand secretly slid onto Gu Qingyin’s thigh, stroking it lightly as she asked, “Qingqing, do you like such a deeply affectionate man?”

The touch made Gu Qingyin shudder instantly.

She quickly dropped her chopsticks and reached under the table, grabbing hold of the slender hand that was creeping toward the inside of her thigh. With a helpless tone, she replied, “If the one I love were as devoted, I would certainly like it.”

Just that one sentence was enough to draw a clear line between herself and Yun Yifei.

Hearing this, Yun Yifei’s face instantly paled.

Gu Qingyin had thought that her words would put Zhong Shujin at ease. However, to her surprise, the woman still refused to let her go. With a swift motion, Zhong Shujin broke free from her grasp and resumed caressing her thigh, smiling playfully as she asked, “Oh? So you already have someone you admire? Who might it be, to have won your heart?”

The moment Yun Yifei heard this, he tensed up and held his breath, his gaze fixed on Gu Qingyin with anticipation.

He was hopeful, yet terrified of her answer.

Even though he knew the chances of it being him were slim, he still clung to a shred of hope.

Not only him, but everyone else at the table was also watching Gu Qingyin with curiosity.

After all, who wouldn’t want to know the person that the renowned Poison Doctor of the martial world had fallen for?

Especially Yun Huitong—her eyes were wide with expectation, eager for Gu Qingyin’s response.

Perhaps knowing that Gu Qingyin wouldn’t reveal the truth in such a setting and wanting to save her from embarrassment, Lin Ziyan was about to step in to change the subject. But before he could speak, Gu Qingyin’s voice interrupted him.

“The one I love,” Gu Qingyin said, gazing directly at Zhong Shujin with raised brows, “was just now asking me who my beloved is.”

“Tell me, who do you think my beloved could be?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.

The expressions of those present were incredibly varied.

Zhong Shujin’s heart pounded rapidly.

Wasn’t she the one who had just asked Gu Qingyin who her beloved was?

Everyone had their own thoughts.

After a long moment of awkward silence, the first to react was Leng Shaoying. She let out a dry laugh and said, “Haha… Doctor Gu, you must be joking.”

No one would believe that Gu Qingyin was speaking seriously.

After all, they were both women—what talk was there of love and admiration?

With Leng Shaoying’s remark, the atmosphere finally eased a little.

Rather than believe that Gu Qingyin’s beloved was Zhong Shujin, everyone preferred to think she was simply jesting.

Zhong Shujin, however, felt utterly embarrassed. She had only wanted to see Gu Qingyin flustered, yet now she had shot herself in the foot.

Her face turned red as she awkwardly withdrew her mischievous hand from Gu Qingyin’s thigh and muttered in response to the earlier question, “How would I know…”

Gu Qingyin suddenly burst into laughter. Without a care for those around them, she reached out, lifted Zhong Shujin’s chin, and playfully poked her flushed cheek. Smirking, she asked, “Then why are you blushing?”

Zhong Shujin’s face turned even redder.

There were still so many people around…

Flustered and annoyed, she swatted Gu Qingyin’s hand away and stubbornly retorted, “I’m not blushing!”

This time, the members of the Bloodflame Sect were even more shocked than before.

The Sect Leader…

She actually had such a side to her…

This was completely like a young maiden being teased by a ruffian—was this really their Sect Leader?

They were truly, utterly shocked…

Ju Yuze closed his gaping mouth and let out an awkward laugh. “Haha, Sect Leader, Doctor Gu is deliberately teasing you! Don’t be shy!”

With Ju Yuze leading the way, the others quickly followed suit, chiming in to smooth over the situation.

“This is interesting, fascinating! Doctor Gu is truly impressed to be able to handle our Sect Leader.”

“Exactly! Who would have thought that our usually domineering Sect Leader could show such a soft, bashful side?”

“Right, right, this is the first time I’ve seen this. Thanks to Doctor Gu, we’ve had the rare opportunity to witness it…”

The members of the Bloodflame Sect continued teasing, making Zhong Shujin both embarrassed and annoyed. She gritted her teeth, then fiercely pinched Gu Qingyin’s thigh, biting her lip as she shot her an angry glare.

“Hiss…” Though it hurt, Gu Qingyin still grinned. She didn’t dodge but instead playfully ran her fingers over the back of Zhong Shujin’s hand, murmuring softly, “That hurts.”

Yet, her eyes remained fixed on Zhong Shujin, her gaze filled with laughter and warmth.

Every smile, every glance was brimming with charm, making it impossible to look away.

Zhong Shujin’s heart skipped two heavy beats. Unable to bear truly hurting her, she quickly let go and rubbed the spot she had pinched, feeling both guilty for being so harsh and frustrated with herself.

Still, she muttered in a low voice, “You made me look bad… Pinching you twice was already merciful, and you still have the nerve to say it hurts…”

Gu Qingyin chuckled inwardly and swiftly caught Zhong Shujin’s fingers, whispering, “Don’t scratch—I’m ticklish.”

Zhong Shujin stiffened and awkwardly stopped.

Gu Qingyin chuckled softly, then leaned close to Zhong Shujin’s ear and whispered, “At the very least, don’t scratch me here. Once we’re back in the room, you can scratch however you want, wherever you want. I’ll let you. Okay? Hmm?”

The slight curl of her tone, the faint curve of her lips, and the playful arch of her brow—all of it subtly tugged at Zhong Shujin’s heart.

This time, Zhong Shujin’s face turned even redder than before.

Seduction!

This woman was absolutely seducing her!

That was it—Zhong Shujin could not sit still anymore. She hurriedly suppressed the heat creeping up her face and stood up stiffly, forcing out, “I’m not feeling well. I’ll head back to rest for a bit. Call me when it’s time to leave.”

… So, was this her running away?

On the other hand, Dan Wenshu and Lin Ziyan, who had both witnessed everything and were well aware of the unspoken tension between the two, couldn’t hold back—they burst into laughter.

With their laughter, Zhong Shujin became even more flustered.

“Where do you feel unwell? I’ll check for you,” Gu Qingyin said, completely unfazed. She grabbed Zhong Shujin’s wrist and stood up with her, then turned to Lin Ziyan, raising a brow in mock warning. “She’s thin-skinned. If you laugh at her again, don’t even think about asking me for favors next time.”

Hearing this, Lin Ziyan quickly covered his mouth, hiding his amusement as he obediently said, “Alright, alright, you win. I won’t laugh anymore!”

But the laughter in his eyes was still obvious.

Now, Zhong Shujin was even more embarrassed. Huffing, she shot Gu Qingyin an exasperated glare before smacking her hand away and rushing toward the stairs.

Gu Qingyin, still smiling, immediately followed after her.

Watching the scene unfold, Yun Yifei felt a strange discomfort in his chest.

If not for the fact that these two were both women, and that the members of the Bloodflame Sect were teasing them with playful banter, Yun Yifei might have mistaken them for a bickering young couple.

However, the lighthearted atmosphere did not last long.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside.

Each step was firm and powerful, striking the ground in a steady, rhythmic manner that resonated deeply.

Such a well-trained, perfectly synchronized march—this was not something an ordinary martial sect could achieve.