Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 371 358: Lin Qianyan Pretends to Be Drunk

Qing Yueqiu stared at her Master holding Lin Qianyan so intimately, and her head instantly started to buzz.

She subconsciously clenched the hem of her robes, her knuckles turning white. Her crimson eyes first widened in disbelief, then she hastily lowered her gaze.

'Did... did I come at a bad time?'

'Maybe Master deliberately sent us away when he had me and my junior sister escort Mistress out?'

'I was just too dense.'

'I didn't understand what Master meant.'

'To think I was worried a drunk Lin Qianyan would do something to Master, and I even rushed back here...'

'Didn't I just go and ruin Master's good time?'

'Nice one, Qing Yueqiu. If you had just played dumb, everyone could have been happy. But no, you had to come back and expose it all!'

Qing Yueqiu felt a tightness in her chest, and her nose began to sting.

She unconsciously touched her flat abdomen, her fingertips trembling slightly. As she turned to leave, the hem of her dress swirled in a frantic arc.

"Ah, Master... I just remembered, Mistress still needs me for something. I'll be going now."

"Wait! Yueqiu, stop!"

"Come over and give me a hand. Help me take Qianqian to a room so she can rest."

Pei Yuhang's words left Qing Yueqiu stunned once more.

'Help... help Sister Lin to a room to rest?'

Qing Yueqiu snapped her head up, her eyes still misty with unshed tears. Her dazed expression made her look just like a startled fawn.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She could only move mechanically to Pei Yuhang's side and carefully help support the drunken Lin Qianyan.

"What on earth goes through that little head of yours all day? You didn't really think that I was holding Qianqian to... do *that* kind of thing right here, did you?"

Pei Yuhang's words made Qing Yueqiu so ashamed she wished she could disappear.

She kept her head down, wishing she could bury her face in her collar.

But Pei Yuhang clearly wasn't going to pass up the chance to tease his first disciple about this embarrassing moment.

"Yueqiu, tell your master, why did you see me holding Qianqian and immediately jump to that kind of conclusion?"

"Mmm... please stop teasing me, Master."

The base of the young woman's fair ears was now so red it was almost transparent. Her voice was barely a whisper, and she didn't dare look up at Pei Yuhang.

Pei Yuhang appeared to be casually teasing the young woman, but he was secretly relieved. Thankfully, Yueqiu had arrived a moment too late, or else she would have found out about Qianqian's situation.

It wasn't that he wanted to hide things about Qianqian from Yueqiu, but Lin Qianyan, for her own reasons, was unwilling to let outsiders know about their relationship.

A brief silence fell between master and disciple. They helped Lin Qianyan to a guest room, and after Qing Yueqiu settled her onto the bed, she watched Pei Yuhang's back as he thoughtfully covered her with a thin blanket.

A sudden impulse rose in the silver-haired girl's heart.

'Should I tell him—'

'Tell him... '

"Master."

Her voice was very soft, laced with an imperceptible tremor, like a cherry blossom petal in spring, ready to drift away and vanish in the wind at any moment.

"What is it?"

Pei Yuhang turned back to look at his disciple, a little puzzled.

"N-nothing... I just remembered I have something to take care of. May I go back first?"

Qing Yueqiu managed to force a smile onto her pretty face.

She had retreated after all.

Even though he was the person she trusted most, and even though the emotions churning in her chest nearly burst from her throat, she still swallowed the words back down when they reached her lips.

Pei Yuhang watched her quietly, his gaze sliding from the faintly red tips of her ears to her tightly pressed lips, and then to the fingers she was unconsciously wringing together.

He knew his disciple too well; he could tell with a single glance that she was hiding something from him.

But he wasn't the type of person who liked to control others.

Even if the other person was his disciple, and he her master.

Pei Yuhang believed he had to respect Yueqiu's feelings and not use his status to demand that she keep no secrets from him.

If he did that, how would he be any different from that vile woman, Shang Miaoyan, whom he despised most?

So, Pei Yuhang simply smiled gently, reached out to ruffle her hair, and said warmly,

"Alright, Yueqiu. You can go for now."

"If you need me for anything, just contact me directly with your Transmission Token. Your master will always be your shield."

Qing Yueqiu froze for a moment, then the corners of her lips slowly curled up, and a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes. She nodded vigorously, like a fledgling that had finally found its nest and was now safely tucked under a protective wing.

"Mhm!"

Pei Yuhang watched his disciple leave.

Just as Pei Yuhang was about to leave as well, a pair of delicate arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

"Qianqian, stop fooling around."

Pei Yuhang assumed it was a drunken Qianqian pestering him for another kiss, and he pushed at her arms with a sigh of resignation.

But the whisper that came to his ear was exceptionally clear, causing his pupils to contract abruptly.

"Brother Pei, I'm not drunk."

Her voice was as clear as a spring—where was the slightest hint of drunkenness?

Pei Yuhang whipped his head around, only to see that Lin Qianyan's almond-shaped eyes, usually crinkled in a smile, now held a sharpness he had never seen before.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his thin lips parted slightly. "Qianqian, why did you pretend to be drunk—"

A slender index finger pressed against his lips. Its tip was cool and carried the faint scent of wine.

Lin Qianyan leaned in closer, her long lashes casting shadows beneath her eyes. Her expression was more serious than he had ever seen it.

"Brother Pei, I know you have a lot of questions."

"But for now, can you please just listen to what I have to say?"

Pei Yuhang's brows furrowed unconsciously, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Brother Pei, I suspect..."

Lin Qianyan bit her lower lip, as if weighing her words. "...that your Senior Sister has done something to you."

"How is that possible? Senior Sister would never do that to me!"

Pei Yuhang's expression changed drastically.

It was because of the collar-like "Tripod Slave Mark" that Shang Miaoyan had placed on him.

That was why Pei Yuhang despised it more than anything in the world when people put some kind of unclean mark on him.

But Lu Ruoxi was his and Ye Liyuan's Senior Sister. How could she possibly do such a thing!

Pei Yuhang's emotions were in turmoil, but Lin Qianyan remained calm and unhurried, simply placing a gentle hand on his clenched fist.

The cool touch of her fingertips helped calm Pei Yuhang, but the turmoil in his heart did not subside. Instead, it grew stronger.

It was as if his trust in Lin Qianyan and his trust in his Senior Sister were beginning to clash within his heart, leaving Pei Yuhang at a complete loss.

Lin Qianyan couldn't bear to see Pei Yuhang so conflicted and torn.

She gently stroked Pei Yuhang's hand and said softly,

"Brother Pei, as I said, it's only a suspicion."

She lowered her gaze, her long lashes trembling slightly. "Didn't Lu Fairy invite you to her residence tomorrow?"

"Brother Pei, you should go ahead and go. When the time comes, I'll..."

"Brother Pei, you don't have to doubt your Senior Sister. Just let Qianqian handle all these unpleasant things, okay?"

Lin Qianyan stood up, wrapped her arms around Pei Yuhang's neck, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek to reassure him.

"There now, Brother Pei. Go on and take care of Sister Liyuan. You don't need to overthink this. Just leave everything to Qianqian with peace of mind."