novelraw Chapter 43 : . Stirring
Chapter 43 : . Stirring
"Heavenly Cauldron Ranking?" Xiao Han mulled over these words, feeling as if she had heard them somewhere before.
[The Heavenly Cauldron Ranking is similar to the Heterogeneous Flame Ranking. It lists those exceptionally perfect and outstanding medicine cauldrons. There are thirteen cauldrons on the ranking, with the Deep Sea Spirit being the tenth-ranked cauldron.]
Hearing this, Xiao Han nodded: "It seems our luck is good."
After some thought, Xiao Han took out a jade ruler and measured it a couple of times, intending to scrape off all the crystalline substance on the surface of the Deep Sea Spirit. According to the system, this crystalline substance was clearly also a rare and valuable item. In the future, it could be refined into accessories to aid in cultivation.
Although this crystalline substance was extremely hard, it was only attached to the cauldron body and not growing out of it. Therefore, Xiao Han angled the jade ruler along the base and easily scraped off a large piece. However, Xiao Han was also somewhat concerned about accidentally damaging the cauldron body, so she moved very slowly, taking about a quarter of an hour to completely scrape off all the crystalline substance from the cauldron's surface.
After the black crystalline substance was removed, the original deep blue cauldron body was revealed. The surface of the cauldron was engraved with lifelike images of fish and dragons frolicking in water. Even the cauldron's ears were carved with hollow fish patterns, giving it a steady and grand appearance.
Holding the cauldron's ear and examining the Deep Sea Spirit carefully, Xiao Han nodded with satisfaction. Although she could already perform pill refinement barehanded, for some high-grade pills, using a medicine cauldron was still more convenient. Xiao Han had a large collection of good cauldrons in her space, but all of them combined couldn't compare to this Deep Sea Spirit. As an alchemist, Xiao Han placed great importance on good medicine cauldrons.
After placing the crystalline substance into her system space, Xiao Han played with the cauldron in her hand, finding it hard to put down.
"Senior Sister, are you going to take a bath?"
Just as Xiao Han was carefully examining the cauldron, the sound of the bathroom door opening came, followed by Gu Xun'er's slightly husky voice from behind.
"Mm, coming..."
Xiao Han spoke while instinctively turning her head. When she saw Gu Xun'er fresh out of the bath, she suddenly froze in place.
Gu Xun'er, who had just finished bathing, was wrapped only in a white towel, barely covering her impressive figure. Her long black hair, reaching her waist, was still wet and dripping water. Occasionally, one or two drops would fall from the stray hairs by her ears, sliding down her fair and delicate skin before disappearing into the towel. Perhaps due to the recent exposure to steam, the corners of her eyes were still tinged with red, revealing a charm not seen in her usual demeanor.
Watching Gu Xun'er walk towards her on long legs, Xiao Han unconsciously swallowed, her heart rate suddenly increasing.
Then, when she realized what she had done, the tips of her ears instantly turned red.
Gu Xun'er, who had been keeping her gaze fixed on Xiao Han, naturally didn't miss the other's swallowing action and the blush that instantly spread to her ear tips. The young miss of the Gu family's lips curled into a meaningful smile, which quickly disappeared.
"What's wrong, Senior Sister? Are you looking at the cauldron?" Gu Xun'er moved with light steps to Xiao Han's side. She leaned slightly forward, a lock of long hair playfully falling over her shoulder. Gu Xun'er raised her hand, gently brushing it back.
Whether Gu Xun'er noticed or not, from Xiao Han's angle, if she raised her head slightly, she could glimpse part of the scenery beneath the other's towel.
Xiao Han suddenly felt a stirring in her heart. She moved her eyes away somewhat flustered, forcing herself not to look at Gu Xun'er, and said: "Why didn't you dry your hair?"
The young miss Gu played with a strand of hair in front of her chest, saying carelessly: "It's fine, I'll dry it with Dou Qi later."
Xiao Han closed her eyes briefly, put the cauldron in her hand on the ground, stood up, and walked towards the bathroom. Her walking speed was slightly faster than usual, and her steps were somewhat disordered: "I'll take a bath first."
Hearing the bathroom door close with a "bang," Gu Xun'er finally couldn't suppress the smile on her face. She flopped onto the bed, propping her face with one hand, her gaze constantly drifting to the bathroom door.
"I thought Senior Sister was a hard nut to crack, who knew she'd be so flustered with just a little teasing."
The slightly upturned corners of her lips showed the owner's good mood as Gu Xun'er tightened the towel around her body, thinking secretly.
Does that mean Senior Sister also harbors those kinds of feelings for her?
Closing the bathroom door, Xiao Han slowly opened her eyes.
[Host?]
Seeing Xiao Han's violently fluctuating emotional data, the system called out somewhat cautiously.
"I'm fine." Xiao Han rubbed her slightly swollen temples, feeling that this situation was a bit troublesome. "She's my disciple."
Not knowing why Xiao Han would suddenly say such a thing, the system was confused at its core but didn't dare to ask.
"It's nothing." As if having done some mental preparation for herself, Xiao Han raised her hand to undo her collar. "I'm probably overthinking it."
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By the time Xiao Han came out of the bathroom, Gu Xun'er had already dried her hair with Dou Qi and was lying on the bed playing with the Deep Sea Spirit. Seeing Xiao Han come out of the bathroom, she stopped and obediently handed the Deep Sea Spirit to Xiao Han.
Although this cauldron was good, its level was too high and not suitable for Gu Xun'er, so Xiao Han hadn't planned to give the Deep Sea Spirit to Gu Xun'er now.
After putting away the Deep Sea Spirit, Xiao Han said: "Get some rest early."
Gu Xun'er propped her cheek, the corners of her lips slightly raised, and asked: "Then does Senior Sister want to sleep on the outside or the inside?"
Xiao Han paused slightly and said: "I don't need to sleep."
Hearing this, Gu Xun'er immediately showed some disappointment: "Does Senior Sister not want to sleep with Xun'er?"
Faced with Gu Xun'er's pitiful little face, Xiao Han immediately felt a headache coming on. She hadn't planned to sleep in the first place. With such a long time, wouldn't it be better to cultivate?
Xiao Han pressed her lips together, originally wanting to refuse, but when she met Gu Xun'er's moist eyes, she found herself unable to say the words of refusal.
This is really troublesome...
Xiao Han sighed inwardly and said: "Outside."
Hearing this, Gu Xun'er revealed a pleased smile, changing her expression so quickly that it was as if the person who was on the verge of tears just now wasn't her.
Xiao Han felt her headache intensifying.
She felt that she had been played again by this mischievous young woman.
The hotel bed wasn't very large, somewhere between a double and a single, but there was only one blanket.
Xiao Han slept on the outside, her back to Gu Xun'er. She had originally thought that Gu Xun'er would take this opportunity to tease her again, make a few jokes or something, but unexpectedly, there was no movement from the other side. After a while, she heard the sound of even breathing coming from behind her.
Xiao Han was slightly surprised. She gently shifted her body, turned over, and saw Gu Xun'er lying on her side facing her, her lively eyes closed, apparently having fallen into deep sleep.
Unlike the mischievous Gu Xun'er when awake, the sleeping Gu Xun'er's entire aura was extremely peaceful. Coupled with that quiet and sweet sleeping face, Xiao Han, who wasn't in a very good mood originally, unconsciously put aside her worries and felt a sense of tranquility.
Indeed, after such a long journey, arriving in the imperial capital without a chance to rest, and then following her to the Miteer Auction House, she must be exhausted. After all, she was only a five-star Dou Great Master, not like herself, who was already a Dou Venerate.
"Heh, I almost forgot, you're still not even twenty years old, little one." Xiao Han rarely curled her lips slightly, her voice as light as the wind, dispersing in the air.
She raised her hand, her index finger gently touching the other's forehead, slowly transferring the gentlest power from within her body to the other, to alleviate her fatigue.
After a while, Xiao Han also tucked in the blanket for her before withdrawing her hand, lying flat, staring straight at the ceiling.
Originally, Xiao Han thought she might stay awake all night like this, but for some reason, as she lightly inhaled the faint fragrance of the person beside her, she unexpectedly began to feel drowsy. She didn't know when, but she completely fell into a deep sleep.
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Early the next morning, Xiao Han woke up. Her mind was still a bit groggy when she first woke up. She yawned, and in the next second, she froze in place.
When they went to sleep last night, there was still some distance between them, but when she opened her eyes this morning, she found that Gu Xun'er had somehow moved closer in her sleep, using her right arm as a pillow, slightly curled up, sleeping in her embrace. Her own right hand was also around the other's waist, the two of them so close they were almost completely pressed together.
Perhaps because she hadn't slept very still during the night, two buttons of Gu Xun'er's pajamas had come undone, revealing a patch of fair skin. The clothes at her waist had also rolled up slightly, and her own right hand was on the part of the other's waist not covered by clothes.
Feeling the delicate, warm touch of the young woman's skin under her hand, Xiao Han suddenly withdrew her hand as if electrocuted. Her heart instantly began to race, an indescribable feeling of palpitation suddenly surged up, occupying her entire being. She only felt her throat becoming slightly dry, her heart burning hot.
Sensing her own unusual reaction, a flicker of uncertainty flashed across Xiao Han's face, and her heart immediately sank into an abyss.
Although she was cold and often acted without emotion, no matter what, in her previous life, she had loved someone wholeheartedly. How could she not know what her current reaction meant?
Xiao Han took a deep breath, got out of bed, and went straight to the bathroom.
There was still some water left in the wooden tub from yesterday, but it had gone cold. Xiao Han, however, didn't seem to care at all. She scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed it on her face.
"Splash—"
The light sound startled even the system's chip.
Burying her face in her hands, Xiao Han closed her eyes tightly, her chest heaving, emotions churning in her heart.
After a long while, she slowly raised her head, closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, she had regained her original clarity.
Xiao Han took a deep breath, the veins on her arms bulging.
How could this happen...
How could she... fall in love with her own disciple?