BXBX NOVEL Chapter 31: Of Potions and Pride.
Chapter 31: Of Potions and Pride.
To Mu Lin, it was either the senior she'd tasked with making the pill was incompetent or Yang Wei was simply immune to it.
What am I even saying? It was made by a man, of course it would be a failure...
Mu Lin sighed.
Yang Wei, raising an eyebrow, inquired, "What didn't work?"
Attempting a smile that turned awkward, far from her usual composed demeanor which was always attractive, Mu Lin dismissed it, saying, "Oh no, it's nothing important."
"Really?" Yang Wei sought clarification.
Mu Lin who was now feeling a bit pale due to her plan's constant failures, sighed, "Yes, everything's fine, no big deal." She rose from the floor, preparing to leave, but with almost teleport-like speed, Yang Wei appeared in front of her.
Startled, she stumbled back, but Yang Wei effortlessly caught her by the waist and pulled her close.
The abrupt intimate contact was enough to make her squeak.
Yang Wei questioned, "You put something in that food, didn't you?"
Mu Lin stammered, insisting, "No, how can junior brother say such a thing, I didn't put anything in it, it was just..."
Interrupting her, Yang Wei said, "No need to lie. I noticed the way you monitored me from the first bite and you barely even touched your own food because you were so focused on watching me eat mine..."
With his arms around her waist, Mu Lin glanced at their close proximity and retorted, "What do you know? I could've been watching because I care."
Yang Wei chuckled, stating, "We both know you're too proud to care about anyone."
Mu Lin's soft face was slightly flushed, and she shouted, "That's a lie!" Then a thought struck her, so she added, "Wait, you ate the food knowing I put something in it?"
Yang Wei chuckled, "Of course, I ate it. Delicious food from a beautiful woman, who am I to say no to that."
Mu Lin instantly blushed.
It was so overwhelming to the point she had to break free from Yang Wei's arm around her waist to build some space between them.
With an okay distance between them, she folded her arms, she looked shyly to the side, not out of genuine shyness but to conceal her flustered state from Yang Wei. "I suppose I am quite beautiful and a great chef, of course," she admitted.
Mu Lin had received such compliments before, but there was a distinct quality to them when they came from a capable man. Previously, she'd been surrounded by incompetent individuals who would readily succumb to her charm, either due to her beauty or social status.
On the flip side, some men were too cautious, hesitant to make advances and preferred to let the woman take the initiative.
Yang Wei, however, defied these norms.
While she considered him not powerful enough to be conventionally attractive, his personality and charisma were the decisive factors that could easily captivate her or any woman in a women's world.
Nervously clearing her throat, Mu Lin stole occasional glances at Yang Wei. And then, out of nowhere she asked, "Do you think I'm a better cook than Senior Sister Lingxi?"
Wait! Why did I ask that?! I don't need anyone's validation of how good I am at something!
And even after thinking that, she still hoped on Yang Wei's answer.
Yang Wei, adjusting his hair bangs behind his ear, replied, "Truth be told, I've never eaten Lingxi's food, so I don't really know."
Mu Lin smiled briefly, then cleared her throat, closing her eyes and puffing her chest forward. "Well, that means you ate my food first, and you should be grateful for that," she proudly declared.
Pointing at the lunch basket, Yang Wei suggested, "If you could bring more of these every week, I'd definitely be grateful."
Mu Lin placed a hand on her chest, raising her voice, "Do you think I have nothing better to do than devote days of my week to bringing food for you?"
Yang Wei shrugged, acknowledging, "Eh, I guess you're right. You do have your cultivation to focus on and all that."
Abruptly turning away with folded arms, Mu Lin whispered to herself, "That's the part where you were supposed to beg me to bring them every day..." She then placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heartbeat.
Drums, that was what she felt in her chest.
With the way I feel now, I wouldn't mind bringing him more of whatever I make...
Yang Wei stretched his arms and let out a satisfying yawn. "So, what exactly did you put in the food?" he asked.
Mu Lin, playing coy, said, "Huh? I didn't quite hear you," though she clearly did. She considered whether it was best to lie or not; as such, this was just her buying some time to think.
Yang Wei arched an eyebrow; his look insisted that he knew she'd heard him but was trying to play ignorant. "You obviously heard me, so spill the beans, what did you put in the food?" he asked again, although this time his tone came out as more urging.
Sighing, Mu Lin confessed, "It was an aphrodisiac pill."
Yang Wei sighed too, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Am I so irresistible that you thought spiking my lunch was the way to win me over?" he questioned. Not only was there exasperation and amusement in his tone, there was also pride.
Mu Lin, shocked, retorted, "What? I never said that!"
Yang Wei shrugged, to him, actions spoke louder than words, so whatever she tried to say to defend herself against her actions were utterly useless. "Why? Am I too outstanding?" he added with a smirk.
Mu Lin was visibly irked. She marched toward him, poking his chest. "You're taking it too far! I only wanted to use the aphrodisiac pill to turn you into my dual cultivation slave— it was only to benefit my cultivation base. Don't mistake it for attraction; an elegant lady like me wouldn't fall for a common dog like you!" she exclaimed, punctuating her words with chest pokes.
"Stop deluding yourself," Yang Wei teased, patting her head. "Many women have told the same lies.."
Furious, Mu Lin slapped his hand away. "Don't treat me like that! I'm your senior sister; I should be the one patting your head!" she fired back.
Yang Wei, sizing them up, quipped, "If you were tall enough, maybe you could."
Mu Lin's cheeks turned as red as the bean paste of sweet buns, puffing up with frustration as she shot an annoyed glance at Yang Wei. Despite her irritation, her soft facial features, a notable part of her charm, made her angry expression appear more adorable than menacing.
Yang Wei scratched his chin, briefly diverting his gaze before locking eyes with Mu Lin, who continued to scowl at him.
"Well, if all you wanted was a dual cultivation partner, you could have spared yourself the trouble and asked one of those men already under your spell. Why bother with someone like me who hasn't even harnessed Essence Qi yet?"
Even if I am, unbelievably exceptional... he thought.
Mu Lin's irritation shifted into exhaustion as she sighed. "Do you think I haven't considered that?" she retorted. "I'd never settle for those incapable male disciples, especially not when someone like you, with a legendary dual cultivation physique, is around."
A dual cultivation physique would easily be able to completely loosen all her cultivation bottlenecks. Something average dual cultivation wouldn't easily be able to do.
Yang Wei leaned in, stating, "You do know I can't be your dual cultivation slave, right? Maybe the reason you didn't just ask me outright, instead resorting to an aphrodisiac pill that clearly failed by the way, is that you're too proud."
Arms folded, Mu Lin rolled her eyes. "Like that matters. Why should I go through the hassle of asking you? It sounds so tedious."
Yang Wei, with a warm smile, raised two fingers, tapping her forehead gently.
"Because if you had asked, I would've granted your request. You don't always need to act like a spoiled brat or a dastardly beauty to get what you want."
Typically, Mu Lin would swiftly retort with an insult or even rebuff his attempt to touch her forehead. However, in this instance, she merely stood still, gazing up at the warm smile on his face.
In a rush to depart, Mu Lin turned away and informed Yang Wei, "I'll be taking off now."
Yang Wei, perplexed, questioned, "Aren't you going to grab your plates and the basket? You seem awfully in a hurry."
Ignoring him, Mu Lin raised her voice, declaring, "I'll get them another time!"
With that, she swiftly exited his room and proceeded out of the house, marching past his courtyard and eventually reaching the wooden gate.
Outside now, standing next to the gate, Mu Lin placed her hands on her forehead, recalling Yang Wei's gentle touch. Leaning against the gate, she thought aloud,
"Maybe he's right..."