Master, Spare My Life: A Disciple's Sweet Rebellion | Chapter 128 | A Resemblance in Ink | Novela.app

"Ruo'er." "Zhier, you're here!" Chu Ruo scrambled to her feet to welcome her guest into the room. "Quick, come sit by the brazier. It’s freezing outside. Look at all the snow on you. Here, I’ve got roasted sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn. Oh, and peanuts too! Come, eat some. Wowotou is here as well—come play with Wowo and Toutou." The two small dogs bounced around happily on the floor. Bai Zhier brushed the snowflakes from her clothes. "Why are you so excited to see me today?" "I..." Bai Zhier smiled, seeing right through her. "Oh, is it because you’re bored out of your mind being alone, so you react like this the moment you see a person?" "Zhier, couldn't you just let me keep some dignity?" "You always wear your heart on your sleeve." She reached out and gently stroked the ends of Chu Ruo’s hair, her touch as tender as ever. "You silly girl." The two sat around the charcoal brazier, warming their hands over the glowing coals. "Is the snow heavy outside? Your clothes look a bit damp." "It’s exceptionally heavy this year. It hasn't stopped for days." "Yeah, big as goose feathers," Chu Ruo agreed. Bai Zhier suddenly chuckled. "Ruo'er, how long has it been since you’ve stepped outside?" "Huh? Why do you ask?" "Look, your window is wide open. If you hadn't been buried in your books in this room, how could you not know what it looks like outside? It’s clear you haven't looked up in a long time." "Hehe, Zhier, you’re as sharp as ever." "I heard that for the past few days, you’ve stayed cooped up in here from the moment you arrive in the morning." Bai Zhier glanced at the mountain of scrolls on the table and frowned. "Why is she making you study again? I thought she said she wouldn't force you." Chu Ruo hurriedly explained, "It’s not like that. Xue'er just used it as an excuse to keep me settled. She knows I love to run wild, and she needs something to keep me grounded. Ever since we got back from the Miaojiang, she’s been constantly worried that I’ll get sick or feel unwell. She’s just worried about me." "My intention was to make her worry about you, but it seems I’ve ended up causing you trouble instead." "What?" Bai Zhier playfully stuck out her tongue. "I’m not telling." Chu Ruo had no way of knowing that Bai Zhier had exaggerated the severity of her condition after she fainted, making it sound far worse than it was to make Nan Muxue anxious. While it was true that Chu Ruo’s vital energy had been taxed and she needed time to recover, it was never so dire that she would remain frail and cold-sensitive for the rest of her life. At most, it would take a few months, perhaps half a year. On one hand, Bai Zhier truly felt for Chu Ruo and was annoyed that Nan Muxue always seemed to involve her beloved in danger; on the other hand, she used it as a small "scheme" to have an excuse to see Chu Ruo more often. "So mysterious... are you hiding something from me?" "Instead of worrying about me, you should think about yourself." "Myself? What about me?" Bai Zhier spoke in a low, meaningful tone. "What do you think?" Seeing the look in her eyes, Chu Ruo suddenly became alert, glancing around nervously. "Where... where is your adoptive father?" "So you remember him now?" Bai Zhier’s mischievous side took over. She leaned in with a wicked grin. "He’ll be here in a moment. If you still refuse to agree, he’ll take you away and find a place to hold a wedding for the two of us..." Chu Ruo bolted upright. "I—I—I... Xue'er! Little Scorpion! Help!" "That’s enough." Bai Zhier covered her ears in mock annoyance. "I was teasing. Sit down." "You... you're not lying?" "My adoptive father went down the mountain two days ago. With the snow being this heavy, it’ll probably be another two days before he returns." "For real?" "For fake." "Zhier!" "Taking you away is fake; him going down the mountain is real." "You scared the life out of me!" "Is the idea of marrying me really that terrifying?" Chu Ruo lowered her head. "Zhier, I..." "I know, I know. Your heart only has room for that Little Scorpion. Where did she go today? Usually, she’s glued to your side. It’s rare that I’ve been sitting here this long and she hasn't returned." "Today is the day for the disciples' ranking evaluations. It determines who gets promoted and who stays put, and then they’re assigned to the four Protectors. As for the Fifth Protector, Mo Fei... well, she’s a lot like my girl; she’s mostly a figurehead, and the main work is handled by the other four. It’s a busy day, so Xue'er had to go. But the disciples are competing out on the training grounds, and it’s too cold. She said it wasn't a big deal anyway, so she told me to stay inside and memorize these things—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, the mystical arts... so here I am." "The power in Baihua Palace is too concentrated," Bai Zhier remarked. "Look at other sects—they have elders, protectors, hall masters, not to mention all the deputies. Even though the disciple ranks here are strictly defined and seem orderly, the core power lies entirely with the four Protectors and her, the Young Palace Mistress. If even one of them is compromised, that entire branch practically paralyzes." "I know. It makes it hard for anyone to harbor dissent, but it has huge drawbacks. However, this is a century-old tradition of Baihua Palace. Especially Nan Menghua—she controlled every inch of this palace to the extreme and wouldn't allow a shred of power to fall into anyone else's hands. I’ve mentioned it to Xue'er; we have to take it slow." "When I first met you, you were so carefree. Now, you actually look the part of a Holy Envoy." "Zhier..." Bai Zhier lowered her head with a faint smile. "Time flies. In the blink of an eye, it’s winter again." "I still remember back then, by that frozen lake. You said the water would be a beautiful blue in the summer. Your smile then was just like it is now." "I know. By the time summer came, you weren't there anymore. And look, it’s winter again, and you are already so far away from that place." "I'm sorry." "Silly, why are you apologizing?" Bai Zhier brushed Chu Ruo’s bangs aside. "I never blamed you. The time I spent with you was the happiest I’ve ever been." "I lied to you back then. I clearly hadn't lost my memory..." Bai Zhier shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Regardless of what happened then, you are still the Ruo'er in my heart—the same Ruo'er who was foolish enough to pay five hundred taels for me in a brothel the very first time we met." Chu Ruo laughed. "You still remember that? I’d almost forgotten." *How could I ever forget anything about you? How could I bear to?* Fearing that her eyes might well up, Bai Zhier quickly turned it into a joke. "Well, you certainly haven't forgotten about my adoptive father looking for you." "Cough... cough... anyway, what did your adoptive father go down the mountain for?" "I heard he might have news of Brother Jie." "Tu Jie? I remember—he’s your adoptive father’s eldest son. During that time we returned to the Central Plains, Nan Yunshuang lured you all into an ambush, and he went missing. He still hasn't been found after all this time?" "Mhm. Father has been searching for a long time. Every lead turns out to be false, but he still goes in person every time. I hope it’s real this time." "Maybe he was injured, or maybe he really did lose his memory. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed out of touch for so long." Bai Zhier picked up the two small dogs and cradled them in her arms. "Perhaps. Ruo'er?" "Yeah? What is it?" "It’s fine if you forgot other things, but there’s one thing you shouldn't have, right?" Chu Ruo was bewildered. "What?" "The thing you promised someone." "Oh!" Realization dawned on her. "You mean helping Phoenix find her aunt, Bai Xue. Actually, I told Xue'er about it as soon as we got back. I’ve instructed the disciples of Baihua Palace and the people at Xuetuo Pavilion to look for her, but there hasn't been any news." "Didn't she say Bai Xue had been gone for too long? The people in Miaojiang were furious that she, as the Shaman Head, insisted on leaving. They saw her refusal to return as a betrayal and destroyed all her belongings in a rage." "If I were Bai Xue, I wouldn't go back even if it killed me. Those Miaojiang people would probably torment her to death." "Alright, stop rambling. I came to tell you that I received a letter from Phoenix last night. She questioned many of her people, and even her father refused to acknowledge his own sister. Finally, she found an elder who agreed to describe Bai Xue’s appearance." "Does that mean Phoenix sent us a portrait?" Bai Zhier handed over a scroll. "Yes. But she hopes we keep the search for Bai Xue quiet." "I see. How about this—I’ll talk to Xue'er, and a few of us can go down the mountain to look for her. We made a promise, after all. Even with a portrait, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack, but we have to try. We can't go back on our word." "I came to ask for your opinion as well. This portrait shows her when she was young, so she must look different now. Take a look." Chu Ruo opened the scroll. "Tsk, I have to say, she really was a great beauty." "Ruo'er, why is it that the moment you see a beautiful woman, you can't look away?" "I..." "She’s probably around the same age as your Little Scorpion’s mother now. Are you sure you still 'like' her?" "What do you mean 'like'? And don't bring up Nan Menghua just to gross me out, Zhier, you’re too mean. I’m serious, don't you think she’s really pretty? And her eyes... they actually look a tiny bit like Xue'er’s. Look, look, don't they?" Bai Zhier teased, "Don't tell me you think she’s the Little Scorpion’s real mother? After all, Nan Menghua doesn't treat her well." "Hey, now that you mention it, maybe... No, no, the Little Scorpion and Nan Menghua actually look quite alike too." A freezing voice drifted in from the doorway. "What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?" ***