"Setting that aside for a moment, have you ever heard of the Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus?" Que Tang asked with a blink.
Hearing the system’s final judgment on the favorability points, her tense heart finally eased. Only then did she remember the translucent flower tucked in her robes—the one that had nearly cost her her life, and whose authenticity was still in question.
If it turned out to be a fake... hmph, she would make Little Mushroom eat dirt for a month.
"The Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus?" Shuo Yue arched an eyebrow. "I once heard my master mention it. It is a rare and precious medicinal herb."
"Is that so?" Overjoyed, Que Tang pulled the crystalline little plant from her bosom. "Quick, take a look. Is it this?"
"This..." Shuo Yue took it and examined it closely, her gaze sharpening. "Where did you get this?"
"I happened to spot it on the cliffside while I was out gathering wood. I’ve lived here for years and never seen such a peculiar herb, but I had a feeling it possessed strong medicinal properties, so I climbed up to pluck it. Then I suddenly remembered the old master in the village mentioning such a miracle medicine, and I thought that since you are so well-traveled, Shuo Yue, you might recognize whether it’s real or not." Que Tang glossed over the danger of the climb with a light smile. "Any thoughts?"
"This is indeed a Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus. Though I have only seen it in books, its appearance and fragrance match the descriptions perfectly." Shuo Yue handed it back to Que Tang.
"Really?" Que Tang’s eyes widened. "That’s wonderful! I’ll go brew it for you right away." Her joy was written plainly across her face.
Shuo Yue was stunned by her bluntness. "You... you picked this for me?"
"Of course." Not noticing the other woman’s hesitation, Que Tang turned and walked out of the room to prepare the medicine.
Staring at her retreating back until she had completely disappeared, Shuo Yue suddenly let out a soft chuckle. "And here I thought..." She recalled the scene she had witnessed earlier when she went out looking for Que Tang. She had initially felt a surge of murderous intent, but to think... the girl had risked her life just for her.
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the irregular thumping of her heart and a swell of emotion that was both aching and warm. Was this what it felt like to be cherished like kin, to be loved like a sister?
"Meow~ The female lead’s favorability is maxed out. Romance Route initiated. Host, you are so reliable!" Little Mushroom said, trotting at her heels.
"I’m literally using my life to grind for favorability here, you know!" Que Tang replied without looking back.
"Meow~"
"Alright, stop acting cute. Go over there and eat your dried fish." Que Tang gave the cat a playful nudge with her foot, sending Little Mushroom tumbling into the corner.
"You’re bullying animals! Meow!" The cat scrambled up, fur bristling as it hissed at Que Tang.
The atmosphere was tense, a confrontation imminent. Sure enough, under Que Tang’s disdainful gaze, Little Mushroom lunged forward, latched onto her, smacked her face with a paw, and immediately jumped away.
"You... you hit me?" Que Tang clutched her face, looking at the cat in disbelief.
"I’m just returning the favor in kind, meow," Little Mushroom huffed loftily.
"Heh heh." Que Tang let out a cold laugh. She pulled a bag of dried fish from her collar, slowly peeled open the waxed paper, and deliberately picked up a small fish, popping it into her mouth.
"Meow! Host, you’re a bully!" Little Mushroom’s eyes welled with tears.
When Shuo Yue walked in, she saw Que Tang holding a package of something while playing with the cat. She stood to the side with a smile, watching the scene, but when Que Tang stumbled and looked about to fall, Shuo Yue moved with lightning speed to catch her in her arms.
"Ah-Tang, are you alright?" Shuo Yue looked down, her voice full of concern.
Que Tang didn't snap out of it for a moment, simply staring up at her. It was the first time she had seen such warmth in Shuo Yue’s eyes. With her long hair draped loosely and a faint smile on her lips, Shuo Yue possessed a peerless elegance that even coarse clothes could not hide. For a moment, Que Tang was dazed by her beauty, her face flushing red. Only when the other woman asked again did she stammer, "I-I’m fine. Thank you, Miss Shuo Yue."
Her dazed expression made Shuo Yue chuckle. A playful urge rose within her. "Ah-Tang, we’ve been sharing a bed for quite some time now. Why do you still call me 'Miss Shuo Yue'? It sounds so distant. Or is it..." Her voice trailed off, replaced by a touch of melancholy. "Is it because you find my identity in the martial world repulsive?"
"N-No, of course not." Que Tang thought to herself that Mu Yao’s roles were always so dramatic. She added with a hint of dejection, "It’s just... our statuses are different. I am but a simple village woman who hasn't seen the world. I shouldn't overstep."
"Truly... a silly girl." Shuo Yue’s heart, already softening, felt a pang of bittersweet tenderness. She sighed and cupped Que Tang’s face. "Yuanyuan."
"Hmm?" Que Tang, lost in Shuo Yue’s beauty, hummed in confusion.
"The moon waxes and wanes, full and crescent. 'Yuanyuan' was the pet name my mother gave me before I entered the sect." Shuo Yue’s face reddened slightly as she explained with uncharacteristic shyness.
"Yuanyuan..." Que Tang murmured the name. "Your mother must have hoped for you to have a life of peace and wholeness."
"Perhaps." Shuo Yue lowered her eyes to hide her bitterness.
"Then I shall call you A-Yuan," Que Tang said, unable to bear the other woman’s fleeting vulnerability. She followed the suggestion with an affectionate tone. "Is that alright?"
Shuo Yue’s eyes shimmered with emotion as she nodded with a beautiful smile.
"Meow~ Romance Level increased by twenty. Congratulations, Host! When the Romance Level is full and you get 'pushed down,' that will be the day the female lead marries you with a ten-mile red dowry." Little Mushroom’s voice piped up, completely lacking the tact to preserve the tender atmosphere between the two.
"...Can't you see I'm building a rapport with Yaoyao? Go eat your fish and get lost." Que Tang nearly rolled her eyes but managed to restrain herself just in time.
"Meow! You ungrateful host!" Little Mushroom complained before snatching a dried fish from the floor and running off.
The two stared at each other for a long time before Shuo Yue suddenly realized she was being overly familiar. She let go of Que Tang as if she were a hot potato.
"Ah, the medicine I was brewing seems to be boiling. I’ll go check the fire." Que Tang also realized the ambiguity of the moment and turned away awkwardly, using the medicine as an excuse to leave.
Shuo Yue was embarrassed as well, but seeing Que Tang even more flustered than her made her want to tease the girl. Thus, as soon as Que Tang reached the stove, Shuo Yue followed close behind, leaning against her back like an intimate sister. "The heat for this decoction must be precise. Ah-Tang, you truly know how to take care of people."
Shuo Yue breathed softly into her ear, making Que Tang feel a flush of heat. Embarrassed and exasperated, she chided, "Stop playing around. Once this medicine is done, let it cool a bit and drink it immediately. We mustn't let it lose its potency." Just as she reached for the pot, Shuo Yue beat her to it, picking it up and pouring it into a soup bowl.
"I am grateful for your devoted care during this time. Now that my injuries are mostly healed, I can help you with some of the chores." When she said the word "chores," Shuo Yue’s lips twitched slightly.
"That’s fine. You’ve been living here for free for so long; it’s only right that you do some work." After speaking with the bluntness of a village woman, Que Tang turned just in time to see Shuo Yue lift the bowl and gulp it down. Before she could stop her, Shuo Yue’s face scrunched up in an instant—eyes, nose, and mouth all pinched together. Terrified, Que Tang quickly poured a bowl of cold water from a ceramic jar and handed it to her. "That medicine was still steaming hot! My goodness, my lady." She couldn't help but scold her.
"I'll know better next time..." Shuo Yue’s eyes were watering from the heat. If her enemies saw her like this, they wouldn't believe their eyes.
"As if there'll be a next time." Seeing her finish the water, Que Tang quickly poured another bowl. "Have you really traveled the martial world for so long without learning how to take care of yourself?"
"In the past, if I was injured, I never had such luxury. I was always dodging enemies while looking for a place to hide and heal. At best, it was a flesh wound, and I’d just slap some medicine on it. If it was an internal injury..." Shuo Yue handed the empty bowl back to Que Tang. "I carried some internal medicine provided by the sect. It could treat minor pain, but for serious injuries, it was all down to luck. So far, it seems my luck has been quite good." She flashed a bright, clean, and triumphant grin at Que Tang. "Because I met you, Ah-Tang."
Looking at her joy, which was like that of someone who had found a precious treasure, Que Tang felt a pang in her heart, thinking of Mu Yao again. She sighed. "Just focus on recovering here. Don't worry, I will protect you." With that, she turned her head and walked out of the kitchen.
She left Shuo Yue behind, not daring to probe the other woman’s thoughts.
"Meow~ Romance Level increased by ten, currently at thirty. Host, you really are a lady-killer. So cute!" Little Mushroom, who was halfway through a dried fish, reported dutifully like a system guide upon hearing the increase.
"Lady-killer... that sounds so incredibly tacky." Que Tang had just finished brewing the medicine and now had to busy herself with heating bathwater. Ever since she transmigrated into this farming story, she had been working from dawn till dusk without a moment’s rest. Her schedule was so packed she had no time for idle thoughts.
"Meow, that’s not important. The point is that the Romance Level is rising so fast. I’m sure the mission to save the female lead will be over soon."
"But why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Que Tang muttered, tossing wood into the fire.
That night, after they had both bathed, Que Tang told Shuo Yue to get into bed while she went to tidy up the bathwater. When she returned, she found Shuo Yue curled under the covers, her face deathly pale.
Que Tang’s heart constricted. Ignoring the remaining chores, she rushed forward to check on her. "Why are you so cold?" She took Shuo Yue’s hand, shocked to find it even icier than usual.
"The... the Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus is... cold by nature. I was... careless," Shuo Yue explained with a shiver, her eyes half-open as she met Que Tang’s anxious gaze.
"Wait... wait for me a moment." Que Tang let go of her and went outside to bring in several more buckets of charcoal, lighting them under the eaves. After closing the doors and windows tightly, her hand paused over her buttons. Her hesitation vanished as she saw Shuo Yue’s face grow paler by the second.
Finally, she gritted her teeth, blew out the candle, shed all her clothes, and climbed into the bed naked, pulling Shuo Yue into a tight embrace.
"Ah-Tang..." Shuo Yue’s eyes flew open the moment she felt the girl’s bare skin against her own.
"Is that better? A-Yuan?" Que Tang asked with a soft smile, holding her even tighter.
"Still cold..." Though it was better, she was still freezing. Shuo Yue’s teeth chattered as she leaned weakly against her.
Que Tang was so nervous she didn't know what to do, but to her surprise, Shuo Yue also began to remove her own clothes, eventually wrapping her arms tightly around Que Tang.
"Much... better." Surrounded by Que Tang’s warmth, Shuo Yue finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Meow~ Romance Level increased by ten, currently at forty. Host, you were so bold today! It seems once you set your mind to the conquest, no female lead is a match for you."
"...Shut up and go to sleep," Que Tang cut the conversation short.
Looking down at Shuo Yue, who had fallen asleep with a faint smile, Que Tang closed her eyes with a complicated heart.
All for a Snow Lotus, and now her clothes were gone...
