………….
Luo Shuiling returned to Sect Master Peak, exhausted.
She sat wearily beneath the osmanthus tree with her eyes half-closed.
Her beautiful brows were tightly knitted together like tangled weeds, as if burdened by worries that could not be unraveled.
That damned old bastard Lin Xian!
Her heart was filled with hatred and rage.
When she had received Lin Xian’s voice transmission earlier, although she felt some doubt, a trace of joy had still risen within her—because she finally had a reason to go see Yun Hao!
The frustration that had built up over the past few days seemed to vanish in an instant.
She only cared about what kind of expression she should use when she met Yun Hao later.
Luo Shuiling quickly checked her attire, confirming she still looked like the cold, proud immortal fairy standing high above like a snow plum blossom.
Then she headed toward Western Peak with light, swift steps.
To her pleasant surprise, the moment she arrived at Western Peak, she saw Yun Hao right away.
He also seemed happy to see her, sweetly calling her “Senior Sister” as usual.
This pleased her greatly.
For a moment she even considered reducing the punishment she had planned for his late return.
She had not forgotten the main matter.
Suppressing the joy in her heart, she gave Yun Hao a cold glance and asked Lin Xian what the matter was.
She never expected that Lin Xian had called her over to arrange a marriage between Yun Hao and Lin Shengyu.
The moment she heard it, rage surged within her like wildfire.
Her previously joyful mood plummeted to rock bottom.
Did she agree?
How could she possibly agree!
Yun Hao already had her by his side—that was more than enough.
No one else needed to step into his life.
Moreover, while Lin Xian had phrased it as a question, he had secretly used their oath to force her into agreeing.
Despicable!
She refused to let go so easily and coldly resisted the will of the Heavenly Dao.
But that faint crack sound was the price she paid.
The immortal foundation she had only recently begun to recover cracked open once again.
She was unwilling, yet she could only agree….
Afterward she suddenly found herself afraid to look at Yun Hao’s expression.
Was he happy or sad…?
No matter which it was, she dared not look.
She could only turn around and leave without looking back.
For the first time, anxiety bloomed in Luo Shuiling’s heart.
The more she thought about it, the angrier and more uneasy she became.
Her slender fingers clenched tightly into fists, and her cloud boots kept trembling.
She felt that the situation had completely slipped out of her control and become unpredictable.
She blamed Yun Hao in her heart.
Why hadn’t he returned sooner?
If he had come back earlier, Lin Xian would not have seized the opportunity, and she would not have been forced to make such a choice.
But what angered her most was Lin Xian—this despicable old fox who had used such underhanded means to force her hand.
Recalling Yun Hao’s incredulous expression as she left, she grew even more panicked and anxious….
Would Yun Hao still come back?
Luo Shuiling’s heart churned violently, as turbulent as if celestial beings were battling within her.
She had never experienced such doubt before.
She suddenly wanted to salvage the situation now that the deed was done, because she had a baseless feeling that if she did not take action soon, Yun Hao might truly leave her.
She recalled bit by bit every moment she had shared with Yun Hao, most of them seeming to have taken place beneath this very osmanthus tree.
She moved, sitting properly once more beneath the osmanthus tree as if nothing had happened.
She was still the proud Eldest Senior Sister standing atop the snowy peaks.
Nothing could shake her heart.
She tried hard to conceal her inner unease.
She did not know whether Yun Hao would return, or how long it would take.
But she wanted to wait.
She wanted the first thing Yun Hao saw when he returned to Sect Master Peak to be her….
She would wait……….
……………
Lin Xian looked at Yun Hao’s extremely reluctant expression.
A flicker of reluctance and heartache flashed in his eyes, but he pretended not to notice.
Smiling warmly, he took Yun Hao’s hand with his withered palm.
“Hao’er, we won’t cultivate today. Let’s go back and see Yu’er. After all, the two of you are now betrothed.”
Lin Xian deliberately teased him, hoping to lift Yun Hao’s spirits.
Even though Yun Hao was still unwilling and immersed in dejection.
In Lin Xian’s view, although this was not an ideal situation, it was still a good opportunity.
As long as Yu’er could slowly comfort Hao’er and give him warmth, Hao’er would come to understand Yu’er’s goodness and eventually accept her completely.
Lin Xian was not worried about the future, because he firmly believed that Yu’er was Yun Hao’s final destination.
Yu’er… Junior Sister! That’s right, just now I…
Yun Hao was pulled back to his senses by Lin Xian’s reminder.
Now was not the time to feel lost—he still had to face Junior Sister.
In his mind appeared Junior Sister’s shy smile, sweet and without any pretense.
He could almost hear her calling his name.
“Senior Brother, does it look good?”
“Senior Brother, you’re bullying me!”
“Senior Brother… I…”
“Senior Brother…”
Yun Hao lowered his gaze and swallowed the bitterness in his heart… Elder Lin had shown him great kindness.
No matter how much he had resisted and been unwilling before, he had already agreed.
He should not become an ungrateful villain.
That would go against everything his mother had taught him in the past.
…But he did not know how to face Junior Sister, especially now that he knew she actually liked him.
What attitude should he take toward her?
He was completely at a loss.
Lin Xian saw Yun Hao’s obvious inner conflict.
With centuries of life experience, he easily recognized the knot in the youth’s heart.
He comforted him.
“It’s fine. Let’s go back and see Yu’er first. She has missed you very much.”
Yun Hao hesitated for a moment.
He knew that dragging this out was meaningless.
He took a deep breath, suppressed all the emotions in his heart, and nodded at Lin Xian.
“…All right.”
…………
Lin Shengyu lay reclined on the bamboo chair.
Senior Brother and Grandfather had already been gone for more than two hours.
With only herself left in the cave residence, the days felt dull without Senior Brother by her side.
She felt drowsy, her mind blank.
She was about to fall asleep…
A wave of spiritual power arrived.
Lin Shengyu suddenly woke up.
For some reason, ever since her meridians had recovered, her sensitivity to spiritual power had become much sharper.
She grew alert, but the two figures that appeared next dispelled her wariness.
It was Senior Brother and Grandfather returning.
Lin Shengyu smiled sweetly.
She was about to call out to Senior Brother in her usual crisp voice when she noticed that Senior Brother seemed different from usual.
He appeared afraid to look at her and kept fidgeting with his sleeves, looking very nervous.
She found it strange.
Was there something on her face?
She touched her cheeks and checked her clothes.
There was nothing wrong.
Lin Shengyu then looked at Lin Xian and noticed that Grandfather seemed unusually happy today.
Even the deep frown that usually creased his forehead had smoothed out.
Lin Shengyu thought for a moment… Senior Brother acting strange, Grandfather looking so happy… Could it be!?
She suddenly recalled what Grandfather had said a few days ago.
Combined with Senior Brother’s sudden unusual behavior…
Lin Shengyu’s heart filled with surprise and delight, but then shyness overwhelmed her.
Even though Lin Xian had not said anything yet, her face flushed bright red, and the word “Senior Brother” got stuck in her throat.
Lin Xian looked at Lin Shengyu standing frozen in place, then at the extremely nervous Yun Hao.
Smiling cheerfully, he took Yun Hao’s hand, walked over to Lin Shengyu, took her hand as well, and placed their hands together.
“Hao’er, from now on Yu’er is entrusted to you.”
After instructing Yun Hao, he turned to look at Lin Shengyu.
“Yu’er, you must treat Hao’er well in the future and not be willful!”
“From now on, the two of you are husband and wife! You must respect each other and support one another.”
Hearing Lin Xian’s words, Lin Shengyu’s heart overflowed with joy and shyness.
She secretly glanced up at Senior Brother only to find him also stealing a look at her.
She quickly lowered her head, unwilling to raise it again.
In the end she could not hold back.
In front of Lin Xian, she called out to Yun Hao in a voice as soft as a mosquito, filled with tender affection.
“Senior Brother……”
Hearing Junior Sister’s gentle, affectionate call, Yun Hao swallowed the faint bitterness in his throat.
He tried hard to make his voice sound gentle as he replied to Lin Shengyu.
“Junior Sister, I’m here…”
Listening to Senior Brother’s response, some of the joy in Lin Shengyu’s heart faded.
She could hear it—even though Senior Brother had tried hard to hide it, that deepest trace of bitterness still reached her ears…
Senior Brother probably did not truly want to marry her.
He might have only agreed because Grandfather had begged him…
But it was fine.
In the future she would make Senior Brother change his mind.
She would prove that she could be a good wife.
Lin Shengyu pretended not to have noticed the bitterness in Yun Hao’s voice and did not feel discouraged.
She gently tightened her grip on Senior Brother’s hand, as if she never wanted to let go.
…………..
The three of them continued living like this for several more days.
During this time, Lin Xian wanted Yun Hao and Lin Shengyu to marry immediately, but both of them refused separately.
Yun Hao’s reason was that Junior Sister was still young and it was too early to marry now.
Lin Shengyu, on the other hand, wanted to wait until she had truly won Senior Brother’s heart before getting married.
She believed that a person only got married once in a lifetime.
She wanted to marry Senior Brother in a grand, proper, and dignified way.
During these days, Lin Shengyu found an opportunity to tell both Lin Xian and Yun Hao that her eyesight had been restored.
Upon learning this, Lin Xian became extremely excited.
For the first time in front of the two of them, tears streamed down his old face.
He knelt toward the heavens, thanking them for their mercy and allowing him to receive such wonderful news before his death.
Yun Hao also felt genuinely happy for once.
He was sincerely glad that Junior Sister’s eyes had recovered.
That way, even if he was not around one day, Junior Sister would be able to take care of herself.
And so, with Yun Hao and Lin Shengyu by his side, Lin Xian enjoyed the limited time he had left of familial warmth.
Until, ten or so days later, his lifespan finally reached its end.