Affection

While Qiang guided Xiaoling inside, Ru walked toward Weisheng. 

"Why did you let Master go outside?" Ru asked, ignoring all that had just happened. 

Weisheng looked up at Ru in disbelief, "Seriously?" 

"Yes," Ru nodded, "I'm serious. You shouldn't have let her go outside. You should've told her that rest is good for her." He complained. 

Weisheng exhaled, standing up from the ground, "We only studied… I told her to rest, too. She didn't listen to me." 

Ru frowned, "Make her." 

"Make her what?" 

"Make her listen to you next time. Use any means. Just make her listen to you." Ru said, looking away. 

Weisheng narrowed his eyes, "I don't get it." 

Ru sighed, "One day, we'll all reincarnate. It means we won't be around to check up on her. You, as her human disciple, should take responsibility before it's too late. For example, today wasn't the day to study about the world. She should've rested, even if it meant the end of the world." He explained. 

Weisheng was still confused. All of this information was too much to process. He nodded nonetheless. 

"And don't mind what just happened," Ru said, "She was just checking how much you learned from Law School." He added, "Turns out, you didn't learn much." 

Weisheng's ego shattered into pieces, not that he had an ego to begin with. It was true that he had slacked off at Law School. Even if his only goal in life was to become a Prosecutor to solve his mysteries, he couldn't help but slack off at Law School, purely out of human nature. 

He was born to be a procrastinator, and it showed. Having a teenage kid shatter his ego added fuel to the fire. 

"Mr. Yuan Weisheng," Ru called him to break his train of thought, "As much as you need Master, she needs you, too. Keep that in mind." 

Weisheng awkwardly nodded, "I understand," He said, even though he didn't understand anything. "Is… Young Miss Qiang also a spirit? And Master's disciple?" 

Ru nodded, "Young Miss Qiang is Master's sworn sister. She has been with Master for the longest out of all of us. We think that Young Miss Qiang was an alchemist in her life. That's why I went to bring her to look after Master's eyes." 

Weisheng nodded, finally understanding something out of Ru's mouth, "She called Master Big Sister… but she looks older." 

"Young Miss Qiang is around 28," Ru murmured, "I mean her mortal age." 

Weisheng's eyes widened, "She's younger than me?!" 

"What?" Ru asked, "Does it shatter your ego that she called you a weakling?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. 

Weisheng's jaw dropped to the ground. It indeed shattered his ego that someone younger than him called him a weakling. Although it was true that he was a weakling, he couldn't accept it. 

"Wait," Weisheng's eyes narrowed, "How old is Master then?" 

Ru hummed to think, "I think she is around 24 or 25. I'm not sure. Master doesn't talk about herself." 

Weisheng's eyes widened yet again. Why was Xiaoling even younger?! It didn't make any sense that Qiang addressed Xiaoling as a big sister when she was older. Was it because Xiaoling could still age? He wondered if it was purely out of affection. 

"It is irrelevant to discuss their ages," Ru said, "You should go to bed for the night. Tomorrow, you might have to train with Young Miss Qiang early in the morning. From Monday, you have your work in the Mortal Realm, so be punctual." 

Weisheng nervously nodded. Ru was more strict than Xiaoling. As Ru was Weisheng's senior in disciples, he couldn't disagree. So, Weisheng made his way to his room. He could catch up on sleep after a long day of studying, so he didn't mind it. 

—

Qiang held her hands across Xiaoling's eyes, "You'll be fine," She murmured, "It's just your Internal Energy. It's unstable." 

Xiaoling smiled, "That's what I suspected." 

"Such a strange curse…" Qiang retreated her hands to turn to the side, grinding herbs for tea, "It should affect the wielder's eyes… Why hurt you?" 

"Because I'm suppressing it with my Internal Energy," Xiaoling answered, "I expected this." 

Qiang turned her head toward Xiaoling, "You shouldn't, though!" She complained, "What if you lose your-" 

"I don't have one," Xiaoling tilted her head, shrugging softly, "Don't worry, A'Qiang. I'll be fine. Madam Yuan pays me well. I might as well bribe the Heavens!" 

Qiang sighed, continuing to grind the herbs for tea. She opened the lid of the teapot to see if the water was already boiling. She added the ground herbs to a strainer and put it inside one of the cups on the table. Then she grabbed the teapot and poured the boiling water directly into the cup. The ground herbs in the strainer seeped their essence into the water, creating a warm, herbal tea. 

"Here," Qiang held the cup in one hand and grabbed Xiaoling's hand with the other hand, guiding it to hold onto the cup. "Drink this slowly." 

Xiaoling nodded, taking small sips of the herbal tea. The two women sat close to each other on the cushions on the ground. Qiang constantly kept one hand underneath the cup, ensuring it wouldn't fall from Xiaoling's hands. 

"You didn't tell me where you were," Xiaoling murmured, "I was looking for you." 

Qiang nervously chuckled, "Actually… I have good news." 

Xiaoling gasped, "Go ahead! I'm excited to hear some good news after such a tiring day!" 

"I was summoned by Heaven's Arbiter," Qiang muttered, "I couldn't come to tell you because I was busy banishing spirits, and they just dragged me. I thought someone terrible would happen, but…" 

"But?" Xiaoling asked with a constant smile. 

"Heaven's Arbiter told me that I will get reincarnated in 6 days!" Qiang cheerfully exclaimed, "Yay!" She added with excitement. 

Xiaoling's smile disappeared for a split second, but she quickly returned it to her face, "Really?" She asked slowly, "That… That's amazing!" 

"Right?!" Qiang excitedly said, "I was so worried! Finally, it's my turn to start a life!" 

Xiaoling bitterly smiled. She wanted to change the topic so badly. Fate took her side as she started to see the cream-colored blindfold before her eyes. 

"A'Qiang," Xiaoling called her, "I think I can see again…" 

Qiang gasped, reaching for the knot of the blindfold. She untied the blindfold and set it aside. 

"Do you see me?" Qiang flapped her hands around excitedly. 

Xialing could see her faintly, "A little," But it was more than enough. She smiled softly, "I think you should go to bed. I'll rest as well."