Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 10

Gu Xiyan couldn’t quite describe what she was feeling. She hadn’t known Ye Qinming for long, and they had only met a few times. Yet, it felt as though they had known each other for ages. Being with her gave her an indescribable sensation, one she knew she enjoyed.

Even after discovering that Ye Qinming was a tea tree in the garden rather than a human, Gu Xiyan felt no disgust or fear. Even now, as Ye Qinming revealed that she had approached her solely to use her for cultivation, Gu Xiyan didn’t feel anger or fear. Instead, her chest felt heavy, and a sense of loss washed over her.

“So, I understand now. Is it because you’re injured and need to heal? Or is it just to enhance your cultivation, like him?” Gu Xiyan’s expression was calm, her words catching Ye Qinming off guard. This woman was far too perceptive.

Ye Qinming suddenly felt irritated. She hated the feeling of being emotionally controlled by a mere mortal. Since Gu Xiyan had already discovered the truth, and the jade she wore could no longer conceal her aura, it was only a matter of time before trouble arrived. Rather than letting someone else take advantage, she might as well—

A fierce glint flashed in her eyes as she grabbed Gu Xiyan’s hand and pulled her closer. Her movements were rough, causing Gu Xiyan some pain. Then, she heard Ye Qinming’s deep, cold voice. 

“Since you know, there’s no need to wait any longer.”

Gu Xiyan felt the pressure as Ye Qinming leaned in, followed by a wave of dizziness as if her strength was being drained away. She didn’t struggle, lying quietly as if her spiritual energy had already been depleted, held firmly in Ye Qinming’s embrace.

Ye Qinming steeled herself to absorb Gu Xiyan’s spiritual energy, but her eyes were locked on Gu Xiyan’s face. Gu Xiyan’s spirit quickly waned, and even though her eyes were sightless, Ye Qinming could sense the emotions within them.

There was a hint of sadness, but no resentment or fear. Gu Xiyan seemed to accept it as her life was being taken by someone else. The spiritual energy within her was even purer than Ye Qinming had imagined. She could feel her body warming, the hidden ailments within her gradually loosening and healing.

It should have felt good, but as she watched Gu Xiyan’s body grow limp and her beautiful eyes begin to close, a sharp pain in her chest forced her to stop. She pressed a hand to her chest, letting out a low groan of pain.

As soon as she released her grip, Gu Xiyan collapsed softly to the ground. Ye Qinming’s eyes stung, and without thinking, she quickly picked Gu Xiyan up, pressing her lips to Gu Xiyan’s cold, pale ones, returning the spiritual energy she had taken. She didn’t even notice her hands trembling.

Gu Xiyan had felt as though she had fallen into an icy abyss, her body cold and weak, her consciousness slipping away. She thought she would die at Ye Qinming’s hands. Though it made her inexplicably sad, dying by Ye Qinming’s hand seemed less painful than being killed by some random demon.

But in her daze, she felt warmth returning to her stiff body, a gentle flow of energy gathering in her abdomen before spreading to her limbs. The strength that had been drained away slowly returned, and she felt so comfortable that she didn’t want to open her eyes.

As her senses returned, she suddenly felt something warm and soft pressing lightly against her lips, like a sunlit cloud, impossibly gentle. She froze, then noticed a warm, fragrant breath close to her face, causing her to open her eyes in surprise.

Ye Qinming had been transferring spiritual energy to Gu Xiyan for a while, growing anxious when she didn’t wake up. Now, seeing Gu Xiyan’s stunned expression and realizing their lips were still touching, Ye Qinming felt her face flush with embarrassment for the first time.

She quickly let go of Gu Xiyan and stepped back. 

It took Gu Xiyan a while to regain her senses. She touched her lips, her ears turning red. She hesitated, unusually flustered, before finally speaking, “Why did you let me go?”

Ye Qinming coughed lightly, secretly relieved that Gu Xiyan couldn’t see her expression. “Your spiritual energy is even better than I imagined. That’s why you attract so many demons. It would be a waste to simply take it all at once. So from now on, you belong to me. I won’t let other demons touch you, but you must let me absorb your spiritual energy regularly. If you agree, I’ll let you go. If not, then I’ll…”

“I agree,” Gu Xiyan replied without hesitation, even smiling slightly. The smile made Ye Qinming’s chest itch with an unfamiliar feeling, but she forced herself to remain cold. 

“If you can’t please me, I might grow tired of you and break my promise.”

“Understood. You seem to have expended a lot of energy earlier. Do you need to rest?” Gu Xiyan asked gently, showing no fear despite having nearly died.

Ye Qinming realized that she hadn’t absorbed Gu Xiyan’s energy after all. In her panic, she had ended up giving her own energy to Gu Xiyan. The thought made her feel both humiliated and frustrated. With a cold snort, she vanished into her true form, the tea tree.

Gu Xiyan turned away, covering her mouth to stifle a laugh. Despite having just escaped death, she felt inexplicably happy, her eyes and brows softening with joy. But since Ye Qinming seemed to be sulking, she decided not to provoke her further. Besides, after such an event, it was time to leave.

***

After Ye Qinming left, the tea garden returned to its original state. Gu Ye and Xie Wan, who had been waiting outside, were pale with fear. The sight of the devastated garden nearly made them faint.

When Gu Xiyan emerged from the scattered tea leaves, her parents rushed to her, embracing her and weeping.

“Yan’er, you scared us to death! Thank goodness you’re safe,” they cried, checking her over and over, their hearts finally settling.

“We can’t stay here. Let’s go back. Ah Da, increase the guards around the young lady’s courtyard. Make sure they patrol day and night, and be on high alert for any disturbances,” Gu Ye ordered, quickly leading Gu Xiyan away.

Gu Ye’s brow was furrowed with worry. It had taken half an hour from the moment they heard something had happened in the tea garden until they could enter. During that time, they couldn’t see what was happening inside or rescue Gu Xiyan. This alone made it clear that whatever had threatened her was no ordinary being.

When they asked, Gu Xiyan didn’t hide the truth. 

“It wasn’t human. It was likely a snake demon. I wonder if it’s connected to the recent murders in Danyang City.”

Gu Ye didn’t dwell on that. Instead, he hesitated before asking, “If you encountered such a demon, how did you escape unharmed?”

Gu Xiyan paused for a moment before replying gently, “A benefactor of mine, also not human, helped me. Please don’t worry, Dad, Mom. I know what I’m doing.”

“Another demon? Will he harm you? That snake demon wanted to eat you. What if he—”

“Daddy, if she wanted to eat me, she could have done so earlier. Please don’t worry.”

Gu Ye and Xie Wan were at a loss for words. 

***

That night, as Gu Xiyan lay in bed, she couldn’t help but feel anxious. From what Ye Qinming had said, she understood that she had become a target for various spirits. She wasn’t worried about herself—life and death were fated, and being born with a spiritual body was her destiny. But her parents and the Gu family were innocent.

Her parents had only her as their daughter, which was already a misfortune. She couldn’t bear to see them endangered because of her.

But how could she protect her family from harm? This thought kept Gu Xiyan awake all night. She had never felt so unsettled before. No matter how calm she tried to be, the day’s events had deeply shaken her.

Ye Qinming’s desire for her spiritual energy had been real. In that moment, she had truly intended to kill her.

Yet… thinking of what happened after she woke up, Gu Xiyan felt her face grow warm and couldn’t help but smile. It seemed Ye Qinming couldn’t bring herself to kill her after all. Not only had she returned her spiritual energy, but she had also given some of her own.

This thought made Gu Xiyan worry about Ye Qinming. She had seemed weakened after the battle with the snake demon, and then she had transferred her own energy to Gu Xiyan. She wondered how Ye Qinming was faring now.

These thoughts lingered in her mind, leaving her restless. She woke up early the next morning.

Ah Da and the guards were stationed outside the courtyard, while Ah Qi and Xiao Wu, who had trained in martial arts since childhood, were resting in the outer room. Xiao Wu noticed when Gu Xiyan got up.

Hearing Xiao Wu call her softly, Gu Xiyan guessed that Ah Qi was still asleep and shook her head, signaling Xiao Wu to be quiet.

Xiao Wu glanced at the sleeping Ah Qi and sighed. She followed Gu Xiyan out, whispering, “My lady, you spoil Ah Qi too much.”

Gu Xiyan smiled. “I couldn’t sleep, so I woke up early. Let her rest a bit longer. If you’re still tired, go back to sleep. I can manage on my own.”

Xiao Wu shook her head firmly. “It’s not right for a servant to sleep while the lady tends to herself.”

Seeing that she couldn’t persuade her, Gu Xiyan let Xiao Wu assist her. After washing up, she said softly, “I’m going to the tea garden.”

Xiao Wu and Ah Da’s expressions changed. “My lady, the tea garden isn’t safe. Master has ordered you not to go there again.”

Gu Xiyan had expected this. She replied patiently, “I know what I’m doing. Right now, there’s no place safer than the tea garden.” Ah Da and Xiao Wu were puzzled, but Gu Xiyan simply smiled. “She’s there. No one will harm me.”

Ah Da knew someone had saved Gu Xiyan, so he hesitated. Xiao Wu, however, was confused. “Who?”

Gu Xiyan just smiled. “Trust me.”

***

When Gu Xiyan entered the tea garden, the broken branches and debris had been cleared away. She had instructed them not to disturb the remaining tea trees, so many stumps were still scattered throughout the garden.

She walked up to the tea tree she had been with earlier and touched its leaves. “Ah Da, how is this tea tree? Is it damaged? Are the leaves still healthy?”

Ah Da examined it carefully. “The tree isn’t damaged, but the leaves are yellowing and look a bit lifeless.”

Gu Xiyan’s expression tightened. She instructed Ah Da to fetch water and had the tree watered. She then whispered, “You can’t handle fertilizer, so you’ll have to recover slowly.”

The tea tree shook slightly, as if displeased. Gu Xiyan suppressed a smile and said nothing more.

Ah Da and Xiao Wu remained on high alert. Seeing how tense they were, Gu Xiyan couldn’t speak freely with Ye Qinming and decided to return home.

After the incident, Gu Ye and Xie Wan were still shaken. Gu Xiyan spent most of the day comforting them, only returning to her courtyard after dinner.

As she entered her room, Gu Xiyan paused. She turned to Xiao Wu and Ah Qi and said, “I’m tired. I’ll wash up myself. You two can rest now.”

Ah Qi was confused. “But, my lady—”

“It’s fine. Go on.”

Though Ah Qi found Gu Xiyan’s behavior odd, she left. 

Gu Xiyan closed the door, a slight smile on her lips. She whispered, “How are you recovering?”