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Shen Qingqiu is very popular, not only with the peak lords, but also within the disciples.
During the training of that day, Shen Qingqiu was suddenly called by Yue Qingyuan so he left putting Luo Binghe in charge of supervising the others. While he was helping a fellow disciple, he couldn’t help but notice a group of girls huddled together, whispering and blushing about something. He didn’t think much of it until he clearly heard the words “Shizun” and “handsome” in the same sentence. At that moment, his attention shifted completely to their conversation, approaching discreetly to listen.
“I knew I wasn’t the only one who thought that” one of the girls whispered “the other day when he was correcting my stance, I got so nervous… I really hope he didn´t notice” her shy expression made her feelings of embarrassment painfully obvious. The other girls nodded showing empathy.
Luo Binghe didn’t know how to feel about this. He was very conscious of his Shizun’s beauty and it would be hypocritical to say he had never gotten lost in his imagination because of it. His beauty was boundless, the way he looks at you made it impossible to look away, his straight nose, his thin lips curving into a faint smile whenever you did something correctly, his smooth hair falling on his shoulders, sometimes slipping across his delicate face when he leaned in to say something.
His fists tightened behind his back, heat rising to his cheeks.
There was no escape.
Luo Binghe was truly doomed.
His flushed self was about to run way from there when he suddenly heard a familiar voice approaching.
“I remember you that you are in the middle of training. Unless you want to be punished, I suggest you return to your positions at once.” His voice echoed in the disciples’ minds, kind yet firm, making them feel ashamed for their frivolous thoughts.
When they saw the owner of the voice, the group of girls immediately dispersed, leaving behind a visible figure of his favorite disciple.
“Luo Binghe” Shen Qingqiu said in that elegant tone of his, fanning himself lightly as he walked closer. “Fortunately, I wasn’t delayed too long, the sect leader only wanted to—” he suddenly stopped, lowering his fan to reveal a look of concern and confusion.
The next action sent chills down Binghe’s spine. Shen Qingqiu raised his hand and pressed the back of it against his forehead. To be sure of something, he touched his cheeks, then the side of his neck.
“Are you sick? Your face is red and your skin feels hot. You should go lie down for a while.”
“The weather is just too hot!” Binghe blurted out. “Y-yes, that’s it,” he stammered, quickly averting his gaze.
Despite his words, Shen Qingqiu couldn’t hide the worry in his eyes. “If it’s too much, rest,” he said gently, his expression softening with clear affection. “I’ll catch you up on the training when you feel better.” With that, he gave a faint smile, which he immediately hid behind his fan.
Luo Binghe lowered his gaze again, feeling his face burn as his head filled with thoughts he couldn’t sort out.
I can’t calm down if you keep looking me like that. You care about me… but not in the way I want you to.
When he dared to glance up, he noticed the same girls from before whispering as they stared at his Shizun.
That couldn’t be allowed.
Luo Binghe couldn’t let anyone else set their eyes on him, he had to make everything possible for them to understand.
He tightened his fists behind his back and with a forced calm smile he said “Don’t worry, Shizun. I think I already feel better.”
At that moment, a single thought consumed Luo Binghe. He would stop at nothing to prove that he was the only one deserving of Shen Qingqiu.
Days after that incident, Luo Binghe heard about a plan from one of the girls. From what he gathered, she intended to approach Shizun through food by waking up early to prepare breakfast and delivering it to him as a courtesy.
Unfortunately for her, when she arrived with the meal she had prepared and approached the Bamboo House, she found Luo Binghe already walking out, carrying a tray identical to hers, but with empty dishes.
His eyes fell on her tray, then on her. Without a word, he stepped closer until he stood in front of her. His presence alone was so overwhelming her blood froze, and the hands holding the tray began to tremble.
Luo Binghe smiled politely and walked past; certain his message had been delivered.
Shizun only eats what this disciple prepares for him.
Situations like that repeated themselves time and again. Anyone who tried to get close to Shen Qingqiu inevitably found Luo Binghe already there, intercepting them before they had the chance.
Unfortunately, all these interventions consumed a lot of time, and his training was not progressing as expected. Ning Yingying improved greatly and was receiving many praises from Shizun.
Luo Binghe couldn’t focus.
His eyes drifted toward his Shizun over and over, his expression complicated. His thoughts spun restlessly, searching for a solution, until his distraction caused his guard to falter and he was struck in the head.
The pain came suddenly, one moment he was staring at his Shizun, the next he was on the ground, blood dripping down his face.
It didn’t take long before Shen Qingqiu rushed to his side. “What happened here? Are you all right, Luo Binghe?” His hands cupped Binghe’s face, his eyes scanning for the source of the blood. When his gaze landed on Binghe’s lips, Luo Binghe could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears from the tension.
“Your lip is split. Come with me to the Bamboo House, I’ll treat you.” Shen Qingqiu’s worried tone was impossible to miss. “Can you stand?” When Binghe didn’t answer quickly enough, Shen Qingqiu supported him by the waist, lifting him up in front of everyone.
And at that moment, something became clear to all.
Regardless of anyone else’s efforts, Luo Binghe could never be replaced.
In Shen Qingqiu’s eyes, he would always be his favorite.