Wei Congling's bangs were too thick and obscured her eyes, but her slightly parted lips revealed her immense surprise.
"I haven't been good to you."
After a long pause, Wei Congling managed to utter a sentence.
Yan Jiaojiao smiled. "You must have overheard what happened at the door just now. At least you didn't intend to harm me, did you?"
Wei Congling fell silent. After a while, she said again, "Then I won't eat your food either."
Yan Jiaojiao nodded, unfolding the oil paper wrapped around the fried chicken. The aroma instantly filled the entire room.
Wei Congling swallowed, and a rumbling sound emanated from her stomach. She quickly pressed a hand to her abdomen.
Indeed, prolonged abstinence from food would lead to hunger.
"I see you lying down every day, but you've been diligently practicing your cultivation techniques, which must consume a lot of energy," Yan Jiaojiao said, opening a fragrant pastry and picking one up. "If you really don't want to eat, I'll eat it myself."
Wei Congling took a deep breath, decisively put on her shoes, got out of bed, and walked straight to the table. She snatched the pastry from Yan Jiaojiao's hand and stuffed it into her mouth, mumbling, "When you invite someone to eat, you should at least offer them a stool."
Yan Jiaojiao chuckled and, as instructed, got up to fetch a stool for the ravenously eating Wei Congling. Wei Congling no longer stood on ceremony, sitting down and eating even more conveniently.
The taste of food she hadn't eaten in a long time brought Wei Congling immense satisfaction.
Even immortals had appetites, let alone her, who was merely a seeker on the path of cultivation.
Yan Jiaojiao was confident that Wei Congling couldn't resist such delicacies.
By the time Wei Congling had almost cleared the table, Yan Jiaojiao picked up a pastry. It was the one Zhou Sze had given her.
"Hey, hey, this one is really good. Don't touch it, I want more," Wei Congling said, disregarding her image and even guarding her food.
Yan Jiaojiao reached around and smiled. "I'll just have this one to taste."
Wei Congling paused for a moment, then proceeded to finish the other food, saying, "I think you're acting strange. Your gaze just now was a bit, tsk, affectionate?"
Yan Jiaojiao looked at her, and indeed, her gaze was affectionate. She had lived for thousands of years, and Wei Congling was actually quite simple. In her eyes, she was just a sulky young girl, easily swayed by a meal.
Yan Jiaojiao offered no explanation, instead savoring the pastry in her hand. It melted in her mouth, rich and fragrant. It was indeed a delicious pastry, no wonder Zhou Sze had specially brought it from his hometown to Gunan Academy and kept it with him for snacking.
By the time Yan Jiaojiao slowly finished her pastry, Wei Congling had eaten everything on the table.
She let out a satisfied burp and leaned back in her chair, gazing out the window. Her eyes, hidden beneath her long bangs, shone with a bright light. It seemed she hadn't truly looked at the daytime scenery outside for a long time.
Because of Yan Jiaojiao's presence, her gloomy world seemed to have regained its light.
However, she felt a sense of bewilderment. Was this truly for the best?
Yan Jiaojiao remained silent, sitting with Wei Congling for a while.
It was Wei Congling who finally broke the silence, turning to Yan Jiaojiao and asking, "Is everything they said true? About what happened to you in the Yan family."
Yan Jiaojiao smiled. "Yes."
Wei Congling stared at her smile for a moment, finding no hint of coercion, then said, "You really are open-minded. When I heard them discussing it outside, they made it sound quite tragic."
"It's not tragic now," Yan Jiaojiao said calmly. "The past doesn't define anything. I am becoming stronger, and I will make them suffer even more in the future."
Wei Congling had never heard such words before and began to doubt herself.
Was her constant despair truly useful?
Yan Jiaojiao let the matter rest, allowing Wei Congling to ponder her words. She then rose and returned to her bed, resuming her cross-legged cultivation.
There was still one day before formal enrollment. She needed to use this time to clarify the circulating spiritual energy within her body and further enhance her cultivation.
Thanks to the effects of the Soul Devouring Grass, Yan Jiaojiao's spiritual energy became loose. She painstakingly purified and guided it, finally absorbing all the loosened spiritual energy by noon the next day, advancing her cultivation by another level to Orange Tier Two.
This speed was considered meteoric for ordinary cultivators, and even the original host had not possessed such ability.
However, after Yan Jiaojiao absorbed that portion of spiritual energy, the remaining spiritual energy became stagnant again, making it difficult to advance her cultivation at such a rapid pace.
Yan Jiaojiao was not satisfied with this progress. She slowly formed hand seals, intending to visit the Gunan Academy's Scripture Pavilion to explore, with half a day still remaining.
But when Yan Jiaojiao opened her eyes, she saw a blue-clad woman standing gracefully by the window. Her long hair was tied back, and her slightly longer bangs swayed with the breeze. Her features were delicate, her nose aquiline, and her lips slightly parted – a true beauty with a cool demeanor.
Yan Jiaojiao was momentarily stunned. Her first thought was that there were so many beauties in this world, and she, whose appearance hadn't fully matured, was struggling to keep up.
Then, Yan Jiaojiao reacted and tentatively asked the woman, "Wei Congling?"
Wei Congling turned her head, her full face even more captivating. She nodded at Yan Jiaojiao. "You've finished cultivating."
Yan Jiaojiao's words yesterday had given her a different perspective. Realizing that continuing to be dejected was not the answer, she had decided to pick herself up.
"Yes, it's done. You look very nice like this," Yan Jiaojiao praised sincerely.
Wei Congling touched her hair self-consciously. "I'm used to being lazy. Dressing so formally suddenly feels a bit unaccustomed."
"It really looks good," Yan Jiaojiao affirmed. "Perfect timing, do you want to go out with me? Gunan Academy is too vast, and there are many places I haven't familiarized myself with yet."
Wei Congling had no reason to refuse Yan Jiaojiao and nodded.
Yan Jiaojiao rose and pushed open the door. The midday sun was brilliant, instantly pouring onto Wei Congling, who instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes.
Standing openly in the sunlight was a familiar feeling to her, and from now on, she no longer wanted to hide from this radiant sunshine.
Yan Jiaojiao walked out first, followed slowly by Wei Congling.
Coincidentally, Wang Jingshuang also emerged from her room. She was surrounded by a group of sisters, as if they had just finished a tea party indoors.
Upon seeing Yan Jiaojiao and Wei Congling, their faces, besides surprise, all showed expressions of displeasure.
Wang Jingshuang first glared at Yan Jiaojiao, then looked disdainfully at Wei Congling and spoke first, "Wei Congling? I can't believe you dare to leave your room. Aren't you afraid Tang Xiye will trouble you again?"
As if stung by the name "Tang Xiye," a shadow flickered across Wei Congling's pale face.
Although it was fleeting, Yan Jiaojiao keenly noticed it and couldn't help but retort to Wang Jingshuang, "What's it to you?"