A head of silver hair tilts to the side, Chao Bao listens carefully for that familiar rustle of expensive cotton. How leather boots clop along her halls with the gait of a nobleman, beside him she heard the wind move aside for an additional body complaining. When the two wind blockers stop outside her quarters, she lowers the teacup she had raised a second ago in time for a knock on the door. "Junior sister, it's us again." "...Enter." Since that day they had stolen her basket of seaberries from her, for some reason or another Jiang Tengyi would come find her with a tail in toil. It was not unusual for Jiang Tengyi to come and check in on her every day whenever he was in the sect as he has a rather good heart.
But for Da Chuanli to come every day as well? Chao Bai felt more and more restless each time he did so, yet on the surface she continued to show nothing to the silver dragon who surrounded her with his searing breath. "Junior sister, are you making tea again? What if you burn yourself?" A light breeze coming from her side indicated the two took familiar seats across from her. So, Chao Bai's brow twitched yet she calmly settled the cup on the table soothing her agitation. "Engraved in my bones, my body will not allow me to make a mistake from habits born over several years. I do not bend like bonsai nor do I flourish in an environment lacking my nutrients, asking for the blood in my veins but disdaining the bones is a sin." Being chided by the young woman once Jiang Tengyi naturally could not discipline her again even if he was anxious about his sightless junior hurting herself without supervision.
"Lady Chao Bai likes the art of tea?" Chao Bai hesitated to answer and opted for silence but Jiang Tengyi did not share her reservations. "Not only does junior sister like it, she's an enthusiast. I do admit out of everyone I've seen, junior sister is the most natural and beautiful when preparing tea." Da Chuanli finding his comments contradicting, sent his friend a teasing glance which made the other touch his nose slightly with a hint of embarrassment. "-But that does not stop the worry I feel when seeing a blind patient near hot coals and metal." "Then, may I have the honor of tasting the lady's tea?" Chao Bai quietly lifted her cup again, rejecting his joke by playing deaf despite the kindness in his tone which still made her stomach churn slightly. I've never served you in my previous life, why should I serve you now?
Seeming to not mind her actions he chuckled softly, it tickled her heart slightly but otherwise, Chao Bai turned aside so he couldn't see the fluctuations in her expression. "If the lady serves me tea, I think that my mind will be about made up soon." Both Jiang Tengyi and Chao Bai froze up and a notable silence fills the gap. "What are your intentions?" Since he had arrived, no one had prompted him to accept their conditions nor asked him if he had come to a decision or not. To mention it out of the blue, Chao Bai had an inking this man was playing tricks again. Just like when they were children. But unlike their master, Jiang Tengyi was not only entirely biased towards one side, but he also knew the playful nature of his friend all too well.
Sitting up straighter to narrow his eyes at Da Chuanli with a subtle layered warning within. "Do you understand what it means when a woman from our sect serves tea to an outsider?" Chao Bai lowered her head allowing him to shield her in this manner. Da Chuanli too lowers his head with a faint smile on his lips, never panicking despite the unfriendliness Jiang Tengyi displayed. I think I know what it was my master and King Feng intended now, it's a rather childish view of things though. "Naturally." Unexpectedly, Wang Lan Biyu snapped her head up to look at the grown Ling Da Chuanli, her breath somewhat choked back. Whether it was out of anger or, or something else she did not know. She only knew she felt strange and upset she was being played by him again.
After so many years apart, did his temper continue to worsen instead of becoming better? Despite being frank about his intentions Da Chuanli still wore that same smile on his face leading Jiang Tengyi to not trust him at all. "Ling Da Chuanli, this is my junior sister, not some random passerby. To be completely honest with you I don't believe it." He knew Da Chuanli enough to know that his friend wasn't someone moved by beauty or pure emotions. And his delicate junior sister had both of these qualities, not to say it was all she was. However, his junior sister is fragile both physically and emotionally and required a sincere soul.
If given to the heartless Da Chuanli to govern, Jiang Tengyi frowned to himself unable to bear even imagining her fate. Da Chuanli never was one to take others' opinions besides his elder brother's and master's and be considerate of them. "It is not your decision to make." Being spoken to so dismissively Jiang Tengyi was even more unhappy and addressed his junior sister who was facing Da Chuanli with a seemingly blank expression. "Junior sister just treat it as a joke." "Indeed, I'll treat it as the biggest joke I've ever heard." Satisfied with this Jiang Tengyi settled down only to become anxious again when Da Chuanli raised his head to also meet her blind stare.
"Lady Chao Bai, I devoted myself to my sword and cultivation and I am bound to follow the heartless Dao the same as my elder brother bound to never take a consort my entire life on this land. It is true I'm not moved by you, but are you not the same?" Chao Bai smiled at him coldly "And what is your point? What benefits can this give me other than making people laugh at our doomed ordained fate?" "You say you do not have long to live, and I am also fated to live a long life without someone by my side. How about we come to a compromise?" Da Chuanli with the tongue of a snake but the aura of a dragon utters humorously.
"-For as long as you have left to live I will be someone who will always put you first, whether it be the death of a friend or foe I will do it all for you. And in return, when it comes time for you to do your fated duty, I can be free to follow the heartless Dao without regretting never having experienced such a role." As soon as those words left his lips Da Chuanli's clothes and face were drenched in bone-chilling tea eliciting a chuckle from his lips again. Wiping the tea from his face he smiled dotingly at the woman who had gone red out of humiliation. Jiang Tengyi was also slightly wet as a bystander and didn't dare dodge in the face of his junior sister's rage. For once, he regretted being friends with such a heartless and callous person. "Get out."
Her fingertips encased in shimmering icicles, her hair slightly rising in her fury, lips curled into half a snarl like a furious fairy. He was truly rotten to the core. Worse than a beast. Offering such a ridiculous thing to her without knowing anything. Since then and even now, the lives of others were still a game to him. And it seemed despite the years separating them tormenting her was still his favorite pastime. Without knowing why her tear ducts felt sore when thinking of the past Chao Bai swallows those feelings and pushes them as far as she can into her gut. He knew nothing. He knew nothing and yet managed to be so cruel without a care.
Her lips tremble as she utters without being able to stop the aggravation her insides are experiencing "You're as heartless as ever." Da Chuanli ignorant of her feelings directly asked her while peering at her distorted features methodically "So we have met before?" Unable to bear it anymore Chao Bai stood calling out directly to the people holding their breaths outside. "Come and retrieve your young patriarch and his companion. From now on, unless it is a life or death situation my courtyard is closed to all visitors." As she turned to enter her bedroom his voice entered her ears from behind casually. "Whether you wish for it or not, the day I return and propose this to my master, it will happen." Fingers holding the frame of her door faltered slightly before they released like having disposed of all her previous anger just moments ago.
"Then show me your immortal resolve and continue to wait for my answer even in our next lives."