After they left, only Su Luo Wei and Meng Shuying remained in the Disciplinary Hall.
Su Luo Wei handed the broken hairpin to Meng Shuying, but Meng Shuying didn't take it.
"I've punished you with a month of confinement. Do you blame me?"
Meng Shuying shook her head. "This matter was partly my fault."
Even if it wasn't, she would never blame her Senior Sister.
Su Luo Wei smiled softly, then tossed the broken hairpin aside. She pulled a white jade hairpin from her own hair and walked over to Meng Shuying, intending to fix her hair.
Her hair was so black and smooth, like the finest silk, that it was difficult to gather without some effort.
Su Luo Wei's fingers wrapped around the strands, twisting them into a neat coil before securing them with the jade hairpin.
Her slender fingers moved deftly through Meng Shuying's hair, and each brush of her hand against Meng Shuying's neck brought a gentle coolness, like fine jade—clear and smooth, evoking a desire to hold it close.
The intimacy of the gesture made Meng Shuying want to lose herself in it completely, with no thought of pulling away.
After finishing the bun, Su Luo Wei gently pushed a stray lock of hair behind Meng Shuying's ear.
Even such a casual touch caused Meng Shuying to catch her breath.
Instinctively, she reached out, her fingers lightly resting on Su Luo Wei's wrist.
It was then that Su Luo Wei noticed how warm Meng Shuying's skin was, like a small furnace.
So, she had been right.
Meng Shuying was close to breaking through.
From the moment she saw Meng Shuying today, Su Luo Wei had noticed her unstable aura. Initially, she thought it was due to the fight with Ning Yutao, but even after some time had passed, Meng Shuying's aura remained unsettled.
Su Luo Wei suspected she was on the verge of reaching Foundation Establishment.
Wen Miaomiao had managed to reach Foundation Establishment in less than two years, so Meng Shuying, being one of the major antagonists in the original story, likely had comparable talent.
Su Luo Wei turned Meng Shuying's hand over, her fingers lightly touching her wrist, and used her spiritual energy to carefully examine Meng Shuying's body.
Meng Shuying didn't resist, standing quietly as Su Luo Wei inspected her.
"You're close to breaking through," Su Luo Wei said.
Meng Shuying's spiritual energy was abundant, clearly accumulated over a long period. Su Luo Wei couldn't understand why she was suppressing herself and delaying her advancement.
"Yes," Meng Shuying replied, lowering her eyes.
A year ago, she had already shown signs of breaking through, but she had concealed it well, and no one had noticed.
No one except her Senior Sister.
Only her Senior Sister would observe her so closely.
"Then why…" Su Luo Wei was puzzled.
Breaking through to Foundation Establishment would raise Meng Shuying's status within the sect, granting her access to beginner-level techniques and the distribution of spirit stones to aid in her cultivation.
Meng Shuying's eyelids fluttered, as if she didn't want to answer this question.
Back when they lived together on Yanmo Peak, similar situations would often arise.
Meng Shuying was like a clam, reluctant to express her inner thoughts.
Su Luo Wei would have to press her gently, coaxing her to open up, though often with some reluctance.
But Su Luo Wei didn't rush her, simply standing by, watching in silence, applying gentle pressure.
After a long pause, Meng Shuying finally answered, "Because… during Foundation Establishment, you need someone you trust to watch over you."
Foundation Establishment was the first major hurdle on the path of cultivation. During this time, a cultivator was utterly defenseless, as vulnerable as a newborn. Any disturbance could be fatal.
Most cultivators would have a teacher or trusted friend watch over them during this process.
For those without a watcher, the alternative was to find a secluded, faraway place, far from others, to undergo Foundation Establishment alone.
Meng Shuying wasn't allowed to leave Qingxu Sect freely, so she couldn't find a quiet place to undergo Foundation Establishment. And she didn't trust her master or senior sisters at Qionghua Peak, which is why her breakthrough had been delayed.
Judging by Jiang Ye's attitude toward Meng Shuying earlier, Su Luo Wei could guess the kind of treatment she faced at Qionghua Peak. She didn't waste time asking useless questions and instead directly asked, "Why didn't you go to Xie Hanzhu?"
Before Su Luo Wei went into seclusion, she had considered the possibility that Meng Shuying might not be well-treated at Qionghua Peak and would have no one to watch over her during Foundation Establishment. She had specifically instructed Xie Hanzhu to take care of her.
"Senior Sister Xie is very kind, but at that time, she was also preparing to go into seclusion…"
"With Xie Hanzhu's nature, she would have arranged everything properly even if she was about to go into seclusion."
Hearing Su Luo Wei's rebuttal, Meng Shuying's face showed a subtle change.
Yes, Xie Hanzhu was kind, familiar, and trustworthy.
Although she was about to go into seclusion, she had made all the necessary arrangements beforehand.
—She had entrusted Meng Shuying to Wen Miaomiao, who had already reached Foundation Establishment.
No one knew, but in the entire Qingxu Sect, the only person Meng Shuying truly disliked was Wen Miaomiao.
She disliked her so much that she would never seek her out.
But that was only one reason.
The other reason was the uncontrollable, unspoken, often maddening longing Meng Shuying had harbored during Su Luo Wei's three years of seclusion.
She missed her Senior Sister terribly.
She missed the days they spent together on Yanmo Peak.
Perhaps it was because those days had been too blissful that her current life felt so unbearable.
Meng Shuying lowered her eyes, and a sickly darkness slowly filled them.
How she wished… her Senior Sister felt the same… with the same wild emotions.
But…
Breathing in the scent of lilies of the valley that was unique to Su Luo Wei, Meng Shuying's eyes cleared slightly.
Her Senior Sister had so many people by her side— the Sect Master, Xie Hanzhu, and even Wen Miaomiao…
She would never be the most important one.
Yet even so, she still hoped that her Senior Sister would be with her during her Foundation Establishment.
The Senior Sister she trusted wholeheartedly and without reservation.
Seeing Meng Shuying purse her lips and remain silent, Su Luo Wei sighed softly, "Since things have come to this, you might as well break through during your confinement. I'll watch over you."
Meng Shuying's eyes lit up, her gaze brightening with joy, her tone much lighter. "Is that really okay? Wouldn't that trouble you too much, Senior Sister?"
Su Luo Wei smiled helplessly, "You've waited all this time without advancing, wasn't that your plan all along?"
Meng Shuying felt a surge of happiness but didn't dare show it openly, lowering her head as she smiled to herself.
The place where confinements were served in the Disciplinary Hall was in the back mountain, in a separate cave. Since Meng Shuying would be there for a full month, Su Luo Wei told her to return to her quarters and gather anything she might need.
Wen Miaomiao had been waiting on the steps of the Disciplinary Hall for a long time, so bored that she started yawning. When she saw the door open and someone emerge, her eyes lit up, and she rushed over.
"Senior Sister Luo Wei, how did it go inside?" She hadn't finished her sentence before noticing Meng Shuying following behind Su Luo Wei.
Seeing that Meng Shuying was unharmed, Wen Miaomiao beamed and said to Su Luo Wei, "I knew it! With you handling it, everything would be fine."
Her tone was warm and familiar, completely oblivious to the fact that Meng Shuying, behind Su Luo Wei, had already changed her expression.
Why was Wen Miaomiao so clingy with her Senior Sister?
Wen Miaomiao smiled brightly, and Su Luo Wei couldn't resist poking her in the forehead. "It's all thanks to your timely report."
Wen Miaomiao, who seemed used to being poked, covered her forehead and dodged away.
Seeing how close the two were, Meng Shuying's expression darkened further.
To be fair, Wen Miaomiao wasn't a bad person—she was cheerful and kind-hearted. Even though Meng Shuying didn't like her, she couldn't find any real fault with her.
But Meng Shuying's dislike of her had nothing to do with her character.
She simply didn't like that after Wen Miaomiao appeared, she had stolen her Senior Sister away.
The Sect Master was her Senior Sister's aunt, and Xie Hanzhu was her close friend. It was natural for them to be close to her.
But why Wen Miaomiao?
Why did her Senior Sister favor her so much after she arrived?
If it weren't for her, three years ago, she would have become a disciple of Yanmo Peak.
Then she wouldn't have been separated from her Senior Sister for three years.
As Meng Shuying thought about this, her heart grew heavier, and the air around her became increasingly oppressive.
Cultivators had heightened senses, and Su Luo Wei, having spoken just a few words with Wen Miaomiao, could already feel the shift in the atmosphere behind her. She turned to look at Meng Shuying, who indeed didn't look well.
Su Luo Wei knew that Meng Shuying wasn't good at socializing, but Wen Miaomiao was the protagonist of the story, the true chosen one. Getting along with her would only be beneficial.
If Meng Shuying could establish a good relationship with her, perhaps in the future, if they ever came to blows, Wen Miaomiao might spare Meng Shuying out of old friendship.
With this in mind, Su Luo Wei was even more determined to encourage Meng Shuying to interact more with Wen Miaomiao.
She placed a hand on Meng Shuying's shoulder, gently pulling her forward, and said with a smile, "This is Wen Miaomiao. You climbed Wenxian Terrace together."
Feeling the weight on her shoulder, Meng Shuying's expression darkened even more, her mood sinking further.
Su Luo Wei pretended not to notice her stiffness and pulled Wen Miaomiao closer, saying, "You two know each other, right? Xie Hanzhu mentioned that you interacted a few times while I was in seclusion."
"We do." Wen Miaomiao nodded eagerly, ignoring Meng Shuying's dark expression, and greeted her with a smile, "It's been a while, Junior Sister Shuying."
Meng Shuying barely managed to force a smile in return.
"You're close in age; you should spend more time together," Su Luo Wei suggested before adding, "It was Wen Miaomiao who informed me that you were in the Disciplinary Hall today."
Meng Shuying's expression stiffened, and under Su Luo Wei's prompting gaze, she reluctantly said, "Thank you, Senior Sister Wen."
In the past, whenever Wen Miaomiao tried to approach Meng Shuying, she was always coldly ignored. Today, even though she was reluctant, she still managed to thank her, which Wen Miaomiao found amusing. She corrected her with a smile, "You don't need to be so formal. Since we entered the sect together, I've heard from Senior Sister Xie that you're a month younger than me. So technically, you should call me Senior Sister."
Meng Shuying shot her a sidelong glance and said nothing.
Wen Miaomiao didn't mind her lack of response.
She turned back to Su Luo Wei and mentioned that the Sect Master had sent word for Su Luo Wei to meet her at Mingguang Palace after finishing her duties at the Disciplinary Hall.
Worried that Zhan Xuehan might have something urgent, Su Luo Wei immediately flew off on her sword, not forgetting to remind the two to spend more time together before she left.
Wen Miaomiao cheerfully linked arms with Meng Shuying, promising Su Luo Wei that she would work on building their friendship.
Reluctant to make a scene in front of Su Luo Wei, Meng Shuying didn't refuse, but as soon as Su Luo Wei flew away, she shook off Wen Miaomiao's hand and walked off alone, her face cold.
Wen Miaomiao watched her retreating figure, a thoughtful smile playing on her lips, as she murmured something to herself.
Her voice was so soft that the wind carried her words away as soon as she spoke, leaving no one to hear them.
If Xiao Ba had been there and heard what Wen Miaomiao said, it would have been scared out of its wits.
What she said was, "It seems this time… Xiao Ba didn't disappoint me."