Xue Mei, her cheeks flushed with a mix of nervousness and embarrassment, spoke up hesitantly, "I wanted to ask—how can I split the medicinal properties during alchemy to create multiple pills at once? I've tried several times without success."
She felt a bit guilty, sneaking away from her best friend to seek guidance from her boyfriend. She worried that if he helped her, she might end up outperforming Lin Fei in their upcoming contest.
"You're being too hasty," Gu Changqing said, glancing at Xue Mei with a serious expression. "Splitting the medicinal properties isn't something you can achieve overnight. At the very least, you need to be able to refine ordinary pills effortlessly, just like your teacher and others."
"It's like learning numbers—you start with one, then move to two, then three, and so on. You haven't even mastered refining a basic first-grade pill before trying to split the medicinal power into multiple pills. It's simply not possible."
"However, there's a better approach. You can simplify the ingredients of a first-grade pill, start by refining a small portion according to the recipe, and gradually increase the quantity of ingredients based on your successful attempts. Eventually, you'll be able to refine a complete first-grade pill."
Xue Mei's eyes lit up with understanding, admiration sparkling in her gaze. She felt both enlightened and slightly embarrassed for not having realized this simple logic earlier.
"Got it. Thank you, Gu Changqing."
Excited by the new insight, she was eager to put it into practice.
"Wait," Gu Changqing called out as Xue Mei turned to leave.
"Hmm? Is there something else, Gu Changqing?" Xue Mei stopped and turned, her curiosity piqued.
"A verbal thank you isn't enough. My alchemy insights come with a price," Gu Changqing said with a playful smile, gently tilting her chin up and looking into her clear, star-like eyes.
"Gu—Gu Changqing, what do you want?" Xue Mei's heart raced as she quickly stepped back, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and anxiety. She hesitated, her voice trembling.
"Just call me something sweet as a token of thanks. How about that?" Gu Changqing suggested with a grin.
"Ah?!" Xue Mei thought to herself, "This guy really is a big flirt, just as Lin Fei said." Though she felt embarrassed, she wasn't angry, and the compliment made her feel oddly pleased.
"What do you want me to call you?" Xue Mei asked, her face red and avoiding eye contact, her voice barely above a whisper.
Gu Changqing smiled knowingly, realizing she was giving in.
"Call me 'husband,'" Gu Changqing whispered softly in her ear.
"No, no way!" Xue Mei jumped, her heart pounding so hard she felt it might burst from her chest. Her entire body tensed up in embarrassment.
"That term is too much. Can you pick another one?" she stammered.
"Alright, how about 'big brother'?" Gu Changqing proposed with a teasing smile.
Xue Mei had no way to refuse this time. She bit her lip, hesitated, and finally whispered, "Big brother."
Though it wasn't "husband," the term still made her feel deeply embarrassed.
"That was too quiet. I didn't hear you," Gu Changqing leaned in, pressing his ear closer.
"Big brother," Xue Mei repeated, her voice trembling with shyness.
"Not continuous. Try again," Gu Changqing encouraged, his face now almost touching hers.
"Big brother," Xue Mei said again, her voice trembling.
"No feeling. Try to sound more affectionate," Gu Changqing said, moving even closer.
"Big bro—mm—bro. Bad guy!" Xue Mei, trying to make her voice sound more affectionate, accidentally brushed her lips against Gu Changqing's cheek. Realizing what had happened, she was horrified and pushed him away, stomping her foot as she fled.
"Hahaha!" Gu Changqing's laughter followed her as she ran away.
"Scoundrel! I'll definitely tell Lin Fei to teach you a lesson!" Xue Mei mumbled angrily as she ran, furious at having her first kiss taken away by Gu Changqing's scheming.
She felt utterly cheated. Not only did she end up calling him "big brother" several times, but he also stole her first kiss. What a loss!