Chapter 12: From Now On, Look Only at Me

Leng Qingqiu’s lips nearly brushed Chu Huaizhou’s earlobe, her icy breath chilling the air around them.
“Wait, wait! Qingqiu, let me explain—mmph!”
Before he could finish, Leng Qingqiu bit his lower lip!
Not a kiss, but a punitive nip, only releasing when she tasted rust, then tenderly licking away the crimson trace.

Cold sweat beaded on Chu Huaizhou’s forehead.
No way, not again! Can’t they just talk like normal people?
He’d been unsure before, but now it was clear: his eldest disciple, Leng Qingqiu, was a hardcore yandere.
This was a serious problem. How could he explain to avoid being… well, not just devoured but potentially worse?

His mind flashed to anime he’d watched before transmigrating—protagonists caught by yanderes after talking to other women, facing grim fates.
What to do, what to do?
He glanced at Bai Li in the corner, clearly sealed by some technique, useless for now.
His other disciples? Likely sent away by Leng Qingqiu.
He was… trapped.

As he scrambled for a plan, Leng Qingqiu pressed closer.
Her slender waist twisted, and she straddled his hips, her hands cupping his cheeks, forcing his gaze to hers.
Her usually cold phoenix eyes now burned with obsessive madness, her scorching stare almost searing him.
“Huaizhou…”
She murmured, her breathing quickening, nearly pressing herself against him.
“Do you know? Every time I see you close to someone else, my heart…”
She grabbed his hand, pressing it to her chest.
“…feels pierced by a thousand ice spikes.”

Chu Huaizhou clearly felt her racing heartbeat and… the fullness beneath her robes.
To an outsider, this might look like a lovers’ spat.
But as someone who’d binged yandere anime and novels, he knew her expression wasn’t jealousy—it was a bone-deep desire to possess him entirely.
He was certain he’d face something bad.
Like being locked in a sunless dungeon, helpless, reliant on her care.
No way. That couldn’t happen. There had to be a way out.

Sweating profusely, he forced himself to calm down, recalling how he’d steadied her earlier.
Right—talk about the past. If he couldn’t match her strength, he’d play the emotional card!
Yanderes often acted out from a lack of love. If he showed enough care, she might stabilize.
Time to gamble! Say something vague to hook her.

“Qingqiu… you’ve disappointed your master.”
Under this crisis, Chu Huaizhou’s acting skills shone.
His brows furrowed, his handsome face showing faint regret.

His words hit like a bucket of ice water.
Leng Qingqiu froze, her advance halting, her pupils contracting briefly.
Had Master regained his memories?
“What… what’s wrong, Huaizhou?”

It was working!
Seeing her pause, Chu Huaizhou suppressed his emotions, sighing with deeper regret.
“Even though you used to act cold, keeping everyone at arm’s length…”
“…I knew it was because you’d seen too much joy and sorrow, sealing yourself off. But deep down, you’re kind and reasonable.”
“When… did you become like this?”

Her heart wavered at his earnest words.
Her fingers trembled, the ice chains binding him loosening.
The madness in her eyes faded, and she truly looked at her Master.
Sunlight streamed through the window, gilding him in soft light.
His gaze held the tenderness from three hundred years ago when he taught her swordplay, the focus when he healed her wounds, and… the Master she cherished, always open-hearted to her.

Seeing her waver, Chu Huaizhou didn’t stop his verbal barrage. Breaking free of the weakened chains, he grasped her cold hands.
“Forget my amnesia—even if we’re dao companions, we should have basic trust!”
“I believe we’re dao companions, but you need to trust me too, okay?”
“Don’t do these unreasonable things. The Qingqiu I like wouldn’t act like this.”

“Huaizhou… I…”
Feeling the warmth from his hands and his sincere gaze, Leng Qingqiu—the Great Vehicle cultivator, the empress of the Cold Abyss Dynasty wielding life-and-death power—began to reflect on her actions.

She hadn’t always been like this. Initially, she was just curious about Master, wanting to understand him.
Why did he stay so warm despite her coldness and harsh words?
Over time, as she learned more, strange feelings grew.
Seeing him with other women made her chest tight.
When he didn’t pay attention to her or stay by her side, she felt empty, like something was missing.
Only later did she realize she’d fallen in love.

She started showing affection, seeking him out.
But then, he wasn’t as warm as before, dodging her advances.
Her suppressed emotions festered until his amnesia gave them an outlet.
All she wanted was for him to stop looking at others and focus only on her.
How had she become a petty opportunist, exploiting his weakness?

Seeing her at a critical point of doubt, Chu Huaizhou released her hands and pulled her into an embrace.
“You must be exhausted acting like this. I’m sorry, Qingqiu. From now on, you don’t need to keep up a serious front with me. Feel free to be yourself.”

Her body trembled. Despite her despicable actions, Master was still so kind…
Plop—
A tear splashed onto his shoulder.
He froze briefly, then smiled warmly, his hand stroking her cascading white hair.

Her voice, usually cold, trembled as she spoke.
“Fine, if you say I can be myself, I’ll believe you and Bai Li did nothing.”
“Good, I promise.”

Chu Huaizhou’s heart eased—he’d pulled it off.
But he knew this would only keep her tame briefly. Yanderes weren’t fixed overnight.
She’d need more “therapy” later.

“Huaizhou, from now on, don’t flirt with others or be alone with them. Look only at me, okay?”
“Sure… I promise…”

Uh-oh. This wasn’t good. He’d expected talk therapy to work briefly, but not this briefly!
Her words dripped with yandere vibes.
If he didn’t agree, her barely calmed emotions might erupt again.
No choice—he’d stabilize her now and deal with the rest later.