Chapter 26: A Qixi Surprise

Qíng Shíqīng, creeping stealthily with a hunched back, felt a surge of delight upon realizing her Master was still resting upstairs.

“What are you up to now?”

Just as she prepared to act, an Immortal Sword materialized from the void, whispering its question.

“Shh!”

The green-robed cultivator quickly raised a hand to silence the sword.

“Speak only when spoken to, don’t ruin my plans.”

“Last time you stole her nightclothes; what is it this time?”

“Ahem, ahem, when a disciple acts, can it truly be called stealing?”

Qíng Shíqīng coughed awkwardly a couple of times, adopting the air of a righteous cultivator, and with a sweep of her hand, summoned two golden rays of light to thoroughly shroud the small building.

“Today is that Qixi Festival she mentioned, and I thought I’d give her a surprise.”

“You still remember that calendar?”

“How could I ever forget?”

The green-robed cultivator proudly puffed out her slightly undulating chest, then began to conjure clouds and rain.

“Just make sure you two don’t disturb the mortal realm; cleaning up your messes always exhausts me.”

The Immortal Sword grumbled with a hint of resentment, then cleaved through the void and swiftly departed.

“It’s not your Master I’m sleeping with, why so much chatter?”

Qíng Shíqīng pouted, watching the sword leave.

In truth, she preferred to call Qíngyǔ by another name, but ever since their relationship was confirmed, Qíngyǔ would fly into a rage every time she used it, then promptly kick her out of the house.

If she wished to avoid sleeping alone for a year, it was best to observe some rules.

Her beloved had always cherished the rain, a detail Qíng Shíqīng never forgot, and her clandestine preparations for this Qixi Festival were solely to present Qíngyǔ with a surprise.

However, Qíngyǔ seemed to consistently dislike the surprises Qíng Shíqīng gave her; whenever matters concerning her previous lives were brought up, Qíngyǔ would invariably blush furiously before erupting in a fit of temper.

“Hehehehehe.”

It was truly wonderful, her tiny Master, trembling with impatience at the slightest tease.

Just imagining the scene made Qíng Shíqīng’s heart feel as though a kitten were playfully scratching at it.

“Little Girl? What are you doing?”

“N-nothing at all!”

The green-robed cultivator, startled by the sudden voice, quickly halted her cloud-conjuring, taking a step through the void to appear behind Qíngyǔ.

Qíngyǔ had woken up a little groggy, immediately hearing the thunder outside, and upon peering out, saw her disciple once again engaged in some suspicious mischief.

“Oh, Master, why are you up so early today?”

Qíng Shíqīng immediately reached out and draped her arm over her Master’s soft shoulder, gently kneading it.

“I haven’t even dressed properly, what mischievous schemes are you concocting now?”

Qíngyǔ was clad only in a single garment, much of her skin exposed, her hair disheveled, and a few tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes.

Witnessing this, Qíng Shíqīng found her desire impossible to suppress; she swiftly bent down, first kissing the corner of Qíngyǔ’s eye, delicately sweeping away the teardrops.

“What are you doing? I’m telling you now, I absolutely will not wear those clothes you brought back last time.”

Suspiciously, Qíngyǔ pushed Qíng Shíqīng away, shifting to a short distance, and tightened her clothes to conceal her exposed pale skin.

“Ahem, it’s not about that…”

“There’s something else?!”

“Ahem.”

Qíng Shíqīng gazed wistfully at her Master, who was already showing signs of bristling, and couldn’t help but recall the blissful days before their relationship was confirmed, when she could kiss and touch as she pleased.

“Just say what you mean.”

With a face darkened by exasperation, Qíngyǔ gestured, summoning her clothes, and with a snap of her fingers, they settled onto her body.

“Hey, hey, hey, let’s talk properly; don’t just put on clothes at the drop of a hat!”

“Hm?!”

This rascal, three days without a beating and they’re ready to tear down the roof tiles.

Qíngyǔ grabbed a handful of Qíng Shíqīng’s hair, twisting it firmly until her disciple’s urgent expression turned into a plea for mercy before finally letting go.

“Speak, what exactly do you want?”

“N-nothing much, it’s just Qixi Festival today, isn’t it?”

The green-robed cultivator rubbed her hands, her gaze flickering, and pointed outside.

“I saw it raining again, so I thought I’d invite Master to join me for some brewed wine… tea to enjoy the rain.”

“You still remember this day.”

Qíngyǔ felt a touch of sentimentality; a festival and calendar she had casually mentioned for the sake of raising a child, and this person remembered it so clearly.

“Of course, I remember!”

Come to think of it, this was indeed their first Qixi since they settled down; a small celebration might not be so bad.

Seeing that Qíngyǔ hadn’t bristled at the mention of the festival, Qíng Shíqīng felt both relieved and a touch of regret.

“What are you regretting?”

Noticing the disappointed expression on the person beside her, Qíngyǔ felt a wave of indignant shame wash over her; she knew exactly what Qíng Shíqīng was thinking.

“Nothing, nothing! I’ll go brew the tea right away!” Qíng Shíqīng, sensing trouble, quickly vanished into the void outside, her voice carrying back, “Master, please come out soon!”

How adorable.

Waving her hand to conjure a small table and teacups, the green-robed cultivator secretly glanced back inside the house, feeling immensely satisfied.

Before long, Qíngyǔ finally composed herself and emerged, her expression as cool and serene as ever, still wearing her old daoist robe.

But she had applied a touch of light makeup?!

Qíng Shíqīng keenly noticed this detail, her heart swelling with even greater joy; she quickly led Qíngyǔ to sit down and meticulously offered her the ‘wine’.

“Master, please enjoy your tea.”

“How thoughtful of you.”

Qíngyǔ, not thinking much of it, accepted the cup Qíng Shíqīng presented with both hands, then took a delicate sip.

‘Not bad, this wine tastes quite good.’

Qíngyǔ took another sip; the subtle plum flavor, mingled with the sharp tang of alcohol, seemed to accommodate her low tolerance for spirits.

‘?’

‘Wait.’

“Pah! How is this tea?!”

Seeing her plan succeed, Qíng Shíqīng gleefully wiped away the wine Qíngyǔ had spat onto her, then, before Qíngyǔ’s eyes, swallowed it all.

Throughout this, Qíngyǔ’s previously composed, aloof expression completely crumbled, a flush of crimson instantly creeping up her cheeks.

“Qíng! Shí! Qīng!!”

Upon seeing this, Qíng Shíqīng quickly moved forward, embracing her trembling, enraged Master, and then kissed her lips.

Qíngyǔ flailed her hands like a rabbit, resisting with muffled sounds for a moment, but ultimately couldn’t fend off her disciple’s tongue.

Her head, already fuzzy from the wine, soon slumped ungracefully into her disciple’s fervent embrace.

“You… you… you’re…”

“A rebellious disciple, you say? I prefer Master to call me by that *other* name, you know?”

Qíng Shíqīng would never let such an opportunity slip; she skillfully reached out, dismantling Qíngyǔ’s already minimal defenses, and found herself delighted once more.

“Eh? Today, you’re going commando?”

“Sh-shut up!”

“Master doesn’t dislike this kind of fun, does she?”

“I told you to… mmph…”

‘Shut up, then. I’m the best at shutting up.’

Deepening the kiss, Qíng Shíqīng then lifted her head to wipe away the saliva clinging to the corner of her lips, before leaning closer to Qíngyǔ, gently exhaling onto her small earlobe.

“Don’t… touch my ears…”

Having been kissed several times in quick succession, Qíngyǔ’s mind had turned utterly muddled, and with her earlobe suddenly assaulted, she became a lamb awaiting slaughter.

“Madame, it’s late, time to return to our room and rest.”

“You… you…”

“Or shall we stay here?”

“Per-vert!”

This was no longer a matter of seeking Qíngyǔ’s opinion; like a shelled creature, she was utterly defenseless.

In truth, Qíngyǔ had originally intended to perform the ‘threading a needle under moonlight reflected in water’ (TL Note: A Qixi Festival tradition where maidens demonstrate their needlework skills by threading a needle under the moon’s reflection in water, praying for a good husband and fortune) ritual for Qíng Shíqīng, then naturally indulge in some activities she also enjoyed.

Alas, that opportunity was lost.

The clouds and rain conjured by Qíng Shíqīng, an immortal of the terrestrial realm, were naturally extraordinary; if she so wished, they could easily persist for a *yuánhuì* (TL Note: A cosmic epoch, traditionally 129,600 years long).

The small building swayed in wind and rain, begging the question: who would celebrate Qixi tonight?