For the next few days, Li Yuan rarely stepped out of his guest room.
He would occasionally come downstairs for lunch, and he was always on time for dinner in the dining room. However, he would return to his room immediately after eating, even setting aside his habit of strolling through the back garden.
Setis sat on the sofa in the living room, a book in her hand that she had barely flipped through. Her gaze drifted toward the stairs from time to time. Mila—who had come by again today to help herself to snacks and drinks—held a glass of juice as she sat opposite her. Following Setis's gaze, Mila couldn't help but let out a snicker.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.” Setis retracted her gaze, but she began flipping through the pages of her book rapidly, trying to use the sound to mask her guilt.
Mila bit her straw, simply watching her with a beaming smile.
In the half-hour since she had arrived, Setis had glanced at those stairs no less than ten times... As her best friend, Mila could only silently offer her blessings.
Deciding to give Setis some space to make her move, Mila finished her drink and made a prompt exit.
After Mila left, Setis set her book on the coffee table and headed up to the second floor. Her pace slowed as she passed the guest room door. Light was peeking through the crack at the bottom. She hesitated at the door for a moment, raising her hand to knock, but she pulled it back just as it was about to touch the wood. She turned away, returning to her own room with a look of disappointment.
This state of affairs continued for three or four days. Setis kept a close eye on the guest room every day, but she never saw Li Yuan come out of his own accord. She couldn't help but replay the conversation they’d had in the back garden that night, her heart growing increasingly heavy with worry.
Had she been too harsh? Had her selfishness made him find her annoying? Or did he simply dislike people who were too pushy?
All sorts of thoughts filled Setis’s simple mind, causing the quality of her sleep to plummet over the last few days.
On the evening of the fifth day, Setis didn't return to her room to study magic theory as usual after dinner. Instead, she lingered in the living room for quite a while. Once her mother and Reinhardt had gone upstairs, her father had retreated to his study, and the servants had finished clearing the dishes, she took a deep breath. She climbed the stairs and arrived at the guest room door. After days of inner struggle, she finally summoned the courage to knock.
“Come in.”
Li Yuan was sitting at the desk, which was covered in sheets of yellow paper. He held a fine brush in his hand and was drawing something on one of the sheets. Seeing that it was Setis at the door, he set the brush down and stood up.
“Miss Setis, is there something you need?”
Setis stood in the doorway, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes. She opened her mouth, trying several times before finally squeezing out a sentence: “That night... in the garden...”
Li Yuan tilted his head, looking at the bashful girl with confusion. This was quite different from the usual Setis.
“What I said was a bit much.” She lowered her head, her voice soft and halting.
“I—I shouldn't have been so willful... saying those things... I’m sorry.”
Upon hearing this, the expression on Li Yuan’s face became quite rich—he had never imagined this young lady would come specifically to apologize, especially for a few willful words. Given her personality, the fact that she could go this far was truly unexpected.
“Miss Setis, there is no need for you to apologize.” His tone was gentle and his manner sincere. “ I didn't take those words to heart. It is not necessary to apologize for a few mindless comments.”
Setis snapped her head up.
He didn't take them to heart?
She stood frozen in place, her expression shifting instantly from guilt to an indescribable annoyance. Her brows knitted together and her lips thinned into a line, her delicate face flushed with the fury of being ignored.
She took a deep breath, ready to lash out, but her gaze inadvertently drifted to the desk behind Li Yuan, and she instantly forgot what she was going to say.
Several folded talismans were laid out on the desk. They looked similar to the peace talismans she had seen before, but the color and style were wrong. She could faintly see intricate patterns on the silver-white paper, looking extremely exquisite. One of them was already folded into shape, while the others were still flat, evidently still in the process of being made.
“What is this?” She reached out and picked up the folded talisman.
The moment her fingertips touched the paper, an indescribable sensation spread from her palm. She turned it over in her hand a few times before asking again,
“What is this? A new kind of peace talisman?”
Li Yuan began tidying the items on the desk as he replied, “A Soul-Soothing Talisman. It’s different from a peace talisman.”
“Soul-Soothing Talisman?” Setis frowned; the name didn't sound like anything good. “What is it for?”
“It calms the mind and settles the spirit, providing a layer of protection beyond what a peace talisman offers,” Li Yuan said without going into detail. “It also has a certain defensive effect against soul-level attacks.”
Setis didn't quite understand what a “soul-level attack” was, but she had experienced the power of the peace talismans firsthand. Since Li Yuan said this thing offered even more protection, it was bound to be good. She flipped the talisman over in her hand again and looked up at him.
“Are you short on money again?”
Li Yuan was stunned for a few seconds by her question.
“If you’re short on money, you can just tell me,” Setis said, her tone returning to its usual vigor. “There’s no need to make these things to sell at a stall. If you need funds, I’ll go ask my brother—”
“It’s not about money.” Li Yuan understood her intention and felt a touch of gratitude. He shook his head and said, “These are not for sale.”
Setis blinked, asking with a look of anticipation,
“Then—could you give one to me?”
Li Yuan smiled and nodded to her.
“This one was originally prepared for you.”
Setis looked down at the talisman lying in her palm, the corners of her mouth curling up unconsciously before she quickly forced them back down.
She tucked the talisman into an inner pocket of her clothes and looked back at Li Yuan, her expression much more serious than before.
“About what I said that night... I really didn't mean to say it like that. It’s just... do you know that every time you smile, it looks like nothing has happened? People can’t guess what you’re thinking at all. Sometimes I can’t tell if you truly don't care, or if you’re just too lazy to tell anyone. So I was a bit worried...”
Li Yuan didn't interrupt, listening intently to Setis’s words.
“You’re always like this,” Setis’s voice gradually grew lower. “You don't share anything with others, and you never tell anyone anything. It’s as if... as if you’re just used to being alone. Even though you seem gentle to everyone, it actually just makes you feel like a ‘nice guy’ who keeps everyone at a distance.”
The room fell silent for a while, the atmosphere turning slightly heavy.
Li Yuan broke the silence, his tone still gentle when he spoke: “Miss Setis, you are overthinking things.”
“I am not overthinking!” Setis looked up, staring at him earnestly. “Every time you use honorifics with me, you are keeping your distance.”
Li Yuan opened his mouth, looking at the young girl before him with surprise. Although they hadn't known each other long—barely over a year in total—she had actually hit the mark.
Ever since he had stepped onto the path of cultivation, Li Yuan had unconsciously developed this attitude toward life to avoid unnecessary trouble. He had very few friends with whom he could truly share his heart.
“You just treat me like a child...” Setis’s voice carried a hint of frustration. “You coax me no matter what I say, you let me do whatever I want, and you’re even too embarrassed to just reject me directly—”
“But you are a child,” Li Yuan blurted out.
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized he had made a mistake, and his heart skipped a beat.
Setis’s face changed at a visible speed—going from slightly flushed to beet-red in less than two seconds. Her eyes went wide and round, and her mouth pouted high, looking as if she had suffered a monumental grievance.
“I—You—” She took several deep breaths, her voice rising several octaves. “I’ll be an adult next month! In less than a month! My strength is in the top three among my peers—no, I’m number one! Not a single person in the entire second year of the academy is my match! I even took down a fifth-year senior in one move! What right do you have to call me a child!”
Li Yuan wanted to explain, but Setis didn't give him the chance.
“And I’m about to advance to Rank 3! Rank 3! A Rank 3 magic warrior before the age of twenty! There haven't been many in the history of the entire Royal Capital—Dean Napa was nineteen when he reached Rank 3, and compared to him, I—”
“You’re more impressive than him,” Li Yuan finished for her.
“Exactly!” Setis nodded vigorously, then realized she was being placated and glared at him again. “Don't try to change the subject!”
Looking at her—like an infuriated kitten—Li Yuan couldn't help but let out another small laugh.
“You’re still laughing!” Setis stomped her foot.
“Fine, I won't laugh.” Li Yuan reined in his amusement, but his gentle expression itself made Setis feel like he was still laughing at her.
She stood there huffing and glaring at him for several seconds, eventually realizing she could do absolutely nothing about him. She couldn't beat him in a fight, she couldn't out-argue him, and he didn't even take her tantrums seriously.
She turned toward the door, taking two steps before looking back. “I am not a child.”
“Yes, you aren't.”
“You’re patronizing me again!”
“I’m not.”
Setis stood at the door in a huff for a good while before pulling it open and walking out. She wanted to slam the door, but in the end, she restrained her strength, and it closed without making much noise.
After watching Setis leave, Li Yuan shook his head with a smile and sat back down at the desk.
There were still a few left to finish. He would work overtime tonight to get them done... things couldn't be delayed any longer.
Rate on N.U.
