Even though she had just finished disciplining this Silly Shizun, the sight of her fair and tender little feet still gave Chen Qing an urge to cradle them in her hands and toy with them.
Su Mu didn’t notice Chen Qing’s gaze. Right now, her attention was entirely focused on the Gu Technique.
She prayed nonstop in her heart, hoping that what Miao Qing had said was true.
If Chen Qing had no talent for learning Gu Technique, then she still had a chance to counterattack.
“This Gu Technique is an evil and sinister art. Later on, I’ll have others learn it. You shouldn’t touch it.”
Chen Qing’s words instantly turned Su Mu’s tense mood into one of elation.
Although Chen Qing hadn’t said it outright, Su Mu could tell she had no intention of cultivating the Gu Technique.
Then didn’t that mean her opportunity had come?
Seeing the excitement in Su Mu’s eyes, Chen Qing immediately guessed what she was thinking.
This Silly Shizun actually still wanted to use Gu Technique to counter her. It seemed her little schemes to harm her hadn’t vanished at all.
Although Chen Qing knew this Silly Shizun couldn’t stir up any real trouble right now, those petty thoughts reminded her of her betrayal in her previous life.
Her mood soured instantly.
Su Mu might be a bit dim-witted, but she could still spot Chen Qing’s obvious shift in mood.
Whenever Chen Qing was in a bad mood, she was always the one who suffered.
Since she couldn’t afford to provoke her, hiding away should work, right?
“It’s already so late. I, I’ll go make dinner.”
With that, Su Mu bolted without even putting on her shoes, her jade-white bare feet pattering away.
Watching Silly Shizun’s graceful figure, tightly cinched by her cyan robe, Chen Qing wasn’t in any hurry.
Since this Shizun was still scheming against her, it meant the lesson she’d given wasn’t harsh enough. She needed to be even stricter.
She had expended quite a bit of energy today. After dinner to replenish herself, then she’d discipline her.
Su Mu, who was carrying firewood, suddenly let out a heavy sneeze.
She shrank back her soft, jade-like delicate and fair little feet. It was all because this Villain was so terrifying—she hadn’t even dared to put on her shoes while running.
Her originally pristine white soles were now dusted with a layer of grime, which looked rather uncomfortable.
Su Mu dumped all the firewood into the stove at once and filled the iron pot with water.
Then she hurried to the small stream quietly flowing around the courtyard and dipped her little feet into the water.
The icy stream water felt a bit uncomfortable at first, but right now, it was the only thing that could clean her feet.
After soaking longer, though, Su Mu found it quite pleasant. The clear, crystalline water flowed over her ivory-like fair and taut calves.
Her little feet in the water were like playful fish churning the river, occasionally breaking the surface mischievously and splashing stream water into the air.
Looking at her now-clean feet, Su Mu felt troubled. They were clean for the moment, but two steps on the ground would dirty them again.
She wanted to fetch her shoes, but the fierce-looking Villain was still standing guard there.
Su Mu didn’t dare approach Chen Qing at all right now, afraid she’d take out her bad mood on her.
While Su Mu was still fretting, she suddenly caught a whiff of a strong burnt smell. Looking back, she saw thick black smoke rising from the unattended kitchen.
【Host, it seems you’ve burned the kitchen.】
“Of course I know.”
Su Mu quickly yanked her little feet out of the stream, rushed into the house in a panic, grabbed a wooden basin, and ran back to fill it with water from the stream.
Chen Qing watched the flustered Su Mu with a face full of black lines. From now on, she absolutely couldn’t let this Silly Shizun handle anything alone.
With Chen Qing’s help, the fire was quickly extinguished.
The sooty Su Mu stared at the wrecked kitchen, wooden basin dripping wet in her hands.
The kitchen wasn’t badly damaged, but it definitely couldn’t be used for the next few days.
“I, I, I was wrong. Let’s just eat grilled fish tonight.”
Su Mu looked awkwardly at Chen Qing beside her. Setting the kitchen ablaze while starting a fire was enough to get her chopped up alive by the Villain.
She had to admit fault quickly—maybe it would lighten the punishment a little.
Chen Qing smiled at Su Mu, making the already guilty woman even more panicked.
But Chen Qing held back and didn’t discipline her right away.
They piled up a simple stove with a bunch of small stones. They’d have to make do with this for tonight.
Su Mu washed her grimy hands and feet with stream water. While Chen Qing was stacking the stones, she seized the chance to retrieve her shoes.
To atone for her sins, Su Mu took up her old profession of fishing.
Su Mu might not excel at much else, but she was definitely an expert at fishing.
Before long, several medium-sized fish were in her grasp.
Looking at the fish on the grass, Su Mu felt a bit smug.
If she caught two more, they could have an all-fish feast tonight.
But as she turned, her smooth, tender sole slipped on a slick pebble.
With a plop, Su Mu—who had only just recovered from her cold—was soaked through once more.
Su Mu sat dazed on the riverbed. Did the rivers in this world have it out for her? She’d already fallen in twice.
Chen Qing, who had just finished building the small stove, turned and witnessed Su Mu’s entire tumble into the water.
Looking at Su Mu in the stream, black lines appeared on her forehead.
Seeing Su Mu like this, she almost didn’t dare bully her anymore. What if she got even dumber?
Su Mu awkwardly climbed out of the water, mentally shoving the blame onto Chen Qing, who had bullied her.
It was all her fault for tormenting her so harshly all afternoon—her legs were still a bit weak. As a dignified Second-Rate Warrior, she had actually slipped on a pebble.
In truth, Su Mu now only had the Internal Energy of a Second-Rate Expert but no actual martial arts; she was nothing but an empty shell.
Of course, the utterly unreliable System definitely wouldn’t tell her that.
Besides, this Host might look pretty, but when she cursed the System, her mouth was the filthiest of all. It would sooner die than remind her voluntarily.
“Ah Qiu!”
Su Mu, still planning to keep fishing in her drenched clothes, let out another heavy sneeze.
Chen Qing, having finished repairing the small stove, saw how reckless she was and quickly hauled her back onto the shore from the stream.
“Your clothes are soaked through. Don’t you know to change? If you catch another cold, I won’t take care of you.”
“The clothes are on me. They’ll dry after toasting by the fire later. No need to change.”
Although Su Mu insisted verbally that she didn’t need to change, her body was already shivering honestly.
But the real reason Su Mu didn’t want to change clothes was simple: her only spare set was the one Xiao Meng had given her.
If she dared to wear the clothes from Miao Meng, this unreasonable Villain would get mad again.
Chen Qing could tell exactly what Su Mu was worried about from her eyes.
In this Traitorous Shizun’s view, was she really that petty?
If Su Mu could hear Chen Qing’s thoughts, she would definitely shout accusations of her crimes.
She still hadn’t forgotten how just accepting a piece of clothing from Xiao Meng had led to a whole night of harsh discipline.
Chen Qing pulled Su Mu into the house and took out the Miao Ethnic Costume from the very bottom of the chest.
“Put it on.”
“Th-then I’ll wear it.”
Su Mu glanced carefully at Chen Qing several times, afraid this was some kind of test.
“If you don’t want to wear it, I can help you.”
