Ye Danxia acted as if she had just noticed Han Xiaoyu. She turned slightly, giving him a shy smile. "Fifth Senior Brother, you're back."
Han Xiaoyu's voice softened instinctively. "Mm."
Ye Danxia spoke gently. "Your health isn't the best, Fifth Senior Brother. I was worried you might have trouble caring for these flowers and herbs, so I came by to check on them. I hope I'm not overstepping?"
As she said this, she lowered her head in mild embarrassment.
Han Xiaoyu quickly replied, "How could that be? I was just fretting about not knowing how to take care of them. I'm lucky to have you here, Little Sister."
Ye Danxia's gaze flickered, her voice light. "If I can be of help, I'd be willing to come every day."
Han Xiaoyu looked at her with even greater warmth. "That would be wonderful."
Ye Danxia raised her eyes, and their gazes met for a brief moment. Some subtle emotion began to take root between them.
Han Xiaoyu's heart beat a little faster.
Ye Danxia quickly looked away, though deep down, she was full of contempt.
Han Xiaoyu was nothing but a sickly burden. Aside from Zhao Wuji's favor, he had nothing to his name.
But Zhao Wuji himself might not be able to protect even his own position for much longer. So what future could Han Xiaoyu possibly have?
A man worthy of Ye Danxia should be the strongest force in the world, someone who could sweep aside every obstacle in her path.
Han Xiaoyu? Not even close.
She was only putting on a pleasant face now because she had her eyes on the medicinal herbs he possessed.
Zhao Wuji had always doted on this little disciple, and given Han Xiaoyu's frail body, Zhao Wuji surely provided him with all kinds of rare healing herbs over the years.
Ye Danxia didn't believe he had used them all. Even if most were already consumed, there must still be a decent amount stored away.
With those herbs, she could hand them over to Yang Yun.
"Little Sister, would you like to come inside and sit for a while?" Han Xiaoyu offered warmly.
Ye Danxia agreed without hesitation.
Having learned from her disastrous attempt to win over Zhou Li and Zhou Dai—both of whom had rejected her outright—she took a more delicate approach this time.
She simply voiced concern for Han Xiaoyu's health, soft and thoughtful in her tone.
Han Xiaoyu already had a favorable impression of her, so with her showing such concern, his heart naturally warmed.
"My body's mostly recovered after all these years of treatment. And with Master's personal care recently, I'd say I'm about seventy or eighty percent better. Another year or two, and I should be fully healed," Han Xiaoyu said with a gentle smile.
Once he rid himself of this fragile shell, he would finally have the confidence to chase what he truly wanted.
Like the Little Sister before him.
If he were healthy, he wouldn't need to keep his feelings hidden. He could have confessed them openly and sincerely.
Still, there was no rush.
Cultivators had long lifespans. One or two years was nothing. He could wait, and he believed Little Sister could too.
Ye Danxia asked after his well-being a bit more, but from time to time, she lowered her head and sighed, looking as though something was weighing on her heart.
Han Xiaoyu couldn't bear to see her like this and quickly asked, "Little Sister, is something troubling you?"
Ye Danxia looked hesitant, as if she wanted to speak but couldn't.
Only after his repeated questions did she finally say softly, "Senior Brother, I've made some mistakes in the past. Though Master has allowed me out, I don't think he likes me anymore. I just feel a bit disheartened."
Han Xiaoyu immediately tensed. "How could you say that? You didn't do anything wrong. It was that Yun Jin who schemed against you! And Second Senior Brother—he actually let himself be controlled by her and willingly became her lapdog. Those two are the disgraceful ones."
Ye Danxia showed a deeply touched expression. "To have your trust, Senior Brother, makes it all feel less unbearable. I've been wanting to explain myself, but Yun Jin's plan was watertight. I had no way to defend myself. Even Master probably has doubts about me now."
"Impossible," Han Xiaoyu said quickly. "Master still holds you in high regard."
"Really?" Ye Danxia said, her tone tinged with sorrow. "Yun Jin entered the sect only a few months ago and already became a second-grade alchemist. Alchemy may require talent, but it also demands resources. Without enough spirit herbs to practice, how can one improve so quickly? For Yun Jin to reach that level in such a short time, Tianjian Peak must have funneled all their resources into her."
"As for me..." Ye Danxia sighed. "Master Huo Lie once said I had great potential in alchemy too, but I've never even had the chance to practice. Without hands-on training, how could I possibly make progress? If I had the same resources as Yun Jin..."
Suddenly realizing her words, Ye Danxia hurriedly covered her mouth. "Senior Brother, I... I didn't mean it like that. I've made many mistakes. It's only natural Master would be disappointed in me. I shouldn't expect too much."
Still, her eyes reddened slightly, as if she had been terribly wronged.
Han Xiaoyu's heart ached at the sight. He blurted out, "Little Sister! So what if Yun Jin is a second-grade alchemist? With your talent, if you had the right resources, you'd catch up to her in no time. If someone influential were to support you, those false accusations could easily be dismissed."
Ye Danxia's expression grew even more helpless. "It's a pity I'll probably never have that chance in this lifetime."
Han Xiaoyu's heart stirred. He quickly said, "Master has many disciples and limited resources. It's natural that he can't allocate everything perfectly. Over the years, I've saved up some things. I'd be happy to share them with you to help with your cultivation."
Ye Danxia was ecstatic inside. This was exactly what she had been waiting for.
Yet on the surface, she looked torn. "How could I accept that? Senior Brother, you need those for your own cultivation."
"It's no trouble," Han Xiaoyu said with a casual wave.
Within Tianxing Sect, resources were never scarce for someone like him. To him, those herbs didn't feel especially precious. If he ran out, he could simply ask Master for more.
After a few rounds of polite refusal, Ye Danxia finally accepted the offer. She left with a heavy storage pouch in hand, her expression full of gratitude.
Han Xiaoyu watched her departing figure, feeling satisfied. He genuinely liked Ye Danxia. Once his health fully recovered, he planned to confess his feelings to her.
Now that she had accepted so many things from him, their relationship had entered a kind of unspoken understanding.
Either she would return them in the future, or...
If she didn't, that would mean she had silently agreed to become his Dao companion. Helping one's future Dao companion was something Han Xiaoyu was more than happy to do. After all, that accusation hanging over Ye Danxia's head was like a ticking time bomb. It needed to be dealt with.
She was a heavenly spiritual root cultivator with alchemy talent. If she could draw the attention of some powerful figure, all her problems would be resolved.
"If Yun Jin could attract a crowd of powerful supporters, why couldn't Little Sister?"
Han Xiaoyu still had high hopes that Ye Danxia would rise above her setbacks. The stronger his Dao companion, the more benefits he would gain.
That night, Ye Danxia took her spoils and went straight to the cave.
Yun Jin had already set up sensing talismans around the area. The moment Ye Danxia entered the perimeter, she was alerted.
Currently, Huan Huan's eavesdropping range extended ten li in all directions.
Yun Jin simply held Huan Huan close and stood right at the edge of that ten-li radius, listening to the entire conversation between the two.