181.2 – Feverish Li Wanting
Li Wanting is a blockhead.
She is obsessed with sword-forging techniques, and even more with mechanics. Due to this obsession, she often forgets to take her meals. She even spent a lot of money to build a private forging workshop in her courtyard house.
Her house fully reflects her enthusiasm.
Several large shelves similar to bookshelves are placed in the spacious house.
In addition to books, there are even more weapons, mechanisms, and blue prints, all this makes for an astonishing sight. Xue Qilin only knows the names of some things. She hasn’t even seen some of them, and doesn’t know what they are for.
Although she is full of curiosity, Xue Qilin doesn’t dare to touch anything here. She still remembers the first time she came here, she was almost turned into a hedgehog because she touched a certain mechanism due to curiosity.
Since then, she didn’t dare to mess with the other party’s things.
Curiosity killed the cat. Xue Qilin doesn’t want to die an untimely death.
However, no matter how many times she comes here, Xue Qilin always feels that this place is amazing in a sense.
“–Young Ancestor, the tea.”
Turning her attention away from the shelves, which crisscross inside the room like a maze, Xue Qilin looked at Li Wanting, who returned at some point.
When had just Xue Qilin arrived and sat down, Li Wanting said “I’m going to make some tea” and left the room. Only now did she return with a steaming teapot. She poured a cup of hot tea for herself and Xue Qilin.
“Oh, thank you, Little Ting.”
Xue Qilin grinned and thanked Li Wanting.
After replying with “you are welcome”, Li Wanting picked up a book on the table and started reading it.
Along with the faint sound of a page turning, Xue Qilin picked up her tea cup. She didn’t realize that the tea is still emitting steam.
The next moment–
Pff–!
Xue Qilin sprayed out all the tea she had just put into her mouth. The tea is too hot.
Although it happened quite abruptly, but Li Wanting reacted rather quickly. She rapidly leaned to the side and evaded the shower of tea, still safely holding the tea cup and the book she is reading in her hands.
Like a puppy, Xue Qilin stuck her pink tongue out and exhaled to cool the burned tongue.
“Young Ancestor, are you okay?”
Hearing Li Wanting’s voice of concern, Xue Qilin waved her hand.
“I’m, I’m fine…”
Xue Qilin thought that Li Wanting would pour a glass of cold water for her, hand her a handkerchief, or something. But Li Wanting only made an “oh” sound, then returned to her previous sitting position on the chair and immersed herself again in the book.
I feel like this indifferent attitude is inexplicably infuriating… Is the book more important than me? Xue Qilin mused while wiping away the tea on her lips with a sleeve unhappily.
Then, she clenched her right hand into a fist, placed it in front of her mouth, and coughed lightly.
“Little Ting, what has you so absorbed in reading?”
This question was put forward both to remind the other party not to neglect her guest and out of curiosity.
Ever since Xue Qilin stepped into this room, she didn’t see Li Wanting lower the book she is holding. Even when she went to make tea, she took it with her.
She was probably reading the book while making tea. Otherwise, although Li Wanting is not expert at making tea, she would not fail to notice the issue of it being too hot.
“A book.”
Li Wanting, without looking up, just gave this short, indifferent reply.
“Oh, is it interesting? Can you tell me something about it?”
“Well… it’s about mechanics.”
When she heard that absent-minded answer from the other party, Xue Qilin raised her eyebrows, suddenly finding it difficult to advance the conversation.
Is it really that interesting? She is skeptical.
“Is it about mechanical weapons similar to Empyrean Universe?”
“…more or less.”
“Is the book new?”
“Mhm.”
“How many pages does it have?”
“No Idea.”
“Is it really that interesting?”
“It is.”
“The tea is too hot.”
“Yeah?”
Oh god, what’s with this conversation where she only answers my questions? Xue Qilin, unable to stand it, exhaled a breath with a “ha” sound.
Xue Qilin has long since learned that once Li Wanting is engrossed in something, she will put all her concentration on the thing, not paying attention to anything else. Although she is aware that she may disturb the other party, but she still feels a bit dissatisfied.
Since you have received me, then I can be regarded as a guest. It is not appropriate to ignore guests… Xue Qilin believes this.
So, she knocked on the table a little angrily, and then protested, “I, feel, like, I’m, getting, the, cold, shoulder!”
Xue Qilin spoke with deliberate pauses in between each word to emphasize her dissatisfaction.
“Huh, getting the cold shoulder?”
Li Wanting finally looked up.
Astonishment filled the dark orange eyes, the color of which resembles fire burning in a furnace, reflecting Xue Qilin’s unhappy appearance.
“Who is giving you the cold shoulder?” She widened her eyes, pointed at herself, and asked, “Who is it?”
Wow, she’s really oblivious! Xue Qilin gave the other party a disdainful look.
“Of course it’s you! Is there anyone else here besides me and you?”
“I am giving you the cold shoulder, Young Ancestor? Really?”
Xue Qilin, with a stone face, said “really” in a deep voice.
“Is that right…?”
Li Wanting scratched her face and smiled awkwardly.
“I thought you just came to drink tea, Young Ancestor, so I made a pot of tea for you. Furthermore, you didn’t say anything. You just asked me about the book.”
“Ugh…”
Xue Qilin’s face suddenly stiffened. Since she indeed didn’t explain her purpose in coming here, Li Wanting assumed that she just came to drink tea and kill time. After all, Xue Qilin has a rap sheet and is a well-known in the Merak Temple for being an idler.
“Well, I understand! Young Ancestor, is there something you want from me?”
“There is, there is!”
Xue Qilin nodded repeatedly.
“I see.”
Thump, Li Wanting closed the book in her hand.
She fished out a handkerchief from her sleeve and placed it on a corner of the table, and then put the book on top.
She seems to cherish the book very much — Xue Qilin blinked her eyes.
Li Wanting pulled out a hairpin and untied her long ponytail. Long, dark red hair scattered like sparks from a furnace at once, looking like it will emit crackling sounds.
Li Wanting combed her unfolded hair with her fingers. The long, slightly dry hair rustled with the friction.
Unlike the other girls that Xue Qilin is familiar with, although Li Wanting is slim, but she does not give off the feeling of being frail. She has no exquisite facial features, and can barely be classified as beautiful. Her skin is tanned due to working in front of furnaces long-term.
In the Hua dynasty, where fair skin is viewed as beautiful, Li Wanting really does not conform to the aesthetics ordinary people. Even according to the aesthetics of Xue Qilin, she can only be regarded as beautiful. But she is far too lacking when compared to Qi Qiqi and them.
Only — she looks healthy and capable.
Li Wanting, who is active on the front line of work, gives off a sense of being full of vitality.
Additionally, with her frank and generous personality, she can be said to be widely popular in the Merak Temple. Xue Qilin heard Shui Yun’er mention that there are some male disciples who adore Li Wanting, but Li Wanting, who is a little slow on the uptake regarding such things, doesn’t notice it.
“So what can I do for you, Young Ancestor?”
As she asked this, Li Wanting pulled up her long hair and tied it up again.
I feel like this question should be asked at the beginning… Feeling a little tired inside, Xue Qilin sighed.
“I just came to ask about my sword’s repairs!”
Empyrean Universe was severely damaged in the battle with Jialan. Not only did Xue Qilin remove the external components, but after the main part broke through Jialan’s Imperishable Vajra Body, it was damaged by the eruption of the dragon vein. Fortunately, the magically processed core gem that hosts Phecda’s spirit body is still intact.
It has been a while since Xue Qilin sent Empyrean Universe to Li Wanting for repairs. Estimating that the repairs should be about finished, she finally paid Li Waning a visit today.
The outcome–
“It’s not done yet.”
Li Wanting replied with suppressed feelings.
Xue Qilin seems to have come too early.
“Oh, does it require more–”
The question was interrupted by a loud sound.
Li Wanting suddenly slapped the table and stood up, making the things on the table jump up. She glared at Xue Qilin. Face flushed and body trembling from anger, her shadow enveloped Xue Qilin.
Bewildered by the unexpectedly intense reaction, Xue Qilin looked back at the other party in confusion, blinking.
