QT: Don't fall in love with the Male Lead

Xi Zirui's mortification freezes him in place, tea dripping down his wrist and sleeve while he can only blink stupidly towards Bai Mi.

Behind him, Han Yu seems determined to disappear into the background.

Neither of them has considered how their muteness only makes them appear more guilty.

Li Siqi turns slowly towards Xi Zirui, her eyebrows making a judgmental climb up her forehead. "What is she implying, Shizun?"

"I'm not implying, I'm saying," Bai Mi says, her voice ringing with mirth.

"Mn," is all Xi Zirui manages to say.

Finally, Han Yu finds his tongue. "Don't believe her, shijie, her words are defamatory and slanderous," - Xi Zirui refrains from pointing out those words mean the exact same thing, reminding himself he's not actually Han Yu's teacher -, "Shizun and I had to come up with something to disguise our identities when we stumbled upon them."

As far as saves go, it's not the worst, but it won't be winning any prizes for credibility either.

Ji Limei giggles. "And that's the only thing you could come up with?"

Bai Mi hums in agreement. "Some habits have a way of making themselves known."

Xi Zirui isn't going  to waste his breath trying to argue with their venomous tongues. He fans Untold Sorrow in front of his face and hides behind its comforting shape. 

Let Han Yu deal with the mess.

He's the one who came down Xi Zirui's throat, it's the least he can do.

Turning his big, pleading eyes towards Li Siqi, Han Yu kneels next to her. "Shijie, please don't believe them. They know how grave it is for the righteous cultivation sects to pollute the filial bond between Shizun and disciple in any way. They're trying to turn us against each other."

Xi Zirui's fingers still on Untold Sorrow, stopping the waving motions. Just how 'grave' are they talking?

Ni Ni chimes, which is seldom a good sign. "Answering Host: deathly so."

He wishes he could say it's a surprise. In his mind's eye he envisioned some type of exile and social outcast status for both him and Han Yu, which, truthfully speaking, would have been rather nice.

Of course things couldn't be that easy.

Li Siqi looks as if she wants to believe Han Yu's words. Keyword: wants. She isn't truly convinced yet.

Time for Xi Zirui to get his head back in the game. He closes Untold Sorrow with a click and smacks it down on the wooden table. "Enough, this master won't take any more of these baseless accusations. Li Siqi discredits herself by so readily believing her enemies' words."

She lowers her eyes and folds her hands on her lap, muttering, "This disciple apologizes, Shizun," under her breath.

Xi Zirui doesn't spare her another glance. His narrowed eyes are focused on Bai Mi's smirking face.

"The two of you, leave," he says.

Han Yu's head snaps up, his eyes wide. "Shizun, what-"

Always more sensible, Li Siqi remains quiet.

Xi Zirui silences Han Yu's protests with a charged look. "This master will interrogate the captives and it's best if my disciples aren't here to distract me."

Li Siqi nods once before raising to her feet and leaving the pavilion.

Han Yu wavers in place, his eyes darting between Bai Mi's mocking smirk and Xi Zirui's serious expression.

Eventually he follows after Li Siqi, remembering to take the veil hat on his way out.

Bai Mi tuts in mock amusement. "Is the grandmaster afraid we'll embarrass him in front of his disciples?"

No, Xi Zirui doesn't want his disciples to see him potentially striking up a deal with demonic cultivators.

By now, he knows there's more than meets the eye about all of the recurring people in each world. 

Righteous immortal cultivator or not, there's no way in hell Su Xueyi isn't bad news.

He rolls up the wide sleeves of his silver robes and squats down in front of Bai Mi, Ji Limei and Liao Min.

"Where is Su Xueyi?" he asks, schooling his features into seriousness.

Liao Min smirks. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Yes, that's why he asked.

He gives her an incredulous look. "Just tell me so we can take him back and get out of your hair."

"What would we gain with that?" Bai Mi asks with a smirk.

Xi Zirui makes a vague, hand-wavy motion with Untold Sorrow. "Getting us out of your hair, as mentioned."

Her eyes wide, Ji Limei's pouting lower lip trembles as she says, "We could kill you all and achieve the same result."

It's absolutely terrifying to be threatened by someone as adorable and cute as Ji Limei.

Xi Zirui considers himself lucky that they were never in opposite sides before.

Bai Mi tsks, shaking her head in derisive amusement. "Now, A-Mei, we don't want to scare little gege."

Sighing deeply, Xi Zirui pulls Ji Limei by her long hair against his chest, she yelps in distress but falls silent as soon as Xi Zirui holds the sharp edge of Untold Sorrow under her lower eyelid.

"She has such beautiful eyes, I'd hate to damage them," he says, smiling sweetly under the strength of Bai Mi's glare.

He has no real intention of doing anything of the sort, but he's pooling all his mediocre acting skills into delivering a believably ruthless performance.

Surprisingly, it's Liao Min who breaks first. "Release my shimei and I'll tell you what you want," she spits out through gritted teeth.

Xi Zirui loosens his grip on Ji Limei's hair and she throws herself into Bai Mi's lap, her bound hands making her unsteady.

He closes Untold Sorrow with a flick of his wrist and sits back on his heels. "I'm waiting."

"Su Xueyi is not here," Bai Mi says, glaring through her lush lashes.

Uhm, that complicates things.

"He promised to get something for our sect," Liao Min says. "In exchange for one of our pills, he'll give us the Rites of Heaven, which collect all the ancient martial arts skills of Heavenly Dragon sect, some of which are passed down to only a few exceptional disciples every generation."

And Blood Crane wants all of them, so they can teach the techniques to their own disciples.

Of course Su Xueyi would have no qualms about betraying the very sect he leads.

Xi Zirui's question is, "Then, why don't you have the Rites of Heaven yet, if he agreed to help you?"

Bai Mi glowers. "You should be the one telling us that! Apparently Heavenly Dragon is such a paranoid sect that they don't keep their most precious martial arts manuals in their own sect grounds."

Considering Blood Crane was able to easily infiltrate it, maybe they have good reason to.

"Su Xueyi is in the secret pavilion of Bitter Tears trying to find its location," Ji Limei says.

Xi Zirui has to chuckle at that. "And you trusted him to keep his end of the bargain?"

"Of course not," Bai Mi says, "That's why I left my two other disciples there with him."

How come she has four disciples while Xi Zirui only has two? 

"We would be joining them after getting reinforcements in the town, if it wasn't for the slight change in plans," Liao Min says.

Well, Xi Zirui needs Su Xueyi back to cement his disciple's admiration, or whatever. There is also the matter of the cultivation skills he's supposed to help them work on. 

Until now, without much success.

A compilation of exceedingly powerful martial arts techniques would come in handy, actually.

Decision made, he taps Untold Sorrow against his chin and smiles at Bai Mi. "Well, maybe, in a very roundabout way, you got your reinforcements in the end."

---

Back in the smaller pavilion, Han Yu and Li Siqi are hovering by the door like anxious aunties, wringing their hands and pacing back and forth.

"Shizun, what happened?" Li Siqi asks as soon as Xi Zirui walks in.

He refrains from blurting out, "our princess is in another Castle", and goes instead with, "Tomorrow, Liao Min will take us to sect leader's location."

"Can they be trusted?" Han Yu asks, the muscles of his jaw pulled tight.

Xi Zirui taps him on the shoulder with a folded shut Untold Sorrow. "Of course not, which is why I expect both of my disciples to be alert at all times."

"Why is she taking us there?" Li Siqi asks, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"We have struck up a bargain," Xi Zirui says with an insouciant shrug. "We'll get back sect leader, and in return they think they'll be getting Heavenly Dragon's priceless cultivation manuals  which sect leader foolishly promised them."

That piece of news falls on the quiet room like an anvil.

"Sect leader was...colluding with Blood Crane?" Li Siqi asks, stricken.

Xi Zirui would feel more sorry for her if he hadn't already gone through this three other times.

He pats her on the back awkwardly, with the same level of comforting familiarity he supposes the kind of master who doesn't have immoral relationships with his disciples might. 

"That's Jianghu. Everchanging like the coursing river," Xi Zirui says, with the same gravitas reserved for important life lessons.

Li Siqi doesn't look inspired but does nod in acquiescence.

"Siqi can return to the other pavilion, and she should rest well. We have a long day ahead of us."

She nods again and bows to Xi Zirui before leaving the pavilion.

Xi Zirui sighs and thumps his head against the paneled wall on his side with a soft sigh. That didn't go nearly as terribly as he initially feared.

Han Yu comes up behind him and helps him out of his outer robe, sliding it down Xi Zirui's slumping shoulders with smooth passes of his broad palms.

Xi Zirui can't help shivering under his touch. "Shijie still suspects us," he says, pressing the words into the back of Xi Zirui's ear with a fleeting kiss.

"Did she have many questions?" Xi Zirui can imagine she did. She's a determined woman.

If this is something that bothers her, she won't let go of it easily.

Which is why Xi Zirui insisted with Bai Mi that Liao Min be the one accompanying them.

It's best for everyone if Li Siqi has something to keep her mind busy.

Liao Min better be a good distraction.

Unprompted, Ni Ni chimes. "If Host manages to get them together in this world, in which they start off as enemies, he'll get a special achievement, and unlock a secret item in the System's shop."

Xi Zirui can barely wait to see which fresh horrors Ni Ni will let him spend his hard-earned experience points on.