196.1 – Unwavering Promise
“Young Teacher, Big Sister Qi, you are back.”
When Xue Qilin and Qi Qiqi returned to their rented courtyard house, Shui Yun"er, who was practicing magic in the courtyard, dispelled the water dragon in the air with her hand and greeted them with a smile.
“Oh, where is Little Sister Gong?”
Most likely because she didn"t see Gong Tianqing, before she walked up to the two, Shui Yun"er showed an expression that was a mixture of disappointment and surprise and voiced her suspicion.
“She wasn"t in the Gong Clan?”
Xue Qilin, who was walking ahead, didn"t answer. Instead, she angrily walked past Shui Yun"er, pushed the door open, and went in.
Then, the sound of a chair falling to the ground came from the room. Xue Qilin must have kicked it.
Why is Young Teacher angry? Shui Yun"er tilted her head doubtfully, then aimed her gaze at the sad-looking Qi Qiqi.
“Big Sister Qi, what happened?”
“I…”
Qi Qiqi wanted to say something, but then hesitated, closed her mouth, and said nothing. After shaking her head quietly, she followed Xue Qilin into the room.
Did they hit a wall in the Gong Clan? Figurative question masks popped up on Shui Yun"er"s head. She is completely at a loss.
“How infuriating!”
Back in the room, Shui Yun"er had just picked up the knocked down chair, when she heard Xue Qilin roar and saw her slap the table.
The things on the table bounced up. Shui Yun"er demonstrated her nimbleness and caught the things one after another. Seeing the whole process occur before her eyes, Xue Qilin was stunned at first, and then rolled her eyes.
“Little Yun, are you a juggler or something?”
“I think that many people in the Merak Temple can do this.”
As she replied mischievously, Shui Yun"er placed the things in her hands back on their original position. Then, she glanced at Qi Qiqi, who is sitting by the window and s.p.a.cing out.
Qi Qiqi seems to be rather down and dispirited. She lost her usual bearing, looking like a wilted flower.
“Young Teacher, what happened?” Shui Yun"er sat down opposite of Xue Qilin, “Little Sister Gong wasn"t in the Gong Clan? Big Sister Qi looks very unhappy…”
“She was, how couldn"t she not be!”
Xue Qilin pouted and gave a reply. This reply made Shui Yun"er feel increasingly strange.
“Then…”
“We haven"t seen her!”
Xue Qilin turned her head irritably.
“You haven"t see her?” Shui Yun"er tilted her head, “You mean you haven"t seen Little Sister Gong in the Gong Clan? You aren"t sure if she is in the Gong Clan, or you"re sure that Little Sister Gong is there, but you didn"t see her? According to –”
The string of questions thrown at her by Shui Yun"er made Xue Qilin dizzy. She promptly interrupted Shui Yun"er.
“Stop, stop –! What is this, some special tongue-twister?”
Xue Qilin scolded, then complained by saying “I feel dizzy from listening to you”, and then explained, “Little Qing should be at the Gong Minor. However, we didn"t see her. It wasn"t that the Gong Clan didn"t let us. Rather, Little Qing doesn"t want to see us…”
“This…”
Little Sister Gong doesn"t want to see Big Sister Qi and Young Teacher? Shui Yun"er was quite surprised.
In Shui Yun"er"s impression, Gong Tianqing has always been affable and seldom refused others. It"s hard to imagine her refusing others.
“Isn"t there something wrong? If Little Sister Gong is really in the Gong Clan, then there is no reason for her not to see you, right?”
Shui Yun"er hesitated for a while, then uttered in a doubtful tone, “Is it just an excuse? Maybe Little Sister Gong is not in the Gong Clan, or the Gong Clan didn"t inform Little Sister Gong of your arrival…”
At this point, Shui Yun"er a.s.sumed a confident tone.
“I don"t think Little Sister Gong would refuse to meet you, Young Teacher.”
“Who knows?” Xue Qilin spread her hands, “Anyway –”
“No, Qing"er is a stubborn person.”
Qi Qiqi suddenly intervene in the discussion and rejected Shui Yun"er"s idea. Her way of speaking was as gentle and complex as if talking about her own child.
“She… once she makes up her mind, she will stick to it. She is as stubborn as a mule.”
Qi Qiqi sighed and a.s.sumed a bitter expression, which conveyed — “what a headache…” Her statement was beyond Shui Yun"er"s expectation.
“Is that so…?”
“So it"s like that. Anyway, Little Seven, the person most familiar with Little Qing, says so… I guess Little Qing really doesn"t want to see us.”
Xue Qilin mumbled as if talking in her sleep.
“Well, it"s not that she couldn"t, but that she wouldn"t… she chose not to see us…”
Seeing Xue Qilin"s dispirited expression, Shui Yun"er opened her mouth, yet didn"t say anything.
Using her hands as a pillow, Xue Qilin laid listlessly on the table.
“Ah, I really want to drink…”
Both of them look rather dispirited.
It is not surprising. Full of worry and unease, they went on a long journey to find a person. When they finally found said person with great difficulty, they were turned away — anyone who came across such a situation would be dispirited for a while.
At such times, people need to be comforted — Shui Yun"er mused.
However, Xue Qilin, who seems to haven seen through Shui Yun"er"s thoughts, propped herself up and looked at Shui Yun"er, sulky.
“Don"t worry, Little Yun. No need to put on an expression of — “ah, Young Teacher looks like she needs to be consoled”. I haven"t forgotten why I came to the imperial capital!”
All along, Xue Qilin has been very clear, very clear about her thoughts.
She has never wavered in her determination to uphold the promise she gave Qi Qiqi in the carriage. She will definitely bring Gong Tianqing back. This is her primary goal and will be her ultimate goal.
However, when she heard Gong Jing say “Qing"er doesn"t want to see you”, Xue Qilin was still disappointed, feeling that her feelings were rejected. She began to doubt whether she was meddling in other people"s business, and felt dejected.
Nevertheless —
Even though Gong Tianqing refused to meet them, it does not mean that she rejected them.
If she really meets with any difficulties, Xue Qilin will lend a helping hand.
If she really wants to stay in the Gong Clan, Xue Qilin will have to hear her say “I won"t go back with you”.
What"s more, even if Gong Tianqing really has to stay in the Gong Clan due to some difficulties, once Xue Qilin determines that it is harmful for her to stay in the Gong Clan, she will a.s.sume a tough stance and, even if she has to use force, take her away without hesitation.
Yes, she never wavered in her determination.
In this case, why must I be dejected? Everyone is waiting to see Little Qing, to confirm that she is all right! Xue Qilin patted her cheeks.
“Okay, I"m hungry!”
Xue Qilin drank up the tea Shui Yun"er poured her, and then stood up and said, “Little Yun, prepare something to eat! I"ll take a trip when I"m full!”
“Take a trip? Where are you going?”
“Yo yo, where else would I go? Of course it"s to the Gong Clan.” Xue Qilin looks like she"s discussing something trivial, “I"m going to sneak into the Gong Clan!”
“What!”
Qi Qiqi exclaimed and stared at Xue Qilin in disbelief.
“This is the imperial capital! Qilin, don"t act recklessly! I won"t allow you to act recklessly!”
Xue Qilin wrinkled her nose with disdain.
“Oh, Luo Hong said something similar! Anyway, I"ll go. I won"t be at ease if I don"t see Little Qing.”
“Big Sister Qi, I think Young Teacher should have a sense of propriety.”
Unexpectedly, Shui Yun"er spoke in support of Xue Qilin"s idea.