Chapter 253
Black Cloud, Clear Wind Dao Academy.
After instructing Li Yuanyuan to arrange separate accommodations for Mingchen and Mingxiu, Lin Hui kept Mingde and Weiwei behind in their own quarters.
They bathed, ate, and rested. A physician was brought in to examine all four and treat their various ailments. It wasn't until the following morning, once their conditions had fully stabilized, that everyone finally sat down for a proper talk.
Upon hearing the news, Lin Hui's wife, Liu Xiao, hurried back from the Rain Palace to look after Weiwei, who had moved into their home. Lin Hui took charge of Mingde; Liu Xiao handled Weiwei. It was simply easier for two women to talk and manage things together.
In the small courtyard, pear blossoms drifted through the air. Liu Xiao—dressed in a sparse, open-frame set of armor covering only three vital points—set down her longsword and hung it on the wall rack outside the room. With her back turned, the full curve of her figure was on display to Weiwei.
Liu Xiao lacked Ouyang Yining's generous proportions above the waist, but her perfectly rounded hips were striking enough that Weiwei, following her into the courtyard, felt her face flush and dropped her gaze.
“Have a seat. I’ve been away on business myself and only just got back. The moment I heard about you and Master Mingde, Senior Sister Weiwei, I rushed straight over.”
Liu Xiao turned around and casually unbuckled her armor, stripping it off with effortless ease. The natural, unselfconscious motion only made Weiwei lower her gaze even further, too self-conscious to keep looking.
It wasn't shyness—she simply felt inadequate by comparison.