His eyes reddened as soon as he finished speaking. Lu Pianpian was afraid he would cry, so she quickly assured him, "Don't worry, I will set up a barrier outside the house, and no one will disturb us. Just enjoy your bath in peace!"
"Thank you, Immortal Lord."
Huan Changming stood inside the room, watching Lu Pianpian use a spell he couldn't understand outside the door before leaving, wearing her undergarments, and sitting in the bathtub.
He didn't trust anyone, even when Lu Pianpian made a promise to him.
He scooped up water and washed his face. His undergarments gradually became wet, clinging to his body as they turned transparent. On his back, many old scars of varying shades were faintly visible, ugly and incongruous with his beautiful face.
Huan Changming glanced at his face through the reflection in the water, then reached out and pulled off the strip of cloth covering his face, touching his left cheek, which had been completely healed thanks to Lu Pianpian's spiritual energy.
He changed his posture while sitting cross-legged in the water and touched the object between his legs.
If it weren't for this object constantly reminding him, looking at his face, he would also mistake himself for a woman.
He smiled slightly, and it was truly a very deceptive face.
Lu Pianpian went to Qu Surou's room. "Senior sister, could you give me a set of your clothes? Miss Changming doesn't have any clothes to wear."
Qu Surou was engrossed in reading the storybook and said without looking up, "That young lady is about the same size as you. My clothes are too small for her. Why don't you go down the mountain and buy her a new set?"
Lu Pianpian thought about it and agreed. She was about to leave when Qu Surou called her back, "Come back. Do you know what a young lady should buy?"
"A skirt?"
"Besides the skirt, there is something else very important."
"What is that?"
Qu Surou thought to herself that her junior brother was indeed a blockhead who had never seen the world. "A bellyband, a bellyband, girls all need to wear them."
Lu Pianpian blinked, her ears turning a light red. "I...I know!"
A note from the author:
I need to buy a bellyband/undergarment.
Chapter 7
Lu Pianpian ran down the mountain and went to the clothing store where her senior sister often bought clothes.
He had come to pick up clothes for Qu Surou a few times before, and the shopkeeper recognized him. "Immortal Lu, are you here again to buy new clothes for your senior sister?"
Lu Pianpian looked at the room full of women's dresses and felt overwhelmed. "I bought these for someone else. Could you please help me pick out a few comfortable ones? They're about my size, but very thin."
The shopkeeper found several outfits according to his request, and Lu Pianpian looked them over, thought they were nice, and put them away.
He hadn't forgotten Qu Surou's instructions. Seeing that there were already girls browsing in the clothing store, he lowered his voice and asked the owner, "Do you sell that kind of thing here...?"
The shopkeeper was completely bewildered. "What kind of thing?"
Lu Pianpian found it difficult to say, "It's something women wear close to their skin."
The shopkeeper clapped his hands. "Oh, you mean the bellyband!"
The girls in the clothing store immediately scrutinized Lu Pianpian with strange looks, making her feel extremely embarrassed.
Although the owner was a man, he was in this business and didn't feel awkward at all. He led Lu Pianpian to a relatively secluded corner of the shop and asked, "What color and size do you want, Fairy Lu?"
Lu Pianpian, not understanding, asked, "What does 'big' mean?"
The shopkeeper gave him a mysterious smile. "You usually buy things for Fairy Qu, but this is the first time you've bought something for another woman, and it's even a personal item... I guess it's someone you love? Don't you know how old she is?"
His gaze swept over Lu Pianpian's chest, and he immediately realized what he meant. He covered his chest with his hands and took a step back. "Boss! Don't talk nonsense! You're just sullying this young lady's reputation!"
Seeing his flushed face, the boss chuckled to himself, thinking that no matter how powerful a cultivator was, he was still just a clueless fool when he encountered the mortal world.
He then picked out a few clothes for Lu Pianpian with the air of someone who had been through it all, and put them inside her clothes. "Take my advice, slender young ladies usually don't wear very big clothes, these will be enough."
It was a light green bib embroidered with several butterflies with outstretched wings.
Lu Pianpian didn't dare to look at it for long. She took it but then felt it was too hot to handle, so she put it back in the shopkeeper's hand. "Shopkeeper, please wrap it up for me..."
The shopkeeper took care of the room as requested. Lu Pianpian felt that if she stayed any longer, her constitution would become unstable. She hurriedly paid the money, picked up her clothes, and ran back to the sect.
Lu Pianpian found a clean bamboo basket, folded the clothes, put them in it, and placed it at the door. She knocked on the door and said, "Miss Changming, I've put the clothes at the door."
"Thank you, Immortal Lord. I will come to retrieve it now. Please, Immortal Lord... excuse me."
"good."
Huan Changming heard the footsteps fading away, took the bamboo basket into the room, took out a set of silk skirts to change into, and then discovered that there was something underneath.
He picked it up and unfolded it to take a look. It was a light green bodice. A mocking smile appeared on his lips. Was this immortal lord really so considerate that he even prepared such personal items, or... did he have other intentions?
However, no matter what he thought in his heart, Huan Changming had no use for this thing.
He looked around the room for a while, and finally put the bellyband under his pillow.
Lu Pianpian turned her back and walked into the courtyard. After waiting for a while, she heard footsteps behind her. "Immortal Lord."
Lu Pianpian turned around, and Huan Changming put on the silk skirt he had bought.
The pale yellow color made Huan Changming's sickly face look more energetic, and the white cloth wrapped around her face was also removed. "Miss Changming, your face has healed."
Huan Changming touched his left cheek and said gratefully, "Thanks to the Immortal Lord, otherwise Changming would have been a crippled ugly monster for the rest of his life."
"It was nothing, Miss Changming, don't worry about it." Lu Pianpian saw that water was still dripping from her hair, wetting the clothes on her shoulders, so she used a spell to dry her hair. "Miss Changming, you've just recovered from a serious illness, don't catch a cold."
Huan Changming felt his damp hair become lighter in an instant, and he raised his hand to stroke his completely dry hair.
Ordinary people would be amazed by this kind of magic. Seeing that he didn't speak, Lu Pianpian assumed that he was also frightened. "This is just an ordinary magic. Don't be afraid."
Huan Changming shook his head, his expression revealing disappointment. "That day in the river cave, when the Immortal Lord saved me from danger with his sword, I realized that there was a world of difference between me and the Immortal Lord. The Immortal Lord's kindness to me was like giving me a second life. I, Changming, am just a mortal, and I really don't know how to repay the Immortal Lord."
"Since I don't know how to repay you, I might as well offer myself to you."
Lu Pianpian and Huan Changming looked towards the source of the sound and saw Qu Surou walking out of the room, holding a storybook in her hand. "Why are you looking at me? That's how storybooks are written."
Huan Changming said, "If Immortal Lord Lu doesn't mind my appearance, then Changming—"
"Miss Changming, my senior sister is talking nonsense, don't believe her!" Lu Pianpian waved her hands repeatedly, "Senior sister, are you obsessed with reading storybooks..."
Qu Surou overheard their conversation by chance. It was just a casual remark, but she never expected that this young lady would actually agree.
Ignoring Lu Pianpian, she walked over and scrutinized Huan Changming with a critical eye. "You wouldn't actually have taken a liking to my junior brother, would you?"
Huan Changming lowered his head and replied meekly, "I know my status is lowly, and I dare not covet Immortal Lord Lu."
Qu Surou frowned upon hearing this. "How can a woman judge others by their social status? If you really have your eye on my junior brother, then go ahead and dream about him! What we women like, we should just grab it directly. If we were all as timid and hesitant as you, wouldn't we be unable to get anything done?"
Changming appears to be a gentle and kind woman, but Qu Surou uses her upright nature to educate her, and the purpose of this education is to make the other party openly covet her junior brother.
Lu Pianpian, listening from the side, blushed so deeply it was almost bleeding. She wanted to rush forward and cover Qu Surou's mouth, but she didn't dare. "Senior sister, please stop talking!"
At this moment, Huan Changming raised his hand and gently touched the corner of his eye, gazing at Qu Surou with tears in his eyes, and said, "Last time, when the fairy healed my wounds, I accidentally injured her. I have been feeling guilty and uneasy ever since. I wanted to apologize to the fairy as soon as possible, but I was afraid that the fairy would be angry with me and would not want to see me. But now it seems that I was just being petty and judging a gentleman by my own standards."
"The fairy is so magnanimous. Not only did she not get angry with me, but she also taught me so sincerely. I am truly unworthy of such kindness."
Huan Changming sobbed violently, which aggravated his unhealed wounds. He turned his head and coughed a few times, appearing exceptionally vulnerable and self-reproachful.
Not to mention Lu Pianpian, even the carefree Qu Surou felt sorry for him. "It's nothing serious, just a bite... Lu Er, come and talk to her!"
Lu Pianpian hurriedly reached for her handkerchief, but found nothing. She could only use her sleeve to wipe Huan Changming's tears. "Don't cry. My senior sister doesn't blame you. I... I know you didn't mean it. Don't cry."
Huan Changming was crying so hard he almost choked on his breath. He swayed and looked like he was about to fall to the ground. Lu Pianpian reached out and put her arms around his shoulders, and Huan Changming fell into her arms.
Lu Pianpian felt like her palms were on fire and didn't know where to put them. She gestured to Qu Surou to come and help, but Qu Surou just crossed her arms and watched them with a look of amusement.
Huan Changming said earnestly, "As the ancients said, a drop of water in need should be repaid with a spring of water, let alone the Immortal Lord and Fairy Lady who have given me a second life. I have no other skills, I only ask to stay by the side of the Immortal Lord and Fairy Lady and serve you both, which is also a way of repaying your kindness."
"You mean you want to stay in our sect as a maid?" Qu Surou asked bluntly. "Our sect doesn't need maids."
Lu Pianpian felt Huan Changming in her arms tremble, as if he was about to shed tears again.
Lu Pianpian quickly said, "Miss Changming, it is only natural for us cultivators to save people. You really don't need to worry about it. Besides, you are still so young. Your relatives and friends must be worried about your safety. You don't need to force yourself to stay."
Huan Changming lifted his head from his embrace, already in tears, but still managed to force a gentle smile at him. "Immortal Lord, you may not know, but my life is as worthless as grass. I have no father, no mother, and no friends in this world."
Lu Pianpian's brow twitched as she recalled the scene of Huan Changming being chained to a tree when they first met. Combining this with his current words, she was convinced that he had been a slave in a lowly social class.
“This immortal land is indeed not a place for me to stay.” Huan Changming wiped away his tears and said considerately, “Now that I have recovered, there is no reason for me to stay here. I have overstepped my bounds. Immortal Lord, please do not make things difficult for me.”
Lu Pianpian felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this, and a sudden idea struck her. She asked, "Miss Changming, would you be willing to join our sect? To be my junior sister? No, to be my and my senior sister's junior sister!"
Qu Surou had been watching from the side for a long time. When she heard this, she narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything.
Huan Changming's eyes lit up, but he quickly extinguished it himself. "With my status, how could I be worthy to be your junior sister?"
"Don't underestimate yourself. If you're willing, I'll go and explain your situation to Master. Master is reasonable and understanding, and I'm sure he'll agree. Then you can stay."
Huan Changming looked at Lu Pianpian timidly, "Is it really okay?"
"certainly!"
Huan Changming nodded slightly, "Of course I would be more than happy to accept that."
"Alright, I'll go and inform Master right now!"
Lu Pianpian raised her hand to summon her sword, then turned and flew towards the mountaintop.
Qu Surou was still standing there, and Huan Changming smiled apologetically at her, "Changming was rude and made the fairy laugh."
Qu Surou shook her head, her expression a mixture of emotions, as if she were thinking of something.
Huan Changming noticed something was wrong, "What's wrong with the fairy?"
"It's nothing." Qu Surou looked away, her eyes glancing at Huan Changming's left earlobe out of the corner of her eye. She casually said, "I just think the pattern on your earlobe is a bit unusual. Is it a flower?"
Huan Changming touched his left earlobe, on which was a small, unidentified blue flower. "This is a birthmark I had since I was born. I don't know what kind of flower it is."
"I see, it's actually quite beautiful."
"Thank you for your praise, fairy."
Lu Pianpian rushed into Qu Fuyi's bedroom in a hurry, "Master!"
Qu Fuyi was eating pomegranates on the couch. "What's the matter that's so urgent, my dear disciple?"
"Do you remember the girl we three brought back to the sect for treatment before, Master?"
"I remember, I remember. What happened to her? Has her injury worsened, and she needs my intervention?"
"No, she's all better now, but she has nowhere to go."