Chapter 337: Agreement

　　Mu Qinghe then looked at Chu Liuyue and spoke in his usual cold and nonchalant voice. “Speak.”

　　Hong Yao stopped its actions before it got into trouble. It immediately took the chance to escape and hide behind the window.

　　Chu Liuyue glanced at Hong Yao from the corner of her eyes and sighed in her heart. This Hong Yao is such a troublemaker. It clearly knows that Mu Qinghe hates people touching his tea, but it still dared to do so. It’s hard for it to live until now.

　　Speaking of that, it’s quite weird. Mu Qinghe came from a poor family; when he was young, he had to snatch rotten bread from a beggar and didn’t lead a good life. When he followed me in the end, his living conditions improved greatly, but he didn’t enjoy those luxuries like other people who turned from rags to riches overnight. Instead, he focused all his efforts on cultivation and battles.

　　Except for one thing—tea. Even I don’t know when he started liking this thing. He doesn’t only like to drink tea; he also likes to make tea.

　　Chu Liuyue remembered that Mu Qinghe had good skills in making tea; the other tea masters in the palace might not even be able to compare to him.

　　She retracted her thoughts, looked at Mu Qinghe, and briefly told him the plan she had. “…So, I came here this time in hopes of getting your approval. You can decide how long I’ll stay in Tai Yan Academy.”

　　Mu Qinghe picked up another cup, poured tea, and looked at Chu Liuyue with an investigative gaze. “It seems like you’re sure that I won’t leave this place anytime soon, so that’s why you dared to make such a request.”

　　Chu Liuyue’s smile didn’t change. “Didn’t you previously say that you wanted to stay here for a while? I don’t know how long you intend to stay here, so I decided to try my luck and ask you. After all… it’s a very rare chance to go to other academies’ libraries and borrow their books. I don’t want to miss this chance. I seek your understanding, Lieutenant Mu.”

　　Mu Qinghe didn’t speak for quite some time. Other than searching for talents who had the Dijing Yuan meridian, he did come here for other important matters.

　　It would definitely not end in a day or two.

　　There seemed to be nothing wrong for Chu Liuyue to make such a request. But…

　　“You can go if you want to, but you must answer a question honestly.”

　　Chu Liuyue nodded. “Lieutenant Mu, go ahead.”

　　Mu Qinghe stared at her. “Did you take something from Jiuyou Tower that day?”

　　Chu Liuyue’s heart skipped a beat. Then, she slightly widened her eyes as if shocked and curious. “What do you mean…?”

　　Mu Qinghe didn’t say anything, but he used his gaze to examine her. It was as if he was trying to sieve out her lies.

　　He originally had a high cultivation level, so he had a strong suppression and a sharp gaze.

　　If it were other people, they definitely wouldn’t be able to withstand such a gaze. However, Chu Liuyue was different. She met Mu Qinghe when he was at his worst and saw his most pitiful and miserable appearance.

　　She also gave Mu Qinghe a chance and allowed him to become the youngest lieutenant in the Tianling Dynasty, witnessing his glorious state. Therefore, Mu Qinghe’s gaze had no effect on her at all.

　　Chu Liuyue slightly furrowed her brows as if in deep thought. After a while, she shook her head. “Sorry, Lieutenant Mu. I really don’t know what you’re saying. The situation that day was very intense, and Prince Li and I only got out of it with much difficulty. Let alone bringing anything out, we almost left our lives inside. What do you want to know?”

　　Mu Qinghe looked at the girl in front of him.

　　Intelligent, smart, talented.

　　Her gaze was extremely genuine, which even made him doubt whether his initial guess was wrong.

　　Chu Liuyue pressed her lips against each other hesitantly and tried to ask gently, “Lieutenant Mu, are you looking for something?”

　　Mu Qinghe’s gaze suddenly turned sharp, and the aura around him exploded toward Chu Liuyue.

　　Screech!

　　Hong Yao shrieked.

　　Green fire immediately flew toward Chu Liuyue, turning into a barrier that blocked Mu Qinghe’s aura outside.

　　The two forces battled crazily.

　　Bang!

　　The tea utensils beside Mu Qinghe’s hand shattered, and many cracks appeared on the tables and chairs.

　　A frown appeared on Chu Liuyue’s forehead. She just tried to ask Mu Qinghe a question, but she didn’t expect his reaction to be so huge.

　　This could only prove that she was right, but… what was Mu Qinghe looking for, which made him come all the way here?

　　The two party’s forces gradually dissipated, but the entire room was left in an ugly state.

　　Chu Liuyue’s gaze lightly landed on the shattered teacup on the floor. Inside seemed to be jin jun mei that was just brewed.

　　Mu Qinghe never drank this in the past… She retracted her gaze. “Lieutenant Mu, are you mistaken? I just wanted to say that very few people have stepped foot on the top few floors of Jiuyou Tower. The only reason why Prince Li and I could safely come out of the sixth floor is because of the item his mother had left there back then. If you’re really looking for something, perhaps… Prince Li might have some clues?”

　　The murderous intent in Mu Qinghe’s eyes gradually dissipated. “No need.”

　　With that, the entire room fell into deadly silence.

　　Chu Liuyue felt that she might not be able to achieve her goal if this continued, so she coughed to break the stalemate. “Lieutenant Mu, your tea spilled. Why don’t I compensate you with some tea? I previously managed to lay my hands on a bottle of superior jin jun mei. Even though it’s definitely not good enough for you…”

　　“No need,” interrupted Mu Qinghe, and then he paused. “I’ll give you ten days.”

　　Chu Liuyue smiled in elation. “Thank you, Lieutenant Mu.”

　　Even though this person’s temper was very hard to predict, she was still very happy that he agreed to her request.

　　Mu Qinghe looked at the smiling girl in front of him and momentarily fell into a trance.

　　That pair of sparkling, pure, gem-like black eyes were too similar. They were clearly two different faces, but the vibe they gave off when they smiled was exceedingly similar.

　　But upon closer inspection, he felt that it was different.

　　Chu Liuyue’s eyes hid too many things. It was the type of gaze that one would have after experiencing countless struggles.

　　She was different; She was forever superior, clean, and pure.

　　I’ve thought of her way too many times during this period. This isn’t a good thing. Mu Qinghe silently shifted his gaze. “You can go back. Remember, you only have ten days.”

　　Chu Liuyue noticed the slight change in Mu Qinghe’s emotions, but she knew that there were no benefits for her to continue staying. Thus, she happily bid him farewell.

　　Hong Yao reluctantly followed her to the door. She’s leaving after such a short while… Besides, judging from their previous conversation, doesn’t it mean that I can’t see her for the next ten days?

　　Chu Liuyue walked to the barrier and turned to look at Hong Yao reluctantly. She then leaned in and whispered, “I’ll bring you presents when I come back.”