Watching the Mountain

No normal person would come up with such a reason. It was just like Wang Zhenye, always finding a way to connect things back to pleasure and leisure.

Xu Ran looked at Wang Zhenye, who was still lamenting. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "Everyone has their own pursuits."

Wang Zhenye nodded vigorously. "I understand. I deeply admire what Miaomiao is pursuing, and that's precisely why I feel it's such a shame."

"If I had just kept pursuing her back then and showed her the joys of life, maybe she would have stayed. Then, once her Cultivation broke through to a higher Realm, she would have had more time to do the things she wanted."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ran gave Wang Zhenye a strange look. His intentions were clearly good; he wanted Hao Miaomiao to have more time to do what she wanted.

So why did it sound so different coming out of his mouth?

Wang Zhenye didn't notice Xu Ran's strange expression. He was still lamenting Hao Miaomiao's situation. After a moment's thought, he clenched his fist, a determined look on his face, and said to Xu Ran:

"Elder Xu, don't you worry. Leave it to me. I'll take good care of Miaomiao and make sure she doesn't suffer any hardship in the time she has left."

Xu Ran gave him a brief glance, then nodded slightly.

Although Wang Zhenye was quite the playboy, it didn't mean he was a bad person. His reputation in the Sect had always been good. Despite being surrounded by many women, he had never resorted to any shady tactics.

He wasn't worried about Wang Zhenye trying anything with Hao Miaomiao.

*

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Wang Zhenye was a man of his word. Starting the very next day, he went to Hao Miaomiao's Cave Mansion daily.

Hao Miaomiao's Cultivation was only at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, so she was not yet able to practice Fasting. And because she was getting old, her physical fitness was declining in every respect.

To help her, Wang Zhenye went to the dining hall every day to buy her all sorts of delicious Spiritual Cuisine to help her maintain her health.

He knew Hao Miaomiao was compiling medical texts, so he never disturbed her when he visited. He would just sit quietly to one side, watching her organize and write.

If Hao Miaomiao spoke up, he would enthusiastically step forward to help.

Hao Miaomiao was a little taken aback by Wang Zhenye's enthusiasm and concern at first, but after a while, she grew used to it.

After finishing the delicious Spirit Medicine Cuisine Wang Zhenye had brought her, Hao Miaomiao reached out with a somewhat dry hand to brush away a stray lock of white hair from her forehead. She looked up gently, a smile gracing her wrinkled face as she spoke to him.

"Thank you for all your trouble."

Wang Zhenye quickly waved his hands. "It's no trouble at all! Heh, Miaomiao, there's no need to be so polite with me."

Hao Miaomiao gave a small smile and blinked at Wang Zhenye, her tone turning a little playful.

"I recall you prefer them young and beautiful, don't you, Senior Brother? As I remember, you only decided to pursue cultivation because the widow next door, whom you were so infatuated with, had grown old and lost her beauty."

"Given how I look now, I'm surely not your type. So why are you so concerned about me? This isn't quite like the Senior Brother I remember."

Hearing Hao Miaomiao's words, Wang Zhenye's expression faltered. It wasn't because of what she said, but because of her attitude.

He had never, ever imagined that he would one day see such a playful expression on Miaomiao's face.

In his memory, Miaomiao had always been a very serious, proper person. She never joked with anyone, and she didn't like it when others joked with her.

Back in their early years in the Sect, no matter how hard he tried, he had never been able to make her laugh, let alone flash a playful smile like this one.

For a moment, he was completely stunned.

After a good long moment, he finally came to his senses and replied with a straight face:

"Isn't it perfectly normal? Have you forgotten, Miaomiao? Our forefathers were sworn brothers who faced life and death together on the battlefield. I've always treated you like my very own sister."

"Does a big brother need a reason to look after his little sister?"

A flash of surprise appeared in Hao Miaomiao's eyes. Then, she smiled faintly and said softly:

"I never thought I'd return after decades away only to gain an older brother. That's certainly a happy occasion."

With that, she rose gracefully, clasped her hands in a small salute to Wang Zhenye, and spoke in a soft voice.

"Then, Miaomiao greets you, Big Brother. Since you care so dearly for your little sister, then I won't stand on ceremony. I'll be in your care for the time I have left."

Watching her, Wang Zhenye's hands, which were resting on the table, unconsciously clenched into tight fists. A long moment passed before he relaxed them. He looked at Hao Miaomiao with a solemn expression and answered with a single word, "Alright."

He didn't say anything more. Perhaps he didn't know what to say. He just stared blankly at Hao Miaomiao across from him, who was already focused on organizing and writing her books.

*

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Xu Ran was on his way to visit Hao Miaomiao. Just as he arrived at her Cave Mansion, he saw Wang Zhenye walking out.

His head was bowed, he looked unwell, and his spirits were low.

Seeing this, Xu Ran went up to him and asked with concern, "Did something happen?"

Wang Zhenye shook his head. After a moment of silence, he looked up at Xu Ran and asked:

"Elder Xu, there's a question I can't figure out. Could I ask you to enlighten me?"

"What's the question? Let's hear it."

"I've been wondering... do people mature because they get older, or do they just naturally seem mature because they look old? I'm clearly a bit older than Miaomiao, and I've never changed a bit. But Miaomiao has become so mature... so mature that I'm not quite used to it."

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