Chapter 45 Tang Hui Decides Emotional Avoidance Is a Terrible Strategy

Tang Hui avoided eye contact with Gu Beichen for the remainder of the afternoon.

This accomplished absolutely nothing.

Because unfortunately, awareness changed everything once it existed.

Before, Tang Hui could dismiss his behavior as thoughtfulness.
Or friendship.
Or Gu Beichen simply being unusually sincere.

Now?

Now every interaction carried dangerous clarity beneath it.

The tea appearing beside her during long consultations.

The instinctive way he remained near crowded areas whenever sect gatherings became overwhelming.

The quiet habit of fixing problems around the pavilion before she noticed them herself.

And perhaps most terrifying of all—

Tang Hui reciprocated those habits naturally now.

She saved him portions of spirit pastries automatically.
Reserved space beside the consultation table unconsciously.
Looked for him first whenever entering crowded places.

Ah.

Disaster.

Complete emotional disaster.

The pavilion itself remained unusually peaceful during the late afternoon lull. Warm sunlight filtered through the paper windows while only a handful of disciples lingered near the tea tables discussing sect assignments quietly.

Luo Ming and Qin Yue had finally left after arguing over formation spacing for nearly an hour.

Honestly concerning behavior for two people supposedly uninvolved emotionally.

Tang Hui watched them leave together earlier and nearly laughed from sheer professional frustration.

Hopeless.

All cultivators hopeless.

Which unfortunately now included herself.

Tang Hui groaned softly before dropping her forehead against the consultation desk.

No repetitive exhaustion habits.

Recover.

Immediately.

Lin Qingyue looked up from the records shelves nearby with open amusement now.

“You’re thinking too loudly.”

Tang Hui lifted her head slowly.

“You’ve become cruel lately.”

“A little.”

Betrayal everywhere.

Tang Hui leaned back in her chair while staring toward the pavilion ceiling thoughtfully.

“…Was I really that obvious?”

Lin Qingyue considered the question honestly.

“To me? A little recently.”

“Wonderful.”

“But only because I know both of you well.”

That did not comfort Tang Hui whatsoever.

Lin Qingyue set aside the consultation records before continuing gently:

“Senior Brother Gu changed a lot after meeting you.”

Tang Hui blinked slightly.

The statement caught her off guard enough that she actually listened instead of deflecting immediately.

Lin Qingyue smiled faintly while organizing loose paper slips absently.

“Before, he focused almost entirely on cultivation.” Her expression softened slightly. “People admired him, but very few felt comfortable approaching him.”

Tang Hui could imagine that easily.

The Gu Beichen from months ago felt distant even in memory now.
Cold.
Sharp-edged.
Careful with emotions.

Lin Qingyue glanced toward the pavilion doorway where Gu Beichen currently spoke with Old Chen outside.

“But lately,” she continued quietly, “he laughs more.”

Tang Hui’s chest tightened unexpectedly.

Because she noticed that too.

Not dramatic changes.

Small ones.

Subtle amusement appearing naturally now.
More patience during conversations.
The way he lingered around ordinary moments instead of immediately returning to cultivation.

Human warmth slowly surfacing beneath years of restraint.

Tang Hui suddenly became aware of something else uncomfortable:

she liked being the reason for those changes.

Ah.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

Before the conversation could deepen further, several disciples hurried through the pavilion entrance carrying obvious panic energy.

Excellent.

Work distraction.

“Senior Sister Tang!”

Tang Hui straightened immediately.

“What happened?”

One disciple looked deeply distressed.

“Senior Brother Han challenged someone to a duel again.”

Tang Hui closed her eyes briefly.

“…Why?”

The disciple hesitated awkwardly.

“Because someone insulted his poetry.”

Dead silence.

Tang Hui reopened her eyes slowly.

“This sect cannot survive socially.”

Lin Qingyue laughed softly behind her.

The disciples continued anxiously:

“He says only combat can restore his dignity now!”

Tang Hui stood immediately.

“No. Absolutely not. We are stopping emotional sword violence before sunset.”

Several disciples visibly relaxed.

Which remained deeply surreal honestly.

Months ago nobody sought Tang Hui during sect disputes.

Now disciples ran toward the pavilion first whenever emotional chaos erupted.

Dangerous responsibility.

Tang Hui grabbed her outer robe quickly before heading toward the entrance.

Then paused.

Because naturally—

Gu Beichen looked up immediately from outside.

“You’re leaving?”

“Preventing emotionally motivated combat,” Tang Hui replied grimly.

Gu Beichen nodded once before falling into step beside her automatically.

Again.

Automatic.

Tang Hui stared at him suspiciously while they walked through the crowded outer market together.

“…You know you don’t need to accompany me everywhere.”

“I know.”

“Then why do you?”

Gu Beichen considered briefly.

“Because I want to.”

Ah.

There it was again.

That terrifying sincerity.

Tang Hui looked forward immediately before her expression betrayed something dangerous.

The outer market remained lively beneath the fading golden light of evening. Disciples moved between training grounds and dining halls while distant sect bells echoed faintly through the mountain paths.

Beside her, Gu Beichen walked calmly without speaking further.

Comfortable silence.

Not awkward.

Just familiar.

Tang Hui hated how natural that felt now.

Eventually they reached one of the lower sword courtyards where a crowd had already gathered enthusiastically around the brewing duel.

At the center stood Senior Brother Han looking spiritually offended while another disciple defended himself aggressively.

“…Your poetry compared her eyes to damp mushrooms!”

“That metaphor represented emotional humility!”

“It represented fungus!”

Tang Hui physically stopped walking.

“…I want both of you to know this is the stupidest conflict I’ve mediated all month.”

Several surrounding disciples immediately laughed.

The tension broke slightly.

Good.

Tang Hui stepped into the courtyard while folding her arms.

“No duels over poetry.”

Senior Brother Han looked devastated.

“But my dignity—”

“Survived.”

“But—”

“No.”

The second disciple raised a cautious hand.

“He insulted my calligraphy first.”

Tang Hui stared at both men silently.

Then pointed toward the nearby stone tables.

“Sit down.”

The disciples obeyed automatically.

Interesting.

Apparently Tang Hui developed authority accidentally too.

For the next twenty minutes, she forced both cultivators through increasingly painful emotional communication until eventually the real issue emerged:

Neither actually cared about poetry.

They both liked the same music cultivator and projected insecurities onto each other dramatically.

Classic.

Tang Hui rubbed her forehead once before stopping herself again.

Adapt.

She straightened immediately.

“You’re not rivals,” she explained patiently. “You’re both embarrassed.”

The courtyard quieted.

Several disciples looked thoughtful.

Tang Hui continued calmly:

“Cultivators treat vulnerability like weakness so often that you start hiding behind pride instead.”

Senior Brother Han looked down awkwardly afterward.

The other disciple sighed heavily.

“…We may have overreacted slightly.”

“Slightly?” Tang Hui echoed flatly.

Progress nonetheless.

As the crowd gradually dispersed after reconciliation, evening shadows stretched softly across the stone courtyards while lanterns flickered awake throughout the sect pathways.

Tang Hui exhaled quietly.

Another disaster resolved.

Beside her, Gu Beichen spoke suddenly.

“You’re good at this.”

Tang Hui glanced sideways toward him.

“At stopping emotionally unstable cultivators from stabbing each other?”

“At understanding people.”

The answer arrived simply.

Honestly.

Tang Hui looked away again before her heartbeat became socially inappropriate.

Because the problem now wasn’t uncertainty anymore.

The problem was understanding.

She understood exactly what Gu Beichen felt.

And increasingly—

understood herself too.

Which meant emotional avoidance no longer protected her from anything at all.