Chapter 7 A Consultation Between Women

Tang Hui remained in the medicine hall courtyard far longer than expected.

Mostly because the surrounding medicine disciples refused to let her leave.

“Junior Sister Tang,” one disciple said while pushing another cup of tea toward her, “tell us honestly. Did Senior Brother Gu truly go to a matchmaking stall?”

Tang Hui nodded calmly. “Twice.”

The courtyard instantly exploded.

“TWICE?”

“Senior Brother Gu actually likes someone that much?”

“I suddenly feel emotional for some reason.”

Lin Qingyue looked like she wanted the ground to open beneath her immediately.

Tang Hui, meanwhile, sipped her tea with the composed expression of someone who had become completely numb to cultivator behavior.

Honestly, the entire situation was absurd.

The famous cold-hearted sword genius had spent months silently suffering because he accidentally criticized the girl he liked.

Meanwhile, the gentle medicine hall fairy had cried herself to sleep thinking the same man disliked her.

And somehow Tang Hui was now responsible for fixing all of it.

This was definitely beyond normal matchmaking duties.

“Senior Sister Lin,” Tang Hui said at last, setting down her teacup, “can I ask something honestly?”

Lin Qingyue still looked embarrassed, but she nodded softly. “You may.”

“Why didn’t you just ask him directly?”

The surrounding disciples immediately quieted again.

Lin Qingyue lowered her gaze slightly.

For a few moments, she remained silent.

Then she gave a small, helpless smile.

“…Because he’s Gu Beichen.”

Tang Hui blinked.

That answer somehow explained absolutely nothing and everything simultaneously.

Lin Qingyue lightly rubbed the edge of her sleeve between her fingers as she spoke quietly.

“Senior Brother Gu has always been distant from everyone. Even within the inner sect, most disciples are nervous around him.” She hesitated briefly before continuing. “When he was injured, he came to the medicine hall alone despite his condition. The other healers were afraid his sword intent would lose control.”

Tang Hui remembered Gu Beichen mentioning that part.

“But you still treated him,” she said.

Lin Qingyue nodded once. “He was badly injured.”

The answer came so naturally that Tang Hui almost laughed.

Of course.

To Lin Qingyue, helping injured people probably mattered more than fear.

“He stayed in the medicine hall for several days,” Lin Qingyue continued softly. “At first, I thought he was difficult to approach. He rarely spoke, and his expression always looked cold.” A faint smile appeared in her eyes. “But after a while… I realized he wasn’t cold.”

Tang Hui raised an eyebrow. “No?”

“He thanked every disciple who brought medicine,” Lin Qingyue said quietly. “And even while injured, he apologized whenever his unstable sword intent damaged something.”

The surrounding medicine disciples nodded immediately.

“Senior Brother Gu repaired the shattered medicine shelves himself afterward.”

“He also paid for every damaged herb.”

“He even bowed in apology to Elder Sun!”

Tang Hui stared silently.

Wait.

That sounded unexpectedly decent.

Very decent, actually.

Her impression of Gu Beichen shifted slightly.

Only slightly.

His communication skills still belonged in the deepest abyss.

Lin Qingyue looked down at her teacup again. “After he recovered, I thought…” She paused, clearly embarrassed. “I thought perhaps we had become a little closer.”

Tang Hui immediately understood.

Ah.

Then came the bandaging comment.

A complete emotional catastrophe.

Lin Qingyue gave another helpless smile. “So when he criticized my bandaging afterward, I suddenly felt very foolish.”

The surrounding disciples looked ready to personally hunt Gu Beichen down.

Tang Hui sighed internally.

Honestly, neither of them were truly at fault.

Well.

Gu Beichen was slightly at fault.

Actually, heavily at fault.

But his intentions had clearly never been bad.

He was simply the emotional equivalent of an unsheathed sword.

Dangerous even when standing still.

Tang Hui leaned back thoughtfully. “Then let me ask something else.”

Lin Qingyue looked up.

“If Senior Brother Gu apologized properly… what would you do?”

The entire courtyard instantly became quiet again.

Several medicine disciples leaned forward with terrifying focus.

Lin Qingyue froze slightly.

“…Apologize?”

Tang Hui nodded. “A real apology. Without discussing bandage quality.”

A few disciples snorted into their tea.

Lin Qingyue looked conflicted for several moments before speaking honestly.

“…I wouldn’t be angry anymore.”

Tang Hui narrowed her eyes. “Only not angry?”

Lin Qingyue immediately looked away.

The nearby medicine disciples looked deeply disappointed by her lack of honesty.

One finally burst out, “Senior Sister still keeps the spirit herb he gave her!”

Lin Qingyue nearly died on the spot.

“Junior Sister Zhao!”

Tang Hui slowly turned back toward Lin Qingyue.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

The medicine hall beauty covered part of her face with her sleeve, clearly wishing for immediate death. “I only kept it because it was valuable…”

Nobody believed that.

Absolutely nobody.

Tang Hui suddenly felt strangely confident about this entire situation.

Honestly, these two were already halfway to becoming Dao companions.

They simply lacked functioning communication.

Which, unfortunately, was common among cultivators.

Tang Hui stood up slowly.

The surrounding disciples immediately looked disappointed.

“You’re leaving already?”

“Wait, what happens next?”

“Can we watch the reconciliation?”

Tang Hui ignored the increasingly dangerous questions and dusted off her sleeves calmly.

“I’ve gathered enough information.”

Lin Qingyue looked up slightly. “Junior Sister Tang…”

Tang Hui paused.

After hesitating briefly, Lin Qingyue asked quietly, “…Did Senior Brother Gu truly seem troubled?”

The question was soft.

Careful.

But Tang Hui noticed the nervousness hidden underneath immediately.

Ah.

This woman really liked him.

Tang Hui smiled slightly. “Senior Sister Lin.”

Lin Qingyue blinked.

“The man carried a pink rabbit lantern around the outer sect market for an entire afternoon because I told him women liked thoughtful gifts.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Then the medicine hall courtyard exploded.

“A RABBIT LANTERN?”

“Senior Brother Gu carried something cute?!”

“I suddenly cannot imagine it!”

Lin Qingyue herself looked completely stunned.

Tang Hui nodded solemnly. “He looked emotionally confused the entire time.”

One disciple nearly collapsed from laughter.

Another clutched her chest dramatically. “Why does this somehow make Senior Brother Gu seem adorable?”

Tang Hui personally felt “adorable” was an extremely dangerous description for Gu Beichen.

Still—

she could not deny the image had been ridiculous.

Lin Qingyue lowered her head slightly, but this time Tang Hui clearly saw the smile she was trying to hide.

A genuine smile.

Soft and warm enough to instantly explain Gu Beichen’s emotional downfall.

Tang Hui suddenly understood something important.

This matchmaking business really was dangerous.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

Because even she was starting to feel invested now.

Troublesome.

Very troublesome.