Fairy, Don’t Be Afraid, I’m Blind

Chapter 26: Washing the Bed Sheets

The morning sun began to rise.

It didn’t blaze fiercely, painting the sky with fiery clouds, but instead unfolded a wave-like glow of dawn that stretched toward the heavens, pushing the night sky farther and farther away.

At this moment, when light and darkness were about to intertwine, a small flame suddenly flickered on You Su’s fingertips.

But before he could even feel excited, a sudden burning sensation made him flinch and shake his hand. His hard-earned Ignition Spell had ended its brief and unremarkable debut.

You Su felt a bit defeated, thinking that this spell was utterly useless – how could summoning fire end up burning himself?

Upon reflection, though, it made sense. This flame was borrowed from the Heavenly Dao through incantations, and the Heavenly Dao treated all things equally-why would it favor you alone?

The Comprehensive Selection of Five Elements Spellcraft listed many prohibited actions, one of which strictly forbade sect members from privately studying high-level spells.

There was also a detailed explanation below, roughly stating that the use of spells required the ability to wield and endure the borrowed power.

For example, the fact that You Su got burned by this simple ignition spell indicated that his body’s heat resistance wasn’t sufficient to handle it yet. With more practice to adapt to the temperature, or by consuming some fire attribute treasures, he’d be able to use it freely.

Setting aside those naturally gifted individuals with an affinity for the Heavenly Dao, the higher the level of the spell, the harder it was to control. Spells were double-edged swords-before they could harm others, they could take one’s own life and even endanger bystanders.

Thus, spells of any real power were strictly controlled by the major sects. To learn them, one had to prove that they possessed the matching talent.

You Su tried it a few more times. Each time, the flame appeared at his fingertips without fail, making the success rate of his ignition spell close to perfect. The only downside was that the flame extinguished almost immediately, because You Su found it unbearably hot.

Although it was just an entry-level fire attribute spell, mastering it to this extent in just one night would be enough to shock even the old immortal masters who specialized in spell research.

Ultimately, whether it was sword techniques or spells, precise control over one’s spiritual energy was essential. You Su’s swordplay had already reached peak mastery, so his control over spiritual energy naturally wasn’t lacking. As long as he wasn’t completely incompatible with spells, learning them would come relatively easily.

Ji Lingruo, on the other hand, would probably struggle. Thinking of his junior sister’s poor spiritual control, You Su couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

As fate would have it, Ji Lingruo happened to step out of You Su’s room at that moment.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes and groggily shook her head, looking like she hadn’t fully woken up yet.

Without make-up, her natural beauty was striking. But she hadn’t even bothered to comb her hair, letting it hang loose. Her dress was also slightly loose, revealing a pale pink silk petticoat and large expanses of soft, smooth skin.

Since You Su couldn’t see anyway, Ji Lingruo had long since stopped caring about such minor details.

“You Su, how dare you put me on your bed to sleep?” The young girl spotted You Su sitting in the courtyard and immediately confronted him.

“I thought the table would be uncomfortable for you, and I didn’t dare enter your room, so I had no choice but to do this. Besides, I’ve already slept for two days and one night – I’m wide awake.”

“Do you know how smelly your bed is? Go wash it right now!” The girl wrinkled her nose in disdain, then asked suspiciously, “And while I was asleep, you didn’t… do anything inappropriate, did you?”

You Su naturally knew that he was a tidy person and that his junior sister was just picking a fight. Too lazy to argue, he stood up straight and declared with righteous indignation:

“When I carried you, I felt like a butcher carrying a pig to market. I just wanted to get rid of the burden as quickly as possible, how could I have any improper thoughts?”

To his surprise, Ji Lingruo didn’t get angry. Instead, a smug smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she said, “Hmph, I’m hungry. Since you can carry a pig, go make breakfast.”

Inwardly, she thought with satisfaction: He held me so tightly in secret and even touched my head, but now he’s pretending to be a gentleman in front of me. What a hypocrite.

You Su had the same idea. Like a child who had just gotten a new toy, he was eager to try out his newly learned spell – but only if his junior sister didn’t find out.

Ji Lingruo had gone to freshen up, while You Su sat in front of the stove, chanting incantations and snapping his fingers. A small flame appeared, igniting the dry grass used to start the fire.

Feeling the flames grow stronger, You Su’s interest in the path of spellcraft deepened even further.

When it came to the sword, progress through hard work was minimal. For You Su to improve significantly, he needed other opportunities. But with spellcraft, he had only just begun – there was still immense room for growth. Clearly, this was the best path for him to rapidly increase his strength.

Today’s breakfast was rather formal: two lightly stir-fried dishes and a pot of millet porridge, almost resembling a proper meal. But there was no helping it-after a fierce battle and two days of unconsciousness, You Su’s body was completely drained and in dire need of energy.

Ji Lingruo was naturally a foodie, and eating savory and sweet flavors first thing in the morning delighted her immensely. Seeing You Su wolfing down his food, she reluctantly parted with most of her share, handing it over to him. With a pout, she justified it by saying, “I’m too full to eat this-it’s a reward for you.”

After breakfast, Ji Lingruo ordered You Su to rest while she washed the dishes. However, her thin-skinned pride wouldn’t allow her to show kindness without reason, so she demanded an exorbitant fee of one silver coin for her efforts.

You Su handed over the money with feigned reluctance, inwardly thinking that his junior sister was truly the best in the world.

Sitting on the bed, You Su gently pressed against his aching chest.

As the “monster” junior sister had said, he was indeed skilled at acting. His interactions with Ji Lingruo seemed unchanged from before. But behind the laughter and teasing, a deep sorrow lay hidden in You Su’s heart. He silently resolved to ensure that his junior sister enjoyed every waking moment until the day she fully recovered.

Suddenly remembering that his junior sister had called his bed smelly, he took off the pillowcase and sheets and replaced them with fresh ones. During the process, a strand of the girl’s hair tickled his nose.

Holding the old bedding, he took a deep breath. He didn’t think it smelled bad at all – in fact, it carried a faint fragrance unique to the girl. But since his junior sister said that it was smelly, he decided to wash it anyway, hoping to earn her favor.

Ji Lingruo was still washing dishes at the water basin when she suddenly saw You Su walk out carrying a pile of bedding, seemingly intending to wash it.

“Hey, You Su, why aren’t you resting? What are you doing?”

“Washing the sheets. Didn’t Junior Sister say that they were smelly? Or does Junior Sister want to help me wash them? If so, you’ll have to charge less this time.” You Su replied with a faint smile, already anticipating praise like “Good boy.”

“You!”

Ji Lingruo’s pretty face twisted in confusion, not knowing whether to be happy or angry.

You Su’s bed sheets weren’t smelly at all-they even carried a faint woody fragrance. When she told You Su to wash them, it was only out of embarrassment, not wanting her senior brother to sleep on the same fabric she had. But now, seeing You Su so readily agree to wash them, it felt as though he was rejecting her presence, and inexplicable anger welled up inside her.

“What’s wrong with me?”

You Su prided himself on being perceptive, but even he couldn’t decipher the subtle workings of a girl’s heart at times.

Ji Lingruo bit her teeth lightly, unable to speak. She cursed You Su in her heart, saying that he was a fool and that she would be pissed off to death by him sooner or later.

BANG!

The door was suddenly kicked open, interrupting their peaceful moment. A group of people rushed in, led by two arrogant youths who shouted loudly:

“Guardian Firmament Sect, investigating!”