“A reward?”
Xie Qing looked skeptically at Zhang Mei, who, overcoming her embarrassment, still asked about the reward.
“Indeed. You have helped me a lot, and it would be too awkward for me not to give you something in return. Besides, I always adhere to the policy of equal exchange, which is why I am asking what you would like,” Zhang Mei said sincerely, sipping her tea.
They were in her private estate, located high in the mountains and accessible only to a select few. Sitting on the balcony at a round table, the two were drinking tea with desserts.
Xie Qing chuckled, thoughtfully tapping on the table, which coincidentally matched the rhythm of Zhang Mei’s heartbeat, as she began to imagine something.
“A reward, yes… even if you ask, my answer will be ‘I don’t know’ in any case. I, you see, need very little,” Xie Qing replied somewhat uncertainly, stopping his index finger a few centimeters above the table and looking at Zhang Mei. He added, “Besides, despite my jokes, I never expected and will not expect a reward for trivial help. You are, after all, a friend of my Master. How could I possibly take anything from you?”
“Um…”
Zhang Mei fell silent, not knowing what to say. On one hand, she was impressed by Xie Qing’s words and manners, but on the other hand, she felt awkward, thinking she was taking advantage of his kindness.
“Nevertheless, I want to do something in return, and as I mentioned earlier, I adhere to the policy of equal exchange. So please, think about what you would like,” Zhang Mei replied with a serious expression, although her thoughts were filled with fantasy.
“I really don’t know…”
Xie Qing scratched his head in confusion, encountering such a stubborn person for the first time. However, he was somewhat pleased that someone wanted to do something for him in return. So, after a moment of thought, he made a request that was mostly a joke.
“How about this… would you go on a date with me? I’m bored anyway, so…”
“…”
Zhang Mei fell silent, and her face became unreadable, so even Xie Qing didn’t know what she was thinking. He was just glad to change the subject.
Enjoying his tea, Xie Qing put a piece of cake on his plate and took a bite, then looked up at the sky.
“…I agree.”
“Huh?”
“I… agree…”
Xie Qing slowly lowered his head and looked at Zhang Mei, who was looking at him with a serious gaze. He furrowed his brow.
“Really?” the man thought but did not say it aloud.
After a brief silence, as the two tried to overcome the awkwardness, they continued drinking tea as if nothing had happened.
***
And the next day…
Zhang Mei proved that her words were not a joke. And in the morning, Xie Qing found her in a beautiful red dress that accentuated her beauty and dignity.
“Huh?”
His first reaction was confusion, and his second was admiration. Say what you will, but Zhang Mei was beautiful and unique, reaching the same level of beauty as Xu Mei.
If Xu Mei had a mature beauty, then Zhang Mei’s was more like the beauty of a young girl who had just come of age. Simultaneously innocent and vibrant. Like a flower that had just bloomed.
“You look lovely, Lady Zhang. In that dress, you look even more beautiful,” the man began the conversation with compliments, being well-versed in manners.
“Thank… you,” Zhang Mei replied, somewhat hesitantly.
Her appearance was quite awkward—it was evident from her unimaginable gaze. It was clear that the girl was not used to wearing a dress.
“No wonder you are so popular,” Xie Qing said casually, rubbing his stiff neck. He blinked and tilted his head to the side. “Why don’t you wear a dress more often? I won’t lie, if I were seven years younger and we met under different circumstances, I would undoubtedly fall in love with you.”
“Um…”
Zhang Mei blushed, and her eyes sparkled as she heard Xie Qing’s compliment and realized how sincere he was. Even Zhang Mei’s cold heart began to melt under his beautiful compliments.
So she smiled weakly, revealing her even white teeth and the shine of her cherry lips.
“Thank you…” she murmured, shyly lowering her head, which made it even more charming.
“Xie Qing sighed and turned away. When someone known for their coldness suddenly becomes sweet… it’s frightening for the heart.”
“Shall we go?” he said, turning back with a smile.
“Yes…” Zhang Mei replied softly.
***
Since the Righteous Dao’s great victory, not much time had passed, but the results were visible to the naked eye. Already, one could notice the improved mood of the residents.
There was no longer any gloom, fear, or humiliation. Even the mortals, for whom the war between the two Dao factions was something distant, were happy.
Of course, there would always be dissatisfied people, but the fact remained—the result of the victory had caused the fighting spirit of the Righteous Dao’s population to undergo positive changes.
“I heard that during the war, everything was gloomy,” Xie Qing whistled and smiled, looking at Zhang Mei. “We should thank one of the great masters of the sect for the victory, right?”
“It’s nothing,” Zhang Mei rolled her eyes, and a faint smirk appeared on her face. “Although, you should also be thanked. Without your data, the war would have been delayed for a long time.”
“Exactly. I accept payment in spiritual stones. You can start paying now.”
“…”
Zhang Mei wanted to tease Xie Qing, but she didn’t consider that he was shameless himself. So, at the first opportunity, he extended his hand with a business-like smile, as if eagerly awaiting profit.
Therefore, the girl just slapped his outstretched hand and snorted, brushing it off.
“You’re not one to mince words. You could pretend to be generous,” Zhang Mei said, snorting.
“Will that be paid for?”
“No!”
Xie Qing shrugged, saying, “Nothing can be done about it.” Zhang Mei just remained silent, not commenting on his shameless remark.
They decided to stop at a restaurant that was quite expensively furnished. After ordering a table, they settled in a private room.
By the way, Zhang Mei had a special technique, so her presence was dulled, and her appearance seemed completely different to everyone except Xie Qing.
“It’s tough being popular, isn’t it?” Xie Qing asked with a faint smile.
“You think?” Zhang Mei took the menu in her hand and glanced at the waitress, who was openly staring at Xie Qing. She cleared her throat, making the worker come to her senses. “Young miss, bring us these dishes…”
“Y-yes, right away!”
The waitress blushed with embarrassment, then rushed out of the room, looking as if she were escaping death. Xie Qing watched her go, and seeing that the door closed again, he looked at Zhang Mei, raising an eyebrow.
“What?” the girl asked, furrowing her brows.
“…Nothing, really.”
Xie Qing propped his chin on his hand, smiling faintly and looking into her eyes, which seemed to have a ripple in them. Zhang Mei snorted at his behavior and muttered something discontentedly.
Xie Qing could swear that it was something like:
“Is he that popular?”
However, not wanting to embarrass her, the man pretended not to hear anything.
Soon, the waitress brought the dishes and did not leave immediately. She looked at Xie Qing and squirmed awkwardly, then finally voiced her thoughts.
“Please… would you mind hugging me? I’m your fan…”
“Huh?!”
Zhang Mei shouted loudly, looking at the waitress with furrowed brows, which scared her greatly. Xie Qing was also surprised by such a request.
“Hug… you?” he repeated and, seeing the girl nod again and her sincere gaze, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“Sigh…”
The waitress let out a sad sigh, then apologized and left, closing the door behind her.
Zhang Mei fell silent for a moment, then asked, “I thought you would agree.”
“Me?” Xie Qing looked at her in surprise and replied, “No, of course not. First of all, I’m on a date with you right now. And it would be rude if I paid attention to someone else besides you…”
“Um…”
The girl, hearing Xie Qing’s words, blushed deeply, and sparks and ripples of emotions appeared in her beautiful violet eyes, while her heart pounded wildly.
On her face appeared a shy expression, and her feet rhythmically tapped the floor. However, as if it were all an illusion, she returned to her usual demeanor when it was time for lunch.
The main dish ordered was meat. Xie Qing had only recently learned that Zhang Mei was a fan of meat, especially if it was spiritual meat, and she even spared no expense to employ the best chefs.
Although this was somewhat surprising, as Xie Qing had always thought of her as a woman solely focused on work and the Dao, it was quite pleasant to see that she had such normal interests.
