Over the next half a year, Shen Qingci practiced her sword during the Yin hour, attended lectures during the Mao hour, refined her lightning spells in the afternoon, and returned to Yunqi Cave in the evening.
Her days were packed to the brim.
The medicinal liquid her aunt had sent over was called Bone-Tempering Marrow-Cleansing Soup. It was so thick and black it could have been used as spiritual ink, and its pungent scent was enough to make even a Foundation Establishment spirit beast turn and run after a single whiff.
Once poured into the wooden tub, the rising steam filled the entire inner chamber with white mist, so stinging that it made one's eyes water instantly.
The first month was the hardest to endure.
As the medicinal power seeped into her meridians, it felt as if a saw were grinding back and forth between her bones, sending a numbing ache all the way from her spine to the crown of her head.
Shen Qingci bit through several handkerchiefs, only letting out a few muffled groans from the back of her throat when she absolutely could not hold them in any longer.
Chi Yuan kept watch in the outer room every single night.
At first, separated by a single screen, just hearing her junior sister's suppressed gasps would cause her to clench her fists so hard that her nails left a row of crescent marks in her palms.
On the fourth night, she finally stood up, walked around the screen, and stepped inside.
Shen Qingci was slumped against the edge of the tub, her forehead resting against her arm, her spine tensed into a sharp, rigid line. Sweat ran down her shoulder blades, and her skin flushed a light pink under the heat of the dark medicine.
“Senior Sister, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all...”
Her lips were still trembling.
Chi Yuan did not reply.
She took a dry handkerchief from the rack, folded it, and gently dabbed away the cold sweat from Shen Qingci's forehead bit by bit.
“Be good, A-Ci. Cry out if it hurts.”
“No. If I make a sound, it'll make your heart ache, Senior Sister.”
Chi Yuan flipped the handkerchief over.
“Even if you don't, my heart still aches!”
Shen Qingci went quiet.
After a long while, her fingers quietly hooked onto Chi Yuan's sleeve.
In her mind, she silently whimpered: It hurts so much!
Chi Yuan sat down on a low stool beside the tub, sliding her hand into her junior sister's clenched fist, keeping watch in silence.
On the fifth night, the medicinal power surged even more violently.
Shen Qingci was shivering all over, her teeth chattering loudly, her lips completely drained of color.
Chi Yuan stood up, untied her outer robe, draped it over the screen, and stepped into the tub wearing only her inner garment. Sitting against the wall of the tub, she pulled Shen Qingci into her arms.
Pressing her palm against her junior sister's back, she channeled a wisp of ice spiritual energy, gradually suppressing the overly fierce heat of the medicine.
Nestled in her embrace, Shen Qingci's rigid spine slowly relaxed.
“Senior Sister.”
“Mm.”
“Your inner garment is completely soaked.”
“It doesn't matter.”
“Ugh... the fabric is clinging to you... those little peaches are showing so clearly.” Shen Qingci sniffled. Before her tears were even dry, her tongue was already running wild.
Chi Yuan looked down at her.
Her little junior sister's eyes were red, and the tip of her nose was flushed.
She raised her hand and flicked Shen Qingci's forehead twice.
“Behave yourself.”
“Ouch.”
“Good, it's supposed to hurt.”
Shen Qingci finally behaved.
She buried her face in her senior sister's neck and fell silent.
With one hand channeling spiritual energy, Chi Yuan gently stroked her back with the other. Steam billowed around them, leaving only the sound of bubbling medicine in the quiet room.
For the next half month, Chi Yuan joined her in the wooden tub every single night. When the pain flared up, she would hold her tighter; when it subsided, she would let her doze off in her embrace.
Once, Shen Qingci fell fast asleep in the water. Chi Yuan scooped her up, wrapped her in a blanket, and carried her back to the main bedroom before returning to clean up the tub herself.
When Qinghe came to clean the next day, she noticed a soft stool beside the tub, with an old sewing basket sitting on top of it. She stood there for a moment, then added a plate of Jade Kite Pastries next to the basket.
By the second month of soaking, the pain gradually lessened.
As her body adapted to the bone-piercing medicinal power, her tense defenses relaxed considerably.
Shen Qingci began to whimper frequently again.
Even though she felt no pain at all, she would still lean against the edge of the tub and let out a few soft whines, waiting for her senior sister to come over and hug and kiss her.
Chi Yuan would put down her rubbing, walk around the screen as usual, step into the tub, and pull her into her arms.
Of course she knew her junior sister was faking it.
Real pain was squeezed through clenched teeth, muffled and brief. Faked pain had an upward lilt at the end, full of playful curves~
Usually, Chi Yuan didn't want to call her out.
Once she had settled the girl comfortably in her arms, she pressed her palm against her back to channel spiritual energy, resting her chin on top of Shen Qingci's head.
“A-Ci.”
“Mm?”
“Next time you pretend to be in pain, remember to clench your left fist too.”
Shen Qingci blinked, her gaze falling on her open left hand, which was currently splashing water on her knees.
She looked up and nudged Chi Yuan's chin with her nose. Her brief guilt vanished instantly as she asked righteously, “If you knew I was faking it, Senior Sister, why did you still come in?”
Chi Yuan didn't answer, simply staring at her quietly.
Stared at by those clear eyes for a moment, Shen Qingci looked away and buried her head back into her senior sister's neck.
“You know the answer anyway.”
Chi Yuan tightened her arms, resting her chin against the top of her head.
Three months, five months, half a year.
On the day winter arrived, after finishing her final bath of Bone-Tempering Marrow-Cleansing Soup, Shen Qingci threw on an outer robe and stood in front of the bronze mirror, suddenly realizing she had grown taller.
Last year, she only reached her senior sister's shoulder, but now her forehead reached the tail of her senior sister's brow.
She stood on her tiptoes, the top of her head brushing against the corner of her senior sister's eye.
Shen Qingci stared at herself in the mirror for a long time, a smile lingering on her face.
She turned and walked out of the inner room. Chi Yuan was leaning against a jade couch, flipping through her rubbings.
“Senior Sister.”
Chi Yuan looked up.
Shen Qingci didn't say anything, just standing there with her chin slightly raised.
Chi Yuan looked her up and down, then closed the rubbings. “A-Ci, you've grown taller.”
“I'm almost as tall as you now.”
“Still a bit short.”
“Just a tiny bit.” Shen Qingci leaned closer and measured with her hand. Indeed, she was only short by less than half a knuckle.
She stared at the gap, thinking for a moment. She couldn't help but wonder why she was still a bit shorter than her senior sister.
But it would be soon.
At this rate, she would be equal in three to five months, and maybe even half an inch taller in the future.
The image of looking straight ahead and then down at Chi Yuan floated into Shen Qingci's mind, and her smile widened once more.
Seeing her standing there giggling like a fool, Chi Yuan stood up and reached out to ruffle her hair.
“What are you smiling about?”
“I'm smiling because I'm about to be taller than you, Senior Sister. When I hold you then, I'll be the one looking down.” Shen Qingci reached out, wrapping her arms around Chi Yuan's shoulders and pulling her close, tilting her face to test the angle. “Just like this, wrapping my arms completely around you.”
Chi Yuan let her fuss around for a while before speaking unhurriedly, “You are currently at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, and I am at the late Golden Core stage.”
Shen Qingci's movements froze.
“By the time you reach Foundation Establishment, A-Ci, I will likely be at peak Golden Core.” Chi Yuan paused, then added, “When I break through to Nascent Soul, my physical body will be reshaped once more.”
Her gaze swept over her little junior sister, who had frozen solid like a wooden board in her arms. With a slight curl of her lips, she said, “If you want to be taller than me, A-Ci, you'll probably have to wait until you reach the Soul Transformation stage.”
Shen Qingci: “...”
Soul Transformation stage???
That would take forever.
She stepped back from her senior sister's embrace, silently turning to walk toward the inner room.
“Where are you going?”
“To take a medicinal bath.” Shen Qingci didn't look back. “I'll have Aunt send a few more tubs over.”
“Nonsense. The medicinal baths are done in half-year cycles. Excessive bone tempering will only damage your foundation, which isn't worth the loss.” Chi Yuan knew she was just joking, but she still went along with her play.
Shen Qingci insisted stubbornly, “I don't care. I can stabilize my own foundation, and I will catch up in height too.”
【How can a fierce top be shorter than her own wife!!!】
This was her final line of defense.
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