Ye Jun recounted everything about Song Liangxue and his relationship to Meihui. He had come to trust her that much at least, so he didn't mind sharing some things with her.
'Is it just my imagination, or does she seem displeased?' he wondered, looking at Meihui, who suddenly had a dark atmosphere around her.
She glared at Ye Jun, then looked away. Biting her nails, she thought, 'What is happening to me? Why am I mad after hearing this? What is wrong with me?'
When she couldn't understand anything, she just shifted the blame to the poison her enemies had dealt her.
'Yes, its side effects are causing these emotional fluctuations. There is no other explanation.'
She took a deep breath to calm herself down, even though she still felt displeased that Ye Jun was already engaged to someone.
"Uhh! Are you alright?" Ye Jun asked.
Meihui flinched and turned around slowly, flashing a small smile. "Yes, I'm just surprised she chose you considering your situation. She's a good person."
"She's a peculiar case, though it's also because I'm handsome." Ye Jun shrugged. "That's something even you'll agree with."
Only then did Meihui take a closer look at his face. Till now, she hadn't really paid much attention to it since her mind was busy with too many things.
'He does look good,' she thought, faint redness creeping around her neck. 'Way better than those pompous men of my land.'
"Seen enough?" Ye Jun asked in a teasing tone. "I know I'm handsome, but quit staring. I'll blush!"
Meihui's face instantly flushed in embarrassment as she realized she had been caught staring at him.
"W-Who is looking at you?" she cried out. "You're decent at best. There are many men more handsome than you in my lands. Hmph! Stop being so arrogant!"
Ye Jun chuckled softly, as he really liked teasing her.
Seeing his smile, Meihui's heart softened, and she smiled too. She was curious how he could laugh after such a tragedy but didn't ask, in fear of reminding him of everything.
'Perhaps he has his way of grieving. Yesterday was a good example of how deeply he hides his true self,' she thought.
"In any case, I have less than one month," Ye Jun said, looking up at her. "Was it a dumb move?"
"I wouldn't say so," Meihui smiled slightly and said. "You needed it. It helped you mentally, and your mentality is very important on this path of cultivation. Besides, I'm here to protect you."
She looked at him up and down and continued,
"And it's possible for you to surpass him in one month. I'm guessing you know about your physique."
Ye Jun grew confused. "My physique?"
Meihui nodded and sat down beside him. "I've been observing you, especially… yesterday. You're progressing at a ridiculous pace while not following conventional methods."
'Ah! She can see my cultivation base,' Ye Jun thought. 'Is she perhaps mistaking my system for a physique? Well, it technically isn't a lie.'
She turned toward him. "I don't know what physique it is or how it functions, so I can't help much. You don't have to tell me either, as it's an important personal secret. But do tell me if I can help, okay?"
'Wait! This can really work!' Ye Jun's eyes lit up.
He had been wondering how he could explain his fast progress to anyone, since he didn't want to reveal the system. Meihui had just presented the perfect excuse, which actually made sense.
This cultivation world had Innate Physiques. They were incredibly rare, but gave the martial artist a massive boost in ability. Each Innate Physique was unique and had its own effects.
'I can just say it's a rare Innate Physique not discovered yet, so nobody knows its effects or anything. The fact that I had broken meridians can suit the story too. Brilliant!'
"Where did your mind go?"
Ye Jun broke out of his daze and answered, "Nothing much. But yes, there is something you can help me with. Is the spy still outside?"
"No, he left a short while ago."
Ye Jun jumped to his feet and said, "Come with me."
He left the room, and Meihui followed him outside in confusion. In the courtyard, he stood before her and thought for a moment before speaking.
"Do you have any Mysterious Techniques for me?" he asked. "I mean, ones within my range. Something I can use."
"I do have a few, but it takes time to learn them," Meihui creased her brows. "And you're already behind in cultivation, so you can't afford to spend too much time learning. It's a mess."
"Don't worry," Ye Jun smiled. "My physique will help me. You just need to perform them before me, so I can observe them closely. It's a test, of course. I'm not completely sure."
Meihui was still confused, but thinking about the way Ye Jun spent his days, she decided to give it a try. Many kinds of bizarre physiques existed in the world, so perhaps he had one of those physiques.
She went through the Mysterious Techniques she had learned in her early days and felt like sighing. And she did sigh.
"What happened?" Ye Jun asked.
"Uhh, where I come from, martial artists crossed the Body Strengthening Realm very quickly, so we don't waste time learning Mysterious Techniques useful in that realm," she explained.
Ye Jun was left speechless. Did she just flex on him so casually?
'Is she from some higher world or what? The kind where they skim through the early realms easily while us backward people waste years on them?'
"I'm sorry," Meihui sighed again.
"Don't worry about it," Ye Jun said, suddenly thinking of something. "I have something else in mind. Can you filter through the Mysterious Techniques you know and find the best ones suited for me? Even if I can use it after advancing to Qi Condensation Realm."
She had been observing him, so she would definitely know a lot about his fighting style. He wanted a technique that suited the way he fought.
"It's easy," Meihui nodded. "Give me a few hours."
"No problem!" Ye Jun paused. "Also, keep healing yourself. That's very important too."
"Thanks for your concern," Meihui smiled gently and then entered the hut.
Somehow, the small wooden hut had become a warm home to both of them.