Yun Yun pulled Nalan Yanran and quickly made her way to Nalan Yanran's room.
Both master and disciple now had varying shades of crimson on their pretty faces.
Yun Yun's flush hadn't receded, while Nalan Yanran was shy.
"Yanran, how long have you… been outside the door?" Yun Yun felt embarrassed just asking this question.
It wasn't that she didn't want others to know about her and Xiao Li's relationship; after all, Yun Shan had announced it in front of all the elders and disciples of the Yunlan Sect.
But it was one thing for others to know, and another for others to witness it.
Especially since Nalan Yanran was Yun Yun's disciple.
This feeling was too mortifying.
"Not… not long." Nalan Yanran didn't dare to tell the truth.
But in reality, both knew what the truth was; they just hadn't said it aloud.
The two women suddenly fell silent again, letting the atmosphere become subtle.
"Yanran, in the future, if Xiao Li is still here… try to wait for me to come out before you say anything, and don't come looking for me again, especially at night." Yun Yun thought for a moment before finally saying this.
Although it was embarrassing to say, to reduce future awkwardness, she had no choice but to speak.
"Understood, I'll be careful next time…" Nalan Yanran lowered her head.
In truth, they both understood the logic, but because of their master-disciple relationship, it became even more awkward.
Especially since Yun Yun was naturally thin-skinned, such private matters couldn't be known by a third person too much.
"Oh right… you came to find me just now, was there something?" Yun Yun quickly changed the subject.
If they continued that topic, everyone would feel uncomfortable.
Nalan Yanran lowered her fair head: "No… I just wanted to talk to Master."
Looking at her only disciple before her, Yun Yun's eyes showed a hint of doting affection, and she said,
"Then I won't go back tonight; I'll stay here and talk with you."
Nalan Yanran shook her head but didn't speak.
Yun Yun was wondering what she meant when she suddenly saw drops of clear tears falling to the ground.
"Yanran, what's wrong?"
"Master!"
Nalan Yanran threw herself into Yun Yun's arms and began to sob softly.
"What's wrong? Tell Master if anything happened. Who bullied you? Master will help you." Yun Yun quickly comforted her.
As far as she remembered, it was the first time Nalan Yanran had cried in front of her.
This girl had always been strong-willed, and she hadn't suffered any grievances since childhood; no one could bully her.
But now, she was actually crying.
How much grievance must she have suffered?
"Master… I think, I've also fallen for Xiao Li, what should I do?" Nalan Yanran sobbed softly.
Yun Yun's heart trembled instantly.
What… Nalan Yanran also liked Xiao Li?
How could this be… "Master, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be like this… but I don't know what happened, I just fell for him." Nalan Yanran hugged Yun Yun, unable to stop crying.
She knew that the last person she should tell this to was Yun Yun.
But besides Yun Yun, she didn't know who else she could talk to.
Yun Yun suppressed the surprise in her heart, gently stroking Nalan Yanran's back and comforting her: "It's alright, Xiao Li is indeed very outstanding. Even I, your Master, like him, so it's normal for you to like him too."
Nalan Yanran's personality was too proud; there were so many young talents in the entire Jia Ma Empire, whose family backgrounds and strengths were not much worse than Nalan Yanran's.
Yet she hadn't taken a liking to any of them.
It wasn't until Xiao Li appeared that her heart gradually began to hold the shadow of another person.
But now Xiao Li was already with Yun Yun.
As Yun Yun's disciple, how could she compete with her Master for a man?
"Master, I want to leave the sect and go out to train for a while…" Nalan Yanran said softly.
Yun Yun was a little surprised: "Why? Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know… but I just want to go out and travel."
Nalan Yanran didn't want to stay, so as not to make everyone unhappy.
Although she had proactively told Yun Yun about this, it wasn't because she wanted to gain anything.
Instead, Nalan Yanran knew she couldn't ruin the relationship between Yun Yun and Xiao Li, so she chose to leave the Yunlan Sect herself to clear her mind.
How could Yun Yun not know what this girl was thinking? She couldn't help but sigh.
Sometimes, many things are just fate playing tricks, making people resent the dissatisfaction of destiny.
"Then when do you want to leave?"
"Tomorrow, I guess."
"Yanran, I'm going to ask you a very serious question, answer me truthfully."
"What?" Nalan Yanran's face was tear-streaked.
"You say you like Xiao Li, but how much do you like him?" Yun Yun asked.
"I… I don't know. It's just that when I see Master and Xiao Li together, I feel so sad, so wronged, and I don't know what to do…"
"Then, if given the chance, would you be willing to be Xiao Li's woman, just like Master?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Nalan Yanran was instantly astonished.
How could Yun Yun say such a thing?
"Master, how could you…"
"Yanran, listen to me." Yun Yun gestured for Nalan Yanran to listen to her finish first,
"Although you are my disciple, you are also the Eldest Miss of the Nalan Family."
"Xiao Li won't have just one woman by his side. Before me, he already had a relationship with Consort Ya of the Mittel Family, and he told me that in his hometown, he also has three women."
"It's impossible for someone as excellent as him to only have one or two women by his side."
"So, if you are willing to accept, Master can help you talk to Xiao Li, so that you can be with him as the Eldest Miss of the Nalan Family." Yun Yun said.
Actually, she was also very conflicted.
Actively setting up her own disciple with Xiao Li; if word got out, some might even say she was corrupting her teaching ethics.
Originally, Yun Yun had never thought about setting up Nalan Yanran and Xiao Li.
But Nalan Yanran's words just now made her understand Nalan Yanran's feelings for Xiao Li.
Anyway, Xiao Li had more than two or three women by his side, so Yun Yun didn't care about one more or one less.
Moreover, this extra person was Nalan Yanran, and there wouldn't be any conflict between them.
At the same time, it could also soothe Nalan Yanran's mood.
Therefore, Yun Yun proposed this suggestion.
Of course, this also depended on whether Nalan Yanran herself was willing.
"Master, I…" Nalan Yanran clearly hadn't expected Yun Yun to ask such a question, and she was a little stunned for a moment.
"If you are willing, then I will go talk to Xiao Li. If you are not willing, then you can go out and clear your mind; Master supports you either way." Yun Yun just didn't want to see her disciple so sad.
After all, she was her most beloved and only disciple.
After a moment of thought, Nalan Yanran nodded, bit her thin lips, and whispered,
"Master, I am willing."
"Good, then I'll go talk to Xiao Li later. Don't cry anymore, or your face will be all swollen and not pretty." Yun Yun raised her hand to wipe away the tears from her eyes.
Nalan Yanran nodded, hugging Yun Yun tightly,
"Master, thank you."
"Silly girl…"
...