A few muffled coughs sounded by her ear, instantly pulling Weining's thoughts—which had somehow drifted tensely miles away—back to reality. Her face flushed crimson, and for a moment everything before her eyes seemed shrouded in black fog.
Seeing Weining standing there with her head slightly lowered and saying nothing, Great Golden Crow felt a wave of deep regret. Since when had he ever acted so rashly and rudely? Every time they met, it was always Weining who teased and provoked him. They had only been apart for a few days; how could he have behaved so foolishly?
"Ahem. Come to think of it, when we brothers descended to the Mortal Realm to temper ourselves, we were often in quite a sorry state too. It's nothing much. We are all military officers here, no need to be so particular. Aning has worked hard." Great Golden Crow withdrew his hand, erasing the incriminating evidence, his words coming out rather haltingly.
At a loss, he patted his clothes, realizing of course that there wouldn't be anything like a silk handkerchief on him, so he simply gave up.
Weining raised her head in a daze. What nonsense was this? When on earth had she become a military officer?
She saw that the First Highness's hands were awkwardly frozen in front of him, his lips tightly pressed together, his face a picture of pure conflict.
Looking at him now, it almost seemed as if he were the one who had been played by her. Weining felt neither anger nor amusement, and her previous embarrassment and annoyance gradually faded away.
Forget it. They hadn't seen each other in years; why get angry at this blockhead?
It was clear that she held the upper hand between them, and he was usually the one being teased. Whenever he tried to retaliate, it always ended with him making apologies and begging for mercy, allowing her to take full advantage of him.
Anyway, it wasn't the first time she had lost her composure and made a fool of herself in front of him; she should have grown used to it long ago. However, Weining rolled her eyes—she had never once come out on the losing end in front of him.
The dirt on her brow had clearly gotten there when she brushed back her bangs with muddy hands. She gave her right hand a gentle rub inside her sleeve, and sure enough, there was a thin layer of hardened grime. Her thoughts raced like lightning, a flash of watery light swept across her hand, and instantly it was moist.
Weining rubbed her hands together, a wicked little laugh in her heart, while her face assumed an expression of pure shame and annoyance.
Mimicking the way a young mortal woman acts when she is angry, she tilted her head, stamped her foot, and let out a huff.
Great Golden Crow's scalp tingled. When had he ever witnessed such a display? He was instantly thrown into a panic. Poor with words, he stood there stammering, not knowing what to say.
Suddenly, Weining took a swift step forward, thrusting her muddy hands straight out to accurately grab Great Golden Crow's darkened face.
Great Golden Crow felt his vision go black as Weining's ambush succeeded, freezing him stiff from head to toe.
"Ha! Haven't seen each other in years, and the first thing you do is tease me. This is to make you share weal and woe with me so we can see who looks better!" Weining rubbed hard against Great Golden Crow's cheeks, determined to smear the mud evenly.
Fearing that Great Golden Crow would retaliate, Weining quit while she was ahead, leaped backward, and stood there with a wicked grin and her hands on her hips.
Great Golden Crow's mouth was slightly agape, his gaze dazed. He stood there like a wooden stake, as if he had been struck by an immobilization spell—with two symmetrical muddy handprints stamped right across his face.
Taking in the scene before her and comparing it to the image of him she had always kept in her mind, Weining nearly doubled over with laughter.
From the time they first met until now, Weining had never once imagined Great Golden Crow could look like this. How could she possibly keep from laughing?
Struck as if by lightning, Great Golden Crow was snapped out of his daze by her laughter. For the very first time in his life, he felt the surge of his own energy as his blood turned boiling hot and rushed instantly to his face.
His face burned with a terrifying heat—hot enough to scald. Great Golden Crow didn't know where the heat came from, but he was truly grateful for his naturally dark complexion; even if it flushed red and burned, it wouldn't show. Otherwise, he wouldn't even dare show his face today, lest he be laughed to death by Aning.
"Aning, you... you..." Unfortunately, though he had a thousand words in his heart, his mouth opened and closed several times, yet only those few words managed to squeeze out.
Seeing that his reaction was unlike his usual self, Weining was afraid she might push him too far and genuinely upset him, so she hurriedly swallowed her laughter and tried to appease him.
"Alright, alright, I declare a truce." Weining raised a hand.
"Living a lonely and bitter life scraping by in the Mortal Realm, I don't have immortal maids to serve and look after me like you do. Looking a bit disheveled is bound to happen. Instead of offering a polite reminder when you saw me, you deliberately teased me with a mirror." Seeing that Great Golden Crow remained expressionless and silent, Weining gritted her teeth and continued spinning her absurd logic.
"And you even said I was a military officer and your brother, and that being dirty and disheveled comes with the territory. It's truly infuriating." Seeing that Great Golden Crow looked seriously angry, she felt a heavy pang of guilt and deliberately put on a pitiful act.
As she spoke, she shuffled closer, grabbing his arm in a flattering manner. "Alright, don't be mad anymore. I'll go fetch some water for you to wash your face. If two high-ranking officials of the Heavenly Court are seen looking like this, won't it damage the majesty of the Heavenly Court?"
As the surging blood gradually receded and his reason returned, Great Golden Crow was actually amused by her crooked logic. "It truly is hard on the Fairy. I will head back immediately and dispatch the Fairy's immortal maidens to wait upon her, lest the Fairy end up rolling around in mud pits and letting word get out to make a mockery of the Heavenly Court. How could I ever dare to have a military officer like you? With you around, this commander of yours would likely have his life shortened."
Great Golden Crow felt the blood rush back to his head, and under the sway of such churning emotions, he instantly unleashed a bolt of heavenly thunder, each word scorching Weining until she was well-done on the outside and tender on the inside.
Weining was left utterly speechless. Was this really that same taciturn Great Golden Crow? Had he been possessed by some sort of evil spirit? His tongue was like a sword and arrow, every single blow drawing blood!
The more Great Golden Crow spoke, the more agitated he became, finally making a show of brushing off Weining's hand as if he were about to storm off.
How could Weining dare let him leave? She hastily grabbed hold of him. "Hey, don't go! You teased me once, so isn't it only fair that I tease you back? Stop being mad, I was wrong."
Great Golden Crow's chest heaved up and down, and his feet finally stopped moving.
Assuming he was still furious, Weining didn't dare provoke him further and repeatedly begged for forgiveness.
After exhausting every pleasant word in the book, Great Golden Crow's expression finally softened and his emotions stabilized. He allowed her to pull him down onto a stone stool. "We'll let it slide this time, but you cannot be so unkempt again, and you must not... go laying hands on people."
Desperate only for him to stop being angry, Weining nodded repeatedly, agreeing to everything.
Seeing her behave with such rare docility and obedience, Great Golden Crow paused, turned his head to let out a breath, and found himself entirely unable to say another word.
Seeing him display such harshness and severity for the very first time, Weining felt a profound sense of regret. She really had gotten carried away and gone too far, actually pushing such an upright and honest man as Great Golden Crow into a real temper.
After all, for as long as they had known each other, he had never even raised his voice in front of her.
Looking at the muddy handprints still staining his face, Weining couldn't laugh anymore; her heart was filled entirely with self-reproach.
Wishing to avoid showing disrespect and angering him further, she didn't use direct magic to wash away the dirt. Instead, she quietly conjured spring water from the mountain, dampened a silk handkerchief, and prepared to wipe his face for him.
Yet just as the handkerchief was about to brush against his cheek, Great Golden Crow suddenly jerked away. Weining grabbed at empty air, her hand freezing mid-motion.
Weining felt both angry and wronged. Didn't he say he wasn't angry anymore? Why was he still keeping people at such arm's length?
With his mind in a chaotic whirl, Great Golden Crow had subconsciously dodged when he saw her hand reach out. Realizing his mistake, he quickly took the handkerchief, not daring to meet her eyes. "I... I can do it myself."
Weining grew displeased as well, letting out a soft huff before sitting down and ignoring him.
While breathing a sigh of relief, Great Golden Crow also felt a twinge of anxiety. As he wiped his face, he said softly, "Aning, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you."
Weining turned her head away to give him a side-eye, then stood up and headed into the thatched cottage to wash up and change.
Great Golden Crow offered a bitter smile as he wiped his face; he must have gone mad today. How many years had it been since he last lost his temper? Yet today, he had actually flown into a rage at Aning over such a trivial matter—it was simply unimaginable.
Muttering under her breath, Weining entered the room and conjured a water mirror. Upon seeing her full reflection, she couldn't help but laugh aloud.
Her dress was an absolute tragedy, her hair was a complete mess, and she even found a few bits of grass stuck in it...
No wonder Great Golden Crow's expression had been so bizarre at first.
Fortunately, she lived deep in the mountains where human footprints rarely reached. Whether someone seeing her would damage the majesty of the Heavenly Court was uncertain, but she would have definitely lost her own face.
Peering out through the window lattice, Great Golden Crow—now with his face scrubbed clean—was sitting there in nervous agitation. He stood up, paced back and forth a few times to look around, and then walked away with a look of utter helplessness.
After tidying herself up, Weining carried out a cup of spring water to host her guest.
She was not a petty person and had decided not to hold a grudge against Great Golden Crow.
Partings and reunions are fickle things, and after a long separation between friends, speaking nicely to one another was the right way to be.
Great Golden Crow was standing near the edge of the Peach Grove, staring blankly at a peach tree in full, brilliant bloom; he didn't even hear her come out.
Weining made a face at his back. If she hadn't already decided to stop teasing him, she would have definitely flashed right behind him to give him a scare.
She placed the cup she was holding onto the stone table and sat down casually opposite him. "Is that tree really that pretty? Is it prettier than me? Come over and sit down." She was a Peach Fairy after all; how could she compare unfavorably to mortal wood?
Having been through numerous battles, Great Golden Crow's mind had already calmed down; he was simply standing there reflecting on his own uncharacteristic behavior.
He wasn't worried that Weining would stay mad, knowing her anger never lasted long.
Before he could figure out what had come over him, he heard Weining calling him. Hearing her unashamed self-praise, he couldn't help but chuckle.
He truly envied Weining's carefree spirit; having been in the Three Realms for so long, she still retained her original, unblemished heart. Like a clear, bright mirror, her mind was as pure as glazed glass, entirely free of deceit or pretense.
It made one want to protect her, to ensure she would never be tainted by the dust of this mortal world.
Great Golden Crow turned and walked over, choosing not to offer any teasing retorts.
"It's rare for you to come to the Mortal Realm. Have a taste of this mortal spring water and give your palate a change." Weining gestured toward the cup before him.
Great Golden Crow picked up the cup. "We've barely been apart for three or four days, yet how have you managed to grow even naughtier!"
Weining blinked, crossed her arms, and propped them on the stone table. "We'll judge each case on its merits. It's been a few years since I last saw you, you know. Besides, how do you know I changed my temperament in the Mortal Realm rather than just revealing my true nature? Also, where am I being naughty?"
Drinking his water in silence, Great Golden Crow finally set down the cup after a long moment, shook his head, and laughed. "It was my fault for taking so long to come see you. Then I lacked tact and was clumsy with my words—truly shameful. May Lady Aning be magnanimous and not hold it against me; I will certainly reform immediately." As he spoke, he cupped his fists in salute.
Weining paused. It was clearly she who had been arguing with specious logic; she knew how busy he was, and really, she should have been the one returning to the Heavenly Court to see him.
Come to think of it, she truly had never been so captious and mischievous before. She supposed it must be because experiencing so much here alone in the Mortal Realm had surpassed everything she had known in her millions of years in the celestial realm.
Having been through so much, the unexpected sight of a friend had simply filled her with such overmastering joy that she got carried away. It was a wonder that a general as upright and dignified as him not only refused to hold it against her but even played along with her. It really made her feel quite ashamed.
With a solemn expression, Weining said, "A-Jin, if you keep acting like this, you're going to spoil me into becoming even more sharp-tongued and mischievous. This isn't right; you need to change."
After a brief pause, she added, "I need to change too. This isn't right either; it's far too lacking in dignity and decorum."
Shaking his head with a smile, Great Golden Crow produced a jade bottle and placed it by Weining's hand. "You've been busy all day; drink some Jade Dew to moisten your throat."
Weining looked up to see a serene expression on Great Golden Crow's face, with a hint of a smile lurking in his eyes.
Seeing her look at him, he raised his chin in a gesture toward her, raised his own cup in a toast, and then drained it in a single gulp.
Suddenly, Weining smiled, picked up the jade bottle, and sipped the dew to moisten her throat.
For a deity who had experienced the vicissitudes of the world and possessed both wisdom and valor, was there anything he couldn't foresee? Such attentive care—to have such a friend, what more could one ask for?