High above the Xiao Clan courtyard, hidden within the night's embrace, Chu Yueli watched.

She had arrived unnoticed, concealing her presence perfectly. With her cultivation at the Spirit Profound Realm, no one in this city should have been able to detect her.

And yet—

"Enjoying the view?"

A voice, teasing yet knowing, cut through the silence.

Chu Yueli's eyes narrowed.

It was Yun Che.

But how? She had masked her presence completely, ensuring not even the most sensitive profound practitioners would sense her. Yet, with a single whisper, he had revealed her.

A faint chill ran through her, but she remained still, unmoving, watching.

The boy did not seek her out. He merely smirked to himself, as if amused, before reclining back against the wall, closing his eyes as if nothing had happened.

Chu Yueli hesitated for the briefest moment before withdrawing.

This… was unexpected.

Face-to-Face with Her Disciple

The night air was cold as Xia Qingyue landed softly on a nearby rooftop, her ice-blue robes flowing like mist in the moonlight. Her master stood before her, calm as always—but Xia Qingyue sensed something beneath that stillness.

"Master," she greeted, bowing slightly.

Chu Yueli nodded, her gaze unreadable. "You came quickly."

A pause. Then, her master's eyes sharpened. "Tell me, Qingyue… what do you know of Yun Che?"

Xia Qingyue met her gaze, her own expression calm. "He is my husband in name only. I have no interest in him."

Chu Yueli's gaze remained firm. "And his strength?"

Xia Qingyue hesitated. "He is supposed to be crippled."

A faint sigh left Chu Yueli's lips. "He is not."

Xia Qingyue's brows furrowed slightly, but she remained silent, waiting for her master to explain.

After a brief pause, Chu Yueli continued. "I observed him tonight. He sensed me."

Xia Qingyue's eyes widened ever so slightly. "That's impossible. Even at my current level, I cannot sense you unless you allow it."

Chu Yueli's expression darkened. "And yet, he did. Not only that… he spoke. A direct acknowledgment. And his tone—" she paused briefly, before continuing, "—was amused."

For the first time, Xia Qingyue felt something stir within her—an unfamiliar unease.

Yun Che… was truly something beyond her understanding.

Chu Yueli's voice lowered slightly. "This boy is far more than what he appears. You must be careful."

Xia Qingyue nodded. "Yes, Master."

Her master turned slightly, preparing to leave. But before she vanished into the night, she left her disciple with one final whisper.

"Watch him carefully, Qingyue. There may be more to learn from him than we first believed."

Then, like a wisp of frozen mist, she disappeared.

Xia Qingyue remained, gazing at the cold moon above.

Her master rarely gave warnings. And yet, tonight, she had done so with absolute certainty.

For the first time, Xia Qingyue felt the faintest stirrings of curiosity toward the husband she had chosen to ignore.