Heavens' Laughter

Stepping cautiously onto the ice, Yùn Yì felt a sudden slip beneath her feet, her body instinctively tilting forward as she struggled to maintain her footing.

Her hands shot out for balance, and with a soft gasp, she managed to catch herself just in time.

"That was close…" Yùn Yì muttered under her breath.

Though her cheeks burned with embarrassment, as she couldn't ignore the fact that bending over had undoubtedly given the Second Young Master an even clearer view of her most private area.

However, Yùn Yì quickly shook her head, forcing herself to focus. This wasn't the time to let such thoughts distract her.

Besides, the Second Young Master wasn't some lecherous scoundrel who would take advantage of the moment; he was a kind and honorable gentleman, someone who had always treated her with respect.

Slowly, Yùn Yì straightened her back as she took a steadying breath, her poise restored despite the fleeting moment of unease.

Feng Shen, observing the scene, couldn't help but roll his eyes at his personal servant's clumsy antics. Letting out a quiet sigh, he shook his head in mild exasperation.

Despite everything, he still couldn't comprehend why she continued to carry herself with the awkwardness of a mortal, as if she hadn't yet realized the full extent of her potential.

'I swear~ this little piggy better grow up.'

Feng Shen had little patience for waiting around while his personal servant stumbled through her emotional growth.

The whole ordeal of her lingering mortal sentiments was starting to grate on his nerves.

Sure, Feng Shen could manipulate those emotions to his advantage when necessary, but the constant need for restraint and subtlety was becoming an annoyance he wished he could do without.

'It's fine… Everything is fine… I can be patient…'

Hell, Feng Shen felt he deserved a pat on the back for tolerating this mortal-turned-cultivator for so long.

With his personal servant's clumsiness and emotional outbursts, he was certain that anyone else in his position would have either snapped or accidentally killed her by now.

The fact that Feng Shen hadn't was, in his opinion, a small triumph of his self-control, and he couldn't help but feel a fleeting sense of accomplishment for his restraint.

'It's hard being good~' He chuckled to himself.

"I'm almost there…" Yùn Yì mumbled under her breath, her focus sharpening as her eyes locked onto the small hole in the ice that the Second Young Master had made for her.

Even more determination flickered in her gaze, and she steadied herself, taking cautious steps forward. Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

Suddenly…

A soft cracking sound echoed through the still air.

Yùn Yì's heart skipped a beat as she froze, her gaze slowly drifting downward.

To her growing alarm, she saw small spiderweb cracks forming beneath her bare feet, spreading out in all directions across the ice.

The chill from the frozen surface seemed to seep deeper into Yùn Yì's skin, making her feet feel painfully numb.

With each step, the ice groaned beneath her, as though warning her that it was on the verge of giving way.

The delicate cracks threatened to deepen with the slightest movement, and Yùn Yì's pulse quickened, knowing that one wrong step could send her tumbling into the frigid water below.

"Wh—What do I do?" Yùn Yì's voice trembled as she slowly turned her head toward the Second Young Master, her eyes wide with uncertainty.

She felt powerless in this moment, the ice beneath her seeming to groan with every hesitant shift of her weight.

A cold dread settled in her chest, and she worried that it would shatter beneath her at any second.

In Yùn Yì's panic, the only person she could look to for an answer, for a way out, was the Second Young Master.

Facepalming, Feng Shen let out an exasperated sigh:

"Honestly, you're going in the water either way, so what does it matter if you fall in now? It's not like it makes a difference."

In all honesty, deep down, Feng Shen was kind of interested in testing how well his personal servant could maintain her balance on the ice.

It was an important skill for her training, and this moment was merely a small preview of what he had in mind for later.

So, Feng Shen couldn't bring himself to care if his personal servant fell into the water, whether from breaking the ice or not.

In fact, he would find it somewhat amusing if she did. A brief chuckle escaped him at the thought of her splashing into the frigid water.

To Feng Shen, it was just another lesson, a minor setback in his personal servant's training that would only add to her experience.

If she couldn't handle a little slip, she certainly wouldn't survive what lay ahead.

'I understand…' Yùn Yì thought to herself, a quiet realization washing over her. 'He's trying to comfort me…'

Her panic began to fade, replaced by a warmth that spread through her chest. A soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips as her eyes became dreamy, lost in the sudden calmness that settled over her.

Taking a deep breath, Yùn Yì steeled herself, her steps becoming slower, more deliberate.

One step at a time, she moved with careful precision, trusting that the Second Young Master's watchful gaze meant she was not truly alone in this moment.

No matter what happened, Yùn Yì knew she wouldn't be in danger.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of careful, measured steps, Yùn Yì reached the small hole in the ice.

Without a second thought, she slowly lowered herself to sit on the freezing surface.

Gritting her teeth against the cold, Yùn Yì dipped her feet into the water, and the shock of the icy touch hit her like a wave.

It was as if the chill instantly froze her bones, a biting cold that made her body stiffen in surprise.

Within moments, Yùn Yì's feet were numb, and she quickly jerked them back out of the water, her breath catching in a sharp gasp.

"H-Holy shit… That was freezing! Oh my~ pardon my French!" Yùn Yì quickly covered her mouth.

She was well aware that a lady like herself shouldn't be cursing, especially not in her position as a personal servant to a high-status family.

It was a rare slip-up—one that only happened when something caught Yùn Yì off guard, and in this case, the biting cold of the water had been more than enough to trigger her outburst.

She winced at her own words, silently reprimanding herself for the lapse in composure.

Feng Shen simply pinched the bridge of his nose, his patience clearly wearing thin. He let out a long, drawn-out sigh, trying to shake off the frustration that simmered beneath the surface.

Honestly, he couldn't care less if his personal servant cursed or not.

They were just words—utterances that held no true weight or meaning unless someone chose to give them power.

In Feng Shen's mind, words were fleeting and harmless, incapable of truly offending anyone unless they were emotionally immature, like a child who took everything to heart.

People got too caught up in the idea that words could hurt.

To Feng Shen, they were just sounds, expressions of frustration or surprise—nothing more. And he certainly wasn't about to waste energy on something so trivial.

"It's fine~ you stupid little piggy~ Uh~ I just want to kill you…" He muttered under his breath, his words barely audible as he gritted his teeth.

The frustration seeped through Feng Shen's words, though he fought to keep his voice controlled.

His teeth ground together with barely contained irritation, the pressure building inside him.

With a sharp exhale, Feng Shen closed his eyes for a moment, trying to still the rising anger that threatened to burst through.

His patience was growing really thin, stretched to its limits by the smallest of things.

Slowly, Feng Shen took a deep, deliberate breath, working to calm the storm inside him, reminding himself that losing control over such small things would only make matters worse.

'Calm down~ calm down~ I know… I know… I kill people who annoy me… and God, so many people annoy me... Like, seriously, the guy who chews too loud, the one who asks dumb questions—I hate everyone…'

As Feng Shen was lost in his own thoughts, talking to himself in an attempt to regain control, his mind wandered between irritation and calmness…

"I'm sorry. What did you say? I couldn't hear you!" Yùn Yì called out, her voice tentative, as she strained to make sense of the mumbling that had drifted her way.

She didn't know if his words were important, but she certainly couldn't risk missing anything he said.

After all, to Yùn Yì, every word from the Second Young Master was crucial—highly important.

She shifted her position slightly.

No matter what, Yùn Yì would never let the chance to listen to the Second Young Master slip away.

Having calmed down, Feng Shen responded:

"Nothing much… All I said was— get into the water!"