Threads Chapter 5

“It would be foolish to insult the devotion of the Black Viper with less,” Bai Meizhen said. “Regardless, allow me to make the full introduction. Bai Xiao Fen, this is Ling Qi. She is my best friend. I would like you to treat her with utmost respect.”

Ling Qi froze at that blunt declaration, and across from her, the younger girl did the same. “Ah, Meizhen, are you sure…?”

“Xiao Fen can be trusted,” Bai Meizhen said with finality. “Though we are both younger than usual for this pairing.”

Uncertainty still roiled under the surface of Xiao Fen’s expression, even as she drew herself up. “Of course. I would not reveal my cousin’s… business,” she replied with affront.

“I will trust your judgement,” Ling Qi said slowly. There was a backstory here, but this wasn’t the time for it. “In that case, allow me to repeat myself. I am glad to meet you, Xiao Fen. It’s good that Meizhen has someone else she can trust.”

The girl twitched again when she used Meizhen’s name with such familiarity, but nonetheless, it didn’t reach her voice. “It is good that my cousin has dependable allies,” she said a touch woodenly. “Cousin, the business you mentioned,” she added desperately.

<Man, she’s kinda thrashing to stay above water there, isn’t she?> Sixiang mused. Ling Qi had to agree. The younger Bai was clearly very uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.

“Ah yes,” Bai Meizhen said, giving the younger girl a look that told Ling Qi she was aware of Xiao Fen’s flailing as well. “In the future, once the initial truce has ended, Xiao Fen will be placing tutoring requests. I would like you to answer those, Qi.”

There was that twitch again. She was beginning to worry after Xiao Fen’s health. “I do not mind,” Ling Qi began in confusion, “but I am not certain how helpful I could be to someone of the Bai clans.” She paused. “Ah. This is about Gan Guangli, isn’t it?” Ling Qi asked.

“As a matter of furthering our alliance against the vile Sun,” Xiao Fen replied, seeming to regain a bit of her balance, “my Cousin has asked that I align myself with his block when the time comes.”

“And us meeting during tutoring is a deniable way to pass information around,” Ling Qi thought aloud. She took another look at the dark haired girl. Xiao Fen’s aura was steeped in darkness around a core of cold fire. Yeah, it would be believable on a surface level that the tutoring would be legitimate.

“Among other things. I trust that you will convey my intentions to your lady?” Bai Meizhen asked.

Ling Qi nodded. Sun Liling was a spiteful girl, and she had no doubt that the Outer Sect would continue to see meddling this year. “I look forward to working with you then,” she said, turning her gaze back to Xiao Fen.

“I will be in your care,” Xiao Fen replied. If the younger Bai had been less self-controlled, Ling Qi thought she would have grimaced. “Do you have any advice for success in this… Sect?”

Ling Qi thought back over the previous year and everything that had happened. “Find some people you can trust, and stick with them.”

“Quite,” Bai Meizhen agreed. “Unprecedented situations sometimes call for unprecedented solutions. Heed her, Xiao Fen.”

The younger girl glanced uneasily between them, and they fell silent as they felt the approach of the server, coming with their drinks. It was strange, Ling Qi thought as she accepted the cup of rich cider. She had turned her friend into quite the radical by the standards of the Bai.

<I’m so proud of you,> Sixiang laughed.

Conversation turned to lesser subjects, discussing their cultivation plans in the immediate future and trading commentary on the lessons given thus far. It was she and Bai Meizhen who carried most of the dialogue. Xiao Fen spent most of the rest of the meeting observing them both with a hooded gaze as if she weren’t quite sure what to make of what she was seeing.

They parted ways after another hour or so, and Ling Qi turned her thoughts back to cultivation.