“Zhao Yingjie has returned. He has the medicine…and two new female disciples at his side.” Xia Qianfan explained as he received a message from a disciple.

“…” Jingyi raised an eyebrow. He could tell who one of those ladies was but he didn’t know who the other could be.

Meiling chewed on her lip while Zhixin just stood silently beside the door, staring down the hall.

“Was he just messing around with girls while we were all —“

Jingyi raised his hand to stop Meiling’s words, “A-Jie wouldn’t do that.”

Maybe in the novel after his death, but not while he was alive.

“Shizun, Shishu.”

Yingjie entered Jingyi’s room and immediately bowed to him and then to Xia Qianfan. Jingyi took a second to examine Yingjie, he seemed different…

“Welcome back A-Jie,” Jingyi murmured and motioned for Meiling, who was glaring at Yingjie, to help him sit up.

Yingjie presented Jingyi with the medicine and said nothing else. Jingyi was now definitely concerned. Where had the Yingjie, who was always excessively worried for him, gone? He glanced up at Zhixin and then at Xia Qianfan. They both shared the same look of confusion.

Jingyi took the medicine after a second, it was a small bottle with around 60 small medicinal pills. They were meant to cure everything over the course of a few months.
Jingyi knew they wouldn’t work but he hoped they would help him a little.

“I will leave you to rest, Shizun.”

That solidified it for everyone. There was no way this was actually Zhao Yingjie.

Xia Qianfan grabbed Yingjie’s shoulder before he could leave and Zhixin grabbed his sword.

“Who—“

“That’s Yingjie. Don’t worry about it.” Jingyi cut Xia Qianfan off.

Xia Qianfan reluctantly let go and Yingjie looked a little confused but went on his way.

The author took the time when Yingjie was away from him to take away his sentience. Now Yingjie wasn't like he was in the past. He had flashed forward to his personality later in the book. He had ‘matured’.

‘They’re making the story move on without me.’

Jingyi looked at Zhixin’s back, he seemed upset.

‘A-xin might be next…’

Jingyi wasn’t too concerned about a change of personality for Yingjie but a change for Zhixin would be catastrophic and would definitely set the story in motion and could lead to him actually dying.

‘If I’m not going to die anymore… my next goal, other than finding a husband, should be preventing those two from becoming enemies.’ Jingyi thought to himself.

“A-Ling, you can stop guarding my room now that A-Jie is back. A-Xin and A-Jie will do it.” Jingyi said and patted Meiling’s head.

“Alright, Shizun,” Meiling murmured a bit sadly. She left to get some rest or perhaps to chew out Yingjie for his sudden change.

“A-Xin.”

“Yes, Shizun?”

“You’re in charge of these.” Jingyi passed Zhixin the medicine, “Keep them safe and remind me to take them.”

Zhixin quickly nodded and Jingyi smiled. That would guarantee that Zhixin has to stay by his side often.

—

Jingyi stared at Yingjie for a while. He was supposed to be sleeping but he was too curious. Just what did the author do to take him under their control again?

“Who are the disciples you brought with you?”

“Miss Luo Qinyang, the daughter of LuoHua’s sect leader and Miss Fan Xiaoli of the—“

“F-Fan Xiaoli!?” Jingyi quickly regretted his emotional reaction.

“Yes, Miss Fan Xiaoli of the green cove sect.”

Jingyi was shocked, how could the first wife appear this early on?!

Why would she follow Yingjie so early on?!

Fan Xiaoli was the first wife, she was the strongest in Yingji’s harem and the one who took the longest time for him to seduce. Why did it take so long you might ask?

Well, it’s because…

Fan Xiaoli HATES MEN.

“H-How…no… why is she here?” Jingyi asked, “I can understand Miss Luo but Fan Xiaoli…is uninvolved…”

“We met and she seems to have taken an interest in the sect’s teachings,” Yingjie said and smiled.

Jingyi only became more concerned, ‘Does that mean I have to actually meet her?’

“My condition is inappropriate to meet he—“

“Wang Zhixin is purposely keeping them out so I doubt you’ll be meeting them soon.” Yingjie seemed spiteful as he said that. He glared at the door and Jingyi looked confused.

At some point, Zhixin had been assigned the special role of being Jingyi’s main caretaker by the sect leader, partially because Jingyi himself had given him the role of taking care of his medicine and partially because Xia Qianfan was adamantly not in favor of Yingjie doing it. Because of this Zhixin now had the authority to deny people access to Jingyi’s room at his discretion. Of course, he couldn’t cast out someone like Xia Qianfan but if he wished he could even keep Yingjie out. Tensions seemed to be blooming between the two so Jingyi was a bit surprised that he hadn’t kept him out.

“…It’s better this way. I need more time to rest.” Jingyi murmured. He was concerned about Yingjie and Zhixin’s relationship but he was rarely in the presence of the two of them at the same time so he wasn’t sure what to do.

—

Jingyi’s health only improved very slightly after the first month. He could now sit up for longer periods of time and he could actually cultivate with far less pain than before.

“You shouldn’t do that Shizun,” Yingjie murmured from the side as he watched Jingyi get ready to try and stand.

“It’ll be fine,” Jingyi said and put all his strength into standing up.

He attempted to stand and actually succeeded.

“Oh? Maybe the medicine is working well.” Yingjie murmured and smiled.

Jingyi smiled a little, he felt pretty solid on his feet. He looked at Yingjie and smiled, Yingjie had grown so they were now the same height. He chuckled at this and then decided to try and take a step next.

He felt fine at first but he quickly ended up losing his balance. As he started to fall, he saw things clearly and slowly. Yingjie could catch him…But whatever move he started to make quickly stopped. That wasn’t hesitation. That was interference.

Jingyi wanted to glare up at the sky, knowing that it was the author who was interfering just to torture him. He couldn’t glare though, he was too busy bracing for impact.

He was a bit stunned when he didn’t slam into the floor. He looked at the arms that quickly caught him and immediately recognized them.

“…Thank you, A-Xin.” He murmured.

Zhixin wasn’t even looking at him, he was just furiously glaring at Yingjie. And Yingjie was furiously glaring back at him.

“Why didn’t you—“ Zhixin started off quiet and seemed like he was going to end up yelling at Yingjie furiously.

“A-Xin, please help me back up.” Jingyi cut him off. He wanted to avoid Zhixin and Yingjie fighting as much as possible. Zhixin wanted to keep speaking to Yingjie but the words died in his mouth as he heard Jingyi’s request.

He stared at Jingyi with a conflicted expression before lifting him into his arms. Jingyi wasn’t expecting to be carried so he was pretty surprised, Yingjie also didn’t seem like he was expecting Zhixin to carry Jingyi and seemed a little upset about it. Zhixin set Jingyi down on the bed and glanced at Yingjie from the corner of his eye.

“We’re switching places. Now.”

Yingjie was going to argue but he remembered Zhixin’s authority and just grumbled and went on his way.

“A-Xin…Don’t fight with Yingjie too much, he tried to stop me from standing but I told him it was fine. He just wasn’t expecting me to fall.” Jingyi murmured and winced a little at the interactions he’d just seen between them.

“Why is he so different now? Did he really go off and mess around while he was away?” Zhixin murmured and sat down in a chair beside Jingyi.

“I’m sure that’s not the case... He’s probably feeling burdened by my injuries. I think he believes both times were his fault.” Jingyi murmured, he knew that this wasn’t why Yingjie changed but he was trying to paint him in a good light in order to stop him and Zhixin from fighting.

Zhixin seemed unconvinced but he dropped the topic.

“I’m starting to get better,” Jingyi murmured with a smile, ” you two should start lightening up on this guard duty thing.”

“Yingjie can stop. I won’t.” Zhixin murmured.

“...When will you rest then?” Jingyi asked.

“I’ll be fine.”

Jingyi didn’t believe him at all.

“Nevermind, both of you can keep guarding me…”