My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

In the first floor of Miss Donggong's boudoir, twilight thickened as the dim evening deepened. Min Ning rummaged in a cabinet and took out a candle, lighting it with a fire striker. The candlelight cast shadows over her spirited yet troubled brows.

She raised her head and looked at the staircase leading to the second floor. Even she hadn't realized the longsuffering depths present in her gaze.

This Yuchun Balm—she had originally kept it for her own use.

Back then, her plan had been so clear. Take advantage of that scoundrel's carelessness and simply apply the medicine.

But how did she end up… how did she…

The thought lodged in her chest, stifling her with discomfort.

She knew perfectly well that scoundrel was a lustful wretch, and even more clearly, she knew that lady Prince surpassed her in every way.

But still, she had inexplicably fetched the wrong bottle…

Wasn't this akin to delivering provisions to the enemy forces?

Frustrated and restless, Min Ning pressed her forehead with her hand. She had contemplated storming upstairs and throwing open the door several times, but in the end, she always stopped herself.

Sitting there, consumed by her unease, the longer she remained in this boudoir, the more it felt like being trapped inside a gilded cage.

As though she were growing impatient with the Capital City itself, she now found herself impatient with this boudoir as well.

"Miss Min, care for a chat?"

Suddenly, a voice came to her ears. Min Ning turned her head and saw the Demon Sect Saintess, her face flushed and rosy.

She abruptly remembered the shared sensing between the Princess and the Prince.

At this thought, Min Ning's brows furrowed even tighter as she coldly said, "I have nothing to discuss with you…"

Zhu E let out a soft laugh, her legs slightly shifting as her gaze lingered on the staircase, her lips parting but then closing again.

Min Ning had no desire to speak with her, and Zhu E felt the same way. Ever since they met, she had sensed an inherent clash between herself and this Min household officer.

Yet now, as they prepared to part ways, absence made the heart grow fonder. The more she thought of leaving, the more Zhu E found herself unexpectedly longing—she wanted to know more about him, so that back at the Prince Mansion, she could still vividly recall him.

So Zhu E pressed on, "Miss Min, you say we have nothing to talk about, but what about him? Surely we can talk about him?"

Him…

The mere mention of "him" made Min Ning bristle. She was about to retort, but suddenly caught herself: "You… why do you keep calling me Miss Min?"

"This Disguise Technique may fool ordinary people, but it doesn't fool me," Zhu E said with a soft laugh, covering her mouth. Watching Min Ning's puzzled and strange expression, Zhu E slowly continued, "I'm of the Miao people. I know far more about such things than you do."

Her painstakingly honed disguise being so easily exposed left Min Ning embarrassed. Adding to that was the fact that this Princess exuded an innate charm that clashed directly against her own nature. Yet she suppressed her thoughts and said, "There's nothing about him worth discussing."

Zhu E asked curiously, "And what about between you and him?"

Min Ning let out a dismissive snort. "Between him and me, it's all aboveboard and completely clean."

After she spoke, her gaze fell on Zhu E's blossoming red cheeks. Thinking of the things unfolding in that bedroom, Min Ning's hand covertly pinched her thigh under the wooden table in regret. Biting her teeth slightly, she blurted out an inexplicable phrase.

"… I'm practically half a mentor to him."

Zhou Yitang: ?

Zhu E's face lit up with curiosity upon hearing the phrase "half a mentor." She asked, "Half a mentor? How have I never heard this before?"

Min Ning's eyes remained fixed on the candle flame. She didn't meet Zhu E's gaze, only saying, "His 'Wind-Cutting Slash'—I taught him that. Even the name came from me."

The refined and perceptive Princess of An Nan picked up an unusual undertone in Min Ning's explanation. Her delicate lips opened slightly, and she instinctively asked, "Does he… hmm… does he know you're his half mentor?"

At the sudden inquiry, Min Ning's chest clenched tightly. Straining her voice, she replied, "He's too stubborn to call me that, but deep down, of course he respects me."

"Oh~"

Zhu E drew out the word with a long tone. Whether it was intentional or not, all Min Ning saw was her languidly leaning onto the table with an infatuated smile.

Fox!

Min Ning inwardly cursed, then instinctively turned to glance at the second floor. A formless discomfort swelled in her chest—the source unclear, but unbearable. She stood without realizing it.

"He respects you in his heart?" Zhu E asked again, her tone tinged with amusement.

The words struck Min Ning like electricity. She jerked back into her seat. "Ah, oh… of course he respects me. We've known each other a long time, and I'm his superior. Who else would he respect if not me? For all I know, he calls me mentor in his mind, but I just haven't caught him yet. He hides it so well—always has."

"Oh… not just wishful thinking, is it?"

"…"

A flush rapidly rose to Min Ning's cheeks as she gritted her teeth and said:

"He knows it in his heart."

At that moment, the creaking of the second floor's violent movements echoed clearly.

Her brows furrowed deeply, almost as if threatening to knit into knots. The sound grated on her nerves, but covering her ears would only be futile denial.

Zhu E chuckled softly, her captivating demeanor on full display. Min Ning noted the fox's every gesture with displeasure. Her tone turned biting as she asked, "Why ask me all this? Can't he tell you himself?"

"Oh, my dear, he does speak to me," Zhu E replied languidly. "But our time together is short…" Gently caressing her stomach, she raised a brow at Min Ning. Part playful, part hazy, she added, "We've done all that needs doing…"

Fox!

Min Ning inwardly cursed once more before snapping, "You call him your man at every turn, yet you're clearly someone else's wife."

"Of course, which is why my husband and I are of one heart…" Zhu E laughed softly, rendering Min Ning's rebuttal an empty punch into thin air.

"You two!" Min Ning felt a sudden wave of indescribable resentment and sorrow but couldn't find the words to express it.

Just hearing Chen Yi's delight inside that bedroom left her struggling to sit still. Turning to look at that room, the words "aboveboard and clean" rang in her head, but deep down… why was there such a sour ache?

Min Ning bit her lip, an inexplicable tangle of emotions shadowing her face. She wasn't angry or panicked—just murmured as if to herself, "What he wants to do is his business; it has nothing to do with me."

"Hmm, as long as it has nothing to do with you…"

What began as a self-effacing statement was swiftly picked up by that fox without so much as a hint of politeness.