Failure is the mother of success

Wait, hold on.

Just as his thoughts veered wildly into an absurd direction, Xǔ Tiānlí reined them in, halting the ridiculous notion.

‘Think carefully, Xǔ Tiānlí.’

‘While Qín Yuè certainly possessed a mischievous streak, she was not the kind of woman to lightly debase herself.’

‘Even if she had suddenly appeared in his home, claiming to be waiting for him, things might not be as straightforward as they seemed on the surface.’

Besides, what Xǔ Tiānlí truly desired most right now wasn’t romance, but to grow stronger, stronger, and even stronger.

His ultimate goal was to storm the Four Sacred Courts and exact revenge upon Mù Qīngyǔ once the three-year pact concluded.

Xǔ Tiānlí’s mind once again began to churn, desperately searching for other possibilities.

‘Master isn’t speaking.’

‘That must mean my thoughts are on the right track.’

‘She arrived at my house early and even waited for my return.’

‘Could it be… she knew about what happened this afternoon?’

‘Or rather, did Master know I would do this from the very beginning?’

The mere thought of such a possibility sent shivers down Xǔ Tiānlí’s spine, leaving him drenched in sweat.

Upon closer reflection, this scenario wasn’t entirely impossible.

His Master’s mind was exceptionally meticulous, and she never liked to spell things out explicitly.

‘Her deliberate absence from the orphanage today was meant to imply that I couldn’t afford to wait any longer.’

‘If I wanted results, I had to take action myself.’

‘And by a stroke of luck, I did indeed go out and investigate, just as Master had expected.’

But why, then, did Xǔ Tiānlí not see the expected joy in her eyes after a mission was completed?

‘Could it be that I didn’t perform well enough somewhere?’

Typically, after Xǔ Tiānlí fulfilled the requirements Qín Yuè secretly set, she would directly comment on his performance.

Yet, this time, she had merely greeted him and then fallen silent?

‘Something is wrong.’

‘Something must have gone awry.’

Xǔ Tiānlí increasingly felt that he had been too self-satisfied just now.

He was now sweating profusely, fearing that harsh words might escape her lips.

‘Perhaps Master’s expectations for me are growing higher.’

‘Not only must I act, but I must also achieve a certain level of results?’

Xǔ Tiānlí finally understood.

Was she displeased because he had spent the entire afternoon searching but failed to find her?

‘I accidentally disappointed her.’

Mù Qīngyǔ remained silent, and Xǔ Tiānlí dared not utter a sound.

He simply sat opposite her, quietly eating his dinner.

Although he had asked the stir-fried noodle stall owner to add extra spice, the food tasted utterly bland in his mouth.

Xǔ Tiānlí didn’t even dare to lift his head, instead just devouring his stir-fried noodles with his head bowed.

Xǔ Tiānlí wasn’t the only one whose heart pounded.

Mù Qīngyǔ’s did too.

Her mind was consumed by a single question: ‘Why aren’t you saying anything?’

‘Could it be that my disappearance for an entire day has made him resentful?’

Upon careful consideration, this wasn’t impossible.

Xǔ Tiānlí was so fixated on revenge, constantly thinking about how to become stronger.

‘My sudden disappearance for a day must have disrupted his progress, right?’

‘He probably thinks I’m an irresponsible Master and doesn’t even want to see me, which is why he’s deliberately sitting there in silence.’

‘Oh, dear.’

‘Mù Qīngyǔ had no idea how to explain what had happened to her.’

‘Because I ate butter hotpot last night, I was tormented by ‘that’ female issue all day.’

‘If I told him, not only would my dignity as a Master be shattered, but I’d have to show a different face to the world from now on.’

Mù Qīngyǔ kept stealing glances at Xǔ Tiānlí.

He truly didn’t spare her even a single look, further confirming that he was furious, incredibly so.

‘Should I apologize?’

This thought lingered in Mù Qīngyǔ’s mind for only three seconds before being discarded.

‘No, losing face is a minor concern; suspicion is a major one.’

‘If handled improperly, Xǔ Tiānlí’s distrust of me will only grow, and whether he’ll obey my commands in the future will become a serious question.’

‘As the saying goes, time heals all wounds.’

‘Perhaps he’ll forgive me soon?’

‘At least he doesn’t know my true identity yet.’

‘If I can just subtly redirect his hatred, I’ll have to sacrifice my true reputation a little.’

With this thought, Mù Qīngyǔ closed her eyes, waiting for the opportune moment.

Having nearly finished his dinner, Xǔ Tiānlí finally couldn’t resist raising his eyes to sneak a glance at his Master sitting opposite him.

From any angle, his Master was an unparalleled beauty.

If her identity were more ordinary and her age a bit younger, Xǔ Tiānlí could entirely view her as an older sister from next door.

Especially those long, black-stockinged legs.

Every time they were together, he couldn’t help but steal a few glances.

Men were naturally lustful; it was heroic instinct.

Besides, just looking at legs shouldn’t count for much.

Xǔ Tiānlí wasn’t sure if Qín Yuè was aware of his little secret thoughts.

Given his Master’s magnanimity, she probably, perhaps, wouldn’t mind?

‘No, Master is human too, and she’s not without her temper.’

For instance, this time, Xǔ Tiānlí could clearly sense her profound displeasure with his actions.

Yet, she didn’t scold him; instead, she deliberately ignored him, sulking.

‘Could she be waiting for him, her student, to apologize first?’

‘Hiss, thinking about it that way, Qín Yuè is rather cute.’

‘It’s a shame her face shows no emotion, just coldness.’

‘It would be even better if she had that puffed-cheek expression… cough, cough, I’m getting sidetracked.’

Xǔ Tiānlí quickly halted his thoughts, lowering his head, not daring to look at her again, fearing that his base thoughts would be seen through at a glance.

The silence in the room miraculously persisted.

After finishing dinner, Xǔ Tiānlí tidied up the empty meal box, got up, and placed it by the door, intending to take it out with him the next day.

Returning, he sat back in his original spot, his posture obedient, not uttering a single sound.

He was ready, prepared to receive his Master’s lecture.

Mù Qīngyǔ was also ready, a bucket of water clutched in her heart, prepared to extinguish his anger at any moment.

But who would speak first?

The moon outside the window had shifted further.

Unable to wait any longer, Mù Qīngyǔ finally broke the silence.

“Xǔ Tiānlí, have you ever considered what you’ll do after you’ve exacted your revenge?”

“Uh, well…”

Such a sudden question caught Xǔ Tiānlí off guard; he had genuinely never considered it.

After thoroughly beating Mù Qīngyǔ, his enemy, into the ground and forcing her to apologize for her actions, where would he go then?

Xǔ Tiānlí’s first thought was to return to Wufeng City, manage the agency his father left behind, and continue to support the orphanage.

By then, he would undoubtedly possess some capabilities.

Perhaps he could even take over the orphanage from Director Wang and continue to provide a better environment for the little ones.

‘Hmm, that’s a good idea.’

Just as Xǔ Tiānlí was about to answer, Mù Qīngyǔ interrupted him:

“I’ve seen many people like you, with only ‘revenge’ in their hearts.”

“What happened to them was far more severe than what happened to you, and thus they fought even more desperately, stopping at nothing for their revenge.”

Xǔ Tiānlí listened intently, surprised by Qín Yuè’s remarkably calm tone.

“They fought with their very lives just to achieve one thing, only to find their own lives ending after their revenge was complete.”

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Uh…”

Xǔ Tiānlí didn’t understand, and this expression was precisely what Mù Qīngyǔ wanted to see.

Indeed, time could dilute emotions.

Sensing that Xǔ Tiānlí showed no signs of a furious outburst, Mù Qīngyǔ continued to speak eloquently:

“You’re still so young.”

“In three years, you’ll still only be twenty-one.”

“If you stake your entire life on this moment, wouldn’t that be a losing transaction?”

‘So, don’t push yourself so hard.’

‘Is there anything that can’t be resolved by sitting down and talking it through?’

‘As long as Xǔ Tiānlí shows even a hint of wanting peace now, Mù Qīngyǔ will bring people to apologize tomorrow.’

‘Everyone shakes hands, laughs it off, and we’re all good.’

‘You’re not some miserable high school student.’

‘Not even college entrance exam takers push themselves as hard as you.’

Especially when she considered that Xǔ Tiānlí’s reason for desperately wanting to grow stronger, even at the cost of his life, was to give her a good beating in three years, Mù Qīngyǔ’s words grew even softer.

She wished she could make him remember that there were many beautiful things in the world worth appreciating, instead of constantly fixating on her.

Xǔ Tiānlí stared at Qín Yuè’s exquisite face, his eyes gleaming with a touch of emotion.

‘As expected of Master.’

‘Even though I didn’t complete her task as required, she didn’t blame me.’

‘Instead, she found ways to comfort me.’

At first, Xǔ Tiānlí didn’t understand the meaning behind her words, but a moment’s thought brought sudden clarity.

‘Qín Yuè knows I’m very remorseful, and this remorse will transform into motivation for my next task, because I don’t want to disappoint Master again.’

‘However, Qín Yuè’s words perfectly dissolved his self-blame.’

‘The unspoken meaning was: ‘It’s enough that you tried; I don’t blame you.’ ’

To be honest, Xǔ Tiānlí was almost moved to tears.

Where else could he find such an understanding and wonderful Master?

Following this line of thought, Xǔ Tiānlí’s mind raced, and he even wondered if he had almost gone astray.

‘The more anxious one is, the worse one performs.’

‘It’s like typing in a dream; no matter what, you can’t smoothly type out a sentence.’

‘If I carried this burden, perhaps I would fail the next task too, and then bear an even greater burden, thus becoming trapped in a vicious cycle.’

‘Oh my, the thought alone is terrifying.’

Xǔ Tiānlí almost broke out in a cold sweat from fright.

‘Thankfully, Master’s reminder and comfort saved me, otherwise I would have truly embarked on a path of no return.’

‘Right, I need to calm my mind.’

‘Failure is the mother of success; a single setback means nothing.’

‘Master doesn’t even care, so if I keep dwelling on it, wouldn’t I be completely letting her down?’

Xǔ Tiānlí’s smile grew brighter, and his voice became more resonant:

“Master, I understand.”

“I will definitely remember your teachings.”

“As long as you remember.”

Mù Qīngyǔ maintained a calm, indifferent facade, but inwardly, she was already ecstatic, ready to pop champagne.

‘It’s wonderful that he accepted it so easily, which means Mù Qīngyǔ’s efforts weren’t entirely in vain.’

‘This is a good start.’

‘In the future, I must work harder to erode his hatred.’

She almost saw a beautiful future beckoning to her.

If Xǔ Tiānlí hadn’t been there, she would have already slapped her own black-stockinged thigh with a resounding smack.