The moment he swallowed one spoonful of soup, his eyes grew wide. What's this? "Is this some cooking secret arts? It feels... refreshing and my spiritual power feels slightly replenished." He described in awe.

Xinyi's ears perked up and she looked at him. Slightly?  "There's no feeling of being cleansed at all?"

Zhang Yong shook his head. Xinyi realised that this was her chance to try and change a variable she never thought she could before. Changing the consumer and the one infusing the power into the soil. What made Zhang Yong an even better candidate was that he was of a far different cultivation level than her.

This herb has not yet been nourished as much as the best one I ate before... I need to run another experiment like the previous one before I can know for sure. "Commander Zhang, do you mind helping me out with something?" 

Her sudden courteous manner of speaking made him sit ram-rod straight. "What is it?" He asked seriously.

"I need your help in completing something new I have been trying out, but this needs to be held in utmost secrecy." 

Zhang Yong looked deep into her eyes. Her eyes caught the light from the flame of the candle. He finally noticed that there were some golden specks hidden in her grey eyes. 

"You have beautiful eyes." Zhang Yong complimented softly.

"What?" Xinyi was thrown off by the random compliment. She was expecting an answer to her question.

"I trust that you won't do anything bad. What is it that you need my help in?"

Did his compliment have anything to do with what he just said? She began to realise that the second male lead could behave in mind-boggling ways.

Xinyi explained to him the experiment she has completed and how she was now thinking of changing the person who ate it and the person who infused spiritual power into the soil. She was guessing that the effect would vary depending on these variables. Throughout the whole time, Zhang Yong was admiring how her eyes were twinkling with excitement instead of the usual dead look it has.

"Who would have thought of this? You have a good head on your shoulders." He complimented her again. 

He has a glib tongue. Xinyi remarked.

Better than a poisonous one. BaoBao replied.

Xinyi told Zhang Yong to find 2 pots in the shed near her garden while she took her bath. After she was done, she came out to find him waiting patiently at the stone table and admiring the moon. It was quite a surreal sight to behold. He wore black garments with silver embroidery. His graceful yet masculine features were gently highlighted by the moonlight. The whole mood of the picture was dark but peaceful.

Xinyi, jump him. BaoBao said while drooling.

Are sick things the only thing that crosses your mind? Xinyi lightly chided. 

She walked to Zhang Yong and told him to wait at the table. She went to get new herbs, not from her garden as those has already been infused with her spiritual power, and planted them into the 2 pots. She would be growing one and Zhang Yong would be growing the other. He would bring it back after 6 months which is when the herbs will be completely grown. She extended the experiment by one month because she also wanted to test if the effects would be stronger the longer they grew in a soil infused with spiritual energy.

She demonstrated to him how they could infuse their spiritual power into the soil while cultivating. "Put both hands beside the pot as if you're holding it. You don't actually have to touch it. Imagine the pot as part of your body while you're cultivating. Your energy would naturally flow through the pot and soil while it courses all through your body as well. Is doing this everyday possible?"

Zhang Yong nodded. 

"Then, please do this for three hours, with no break in between. Everyday." Xinyi said with a small smile.

"Leave it to me." He assured her.

With this, she excused herself to returned to her room to sleep. When she was at her doorstep, he bid her goodbye and informed her that he would drop by in the afternoon. 

She froze in her spot. "In the afternoons, I'm reading. Not practicing martial arts. I won't change my schedule to fit you. I practice it in the morning." She declared with her back still to  him.

"What do you do at night then?" 

"Cultivate." 

"Switch your morning and night plan." He left her courtyard after leaving her with that order. 

How much more high handed can he be? She thought about the switch and felt that it was not much different if she swapped those two activities, so she did not really mind it.

Unbeknownst to her, Zhang Yong was so insistent about practicing with her in the afternoon or night because he was fixed on improving her living conditions. He did not care if she would appreciate it or not. He could not bring himself to turn a blind eye to the way a treasure like her was living. She deserved to be rewarded more than this. He made plans to order for some materials to be readied at his house so that he could single-handedly bring them over to her courtyard. 

3 months flew by. 

Zhang Yong has been visiting three times every week. Whenever Xinyi was studying under the cherry blossom tree, he would be busy in her courtyard building a new and bigger stove her. This was so that it could hold a bigger pot to boil enough water for a warm bath. He also built a pulley system over the well. 

Xinyi never bothered with him, just as he did not bother her. The first time when she saw him with many extra things in the back of her courtyard, she was momentarily stunned. When she recovered her senses, she decided to let him do whatever he wanted as long as it did not disturb her. As for Zhang Yong, he took her silence as consent for him to continue with his plan. 

After 3 hours of instruction and sparring, he would force her away to take a bath. He did not forget to remind her about the water that he has boiled in case she has grown a habit of bathing in cold water. 

Xinyi began to have the impression that the second male lead was weird. Before the new stove was ready to be used, it must have been tedious to have to slowly boil small pots of water one after another. When the new stove was built, he still had to tend to the fire. What a weird way for him to kill time while I practice my moves under his instruction.

Xinyi would always return back outside after her bath to find hot food on the stone table. The ingredients always involved the herbs she was growing in her garden and some new ingredients of unknown origins. They had dinner together and washed the dishes together. Zhang Yong would finally take his leave when Xinyi retires for the day. 

Today was the same as usual. As Xinyi laid down on her bed, she wondered about the reactions people would have if they found out everything the great second male lead has been doing for her. Whereas BaoBao has been secretly enjoying the relationship they shared now. It felt so intimate and sweet. 

BaoBao, you're awfully quiet whenever he's around. Really enjoying how things are now, right? Xinyi asked coldly.

Hearing no response from BaoBao, Xinyi continued as if talking to herself. "It won't last. Don't get your hopes up."

BaoBao pouted and secretly refused to believe her pessimistic belief. Humph! I shall not say anything. Time will prove to her that the second male lead is going off character and spinning a new story for himself.

It was slightly past midnight. The forest was only illuminated by the moon as Zhang Yong was reaching the camp that was situated between the border and town on his horse. This was where he would spend the rest of the night on days when he would visit Xinyi. He only sleeps when the sun has risen, only to wake up at noon. He would read reports from the border about the men and the border's safety. For the remaining 4 days, 1 day would be spent riding to the border, 2 days training the soldiers there to keep them in their top form, 1 day to ride back to town.

His soldiers had received the order to never disturb his rest unless it was an emergency. So to all the soldiers, their commander only woke up in the mid afternoon. Everyone recognized the little change in him. He had never been this particular about having his rest disturbed. More importantly, everyone was wondering when their commander had began to take an interest in plants and gardening. They have noticed the first time a plant suddenly appeared in his tent and the great care he put into it. However, no one dared to ask him about it.

Two days later in the late afternoon. 

Xinyi was under the cherry blossom tree as usual, reading the final poison book there was left in the library. Suddenly, BaoBao warned her that a group of people was arriving before disappearing.

To this secluded part of the estate? That isn't a good sign. Her suspicions were confirmed when the group of people came into view. It was led by a strong looking bodyguard with servants and maids in tow. They headed straight for her and stopped right before her. Xinyi stood up to face them. 

The two maids came forward to say something but when one of them caught sight of her book on poisons in her hand, she shrieked, "Look!" 

Everyone did so and the servants immediately rushed forward to restrain her instead of the maids. She easily knocked them all away using her martial arts. Maids and servants did not cultivate so were far weaker. The strong body guard then stepped up. When Xinyi exchanged one blow with him, she felt the familiar feeling of having her spiritual power absorbed into nothingness. However, the opponent's power seemed to have less depth as compared to Zhang Yong's. She immediately concluded, high level Sky realm! She was still in mid level, so it was going to be hard to fight him. "What do you want?!" She demanded to know.

"We have to take you back with us. If you're not going to oblige, we would have to bring you there by force." The bodyguard replied.

Xinyi flicked her sleeve in annoyance as she went back into a relaxed state. "Why didn't you say so?!" She scolded them and glared at the servants and maids. They really gave her a fright. The bodyguard only bowed slightly in response. The rest on the floor only lowered their heads in shame. "Where to?"

"To your courtyard, everyone's waiting there."

Alarm bells started ringing in her head. Everyone? Maybe I've been too careless, leaving my courtyard so open and vulnerable with a person like Zi Yao in the house. She began walking without waiting for anyone to lead her. Everyone else followed behind.

Upon reaching her courtyard, she saw her whole family present, except Hui Shan. Wang Wei and Zhang Yong was present as well. They were seated in comfortable chairs likely brought over by servants. 

"Xinyi, where were you and what were you doing?" Her father immediately demanded to know.

"I was studying. Under the cherry blossom tree in the corner of the estate." Xinyi replied calmly. She was not fazed by the chilling tone he was using.

The servants then rushed forward to the master of the house to hand him the book she was reading. They had grabbed it when she dropped it to fend against all of them.

When everyone on sight saw the book, the third concubine rushed to her and slapped her with tears running down her face, "Why would you do this to my daughter?! She has never done anything against you or anyone else!"