Chapter 227: Playing a Game
No moon, no stars, no rain, no clear skies.
Jiang Huai gazed into the distance, able to see only a patch of darkness on the lake’s surface. Only in his small pavilion at the lake’s heart was there a bonfire. This night, he had learned his lesson; before jumping into the lake, he stripped off his clothes. Only after returning to the pavilion and drying himself did he put his clothes back on.
For some reason, he had a strange intuition that Luo Yueguan wouldn’t come tonight, or even if she did, she wouldn’t show herself. Perhaps she would glance at him from some hidden corner before melting back into the darkness.
He had considered not coming; that way, he could retaliate for her mockery and make her feel disappointed. Perhaps then, he wouldn’t have to worry about their entanglement and wouldn’t have to sink deeper into the strange vortex of her emotions. Yet, Jiang Huai had still come.
Before dissecting Luo Yueguan’s thoughts, Jiang Huai felt he needed to understand himself first.
He didn’t crave her love, nor her body. So why did he still want to do something for Luo Yueguan? Was it born out of pity, or simply to fulfill some peculiar desire of his own? It was as if saving someone would satisfy him.
Luo Yueguan seemed to be suffering greatly, even if the pain was an illusion, it felt as if it filled her flesh and blood. What could he do, and what should he do?
He vaguely felt that when Luo Yueguan told him a few days ago that she felt a tightness in her chest, it was her cry for help.
However, Jiang Huai’s premonition was correct. He waited for a long, long time, but Luo Yueguan never appeared in his sight. He quietly sat in the waterside pavilion, waiting for the sky to gradually lighten.
He stripped off his clothes again and jumped into the lake. This time, however, he caught another fish. After coming ashore, he carried the fresh fish back to the courtyard and made a pot of fish ball soup for breakfast. He didn’t call Luo Yueguan to wake up, yet she was the first to open her door and walk out of her room.
“Breakfast,” Jiang Huai gestured to the fish ball soup on the table.
“Where did the fish come from?” Luo Yueguan asked knowingly.
“Dream Marsh Lake,” Jiang Huai replied nonchalantly.
“You went there again last night?”
“Mm.”
“I thought you wouldn’t go,” Luo Yueguan turned her face away.
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t go the day before yesterday, and you were surely going to retaliate against me,” Luo Yueguan came to the table and sat down. She picked up a soup spoon and scooped a fish ball. The fish ball was soft, fresh, and sweet, tasting very good.
Jiang Huai sat opposite her, thinking, “I’m planning to leave the day after tomorrow. I can wait for you one more night if you want to talk.”
“Talk about what?” Luo Yueguan looked down at her porcelain bowl, not looking up.
“I don’t know. Whatever you want to talk about. If you don’t want to talk, perhaps we can just sit together and enjoy the evening breeze?”
“Who do you think you are?” Luo Yueguan snorted coldly, “Tonight… I probably won’t go either.”
“Alright, then I’ll go fishing alone.”
“You…” Luo Yueguan suddenly lost her appetite. She looked up at Jiang Huai, who was diligently tasting the fish soup in his bowl with a spoon. He felt the taste was a bit bland, so he added a little white pepper and then looked at Luo Yueguan, “Do you want pepper?”
Luo Yueguan stared at him for a long time, then suddenly picked up the bowl and drank all the soup and fish balls in it. She then raised the back of her hand to wipe her lips, “No.”
With that, she stood up and walked out of the courtyard with hurried steps.
The Moon Wave Continent Grand Competition had already concluded.
The ones who ultimately qualified for the Eastern Region Grand Competition were, naturally, Jiang Huai, Wen Wanwan, and Luo Qingyu. Moon Wave Continent had three spots, while Linglong Continent, Sunspot Continent, and Aolai Continent each had three spots as well. Later, five people would be chosen from Qingmu Immortal Palace to participate in the Five Regions Grand Competition held in the deep winter.
Today, Jiang Huai had nothing to do, so he accompanied Luo Qingyu and Wen Wanwan as they strolled around Qingxuan Sect. It was the height of summer, and the female disciples of Qingxuan Sect wore light clothing, but Jiang Huai dared not to glance around carelessly.
He accompanied Luo Qingyu and Wen Wanwan to Butterfly Valley, setting up an easel and painting butterflies. Gradually, he switched to painting the girls in front of him. Today, Wen Wanwan was not in her usual plain white Daoist robe but a white and purple Hanfu dress, exuding an ethereal and elegant aura.
Luo Yueguan wore a black palace dress, exuding an air of nobility without the need for any jewelry. Along the way, Jiang Huai felt the envious gazes of countless male disciples from Qingxuan Sect. Fortunately, his skin was as thick as a city wall now; he was already used to it.
The moonlit night was serene.
Luo Yueguan sat in the pavilion at the lake’s heart. She was dressed thinly in a light purple dress with a short hem. She sat by the steps of the pavilion, her lower legs submerged in the dark pond water. In her hand, she held a handful of fish food. After throwing it into the lake, numerous spirit fish swarmed around her. It was past midnight, and Jiang Huai had not appeared.
Her eyelashes gradually lowered.
It was understandable. That guy had never shown her much concern. Even the most patient person’s temper would have been worn out by now. Leaving her here to sulk tonight was also reasonable. It was her own doing, and she had no one to blame.
The lake water was slightly cold. She suddenly felt like soaking her body in the lake. But as soon as she stood up and stepped onto the submerged steps, there was movement on the distant lake surface. Jiang Huai swam over and looked at her, “What are you doing?”
“You… are finally here.” Luo Yueguan turned her face away, her voice tinged with a hint of sulkiness.
“Wanwan is returning to Tian Xuan Sect with the Sect Master tomorrow. I need to go to the Purple Charm General Pavilion. Oh, and Qingyu will also go to Tian Xuan Sect with Wanwan for a while, so…”
“So what?”
“So I was pestered by those two sisters tonight. It took a long time to coax them to sleep, so I’m late,” Jiang Huai looked at Luo Yueguan, who was half-submerged in the water. “So what are you doing?”
“Can’t I soak a little?”
“As you wish,” Jiang Huai shrugged innocently, looking into her eyes. Luo Yueguan’s body gradually moved into the lake. Her dress was completely soaked by the water droplets. She swam towards Jiang Huai and suddenly said, “Accompany me to the bottom of the lake?”
Jiang Huai hadn’t fully understood her meaning when Luo Yueguan pulled him into the lake. Actually, Jiang Huai disliked the feeling of drowning; it reminded him of his near-death experience in his past life. Fortunately, Luo Yueguan let go and swam forward on her own. Jiang Huai accompanied her, swimming forward until the water became much shallower. Luo Yueguan stood up in the water, the ripples reaching her chest.
“So, what can you accompany me to talk about?” Luo Yueguan’s lips moved, but Jiang Huai could only scratch his head, “I don’t know either.”
“So useless.” Luo Yueguan swept him a disdainful glance. Jiang Huai didn’t retort; instead, he reached out his hand to her. Luo Yueguan hesitated for a moment before extending her arm to him. He pulled her and swam back to the side of the pavilion at the lake’s heart. The two of them went ashore.
Luo Yueguan stood in the pavilion, her body completely wet. The thin fabric of her dress had become transparent, clinging tightly to her body, revealing her graceful curves. Her snow-white skin was faintly visible under the moonlight.
Her figure was already exceptional. Her ample chest formed a perfect curve, and beneath her slender waist were full, lustrous peach-pink buttocks. Jiang Huai realized at this moment that Luo Yueguan was not wearing any underwear beneath her dress. Her full, snow-white buttocks were now wet, and water droplets dripped from her dress. Jiang Huai was momentarily stunned, but Luo Yueguan had already untied her sash.
She easily shed her dress, hooked it on her fingertips, and then let it fall to the ground. The moonlight cascaded over her body, and the water droplets shimmered like flowing silver. Jiang Huai hurriedly closed his eyes; it was an instinctive reaction. But after a few seconds, he slowly opened them again.
Luo Yueguan simply stood before him, her eyes smiling.
“Why did you close your eyes?”
“You suddenly went crazy, how could I not close my eyes?”
“Then why did you open them?”
“I suddenly feel like I’m almost used to it. Hurry up and dry yourself and put on your clothes.” Jiang Huai looked away, but Luo Yueguan walked up to him, her body almost crashing into his embrace. “Dry me.”
Jiang Huai reluctantly extended his hand and slapped her snow-white buttocks hard. Then, he took out a towel and began to wipe the water droplets from her body. He admitted that he had instinctive desires, but he couldn’t quite explain it. Compared to her body, what captivated Jiang Huai more were her eyes at this moment, fogged over like the night, making them difficult to see clearly.
But Luo Yueguan’s body was truly exceptionally soft. Even through the towel, Jiang Huai seemed to vaguely sense it. He quickly wiped off most of the water droplets from Luo Yueguan’s body. As for her chest and between her legs, he naturally dared not to. Luo Yueguan casually put on a light purple sheer outer garment, simply tied the sash, and leaned against the pavilion’s long bench. She even lazily raised her legs, resting her ankles on the pavilion’s table, her slender, snow-white legs dangling in the air. If Jiang Huai were to sit opposite her, he might see something he shouldn’t.
Luo Yueguan was as smooth and white as Qingyu, delicate and fair, even her shape seemed similar.
Only then did Jiang Huai pick up the towel to dry himself and change his clothes. He sat opposite Luo Yueguan, looking at her lazy eyes. He felt he should say something, but he didn’t know how to start.
So, they just stared at each other in the darkness. For a minute, perhaps two, Jiang Huai cautiously asked, “How are you feeling now?”
“Very happy.”
“That’s good,” Jiang Huai breathed a slight sigh of relief.
“If you were willing to kneel down now and kiss me like you kissed Qingyu, I would probably be even happier.”
She said this without blushing at all, but Jiang Huai wore a thoughtful expression.
She must have a reason for acting this way. What was the reason now? Was it because she didn’t know what to do, because her mind was blank? Was it because she wanted some stimulation to feel at peace?
“No.” Jiang Huai refused with a shake of his head.
Luo Yueguan pouted, as if she had expected him to say that. She couldn’t tell if she felt disappointed or at peace, but Jiang Huai pointed to the pavilion’s pillar and looked at her.
“Go over there and obediently bend over the pillar.”
“To do what?” Luo Yueguan was stunned for a moment, then a blush spread across her cheeks, followed by a wave of shyness and annoyance.
It seemed to be the same every time. It was okay for her to tease Jiang Huai, but not for Jiang Huai to tease her. Yet, Jiang Huai just looked at her innocently and gently, “Let’s play a game. If you win, I’ll agree to what you just said. Whoever cheats is a puppy.”
