Jiang Huai and Luo Yueguan exchanged a glance.
It seemed like it was time for them to spontaneously confess, but before Luo Yueguan could say anything, Luo Qingyu winked at her and softly said, “Mother, come with me.”
“Come with me” meant going to the hot spring pool on the other side of the bathhouse. Luo Yueguan was initially bewildered, then saw Luo Qingyu extend her hand to her. So, she could only grab that hand and get out of the bath.
After she emerged from the water, the evening glow fell on her fair skin, painting it with a layer of gold. She hastily threw on a bathrobe and went to the adjacent bathhouse with Luo Qingyu. Her voice was blocked by Luo Qingyu’s Daoist magic, and no matter how hard Jiang Huai tried to strain his ears, he couldn’t hear a single word.
Prisoner’s Dilemma?!
When Luo Qingyu returned alone from the bathhouse, she sat by the edge of the bath again, letting the rippling water soak her clothes. The maiden rested her fragrant cheeks on her hands, her eyes gazing gently at Jiang Huai. “Mother told me everything. Nothing much happened today, right, Jiang Huai Gege?”
At that moment, cold sweat dripped from Jiang Huai’s forehead.
If Luo Qingyu had come and told him, “Mother has confessed everything, now it’s your turn,” he could have guessed to a certain extent what Luo Yueguan would have confessed. But with Luo Qingyu saying it like this, he had to gamble whether Luo Yueguan had actually confessed… And knowing Luo Yueguan’s temperament, he couldn’t tell how much she would confess in front of her daughter.
This greatly increased the cost of lying, so Jiang Huai trembling recounted most of the day’s events, pouring everything out clean in Luo Qingyu’s gentle gaze, like beans from a bamboo tube.
Luo Qingyu’s lips curled into a smile, and she nodded innocently before asking, “All done?”
“All done.” Jiang Huai had submerged himself entirely in the water, with only his head above the surface. Luo Qingyu’s fair, tender legs swayed gently in the water. Then, she stood up. “Since Jiang Huai Gege has finished confessing, I’m going to go confess to Mother now.”
“Eh?”
Jiang Huai was stunned and then saw the cunning glint in Luo Qingyu’s eyes.
It meant… she hadn’t asked Luo Yueguan anything. She had simply told Luo Yueguan to wait there obediently.
Soon, Luo Qingyu arrived at the bath. Luo Yueguan’s entire body was still submerged in the water. As Luo Qingyu approached, her head surfaced. Luo Qingyu smiled at her, “Mother, Jiang Huai Gege has finished confessing.”
“What… what did he say?”
“What did he say? Didn’t Mother use Daoist magic to eavesdrop just now? If not… I wouldn’t believe it. But does Mother have anything else to add? If Mother says no, I’ll go and tell Jiang Huai Gege later that Mother added some details… Then Mother won’t have the chance to speak.”
Luo Qingyu sat by the edge of the bath, gazing at her with a smile. The more Luo Yueguan thought about it, the more shy and annoyed she became. Her porcelain-white, snow-like body swam to the edge of the bath like a mermaid. Suddenly, she grabbed Luo Qingyu’s fair, tender leg and pulled her into the bath as well. She gently hugged Luo Qingyu and pinched her tender cheek. “Going to break through was a trap you secretly set today, wasn’t it?”
“Mhm,” Luo Qingyu replied innocently.
“I don’t remember teaching you these things.”
“I’ve read many books, so I’ve learned a few things,” Luo Qingyu replied softly. Then, she reached out and gently pinched Luo Yueguan’s face. Her fingertips pinched a few times before she muttered with a hint of complaint, “Mother actually took Qingyu’s things while Qingyu was away… That’s too much.”
Luo Yueguan was too guilty to speak, while Luo Qingyu just looked at her and said, “But even so, Mother still couldn’t persuade Jiang Huai Gege to dual cultivate. Such a failure.”
Luo Yueguan was speechless. She looked into Luo Qingyu’s eyes, at her long eyelashes, and couldn’t help but mutter softly, “You girl… what are you really thinking?”
“I hope Jiang Huai Gege can recover his cultivation level as soon as possible,” Luo Qingyu answered frankly. “As for anything else, it can be put aside for now.”
“Qingyu wasn’t like this before.”
“What?”
“Before, if anyone dared to snatch your Jiang Huai Gege, you always bared your teeth like a possessive puppy. Why are you so indifferent this time?”
“Because even if he dual cultivated with Mother, it would only be lust, not love.” Luo Qingyu gazed at the rippling water. “I’m never worried about Jiang Huai Gege getting entangled with any woman because of lust. If it’s just lust… they will eventually get tired of it after some time. Besides, Jiang Huai Gege isn’t that kind of man. If one day he’s willing to actively do something with a woman, it means that woman holds a place in Jiang Huai Gege’s heart. That’s when someone is truly trying to steal a piece of Qingyu.”
Luo Yueguan seemed to understand, her eyes looking at Luo Qingyu before her. “You mean, it doesn’t matter what happens between Jiang Huai and me, he won’t love me, right?”
Luo Qingyu just stuck out her tongue innocently. “Qingyu didn’t say that.”
“Who cares if he loves me or not,” Luo Yueguan pouted. Suddenly, all the shame from before disappeared. There was an inexplicable sense of defeat, perhaps stemming from… Jiang Huai bullying her so fiercely during the day. Luo Yueguan could clearly see the lust in his eyes, yet Jiang Huai still rejected her when she proposed dual cultivation.
The reason was probably as simple as Luo Qingyu had said: because there was no love, he didn’t want to.
“Alright, alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Do you want to bathe together?” Luo Qingyu smiled at Luo Yueguan. “I can help Mother scrub your back.”
……
At this moment, Jiang Huai leaned against one side of the bath, watching the other side. Two porcelain-white mermaids were in the bath, their bathrobes draped on them, their hidden bodies faintly visible. After a while, Luo Qingyu removed Luo Yueguan’s bathrobe. She applied flower dew to her beside her, making her porcelain-white body shine even brighter. However, Luo Qingyu’s hands were not honest; when applying the dew, she tugged at Luo Yueguan’s ( ). Luo Yueguan, annoyed, leaned closer and hugged Luo Qingyu, then started pulling at her ( ). The two began to playfully scuffle in the bath. Jiang Huai wanted to look away to show his innocence, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
He was captivated!
“If you bully me again, I’ll call Jiang Huai Gege for help,” Luo Qingyu’s spoiled voice rang out. Luo Yueguan, however, whispered in her ear, her plump soft flesh overflowing between her fingers, “Hmph, if he dares to come, I’ll bully him too.”
Jiang Huai sank himself into the bottom of the water, feeling that although the two seemed to be playing, they were completely making fun of him with some unspoken mother-daughter understanding. But his escape was useless. Not long after, he was forcibly pulled out by Luo Qingyu. Before he could even struggle, Luo Qingyu’s body had already pounced on him by the edge of the bath.
Her fingertips gently hooked Jiang Huai’s chin, cupping his face. “Jiang Huai Gege.”
“Hmm?”
“Why did you reject Mother today?” Luo Qingyu suddenly asked. “Mother and I have such similar bodies, did you refuse because you don’t like us?”
“I just suddenly thought of something.”
“What?”
“Since Qingyu could guess that something might happen in the courtyard while she was away, wouldn’t her mother have guessed it too… Have you mother and daughter already seen through each other’s intentions, and only I am still foolishly kept in the dark?”
“How can Jiang Huai Gege think of me and Mother so badly…”
“Is that so?”
“We have never conspired. Even if we acted in unison out of some subconscious understanding… it was for Jiang Huai Gege’s own good.”
“I don’t like people being good to me out of their own assumptions,” Jiang Huai’s hand gently cupped the maiden’s pink buttocks and gave a light pinch. Luo Qingyu bit her lip lightly, her eyes becoming aggrieved again. “Then Qingyu knows she was wrong…”
“It’s not Qingyu’s fault, really,” Jiang Huai shook his head gently. “It’s actually my fault.”
“Hmm?”
“I know Qingyu and her are doing this for my own good, and I’m still stubbornly clinging to my own assumptions.”
Jiang Huai’s thoughts suddenly became clear in an instant.
Luo Qingyu knew the prescription for restoring his cultivation. She had clearly been mentally prepared for him and Luo Yueguan to dual cultivate for a long time. That was why she had secretly facilitated the situation and never mentioned Luo Yueguan’s previous peeping. It was probably because she felt the timing was right, so she found an excuse to leave the courtyard today.
And Luo Yueguan had always appeared foolish. Did she really not guess the reason Luo Qingyu left under a pretense? She must have seen some clue, so after Luo Qingyu left, she activated her “naughty cat” mode to provoke Jiang Huai, making him furious. Perhaps she thought… the atmosphere was ripe, and under the heat of passion, driven by lust, he would become like a beast.
The only variable in this equation was probably that Jiang Huai still refused Luo Yueguan’s proposal for dual cultivation… because no matter how he thought about it, it felt awkward, with all sorts of deep-seated reasons. He didn’t know how he would face Luo Yueguan after dual cultivation, and perhaps Luo Yueguan didn’t know either… Should they pretend nothing happened? Or should they just give up and let things go?
Dual cultivation seemed to be like this; Luo Yueguan only needed to consider whether to dual cultivate with him, while Jiang Huai had many things to consider. In the end, he felt there must be another way. There were so many opportunities and spirit medicines in the world, and Granny Jiuy’s medical skills were on par with his. It was not impossible that she might come up with a new prescription for him in the future.
If there was no possibility for him to recover his cultivation on his own, perhaps he would have gone along with the wishes of Luo Yueguan and Luo Qingyu today… But a moment later, Jiang Huai suddenly thought of something particularly terrifying.
If he and Luo Yueguan had never had the slightest bit of affection, never had any ambiguity between them, and dual cultivation was just a tacit understanding for both of them to heal injuries, would he still refuse?
Perhaps not.
His refusal now… was probably because he still had some complex emotions towards Luo Yueguan. That’s why he worried about getting more tangled and entangled. But looking back closely, he couldn’t wash away the bad things he did to Luo Yueguan today.
All sorts of chaotic thoughts swirled in his head, and Jiang Huai felt a slight headache. He looked at Luo Qingyu’s fair, tender face before him and was silent for a moment before muttering softly, “I want to sleep.”
“Then let’s go to sleep,” Luo Qingyu obediently got off him. The water droplets on her body were instantly shaken off by her Spiritual Qi. She put on her nightgown and extended her hand to Jiang Huai, who had just finished drying himself and putting on his clothes.
When they returned to the room, she didn’t say anything else, but obediently snuggled into Jiang Huai’s embrace and closed her eyes.
……
However, Jiang Huai felt Luo Qingyu’s body in his arms tremble slightly a few times. He gently patted Luo Qingyu’s back. Luo Qingyu opened her eyes, her Jet-black eyes gazing at him.
“Why do I feel like Qingyu is a bit uneasy?” Jiang Huai said softly.
“Qingyu deliberately set a trap for Jiang Huai Gege… I was worried Jiang Huai Gege would be angry… so I’m uneasy.”
“I’m not angry, really not. Qingyu considered so much for me, and yet I still refused. I’m already very fortunate that Qingyu isn’t angry with me,” Jiang Huai said softly.
“Jiang Huai Gege doesn’t need to worry about this,” Luo Qingyu rubbed her cheek against Jiang Huai’s chest. “Whatever choice Jiang Huai Gege makes is the right one.”
Jiang Huai felt increasingly amused and helpless. He gently patted Qingyu’s back again and looked into her eyes. “I always feel like Qingyu is different from before…”
“Different?” Luo Qingyu immediately sensed what Jiang Huai meant but winked cunningly. “Heh, when Jiang Huai Gege says different, does he mean that Qingyu hasn’t actively brought up Fufu or Xu Qing to Jiang Huai Gege yet?”
“…Yes.”
“Qingyu can’t change Jiang Huai Gege’s mind by acting spoiled, throwing tantrums, or threatening to hang herself. Fufu is Wanwan Jiejie’s sister, so it’s probably nothing. As for Xu Qing… Jiang Huai Gege hasn’t done anything with her yet. If I brought it up to Jiang Huai Gege now, Jiang Huai Gege would only think Qingyu is petty and only add to his troubles. Instead, he might get angry and become closer to Xu Qing because of it.”
Jiang Huai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Usually, Luo Qingyu appeared simple and easily fooled, always blinking her innocent eyes. He would unconsciously be deceived by Luo Qingyu’s obedience and cuteness, ignoring the fact that Luo Qingyu often thought more than him, deep down.
“I have met Xu Qing twice. At least I don’t dislike her yet. Hmph, even if she wants to stay by Jiang Huai Gege’s side in the future, she’s a generation younger than me based on seniority. But this doesn’t mean I completely agree with Jiang Huai Gege being a womanizer outside… I believe Jiang Huai Gege has his limits, right?”
Jiang Huai looked at her with a wry smile. “I will.”
At this moment, he was fully in a state of “I am guilty, I repent.” The more Luo Qingyu forgave him, the more guilty he felt. People’s minds are truly complex and mysterious.
His fingertip gently stroked Luo Qingyu’s earlobe and he asked softly, “Does Qingyu get tired thinking so much every day?”
“If it’s thinking about Jiang Huai Gege, of course not,” Luo Qingyu shook her head gently. “I used to think a lot, but do you know what Qingyu thinks about the most, Jiang Huai Gege?”
“I can’t guess.”
“Over the years, Qingyu has repeatedly asked herself why she likes Jiang Huai Gege so much. It wasn’t until a few days ago that she finally figured out the answer.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“Because when I’m by Jiang Huai Gege’s side, I don’t have to think about anything. It’s like being a kitten; I just need to wag my tail to be doted on by Jiang Huai Gege… Qingyu likes this feeling of being able to rely on Jiang Huai Gege. So, I want to depend on Jiang Huai Gege forever, whether it’s through tricks or schemes, I will never let Jiang Huai Gege abandon me.”
“Of course, I won’t.”
“Yes, Qingyu knows. But sometimes she can’t help but say it over and over again…” Luo Qingyu shifted her body, leaning onto Jiang Huai. Her delicate pink lips moved closer, looking into his eyes. “I want a kiss.”
Jiang Huai gently hugged her waist. Luo Qingyu had a strange habit; she particularly liked to feed Jiang Huai a lot of water during kisses, as if this could be proof of Jiang Huai’s love for her.
Beneath her seemingly obedient, gentle, and sensible demeanor, she always had a fragile sense of insecurity, fearing that one day she would no longer be loved. That’s why she always subconsciously acted in a cute and gentle manner. Now, her true face was slowly revealing itself to Jiang Huai, cautiously while the missing sense of security in her heart was being quietly filled.
If even after I show you my dark side, you still don’t dislike me… I will melt in your arms.
