### 106 Abyss
The long night stretched endlessly.
Luo Qingyu’s room was warm and fragrant.
The girl’s bed was soft and spacious.
Her body was soft as well, the fabric across her chest taut and rounded.
At this moment, Luo Qingyu was sitting cross-legged on the bed, the straps of her sling top drooping loosely off her shoulders. She had untied the hair tie, letting her jet-black hair cascade down, giving her a gentler and more obedient appearance, like a lazy kitten. The black skirt she wore was not long and spread out on the bed, revealing the snow-white, glistening skin of her thighs beneath, reminiscent of jelly.
Jiang Huai suddenly felt a small, inexplicable unease.
Thinking back, he had always subconsciously avoided too much ambiguous physical contact with Luo Qingyu, seemingly because she was completely defenseless towards him, and she was, after all, his betrothed in name. No matter what he coaxed her into doing, it was justifiable. That was why he always kept his distance from her; after all, some things, once done, cannot be undone.
Moreover, Luo Qingyu was still so young; she had just turned eighteen a few months ago. Although it seemed one could marry at sixteen in this world, to him, anyone under eighteen felt wrong.
“I’ll go bathe first and then come back,” Jiang Huai said, looking at Luo Qingyu’s small face. As she pretended to get up, her slender waist straightened, but in the next moment, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, pressing her back down. “First, warm up the blankets. I’ll be back soon.”
Luo Qingyu had no choice but to nod meekly, pulling the quilt tightly around herself, and began to genuinely warm the bedding. Jiang Huai turned and walked towards the bathhouse in the backyard.
When he still had spiritual Qi in his body, it didn’t matter how long he went without bathing, since he wouldn’t get dirty. But now that the Qi was gone, he needed to bathe every day. As he reached the bathhouse, he faintly heard a strange sound.
For a brief instant, he panicked, only to suddenly realize something was off and spoke up.
“You didn’t notice my footsteps and start acting coy on purpose, did you?” Jiang Huai stopped outside the bathhouse curtain.
“You figured it out?” Luo Yueguan replied shamelessly.
“Then can you hurry a little? I’m getting ready to bathe too.”
“Why not come in with me?”
“I won’t. You just want to toy with me, waiting until I’m stirred and then teasing me mercilessly. Hmph, bad woman.”
“Oh?” Luo Yueguan chuckled softly. “Have you been fantasizing all this in your head?”
Jiang Huai’s face darkened.
“Remember when we used to bathe together when you were little? You even washed my back back then.”
“That happened?” Jiang Huai’s face turned red, pretending not to know.
Of course, he remembered. When they were six or seven, he was still eligible to obediently stand in the bathhouse while Luo Yueguan scrubbed his back. He clearly recalled her all-white, smooth skin, blushing in subtle hues.
“So, are you coming or not?”
Luo Yueguan’s voice carried a faint allure, and Jiang Huai felt a tickling sensation in his heart. Suddenly, he wanted to be bold. He wasn’t sure where the courage came from, but he pushed the curtain aside. Luo Yueguan was sitting on the bench by the bath, neatly dressed except for her white and tender little feet soaking in the water.
Jiang Huai: ?
Luo Yueguan turned and looked back at him, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Hmm? Are you disappointed?”
Her hand lifted her skirt hem, revealing her shapely calves, gently swaying in the water. Jiang Huai stood behind her. “So, have you already bathed or not?”
“That’s up to you.”
“Then I’ll assume you’ve already bathed. Quickly go out.”
“Okay.” Luo Yueguan stood up, her posture straight. Her tender, white lotus feet touched the floor, and she quickly walked out of the bath. Jiang Huai watched her retreating figure, a sudden sense of loss creeping into his heart.
Damn it, this is bad!
He couldn’t compete with a treacherous woman.
Jiang Huai began to undress, soon soaking himself in the water. His mind wandered back to thoughts of whether Luo Yueguan would return to tease him. The water in the bath rippled, bathed in bright moonlight, yet there were no signs of her coming back.
Why was he imagining such strange things?
He pinched his face hard. After getting up and drying off, he put on a loose, comfortable set of pajamas and headed towards Luo Qingyu’s room. She was obediently lying on the bed, a little head peeking out from the quilt.
Upon seeing Jiang Huai approach, she lifted the quilt. He climbed onto the bed, snuggling into the covers, and in the next moment, the quilt tightly enveloped both of them. Luo Qingyu’s soft body pressed against him, bringing a fragrant scent.
Jiang Huai’s mind began to swim.
He had no idea where to place his hands or what kind of sleeping position would be best. He had often slept beside Bai Li, who was petite and just right to hold. However, Luo Qingyu was much taller and her chest overly generous. Jiang Huai found himself unsure whether to wrap his arms around her shoulders or her waist, feeling that either way was both right and wrong.
But soon, he had no time to think about this, because Luo Qingyu shifted in the quilt and soon ended up on top of him, her chest pressed against his. Propping herself up with her elbows, her cheeks were quite close to his. The girl’s eyelashes fluttered, her delicate pink lips gleaming slightly. “I want to kiss…”
So, Jiang Huai gently wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and Luo Qingyu leaned in.
…
“Jiang Huai Gege…”
“Hmm?”
“I feel uncomfortable…” Luo Qingyu sat up, her tender little hand pressing against Jiang Huai’s chest, looking innocently and blushing at him.
“Then sleep beside me…”
“Eh… but, but Qingyu can’t sleep well, and it seems Jiang Huai Gege can’t sleep either… Qingyu knows what we can do.”
“No, you don’t know.” Jiang Huai pulled Luo Qingyu tightly into his embrace, then planted a kiss on her white, tender cheek. “Go to sleep obediently.”
“Why can’t I…?” Luo Qingyu’s voice was filled with grievance.
“Because we aren’t married yet.” Jiang Huai explained, feeling guilty.
He was truly worried that once his flexible boundaries were crossed, there would be no limit. At this moment, simply embracing Luo Qingyu’s soft body made his heart race. The alluring scent she exuded made him want to lean closer and just take a bite.
“Mm…” Luo Qingyu fussed in his arms, not settling down at all. Jiang Huai reached out and lightly poked her slender waist, and she immediately calmed down. But before long, her lips were again close to his neck. “I want to kiss again…”
Luo Qingyu’s lips brushed against him lightly, “I want to leave a mark on Jiang Huai Gege…”
After a while, Luo Qingyu’s eyes turned watery. She gently bit her lip, snuggling back down into Jiang Huai’s embrace, murmuring softly, “Jiang Huai Gege is so annoying.”
Jiang Huai suddenly felt nostalgic for when he had spiritual Qi, then he could close his eyes to block out all senses, thoughts, and sounds. But right now, as Luo Qingyu cuddled into him, he could distinctly hear her breathing and heartbeat. She shifted slightly, lying beside him, making his head spin.
His hand, for some reason, found its way to her slightly trembling, snow-white thigh.
Luo Qingyu innocently turned her face to look at him. “Jiang Huai Gege… are you just going to touch my leg?”
“Of course, just rubbing your leg.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
…
Luo Qingyu’s soft body lay against his chest, her hair clinging to her face. She looked up at Jiang Huai, her voice slightly weak. “My body is so soft… can I be rubbed again next time?”
“If you’re obedient, then yes…”
“Qingyu is obedient every day, so that means… can we rub each other daily…?”
Jiang Huai was losing control. Luo Qingyu’s fingers traced circles on his chest but then quietly moved lower to his lower abdomen.
“How about I go to sleep obediently?” Jiang Huai’s body tensed suddenly, his voice carrying a hint of unease.
“That won’t do. How can Jiang Huai Gege bully Qingyu and not let Qingyu bully Jiang Huai Gege…”
“So you’re clearly aware of everything.”
“But Jiang Huai Gege pretends to be confused every day. Qingyu learned this from Jiang Huai Gege.” Luo Qingyu lay beside him, leaning in to kiss his lips. This time, the shyness in her eyes had faded, replaced by a sense of aggression, serious yet seductive.
…
“Alright, it’s time to sleep!” Jiang Huai wrapped Luo Qingyu tightly in his arms.
“No way.” Luo Qingyu tilted her small face up, her innocent eyes blinking. She looked so pure, like a truly naive girl, trying to show him her newfound knowledge. “Mother taught me a lot, a lot, a lot.”
“I’ll be here tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and even the day after that. I’ll be here until you go to the Immortal Spirit Secret Realm.”
“Oh…” Luo Qingyu finally settled down. “Then I’ll ask for a kiss.”
“Don’t you get dizzy from kisses?”
“But I really like that dizzy feeling.”
Jiang Huai leaned in and lightly pecked her delicate lips again. Only then did Luo Qingyu shift contentedly, hooking her legs around him tightly. Jiang Huai struggled for a while to find a comfortable position, eventually turning to embrace her slender waist, his fingertips brushing against her soft, smooth hair.
He inhaled the faint, delicate fragrance before him and felt a momentary peace within his heart.
Maybe this is good enough; marrying Luo Qingyu would mean a happy and fulfilling life ahead. She was so obedient, so listening, and so clever. With a wife like her, in his past life, he would probably have laughed in his sleep. Sometimes, one just can’t be too greedy, so why was it that he couldn’t let go?
Greed would only lead one to the abyss, Jiang Xiaohuai!
Jiang Huai’s mind flashed with Chu Xianning’s cold face. His moment of calm vanished, as two voices seemed to begin struggling within his head. The white figure told him that he was straddling two boats, becoming the indecisive bastard he despised. His thoughts were all tangled up, unable to let go of one thing while holding onto another, ultimately causing harm to both. Why couldn’t he just choose one and quickly sever ties with thoughts of other women? Pure love should be the top priority.
The other voice reassured him, “Jiang Huai, it’s okay. You were born to be a harem king. As long as you handle it well, you can balance both. You’ve liked Chu Xianning for so long and put in so much effort; how could you bear to give her up? How could you let go? Don’t struggle, Jiang Huai. You’re already caught up in this. You’ve invested so much, and now it’s not something you can just walk away from.”
He glanced down at Luo Qingyu in his arms. The moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on her snow-white cheeks. She seemed to have fallen asleep, her lips curving in a faint smile, her expression serene and content.
With a soft sigh, Jiang Huai closed his eyes.
