Jiang Huai distinctly remembered that there were no stars or moon tonight.
But the moon had emerged from the clouds at some unknown time, and even a few lonely stars on the horizon had become bright. Luo Yueguan lowered her head, looking at her hands on her chest, and said, “Let go.”
“No.”
The next moment, the Spirit Sword streaked through the air at extreme speed. Jiang Huai, frightened, gripped tighter, as if the soft flesh was about to overflow from his fingertips. He began to beg, “I’ll let go, okay? I’ll let go!”
The Spirit Sword finally stopped. Luo Yueguan’s lips curled into a smile. Jiang Huai released his grip and sat down on the flying sword with a thud, looking up at the sky.
He dared not look down, while Luo Yueguan sat beside him. The evening breeze blew past, and Jiang Huai smelled the fragrance of Luo Yueguan’s hair. The wind was a bit cold, and he was as stiff as a wooden puppet, not daring to move at all.
Luo Yueguan also looked up, and the brilliant moonlight fell into her eyes.
She liked looking at the moon, on many, many lonely nights.
Some people found the moon pure and beautiful, while others found it cold and lonely. There were probably only these two kinds of people in the world. Both sat there quietly, not speaking.
“You’re going to Ziyun Pavilion tomorrow?”
“Mm, I’ll set off tomorrow afternoon.”
“I’ll go with you,” Luo Yueguan said softly.
“Didn’t we agree that you and Qingyu would go to Tian Xuan Sect tomorrow?”
“I want to get some fresh air and will find Chu Xianning in a couple of days.” Luo Yueguan turned to look at his eyes, “Are you disgusted by me?”
“Not exactly… I’m just afraid of you.” Jiang Huai pouted, but Luo Yueguan reached out and hugged his waist. The next moment, her fingertips pinched the soft flesh at his waist, “What are you afraid of?”
“You seem to really enjoy seeing me pathetic in front of you,” Jiang Huai sighed innocently and turned to look at Luo Yueguan.
“I think it’s very amusing.”
Jiang Huai didn’t know where to start, so he simply said nothing. He looked up at the moon again, and Luo Yueguan, at some unknown time, had quietly rested her head on his shoulder.
Jiang Huai’s body stiffened abruptly, but he said nothing, only beginning to hesitate whether to gently hug her waist and pull her into his arms.
What if he did that? What would that count as? Jiang Huai sometimes felt that Bai Li was right; he always liked to hesitate and overthink. Sometimes he was filled with despicable desires, and sometimes he tried hard to act like a gentleman. His fear of Luo Yueguan was simply because he had indeed taken the bait, and in front of Luo Yueguan, his innermost base little thoughts seemed to have nowhere to hide.
“You can hug me.”
“I won’t.”
“Then what if I let you put your hand inside your collar?”
“Are you insane!”
“Weren’t you just rubbing and pinching so enthusiastically?” Luo Yueguan’s voice was soft, as if with a hint of playful laughter. Jiang Huai, feeling annoyed, reached out and gently hugged her slender waist. He inadvertently glanced sideways and saw a patch of fair and soft skin below Luo Yueguan’s collarbone.
“Speaking of which, have you ever considered getting a small pet?”
“No.”
“Like a cat or a dog? Play with it occasionally to relax your mood.”
“You’ll buy it for me?”
“I’ll pick one out for you when we go to Ziyun Pavilion,” Jiang Huai turned to look at Luo Yueguan, “But you have to promise to take good care of it.”
“Okay,” Luo Yueguan agreed softly. Jiang Huai said no more and continued to look up at the moon with her.
They leaned against each other like this for a long, long time. Jiang Huai heard Luo Yueguan yawn and softly say, “I’m sleepy.”
“Then let’s go home.”
The Spirit Sword turned into a bright stream of light, taking Jiang Huai and Luo Yueguan back to the courtyard together. However, Luo Yueguan looked back at him and said, “Accompany me to bathe?”
Jiang Huai glanced at her first, then turned and ran away. Luo Yueguan laughed so hard that she couldn’t straighten her waist.
***
The next day.
Jiang Huai spent another whole day with Wen Wanwan and Luo Qingyu at Qingxuan Sect. As evening approached, Li Qiushan prepared to take Wen Wanwan back to Tian Xuan Sect. Luo Qingyu also took a Spirit Boat back to Tian Xuan Sect, traveling together. Before parting, Jiang Huai promised Luo Qingyu that he would return within seven days.
At this moment, in Luo Yueguan’s courtyard, only Luo Yueguan and Jiang Huai remained.
The courtyard gate was locked. Luo Yueguan sat in the pavilion, lost in thought. Jiang Huai walked up to her, “We’ll set off tonight.”
“No,” Luo Yueguan refused, “I’ll take you to the Ziyun General Pavilion by Spirit Boat tomorrow morning. The time will be about the same as setting off alone with you, so you have to accompany me tonight.”
“Accompany you to do what?”
“Sleep with me.”
“Be realistic!”
“Just sleeping,” Luo Yueguan slanted her eyes at him, her eyes carrying a hint of mockery, “What are you thinking about?”
“Just sleeping is also abnormal, alright?”
“So, do you agree?”
Jiang Huai hesitated for about three seconds before nodding, “Sleep, sleep, sleep, anything is fine, alright?”
Luo Yueguan’s lips curved slightly, “I thought you would die before agreeing?”
“What would you do if I refused to agree?”
“I’d tie you up with a rope, tie you by my side, and then use my hands to wring you dry ten times until you fainted. That would also count as you sleeping with me.”
Jiang Huai almost choked. At this moment, Luo Yueguan’s sinister gaze made Jiang Huai suspect that she had actually intended to do that just now.
He was a little frustrated. It seemed that every time he interacted with Luo Yueguan, she always took control. He had to admit that he couldn’t outplay a bad woman, but if he always tried to regain control from her, wouldn’t that be falling into her trap?
Indeed, women were the most terrifying creatures in the world.
Luo Yueguan stood up and looked at Jiang Huai in front of her, “Let’s go, accompany me to bathe.”
“I refuse.”
“I’ll be wearing clothes, what are you thinking?”
Luo Yueguan walked straight towards the bathhouse without looking back at Jiang Huai, as if she was sure Jiang Huai would follow. Jiang Huai sat alone in the pavilion, battling himself for half an incense stick’s time, then stood up.
“I must get back all the dignity I’ve lost with my own hands, Jiang Xiaohu!”
Jiang Huai walked into the bathhouse and lifted the curtain.
Luo Yueguan was indeed wearing clothes, a light pink thin dress. However, as the dress became wet, it clung to her body, outlining her graceful curves. The sight of her fair skin, vaguely visible under the light of the Firefly Stone, seemed even more seductive than if she were naked.
Jiang Huai felt a strong sense of provocation from Luo Yueguan’s playful gaze. He took off his clothes and walked into the bath. Luo Yueguan splashed water at him, like a childish little girl. Jiang Huai, furious, also splashed water at her. The two began to frolic and tussle in the bath, until Luo Yueguan’s dress slipped off at some point and floated on the water.
When Jiang Huai realized this, he was stunned for a moment. In an instant, Luo Yueguan came up behind him, her soft chest pressing against his back. She leaned close and whispered in his ear, “You’re having impure thoughts again. I’m Qingyu’s mother, you can’t do this.”
“You, you, you!” Jiang Huai was so angry he almost couldn’t breathe.
But the next second, Jiang Xiaohu’s hand was caught by Luo Yueguan’s cold and tender palm. She pressed against Jiang Huai’s ear, “So… for your safety when we sleep together tonight, I’ll have to reluctantly help you…”
“Let, let, let, let go!”
“But it seems to really like my hand,” Luo Yueguan gently bit his earlobe, “Doesn’t it?”
***
Jiang Huai’s entire body was now hidden beneath the water, unwilling to look up at Luo Yueguan. But Luo Yueguan stood quietly in the pool and smiled playfully at the submerged Jiang Huai, “Come on out.”
There was no response.
“If you don’t come up, I’ll eat everything between my fingers.”
Jiang Huai suddenly jumped out of the pool and stood up. Luo Yueguan’s little hands were still tender and fair, and her tongue was lightly licking her lips, as if she had just eaten something. Jiang Huai became more and more frantic and humiliated. Just as he lunged at Luo Yueguan to explode at her, Luo Yueguan stretched out a finger and pressed it against his chest.
“Just kidding. Do you really think I’d be willing to eat something so dirty?”
Jiang Huai reached out and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her body fiercely, “Can you be normal?! Can you, can you, can you, can you?!”
“Don’t you think it’s interesting?” Luo Yueguan just smiled, “The more forbidden it is, the more exciting it is. You talk like a hypocrite, but in your heart, you actually love it, don’t you?”
“I don’t like it!”
“Really don’t like it?”
“Don’t like it!”
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore.” Luo Yueguan swam to the steps in the bath and sat down, looking at Jiang Huai from afar. She splashed water on him again, a smile on her lips, “I was originally going to try to comfort you with my lips and tongue.”
Jiang Huai reached out and covered his ears, “Don’t say it! You’re not allowed to say it!”
“Can’t I even say it?” Luo Yueguan’s smile became more unrestrained and joyful, “If your heart is free of desire, what does it matter if I say it?”
“Come apply flower dew for me.” Luo Yueguan tilted her chin slightly.
“I won’t.”
“After applying the flower dew, I won’t bother you when we sleep.”
“You swear.”
“I swear.”
Jiang Huai let out a long sigh and came to her side, taking the cool flower dew from her. Luo Yueguan sat by the edge of the bath, her slender waist held straight. Jiang Huai began to apply the dew to her shoulders, while Luo Yueguan watched him playfully, “If you’re angry, how about I slap you twice?”
“Heh heh, hitting you is just a reward, I wouldn’t.”
“I wasn’t talking about my buttocks.”
Luo Yueguan lowered her head slightly, water droplets sliding down her collarbone and onto her snow-white mounds, trembling with her breathing.
Jiang Huai always suspected that he couldn’t heal any of Luo Yueguan’s pain and would instead be driven mad by her. At this moment, he stood in the water. Luo Yueguan looked up at him and suddenly chuckled, “You seem to be very repulsed by the desires in your heart.”
“Shouldn’t I be?”
“Who taught you that you must restrain your inner desires? Desire is inherently a tool for people to enjoy themselves. Even if there is a sense of loss after the desire is satisfied, what does it matter? At least in the moment of enjoyment, you are happy, aren’t you?”
“There’s some truth to that, but it’s precisely because humans can control their desires that they are human, otherwise…”
“I don’t want to hear a child more than five hundred years younger than me lecturing me. You don’t have the right. Instead of talking so much, just apply the flower dew on my mounds for me.”
“Apply it yourself.”
Jiang Huai handed the porcelain bottle back to Luo Yueguan, but Luo Yueguan opened the bottle and poured the flower dew onto Jiang Xiaohu. Just as Jiang Huai was about to move, he couldn’t struggle at all. Luo Yueguan had immobilized him with spiritual energy.
Luo Yueguan cupped the mounds in her hands and looked up at Jiang Huai. “Since you cannot resist, why not try to feel the taste of your desires being slowly satisfied?”
Luo Yueguan leaned forward slightly, getting closer.
It pinched.
So soft.
