Luo Yueguan was truly helpless before Jiang Huai.
But looking at Jiang Huai’s frantic head shaking at that moment, something suddenly flashed through Luo Yueguan’s mind. She thought about it again, and suddenly understood.
What she had said might not be unknown to Jiang Huai. This guy had always pretended to be ignorant when he knew the truth. It wasn’t the first or second time she had been tricked by him, and Chu Xianning was the same; Chu Xianning might not have been unaware either. But perhaps it was precisely because she knew that even if Jiang Huai understood, he wouldn’t want to act that way, which was why Jiang Huai had become the only man to truly get close to her over the years.
Luo Yueguan seemed to have to admit that the person before her, whom she had always thought of as a boy, could now be considered a man. She had watched Jiang Huai grow up and remembered his young and cute face. But as she looked at his profile again, she thought, “Ugh, his peach blossom eyes are truly detestable.”
She wondered how many more women these eyes would ensnare in the future?
When Jiang Huai turned his head to look, he always felt that Luo Yueguan’s eyes were filled with a deep mist. His hand continued to rest on Luo Yueguan’s leg, kneading it appropriately. This act of kneading her leg no longer carried even a trace of ambiguous atmosphere like before; instead, it had become ordinary and commonplace. This was clearly a good thing.
“Alright, alright, I know you can’t wait to see your Master. Go ahead,” Luo Yueguan waved her hand, finally retracting her snow-white and tender legs from Jiang Huai’s. Jiang Huai stood up and walked out of the courtyard.
The courtyard Chu Xianning had chosen was simple, not filled with many blooming flowers. There was only a crabapple tree in the yard. Jiang Huai gently knocked on the door. After waiting for quite some time, the door opened. Chu Xianning, inside the room, was wearing a long, slender white dress, her hair cascading over her shoulders, looking languid and soft. Her snow-white cheeks seemed to have a faint blush.
Jiang Huai was stunned for a moment. A moment later, he smelled the faint fragrance of bamboo leaves and alcohol.
“What are you doing here?”
The moment she saw Jiang Huai, the languor in her eyes seemed to completely recede, replaced by a slight wariness. Perhaps it was because she had drunk too much, or for some other reason.
“I was just passing by Luo Yueguan’s courtyard. After delivering the Thousand Year Ice Heart Flower she wanted, I wanted to stop by and see Master.” As Jiang Huai spoke, he tried to enter the courtyard, but Chu Xianning extended her hand and gently pressed her fingertip against his chest. “You’re not allowed in.”
Jiang Huai felt like laughing and crying. “Why not?”
“I’ve had too much to drink,” Chu Xianning replied righteously. At this moment, her eyes had lost much of their coldness and instead exuded a touch of soft, cute charm.
Jiang Huai lowered his head to look at Chu Xianning’s slender, white, and crystal-clear fingertips. He could only smile helplessly. “Okay, then I won’t come in. I’ll just chat with Master for a while and then leave.”
Chu Xianning’s cheeks were still flushed. She remained silent, seemingly unsure of what to say. Jiang Huai slowly began, “Why is Master drinking alone in the courtyard?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“And why can’t you sleep?”
“It’s none of your business.” Chu Xianning turned her face away, her snow-white profile facing Jiang Huai. Jiang Huai gazed at her slightly trembling eyelashes, feeling that Chu Xianning exuded a charming and pretty aura all over.
“Do you feel lonely drinking alone?”
“Drinking with two people… what if a dog bites me?” Chu Xianning immediately became increasingly guilty.
“That won’t happen today.” Jiang Huai winked innocently at Chu Xianning.
Chu Xianning looked deeply into his eyes, then finally turned around and walked straight into her courtyard. Jiang Huai quickly understood her meaning and followed her footsteps into the courtyard, closing the courtyard door tightly as he went.
Chu Xianning had clearly drunk a lot alone; even her steps were a little unsteady. She walked all the way to the backyard, where there was a cold pool with spiritual spring water. It was quite spacious, and Chu Xianning’s wine was placed by the edge of the cold pool.
It was evident that Chu Xianning had just been soaking in the cold pool water. Jiang Huai curiously glanced at the water in the cold pool, realizing that it was a spiritual spring with some healing properties, which could also help with Chu Xianning’s old injuries.
“Was Master just in the pool?”
“Yes.”
“Then… why aren’t you in it now?”
“If you talk anymore, I’ll throw you in.” Chu Xianning sat on a long bench under a tree. The square table in front of her originally had only one wine cup, but now there were two. She picked up the wine pot and filled her cup with bamboo leaf wine.
Jiang Huai leaned closer, picked up the wine cup, and drank the wine in one gulp.
Jiang Huai sat beside Chu Xianning. However, perhaps because he was too close to her, Chu Xianning moved her snow-white buttocks slightly away from him.
But in the next second, Jiang Huai shamelessly moved closer again.
Chu Xianning moved a little further.
Jiang Huai leaned in a little closer.
Until Chu Xianning had nowhere left to retreat. As she turned her head, she realized Jiang Huai’s face was already very close. She suddenly recalled the many nights in the past when he leaned in to kiss her lips. Her heart seemed to leap again at this moment. She could no longer distinguish what she was thinking at this moment; her mind was a jumbled mess. She felt confused and uneasy.
It seemed as if she was gradually losing her authority as a Master in front of Jiang Huai. Now, the disobedient disciple was becoming bolder and bolder. But this was all due to her indulgence. If she hadn’t leaned in to kiss his lips that day, would he have had the courage he had now?
“You…” Chu Xianning’s lips moved slightly.
The warm breath exhaled from her lips fell on Jiang Huai’s cheek. Jiang Huai seemed to smell a refreshing fragrance. His eyebrows twitched slightly, and he asked knowingly, “What about me?”
“You’re too close.” Chu Xianning’s voice was very soft. Her eyelashes slightly fluttered upwards. Her eyes, like black jade gemstones, were now deep and complex, showing a hint of resistance.
Jiang Huai suddenly remembered something he had read in a book: if you get this close to a woman’s eyes, it’s unforgivable not to kiss her lips at this moment. She won’t refuse. She’s waiting for you to kiss her lips, waiting for you to taste your victory, waiting for you to embrace her slender waist, caress her jet-black hair, waiting for you to pull her into your arms and take whatever you desire.
“What if I get a little closer?” Jiang Huai moved even closer.
He heard his own uneasy heartbeat. It was as if some inexplicable force was urging him on in his mind. A blind and confident intuition made him suddenly incredibly audacious. It seemed that even if he kissed her now, Chu Xianning wouldn’t refuse. Perhaps, using the excuse of being drunk, Master would even wrap her arms around his neck and extend her fragrant and soft little tongue?
“I… I don’t like it.” Chu Xianning’s eyes showed a hint of confusion and unease.
So, all of Jiang Huai’s actions came to an abrupt halt. He stopped moving closer and obediently moved away, leaving a large empty space for Chu Xianning. Chu Xianning seemed to quietly breathe a sigh of relief, yet a sense of loss quietly crept into her heart.
She suddenly felt hot all over. There was nowhere to hide in the world, and chaotic thoughts enveloped her completely. Chu Xianning stood up. Without removing her dress, she slowly walked into the cold pool.
Her white dress clung to her skin, and the water rippled up to her clavicle. Looking at Jiang Huai from the water, she suddenly said, “You’ve become bad.”
“Have I?” Jiang Huai scratched his head.
“Yes,” Chu Xianning nodded. “You weren’t like this before.”
“People always grow up.” Jiang Huai looked into Chu Xianning’s eyes. “If I always stayed the same as before, then some wishes would only grow farther and farther away, until I could no longer grasp them.”
“Who told you that?”
“I was just overthinking things. Beautiful things, like colorful clouds and fragile glass, the more beautiful they are, the more I worry they’ll disappear from my presence one day… Master probably won’t understand.”
“I’ve always been here.” Chu Xianning, in the water, slightly tilted her face upwards.
Jiang Huai suddenly froze for a moment. Looking into Chu Xianning’s eyes, he smiled after a moment and said softly, “I was overthinking it.”
He leaned back on the long bench and looked up at the moon in the sky. In the past, he always felt that the moon was out of reach, and sometimes he couldn’t see it when there was thunder and rain. But it seemed like that was the truth. Whether you could see it or not, it was always there, never moving away from you.
“Wine,” Chu Xianning pointed to the wine cup on the table.
“Drinking too much wine isn’t good.”
Chu Xianning cast a sideways glance at Jiang Huai, then expressionlessly splashed water on him. Jiang Huai felt like laughing and crying. Come to think of it, he wasn’t in a position to say such things. So, he silently refilled the wine cup, came to Chu Xianning’s side. Chu Xianning took the wine cup and drank the wine liquid in one gulp.
Her lips seemed to have become a little wet.
Jiang Huai took back the wine cup she returned and placed it aside. Suddenly, he heard Chu Xianning say from behind him, “Did you want to bite me just now?”
“Didn’t I not bite you?”
“I asked if you wanted to.”
“Whether I wanted to or not, I didn’t bite anyway,” Jiang Huai replied guiltily. Chu Xianning splashed him with water again, muttering, “You scoundrel.”
The cold pool water was exceptionally clear, and the serene moonlight shone upon her. Her dress clung to her skin, outlining her graceful curves. Jiang Huai sat by the cold pool and suddenly muttered softly, “What would happen if I did bite?”
Chu Xianning gave him a sideways glance. “Then I’ll bite you too.”
“What does Master mean by ‘bite’?” Jiang Huai’s eyes widened.
“Whatever you think it means, that’s what it means.”
“How do I know if what Master means is different from what I’m thinking?”
“Do you want to try?” Chu Xianning suddenly smiled.
Jiang Huai was momentarily lost in thought.
The serene moonlight fell on her cheeks. At this moment, Chu Xianning seemed to be in a very good mood. Usually, her expression was cold and aloof, with a faint hint of detachment and sadness in her beautiful eyebrows. But now, she smiled so genuinely, as if all the light in the world was focused on her cheeks.
“Can I try?”
“You asked, so now you can’t.”
Chu Xianning said this, but her body surfaced from the water and she lightly sat on the edge of the cold pool. Her entire skin was still wet, and her white dress clung to her body, with only her fair, jade-like calves submerged in the pool.
Jiang Huai came to her side and leaned close to her cheek. However, after a moment, Chu Xianning’s hand reached out, pried open his lips, and grabbed his tongue, gently pulling it outward.
Jiang Huai could only make muffled sounds, watching Chu Xianning’s lips curve upwards at the opposite side, her innocent eyes looking at him. She released his tongue and wiped the wet water droplets on her fingertips across Jiang Huai’s face.
“It hurts so much.” Jiang Huai’s eyes were about to water.
“That’s for being disobedient.” Chu Xianning turned her face away, ignoring his grievance.
Jiang Huai’s gaze was fixed on Chu Xianning’s body. The wet dress made her form incredibly hazy, and even her underwear beneath was clearly visible. Having always seen his Master’s cold and indifferent demeanor, the current scene was inexplicably alluring. Jiang Huai had only dared to glance a few more times when Chu Xianning suddenly turned her head, and he began to feel an unspeakable guilt.
“Have you seen enough?”
“Just a little longer.”
“No looking. Close your eyes.”
Jiang Huai gave Chu Xianning a wronged look, but he was always servile. Whatever his Master commanded, he obeyed. He closed his eyes, but after a moment, he smelled a pleasant fragrance approaching, and then his lips were lightly bitten.
It was very, very light, so it didn’t hurt at all.
