The body of Jun Anshui was very soft.
Her frame was already excessively delicate, with every inch of her skin as smooth and snow-white as a newborn infant’s. If Jiang Huai hadn’t witnessed her delicate white hands pressing against his chest last night, her posture as she squatted on tiptoes, he might still have retained the impression of her fragile appearance due to her delicate exterior.
Seemingly weak, her petite body was actually filled with immense strength, as if she could never be broken no matter how much she was tossed around.
Jiang Huai embraced her and carried her out of the room, taking her to sit on the bluestone outside the courtyard. The bright moon hung overhead. Jiang Huai lowered his head, gazing at Jun Anshui, who was nuzzling against his chest, momentarily at a loss for words.
After all, they had only known each other for two days at most. Jiang Huai had not completely dispelled his fascination with her. Looking at her face, which was slightly immature yet impossibly beautiful and sacred, he still found himself momentarily stunned.
He had intended to say something, but seeing Jun Anshui immersed in inhaling his scent, he ultimately said nothing. The courtyard was quiet, with only the sound of wind rustling fallen leaves.
He felt a sense of guilt towards Jun Anshui. Even though Jun Anshui was currently unconcerned about what had happened previously due to his scent, Jiang Huai still felt a small, inexplicable awkwardness in his heart, a feeling that made him feel indebted.
The girl’s body was soft and tender. The white silk beneath her qipao was fine and smooth. Jiang Huai lowered his head and sniffed gently. She also had a faint scent of alcohol. He asked softly, “Did you drink a lot again?”
“Yes, Elder Sister Jiang Zhi drank a lot with me,” Jun Anshui replied softly. Jiang Huai reached out and gently rubbed her lower abdomen, asking in a low voice, “Does your body still have any discomfort?”
“No,” Jun Anshui shook her head. “Never. I won’t break, you don’t need to worry…”
“After I leave, will it be okay for you to be alone in the Dragon Clan?”
Jun Anshui gently shook her head. “As long as I know you are in this world.”
Jun Anshui obediently curled up in his embrace and said softly, “For the next six months, I will be in the Dragon Clan refining the authority within my body. Once I’m done, I can leave the Dragon Clan. When that time comes… I want to go to the Human Clan to see and learn some human etiquette.”
“Oh?”
“Elder Sister Jiang Zhi said that only by understanding humans can I have the possibility of staying by your side.”
“Do you want to stay by my side?”
“Mhm.” Jun Anshui nodded gently, and after a moment, she added in a flustered manner, “No, I don’t mean I want to be your Dao Companion… I won’t bother you, I just… I just want to be a little closer to you sometimes, to sense your scent. I won’t cause you trouble. If, if you find me troublesome, you can send me away.”
“But, but if I do something wrong then, can you tell me first? I can learn slowly… No, don’t just send me away…” Her voice became timid, and Jiang Huai was speechless for a moment.
The bond between their bloodlines connected them. The feeling of this connection was subtle, and Jiang Huai was momentarily bewildered. However, Jun Anshui’s compliant and gentle demeanor gradually dispelled most of his unease. He lowered his head slightly and gently pinched her soft, delicate cheek. “I already owe you, I won’t dislike you.”
“You don’t owe me,” Jun Anshui shook her head frantically, her slender arms tightening around his neck. “If you hadn’t appeared here, I would already be dead, and I would never have had the chance to feel this… feeling.”
“What feeling?”
“I… I can’t explain it clearly. It’s just… it’s as if I’ve become entirely different. I used to be so cold and aloof, no matter what I did, I couldn’t calm down. But ever since I knew I wasn’t alone, ever since we cultivated together and you filled me, it’s as if I’ve completely changed.”
“The Dragon Clan and the Human Clan are different. Even if… even if we don’t say anything, don’t do anything, just by being by your side, sensing your scent, I will feel very at ease and satisfied.” Jun Anshui’s voice was light and ethereal. Jiang Huai gently embraced her delicate body, and he could also understand part of Jun Anshui’s feelings because he now possessed the same blood as Jun Anshui in his body. The connection of that blood seemed to inexplicably draw their hearts closer.
Jiang Huai didn’t speak further, simply holding her gently. A gentle breeze stirred the courtyard, and moonlight cast a layer of silvery frost on the ground. The courtyard was so silent that it seemed only their breathing remained.
As the bright moon hung high in the night sky, Jiang Huai heard Jun Anshui in his arms ask very, very softly, “Are… are you sleepy?”
“I’m fine. It’s okay to hold on for a little longer.”
“I… I want to ask…”
“Mhm?”
“Can… before you leave, can we cultivate together one more time… Dual Cultivation… it’s very comfortable… I, I like that feeling… more than drinking a lot of alcohol…”
Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment.
Perhaps for her, Dual Cultivation was more like tasting a very delicious and beloved cake. Jiang Huai had considered refusing, but as he was about to speak, it seemed Jun Anshui had already sensed what he was about to say, and her eyes became a little moist.
“If you don’t want to, it’s okay too…” she replied softly. “Just holding you for a little longer is also satisfying.”
“Forget it. It doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore.”
He had already done all sorts of wrong things, so why pretend to be a gentleman?
Jiang Huai let out a long sigh, lowered his head, and winked at her. “We can cultivate together one more time, but not here.”
…
“Aren’t you going to take off your clothes first?” Jiang Huai looked into her eyes as she timidly lifted the hem of her qipao. Her white silk-clad thighs slightly reflected a watery sheen. Her fingertips moved closer, gently tearing a slit in the white silk stockings. She gently pushed aside the underwear with white lace trim beneath the stockings and looked up, saying very, very softly, “Am… am I too, too eager… just now, when you were holding me, I was already… already… dripping uncontrollably…”
“Never mind, it seems okay even if we don’t take them off.” Jiang Huai gently lifted the girl’s petite body and whispered into her ear, “This time, what method do you want to use for Dual Cultivation?”
“I, I can do anything. I want, want, want to… swallow it all…”
“Will it really not hurt?”
“It hurts… I’m not afraid… it’s very comfortable… I like it.” Jun Anshui described her feelings somewhat clumsily. Her petite body had already straddled Jiang Huai’s embrace. She slightly tiptoed but failed to sit correctly several times. After a moment, she sat up in annoyance, her delicate pink fingers gently parted the tender flower petals, and then she carefully knelt down, her waist slowly sinking. Her white silk-clad calves were raised almost instinctively.
Her petite body leaned forward, and Jiang Huai quickly embraced her, leaning close to her ear. “I told you to go slower…”
“I, I’m sorry… I, I, I didn’t mean to bite down…” Her eyebrows furrowed, and her delicate voice held a hint of crying.
“I’m not blaming you, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Jiang Huai reached out and gently stroked her back, allowing her tense body to relax a little. Looking at her delicate face, he coaxed her gently for a long while before her tears finally stopped.
Jiang Huai felt as if he were coaxing a child, and a strange sense of guilt arose.
It was then that he realized that Jun Anshui’s frenzy last night was likely due to her joy, which had allowed her to exert so much strength from her soft and weak body. Now, her body trembled slightly, seemingly unable to be as unrestrained as yesterday. Her hands gently rested on Jiang Huai’s shoulders as she carefully straightened her waist, looking timidly at Jiang Huai, “I, I will grow up, little brother. When, when I finish refining those things, I, I will grow up… become, become as tall as Elder Sister Jiang Zhi…”
“I, I also learned some things about humans from the plays brought by Elder Sister Jiang Zhi. In the plays, many humans are, are bad guys…”
“Little brother, you, you are a good human… a, a good little brother…”
“Good little brother, Sister, Sister is out of strength. I want, want you to hold Sister…”
…
The next day, early morning.
When Jiang Huai woke up, it was snowing all over the Dragon Clan World.
He had only slept for a short while. Last night, he had stayed with Jun Anshui until dawn, and only after Jun Anshui had fallen asleep obediently in his arms did he quietly get up. After bathing, he returned to Chu Xianning’s room and carefully lay down beside her. Before he had slept for even an hour, a knocking sound echoed from outside the door.
Chu Xianning and Jiang Huai opened their eyes together, knowing it was Jiang Zhi outside. A blush rose on her cheeks. Even though she knew Jiang Zhi was well aware of their relationship, she still appeared shy at this moment. Jiang Huai stared at her shy appearance, momentarily stunned.
“Hurry and get up.” Chu Xianning quickly kissed his cheek. Even though she was trying to appear cold, she couldn’t hide her flustered embarrassment. Jiang Huai immediately got up obediently and, after dressing, obediently held a pillow to cover his eyes while waiting for Chu Xianning to dress.
Once Chu Xianning had changed her clothes and put on her shoes and socks, Jiang Huai went to open the door. Jiang Zhi, standing outside, said plainly, “Let’s go, it’s time to return.”
When Chu Xianning came out again, much of the shyness had faded from her face. She appeared calm and aloof again, but she subconsciously avoided Jiang Zhi’s gaze. Jiang Zhi and Chu Xianning were not well-acquainted, so she didn’t say much. They then flew into the air, and the three soon headed towards the exit of the Dragon Clan World. Jiang Huai glanced back, and his body trembled slightly moments later.
He sensed a pair of eyes in the distance quietly watching him. He heard Jun Anshui’s voice in his ear, transmitted through their bloodline power.
“I’m scared… to see you leave… so, so I didn’t come to see you off… you, you be careful on your journey. We’ll meet again in six months.”
“Okay.” Jiang Huai responded to her transmission with his bloodline power. Moments later, the three left the Dragon Clan. Jiang Zhi produced a Spirit Boat, and the boat set course for Tian Xuan Sect.
After boarding the Spirit Boat, Chu Xianning retreated to her room. Perhaps because, despite perfectly feigning indifference in front of Jiang Zhi, she couldn’t hide the shy feelings in her heart, she hid away like a little hamster. Jiang Huai, on the other hand, remained on the deck, leaning against the railing, and glanced at Jiang Zhi beside him.
Jiang Zhi was gazing at the turbulent sea beneath the Spirit Boat, a hint of confusion in her light purple eyes.
Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment before softly asking, “Sister, what’s wrong? You seem to have something on your mind.”
“It’s nothing,” Jiang Zhi shook her head. After a moment, she turned back to him. “Since you asked, then it’s time to collect two debts.”
Jiang Huai’s face immediately fell. “No way? I just asked you out of concern, and now you’re collecting debts again?”
“A debt is a debt; it’s only natural to repay it,” Jiang Zhi’s lips curved upwards, and the previous confusion vanished without a trace. Her lips now held a playful smile, and her light purple eyes sparkled.
She stretched, her graceful curves fully displayed in the wind. For some reason, Jiang Huai felt that she seemed to have changed somehow, as if the gloomy aura that always surrounded her had subtly diminished.
He couldn’t quite explain it, but intuitively, it didn’t seem like a bad thing.
(End of Volume Three)
Volume Four: When Will We Trim the West Window Candles Together?
