**544 Awkwardness**
“Tonight…”
Jiang Huai hesitated, carefully observing Chu Xianning’s expression as he spoke. She raised her teacup, took a gentle sip, and said calmly, “Don’t come into my room.”
Jiang Huai immediately felt dejected and lowered his head. “Why not?”
Chu Xianning put down her teacup and looked at the downcast Jiang Huai. After a moment of hesitation, she slowly turned her face away. “I’m not angry with you. I just want some quiet.”
Jiang Huai didn’t ask who she meant by “quiet.” It was an old joke by now.
“Is that all?” Jiang Huai raised his head.
“That’s all.” Chu Xianning replied softly.
Their gazes met in the air for a moment. As Jiang Huai looked into Chu Xianning’s cold eyes, a sudden realization flashed through his mind, and the problems that had been troubling him these past few days seemed to unravel.
Chu Xianning didn’t like to lie. If she was silent, it meant she was tacitly acknowledging something. If she offered an explanation, then it was likely the truth.
“I’m a little confused; could you please explain it to me, Ningning?” Jiang Huai asked gently, staring into her eyes.
After deliberating for a moment, Chu Xianning averted her gaze again. “I feel like I’ve become increasingly awkward lately.”
“Awkward?”
“Mm.” Chu Xianning looked at the withered trees in the courtyard and said softly, “In the past, I could sit quietly for a long time without anything affecting my mood. But these days, it seems I’ve started to change. I don’t know whether this change is good or bad, so I want to have some time to think.”
“I see…”
“What do you think?” Chu Xianning lifted her eyes slightly. “Have you noticed any changes in me?”
Jiang Huai nodded vigorously. “I have! Master has become cuter lately.”
“You’re just being flattering.” Chu Xianning raised a slender leg and lightly kicked him in dissatisfaction.
“I think it’s perfectly normal! But of course, I hope Master won’t be troubled by such things. No matter how Master changes, I will always like you the most.”
“I don’t care if you like me or not.”
“Okay, okay.” Jiang Huai poured more tea into her cup. “So when Master needs my company tonight, you must tell me directly, alright?”
Chu Xianning was silent for a few seconds before replying softly, “I understand.”
……………………………………
Winter has come.
These past few days, Jiang Huai’s life has been particularly routine. He spent his days in Wen Wanwan’s courtyard, teaching Xu Qing sword techniques and guiding Mu Yao in drawing formations. He had lunch in Wen Wanwan’s courtyard, and most evenings he would return to cook three dishes for Chu Xianning, and then the two would stargaze in the courtyard. Chu Xianning remained silent, her cold and aloof demeanor resembling a sculpture.
In the past, Chu Xianning had always been like this. She was not good with words and didn’t enjoy noisy activities; she resembled a lazy kitten basking in the sun, needing only to groom herself to not feel lonely. Jiang Huai would quietly accompany her. Although Chu Xianning had once said it was fine for him to accompany Wen Wanwan and the others in her absence, Jiang Huai still obediently stayed by her side.
His response was, “It’s bustling over there! Whether I’m there or not, it’s pretty much the same. Sometimes, it even gives me a headache.”
Perhaps growing up beside Chu Xianning had made Jiang Huai not dislike noise, but on occasion, when it got too loud, he would want some quiet time alone. His evenings had become notably routine, alternating between spending one night in Wen Wanwan’s courtyard and the next in his own room sleeping alone.
Now, Wen Wanwan’s courtyard had transformed into a haven for succubi. Luo Qingyu intended to stay until the year-end. Initially, it was just Wanwan and Fufu, and the two sisters would sometimes playfully bicker. Jiang Xiaohu could easily keep both little succubi in check, but Luo Qingyu was a scheming succubus; she seemed to lack any concept of shame, often wanting to drag Jiang Huai into her embarrassing antics.
For instance, doing mischievous things by the locust tree when everyone was still asleep, or stealthily extending her white and tender little foot during lunch, or being completely bare under her skirt while grabbing Jiang Huai’s hand to sneak it beneath her dress as he instructed her on how to play cards.
Most frightening was Jiang Huai discovering something alarming.
Succubi were contagious.
The first person infected was Mu Yao. When she first arrived, she was entirely normal, but one day, while Jiang Huai lay blindfolded in Wanwan’s room trying to guess who was who, he guessed incorrectly and angrily yanked off the blindfold to find it was Mu Yao. Before he could even struggle, Wanwan gently leaned down and spoke in a tone akin to a caring elder, “You can’t do that; it will hurt if you bite. You need to keep your tongue down…”
Even Xu Qing, who was usually shy and easily embarrassed, was besieged by Wen Wanwan, Luo Qingyu, and Mu Yao during a game of strip mahjong, until she ended up in nothing but her revealing underwear. Jiang Huai, who was busy grooming the Ice Spirit Bird, didn’t dare look too long, fearing that if he did, Xu Qing would faint from her shyness. But as Xu Qing lost more rounds, Luo Qingyu whispered into her ear, causing her face to turn crimson. She ran to Jiang Huai, who was seated, and insisted he take her previous spot while she sat in his lap.
All she had on was her lingerie, her white and tender skin pressed against Jiang Huai, her eyes glued to the card table, barely daring to speak.
It even escalated. After Jiang Huai took over, he lost spectacularly. By the time it became clear, Xu Qing’s little chest was smeared with the fruit jam Jiang Huai had made earlier, and now his hands were bound behind him, with his eyes blindfolded. He had to rely on his senses to clean off the jam from Xu Qing.
That night, Jiang Huai was furious. After tying up the three troublesome women and subjecting them to feather torture, Wanwan couldn’t hold out any longer and revealed the truth about their signaling during the game. Then, Jiang Xiaohu gave her a good thrashing. Xu Qing, feeling wronged, looked over at the three obediently pouting women and lightly tapped one on the rear. Her gesture was gentle, more out of embarrassment than anger.
“No, I’m not angry; stop bullying them…” In turn, Xu Qing clung to Jiang Huai’s arm, acting spoiled.
Luo Qingyu immediately turned to her, regarding Xu Qing. “Actually, Brother Jiang knows the signal too. He came up with such an evil idea, intending to have you lose and then let us come up with the punishment to bully you. Heh, seeing how considerate you are of your sisters, we’ll let the truth out.”
Xu Qing turned her head, tilting it slightly to look at Jiang Huai.
“It’s slander… It’s all just throwing dirt on my name! I didn’t do anything!”
But Xu Qing’s cheeks puffed up as she pressed her palms onto Jiang Huai’s shoulders, causing him to fall back onto the bed before he could respond. He hadn’t even had time to speak before Wen Wanwan and Wen Fufu had already rushed over, each grabbing one of his arms, keeping him immobilized. Luo Qingyu then snuck up behind him, lifting her slender leg to pin his waist, looking up at him. “We got him! Sister Xu Qing can now take her revenge!”
Xu Qing gazed sweetly at Jiang Huai before bringing over a chair to sit across from him on the bed. Slowly, she raised her white and tender little leg and whispered, “A few days ago, Sister Qingyu taught me how to… make you beg for mercy…”
As Jiang Huai opened his mouth to respond, Luo Qingyu leaned closer and covered his lips, and he struggled without success. Before long, he heard Xu Qing counting down, her cheeks flushed, “Five, four, three…”
By the time she got to one, Xu Qing’s little feet came together, yet she didn’t make any further movements. She innocently blinked at Jiang Huai, softly asking, “Can we rest for a minute?”
……………………………………
Jiang Huai began to practice his Super Overlord Art, channeling its energy throughout his body, nourishing all his limbs.
He decided he would never belittle his Super Overlord Art again; if it weren’t for it, he might have become just a skeleton in the succubus cave.
In Wen Wanwan’s courtyard, several strange rules had seemingly emerged:
1. Every woman here is a good woman; they all love you.
2. Xu Qing, Mu Yao, and Su Qingyi are currently safe. However, they eagerly participate in every blindfolded foot game without hesitation.
3. Wen Wanwan and Wen Fufu can both refresh in the same room, making them able to incite conflict between their sisters, causing them to harm each other.
4. If Luo Qingyu is present with you in any corner of the courtyard without anyone else around, you must quickly subdue her the moment she lifts her skirt.
5. Xu Qing is temporarily safe, but she often sleeps next to Mu Yao.
6. Upon waking in the early morning, using jade treasures on Luo Qingyu will greatly reduce her combat strength during the night (there’s a small chance she might enter a berserk mode).
7. When Mu Yao participates in the flexible training game with jade feet, using a rabbit’s tail will cause her to obediently retreat.
8. When a girl steps out from the bath in the morning, wearing her stockings on her white and tender little feet, you need to be particularly careful that night and perform the Super Overlord Art several times to nourish your body.
9. Never tell Luo Qingyu that you can still “shoo shoo shoo” a few more times, because she will add one more time to your answer.
10. Try to avoid transforming your fox tail and ears under a girl’s spoiled behavior; be wary of your ears getting wet from kisses and your fox tail being played with roughly.
11. Never attempt to hold another “Who is the Older Sister” contest.
The eleventh rule was Jiang Huai’s lesson learned through blood and tears. After countless overly enthusiastic blindfolded kisses and foot games, he attempted to turn the tables and host another excessive contest. The six girls in the courtyard formed teams of two to see who could hold out longer under the other’s assault. Jiang Huai acted as the judge, happily watching them fight. The final round pitted Wen Wanwan against Luo Qingyu, where the two were nearly evenly matched until they both moved to the bed to settle it with their cute little tongues.
Wen Wanwan emerged victorious! She won a clavicle necklace made from the extra materials Jiang Huai created from the crimson spirit marrow.
But once this contest ended, six ominous pairs of eyes simultaneously turned toward Jiang Huai, who was seated aside.
And then Jiang Huai was dragged into the room, making several futile attempts to escape. Even the shyest, most timid Xu Qing used her delicate feet to toy with him twice. That night, Mu Yao, under the persuasion of Luo Qingyu and Wen Wanwan, obediently lay on the bed, her cheeks wet with tears from being bullied.
However, it was a form of pretend bullying; she wasn’t a fool. Real bullying would only have to wait until Jiang Huai agreed to marry her. At the very least, that mischievous guy had to promise to take her first.
