559 Sleep.
Jiang Huai began to earnestly review all the conversations he had with Ji Qingxuan in his mind.
It wasn’t difficult to consider things from another person’s perspective. The past Jiang Huai always did so. Back then, he would worry about many things pondering his sister’s thoughts. However, the Jiang Huai of this life gradually understood another principle.
Once you care too much about other people’s emotions, it will gradually affect yourself, causing you to fall into an endless vortex. It was the same with Luo Yueguan earlier. When Luo Yueguan was going mad at him, he thought too much, which led to his mood being quite unpleasant during that period.
Fortunately, Ji Qingxuan had known him for a long time, and her thoughts were not that difficult to guess.
She was not someone who would make unreasonable demands.
So he reached out to Ji Qingxuan. Ji Qingxuan was confused but still obediently extended her arm. Jiang Huai gently held her soft and warm palm. Jiang Huai said softly, “Do you really want me to choose?”
Ji Qingxuan turned her face away again. “No.”
Jiang Huai didn’t tease her further by asking why she regretted it again. Instead, he said softly, “I don’t need any reward from you because I feel our relationship is already very, very good. In fact, I always feel like I owe you something, so why would I need any reward?”
“What do you owe me?” Ji Qingxuan asked, biting her lip lightly.
“Back in the Ancestral Secret Realm, you got into danger because you wanted to find that Ice Crystal Snow Soul Flower for me. And on the day we first met, even if I hadn’t appeared, you wouldn’t have been in mortal danger relying on the Dragon Heart power within your body. I didn’t exactly save your life. On the contrary, you were in grave danger because of me, and I had to refine that small part of the Dragon Heart and save myself by dual cultivating with your body.”
“After that dual cultivation, you didn’t resent me or blame me in any way, but I still felt a little bit indebted in my heart.”
Ji Qingxuan’s lips parted slightly, wanting to say something but unable to.
She suddenly found the Jiang Huai in front of her somewhat unfamiliar. Perhaps it was because they were both people who pretended, so once they became familiar, she could naturally see through Jiang Huai’s pretense of being proper. But at this moment, Jiang Huai’s eyes were very sincere; she couldn’t read any hint of falseness.
Jiang Huai’s fingertips gently tickled her palm. “Although you see me with many confidantes and ambiguous with many women… you might not believe it, but I never trick people into dual cultivation with me.”
“Although we’ve dual cultivated so many times afterward, there are many reasons because you are indeed beautiful and have a good figure, which I find difficult to refuse. But it’s also partly because I always feel like I owe you. So when you suddenly ran into my room that night and pointed a sword at me, I didn’t even think of resisting and just went along with it.”
The vigilance in Ji Qingxuan’s eyes slowly dissolved. For some reason, she suddenly felt a little afraid to look directly into Jiang Huai’s eyes, and her heartbeat seemed to quicken slightly. She continued to ask, “So what?”
“Hiss, but having too much of this is not good… I’m not saying I’m some gentleman who is chaste and abstains, it’s just that if we dual cultivate too frequently, and if in the future I quietly fall for you, but you don’t like me, wouldn’t I be at a great disadvantage?”
“I’m actually a very selfish person,” Jiang Huai said, winking at Ji Qingxuan. Just as Ji Qingxuan was about to say something, she suddenly remembered that a few days ago, after dual cultivating with Jiang Huai, she was curled up in his arms, gazing into his eyes, and she had said with a cold and aloof tone, “I don’t love you.” Now, she suddenly didn’t know how to retort.
Wait, was she falling for his trap again? What should she say at this moment? Should she say that last time was just angry words spoken out of pride, and actually, I… No, no, no. No matter how Ji Qingxuan looked at Jiang Huai’s eyes, she found no trace of lies in them.
She suddenly became somewhat exasperated. “You are truly a natural-born bastard!”
“Huh?” Jiang Huai looked up. “I’m earnestly explaining my thought process to you, so why am I a bastard now?”
“I do like you a little,” Ji Qingxuan turned her face away, her voice suddenly becoming very, very soft, so much so that her earlobes flushed a faint pink. Her palm was still in his hand. After a moment, she added, “But not that much yet. I don’t know you well enough to understand what kind of person you are. I’m not ready to become your Dao Companion in the future… You… you’re not allowed to force me to submit now.”
“What am I forcing you to do?” Jiang Huai widened his eyes. “Don’t overthink things!”
“That’s why I say you’re a natural-born bastard.” Ji Qingxuan stomped her calf under the table at Jiang Huai irritably. Jiang Huai looked at her angrily, “You unreasonable woman.”
Ji Qingxuan snorted. “You don’t like owing others, and neither do I. Anyway… name your price.”
Jiang Huai thought seriously for a moment, and then suddenly thought of something. He winked at her playfully. “Then come into my arms.”
Even though Ji Qingxuan was confused, she obediently stood up from the chair. She intended to sit in his arms with her back to him, but Jiang Huai made her turn around and straddle him, facing him. Ji Qingxuan turned her face away. “You want me to dual cultivate with you in this open courtyard, wearing my dress…?”
“No,” Jiang Huai shook his head. “Let me hold you for a while.”
“What?”
“Just for a little while, and maybe one more kiss at most.”
Jiang Huai gently pulled her delicate body into his arms and leaned in to smell the faint fragrance on her neck. Ji Qingxuan’s body was stiff at first but gradually softened a bit. Jiang Huai’s breath landed on her snow-white neck, making her feel a slight itch. But after a short while, Jiang Huai’s fingertips gently caressed her earlobe and hair, like stroking a kitten.
Ji Qingxuan was initially very confused, not knowing what wicked thought this guy was harboring again. But she gradually started to like this feeling. Perhaps she was indeed like a cat. Jiang Huai gently stroked her back, pinched her earlobe, and after a while, rubbed his cheek against hers, then grabbed her shoulders, making her body retreat a little. He gazed into her eyes and said with a smile, “One more kiss.”
Ji Qingxuan seemingly reluctantly leaned closer, but her heart was pounding wildly. She always suspected that she had completely fallen for him at this moment, as if she was willingly falling into his arms, allowing him to kiss her as he pleased. Even if he were to take off her clothes at this moment, she would obediently submit and let him have his way. When did it start?!
But Jiang Huai merely leaned in and gave her delicate pink lips a very, very light kiss, then pulled her back into his embrace, softly saying, “It’s so comfortable holding you. Let me hold you for a little longer.”
Ji Qingxuan almost instinctively leaned into him. After a while, it was Ji Qingxuan who slowly and softly said, “Then… do you want to hold me while I sleep tonight?”
“Probably not. Next time? In a couple of days? There’s been too much intimacy lately, my head is fuzzy. Let’s clear my mind.”
“I’m just saying, holding me to sleep. Isn’t that a good test of your self-control? I’ll say this upfront: if you ask to dual cultivate, I won’t refuse. But as long as you don’t ask, I won’t bring it up… This is a good way to train you, isn’t it?” Ji Qingxuan leaned close to his ear, her tone now as soft and charming as if she were acting spoiled.
“That does make sense.” Jiang Huai’s eyes lit up. “Then it’s settled.”
***
At night.
Ji Qingxuan was lying beside Jiang Huai.
They had come out after bathing one after another. Ji Qingxuan was wearing a light purple nightgown. The nightgown was clearly altered by her herself, with a very short hem and a slit on the side revealing the light purple underwear at her waist. Her jet-black hair fell down in front of her chest. The fabric on her chest was meager, and her snow-white, fragrant skin was intermittently visible under her black hair.
She had a faint fragrance about her. Jiang Huai was lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling distractedly.
Well, as long as he didn’t look at Ji Qingxuan, strange thoughts wouldn’t flood his mind.
But Ji Qingxuan’s body suddenly moved closer to him. She turned to her side, her eyes playfully gazing at Jiang Huai. After a while, she extended a finger and gently poked his cheek.
Jiang Huai turned his head and looked into her eyes. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“It’s still early. The night is still long,” Ji Qingxuan moved her lips. “Why aren’t you holding me?”
“Later, I need to space out for a bit.”
“Oh…” Ji Qingxuan softly agreed. But a moment later, she raised her long, slender leg from under her skirt, leaned closer, and wrapped one leg around Jiang Huai’s waist, her knee bent slightly. Her fingertip then began to draw circles on his chest.
She was like a seductive female demon.
Jiang Huai, however, was playing the role of a meditating old monk, quietly staring at the ceiling, thinking that his self-control was actually quite good. But gradually, Ji Qingxuan became more mischievous, leaning closer and blowing into his ear, tickling him.
“Why are you so restless?” Jiang Huai turned his head, almost bumping into her cheek. The two pairs of eyes met in the dim light. Ji Qingxuan’s lips curved upwards, unfazed. “Didn’t you say you wanted to test your self-control?”
“Hmph, what kind of test is this? Who can’t withstand such a test?”
Ji Qingxuan’s fingertips rustled under the quilt for a moment. After a moment, she suddenly stuffed a small piece of cloth into Jiang Huai’s hand. Jiang Huai took it and glanced at it. He recognized it. This was the laced underpants she had been wearing earlier. They were also the style from Ziyun Pavilion. He had seen Wanwan wearing similar ones a few days ago.
The small piece of cloth in his palm seemed to still carry a faint warmth. Jiang Huai set it aside and looked at Ji Qingxuan’s playful eyes. “Do you know what I’m thinking right now?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m thinking of you as a skeleton.”
“A skeleton wearing clothes is too strange. How about I take off my dress, and you can think about it slowly?”
“Don’t!” Jiang Huai grabbed her wrist and finally turned his body, gently pulling her into his embrace. But Ji Qingxuan’s leg still rested on him. His fingertips touched her smooth, tender thigh meat; the sensation was wonderful.
He suddenly wanted to touch it a little, so his fingertips prodded her long leg repeatedly. Ji Qingxuan just gazed at him gently. After a while, Jiang Huai shifted his body, buried his face in her chest, and mumbled, “I’m going to sleep!”
“Sleep,” Ji Qingxuan replied very softly.
