“You… who told you… to lick… Not allowed.” Chu Xianning pinched Jiang Huai’s earlobe with dissatisfaction, as if to warn him. Her voice was shy and annoyed, yet sounded on the verge of tears.
“I was just helping Master clean up.”
“Don’t call me Master right now… Don’t.”
“Mother.”
Chu Xianning’s slender fingers tightened, pulling Jiang Huai’s ear fiercely. Jiang Huai immediately begged for mercy, “Ningning, Ningning is the best…”
Only then did Chu Xianning slowly release her grip, leaning back against the bed as if her body had lost all strength. The room was filled only with the sound of a kitten drinking water. After some time, when Jiang Huai looked up, Chu Xianning had collapsed limply, while Jiang Huai gently pressed his cheek against her lower abdomen, resting his head there as he heard her frantic heartbeat.
Darkness seemed to return, bringing silence and peace.
After a while, Chu Xianning slowly spoke, “I want to bathe.”
“I’ll carry Ningning.”
“I can walk myself.” Chu Xianning lifted the quilt and put on her dress again. However, the white silk, still emitting a faint fragrance, was set aside, now useless. She was barefoot, her fair jade feet stepping onto the floor. After taking two steps, she suddenly turned back and said calmly, “You follow too.”
“Huh?” Jiang Huai was taken aback and scratched his head.
What happened to the punishment? Why was he being rewarded instead?
***
In the bathhouse.
It was a moonless, starless, snowy night, but firefly stones hung on the trees by the hot spring pool. Before Jiang Huai could speak, Chu Xianning lit the firefly stones. Her figure was slender and tall, standing by the pool. In the wind and snow, her fingertips gently grasped the ties of her dress, and she slowly shed it.
Jiang Huai’s eyes sparkled like luminous pearls at this moment, but Chu Xianning merely turned her back to him, revealing her graceful body entirely. Her waist was as delicate as a young willow, seemingly about to break in the wind. Now, she slowly turned around in the snow, facing Jiang Huai directly. Even though her cheeks were flushed with shame, her eyes were deliberately cold.
Jiang Huai even noticed a few water droplets on her snow-white thighs. His head was spinning, but Chu Xianning slowly spoke, “You… are not allowed to come over.”
“I need to bathe too,” Jiang Huai immediately replied.
“You are not allowed to bathe,” Chu Xianning replied coldly, her tone now commanding. Jiang Huai could only watch helplessly as Chu Xianning walked into the pool, sat on its steps, and applied flower dew to her body. He watched as white bubbles covered her, and flower petals floated on the water’s surface. She raised her fair, slender, snow-white calf and sprinkled water towards Jiang Huai, the droplets rolling off her smooth, porcelain sole.
As soon as Jiang Huai took a step, Chu Xianning spoke, “Do not come over.”
Jiang Huai felt as if he were petrified, forced to watch Chu Xianning slowly apply flower dew to herself with her delicate jade hands, unable to move an inch. At that moment, he suddenly realized what the punishment was. The most agonizing thing in the world is to be starving, with a fragrant strawberry cake placed before you, yet you can only look, unable to take even a bite.
Snowflakes fell into the pool, and Chu Xianning’s bath was agonizingly slow. Under the light, her skin was warm and snow-white. Jiang Huai longed to touch her but could only watch as the water rippled, petals floated, and her snow-white, slender legs moved like a mermaid’s in the water. After a long time, Chu Xianning emerged from the water.
“I’ll help Ningning dry her body.”
“Do not touch me,” Chu Xianning replied coldly. She took a bath towel and gently wrapped herself, not even putting on her nightgown. She said calmly, “Return to the room.”
Her bath towel was not long, only covering half her body. Her rounded shoulders and slender clavicle were all exposed under the light. The long, straight, snow-white legs beneath the towel were captivating enough to steal Jiang Huai’s soul. As she moved gracefully, Jiang Huai could only follow behind her. He even suspected that he had the urge to pounce on her just now. The system chimed several times by his ear, but he didn’t even pay attention to what the mission was.
Back in the room, Chu Xianning lit the firefly stones and said calmly, “You, sit there.”
Jiang Huai obediently brought a chair and sat by the bedside, his eyes gleaming. Had Chu Xianning planned to punish his feet all night? Oh, that wasn’t entirely out of the question… But Chu Xianning merely picked up a new nightgown, a light purple, translucent sling dress. She carefully put on her underwear, then her nightgown, and then got into bed, covering herself with the quilt. She turned on her side, her eyes fixed on him without blinking.
At this moment, her eyes were particularly gentle, giving Jiang Huai the illusion that Chu Xianning still harbored some kindness. Her quilt did not completely cover her body, leaving her fair and tender feet below her ankles exposed. They were still adorned with the light purple henna liquid he had applied a few days ago. Jiang Huai suddenly remembered that day when Chu Xianning embraced him, kissing him while rewarding him with her fair little feet.
Chu Xianning continued to gaze at him in silence and said softly, “When you are well-behaved, you can come to bed and sleep.”
“Huh?” Jiang Huai’s eyes widened.
He suddenly felt like punching Little Huai fiercely.
But at this moment, his Super Overlord Art and Dragon Emperor Bloodline began to take effect. Even though he recited the Cleansing Heart Mantra countless times, images of Chu Xianning bathing in the pool earlier still filled his mind. The more Chu Xianning told him to be well-behaved, the more he couldn’t help but think about it.
Perhaps this was the principle of not thinking about a pink elephant.
Jiang Huai gazed at Chu Xianning, looking at her gentle and lazy eyes, and recalling everything that had happened in the room earlier. A trace of sweetness seemed to linger on his lips. Little Huai became increasingly restless. Outside, the wind and snow raged. After a long, long time, Jiang Huai looked down and saw that Little Huai seemed to have calmed down a bit. Just as he was about to speak, Chu Xianning suddenly asked softly, “Is my body beautiful?”
Jiang Huai nodded vigorously. Then, Little Huai became restless again.
Everything flashed through his mind again. Looking at Chu Xianning’s delicate pink and moist lips, after another long while, he finally calmed down again. Just as he was about to speak, Chu Xianning said coldly, her clear voice like ice cubes clinking in a glass.
“Still not well-behaved? Do you want to be punished by your feet again?”
“It’s over!”
Jiang Huai gritted his teeth in frustration, gazing into Chu Xianning’s eyes and seeing a hint of playful amusement. His gaze shifted to her fair and tender feet under the quilt. Chu Xianning’s pink, crystal-like toes, like crystal grapes, twitched slightly, reminding Jiang Huai of her shy, flushed expression when she closed her fair little feet.
After another long period, Jiang Huai felt he had finally achieved tranquility and desirelessness. “I am well-behaved!”
Chu Xianning’s fingertips approached her lips. She slightly parted her pink lips and gently bit her index finger. It was such a simple action, yet it was incredibly alluring and charming at this moment.
“Are you really well-behaved?” Her tongue lightly touched her fingertip.
Jiang Huai looked at her languidly. “Master wasn’t planning to let me sleep, was she?”
“You’re the one who can’t do it,” Chu Xianning replied softly.
“Hmph! Just you wait!”
After another while, as Jiang Huai was about to speak, Chu Xianning parted her lips slightly again, her pink tongue gently swaying.
Jiang Huai had never seen Chu Xianning make such a gesture. Such a charming, alluring, and cute gesture appearing on Chu Xianning made Little Huai about to explode.
After more time passed.
Jiang Huai was almost driven mad. Looking at Chu Xianning, he looked at her pleadingly, “I was wrong.”
“What was wrong?”
“Everything was wrong, completely wrong!” This time, Jiang Huai’s admission of guilt was sincere. Chu Xianning’s eyes finally showed a hint of satisfaction. She lifted the quilt and sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at Jiang Huai. In his sight, she slowly lifted her fair leg and gently tapped her toes against his chest.
She crossed her arms, her eyes cold and proud, and said casually, “Lick.”
Jiang Huai had just cupped her ankle, already giving up his struggle and preparing to comply obediently, when Chu Xianning spoke again, “Behave yourself while licking. If you’re not well-behaved… I’ll never reward you with my feet again.”
“Huh?!”
Jiang Huai’s eyes widened, looking at the coldness in Chu Xianning’s eyes. “I, I, I can’t do it.”
The next moment, Chu Xianning retracted her fair foot and pulled the quilt back over herself. She lay down again and looked at him. “If you can’t do it, continue sitting there.”
“Master is good, Ningning is bad.”
“I am bad.” Chu Xianning stared at him, her eyes unblinking. Her pink lips seemed to pout slightly unconsciously. “Letting you bully me.”
“I was wrong.”
“Admitting fault is useless. You always admit fault insincerely, and you’re disobedient again within a day at most.”
“Heh, Ningning becomes so cute when she’s bullied.”
Jiang Huai, of course, never changed his ways. If he changed, he wouldn’t be Jiang Huai. Chu Xianning lifted her fair leg from the bed and kicked him lightly again. She extinguished the firefly stone lights in the room and said softly, “Meditate for another half hour to reflect on your mistakes. After you’ve reflected, you can come to bed and sleep.”
“I got it.”
Jiang Huai could only nod obediently. The small oil lamp by the bedside was still lit, and he gazed at Chu Xianning’s sleeping face, watching her close her eyes. Shadows flickered under her eyelashes. At this moment, the repeated lust in his heart suddenly subsided.
He silently counted the time in his heart. After half an hour, he cautiously reached the bedside. As he returned to the embrace of the quilt, Chu Xianning’s body slowly moved closer. It was unclear whether she was in a deep sleep or not. All he knew was that her hand gently embraced Jiang Huai again, and her body nestled into his arms.
Jiang Huai gently lowered his head and kissed her forehead.
***
Early morning.
Jiang Huai slowly opened his eyes, but when he woke up, Chu Xianning was not by his side. He sat up abruptly and ran to the courtyard. When he arrived at the kitchen, the stove was burning. Chu Xianning, wearing the apron he had made earlier, was looking at the boiling water in the pot and flipping through the recipe book Jiang Huai had left behind.
This was a record of Jiang Huai’s cooking experiences. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head and saw Jiang Huai approaching from behind, gently embracing her waist and drawing closer. She immediately turned to him with slight displeasure. “Unrestrained the moment you wake up in the morning.”
“No, it’s just that Ningning looks like a gentle and virtuous wife taking care of the household right now. I wanted to hug you.”
“I am not,” Chu Xianning replied coldly. “Don’t think you can get away with your flippancy. Your punishment isn’t over yet.”
Saying that, Chu Xianning leaned in slightly and gently bumped her forehead against his.
