It was early morning.
Jiang Huai pushed open the door to his room. The faint chirping of birds could be heard, and the snow that had covered everything a few days ago had completely disappeared. The sun was bright, birds were singing, flowers were fragrant, and the courtyard was a riot of colors, presenting a scene of melting ice and snow, indicative of early spring.
A little while later, Ning Yuzhu arrived with the food container, bringing breakfast for the day.
Today’s breakfast was sesame tangyuan. The pure white tangyuan, resembling polished jade, nestled in the bowl, looking exquisite and delicious. Jiang Zhi also woke up groggily. After finishing breakfast, Jiang Huai began practicing swordplay with Ning Yuzhu.
He had already begun cultivating the second level of Junlin, but he still needed to hold Ning Yuzhu’s hand and sense the flow of her spiritual energy. The two of them also needed a certain degree of soul merging, only then could Jiang Huai perceive her sword intent.
However, at this moment, Jiang Huai felt a slight awkwardness in his heart. It wasn’t exactly awkwardness, but the thought of Ning Yuzhu’s white and tender little feet stepping on him yesterday, and the moment her skirt hem slipped down to her thighs, revealing that tender pink sight, made Jiang Huai dare not meet Ning Yuzhu’s eyes.
Fortunately, Ning Yuzhu’s expression was calm, and she couldn’t guess what he was thinking, otherwise, she might have drawn her sword and severely spanked his butt.
After familiarizing himself with the theoretical knowledge, it was time for practical application. Jiang Huai still couldn’t last more than two moves against Ning Yuzhu, but Senior Disciple Sister was truly too gentle, showing no intention of using sword practice as an excuse to vent her personal grudges and beat him.
Today, Ning Yuzhu was still wearing a maid dress, but perhaps having learned from yesterday’s lesson, Ning Yuzhu’s skirt hem today reached all the way down to her ankles. Beneath her ankles, she wore black high heels, and her movements while dancing with her sword were especially elegant.
But her white and tender little feet in white silk stockings were still too alluring.
The season was clearly early spring, a perfect time for fishing, and Jiang Huai certainly couldn’t miss it. After lunch, he went to the lakeside, set up his fishing rod, and sat there quietly by himself. Several small fish took the bait in quick succession. A moment later, he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned his head and saw Ning Yuzhu.
Her skirt hem fluttered lightly in the breeze. Jiang Huai looked at her with a hint of confusion, “Senior Disciple Sister, why are you here?”
But Ning Yuzhu didn’t answer directly. Instead, she sat down beside him. Jiang Huai looked at her profile. She turned her face slightly and glanced at him with her jet-black eyes. After a few seconds of eye contact, she slowly said, “I had nothing to do, so I wanted to sunbathe.”
The sun was bright and gentle at this moment, the lake shimmered, and a pleasant breeze was blowing, indeed a good time to sunbathe.
“Don’t you take off your shoes when you rest?” Jiang Huai suddenly asked softly.
While high heels were beautiful and elegant, the higher the heels, the more they felt like instruments of torture to wear. Jiang Huai had often heard women say this. Ning Yuzhu glanced at him and then slightly lifted her white and tender calf, leaning towards him a little.
Her gaze from above clearly instructed Jiang Huai to take them off for her.
Little Huai didn’t mind. He put down his fishing rod and leaned closer, carefully taking off her shoes and placing them neatly to the side. However, in the next moment, he casually grabbed her ankle and led her white and tender little feet onto his lap to play with them in detail.
Her delicate feet were soft and small. Now, covered by the hazy white silk, they exuded a faint, almost imperceptible allure. Her white and tender, delicate toes were as tender and small as crystal grapes. Jiang Huai didn’t know when he had become Pavlov’s Little Huai; now, whenever he saw white and tender little feet, his mind would wander to strange places.
“Fly,” Ning Yuzhu suddenly muttered softly.
“Huh?”
“It gets in wherever there’s a crack,” Ning Yuzhu was likely mocking Little Huai for taking advantage of any opportunity to playfully touch her white and tender little feet.
“Senior Disciple Sister, that’s not quite right,” Jiang Huai said softly, his fingertips gently pinching her white and tender foot. “My massage technique has been practiced and refined through repeated experience. Playing with Senior Disciple Sister’s white and tender feet satisfies my little greed and also makes Senior Disciple Sister comfortable. It’s clearly a matter of benefiting both sides and a win-win cooperation.”
“Besides, flies don’t flock to an unbroken egg.”
Ning Yuzhu couldn’t find a rebuttal for a moment, so she could only remain silent, looking at his profile. At this moment, he seemed like a child who had found his favorite toy. But to have her delicate jade feet held in a man’s hand and played with in detail was an exceptionally shameful thing. Even though she tried hard to suppress it, a sense of shame gradually arose in her heart.
Perhaps it was the shame that intensified her physical sensations, causing her waist to involuntarily arch slightly.
After a while, Ning Yuzhu extended her slender fingers and poked his face, “Are you… done playing?”
“No,” Jiang Huai replied truthfully.
Ning Yuzhu was stumped by him again. She had clearly meant to remind him not to fool around anymore, but his answer left her unsure of what to say. The feeling of shame and urgency gradually surged within her. Fortunately, just as she was about to speak again, Jiang Huai had already retracted his hand, leaving her prepared counter-attack hitting cotton.
“Senior Disciple Sister, are you wearing white silk stockings today?”
“They are suspender stockings.”
“Ooh, they sound cute. I want to see,” Jiang Huai winked at Ning Yuzhu again. Ning Yuzhu bit her lip lightly, instinctively wanting to refuse, but she suddenly realized that she wasn’t good at refusing.
It was strange. She just needed to shake her head and say no, but why, when he looked at her like this, did a hint of expectation subtly arise in her heart? What was she expecting? Was she expecting to see adoration or amazement in his eyes when he looked at her?
But how could he say it so directly? He was so… shameless.
“Are you saying that just because you want to see, I have to show you?” Ning Yuzhu slowly turned her face away, her voice carrying a hint of grievance and dissatisfaction.
“I was just asking,” Jiang Huai immediately turned his gaze back to the lake, picked up his fishing rod, and in an instant, another silver fish was hooked. He added, “Anyway, even if Senior Disciple Sister refuses me, she won’t lose out. Heh heh.”
Jiang Huai put the fish into the fishing net and then suddenly said, “Senior Disciple Sister, have you noticed that after we’ve merged our souls so many times, our relationship seems to have inexplicably become closer?”
Ning Yuzhu suddenly came back to her senses and replied softly, “It has a bit.”
“It’s quite magical,” Jiang Huai mused, then abruptly changed the topic, “So, can I really not have just one look? Just one.”
Even though he was being so shameless, Ning Yuzhu inexplicably couldn’t get angry. She tilted her head slightly, “Then what will you exchange for it?”
“Whoa, Senior Disciple Sister actually knows how to bargain,” Jiang Huai suddenly produced a multitude of accessories as if by magic. The materials weren’t particularly precious, but the styles were novel, unlike anything Ning Yuzhu had seen before.
“How about Senior Disciple Sister picks one you like?”
Ning Yuzhu reached out and rummaged through his hand, finally choosing a small earring. Jiang Huai picked up the earring and leaned closer to her, carefully putting it on for her.
Perhaps because he leaned in a little too close, he felt Ning Yuzhu’s breath on his neck, slightly quickening.
She was clearly such a pure Senior Disciple Sister, yet he had coaxed her into doing something naughty. Jiang Huai suddenly felt like a great villain.
After putting on the earring, Ning Yuzhu obediently stood up. She bit her lip lightly, her eyes showing no less disdain. She slowly rolled up her skirt hem, pulling it up to her knees, and then further up, revealing half of her thigh.
While he said he wanted to see the white silk, he actually just wanted to see Senior Disciple Sister’s slender and shapely legs, which were both delicate and soft, appearing as smooth and tender as freshly steamed glutinous rice cake, making one want to take a bite.
The garter straps clung to her white and tender thighs. Jiang Huai looked intently. Ning Yuzhu tightly pressed her legs together, her voice growing cold and disdainful, “Are you done looking?”
Ning Yuzhu suddenly realized that Jiang Huai was actually looking more intently at her eyes, at the cold disdain in her eyes and her flushed, hot cheeks. That was his ultimate goal. Under her gaze, Jiang Huai slowly extended a fingertip. Ning Yuzhu didn’t dodge, finally allowing his fingertip to land on her white and tender thigh and gently poke it. His fingertip immediately retracted. Jiang Huai looked up at her and said, “I’m satisfied. Senior Disciple Sister is so good.”
Ning Yuzhu let go, and the skirt hem fell down completely, concealing the enchanting sight. However, after she sat back down beside Jiang Huai, he immediately embraced her.
Ning Yuzhu remained silent, only feeling her breathing quicken slightly, and her heartbeat sped up.
“You…”
“Mmm? Is Senior Disciple Sister feeling uncomfortable? I’ll let go immediately.” Despite saying this, Jiang Huai seemed to hold her even tighter, even pinching her white and tender thigh through her skirt. Ning Yuzhu’s body trembled slightly, but she didn’t feel uncomfortable anywhere. After a while, she finally said slowly, “I’m not used to it.”
“Does Senior Disciple Sister dislike this feeling then?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then can I continue pinching?”
“You… pinch away,” Ning Yuzhu’s voice trembled.
Jiang Huai was allowed to continue gently kneading her soft and snow-white thighs. Even through her dress, his hand felt the soft resilience. A faint fragrance emanated from her. Jiang Huai looked at her profile, seeing her biting her lip slightly, her cheeks flushed pink – a stark contrast to the cold and aloof fairy he had met at first.
So… what was the reason?
Why was Senior Disciple Sister Ning so compliant?
Jiang Huai suspected he was also caught in the trap. He became increasingly curious about Ning Yuzhu’s bottom line, what he would have to do to make her refuse, to truly anger her. Compared to her soft and compliant demeanor now, he was more interested in understanding why she was so soft and compliant.
The sunlight was warm, and the breeze blew gently. Jiang Huai leaned close to Ning Yuzhu’s ear and said softly, “If Senior Disciple Sister dislikes something or is uncomfortable even a little, you should tell me. Don’t force yourself.”
“I… I’m not.”
“The more Senior Disciple Sister is like this, the more I seem to want to know what I would have to do to make Senior Disciple Sister angry…” Jiang Huai’s fingertips gently brushed over her slender waist. Ning Yuzhu’s body trembled slightly, but she didn’t want to break free. This was a feeling she had never experienced in many years. While it was novel, it was also incredibly stimulating, making her long-empty heart seem to blossom anew.
As for disliking it? She didn’t dislike it… If their Master hadn’t changed his mind, she would have been Jiang Huai’s Dual Cultivation cauldron. Hundreds of years ago, she had made that resolve. Now, Jiang Huai was merely caressing her body gently and whispering in her ear. She felt no shame, only a feeling of her body being gently caressed by the spring breeze, making her feel incredibly soft and weak.
“If Senior Disciple Sister continues to be this obedient and gentle, you’ll be completely devoured before long,” Jiang Huai whispered in her ear. Ning Yuzhu seemed to sober up slightly and said softly, “You… caressing my body like this satisfies your greed. I… have never experienced this feeling before. It’s like an electric shock, but I don’t dislike it. In your words, this is called… benefiting both sides.”
Ning Yuzhu’s body became increasingly soft and weak, and eventually, she leaned into Jiang Huai’s embrace first, reaching out her arms to gently hug his shoulders. At this moment, her jet-black eyes were like a pool of spring water, shimmering as she gazed at him. Her delicate pink lips seemed slightly moist, and her voice became tender.
“Your tricks, are they just… this much?”
Even though her eyes were hazy and intoxicated at this moment, that trace of arrogance and disdain was unconcealed, causing Little Huai to become instantly exasperated.
“Senior Disciple Sister, a kiss,” Jiang Huai immediately resorted to even more shameless tactics.
“I refuse,” Ning Yuzhu’s voice was entranced, yet hazy like mountain mist.
Seeing the trace of bewilderment on Jiang Huai’s face, she extended a hand and lightly tapped his lips with her fingertip, “You said I could refuse when I don’t like it.”
“That’s right.”
“So I don’t want to kiss you right now.” Her body pressed against Jiang Huai’s embrace, and she said softly, “Hold me a little longer. I like being held by you.”
Jiang Huai gently embraced her boneless body. Even as his fishing rod trembled and a fish took the bait, he ignored it. At this moment, his face was a mixture of helplessness and perhaps a faint sense of regret.
Today, Little Huai of Jiang lost decisively.
…
The fish on the hook had already struggled in the water for several rounds, but Jiang Huai ignored it. Only when Ning Yuzhu finally got up from his embrace did Jiang Huai pick up the fishing rod and reel in the fish.
Ning Yuzhu looked at the spirit fish hanging on the hook, her pupils trembling slightly. She didn’t know what she was thinking.
No matter how hard the fish struggled, its fate seemed sealed the moment it took the bait and couldn’t be changed.
Jiang Huai removed the spirit fish from the hook, then cupped it in his hands and gently tossed it back into the lake. Ning Yuzhu tilted her head. When Jiang Huai looked back and saw the confusion in her eyes, he explained softly, “It must have been hard for it, struggling in the hook and swimming around in the lake for so many rounds. I’ll let it go this time.”
Ning Yuzhu suddenly felt a surge in her heart, but she didn’t know what emotion it was. Conflicting thoughts intertwined. As she looked into his eyes, she suddenly realized she could no longer remain as calm and indifferent as before.
“Why is Senior Disciple Sister looking at me like that?”
Looking at the complex expression in Ning Yuzhu’s eyes, Jiang Huai was momentarily bewildered.
Ning Yuzhu turned her face away, her white calves swinging slightly beneath her skirt. Her voice became gentler, “When I was little… I often wondered what my future Dao Companion would be like.”
“So, even someone as aloof as Senior Disciple Sister would think about these things?” Jiang Huai chuckled for a moment, sat back down beside her, and then asked, “What did you imagine he would be like back then?”
“I imagined he would be gentle like a gentleman, with eyebrows like distant mountains, and a voice as warm as a spring breeze, treating me with respect and courtesy.”
“Does Senior Disciple Sister still want a Dao Companion like that now?”
Ning Yuzhu fell silent, unsure how to answer for a moment.
After asking, Jiang Huai casually put his arm around Ning Yuzhu’s slender waist. It wasn’t for any other reason than that she was just the right amount of soft and warm, comfortable to hold, and she wouldn’t refuse.
“That’s what I said, but if we’re already Dao Companions, and we still maintain a respectful distance every day, pretending to be a righteous gentleman, wouldn’t that be too boring?”
“How can you be so sure someone isn’t a true gentleman and is just pretending?”
“What is a gentleman? High moral character? Self-restraint and adherence to propriety? Who wants them to have high moral character? Who wants them to practice self-restraint and adhere to propriety? If they believe this will earn them respect from the world, then it’s merely vanity, how can it be considered gentlemanly? If they truly believe people should be this way, adhering to so-called laws and customs and trapping themselves, they are still fools.”
“Absurd talk,” Ning Yuzhu muttered softly.
“I only seek peace of mind,” Jiang Huai just smiled and didn’t argue further. “Besides, treating each other with respect and courtesy – do you want your Dao Companion to be formal and gentle with you every day, suppressing the natural impulse of love, like playing house with a man? Huh. The more outwardly gentle a person appears, the more negative emotions they accumulate inside.”
“That is the view of a petty person.”
“I am a true petty person; my petty thoughts are naturally expressed. It’s different for gentlemen. Either they deceive themselves with that set of rules and refrain from quarreling with petty people. But as long as one is human, one has seven emotions and six desires. If one transcends the mundane world and remains indifferent to worldly matters, then one is not human. Since one is not even human, how can one be a gentleman?”
“Even so, haven’t you been pretending to be a gentleman yourself before?” Ning Yuzhu pouted slightly.
“Yes, what I mean is, there aren’t that many true gentlemen in this world. Most people are just deceiving themselves and pretending, including me.”
“Then what’s the purpose of you arguing with me?”
“Senior Disciple Sister’s requirements for a Dao Companion are too idealistic. Perhaps consider…”
Jiang Huai’s words suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
For some reason, he had a chilling intuition that if he finished his sentence and said, “How about Senior Disciple Sister considers me…?” and Ning Yuzhu nodded, what would he do then?
“Consider what?” Ning Yuzhu looked up and asked faintly.
“Consider… changing your criteria for finding a Dao Companion?” Jiang Huai carefully replied.
“Okay, what kind of criteria should I change to?” Ning Yuzhu continued to inquire, her jet-black eyes staring at him intently. At this moment, her pupils were as calm as a deep well, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.
“That’s not something I can decide…” Jiang Huai was already starting to feel guilty.
Ning Yuzhu slowly reached out, and in Jiang Huai’s sight, her fingertip lightly tapped his forehead.
“You’ve already decided, haven’t you?”
“I don’t seem to understand what Senior Disciple Sister is saying…?”
Ning Yuzhu didn’t answer Jiang Huai’s question anymore. Instead, she stood up and said softly, “I’m going to take my nap.”
With that, she walked away barefoot, leaving her white silk stockings behind. Jiang Huai remained in place, scratching his head, trying to solve the riddle. But after a long time, he couldn’t figure it out. When he came back to his senses, he realized that Ning Yuzhu’s high heels had been left here.
…
It was dinner time.
Ning Yuzhu arrived with the food container, now wearing a new pair of high heels. The atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat strange. Ning Yuzhu still had her usual composed expression, and Jiang Zhi always ate elegantly. Jiang Huai would steal glances at Ning Yuzhu from time to time but didn’t know what to say.
After dinner, Ning Yuzhu left first. Jiang Huai and Jiang Zhi returned to their room, and Jiang Huai felt a sense of routine in teasing Jiang Zhi every night now. After filling Jiang Zhi up, she snuggled beside him, drawing circles on his chest with her finger, and said playfully, “Are you going out again soon?”
“What would I go out for?”
“The atmosphere at dinner was weird. Did something happen between you and Ning Yuzhu again?”
“Nothing much happened…” Jiang Huai wasn’t intentionally hiding anything from Jiang Zhi, but he couldn’t explain it clearly himself. However, reminded by Jiang Zhi, he wondered if it would be enough if he just went to find Ning Yuzhu now and clear things up.
Hmph, but what did he have to say?
“You reminded me,” Jiang Huai lowered his head and pecked her forehead, then crawled out from under the covers. Jiang Zhi silently pulled the quilt up, watching his receding figure playfully, “Go on, go on. If big brother doesn’t want to come back tonight, that’s fine too.”
Jiang Zhi suddenly started laughing to herself, leaving Jiang Huai unsure of what she was laughing about.
Today, Jiang Zhi had overheard Ning Yuzhu privately telling her the Master’s instructions. But she didn’t care. What could Jiang Ning do? She insisted on calling him that, to the point that Jiang Huai was almost immune to it now, no longer trembling and reluctant as he had been before. Jiang Huai pinched her face, “I’ll be back, but you should sleep now. You don’t have to wait for me.”
“It’s okay. Even if you don’t say it, I won’t wait for you,” Jiang Zhi wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, closed her eyes with peace of mind, a sweet smile on her lips. Jiang Huai turned off the light in the room and tiptoed out, carrying the pair of high heels, and arrived at the gate of Ning Yuzhu’s courtyard.
