677 An Irresistible Condition
Jiang Huai wore a helpless expression.
Ning Yuzhu was in his arms, laughing joyfully, and he couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason behind her laughter. Her body was fragrant and soft as she nestled against him, pecking a kiss on his cheek. A hint of shyness surfaced on Ning Yuzhu’s face, yet her actions were obedient and compliant. She closed her eyes, turning the other side of her face towards Jiang Huai.
The light fell upon her cheeks, her long and thick eyelashes gently quivering. The blush on her cheeks made her resemble a sweet and tender girl in the throes of first love.
The Divine Emperor Pearl Shards needed for Fang Moye to break through were now few in number, and only a couple of simple tasks remained to be completed. After finishing breakfast in the courtyard, Jiang Huai continued practicing his swordsmanship with Ning Yuzhu.
The third level of the Junlin sword technique was exceptionally difficult. Despite Jiang Huai exerting all his effort, he still struggled to grasp it. Fang Moye stood quietly by, watching him, her expression complex, but as soon as Jiang Huai looked over, her demeanor returned to calm and indifferent.
Naturally, Jiang Huai slept next to Ning Yuzhu at night. He had to fulfill the task of telling stories to coax his senior sister to sleep and gently massage her delicate little feet. This task was quite simple; Ning Yuzhu obediently sat on the edge of the bed, allowing Jiang Huai to hold her slender jade foot in his hands.
Her delicate jade foot was soft and pink, the translucent toes reminiscent of crystal grapes—tender and adorable. After toying with her foot for a while, Jiang Huai’s thoughts ran wild. Just as he was about to speak, Ning Yuzhu calmly said, “Are you hoping to be stepped on again?”
“Yes.”
Jiang Huai replied earnestly, but Ning Yuzhu lifted her eyelashes slightly, lightly stating, “No.”
“Eh?” Jiang Huai looked at Ning Yuzhu, whose eyes remained calm. Her voice was gentle and doting, “Too much will overflow.”
“But haven’t you rewarded me yet today?”
“Who says you need to be rewarded every day?” Ning Yuzhu huffed lightly. “You said I could refuse to do anything for you at any time.”
“That’s true…” Jiang Huai had no words to refute and could only stare at the delicate jade foot in his sight until Ning Yuzhu spoke again. “But I can allow you to lick my foot while rewarding yourself.”
Instantly, Jiang Huai’s eyes lit up. In the next moment, he dove beside Ning Yuzhu, pulling her tight into his embrace. “Let’s start with a story now; after the story, we’ll sleep.”
“What? So restrained tonight?”
“Hmph! Senior Sister, don’t think you can tempt me.”
This was a matter of autonomy.
Holding Ning Yuzhu’s slender waist, Jiang Huai began softly reciting, “Once upon a time, there were three little pigs…”
…………………………
The next day, in the evening.
After returning from a post-dinner walk, Ning Yuzhu headed for the bathhouse. When she emerged, she was wearing a gorgeous dance skirt. The light purple fabric clung to her hazy figure, and her eyes looked lazily and tenderly at Jiang Huai.
She had promised to dance for him again.
So Jiang Huai obediently sat to the side, pouring wine into a cup as he watched Ning Yuzhu gracefully dance before him. Her dance tonight was charming and alluring, stirring a flutter in his heart. However, since Ning Yuzhu insisted on the “too much will overflow” rule, Jiang Huai refused to yield. He firmly pulled her fragrant and soft body back into his arms and drifted off to sleep once again.
………………………………
Three days later.
Waking up in the morning, Jiang Huai looked at the sweetly sleeping Ning Yuzhu beside him. He lowered his head to glance at the being who was clearly reluctant, hesitated for a moment, then forgave her and didn’t punch her.
Earlier, when Ning Yuzhu mentioned supervising him to reward himself daily, it was obviously a joke, but interestingly, during these days, Ning Yuzhu hadn’t rewarded him at all. She would even act spoiled if he tried to kiss her, sweetly saying no, yet she wore a thin, soft nightgown every night, exuding a pleasant fragrance as she slept in Jiang Huai’s arms.
She certainly slept at ease, but each night, Jiang Huai would have to wrestle with himself before falling asleep. During the day, aside from practicing swordsmanship, he accompanied Ning Yuzhu on leisurely strolls around Baiye Mountain or played chess with her, painted together, and even made music. Meanwhile, Fang Moye, like a transparent figure in the courtyard, had become increasingly evasive since that night she and Jiang Huai had crossed a line. Whenever Jiang Huai glanced at her, her gaze always shied away.
After getting dressed, Jiang Huai exited the courtyard. At that moment, Fang Moye was in the flower patch watering the plants. Today, she wore a dark-colored qipao that accentuated her alluring figure. The high slit of her dress revealed her long snow-white legs. Glancing sideways, Jiang Huai found his head spinning and hurriedly diverted his gaze.
If he were alone in the mountains, he could endure it easily, but cuddling and sleeping with Ning Yuzhu every day while being unable to touch her made the current situation increasingly intolerable for him.
Fang Moye heard his footsteps and turned her head, only to catch Jiang Huai hastily avoiding her gaze. She stiffened slightly at first, and her eyes, which had once been avoidant, now looked cold and lazy as she asked, “What are you hiding from?”
“Hiding? Not at all,” Jiang Huai answered seriously. Fang Moye simply set down the watering can, approached, and sat beside him. The hem of her qipao spread out, revealing her long, tender legs clad in light purple high heels. The sharp tips of her shoes seemed to pierce the air, striking directly at Jiang Huai’s heart.
“You’re lying,” Fang Moye murmured disdainfully before fixing her gaze on him. “You haven’t handed me any Divine Emperor Pearl Shards in recent days.”
“Because… Ning Yuzhu hasn’t allowed it,” Jiang Huai scratched his head.
“Why?”
“I don’t know, but in any case, there aren’t many left. I think it will be resolved in a few days,” Jiang Huai replied truthfully, then heard Fang Moye’s calm response, “If she won’t complete the tasks with you, you won’t come to see me?”
“I don’t have any tasks at Shizu’s side right now…” Jiang Huai’s voice became somewhat stiff.
In truth, he had just heard the incessant chime—Ning Yuzhu still sleeping—making this the perfect opportunity to sneak away with Shizu. Fang Moye had been outspoken these past few days, especially since that night when they had played that little game together; she had found it increasingly difficult to seek that feeling again and looked forward to playing once more.
“Still lying,” Fang Moye calmly pointed out, prompting Jiang Huai to habitually change the subject. “How does Shizu know I’m lying?”
“When someone lies, their heartbeat accelerates, and they seem restless. Your performance is quite obvious; it’s always been this way whenever you’ve lied to me before,” Fang Moye responded coolly. Jiang Huai felt a twinge of guilt and explained, “A few days ago, I promised Senior Sister that there aren’t many Divine Emperor Pearl Shards left, so I can’t take on more tasks with Shizu.”
Fang Moye’s expression shifted slightly as she bit her lip, her voice growing a bit colder. “Why did you agree to her?”
“Maybe Senior Sister is a bit jealous?”
Fang Moye turned her head away, answering indifferently, “Hasn’t she also refrained from doing those tasks with you lately?”
“Perhaps she’s testing me? Testing whether my feelings for her are purely lust? So for these days, I can’t touch her. It’s fine, I’ll just wait…”
“But if she’s testing you, what does that have to do with you taking on tasks with me?” Fang Moye tilted her head. “Do you really not want to?”
“No, want what?”
“You want me to say it out loud?” Fang Moye’s voice seemed to carry a hint of grievance, though she hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, “You don’t want to… bully me one more time?”
With that, she flusteredly averted her gaze, and Jiang Huai was preparing to punch himself for being so foolish, hastily responding, “I promised Senior Sister; no, I can’t go back on my word.”
“So you really don’t want to?”
“Things that are promised must be fulfilled…” Jiang Huai stuttered.
At that moment, Little Huai was struggling to hold onto the final thread of restraint while Fang Moye’s eyes looked at him with a hint of grievance mixed with anger, the dark pupils seeming misty. Jiang Huai felt a cold sweat breaking out, his mind racing with thoughts on how to placate Fang Moye, yet words eluded him.
“She’s still asleep, sneaking in just once… she wouldn’t know.” Fang Moye lowered her voice slightly. “I’ll use my domain; we can do the tasks there, and once we’re done, no one will notice outside, only a moment will pass.”
Jiang Huai felt his heart racing. Fang Moye, looking seductive, even slightly parted her lips, her pink tongue gently flicking, as if implying that if he agreed, there would be additional rewards.
Truly, she was born with an alluring charm.
At that moment, Jiang Huai’s body tensed up, and shaking his head with his last willpower, he said, “No, it’s not okay.”
“Promises must be kept… they must be fulfilled…”
“But you’ve clearly wavered.” Fang Moye lightly swayed her slender legs, and at some point, she had already taken off half of her high heels, her soft, pink soles waving just in front of Jiang Huai’s eyes. In a panic, Jiang Huai closed his eyes.
“No, no, no, no!”
He covered his ears and shut his eyes tightly, akin to an ostrich burying itself in sand in the midst of a storm. Moments later, he finally opened his eyes slowly.
At this moment, Fang Moye was sitting up straight, shedding her former seductive posture, instead looking at him with a cool and playful gaze, while Ning Yuzhu leaned against the door, her eyes tenderly fixed upon him.
Their dialogue continued.
“I lost.” Ning Yuzhu slightly lowered her head.
Fang Moye’s eyes revealed a faint pride as she raised her chin, snorting lightly, “No matter how much of a rogue he is, he’s still the man chosen by Ningning. I believe in her judgment.”
Jiang Huai glanced at Ning Yuzhu, then at Fang Moye, and for a moment, his expression grew complicated as he spoke softly, “Do you both find this amusing?”
Both of them appeared to be betting on whether he would agree to Ning Yuzhu after being tempted by Fang Moye and break his promise with Ning Yuzhu.
In the next moment, Ning Yuzhu was right beside him, embracing his arm, her eyes playfully pleading as she looked at him, “Aren’t you angry?”
“…” Jiang Huai couldn’t quite discern if he was genuinely angry; perhaps it was just helplessness or exhaustion. “Not angry.”
Ning Yuzhu was sharp-witted and immediately sensed that Jiang Huai, despite his words, didn’t entirely rid himself of lingering resentment. She leaned in close to his ear and softly said, “The bet between Senior Sister and me was that whoever lost would have to agree to one condition from you. You could do anything you wish. Now that I’ve lost… at this moment, you can punish Senior Sister however you like.”
“Really?” Jiang Huai raised an eyebrow.
“Really,” Ning Yuzhu nodded obediently. Even though she had just lost, her eyes sparkled, resembling the intoxicating glow of being slightly tipsy.
Unfortunately for her, Jiang Huai, excited, walked toward Fang Moye. Before she could even say a word, he swept Fang Moye up in a tight embrace. Ning Yuzhu tilted her head to watch Jiang Huai.
“Well, my condition is to go with Shizu to finish up the remaining Divine Emperor Pearl Shard tasks! Senior Sister said any condition counts, so it wouldn’t be considered a breach of my promise to her, right?”
“Of course… it doesn’t count.” Ning Yuzhu’s voice had begun to adopt a slightly gritted quality.
“Then…” Jiang Huai leaned closer to Fang Moye’s ear, “Does Shizu want to play that little game with me one more time?”
At just the mention of it, Fang Moye’s body shuddered. The soft legs hidden beneath her qipao tightly pressed together as she instinctively shook her head, “No…”
“But the reward is eight Divine Emperor Pearl Shards… just enough for Shizu to break through.” Jiang Huai coaxed her softly.
“You’re lying; how could there be that many…?”
“Because I had secretly stashed away quite a few, just waiting for this moment to reel in Shizu.”
Indeed.
Jiang Huai proposed a condition that Fang Moye simply could not refuse.
“I… am your Shizu… you…”
“When you and Ning Yuzhu bet to tease me, why didn’t you mention being my Shizu?” Jiang Huai swiftly smacked Fang Moye’s full and firm backside, and in the following instant, her face buried into his chest, falling completely silent.
