Chapter 33

“They will be fine.”

Speaking of it, it was somewhat funny. This pond of carp had originally been placed here by An Chengxi because she was afraid Xu Zhiyi would be bored alone in Tingyun Residence.

The heat misted around them. Xu Zhiyi swept a glance over and saw that although the temperature kept rising, the lotus leaves in the pond were still perfectly unharmed.

They remained a lush green.

“…Master, is it still not better?”

If this continued, her mouth really might not be able to take it anymore.

It felt a little swollen and numb. Xu Zhiyi did not know how to describe it, but it was not very uncomfortable. In fact, beyond her expectations, she even enjoyed it a little.

“It is better. However, today is only the beginning.”

“I said before, the choice is yours. You may call for a stop at any time.”

“Yi’er, I do not want to make things difficult for you.”

“You only need to follow your own heart.”

That gentle voice sounded beside her ear again. An Chengxi’s golden beast pupils had already returned to the shape of ordinary eyes.

But those pitch-black eyes still made one fall into them. Every word she spoke was serious.

It was impossible to look away. Xu Zhiyi felt as if she were being drawn in, deeper and deeper,

following An Chengxi’s temptation.

“This disciple understands.”

This was like a safe word in some kind of game. It was not as if Xu Zhiyi had never seen the world. It was just… calling for a stop, wasn’t it? If things truly reached the point where she could not bear it anymore,

she would naturally call for a stop.

And at that moment, Xu Zhiyi felt her body become light, as if someone had picked her up in a princess carry. After a burst of water sounds, the hazy heat dispersed.

An Chengxi carried Xu Zhiyi up out of the pond. At some point, a veil as thin as gauze had appeared around An Chengxi’s body, winding over her.

Judging by the look of it, it seemed to be formed from dragon scales.

Barefoot, she stepped onto the gravel path. Xu Zhiyi’s body was weak and soft as she was set down.

The silver-haired woman held her waist and condensed a cloud of water vapor. Faint mist drifted around them, and very quickly, Xu Zhiyi felt her soaked clothes become dry.

“All right. Yi’er, go back to your room and rest first.”

Xu Zhiyi’s figure was still somewhat unsteady. An Chengxi let go and carefully tidied the robes on Xu Zhiyi’s body, until her fingertips brushed past the emblem hanging before Xu Zhiyi’s chest, the one representing a disciple of Shuanghan Peak.

An Chengxi’s gaze briefly lost focus. Guilt and sinfulness filled her heart.

But in the end, she was not human.

She could not completely compare herself to humans with her own heart.

Simply suppressing her own desires every day was already difficult enough.

No way. What did Master want to do?

Xu Zhiyi swallowed. Her hands wanted to wrap around her own chest, but she felt that action was rather unnecessary. In any case, the two of them had already kissed. Why care about this now?

Oh, no. Not everyone.

Master was a dragon.

“Master…!”

Xu Zhiyi seemed to still have something to say, but when she turned her head, she only saw a cloud of white smoke vanish before her eyes. The courtyard was empty.

Only she was left.

How was kissing and then running away any different from pulling up one’s pants and leaving? Xu Zhiyi gnashed her teeth inwardly. Next time, she would bite back.

She would specifically choose a soft place to bite.

Otherwise, dragon scales might very well chip one of her teeth.

She crouched down and stretched out a finger to test the water temperature. It was still somewhat hot. Looking at the pond full of koi, she saw that they had all flipped over, showing their white bellies.

Xu Zhiyi’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no. They couldn’t really be dead, could they? What should she do?

These were koi she had fed for so long! People said they brought good luck. They absolutely could not die just like this.

She quickly reached out and poked one. But as soon as she touched its scales, the koi that had been lying there playing dead all flipped back over and began swimming around the pond.

“Good grief, so you were playing dead here!”

She would not be deceived again!

They must have been frightened earlier when Master turned into a dragon, which was why this group of chubby little carp had played dead to escape disaster.

As she thought this, one of the koi swaying in the pond spat a mouthful of water at her. Xu Zhiyi quickly retreated several steps, but a few droplets still landed on her wrist.

“Fine, you little things.”

“I feed you every day, and this is how you treat me?”

“You really are… lawless!”

Xu Zhiyi stood up, too lazy to argue with these fat koi. At worst, she would starve them for a few days.

They turned hostile as soon as they were full, putting down their bowls and cursing their mother.

With both hands on her waist, Xu Zhiyi’s cheeks puffed up from anger.

…

“You keep following me like this. What exactly are you trying to do? Are you trying to use this method to shift Senior Brother Shangguan’s attention?”

He Fengyue hated the feeling of being kicked back and forth like a ball. She furrowed her brows and looked at the person standing in front of her.

She was so angry that her chest hurt. Why was this person haunting her like a ghost? Did she have no sense of boundaries at all?

“Shangguan Rui? Who would like that guy?”

“Fengyue, the one I have always cared about, the one I have always watched, from beginning to end, has only ever been you.”

“Someone like him is not worthy of me pouring my heart into. Look. I only had to beckon, and he came to my side like a lapdog.”

“Do you think someone like that is worth looking up to? Worth loving?”

Xiao Ling never let go of He Fengyue’s wrist. Her fingers were long and slender, tightly gripping He Fengyue’s sleeve and pulling wrinkles into the thin fabric.

“This is your room. No one will disturb us anymore. The people you hate will not appear either.”

“No one can disturb us.”

“Fengyue.”

Dark, unclear emotions flickered in Xiao Ling’s eyes. Her long hair was stirred by the breeze behind her. On the pendant before her chest was the emblem of a green leaf and mist-wrapped mountains, trembling slightly.

Sure enough, she was inconsistent inside and out.

He Fengyue was furious. From earlier until now, she had been completely suppressed by this woman.

“Do not think that just because you are the eldest senior sister of Xiuyun Peak, you can do whatever you want. This is Shuanghan Peak!”

She finally hardened her attitude for once. She could not be ordered around even inside her own home.

That would be utterly humiliating.

If word of this got out, how was she supposed to make a name for herself on Shuanghan Peak in the future?

“Then shout. In this sect, aside from me, who else cares about you? Lord Hanshan?”

“Has her gaze ever truly stayed on you from beginning to end… Fengyue, you know it yourself, don’t you? Why deceive yourself?”

In front of others, she was gentle and tactful, able to handle every side.

But that was only a false appearance. Only He Fengyue could accept her true self and see through her desires.

They were the ones born for each other.

There was no need for outsiders to interfere. Anger churned in Xiao Ling’s heart. She would not let anyone else interfere in the private matters between her and He Fengyue.

Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar face, He Fengyue truly did not know how to speak.

After Xiao Ling finished speaking, He Fengyue somehow found the strength to pull her hand free and slap Xiao Ling across the face.

There was a sharp smack.

A bright red five-fingered handprint immediately appeared on Xiao Ling’s face.