Wu Li leaned over, picked a suitable spot, carefully inserted the hair stick into the bun, and meticulously adjusted the angle.
Chai Xiaomi subconsciously held her breath.
A thin braided cord hanging from the young man's long hair gently brushed against her cheek, tickling her.
She raised a hand to scratch it, but her gaze involuntarily moved upward.
His neck was slightly extended, faintly revealing the outline of his veins. His Adam's apple protruded, its lines smooth and distinct.
Chai Xiaomi tilted her head slightly. In the dim, shifting light, she could only see the extremely indifferent lower half of his face.
She found that whenever Wu Li was focused on a task or deep in thought, his expression always revealed a coldness that kept people at a distance.
Even his rouge-like red lips seemed cold.
Just like in her dream, they were of moderate thickness, exuding a moist luster, and the corners of his lips seemed tinged with a slightly chilly curve.
...If kissed, would they be cold too?
Chai Xiaomi was startled by the sudden thought popping into her head.
In that very moment, she actually recalled the young man in her dream, the corners of his eyes flushed red, asking in a low, seductive voice, Do you want to kiss?
Chai Xiaomi, what on earth are you thinking!
It was probably because she had read too much smutty fiction during the summer vacation, filling her brain with dirty thoughts!
It was also Wu Li's fault. Why did a boy have to look so beautiful and bewitching? How could anyone's lips be naturally so crimson and lustrous, as if they came with built-in lip gloss?
While her imagination was running wild, Wu Li had already finished arranging the dangling tassels of the hair stick. He looked down at her: You gluttonous and sleepy little parasite, I took apart an earring for you. How do you plan to thank me?
Faced with his face suddenly leaning in close, Chai Xiaomi's heartbeat lost control. She hastily dodged backward, and instantly lost her balance along with the stool.
Seeing that she was about to fall backward, Wu Li reacted quickly, grabbing her waist and pulling her steadily back into his arms.
He said with dissatisfaction: Is your butt crooked? You can't even sit straight on a stool. You almost ruined the hair I just arranged.
Chai Xiaomi's ears grew hot, but she refused to concede verbally: Who told you to suddenly get so close? You scared me!
It's not like I'm going to eat you, what are you panicking for? Wu Li chuckled softly. Could it be that you listened to those ghost rumors the inn waiter told, and now you're jumping at shadows, scaring yourself?
Chai Xiaomi continued to be stubborn: What's there to be afraid of? My courage isn't as small as you think.
Wu Li: Fine, if you're so brave, don't close the window tonight.
I won't close it then. I was just thinking it's stuffy in here. Saying so, Chai Xiaomi simply walked to the window and pushed the wooden panels open a bit wider.
The reason she was so confident was that they had booked three guest rooms in total.
Jiang Zhiyu and Song Yueyao each occupied one, while she and Wu Li, who even had a child together, naturally shared one.
With this strongest combatant from the original book by her side, Chai Xiaomi naturally wasn't that scared.
However, there was only one bed in the room, presenting another problem.
As for who gets the bed tonight, Chai Xiaomi said seriously, let's be fair. Rock, paper, scissors.
Wu Li raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of confusion.
Chai Xiaomi then briefly explained the rules.
He understood rock and paper at a glance, but the peace sign gesture for scissors was something he had never done in his life. He tried a few times, but his index and middle fingers always habitually closed together.
This isn't a hand seal, it's scissors. Chai Xiaomi reached out, gently separated his two fingers, and taught him seriously, Don't close them!
Right, right, just like that. Next, you'll play scissors. She took a step back, a sly gleam flashing in her eyes. Come on, let's try once—rock, paper, scissors!
The two threw their hands out at the same time.
Wu Li's gesture was standard this time, a neat peace sign.
Sorry about that. Chai Xiaomi waved her tightly clenched fist, smiling until her eyes curved into crescents. I win, the bed is mine.
Wu Li: ...
The young man's competitive spirit flared up. No, let's do it again.
Chai Xiaomi sat on the edge of the bed, grabbed a pillow, and hugged it to her chest. We already played, you're not allowed to cheat.
Wu Li was practically angered into laughter by her. Who is the one playing dirty here?
I am not— Chai Xiaomi wanted to argue further, but her voice abruptly stopped.
Because that cold, red-striped snake had climbed onto her at some point. It was coiled around her arm, flicking its red tongue at her.
The threat couldn't be more obvious.
Play another round? Wu Li glanced at Hongjiao at his leisure, his fingertips lightly tapping the bed frame, making a soft tapping sound.
The sound was unhurried, like a grim reaper's countdown. Hearing it sent a chill down Chai Xiaomi's spine, and she resentfully stood up. Fine, let's play. Who's afraid of who?
Wu Li, who had already fully grasped the rules, won in one strike.
Chai Xiaomi cleared her throat: Best two out of three.
Wu Li: I still won.
Chai Xiaomi: Best three out of five.
Wu Li: You still lose.
...
Chai Xiaomi: Again, again... best nine out of seventeen!
Wu Li finally looked up: Are you done yet?
In these dozen or so rounds, he had actually been going easy on her.
The cheating parasite in front of him either complained about throwing the wrong hand or intentionally delayed her move by half a beat. He had turned a blind eye to let her get away with it, but unexpectedly, she still refused to admit defeat.
This is really the last round, Chai Xiaomi held up a finger to her nose, softening her voice. Just one last time...
Coiled around her arm, Hongjiao rolled its eyes helplessly, simply resting its head on her shoulder and closing its eyes to feign sleep.
It knew its master too well. The arrogance and unyielding tenacity in his bones were buried incredibly deep.
Every time he was in front of the High Priest, if he was just willing to yield and beg for mercy, he might suffer less physical torture. But he adamantly refused, preferring to endure the pain until his consciousness blurred. He would act obedient and pretend to be pure and kind, but he would never show weakness.
Chai Xiaomi cast a sidelong glance at the snake head on her shoulder. It actually blatantly treated her as its resting place, sleeping on her shoulder with its eyes closed.
Suddenly recalling the experience of being scared awake by it in her sleep last time, Chai Xiaomi started to back down, thinking: If she took the bed and made Wu Li unhappy, who knew if he would pull the same trick again...
Thinking of this, she changed her mind and her tone softened: Ah, forget it, I yield. You can sleep on—
The floor, Wu Li suddenly interrupted her.
He turned and walked toward the cabinet, his tone flat: I checked earlier; there's an extra set of bedding inside. Go get it and lay it out for me.
Pausing, he looked back and glanced at the pillow she had crumpled until it slightly caved in, and scoffed lightly: You've already slept on the bed, do you think anyone wants to fight you for it? The mattress on it is so mushy, it's not comfortable at all.
Hearing this, Hongjiao, who was dozing with its eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
Was sleeping on a bed uncomfortable?
It clearly remembered that its master used to love sleeping on haystacks the most, precisely because they were soft enough and warm enough.
Even though he clearly won, he fought to sleep on the floor instead. What on earth was its master thinking?
