Naturally, Xie Jingci wasn't killed by the lightning strike.
Due to her damaged spiritual consciousness, she had been stuck at the Great Perfection stage of the Golden Core realm. As the saying goes, a cup overflows when full; the surging spiritual energy within her body was so abundant that it was ready to burst. Now, with the sudden onset of the tribulation lightning, her blade intent and spiritual energy seemed to answer a higher calling, growing restless within her meridians.
"This isn't a divine punishment of five thunders."
Pei Du corrected the little boy with a serious expression. "It is called 'transcending a tribulation.' Miss Xie has accumulated much good karma through her recent virtuous deeds to earn such a blessing."
Doing good deeds gets you struck by lightning, and doing bad deeds gets you struck by lightning too. The boy scratched his head in confusion; he was starting to find it hard to understand.
Previously, at the Guiyuan Immortal Estate, Xie Jingci had witnessed quite a few people advancing from the Golden Core to the Nascent Soul realm. The secret realm was brimming with spiritual energy and protected by a Loose Immortal, making it the most ideal place to undergo a tribulation. If one wanted to break through, gathering favorable timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony wasn't difficult.
However, the current situation was completely different from back then.
As the tribulation lightning approached, the evil aura wandering over the sea had yet to dissipate. The scent of Gu bugs, chaotic black mist, and Wen Zhilan's lingering demonic energy and resentment filled the air. A bright moon hung in cold silence, reflecting the turbulent, roaring seawater that thrashed like a wild beast.
Lingshui Village lacked the suitable conditions for transcending a tribulation. But the heavenly lightning waited for no one; once the time came, it would strike. Xie Jingci had just finished an exhilarating, exhausting battle. She forced herself to rein in her wandering thoughts, gripping her blade and focusing her mind.
What else could she do? She could only endure it head-on.
Lightning flashed, and blade intent surged.
A blindingly bright bolt of lightning descended as if from the highest heavens, tearing through the night sky like a sharp blade. The young woman's slender yet straight figure stood steadily amidst the roaring thunder, the long blade in her hand vibrating.
The wind around her suddenly grew fierce, howling incessantly. Even the gale carried an indomitable blade intent. Wherever it swept past, it left a biting, icy chill, whipping up layer upon layer of waves on the sea.
The ocean seemed to respond. Wave after wave swelled, gradually building a momentum that threatened to swallow the sky. A massive crest crashed forward, blotting out the sky and the moon.
The sky was a boundless expanse of black, illuminated by the eerie, profound blue and white of the lightning. Drifting clouds filled the heavens, and the occasional cry of a bird could be heard, though no shadows were in sight.
When had the villagers ever seen such a spectacle? For a moment, they all held their breath in awe, not daring to look directly at the lightning, squinting their eyes instead.
Standing right in the midst of the lightning, Xie Jingci naturally had it even worse.
The spiritual energy she had accumulated for so long finally found a release. Like a celestial river bursting its dam, it poured entirely from her sea of consciousness, rampaging with an unrivaled, vast, and surging momentum.
Stray arcs of lightning seeped into her skin, intertwining and clashing with her spiritual energy and blade intent. Her muscles and bones were battered back and forth by these three forces, as if wild beasts were constantly tearing at her with sharp teeth. The pain was truly unbearable, forcing her to grit her teeth.
Had it been an ordinary person facing such ferocious heavenly lightning, they would have been reduced to ashes. However, the long blade in the young woman's hand suddenly rose, and spiritual energy erupted, firmly protecting her in the center. Carrying an unrivaled momentum, it withstood the blinding flashes of lightning.
The blade gleamed like a piercing ray, and the first peal of thunder slowly passed.
The little boy finally managed to open his eyes. Looking up at the sky, he suddenly looked a bit panicked. "W-why is there more?!"
A Nascent Soul tribulation consisted of more than just a single bolt of heavenly lightning.
Spiritual energy rippled in all directions, causing the leaves and branches on the distant mountains to tremble slightly. The drifting clouds on the horizon gathered and dispersed. Amidst the demonic energy left behind by Wen Zhilan, the biting chill felt even more bone-deep.
No outsider could interfere when someone was undergoing a tribulation. Pei Du felt as though a massive boulder was pressing heavily against his chest. He furrowed his brows slightly and secretly clenched his fists.
Once the final bolt of tribulation lightning fell, the flashes dissipated, leaving behind serene, clear clouds.
It was as if an invisible giant hand had materialized in the void, sweeping away all the vast dark clouds and fierce winds. The white light that had previously enveloped the surroundings finally faded, and within the lingering brightness, an incredibly familiar silhouette gradually appeared.
Pei Du breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
The young woman's back was still straight, her eyes exceptionally bright. As the saying goes, the layman watches the spectacle, while the expert sees the technique. Although Xie Jingci's outward appearance hadn't changed much from before, as a cultivator, he could instantly sense the difference.
To say she had advanced a thousand miles in a day or that the difference was like night and day would not be an exaggeration. It was like countless trickling streams converging into vast rivers and boundless seas, utterly unstoppable.
Just by standing there, she was an unsheathed blade.
Xie Jingci smiled back at him. "I've formed my Nascent Soul."
*
Had her spiritual consciousness not been devoured by the monster in the Langya Secret Realm, given that Xie Jingci's strength was on par with Pei Du's, she should have formed her Nascent Soul long ago.
She had been cultivating diligently lately, and had accumulated a massive amount of spiritual energy in the Guiyuan Immortal Estate. Now that she had broken through the realm, her cultivation level immediately skyrocketed, shooting straight from Golden Core Great Perfection to the third stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
Mo Xiaoyang watched, dumbfounded. "The third stage of the Nascent Soul realm? Amazing, truly amazing. The first time I met Miss Xie, I felt she was hiding her true depths... How did you manage to suppress your cultivation so thoroughly and just hover around the Golden Core stage?"
He remembered with absolute clarity the time he was violently crushed by her at the Daoist academy.
Xie Jingci touched the tip of her nose.
When Wen Zhilan was defeated by her, he had been utterly astonished, entirely unable to accept the fact that he had been bested by a junior at the Golden Core stage.
In truth, it wasn't that he lacked ability; it was simply that Xie Jingci had been playing the pig to eat the tiger. Her immense cultivation had all been compressed within her Golden Core. If not for her delayed breakthrough, her realm would definitely have been higher than his.
At this moment, the crisis caused by the Gu Master finally came to an end.
Gu Mingzhao and Bai Han were both severely injured. The villagers automatically hailed them as heroes who fought valiantly against the evil cultivator, taking them to the medical clinic for treatment.
Bai Han had Gu bugs planted inside her body and didn't want others to see. Meng Xiaoting, having already learned the whole story through Xie Jingci's voice transmission, noticed her hesitation and desire to refuse, so she volunteered, "I know a little about medicine. Leave the matter of applying medicine for this lady to me."
Mo Xiaoyang nodded. "I can also go help out at the village clinic. I brought some spiritual medicines with me, they should be useful."
A village woman stepped forward. "The clinic is full and there are no empty beds. Why don't you two ladies come to my house?"
The man beside her, carrying a hoe on his shoulder, put on a serious face. "Gu Mingzhao, I couldn't tell normally, but it turns out you're quite something, kid! Once you're fully healed, let's get together for a drink. We won't go home until we're drunk!"
The village chief, wearing a complex expression, let out a light cough.
Gu Mingzhao, however, smiled naturally. Wiping the blood from his face, he nodded at the words. "Alright! I want to drink the strongest stuff!"
Xie Jingci secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She and Pei Du had been rushing about all night, and they didn't have much spiritual energy left. Not to mention, she had just endured a lightning tribulation and was in dire need of proper rest. Seeing that everyone had a place to go, Xie Jingci gently poked Pei Du's sleeve. "Are you really tired? Let's go back to the inn and rest first."
The young man gripped the scabbard of his Zhanyuan Sword tightly and gave a deep nod.
He knew in his heart that the lightning tribulation was an unavoidable trial for every cultivator, but watching helplessly as Miss Xie stood amidst the lightning still made his heart ache.
The Eastern Sea was rampant with evil energy. When the lightning struck, although her expression remained unchanged, the inside of her body must have been in agonizing pain, her spiritual energy raging.
Pei Du felt an unprecedented urge to embrace her.
However, there were too many onlookers around. If he rashly stepped forward, given Miss Xie's personality, she might find him too clingy. He had finally managed to earn her affection; he didn't dare to overstep his bounds in anything.
The Zhanyuan Sword was shifted to his left hand.
The young man's index finger twitched slightly. He gently reached out his right hand, brushing against the back of the hand of the young woman walking beside him. Sensing his touch, Xie Jingci lowered her gaze.
Pei Du's index finger gently hooked hers.
It was a quiet, subtle movement, yet enough to make her heart skip a heavy beat.
It seemed they had never actually shared a proper hand-holding before.
Miss Xie did not resist.
A hint of a smile quietly surfaced in his eyes. His fingers slid upward and gently closed around hers. The girl's hand was warm and soft, completely enveloped in his palm, reminding Pei Du of a quiet little fledgling.
He was holding... Miss Xie's hand.
It was truly so small and soft. With just a slight squeeze, it felt as though his entire sea of consciousness was enveloped in a soft, sweet fragrance.
Back at the academy, even the occasional passing thought of such a scene would make the corners of his lips lift uncontrollably and his face burn with heat.
Pei Du gathered spiritual energy in his palm and slowly channeled it into her body, feeling her meridians gradually become invigorated. "Does it still hurt?"
"I'm not that fragile, you know."
Xie Jingci smiled, giving him a sidelong glance. "You, on the other hand... here, here, and here, you're covered in bloody cuts. How about we head to the medical pavilion first and find someone to apply some medicine for you?"
Earlier, during their battle with Wen Zhilan, a swarm of Gu bugs and malicious miasma had surged toward them. It was Pei Du who had fended off the brunt of the attacks for her.
Though he hadn't suffered any major injuries, under such a fierce onslaught, it was inevitable that he would be left with numerous bloody scratches.
Pei Du, however, shook his head. "I can handle it myself. These minor injuries are nothing."
He spoke with absolute earnestness, but caught off guard, he glimpsed the teasing smile in Miss Xie's eyes.
Pei Du's heart gave a loud thump.
"That makes sense. Besides, this is the way back to the inn."
She spoke, her eyes curving into crescents. "And I happen to be free tonight."
Pei Du looked momentarily dazed.
The tips of Pei Du's ears instantly flushed red.
Completely off guard, Pei Du failed to notice a large, round rock right beneath his feet. He tripped over it, bringing Xie Jingci tumbling down to the ground right along with him.
The inn was exceptionally quiet tonight. Due to the incident in the Chaohai Mountains, quite a few villagers had been injured. The medical pavilion was overwhelmed, so anyone who was uninjured or had only minor wounds had volunteered to go and help out.
As a result, when Pei Du was carefully applying medicine to Xie Jingci's wounds, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The two of them had been virtually invincible during their showdown with Wen Zhilan, only to be utterly defeated by a random rock by the roadside moments later. Now, both of them sported small, swollen bumps on their foreheads.
The villagers walking behind them had been completely dumbfounded by the fall. Assuming the two Daoist cultivators were suffering from a sudden onset of Gu poison and had dropped dead on the spot, the crowd had frantically rushed forward—only to be greeted by Pei Du's explosively red face.
"Miss Xie."
He didn't dare apply too much pressure, his fingertips lightly brushing against her knee. "...I'm sorry."
Xie Jingci touched the small bump on her head and let out a snort of laughter. "That's your ninth 'I'm sorry' already."
She was in a rather good mood. Sitting on the edge of the bed with her calves stretched out, she lowered her eyes to observe the youth half-kneeling on the floor.
The skin on Pei Du's knee was only slightly grazed, unlike hers, which had been scraped into a bloody red patch.
Plagued by guilt, he had insisted on applying her medicine first. Because of this, the bump on his forehead was still swollen high. The bulging lump somehow managed to add a touch of adorable charm to his otherwise aloof and exquisitely handsome face.
At that thought, Xie Jingci couldn't help but smile again.
Whether in terms of appearance or temperament, Pei Du was the gentle yet distant type. When he stood silently with his sword, his oppressive aura alone was enough to keep many people at bay. No one would ever imagine that, in private, he was actually like this.
A little clumsy and delightfully bashful. His long eyelashes would flutter gently, a faint flush tinting the corners of his eyes. With just a single glance, his pitch-black irises seemed to brim with a shimmering, watery light.
Sensing her gaze, Pei Du's fingertips paused.
He was still unaccustomed to being stared at so openly by Miss Xie, especially in this dead silence where even the sound of his own heartbeat was clearly discernible.
[Feeling shy, are we?]
In the absolute stillness, that familiar, eccentric voice echoed within his sea of consciousness: [You can't even handle this little bit of teasing? Won't you just die of embarrassment later?]
Before Pei Du could fully process the words, he asked reflexively, "...Later?"
The moment the word left his lips, he understood exactly what the voice meant.
[Ding-dong! Corresponding scene triggered. Character lines have been assigned. Please check your inbox.]
Pei Du remained silent. Reaching out with his divine sense, he read the words floating in his mind.
He could feel the heat instantly exploding across his ears.
"What's wrong?"
Xie Jingci noticed his momentary daze. Having been in his shoes before, she quickly figured out the reason. "Did the System issue a new mission?"
She didn't find this particularly surprising.
Applying medicine to injuries was an inevitable trope in every world. Not to mention, the inn was practically empty right now, leaving only the two of them alone together.
Pei Du's face had already turned as red as a tomato.
Xie Jingci had no idea what kind of mission the System had given him, but seeing his bashfulness sparked her playful nature. She lightly brushed the top of her foot against his knee. "Young Master?"
His back visibly stiffened.
The scrapes were a minor issue. Under the nourishing effects of the immortal ointment, Xie Jingci could hardly feel any pain anymore.
Earlier in the mountain woods, Pei Du had tried to act fierce, but his face had been blushing far harder than hers—he was like a little wolf pup trying to bare its fangs. She found it highly amusing. Any lingering tension had completely vanished, and she even forgot about playing the apologizing bot. Instead, she stared at him with keen interest, eager to see what new tricks the System was making him play.
"...I'm done applying it."
The young sword cultivator lowered his gaze and stood up from the floor. "It's your turn."
Oh.
So it was the trope of the little maid applying medicine to the eldest young master.
Xie Jingci pursed her lips into a smile. Shifting back toward the corner of the bed, she patted the empty spot beside her, gesturing for Pei Du to sit.
As he drew near, he brought with him a faint breeze carrying the fresh scent of the woods.
The small bump on his forehead wasn't serious. A quick cleaning and a dab of ointment would be enough to declare the job done.
However, Pei Du showed no intention of letting things end there.
Catching on, Xie Jingci shifted her gaze downward to his shoulder, where his clothes had been torn by the malicious miasma. Beside her ear, the youth's clear, resonant voice sounded. "Are you expecting me to do it myself?"
It was a firm, declarative statement that left absolutely no room for argument.
At first glance, it sounded as though he was merely asking her to apply the medicine. Yet Pei Du knew perfectly well what it really meant—he was demanding that Miss Xie undress him.
She didn't object. Her fingers pinched the lapels of his robes.
In the quiet of the night, the rustle of slipping fabric was starkly clear. Pei Du didn't dare look at her. He tried desperately to avert his gaze, listening to the increasingly deafening roar of his own heartbeat.
His outer robe was peeled away, revealing the snow-white inner garments beneath.
Even through the thin layer of fabric, he could feel the softness of Miss Xie's fingertips.
Pei Du was on the verge of dying from pure embarrassment.
Meanwhile, the other party simply raised an eyebrow. With a slight press of her index finger, much like peeling apart the closed petals of a flower, she gently swept his collar down.
Xie Jingci didn't strip off his inner robe completely. As the white fabric slid downward, exposing his collarbones and a few bloody scratches on his shoulder, she abruptly stopped her movements.
A gust of cold night wind swept through the room, making Pei Du shiver.
This half-dressed, half-exposed state...
Even though the demand had come from his own mouth, the youth was now so flustered he didn't know what to do with his hands. Desperately fighting the urge to pull his robes back up, he kept his head half-lowered.
"Are you cold?"
Xie Jingci caught sight of the deepening crimson flush on his face. Though she felt a twinge of shyness herself, the overwhelming urge to laugh was far stronger. "I'll be gentle."
He was just too cute.
She decided to retract her earlier comparison of him being a "wolf pup." No matter how fierce Pei Du tried to appear, at his core, he was nothing more than a cat curled up into a tight ball.
As Xie Jingci's fingertips landed softly against his skin, Pei Du instinctively tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing heavily.
His skin was a cool, pale white, the result of being locked away year-round to practice swordplay. Due to his slender physique, his delicate collarbones formed smooth, elegant curves. Streaks of blood were scattered haphazardly across them, like scarlet blemishes on unpolished jade.
Xie Jingci's heart ached at the sight. Recalling what characters did in storybooks, she gently blew a breath over the wounds.
Pei Du's Adam's apple bobbed once more.
Her breath was light and cool, yet it sparked an explosive wave of heat that lingered over his collarbones, catching him completely off guard. The wisps of pain unexpectedly transformed into an uncontrollable electric current, spreading down the blood vessels in his neck straight to his heart, causing an unbearable itch.
For Miss Xie to treat him so gently... it was as wonderful as a dream.
His heart was brimming with overflowing joy. Accompanied by shyness and timidity, it scratched at his insides and rushed wildly through his chest.
...He was so happy.
[Don't forget the mission.]
The system's voice chimed in again: [How about I give you a hand to help you get familiar with the process?]
Pei Du could hear the gloating in its tone.
In the very next instant, his lips parted of their own accord, completely out of his control. "Do you remember the punishment?"
...No, he couldn't.
Words like this—
His divine sense brushed against those black-and-white words again, and Pei Du instantly held his breath.
Xie Jingci looked up, a bewildered expression on her face. "Punishment?"
She seemed to have some recollection of it.
Back in Gu Mingzhao's courtyard, when she had been surrounded by three people, Pei Du had called her outside and mentioned that very word.
A yandere, gloomy, and overly possessive eldest young master... what kind of punishment could he possibly dole out?
She subconsciously stopped her movements.
Meanwhile, Pei Du was already closing in.
He leaned forward, his phoenix eyes pitch-black, stopping just a hair's breadth away from her. "Are you very close with those people?"
Too much time had passed in this minor world, and Xie Jingci could no longer remember the plot clearly.
She was a little nervous, but considering Pei Du's temperament, she tried to respond with a light chuckle. "What, you're unhappy that I'm close to others? How exactly can you punish me?"
This action went against the plot. Although she didn't remember much, she knew that the male lead was timid and cowardly, never daring to resist. Faced with the eldest miss's questioning, he would always obediently admit his mistakes.
If she acted against the script and derailed the plot, the system's prepared lines would have nowhere to be used and should be completely voided.
The reason she did this was to see Pei Du's reaction, out of an ulterior motive to tease him—only when facing Pei Du would Xie Jingci always harbor the desire to tease.
Seeing him awkwardly blush was just too amusing.
The air fell silent for a brief moment, and the candle flame flickered gently.
The sudden force left no room for resistance. As she was pinned down onto the bedding in one swift motion, Xie Jingci abruptly looked up, meeting the youth's dark, unfathomable phoenix eyes.
...Wait.
This part shouldn't be in the script, right?
A villain was destined to only be a villain. No matter how fierce their aura, it was impossible for them to truly devour the male lead, let alone engage in such intimate physical contact.
Her heart inexplicably raced, and she shrank back.
Pei Du's face was covered in a layer of frost, yet the inner robe below his neck was a complete mess. Pinning her to the bed, he exuded a bizarrely contradictory aura that was all the more dangerous and seductive.
It seemed... she had provoked him with those words.
Could it be that after deviating from the plot, not only would the system not abort the mission, but it would also alter it on its own according to the plot changes?!
"Whether I am unhappy—"
He abruptly dipped down, his thin lips pressing against her earlobe. "Try it, and you'll find out."
Xie Jingci's eyes went wide, a rush of heat exploding from the back of her head.
These kinds of lines...
The little person in her heart rolled around on the floor.
What was up with these lines!
Before she could react, a torrent surged into her sea of consciousness.
Pei Du's aura, as vast as the tide, flooded her sea of consciousness. Without any explanation, it traveled downwards, reaching her limbs and bones, firmly restricting her like indestructible ropes.
The sea of consciousness was the most fragile part. Xie Jingci was jolted with a sudden shock, feeling electric currents run all through her body, making even speaking incredibly strenuous.
Knowing things were looking bad, she wanted to escape, but she was bound so tightly that she couldn't move. She could only vainly suck in a breath of cold air. "Pei—"
The restraints in her sea of consciousness abruptly tightened, and the electrical currents crackled and exploded at the same time.
Xie Jingci gritted her teeth, letting out heavy breaths from her throat.
...She was doomed.
Pei Du's thin lips landed heavily on her neck.
Forced by the system, she had once bound Pei Du with her divine sense, and had even pinned him against a wall to kiss the back of his neck.
But when all of this was truly happening to her...
Pei Du, I'm sorry for what I did back then.
This was absolute karma.
Accompanying the unrestrained itch was a timidity that swept through her entire body.
The dancing candle flame was swept by his sword aura and extinguished at some unknown point. There was no light source around them, save for the faint moonlight that illuminated Pei Du's sharply defined face.
The spring night was silent, leaving only their intertwined breathing. Because they were so close, every breath the youth took seemed wrapped in heat, landing heavily against her eardrums.
This atmosphere... was too strange.
Xie Jingci wanted to move, but her limbs were tightly bound. With her slight movements, the spiritual energy would suddenly constrict, bringing a faint pain. The realization was enough to make her feel ashamed.
She finally understood that she must never try to act tough with her words when facing Pei Du. If she kept pushing it, she would inevitably crash and burn at some point.
If heaven could give her a chance to do it all over again, Xie Jingci would definitely behave herself and be a submissive little maid.
The breathing swirling around her ears gradually deepened, and she heard Pei Du's voice, suppressed to the extreme.
The tips of his ears were as red as blood, yet his tone was icy cold. "Call me."
Xie Jingci's entire body sank into the bedding as she took a deep breath. "Pei... Pei Du."
The night was filled with a hazy darkness, and a faint floral scent permeated the air.
Miss Xie's voice lingered by his ear. Pei Du's fingers twitched slightly, and a hint of brightness appeared in his pitch-black pupils.
He was truly going too far.
Miss Xie was unwell, yet he was teasing her like this. Every word and every action made Pei Du want to find a hole to hide in.
But as it happened... he was willingly indulging in it, gradually getting used to this feeling, and even wanting more.
She was calling his name.
This made him feel that everything was not a dream, and that the person pressed tightly against Miss Xie was no one else but him.
He must be crazy.
The words in his sea of consciousness gradually faded, but Pei Du did not have any intention of backing away. Having tasted sweetness, he lightened the force of his lips and teeth. "More."
Xie Jingci noticed his movements suddenly become lighter.
The spiritual energy spreading throughout her body relinquished its force. No longer like a binding, it felt like gentle, mild hands slowly brushing over her blood vessels and bones. Compared to before, this sensation was unexpectedly even more maddening, like water droplets falling into an endless ravine, making her want to demand more.
More.
What else could she call him?
Xie Jingci spoke tentatively, "...Young Master?"
Pei Du's movements didn't stop. Moving up from her neck, he took her earlobe into his mouth and gently pursed his lips.
Xie Jingci's back arched.
Help.
She was going to die.
Besides these two, what other title could she possibly use for Pei Du? What would a completely perverted eldest young master like to hear? Could it be... Master?
That would be way too perverted.
Xie Jingci's face grew hot, and she tried her best to banish the thought from her mind.
With nowhere to hide from his gentle confinement, she spoke hesitantly, fighting desperately to suppress the breathless tremble in her voice: "Hus... Husband?"
Thump, thump.
His heart gave a heavy thump.
The youth leaning over the bed paused. Fortunately, the dark of the night was thick, preventing her from seeing his flustered expression.
Pei Du had never intended for Miss Xie to call him that.
If she had merely called him her fiancé, allowing him a brief taste of sweetness and the hope that they might one day become Dao companions, that would have been enough.
He had only wanted a tiny piece of candy, yet Miss Xie had poured out a flood of sweet nectar that completely overflowed his heart.
Perhaps noticing that Pei Du had stopped moving and the spiritual energy around him had suddenly dissipated, Xie Jingci finally breathed a sigh of relief. Gazing into his eyes, she smiled and called out once more: "Husband."
In that instant, his defenses entirely crumbled, and his heart melted into a soft puddle.
If she continued to be this good to him... Pei Du worried there would come a day when he simply would not be able to bear it.
His body already felt as though it were on fire, and he could not stop the corners of his lips from curving upward.
"...Miss Xie."
Unable to contain the joy in his heart, the handsome, ethereal youth felt a crimson flush creep to the corners of his eyes. As he leaned down, a loose strand of dark hair tumbled onto the bed.
Pei Du pressed a quiet kiss to her collarbone. His touch was incredibly light, like an act of devout submission: "Good girl."
