In a fleeting, incredibly brief moment, Xie Jingci could not hear Pei Du's breathing.
Her eyes were covered, and all she could see was a hazy, heavy darkness. It was not until the youth's slender right hand moved away from her face and she opened her eyes again that she finally caught a glimpse of the bright moonlight.
Her heart was pounding wildly.
It took Xie Jingci a good while to confirm that this place was not a dream, and that she had not experienced any unrealistic auditory hallucinations due to excessive nervousness.
Pei Du said... Miss Xie is the best.
Her face must be completely flushed red, yet the corners of her lips could not help but yearn to curl upward. If there were no one else around, Xie Jingci would definitely jump three feet high on the spot and let out happy little pig snorts.
But right now, facing Pei Du, she could only try her best to flatten the corners of her mouth. When she really could not hold back her smile, she pretended to cough a few times and covered her mouth with her arm.
She was just so, so, so happy.
Perhaps Pei Du's words were just to repay her kindness, or perhaps he was in so much pain that his sea of consciousness was hazy, and the words just slipped out in a blur before he could take them back. Xie Jingci did not care about any of those possible reasons.
She was coaxed into super satisfaction; she was just one step away from hugging Pei Du and happily rubbing her head against his face.
Restraint, she absolutely must maintain her restraint.
Xie Jingci pursed her lips, coughed lightly, and looked up at him.
Pei Du still maintained his previous posture, sitting properly on the bed. His posture was extremely straight; even though he was enduring unbearable pain all over his body, his back remained perfectly straight, like a sharp sword about to be unsheathed, possessing its own sharp edge.
In stark contrast to this aura was the deep flush at the corners of his eyes.
His phoenix eyes were long and narrow, and the upward curve at the ends was the most alluring. Now, tinged with peach blossom hues that contrasted with the scarlet of his pupils, they were absolutely beautiful.
He had slept on the bed for a long time before, his long hair untied and draped lazily over his shoulders. A few strands curled up restlessly, while others rested against his cheek and neck, winding down the contours of his neck and slipping into his messy front lapels.
Xie Jingci's gaze felt as if it had been scalded, and she hurriedly blinked her eyes.
The current Pei Du not only had red-rimmed eyes and scattered black hair, but even his inner garments... were messily opened a bit, revealing a patch of pale skin.
He noticed her dodging gaze and did not think too much about it, looking down following her line of sight. When he realized what she was seeing, his body could not help but stiffen.
Then Xie Jingci watched helplessly as the great demon lord's ears turned from pink to red. Without a word, he lowered his head and hurriedly smoothed his front lapels.
How could he be so cute?
She found it somewhat amusing, yet could not help but feel a bit of sorrow.
The world said he was an unforgivable evil demon whom everyone had the right to execute. But no one knew that beneath that seemingly ferocious and terrifying shell, the real Pei Du was just a young boy who was poor with words, docile and kind, and would even frequently blush out of shyness.
Only then could she sense Pei Du's breathing again.
How strange. Earlier, when he covered her eyes, Xie Jingci clearly noticed a pause in his breathing for a few moments. She originally thought it was just her illusion, but her feelings at this moment did not seem false. Could it be that Pei Du had done something at that time and deliberately held his breath?
She could not figure out the answer. Her thoughts spun wildly, and she suddenly remembered the hot breath approaching her forehead in that boundless darkness.
It felt like the breath of someone's body, gentle and restrained, hard to notice.
If that was Pei Du leaning towards her, judging from their posture at the time...
Xie Jingci's heart gave a massive jolt. The moment she pictured the scene, a boiling heat rose in her cheeks.
No way. Probably, no, absolutely no way.
How could Pei Du take the opportunity to secretly kiss her? Although, based on the scenario she imagined, to be precise, he would have kissed the back of his own hand.
But even such an action was already the limit for Xie Jingci.
Are you kidding? How could it not be the limit? She had not even properly held Pei Du's hand, let alone a kiss, which she only dared to think about secretly.
If what just happened was really as she suspected, the person she yearned for sitting on the edge of the bed, slowly leaning in, letting his messy hair scatter across the bedding, his thin lips stained with blood, ultimately pressing a kiss to the back of the right hand that was covering her eyes...
Xie Jingci repented; she was really too useless.
Just thinking of such a scene, she was already about to lose it, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a ball and kick her legs wildly.
However... Pei Du probably would not do such a thing, right?
They were not even that familiar with each other yet, only barely qualifying as friends, or rather, only Xie Jingci was unilaterally very familiar with him.
Where would all that romance come from? Pei Du just got very close and said a single sentence to her, that was all.
That sentence had already made her very happy. Xie Jingci knew how to take things step by step and could not be greedy.
Having sorted out her thoughts, she rubbed the tip of her nose: In the Ghost Tomb... do you often get like this?
Occasionally.
Pei Du shook his head: Miss Xie does not need to worry.
Thanks to her help, the demonic energy this time was subdued so early.
More often in the past, he would sit all alone in the corner of a cave, waiting for the demonic tide to gradually recede. If the pain was too severe, he would bite down hard on his arm, using the pain there to divert some of his attention. By the time a bout of demonic energy faded, his forearm would often be covered in bloodstains.
When it came to enduring pain alone, Pei Du had a lot of experience from childhood to adulthood.
I happened to hear before that this method could suppress the demonic energy and make you feel less miserable.
Xie Jingci smiled: Is your body feeling any better?
Pei Du nodded.
He had previously been consumed by pain, taking up most of his thoughts. Now that the wave of pain had receded, recalling what Miss Xie had said felt like a dream.
When Pei Du was still the adopted son of the Pei family, he had heard compliments from many, many people.
They called him a once-in-a-century sword dao genius, possessing extraordinary cultivation at a young age, destined to become the chief of the righteous path. Later, after falling into the Ghost Tomb, Pei Du had also seen a few of them.
The smiles that used to hang on their faces were completely gone. Everyone held their magical artifacts in strict formation, standing amidst surging spiritual energy, harshly calling him an evil spirit or vile spawn in tones full of disgust.
Having heard such words too many times, over time, when Pei Du woke up from nightmares in the dead of night and stared blankly at the bloodstains scattered across the Ghost Tomb, he could not help but think: so he really had become a monster.
With a hideous appearance, overflowing with demonic energy, unable to suppress the surging murderous intent within his body, living in a forgotten corner, accompanied by demonic creatures.
He could no longer turn back. Despised by more than half of the cultivation world, he had almost rotted into the mud. Before this, Pei Du did not even dare to imagine that anyone would be willing to praise him, after all, even he himself utterly loathed this body.
But Miss Xie had patted his head and even said he was very good.
...No matter what he turned into, as long as it was him, he was very good.
Words possessed the power to bewitch the heart; his entire chest felt emptied out by them.
Right, the reason I came here is to tell you.
The current atmosphere was not quite right. Xie Jingci had just lost her composure and inevitably felt a bit panicked. Trying hard to suppress her shyness, she said seriously, "My parents found Senior Lin Que from the Medicine King Valley specifically to heal your wounds. Senior Lin is an old friend of my father's and a very good person. You don't need to worry."
Thank goodness, the topic had finally returned to a normal track.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. Before Pei Du could respond, a loud and careless male voice suddenly came to her ears: "Cici, we're back—"
Xie Shu's voice came to an abrupt halt.
In the quiet night, this sound seemed especially abrupt. Xie Jingci turned her head and saw three distinctly different figures: her father with his mouth and eyes wide open, her thoughtful mother, and Lin Que, who was smiling with narrowed eyes.
Xie Jingci turned her head again to glance at Pei Du.
She was sitting by the bed, the blush on her face yet to fade. Pei Du's face was also flushed, his eyes faintly glistening with moisture, and his clothes and long hair were in complete disarray. No matter how you looked at it, this scene was highly suggestive.
What's more, her parents knew about her feelings for Pei Du.
Xie Jingci declared righteously, "Pei Du was feeling unwell just now so I came over to check on his injuries I'm really not lying to you!"
She spoke without a single pause, blurting it all out in a rush. Only after she finished did she realize in hindsight that such an excuse sounded more like a guilty cover-up.
Xie Shu nodded with a smile, appearing calm on the surface, looking every bit the loving father. "I understand. Little Du is your friend, after all. It's only right to care for him."
In the next instant, he secretly sent a telepathic message: "Sorry, Cici. Did we interrupt you two? We should have come later."
—No, you didn't! Dad, stop imagining weird scenarios on your own!
Yun Zhaoyan nodded. "How is the situation? There are a few faint auras in the room... Could it be that the demonic energy in Little Du's body is acting up?"
Immediately after, she also sent a secret telepathic message: "Did he resist? If he didn't, find a time to continue. It wouldn't hurt to push your luck a bit."
—What do you mean, "did he resist"?! Mom, did you subconsciously assume I forced myself on Pei Du?! Just what kind of image do you have of your daughter?!
Beside them, Lin Que smiled without saying a word. With a flick of his finger, he lit the candles in the corner. The room was instantly illuminated, revealing the many creases on the bedsheets.
Xie Jingci: ...
Xie Jingci gave up on explaining. She quickly moved away from the bed and stood obediently by Yun Zhaoyan's side. "Anyway, Senior, please heal his wounds quickly."
"You certainly are impatient."
Despite his words, Lin Que followed her request and slowly stepped forward. He sat on a wooden chair by the bed, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "I heard your sea of consciousness has completely recovered?"
Xie Jingci replied with an "Mm," which drew a click of the tongue in amazement from the other party. "Incredible. For such a severe injury to heal completely overnight, calling it a miracle would not be an exaggeration."
He paused after speaking, his voice suddenly carrying a laugh. "Cici, after I finish treating little friend Pei, could you lend me your brain to play with—ahem, I mean, to study for a bit?"
This senior was obsessed with medical skills and loved researching above all else. It just so happened that Xie Jingci was also full of doubts about her regained divine sense. Even though she heard the words "play with," she still agreed without hesitation.
Having received her permission, the smile on Lin Que's face deepened. He looked up and met Pei Du's eyes for a moment. "Young Master Pei."
When facing strangers, Pei Du always appeared aloof and reticent, showing no signs of timidity. Hearing his voice, he forced himself to muster his energy and replied in a deep voice, "Senior Lin Que, thank you."
"Don't be in a rush to thank me."
Lin Que smiled. "I came today not only to heal your injuries but mainly to expel the demonic energy in your body. You stayed in the Ghost Tomb for so long that its aura has already seeped into your internal organs. To expel it, you will definitely suffer a backlash."
Since it had penetrated deep into his bones, the backlash would naturally cause a bone-deep pain that ordinary people could not endure.
He pondered for a moment and continued, "Furthermore, the demonic energy has been accumulating for a long time. Expelling it is by no means a one-day task. I'm afraid you'll have to endure this pain for many days to come. Do you understand?"
Pei Du understood perfectly.
Demonic energy seeping into the marrow was extremely difficult to completely eradicate. Throughout the entire cultivation world, no more than a few dozen people could achieve this. Before this, he had been all alone, thinking he was hopelessly incurable day after day, never able to escape the identity of an evil demon.
Pain was nothing.
As long as he... still had a chance.
A chance to become better, to be worthy of her.
His heart felt like it had been forcefully struck. The young man's long eyelashes trembled lightly, and he took a soft breath. "Yes."
Just as Lin Que had said, the process of expelling the demonic energy was excruciating. Even as a bystander, Xie Jingci was so nervous that she frequently held her breath.
Lin Que's method of expelling the demonic energy involved driving his spiritual energy straight through the body, wrapping it around a cluster of demonic energy, and then slowly dragging it out.
His force wasn't heavy, but the demonic energy in Pei Du's body was dense and had long since seeped deeply into his flesh and blood. As the saying goes, a slight move in one part affects the whole situation; even a tiny movement caused the young man to furrow his brows tightly.
Frowning and muffled groans were his limit. From beginning to end, Pei Du clenched his teeth tightly, barely making a sound.
"Truly impressive."
The first session of demonic energy expulsion had barely finished, and he had already fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion. Beside him, Lin Que marvelled, "Demonic energy can disrupt a person's mind, turning them into a monster driven by their desires. Logically speaking, with his level of demonic corruption, he should have lost his rationality long ago... It's truly unimaginable how little friend Pei managed to survive in the Ghost Tomb."
Hearing this made Xie Jingci feel a bit upset. She asked him seriously, "With this, will the demonic energy in his body decrease?"
"Do you still not trust me?"
Lin Que looked up and smiled, suddenly stroking his chin. "However, today is the first time. The demonic energy has suddenly decreased, and my spiritual energy clashed with his. His body will most likely be unable to adapt—but it's not a big problem. Just keep a close eye on him."
After their discussion, this man really did inspect Xie Jingci's sea of consciousness. Unfortunately, her mind was completely calm, without the slightest hint of anything abnormal.
Since Xie Shu and the others returned to the Xie Manor, night had already fallen. As it was getting late, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. By the time Xie Jingci opened her eyes the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.
She was always an early riser and rarely experienced waking up at noon. As soon as she opened her eyes, the first thought that popped into her head was actually wondering if Pei Du was feeling any better.
...She was truly bewitched.
Self-mockery aside, when passing by Pei Du's room, Xie Jingci still couldn't resist stepping forward and knocking on the door.
Unexpectedly, the room door wasn't closed.
Pei Du was rigorous by nature. Most of the time, he would definitely lock the door properly. Now that the door was slightly ajar, it was highly likely that he had encountered some sort of sudden situation and rushed into the room, unable to care about anything else.
This reminded her of what Lin Que had said yesterday.
To give an example, Pei Du's body was like a lake, and the demonic energy was the water filling the lake. Now that a portion of the water had been removed, leaving a large gap, the water from all directions would inevitably gather towards that spot. Similarly, the demonic energy would also flow wildly within his body.
His meridians were already fragile; how could they withstand the reckless rampage of demonic energy? Xie Jingci's heart tightened. Hearing no response from inside the room, she pushed the door open.
What met her eyes was a cascade of pouring sunlight. The young man, tall and slender, stood by the wooden table. He was hunched over, his hands gripping the edge of the table in a deathly tight grip.
Perhaps recalling last night, Xie Jingci closed the door behind her.
Compared to yesterday, the black mist surrounding Pei Du was even thicker now. Seeing her enter, he spoke with a hint of panic, "...Don't come over."
The consequence of the surging demonic energy was that his impulses were far fiercer than last night. Under such intense desire, Pei Du could not guarantee he wouldn't do something to her.
Miss Xie, with her kind heart, surely still wanted to help him.
But she could never imagine that the person before her was a vicious and venomous snake, only wanting to swallow her whole.
He had tried to stop her, but she did not halt. Pei Du heard her approaching footsteps. Her familiar scent filled his nose, plucking at his heartstrings thread by thread and awakening the dusty desires hidden deep within his heart. He subconsciously took a step back, enduring the agonizing pain. "I will hurt you, Miss Xie."
The footsteps stopped by his side. Pei Du gritted his teeth. As he half-closed his long eyelashes, he felt the restless, dark tides stirring within.
"Are you in pain?"
She said, "I can help you, just like yesterday."
But today was completely different from last night.
He was too ashamed to tell her about those dark, unmentionable thoughts. In his daze, he suddenly felt a hand gently touch the top of his head.
The movement caught him off guard. Almost out of pure instinct, the young man's pupils darkened abruptly. He grabbed her wrist and pinned the person before him against the table.
He could clearly feel Xie Jingci's breath hitch.
It was an extremely intimate position, with only a layer of scorching air between their bodies. When he looked down, he could see her panicked eyes and flushed profile. His gaze trailed downward, finally resting on her jade-white neck.
A voice in his heart secretly clamored, urging him to pierce through that thin layer of skin and taste the blood within. It would surely be utterly delicious.
He was truly going mad.
An endless wave of self-loathing washed over him. Pei Du furrowed his brows slightly, gathered his strength, and struck himself heavily on the chest.
The blow was merciless. The resulting sharp pain finally helped him regain a shred of sanity. However, just as he was about to pull away, his body suddenly froze.
This pause was not of his own volition.
Miss Xie, who should have been terrified... had actually grabbed him by the front of his robes.
His gaze collided with her dark pupils. Pei Du couldn't guess the intention behind this action. His heart quietly suspended in his chest, as if gripped tightly by a large hand, aching rawly.
Xie Jingci was also nervous.
Her mother had once told her that if Pei Du didn't resist, she could push her luck and take a mile.
She liked him. She wanted to be closer to him, and she also wanted to ease his suffering. Ultimately, these were her own hidden, selfish little thoughts, akin to an ulterior seduction.
The breathtakingly beautiful girl tilted her head up slightly.
Pei Du watched as she deliberately exposed her slender neck. Her red lips parted slightly, speaking words he couldn't believe, words he had never dared to even dream of: "Do you want this?"
His sea of consciousness exploded with a bang, and the tips of his ears felt as if they had caught fire.
He couldn't formulate a response; his Adam's apple merely bobbed up and down, feeling more flustered and helpless than ever before. In the very next moment, he saw Xie Jingci's eyes flicker. With a surge of spiritual energy, she sliced a small cut across the skin of her neck.
A subtle scent of blood began to diffuse in the air. A drop of blood rolled down the side of her neck, like a red bead resting upon pure snow.
Those who succumbed to demonic deviation harbored a thirst for blood; this was common knowledge throughout the cultivation world.
Xie Jingci gathered her courage and stared straight into his eyes. Her voice was low and clear, like an irresistible bewitchment: "It's yours. Come here."
Those simple words were enough to completely shatter the defenses he had so painstakingly built.
"It's only to help you relieve the demonic energy, don't overthink it."
The room was filled with warm, gentle light. In the hazy silence, Pei Du heard her continue, "You aren't going to let me bleed for nothing, are you, Pei Du?"
She always had countless ways to leave him without a single reason to refuse.
And so, the young man lowered his eyes and leaned in. His thin, pale lips were clumsy and inexperienced. They paused in midair for a moment before finally landing on that luminous white skin.
His soft lips gently pressed into the creamy skin of her neck. Pei Du's heart trembled. He hesitated, then gave a soft suck. As his lips touched the first drop of blood, his eyes turned an even deeper shade of red.
This was the girl he had held in his heart for many years.
He had never been this close to her, so close that it felt almost like blasphemy.
Yet, the excuse they shared couldn't be more perfect: it was all to counteract the impulses brought on by the demonic energy.
Under this high-sounding facade, and driven by the growing thirst in his heart, his lips gradually applied more pressure. What started as a hesitant graze turned into an intense, lingering kiss, allowing the flowing blood to be swallowed down into his stomach.
It was high noon, and the sunlight was blindingly bright, illuminating every unspeakable corner of the room.
The young man's breath brushed against Xie Jingci's neck like rising tides, wave after wave, stirring up an endless, tingling itch.
The neck was an extremely private and sensitive area to begin with. The sensation sent shivers down her spine. Hearing her own increasingly heavy breathing, an overwhelming sense of shyness washed over her. Wordlessly, she reached out her right hand and rested it on Pei Du's slightly arched back.
If she wanted the demonic energy to recede, she had to clear his meridians as quickly as before.
But this posture was simply...
Xie Jingci was already embarrassed enough, but to her surprise, in such a compromising situation, a figure hurried past the door outside.
Soon, an unexpected knock sounded at the door, accompanied by a clear male voice: "Little Du, is Cici in your room?"
If he were to enter the room right now...
Her heartbeat completely lost its rhythm. She instinctively wanted to find a place to hide, but just as she tried to pull back and break free, a hand pressed firmly against her spine, allowing no room for argument.
Pei... Pei Pei Pei Du?
Xie Jingci's eyes widened instantly at his action.
The room was filled only with their intertwined breaths, and a sticky heat permeated the air. Pei Du's right hand pressed against her back, while his thin lips shifted slightly, ghosting over her skin in a barely-there touch.
His voice was low, sounding as if he had just woken up, as he answered the person outside the door. "Miss Xie isn't here. Did something happen?"
"That girl, who knows where she ran off to by herself again. I can't find her in her room."
Outside the door, Xie Shu sighed. "Were you resting? Sorry, sorry, I'll go look for her somewhere else."
His thin lips softly pressed down again, then quietly shifted away, sending faint, imperceptible currents of electricity through her.
Xie Jingci's face burned hotly. She heard him speak in a deep voice, his tone completely serious and giving nothing away: "Thank you for your trouble, Senior."
He kept saying thank you for your trouble, but in reality, he had the very person the man was looking for pinned beneath him, separated from the searcher by only a single wooden door.
How could someone be so outrageous?
She bit her lower lip, trying her hardest not to make any strange noises. Before leaving, she heard Xie Shu add, "By the way, yesterday was your first time undergoing demonic extraction, so your body might not be used to it. If you feel anything unusual, you must tell us."
Pei Du replied with a simple, "I will."
The moment the figure outside the door disappeared, the hidden, dark tides within the room were gradually unleashed.
Pei Du did not stop his movements. His right hand rested over the delicate ridge of her spine, his thumb pressing gently to feel the intimate warmth radiating through her thin clothes.
He could hardly believe he was doing this. In his hazy state of mind, he inexplicably thought of the Miss Xie from another world.
He had heard that in her world, the two of them had already confessed their feelings for one another.
Even if the chances were incredibly slim, in the vast expanse of the universe, there truly existed a possibility where Miss Xie might actually fall in love with him.
Then... could he do the same? At this very moment, as Miss Xie willingly bared her neck to him, what kind of feelings did she harbor for him?
Clothes rustled softly against each other. The sensation against her neck felt less like he was drawing blood and more like a kiss. In her daze, Xie Jingci felt a tender, gentle warmth.
Although she had initiated this, experiencing it firsthand made her realize that the reality far exceeded anything she had anticipated.
In that fleeting instant, Xie Jingci felt as if her entire body were on fire. A tingling rush exploded across her scalp, and her inner self curled up into a tight, shy ball.
The soft touch carried a scorching heat, drawing out subtle, involuntary shivers. The fleeting brush of skin against skin felt frantic and unbridled, yet at the same time, fiercely restrained.
It was a deeply intimate and ambiguous exploration.
Pei Du... had used the tip of his tongue to gently trace her skin.
