"Me? I just passed by the woods ahead and found some traces of demons, so I need to go over and take a look."
Meeting Qi An'an's confused gaze, Yin Ruobai explained calmly. His reasoning was well-founded and perfectly logical.
"Then what about Senior Sister Yuan?"
"Junior Sister Yuan has worked hard these past two days, so I'll have her come with me to take a look. She won't be traveling with you all."
Qi An'an had barely asked when Yin Ruobai interrupted her.
"Oh..."
Qi An'an didn't suspect a thing. She led all the Lingyun Peak disciples away, but before leaving, she made a point to specifically instruct Yuan Shu.
"Then, Senior Sister Yuan, just stay close to our Lingyun Peak's Eldest Senior Brother."
"Eldest Senior Brother has already broken through to the Nascent Soul stage. He is now a genuine Nascent Soul cultivator, so he will definitely be able to protect you!"
Yuan Shu blinked and smiled at her, nodding. "Okay."
After the Lingyun Peak disciples were out of sight, Yuan Shu was suddenly embraced from behind.
A faint scent of gardenias enveloped Yuan Shu, and a man's low, husky voice sounded by her ear. "Shushu."
The call, filled with longing, drifted into her ears. Yin Ruobai lowered his head, kissed the top of Yuan Shu's hair, and slightly tightened his arms around her.
It was as if by doing this, he could possess everything.
Yuan Shu blinked. Glancing sideways at Yin Ruobai's impassioned face, a sudden urge to tease him arose in her heart.
She let out a soft gasp of surprise.
As if frightened, she covered her mouth with one hand and looked at Yin Ruobai in astonishment.
"Senior Brother Yin, why... why are you hugging me all of a sudden?"
Yin Ruobai's body stiffened, his tone filled with disbelief. "Shushu? You, you don't remember us... we..."
Yin Ruobai wanted to explain, but halfway through, he didn't know how to word it.
Although Yuan Shu hadn't blamed him for what happened last time, at the end of the day, he had still taken advantage of her while she was poisoned by the snake venom and bullied her.
It was all his fault.
But what did Shushu mean by this? Did she... did she not want him to hold her?
Yin Ruobai panicked a little. Had he done something wrong?
Or was it that Yuan Shu didn't like the gift he had Qi An'an deliver last time, so... so she had forgotten about him?
"What is Senior Brother Yin trying to say? What... what about us?" Yuan Shu tilted her head slightly, her bright eyes concealing a deep sense of amusement.
However, the anxious Yin Ruobai failed to notice this.
"Shushu, last time in the Xiu Snake cave, we... between us..."
Yin Ruobai wanted to be direct, but afraid of hurting Yuan Shu, he kept stammering, not daring to speak plainly.
Seeing his anxious yet helpless expression, Yuan Shu was instantly amused, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Then, she turned to face Yin Ruobai, leaning closer to his face bit by bit. "Senior Brother Yin, between us... what happened? Tell me."
She reached out her long fingers and twirled a lock of long hair resting on Yin Ruobai's chest.
The black strands of hair wound around her fingertips, just like Yin Ruobai's tangled feelings at this moment.
Seeing the laughter in Yuan Shu's eyes, Yin Ruobai finally realized that she was just teasing him!
He let out a heavy sigh of relief in his heart, only for it to be instantly overwhelmed by deep longing.
He stretched out his long arms and pulled Yuan Shu completely into his embrace. "Shushu, don't scare me. I can't handle being scared like that."
For a brief moment, Yin Ruobai truly thought Yuan Shu had forgotten him.
If she really had forgotten him, what would he do?
He simply couldn't imagine it!
Their first meeting that day, the several intimate moments that followed—ever since parting with Yuan Shu, these memories had lingered in his heart, impossible to forget.
If his master hadn't sent him down the mountain, he definitely wouldn't have chosen to leave at that time.
He finished his mission as quickly as possible, wanting to return early to see Yuan Shu, but he never expected to experience a cultivation breakthrough at such a crucial juncture.
Breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage was incredibly dangerous!
Because of this, his master specifically found a quiet, secluded cave for him to enter closed-door cultivation.
It happened to be near the outskirts of the Death Demon Forest.
When he finally succeeded in advancing to the Nascent Soul stage and wanted to return to the sect, he received an order from his master the moment he stepped out of the cave.
He was ordered to lead his fellow disciples to investigate the Death Demon Forest.
Left with no choice, he had to put his return to the sect on hold.
He thought he wouldn't be able to see Yuan Shu again for a very long time.
He didn't expect... to actually see her in the Death Demon Forest!
At first, when he saw that familiar silhouette, he wasn't entirely sure.
After all, Yuan Shu was a personal disciple of Qingyun Peak, and her strength was only at the Qi Condensation stage. Logically, the Peak Master of Qingyun Peak wouldn't let her participate in such a dangerous mission.
Therefore, he didn't expect it to really be Yuan Shu; it was Qi An'an who spoke up first.
Then, he saw her turn her head.
That familiar little face was just as stunning as when they first met.
Only then was he certain that this person was truly her!
He was ecstatic, yet he didn't dare show it.
The Lingyun Peak disciples didn't know about his special relationship with Yuan Shu.
Even Qi An'an only knew half the story—she knew they were acquainted and that he had gifted Yuan Shu an expensive set of jewelry.
As for the rest, he didn't dare say, and no one dared to ask.
For so many days, he had been missing her constantly.
Missing her lips, missing her person, missing every inch of her body.
Suddenly hearing Yuan Shu's surprised question earlier, he had been so scared he almost jumped.
He really thought Yuan Shu had forgotten him.
He had to admit, Yuan Shu was truly wicked to tease him like that!
The corners of Yuan Shu's lips curled into a faint smile. She didn't answer Yin Ruobai's words, but instead continued to press him.
"Senior Brother Yin, you still haven't told me, what exactly happened between us?"
Yin Ruobai lowered his gaze. His beautiful eyes stared at Yuan Shu's delicate and pretty face, and his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.
"Does Shushu really not know?" he asked, his already low voice sounding even more husky and magnetic due to a surge of desire.
"I really don't know!" Yuan Shu smirked. Turning around, she leaned back lazily against his chest.
Yin Ruobai's heart trembled. He suddenly gripped Yuan Shu's shoulders, turned her around, and stared intently into her eyes.
"It doesn't matter if you don't know. We can relive it."
The moment his words fell, Yin Ruobai suddenly cupped the back of her head, lowered his face, and kissed her.
The faint scent of gardenias, accompanied by the crisp and pleasant fragrance on his body, made Yuan Shu—who hadn't smelled this scent in a long time—feel a momentary rush to her head.
She let out a soft whimper. Falling into Yin Ruobai's ears, it was like opening a floodgate, causing a torrent to instantly roar and surge downwards.
Yin Ruobai's breathing hitched for a second. His hand on the back of Yuan Shu's head slid down slightly to support her neck.
Allowing her to tilt her head back more comfortably.
And with that, he pried open her lips and teeth.
The pear blossom scent he had missed for so long was like a hex, like a poison, constantly stimulating his nerves.
For a moment, Yin Ruobai wished he could devour everything about Yuan Shu clean!
He gripped Yuan Shu's waist, carried her as he moved backward, and then pinned her against the tree behind them!
