The large, well-defined hands moved down from her ankle, massaging bit by bit.
Not missing a single inch.
The scalding heat of his palms transferred completely to her skin, making her heart flutter wildly.
"Ah!"
An exclamation startled Ji Qingyan awake from his thoughts.
At the same time, Yuan Shu's foot suddenly pushed hard against his chest.
The force was neither too light nor too heavy, landing right over his heart through his thin clothes.
Ji Qingyan's hands were suddenly empty. By the time he recovered, there was a weight on his chest.
His breathing hitched for a moment. Ji Qingyan opened his mouth, his voice dropping a couple of octaves into hoarseness.
"Miss Yuan, what's wrong?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. You hit a ticklish spot just now, and I couldn't hold back..."
Yuan Shu's cheeks were flushed red, and she looked up at him with a hint of embarrassment.
After saying that, she gave an awkward smile and carefully moved her foot down from his chest.
Unexpectedly... just as she was about to pull her foot away, Ji Qingyan grabbed it.
"Senior Brother Ji?" Yuan Shu looked up at him in surprise. The tips of his ears were slightly red, but the hand gripping her ankle did not let go.
"The massage still needs a bit more time. If Miss Yuan is ticklish, we can keep it like this."
"Is that really okay?" Yuan Shu tilted her head to look at him, a bright and charming smile blooming on her stunningly beautiful face.
Ji Qingyan was dazzled by her smile and quickly nodded, "It's fine."
"Then... can I put this foot up too?"
Yuan Shu leaned back, took off her other shoe, and gently rested her foot on the other side of Ji Qingyan's chest.
Through the fabric of his clothes, she slowly traced across his chest, stirring up a peculiar sensation.
Ji Qingyan's body suddenly tensed, and the hand holding Yuan Shu's ankle tightened uncontrollably.
Yuan Shu, however, seemed to find this amusing. Her toes mischievously slipped into the overlapping folds of his collar, lightly brushing against his chest in a teasing manner.
"Senior Brother Ji, your heart is beating so fast. Are you sick?"
Yuan Shu tilted her head slightly, blinking her eyes that were as bright as the stars, looking at Ji Qingyan with pure innocence.
Then, she suddenly pressed down.
"..."
Ji Qingyan let out a muffled groan and reflexively grabbed her foot with his other hand.
The next second, Ji Qingyan had already stood up, taking a step forward and leaning over her.
Yuan Shu's small feet were still pressed against his chest, and because of his movements, she was forced to bend her knees.
This posture was far too ambiguous.
Ji Qingyan's long hair fell, brushing against her smooth calves, tickling her slightly.
"Senior Brother Ji, what are you trying to do?" Yuan Shu reached out, twirling a strand of his hair around her fingertip, playing with it slowly.
Her soft and melodious voice was like a hook.
Ji Qingyan's gaze couldn't help but fall on Yuan Shu's small face.
The corners of her mouth curled into a knowing, wicked smile, her eyes curving into crescents, gradually overlapping with the person from the bamboo forest.
Right. How could a woman who, knowing he was drugged, still took the initiative to entangle and lure him into a deep kiss, be innocent and pitiful?
Yuan Shu was doing this on purpose!
Deliberately... seducing him!
At this thought, Ji Qingyan's Adam's apple bobbed wildly. He grabbed Yuan Shu's ankles, placed them on either side of his waist, and pressed himself directly between her legs.
Their eyes met, and he saw a flash of surprise in Yuan Shu's eyes.
"Did Junior Sister Yuan think I wouldn't dare to do anything?"
He lowered his voice, his normally gentle and pleasant tone now carrying a hint of huskiness.
He caught the pleasant scent of pear blossoms on Yuan Shu, crisp and elegant, and couldn't help but lean in closer.
Her skin was very fair, and her delicate, smooth face bore a faint, natural flush, like shy, warm jade.
With a smile on her lips, Yuan Shu lazily leaned back a little against the couch, looked up at the towering Ji Qingyan, and asked in return,
"Senior Brother Ji, right now... you aren't drugged, are you?"
Ji Qingyan lowered his eyes, meeting Yuan Shu's teasing face.
This little girl was teasing him about the bamboo forest incident! After all, back then, he had truly been dominated by the drug's effects and lost control!
Fortunately, the person he met was her!
Her charming little face looked beautiful from every angle. Remembering the scene he had seen outside the door earlier, Ji Qingyan's heart began to beat wildly out of control again.
She smelled so good.
Her lips and tongue seemed even sweeter.
His large hand gently held Yuan Shu's chin. Ji Qingyan leaned in, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"Why don't you have a taste, Miss Yuan? Then you'll know if I've been drugged or not."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Qingyan lowered his head and captured her lips.
Soft, sweet, mixed with the pleasant scent of pear blossoms—it was the delicious taste from his memory!
Ji Qingyan's Adam's apple bobbed. His large hand wrapped around Yuan Shu's waist, pinning her to the small couch.
After a brief taste, he took the initiative to pry open her lips and teeth.
He hadn't been indifferent during their encounter in the bamboo forest.
In fact, after returning, he had thought about it uncontrollably for most of the night.
Without a doubt, he was moved!
Since that was the case, how could he possibly withstand Yuan Shu's teasing?
The kiss deepened, as they exchanged each other's breath.
As if feeling it wasn't enough, Ji Qingyan wrapped his arms around her waist, flipped over to sit on the couch, and pulled Yuan Shu onto his lap.
Lips and teeth intertwined, their breaths mingling.
The atmosphere gradually heated up.
It wasn't until they had been entangled for a full fifteen minutes that Ji Qingyan, panting slightly, released her lips.
"Yuan... Shushu."
He had wanted to call her full name, but feeling it was inappropriate, he called her by her pet name.
Intimate and pleasant to the ear.
With that, his heart stirred, and Ji Qingyan lowered his head to kiss her again.
It seemed that no matter how much he kissed her, it was never enough!
...
"Deacon Ji, this is bad! Something has happened at the medicinal herb garden, please go take a look quickly!"
Hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, followed by the anxious shouts of a young disciple from Medicine Cloud Peak.
The medicinal herb garden was the area on the peak specifically dedicated to cultivating artificial medicinal plants.
Compared to the back cliff that simulated a wild environment, the medicinal efficacy of the plants here was slightly inferior, but they made up for it in sheer quantity.
It was the source of medicinal ingredients that Medicine Cloud Peak provided for its own disciples and for external trade.
It was extremely important to Medicine Cloud Peak.
The young disciple came to report in such a rush, with such an anxious tone, it was obvious something serious had really happened.
Ji Qingyan released Yuan Shu, gave her lips one last gentle peck, and then let go of the hand around her waist.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned a gentle breeze to straighten Yuan Shu's dress, and then tidied himself up as well.
Only then did he look towards the door and speak up, "Come in."
"What happened?"
Ji Qingyan cast a faint gaze on the young disciple. His calm demeanor helped the panicked disciple settle down.
"Deacon Ji, the medicinal herbs in the garden have suddenly started to wither on a massive scale. Steward Wang, who manages the plants, asked the peak's masters to take a look, but they couldn't find the cause either."
"The Peak Master isn't on the peak either, which is why I was sent to quickly find you to go take a look!"
Although the young disciple's voice had calmed down a lot, his expression was still full of anxiety.
The medicinal herb garden covered a vast area. A large-scale withering of the herbs was a major disaster.
If they couldn't find the cause, Medicine Cloud Peak would suffer heavy losses!
"I understand. I will head over right now."
Ji Qingyan stood up. Thinking of Yuan Shu beside him, he was just about to speak when she interrupted him.
"I am the newly appointed guest elder of Medicine Cloud Peak. Let me go take a look with you."
"Alright."
...
