Yuan Shu instinctively reached out her arms and wrapped them around Shen Qi's neck.
A faint, deep scent of pear blossoms curled in the air, drifting into his nose and tugging at his heartstrings.
Yuan Shu lifted her small face in panic, meeting Shen Qi's gaze which was mere inches away, before hurriedly lowering her head in shy embarrassment.
In the quiet atmosphere, a strangely ambiguous tension slowly flowed between them.
Neither of them let go.
Shen Qi's heart beat rapidly. He was holding Yuan Shu, and she hadn't refused; she sat obediently on his lap.
Her already stunningly beautiful face looked even more delicate and enchanting because of that involuntary blush of shyness.
His gaze couldn't help but wander down from Yuan Shu's pretty face.
Over her nightgown, she wore a soft, pink sheer gauze draped over her shoulders, faintly revealing the contours of her snow-white skin.
Her full, exaggerated curves were barely concealed by her bodice, pressing together to form a deep cleavage.
Her slender waist, small enough to wrap his hands around, felt soft and fragile, as if a gentle squeeze could snap it in two.
And now, all of this was so close to him, so close that he could clearly catch the faint natural fragrance of her body.
Shen Qi swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, a fine layer of sweat already seeping into his palms.
He had originally come to ask about Shu Linyuan, but looking into Yuan Shu's innocent and beautiful eyes, he suddenly felt that none of that mattered anymore.
If Yuan Shu was willing, he, he...
"Eldest Senior Brother, my hand still hasn't healed. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to apply my medicine again tonight."
In the quiet room, Yuan Shu spoke slowly, her soft and sweet voice instantly pulling Shen Qi's thoughts back.
Apply... medicine?
The memory of last night suddenly flashed in his mind, and his tongue couldn't help but trace his lips.
Did Junior Sister Yuan really not dislike him?
"Alright."
Hearing his agreement, Yuan Shu smiled softly and handed him the medicine bottle in her hand.
It was the bottle Shen Qi had just left outside the door, which Yuan Shu had brought in with her.
Shen Qi reached out to take it, his fingertips trembling slightly as he gently pressed Yuan Shu against his shoulder to lean on him.
Seeing that Yuan Shu didn't resist, he slowly reached out, untied the sash at her waist, and slipped the collar off her shoulder.
Her beautiful curves appeared in his line of sight, just as captivating as the night before.
Shen Qi hurriedly poured the medicinal liquid into his palm and gently covered her skin with it.
The cool liquid quickly grew scorching hot beneath his palm. Yuan Shu closed her eyes, leaning sideways against Shen Qi's shoulder.
Shen Qi lowered his eyes, his gaze lingering on Yuan Shu's quiet little face. He wanted to do something, yet feared frightening her.
As he hesitated, the devil in his heart began to clamor.
Junior Sister Yuan likes me. I can go a little further, just like last night!
Junior Sister Yuan didn't refuse. She agrees! Hurry, make a move!
What are you hesitating for? Hurry!
Shen Qi's eyelashes fluttered, his Adam's apple bobbing frantically, his heart fraught with intense nervousness.
Finally unable to resist the devil's urging in his heart, he lowered his hand.
"Mmh."
Yuan Shu let out a soft moan and leaned a little closer toward his neck.
Her beautiful, watery eyes looked at him with a hazy gaze. Her crimson lips were slightly parted, faintly revealing the pink tip of her tongue between snow-white teeth.
Shen Qi's body tensed, a sudden urge rising from the depths of his heart.
He wanted to taste it, to taste the flavor of that small mouth.
Shen Qi lowered his breathing, his unblinking eyes fixed on Yuan Shu's face right in front of him.
He slowly leaned closer to Yuan Shu until their lips met.
Without a doubt, the scent of pear blossoms on Yuan Shu's lips was the richest, carrying an alluring allure.
It instantly made Shen Qi lose control, and he reached out to cup the back of her head.
"Mnh, mm."
A flash of surprise crossed Yuan Shu's half-open eyes. She reached out and gently pushed him twice, only to be held even tighter.
A simple, shallow taste clearly couldn't satisfy the devil in his heart. Shen Qi began to pry open her lips and teeth.
Yuan Shu struggled and tried to dodge a couple of times, but Shen Qi, who could no longer hold back, firmly held her head in place.
The kiss deepened.
It swept away every breath from Yuan Shu's lips.
...
An hour later, a figure darted out of the courtyard, rushing hastily toward his own quarters.
Yun Sheng stood under the corridor, holding the herbs for a medicinal bath in his hands. He quietly watched the retreating back, his lips pressed tightly together.
"Miss Yuan, the items for your medicinal bath are all prepared."
He knocked on the door and spoke softly.
"Come in."
Yuan Shu's voice carried an unbearable, sultry charm that made one's heart skip a beat.
Yun Sheng pushed the door open and entered the room.
Yuan Shu was lying on the bed. Her bodice was long gone, leaving only a piece of sheer gauze to cover her body.
On her exquisitely beautiful face, a flush of red had yet to fade.
The air was warm and steamy, yet it lacked the expected scent of the aftermath.
Yun Sheng raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling upon Yuan Shu.
He noticed that apart from the loose clothing on her upper body, her lower garments were perfectly intact.
Could it be...
Shen Qi hadn't served Yuan Shu well?
Yun Sheng's heart skipped a beat as he lowered his eyes to look at Yuan Shu on the bed.
Yuan Shu's face visibly showed signs of irritation.
Having spent so much time in the Hehuan Sect, she had never experienced having her desires stoked only to be left hanging halfway!
She truly hadn't expected that after pulling the man onto her bed and doing everything they should and shouldn't do...
At the final moment, Shen Qi would actually run away!
Could it be that her charm arts were still lacking?
So much so that she couldn't even take down a mere Eldest Senior Brother?
Or perhaps... she had chosen the wrong person?
Was Shen Qi all looks and no substance?
Yuan Shu felt a bit of regret.
If she had known this would happen, why would she have wasted her time on him?
"Heh..."
Yuan Shu sneered, closed her eyes, and tossed a silk handkerchief over her face, lying back down lazily.
She waited for Yun Sheng to carry her to the medicinal bath.
But the expected embrace never came. Instead, an unusual sensation traveled from the sole of her foot.
Yuan Shu froze slightly. As if realizing something, she extended her other foot forward, only for someone to gently grasp her ankle.
...
Yuan Shu's heart tightened, and the hand she had raised to pull down the silk handkerchief paused slightly.
Sensing her retract her foot, Yun Sheng looked up with an anxious heart.
He just happened to see Yuan Shu slowly lower the hand holding the handkerchief, without uttering a word to stop him.
Yun Sheng's eyes lit up.
Yuan Shu didn't reject him?
She agreed?
Ever since Shen Qi first visited the courtyard and Yuan Shu hadn't refused him, Yun Sheng had noticed that not only had her personality and temper undergone a massive change...
But so had her desires for intimacy between a man and a woman.
He had a very sharp nose.
When Yuan Shu returned from the Cliff of Repentance, he had smelled the scent of another man on her.
And it was the scent of deep, intimate exchange. If his nose wasn't mistaken, that person was Shu Linyuan!
This afternoon, he had smelled that scent once again.
Without a doubt, Yuan Shu had gone to see Shu Linyuan again today.
Over the past few days, Shen Qi had been running to Yuan Shu's courtyard every day. He wasn't blind; naturally, he had seen it all.
It was just that when Yuan Shu told him to make himself scarce, he did so.
And from Yuan Shu's attitude toward Shen Qi, he had roughly figured out what was going on.
Yuan Shu was seducing Shen Qi!
And just now, when he entered the room, there was only an ambiguous atmosphere, but no scent of a consummated deed.
Taking another look at Yuan Shu's expression, he understood.
Shen Qi had run away, leaving Yuan Shu frustrated and unfulfilled.
At that moment, a crazy thought bred in his mind.
Why could Shu Linyuan do it? Why could Shen Qi do it?
Why couldn't it be him?
Yuan Shu was so breathtakingly beautiful that even being just one of the men by her side would be his absolute fortune!
Once the thought took root, it could no longer be suppressed, burning ever more intensely within him!
As fate would have it, Shen Qi had run off, surrendering this very opportunity.
With that, he made up his mind.
Heart pounding with apprehension, he fell to his knees, carefully crept to the edge of the bed, and lowered his head.
