The night was misty, and the full moon perched on the treetops cast a cold, clear glow, stretching Shen Qi's silhouette as he stood in the courtyard.
His voice just now hadn't been quiet; the people inside the room should have heard him.
But...
He waited for a long time, yet the door remained tightly shut, showing not the slightest sign of opening.
On the wind, faint, continuous whimpers drifted into his ears without hindrance, sounding as if they were floating up into the clouds.
Shen Qi's face stiffened.
That voice was Yuan Shu!
He opened his mouth to speak but ultimately didn't dare to make another sound to disturb them.
He had made a three-point pact with Shu Linyuan: each would rely on his own abilities.
This time, he had miscalculated. He accidentally got tangled up with a spirit beast lured by Shu Linyuan, which delayed him.
Otherwise, he should have returned to the Luoxian Sect faster than Shu Linyuan and seen Yuan Shu first!
But since Shu Linyuan had claimed Yuan Shu first, according to their agreement, he couldn't interrupt.
Otherwise, if he were the one in the room next time, Shu Linyuan wouldn't let him be alone with Yuan Shu either.
Shen Qi gritted his teeth in anger but could only forcefully suppress the fury burning in his chest and sit down at the nearby stone table.
In the quiet night, all was completely silent.
The continuous, soft moans of a woman slipped through the crack in the door. They carried an alluring charm that made one's body go weak just listening to them.
Shen Qi glanced down.
His body only reacted like this for Yuan Shu.
Even knowing that the person holding her right now was someone else, he still felt as if he were under a spell.
His mind was filled with her delicate, flushed little face. He wished he could storm into the room right now, pull her fiercely into his arms, and love her to his heart's content!
But unfortunately, he was late and could only endure it.
Yuan Shu's voice continued to ring in his ears.
He was starting to find it unbearable.
Shen Qi let out a soft pant, tilting his head back slightly and slowly stretching his neck under the moonlight.
He imagined Yuan Shu leaning in close, trailing from his lips to his jaw, and then to his Adam's apple, gently nibbling.
Then pushing aside his clothes, her soft, white hands caressing his chest...
When he snapped back to reality, Shen Qi looked down at his own hand resting on his chest. A flash of embarrassment surged in his dark, turbulent eyes.
He lowered his head, panting heavily.
It seemed that only by doing this could he dissipate some of the fire in his chest.
Finally, the sounds inside the room ceased.
Shen Qi abruptly stood up from the stone stool in the courtyard and walked briskly toward the door.
"Shushu, may I come in?"
He reached out and rested his hand on the door. He wanted to push it open, but remembering that Yuan Shu was still inside, he forced down his discomfort and asked aloud.
A moment later, Yuan Shu's lazy voice drifted out, "Come in."
Shen Qi's heart tightened. Unable to suppress his physical and mental yearning for Yuan Shu any longer, he pushed the door open and entered.
In the dim, warm yellow lamplight, Yuan Shu lay lazily on the bed, her soft white arms hugging a plush pillow beneath her.
A sheer veil covered her body, but it outlined a faint, snow-white silhouette. It was vaguely visible, making it impossible to look away once you caught a glimpse.
Shen Qi's Adam's apple bobbed. Ignoring the smug-looking Shu Linyuan beside her, he walked straight to Yuan Shu's side and gently took her hand.
"Shushu."
He called out, holding her hand with both of his and bringing it to his lips for a gentle kiss.
Like a kitten licking its paws, neither too fast nor too slow, little by little.
Yuan Shu had been nurturing the supreme water-element foundation of the Acacia Divine Tree, making her body naturally sensitive.
At this moment, she couldn't help but stop her cultivation and lift her eyes to look at him.
She saw that Shen Qi's usually proper and elegant face was filled with desire for her. The turbulent dark tides in his deep, ink-black eyes seemed capable of drowning a person.
She cast her gaze downward.
Yuan Shu smiled. "Eldest Martial Brother, are you... missing me?"
Her soft, delicate voice carried the lazy satisfaction of the aftermath, like a contented cat, utterly bewitching.
Shen Qi's Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably, the emotion in his eyes deepening. He couldn't resist leaning in to kiss her lips.
He called out again in a hoarse voice, "Shushu."
Yuan Shu looked up, reaching out to gently touch his handsome face. Her lips suddenly curled into a smile as she patted the inner side of the bed.
"Eldest Martial Brother, do you want to come up?"
Shen Qi's eyes widened slightly. Catching the implication in Yuan Shu's gaze, his heart skipped a couple of beats, and his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably once more.
"Shushu... I, I have bathed."
"Mm, so, Eldest Martial Brother, are you coming up?" Yuan Shu looked at his stunned expression with amusement.
Shen Qi's expression shifted. Almost instantly, guided by Yuan Shu's finger hooking his collar, he shifted his entire body over.
His brocade boots fell to the floor as Yuan Shu rolled over, pinning Shen Qi beneath her.
"Eldest Martial Brother..."
She tilted her head and called out softly.
She extended her soft white fingers, gently resting them at the corner of his eye, before unhurriedly tracing his brows, his eyes, and the bridge of his nose.
Finally, they landed on his slightly parted, thin lips.
The next second, Yuan Shu's hand unceremoniously slipped into his robes.
"Mmh."
Shen Qi let out an uncontrollable groan. The hands resting at his sides clenched slightly, but he didn't dare to move recklessly.
He was terrified that if he moved even once, Yuan Shu wouldn't take the initiative a second time.
It wasn't until Yuan Shu had had enough fun and tried to withdraw her hand that Shen Qi grabbed it.
Yuan Shu raised an eyebrow in surprise. An arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and her wrist was tugged.
Caught off guard, Yuan Shu fell forward, and Shen Qi captured her lips.
The searing kiss carried a deep yearning that could no longer be restrained, as if he wanted to melt Yuan Shu into a puddle of water and devour her bit by bit.
Yuan Shu struggled slightly, protesting for him to be a little gentler.
Only then did Shen Qi suppress the burning desire in his heart, slightly loosening the arms holding Yuan Shu.
But he didn't release her lips.
Having left the Luoxian Sect for half a month, he had missed her so much!
Sure enough, only when he was holding her, kissing her, and tasting her did he feel like he was truly alive.
...
Shu Linyuan watched the two of them embracing obliviously and speechlessly rubbed his forehead.
Was Eldest Martial Brother really that impatient?
He... he hadn't even left yet!
Forget it. Hadn't he also rushed over impatiently right after bathing upon returning to the sect?
He really had no right to judge anyone else.
Shu Linyuan pursed his lips. Looking at the half-undressed Shen Qi, he initially wanted to get up, put on his clothes, and leave.
But after taking just two steps, that incredibly familiar whimpering sound drilled into his ears.
His body tensed, and he glanced down.
Wait a minute. Shushu hadn't told him to leave, so why should he?
He had arrived an hour earlier than Shen Qi, but it was only an hour.
The night was still long. If he left, wouldn't Shushu belong entirely to Shen Qi for the rest of the night?
No, no, he couldn't leave!
He was clearly the one who got here first!
Having figured this out, Shu Linyuan didn't even bother with his shoes and swiftly stripped off his clothes.
...
By the small stone table in the courtyard, Yun Sheng held the cultivation manual Yuan Shu had gifted him, studying it by the moonlight.
The pages were already more than halfway turned.
Listening closely, Yun Sheng was reciting as he read. The strings of obscure incantations sounded exceptionally pleasant in his clear, pure voice.
And after reciting ten lines, he would often pause for a moment to quietly listen to the whimpers drifting on the wind, his Adam's apple bobbing.
...
