In the candlelit bedroom, a bright red-haired girl in a thin nightgown sat sideways on the bed.
She slightly raised her small foot, its ankle swollen with purple-red bruises, and extended it toward the white-haired girl kneeling before her.
“Xuechang, could you trouble you… to help me apply some ointment?”
Yun Xuechang silently nodded and took the box of clear, fragrant ointment from her hand.
She reached out with one hand and gently held that delicate, jade-like foot.
If she looked up now, she might catch a glimpse of the hazy view beneath the skirt.
She dared not dwell on it, merely lifting Hua Yan’s hem slightly to reveal a section of slender, fair calf, then dipped her fingertip into the cool ointment and carefully applied it to the injured ankle.
‘This one, why is her reaction so flat… Could it be she’s not the type to like feet?’
Seeing Yun Xuechang’s indifferent expression, seemingly showing little interest in her small foot, Hua Yan couldn’t help but mutter inwardly.
‘Whatever. No matter what, I’ll give it a try. If she’s not interested here, I’ll test elsewhere next time.’
With that thought, she deliberately softened her voice and said gently:
“You can rub it a bit more, so the medicine absorbs better.”
“Mm.”
Yun Xuechang nodded in compliance, her fingertips gently massaging the purple, swollen area.
“Is this better?”
Hua Yan softly hummed in response.
The faint ticklish sensation running up her calf made her sit up straight, and her hands instinctively clenched the bedding beneath her.
She looked down—Yun Xuechang was kneeling half-prostrate on the ground, her posture submissive.
Yun Xuechang’s eyelashes were long.
Usually, Hua Yan was half an inch shorter, so they were nearly eye-to-eye.
But now, looking down from above, Hua Yan could clearly see those eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, and the top of that thick, white hair—even the usual stubborn cowlick was lying flat and obedient.
‘With the white-haired girl looking so obedient and docile, she’s truly captivating.’
As for Yun Xuechang, though her face was calm, her heart was already a storm of emotions.
Hua Yan’s ointment was remarkably effective.
The traces of snake venom quickly faded under her gentle rubbing, revealing the girl’s originally jade-like, exquisite little foot—delicate ankle, small and adorable toes.
The ointment was cool, the foot warm. As she massaged, Yun Xuechang’s palm gradually grew hot.
The smooth, soft texture made her reluctant to let go.
Unconsciously, her touch lightened. It was less like a massage and more like carefully caressing some rare treasure.
Hua Yan blushed deeply at this shift in handling, feeling a numbness shoot straight up from her foot along her spine.
Her grip on the sheet tightened. She turned her face away in shyness, raising an arm to cover her burning cheek.
‘This blockhead! Where, where did she learn such lewd massage techniques!’
“Enough, enough! I’m fine now!”
She abruptly pulled her foot back, tucking it under her skirt, then used the toes of her other foot to lightly press against Yun Xuechang’s shoulder, pushing her away.
Yun Xuechang blinked in surprise, then gently nodded, a trace of barely noticeable regret flickering in her eyes.
That night.
Feeling the hands encircling her waist and the breath softly approaching her shoulder, Hua Yan’s heart pounded like a drum.
Her expression in the darkness was both shy and joyful.
‘This, this should be a successful seduction, right? She seems… to like my feet quite a bit…’
Meanwhile, Yun Xuechang lightly nuzzled against her shoulder, still replaying in her mind that gentle push and the jade-like warmth of the little foot she had caressed.
—Sleep was elusive.
…
The next day, on a bustling street in Yuxin City.
“Come on, Xuechang! Today, I’m going to take you on a proper tour! This is the South Sea, after all. Things like shark silk and pearls are of much better quality than those in the mainland.”
“I didn’t get to see everything two days ago, so it’s perfect—I can take you to pick out some good stuff today!”
Hua Yan took Yun Xuechang’s hand, interlacing their fingers, and pointed excitedly at the shops lining the street.
Yun Xuechang blinked.
She distinctly remembered that yesterday morning, Hua Yan had said the opposite—that she had already explored the city thoroughly and found nothing interesting in it.
‘Is she saying this just for me?’
Yun Xuechang was beginning to understand.
The red-haired girl’s mouth was always full of words that didn’t match her heart.
Sometimes she said one thing, then changed it the next. According to Rongrong, this was called “tsundere.”
Before, she had never understood why Hua Yan would say one thing and mean another, nor what she truly thought. But now, she seemed to be slowly getting it.
What Hua Yan said she “disliked” might not truly be disliked; what she was “unwilling” to do might not be genuine unwillingness.
Her every smile, every frown, every joy, every anger—Yun Xuechang saw it all, remembered it all.
‘If I don’t understand, then I’ll just observe more, and remember carefully. One day, I’ll completely decipher this hard-to-read scripture that is Hua Yan.’
Yun Xuechang’s eyes curved into crescents as she gently nodded:
“Alright, then I’ll follow Yan’er.”
“Mm… I knew you’d look good in this shark silk dress. You always like wearing white anyway, it should suit your aura.”
Hua Yan held up a piece of fabric as thin as cicada wings and as white as frost and snow, comparing it in front of Yun Xuechang, then waved at the mermaid shop assistant beside her:
“Just this piece of fabric. Make her a flowing fairy dress with wide sleeves, style it like that white dress over there.”
She pointed at a white dress made of ordinary fabric, then expertly rattled off Yun Xuechang’s measurements.
“Thank you for your patronage, esteemed guest.”
The female mermaid shop assistant replied with a smile.
Shark silk was a luxury item in the South Sea—light, thin, transparent, soft, waterproof in water, cool in summer, warm in winter—only mermaids could weave it.
There had been quite a few female cultivators like Hua Yan who were generous spenders and loved beautiful things, earning the shop a tidy profit.
“Should I get you some accessories to go with it?”
Hua Yan’s interest turned to the jewelry counter beside her.
“Yan’er, why don’t you buy some pearl jewelry for yourself?”
Yun Xuechang leaned in close to Hua Yan, who was chin in hand examining the pearl ornaments, and whispered:
“I noticed you seem to like pearls quite a bit. Why not buy a few for yourself?”
“Me? Do I really like pearls?”
Hua Yan looked slightly confused.
She actually preferred sparkling things like agates; pearls, with their gentle luster, were something she rarely bought for herself.
“Don’t you like them?”
Yun Xuechang frowned slightly, puzzled:
“Then why do I see that the earrings you wear are often this pearl pair?”
Hua Yan froze, instinctively covering the pearl tassel earrings on her earlobes, her face instantly turning bright red.
‘Blockhead!’
‘What, what else could it be for! Isn’t it because they’re a gift from you! What a—’
She shot Yun Xuechang an indignant glare, then turned her back.
‘I don’t even like pearls that much! Only you would think that way!’
‘And I even wore them every day just to show off in front of you, and this is how you interpret it?!’
‘It’s infuriating!’
Hua Yan had already made up her mind—she wouldn’t speak to this blockhead for the entire day. She had to punish her somehow.
“Yan’er…”
Yun Xuechang called out to her hesitantly.
Hua Yan, arms crossed with her back to her, let out a loud “Hmph” and ignored her.
‘Fine… okay… maybe… half a day is fine…’
‘Maybe two hours is okay… or an hour…’
‘If I keep ignoring her, will this blockhead start blaming herself again…’
‘How about… half an hour?’
‘A quarter-hour! Just a quarter-hour!’
‘If after a quarter-hour she’s willing to apologize sincerely, then I’ll reluctantly forgive her!’
With her back turned, Hua Yan closed her eyes, her mouth slightly pouted, her mind a battlefield.
“Yan’er, I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
A pair of hands gently wrapped around her waist, and a cool, soft body pressed against her.
Yun Xuechang embraced her from behind, leaning close to her small ear, and whispered softly:
“I’m sorry, Yan’er. You keep wearing those earrings because they’re a gift from me, right? I misspoke.”
She paused, her voice carrying a hint of careful tenderness:
“Will you… forgive me?”