The two lay on the bed, skin to skin under the same quilt.
But unexpectedly, it was peaceful.
Chen Yuyang lay on his back, feeling the warmth and breath from Tai Lingxuan beside him, and was actually a bit surprised.
He had thought that after he stayed, Shizun might have directly pounced on him, or found some high-sounding excuse to pounce again.
But thinking that way—
‘Is it because I’m secretly expecting it too?’
Chen Yuyang shook his head, unsure of the answer.
Yet feeling the growing burden of romantic debts on his shoulders, he also felt deep helplessness.
One or two women were enough to make him frantic, let alone so many surrounding him now.
“Yuyang, where are you now?”
Suddenly, Tai Lingxuan broke the silence and asked.
Her voice, with little fluctuation, was especially clear in the room.
“Tianyunzhou.”
Chen Yuyang paused, then answered honestly.
Tai Lingxuan’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“Tianyunzhou? Isn’t that where the Qiankun Sect is located?”
“That’s right,” Chen Yuyang replied.
“What are you doing there? If the people from the Qiankun Sect notice you, I’m afraid…”
Tai Lingxuan’s voice rose a few notches, tinged with worry.
The Qiankun Sect was powerful, while the Hehuan Sect was too weak.
Hearing this, Chen Yuyang smiled and said, “Don’t I still have the jade token to contact you, Shizun? If I really run into danger, I can just find you, right?”
“Even so, there’s no need for you to go there.”
Tai Lingxuan spoke with a hint of reproach, turning her head slightly to look at the boy’s profile.
“After all, we’ve already formed a mortal enmity with the Qiankun Sect. If we make trouble on their turf, it won’t be easy to handle.”
“Even though I’m in the Mahayana Realm, the Qiankun Sect has deep foundations and many stronger cultivators stationed there.”
Hearing this, Chen Yuyang smiled again.
Detecting the concern in Tai Lingxuan’s words, the boy felt warmth in his heart.
“Shizun, rest assured. This disciple is mainly going to investigate some matters.”
“I previously commissioned the Hidden Sect to help with the investigation. They sent me a message some time ago—they already have a general intelligence report, and the agreed handoff location is Wuji City near the Qiankun Sect.”
Tai Lingxuan suddenly understood.
So it was for intelligence exchange.
She nodded but still couldn’t help adding, “In that case, be careful. Caution above all.”
“Also, are the spirit stones I gave you before enough?”
She asked this with concern, since traveling outside and conducting investigations required spirit stones.
Chen Yuyang nodded, his tone relaxed.
“More than enough, Shizun. We’re not investigating anything earth-shattering—just picking up some information. It won’t cost much.”
Only then did Tai Lingxuan nod, relieved.
Silence fell again in the room.
Tai Lingxuan glanced at the boy, unwilling to let the quiet persist.
So she pretended to suddenly remember something and asked, “Has Yunlian’s enemy still not appeared?”
“No.”
Chen Yuyang frowned slightly at the mention, his tone turning serious.
“We still don’t know the exact reason. Since they haven’t shown themselves yet, there’s nothing we can do for now. We’ll have to take it step by step.”
As he spoke, Chen Yuyang’s mind involuntarily recalled the day he spent with Yunlian.
That night, he had agreed—first, because he felt his shimei’s sincerity and couldn’t bear to refuse, and second, because he thought that after doing so, his shimei might open up to him and confide her worries.
But unfortunately, she still hadn’t said a word.
“Are you sure it’s okay leaving her alone in Tianyunzhou?”
Tai Lingxuan asked uneasily.
“I left a safeguard,” Chen Yuyang replied calmly.
Thinking of the endless array of treasures in Chen Yuyang’s hands, Tai Lingxuan nodded in understanding.
Then she turned back, continuing to stare at the carved ceiling, her gaze somewhat distant, lost in thought.
Chen Yuyang also fell silent.
The room quieted once more.
In the stillness, only their heartbeats were especially clear.
So calm.
So peaceful.
Tai Lingxuan closed her eyes, savoring the tranquility of the moment.
Even if nothing happened, just having him by her side was enough to make her feel satisfied and at ease.
Chen Yuyang felt the same way.
Traveling and training outside, constantly on the move, he appeared calm on the surface, but deep down, he did feel tired.
Drifting through countless lifetimes—wasn’t he also yearning for stability?
Even he wanted a place where he could let down all his defenses and feel warmth and belonging.
They said nothing more.
Time passed second by second in this quiet.
Suddenly, Chen Yuyang stretched out his arm, slipped it under Tai Lingxuan’s neck, and pulled her forcefully into his embrace.
The sudden movement startled Tai Lingxuan.
Her body trembled slightly, and a blush crept up her cheeks.
She was both surprised and shy.
‘Yuyang… what is he trying to do?’
Chen Yuyang tightened his arm, hugging Tai Lingxuan’s slender waist, pressing her body completely against his.
The warm, soft sensation came from where their bodies touched, carrying her unique fragrance.
The fire that had already subsided within Tai Lingxuan began to kindle again.
She hadn’t planned to do anything improper—after all, Yuyang was still awake, and those intimate acts she still considered unspeakable secrets.
But now, Chen Yuyang’s bold move was surprising.
Chen Yuyang, in fact, felt a bit resigned.
He had already revealed enough trump cards and methods in front of his shizun.
Perhaps, as a man, he should take the initiative.
However, Chen Yuyang wasn’t sure how to bring this up.
He had learned many things over countless lifetimes, but he had no experience with this sort of thing.
Now, he was just acting on impulse, pulling her close.
“Yuyang, do you want to sleep hugging your shizun?”
Tai Lingxuan paused, then asked.
This brat—how dare he be so bold?
She was his shizun!
Ignoring what had already happened between them, did he even understand what his actions meant now?
Thinking this, Tai Lingxuan’s cheeks grew even redder, and she secretly anticipated more.
“No… Shizun… I…”
Chen Yuyang said, swallowing hard.
A long-lost feeling of tension surged through him, making his scalp tight.
“Shizun, I’ve actually… always… always held admiration for you.”
Though stammering, Chen Yuyang still managed to speak his heart.
Tai Lingxuan parted her lips, staring blankly at the boy’s earnest and nervous expression.
‘This kid… is he confessing to me?’
‘So he’s always felt this way about me?’
A wave of warmth instantly flooded her heart, and her eyes stung slightly.
But seeing Chen Yuyang so nervous that even his ears were red, Tai Lingxuan couldn’t help wanting to tease him.
She immediately put on a stern face, adopting the dignified air of a shizun.
“Yuyang, do you know what you’re saying?”
Chen Yuyang’s gaze was firm.
“Shizun, I know exactly what I’m saying.”
“I understand that at your young age, impulsive thoughts are natural. But I am your shizun. The master-disciple relationship comes first. Such thoughts are a grave disrespect!”
Tai Lingxuan continued her pretense of reprimand, her tone severe, but amusement hid in her eyes—and expectation.
She was indeed expecting something.
Expecting that after being scolded like this, the boy’s barely suppressed emotions would explode, culminating in reckless action, or even him forcefully taking her…
‘Disobedient disciple, disobedient disciple~ Show me what you’ve got!’
As she thought this, Tai Lingxuan unconsciously tightened her fingers, her body tensing slightly, waiting for the boy’s next move.
Chen Yuyang paused, looking at Tai Lingxuan’s serious face, and couldn’t help rolling his eyes internally.
‘Do you even hear yourself? You were the one who made the first mistake.’
‘And you thought you were being sneaky when I caught you several times. Have some shame, Shizun—how can you say things like that?’
But Chen Yuyang also sensed that Tai Lingxuan was deliberately teasing him.
If that was the case…
“Shizun, I… I understand.”
Chen Yuyang quickly lowered his head, his voice carrying a hint of grievance and guilt.
“This disciple was wrong. I overstepped. I won’t dare speak nonsense to Shizun again.”
With that, Chen Yuyang swiftly withdrew his hands from her waist and neck, moved aside a bit, and turned his back to Tai Lingxuan, pretending to be crushed by the reprimand.
Tai Lingxuan was stunned.
‘What? I only said that one line, and you give up?’
‘Are you the type to easily back down at the first setback?’
‘No, no—you need to step up! Come at me! Ride your shizun and defy your master!’
Seeing Chen Yuyang turn away and make no further move, Tai Lingxuan suddenly regretted it immensely.
She wanted to slap herself.
‘Tai Lingxuan, Tai Lingxuan! The disciple mustered the courage to confess, and you’re here playing dignified?’
‘You’ve done shameless things so many times. Why not just lower your head, agree, and start kissing? Now you’ve made it awkward. If you really discouraged him and he never dares to confess his feelings again, what then?’
After all, getting this block of wood to take the initiative was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Yuyang, um, I actually didn’t mean to blame you…”
Biting her lip, Tai Lingxuan tentatively spoke, her voice softening considerably.
“Oh, you’re young, full of vigor. I completely understand you having such thoughts about me.”
Seeing Chen Yuyang still motionless, she quickly added, “Yuyang, actually, I really admire you too…”
Chen Yuyang still had his back to her, ignoring her.
“Ahem, Yuyang, I… I was actually testing you!”
Tai Lingxuan grew more flustered.
“I don’t really care about that master-disciple ethics nonsense. I just wanted to see if your feelings for me were firm…”
“So then, this disciple easily gave up—it seems it was just a fleeting impulse, nothing serious.”
Chen Yuyang finally spoke, still facing away, his tone feigning regret, but under the covers, he struggled to suppress a smile.
Tai Lingxuan felt her scalp tingle and panicked.
If Chen Yuyang really thought that way, her lifelong happiness would be ruined!
“No!”
Tai Lingxuan blurted out.
“You, you absolutely meant it! Yuyang, I know your personality. You’re not the impulsive type!”
She scrambled for excuses, now almost incoherent and reckless.
“You’re too cautious… Yes, that’s it, you’re too cautious! You do like me, don’t you? You want to pin me down and thoroughly…”
Before she could finish, Chen Yuyang turned around, eyes wide in feigned astonishment.
“Shizun, do you even know what you’re saying?”
Tai Lingxuan snapped her mouth shut, her face bright red.
Only then did she realize that her panicked words were not just shameless—they were utterly… shameless.