That night, the candlelight in the bedroom cast a soft, warm glow.
Yun Xuechang sat at the edge of the bed.
Seeing Hua Yan push open the door after finishing her bath, she stood up and said softly, “Yan’er, let me be the one to look after Rongrong today. You should rest here in peace, all right?”
She still did not understand why Hua Yan had suddenly become distant, yet she chose to be considerate and accommodating — since Hua Yan was unwilling to share a bed with her, she would not force the issue.
“Hmph, no need.”
Hua Yan cleared her throat and flicked a strand of Spiritual Power from her hand to dry her damp red hair.
She then stood still with her arms crossed, her gaze flickering and evasive.
“I already modified Rongrong’s Mechanical Puppy today. It will watch her and help her tuck in the covers. I also set up a Heating Array in her bedroom, so she won’t be cold.”
“Fine, then I will go out — “
“You have to stay and accompany me tonight!”
Hua Yan hastily interrupted her, her cheeks flushing crimson in an instant.
“I… I… hmph, I’m cold too! So you have to sleep with me!”
The excuse was truly clumsy, and the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.
‘Oh no! I should have made up a better reason… such a lame excuse, even a blockhead like Xuechang would probably…’
“All right, then I won’t go.”
Yun Xuechang seemed to realize something. She sat back down on the edge of the bed and nodded.
Hua Yan was stunned.
‘So… Xuechang is this easy to fool?’
‘Hmph, looking at it this way, with my intelligence and beauty, tricking her into my hands will be as easy as turning over my palm.’
A smug curve tilted the corner of her lips.
“Yan’er, aren’t you coming to sleep yet?”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yun Xuechang patted the empty spot beside her and tilted her head, asking softly.
“Ah, coming, I’m coming!”
Delight surged in Hua Yan’s heart. She happily hopped onto the bed and casually flicked her Spiritual Power to extinguish the candle.
‘Yan’er should… no longer be angry with me, right?’
In the darkness, Yun Xuechang closed her eyes and lightly breathed in that familiar floral scent, her heart gradually finding peace.
Even though she still did not know why Hua Yan was annoyed or why her anger had dissipated, seeing her willing to be close again was always a good thing.
Suddenly, a warm, soft body leaned in gently, bringing a faint warmth.
“You… hold me tighter… okay?”
Hua Yan had her back turned to her and quietly nudged closer, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.
“I… I still feel a bit cold…”
Yun Xuechang was slightly taken HDR.
‘A Nascent Soul cultivator… can truly be this sensitive to the cold?’
Despite her doubts, she still reached out as requested and gently wrapped her arm around the young woman’s slender waist.
Their two bodies quietly pressed together — not tightly, yet intimately.
“Ah!”
As if her waist had been tickled, the red-haired girl let out a low, soft cry. Her body squirmed slightly, but she did not pull away.
In the past, it was always Hua Yan who held her. Tonight was the first time she had taken Hua Yan into her arms.
Yun Xuechang felt the softness in her embrace and vaguely felt…
This seemed better.
That night, one person fell into a peaceful sleep while holding a beloved body and the scent of flowers; the other person had thrown herself into her lover’s arms, but because of it, her heart raced, leaving her tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the side room, there was another person —
“Wow! 099, look! I told you Mother would catch on! She’s already evolved to the point of actively seducing Mommy! If this keeps up, my most anticipated part is definitely not far off!”
[Host, you’ve really had enough! — ]
There was also someone rolling around excitedly on the bed, a silly grin plastered on her face, wriggling like a happy worm.
……
The next day, Yun Xuechang woke up on time as usual. She intended to steal a few habitual glances at Hua Yan’s sleeping face —
But when she looked over, what met her eyes was a pair of pale gold eyes that were inches away, shimmering with a hint of panic.
Unbeknownst to her, Hua Yan had already woken up and even quietly adjusted her sleeping position to face her, staring intently at her sleeping face.
“Yan’er, you woke up quite early today.” Yun Xuechang blinked.
“Eh? I… I just wanted to try waking up early for morning practice!”
Hua Yan’s face reddened instantly. She lunged back to create distance and flipped out of bed, her words tumbling out rapidly.
“A-After all, you’ve already reached the Spirit Severing Stage. My cultivation can’t fall behind! Hurry up and get up, let’s go practice together!”
She grabbed her outer robe and hurriedly threw it on. “Hurry up and get up! Let’s go practice sword arts together!”
‘Ahhh! Why was I caught peeking at her?! That girl Yun Xuechang, does she always wake up this early?!’
Escaping the room, Hua Yan bit her lower lip, her cheeks burning hot.
Last night, she had asked Yun Xuechang to hold her, but her thoughts had been so chaotic that she hadn’t slept a wink all night.
When the sky began to brighten, she had turned around and dazed off while looking at Yun Xuechang’s peaceful sleeping face —
When asleep, Yun Xuechang lost her usual coldness, leaving only an innate gentleness and tranquility that was exceptionally moving.
But she hadn’t been looking for long before Yun Xuechang woke up, leading to that awkward moment just now.
‘Wait… I’m the one who came to seduce her, so why was I the one to panic and run away first?’
Having run into the courtyard, Hua Yan finally realized her mistake and felt secretly annoyed with herself.
‘Forget it, anyway… anyway, I have other ways in a moment!’
‘I don’t believe she won’t fall for me!’
Thinking of her next plan, the smug curve returned to the corner of Hua Yan’s lips, and a flash of cunning sparkled in her eyes.
……
“Xuechang, I want you to teach me sword arts… is that okay?”
When Yun Xuechang stepped into the courtyard, she saw that Hua Yan was already fully dressed.
She held her Carved Fine Sword in one hand and brushed her red hair behind her ear with the other, asking with a smile.
‘Teach Yan’er sword arts?’
Yun Xuechang was startled, then her eyes brightened slightly, her tone carrying a hint of joy. “Sure. I have long wanted to discuss sword arts in detail with you.”
“Your footwork is wrong, your arm is raised too high, and your shoulders are too stiff.”
The wooden staff tapped three places on the red-haired girl’s body in succession.
“Yan’er, if you’re this unfocused, how can you study sword arts?”
Yun Xuechang frowned slightly as she watched Hua Yan practice. Her tone shifted unconsciously into the strictness of an instructor.
“Wrong! The sword arts I want to learn aren’t like this!”
Hua Yan finally couldn’t take it anymore. She threw the fine sword to the ground, placed her hands on her hips, and glared puff-cheeked at the white-haired girl holding the wooden staff.
“Can’t you just teach me hand-in-hand?”
‘Practicing sword arts together isn’t supposed to be like this!’
‘You should be holding my waist, pressing against my body, and being captivated by my beauty while you teach me!’
‘The kind of sword practice I want isn’t this at all!’
Yun Xuechang was taken aback.
‘What Yan’er says… seems to make sense. From what she said, her cultivation technique can manifest the sword moves within the memory of the artifact, but she cannot directly obtain the foundation of sword arts that others have refined through a hundred trials. If her foundation is not solid, I truly should teach her meticulously from the beginning.’
Having thought of this, she understood.
“Sorry, Yan’er. I didn’t consider it carefully enough.”
She leaned down to pick up the fine sword stained with snow and gave it a light flick, scattering the snow from the blade.
Then, she walked behind Hua Yan, placed the sword into her hand, and gently grasped her wrist.
“Come, I’ll teach you.”
A gentle, clear voice sounded right next to her ear, making Hua Yan’s heart tremble.
Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and the tips of her ears were quietly stained with crimson.
Every movement was entwined with each other’s breath; every swing of the sword was accompanied by the slight tremor of skin touching skin.
The blade slowly traced a smooth, flowing arc of light within their overlapping hands.
With their hands joined and their bodies pressed together, it didn’t look like they were practicing sword arts, but rather like lovers embracing.
‘I’m finished…’
Hua Yan’s mind went blank.
‘I was clearly the one who wanted to tease her, so why instead…’
‘It seems like… I’m the one falling harder for her…’