Giving Her Heart

It was nearly half an hour later before Ye Qiu let the woman part her soft, closed lips. Qing Ye felt something sticky on her face and instinctively wiped at it a few times, only to find that it had already dried. All she could do was shoot Ye Qiu a reproachful glance.

Ye Qiu could not help but laugh awkwardly. He had never done such a thing before and had no experience; accidentally getting it on the woman's face had not been his intention. Besides, now that he thought about it carefully, what he had done today really had been rather outrageous. When had he ever imagined that he would be doing this at fifteen or sixteen? He had always thought he would not get the chance until college. But now, finally...

"I thought you were so honest, but you're a big bad wolf too. Those sisters were right—none of you men are any good!" Qing Ye complained coquettishly. Though her words blamed Ye Qiu, her shy gaze carried no real reproach, only sweetness and embarrassment.

After all, it was always embarrassing for a girl to do that for a man for the first time. Even though Qing Ye was a female mercenary who had experienced countless battles and killings, she was still a girl. It was only natural for her to be nervous in such a situation.

"Qing Ye, it's getting late. You should get some rest." Ye Qiu scratched his head and changed the subject.

"Mm... then what about you?" the woman asked shyly. "Aren't you going to rest? We fought all day."

"I'll take a bath first. Like you said, we fought all day, so I'm covered in sweat. And after what happened just now... haha." Seeing Qing Ye grow shy again, Ye Qiu stepped forward, hugged her, pressed a kiss to her lips, and then walked out of the cave.

"Shi Qiu... heh." Looking at Ye Qiu's thin yet reassuring back, then recalling what she had done just now, Qing Ye revealed a bashful yet happy smile.

"Master, why did you come out?" Pegasus asked when he saw Ye Qiu leave the cave.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just sweaty and uncomfortable, so I came out to take a bath. Pegasus, want to join me?" Ye Qiu said. The smile on his face was completely undisguised, as if he were afraid others would not know how happy he was.

"Really? Fine. I haven't bathed in a long time either." After hearing the youth's invitation, Pegasus considered it and nodded.

At a stream in the Small Valley, a man and a horse frolicked in the water...

Wearing a sleeping robe, Ye Qiu slowly entered the cave. His movements were exceedingly careful, as though he feared waking the sleeping woman. He headed toward his own bed as usual, but for some reason, the woman seemed to possess an inexplicable pull on him today, making it difficult for him to move away.

"Heh." Ye Qiu suddenly noticed the woman's body shift slightly. He chuckled softly, then ultimately chose to follow his heart. He slowly approached her, gently lifted a corner of the blanket, and slipped underneath it.

The woman was lying there when she suddenly felt a chill, then someone grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace. "Hehe, I knew you were pretending to sleep."

"You little pervert..." Hearing Ye Qiu's words, Qing Ye opened her eyes and simply stopped pretending. She turned around and pounded her little fists against Ye Qiu's chest.

"Little? What part of me is little? Didn't you see it with your own eyes just now?" Ye Qiu teased as he held the woman in his arms.

"Pah, I'm not talking to you anymore." Hearing the youth speak so bluntly, Qing Ye cursed him inwardly and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

"Oh? You're not talking to me anymore?" Ye Qiu smiled, then reached out and grabbed that full softness.

"Ah!" Qing Ye's body instantly stiffened as she cried out from the sudden attack. But it did not last long, because the moment she made a sound, Ye Qiu sealed her lips with his own.

The woman's gaze gradually grew unfocused, gradually filling with love, gradually... It was a long while before they reluctantly separated. "You said you'd give me some time." Qing Ye played with her fingers against the man's chest as she spoke shyly.

"Don't worry, I won't." The youth spoke softly. "Mm." Ye Qiu could now be certain that Qing Ye belonged completely to him. With her wild nature, if she did not love him, then even if she died, she would never have intimate contact with him again, much less do such a shameful thing for him. She simply needed more time to fully relax.

Because the blanket was narrow, Ye Qiu held the woman in his arms tightly. Qing Ye's body possessed astonishing elasticity, even through that Black Robe. Their faces were almost pressed together as Ye Qiu said, "I won't do anything. I'll just hold you like this. Qing Ye, I'll wait for you—for the day you're willing to give everything to me." Ye Qiu's tone was full of tenderness.

"Mm." Hearing the youth's heartfelt words, Qing Ye's stiff body gradually softened beneath his warmth. She shifted downward slightly, rested her head against his chest, wrapped an arm around his waist, murmured in agreement, and closed her eyes. With her silent consent, Ye Qiu tightened his embrace, his heart stirring with excitement. He breathed in the faint fragrance of her hair and felt the immense comfort brought by her full body. The exhaustion from a day of fighting gradually washed over him, sleepiness descended, and the two of them slowly fell asleep like that.

"Ding. Qing Ye has given her heart; the Host has won over his first woman in the Battle Through the Heavens world and achieved an accomplishment. The Host is rewarded with one Devil Fruit Extraction Card (A-rank) from the Pirate World, one Holy Spirit Sword Method Summoning Card (S-rank) from the Wind and Cloud World, and two thousand Myriad Realms Coins. Rewards have been issued. Please check them yourself."

The system's voice rang out, but a certain sleeping person did not hear it. The cave was filled with warmth.

The next morning, when Ye Qiu woke up, the beauty in his arms was already gone. The entire cave instantly felt empty to him, and Ye Qiu called out loudly, "Qing Ye!"

The sound of pebbles crunching came from the cave entrance as Qing Ye walked in carrying a basin of clean water. The initial coldness was gone from her face. With a trace of shyness, she walked over and said, "You're awake. Come wash up."

I breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Ah, I was too tired yesterday. You gave me a scare just now. I thought..."

Qing Ye smiled faintly. "What? You thought I had left? Did you forget that I'm injured right now? Even if I could leave the cave, I couldn't leave this valley, not with so many magical beasts around."

Ye Qiu readily agreed. He did not continue treating Qing Ye or give her any medicinal pills, because he had originally feared that she would leave as soon as she recovered. Now, although Qing Ye had fallen in love with him, it would still be awkward to bring out the pills.

After washing up, they ate a delicious twenty-first-century breakfast together. Qing Ye cared for Ye Qiu as a wife would care for her husband, tucking his blanket around him and helping him get dressed. After gathering the bowls and plates, she tossed them outside. Ye Qiu suddenly realized that the woman who had once been filled with wildness was also quite lovely when she became such a gentle, domestic girl. This version of her was beautiful and moving.