Night fell over the land.
Ye Qiu had already eaten dinner and washed up. He spread his old, sun-dried bedding over the wooden bed.
Xiao Wu stood beside him, watching with a pretty, slightly flushed face.
It had been a long time since she and Ye Qiu had slept together. Besides, this was the bedding Ye Qiu had used as a child, so it was naturally smaller than the bedding they'd bought at Notting Academy. If the two of them moved too far apart, one of them would end up sleeping outside the covers.
Ye Qiu had just finished making the bed and had already climbed under the covers. Xiao Wu twisted the corner of her clothes and looked at him in confusion.
"Ye Qiu, don't you have any other bedding at home?"
"Do you think there's anywhere else in my house I could hide anything?"
Ye Qiu's lazy voice drifted over. He opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Wu, reminding her, "If you don't want to sleep, you can sit by the bed and cultivate. Just don't disturb me. We walked so much today, and I'm tired."
With that, Ye Qiu closed his eyes without another word and lay on his side, leaving Xiao Wu a fairly generous amount of space.
"Hmph! Sister Xiao Wu was only worried you'd lose out."
Xiao Wu pouted and shook her little fist at Ye Qiu. Seeing that he was ignoring her, she touched her still-damp hair and had no choice but to sit cross-legged beside the bed and quietly cultivate.
It was nearly half an hour before Xiao Wu opened her eyes again.
Sensing that Ye Qiu's breathing had evened out, she looked at his fair, clean face and pressed her lips together. Crawling onto the bed, she couldn't help reaching out to touch his cheek.
Ye Qiu's warning from before he'd fallen asleep suddenly echoed in her ears.
Xiao Wu could only sheepishly pull back her restless hand. Blushing, she carefully slipped under the covers. Perhaps because they'd been left in the sun, the old blankets were surprisingly warm.
Looking at Ye Qiu, who was less than ten centimeters away, Xiao Wu shifted closer, inch by inch. She only stopped when his breath brushed against her face. Inhaling his familiar scent, she felt an urge to throw herself into his arms.
The next day.
Purple light rose in the eastern sky as dawn broke.
While Tang San cultivated his Purple Demon Eyes, Ye Qiu was still wrapped in a warm embrace.
Ye Qiu's breathing was a little restricted. He could only make out a faint, familiar fragrance as he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Xiao Wu sprawled on top of him, the corner of his eye twitched.
That rabbit still slept so restlessly!
Xiao Wu's ears were crimson, her long eyelashes trembled faintly, and her little hands were clenched tight. Ye Qiu had meant to pull her off, but he smiled softly and gentled his movements, easing her down.
The door creaked open. As Ye Qiu stepped outside,
Xiao Wu, who had still been lying on the bed with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. She covered her burning cheeks with both hands, then burrowed under the covers and turned into a wriggling caterpillar.
Time flew by.
The holiday at Notting Academy soon came to an end.
Ye Qiu, Xiao Wu, and Tang San returned to their familiar Dorm Seven and resumed their cultivation. Even with new students joining, no one could shake the three of them from their positions.
Xiao Wu was still the big sister of the entire Notting Academy.
Outside the quiet Dorm Seven,
a clear, excited voice suddenly rang out.
"Ye Qiu! Ye Qiu, I'm back!"
A pink figure dashed inside. Her rosy, doe-like eyes quickly found Ye Qiu, carrying a trace of longing.
"You're back, so you're back. Why are you shouting so loudly? It's annoying. Don't people need to cultivate?"
Ye Qiu was sitting cross-legged on his bed, cultivating. His face darkened as he opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Wu, who had grown into quite a graceful young woman. He couldn't help complaining.
"How am I being loud? Look, they didn't even hear me." Xiao Wu rushed to Ye Qiu's bedside and pointed at the others in Dorm Seven. Not one of them dared meet her eyes.
Xiao Wu smiled smugly, then flopped onto Ye Qiu's bed. Grinning, she took out a little cloth pouch and proudly held it out to him. "Ye Qiu! Look, Sister Xiao Wu has successfully reached the Soul Elder rank. There are a hundred Gold Soul Coins in here!"
"Oh."
Ye Qiu had expected this, so he merely replied with a soft hum, his expression calm as still water.
"You! What kind of reaction is that? I can reach the Soul Elder rank faster than Tang San now. Shouldn't you praise me? And I can beat you now, so you'd better watch out!" Xiao Wu sat up and glared at Ye Qiu for brushing her off. She raised her fist, looking ready to teach him a lesson at the slightest provocation.
"You can beat me?" Ye Qiu gave her a teasing smile and turned to look at her. He reached out, pinched her chin, and gave it a little shake. "I'm a Soul Elder now too. Are you sure you can beat me?"
"Anyway, anyway, I'm stronger than you now. If you bully me again, I'll make you regret it! My third Soul Skill is Instant Transmission. You definitely won't be able to catch me." Xiao Wu blushed, slapped his hand away, and swung her long scorpion braid.
"But you seem to like it when I catch you."
Ye Qiu glanced at Xiao Wu and quietly removed her still-shod foot from his bed.
"Who said that?! You—you'd better not make things up!"
When Ye Qiu caught her by the ankle, Xiao Wu shivered slightly. Her face turned red, and a hint of embarrassment showed in her eyes.
"If you deliberately put your shoes on my bed again, I'll throw you out." Ye Qiu rolled his eyes at the Rogue Rabbit—she was really getting too comfortable around him.
"I—I didn't put them there on purpose. I was just so happy this time that I didn't notice. And even if I did get the bed dirty, Sister Xiao Wu would wash it clean for you." Xiao Wu lowered her head, lips pressed together as she patted the blanket, which bore a faint shoe print. Her fair, rosy face looked obedient, as if she were perfectly willing to do it.
Seeing her like that, Ye Qiu couldn't help smiling. It seemed his efforts to raise her were going pretty well. She was just a little rebellious.
But a little rebellion was a good thing. That was what made her herself.
Ever since Xiao Wu and Ye Qiu entered their second year, she'd treated him better and better. She often handed him the allowance she received to look after, and when Ye Qiu got lazy, she was even willing to help with the laundry. She did like to bargain, though, and often wanted Ye Qiu to go for a walk with her.
Notting Academy had six grades. Xiao Wu, Ye Qiu, and Tang San were all in their fifth year now, which meant Ye Qiu was already eleven.
With Xiao Wu cultivating alongside him, Ye Qiu's cultivation had steadily improved. He had long since surpassed Tang San and reached the Soul Elder rank before Xiao Wu.
This rate of cultivation was also thanks to Ye Qiu's second Soul Skill:
Little Black Worm!
It came from a water leech over seven hundred years old.
It could parasitize a person and lie dormant in their meridians, feeding on the target's Soul Power as it flowed through them.
Naturally,
Ye Qiu had used it on Tang San. A father's debts fell to his son, so he could consider it repayment on Tang Hao's behalf.
In just a few days, Ye Qiu had gotten the Mysterious Heaven Skill and Purple Demon Eyes he wanted through the Little Black Worm. After that, he kept challenging Tang San to spar, learning his Mysterious Jade Hand, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, and other skills.
One thing worth mentioning:
Xiao Wu didn't know about any of this.
Ye Qiu had become adept at controlling his Martial Soul and blurring certain memories.
He had only taught Xiao Wu the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
Wishing everyone a happy life!
Before you continue