Lu Jiuyuan: "..."
He sighed.
He couldn't really sit here until dawn.
The wind was strong on the back mountain, and she was dressed so lightly. What if she caught a chill?
Carefully, he slipped one arm out from beside her, supported her back with the other, and slowly lifted her into his arms.
She was light.
Much lighter than he'd imagined.
Shuiyue seemed to sense something in her sleep. Her brows furrowed slightly, then quickly relaxed as she nestled closer to him.
Lu Jiuyuan's body stiffened slightly.
That thin, sheer nightgown offered almost no barrier.
His arm rested against her back, and he could clearly feel the warmth of her skin beneath the fabric, along with every curve of her soft body.
Her delicate fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, even stronger than before.
He took a deep breath, looked away, and carried her toward her residence on the back mountain.
They didn't speak along the way.
There was only the night wind and the faint, steady breathing of the woman in his arms.
Lu Jiuyuan walked carefully, afraid of jostling her awake. But the steadier he walked, the clearer the softness against him felt.
Her head rested on his shoulder, her hair brushing against the side of his neck, tickling him.
Her arm hung down, swaying gently with each step.
Her body pressed against his chest through that thin layer of clothing, warm and soft. The cool night breeze and the warmth of her body mingled in a sensation he couldn't describe.
Lu Jiuyuan's Adam's apple bobbed.
This was pure torture!
Lu Jiuyuan kept telling himself to stay calm and think rationally!
At last, they reached Shuiyue's residence. Lu Jiuyuan gently pushed open the door.
The room was simply furnished: a bed, a small table, and several swords hanging on the wall.
A small lamp sat on the table, its flame no bigger than a bean. Its dim, yellow light filled the room.
He walked to the bed and carefully laid her down.
His movements were light and slow, as though he were handling a fragile porcelain vase.
When Shuiyue touched the bed, she stirred slightly, a vague murmur escaping her lips.
Lu Jiuyuan paused.
Only after seeing that she hadn't woken did he continue, gently laying her head on the pillow before pulling the quilt over her.
Her sleeping face was peaceful.
Her features were relaxed, and her eyelashes fluttered now and then. He wondered what she was dreaming about.
In the dim lamplight, that thin nightgown looked even more transparent, offering a faint glimpse of what lay beneath.
Lu Jiuyuan swallowed, quickly looked away, and reached out to smooth the quilt around her.
Once he was done, he straightened and prepared to leave.
As he turned, his sleeve was tugged.
Lu Jiuyuan stopped.
He looked down.
At some point, Shuiyue's hand had slipped out from under the quilt and was gripping his sleeve.
Her eyes were still closed, and her breathing was steady. It seemed to be an unconscious movement.
He gently tried to pull free.
It didn't budge.
He tried again.
Still no luck.
"..."
Helpless, Lu Jiuyuan bent down to look at her.
Just then, a murmur escaped her lips, soft and faint.
"Don't go..."
Lu Jiuyuan froze for a moment.
"Stay... with me..."
Her brows furrowed slightly, as though she were having an unpleasant dream.
Her grip on his sleeve tightened, as if she were afraid he would leave.
Lu Jiuyuan sighed softly.
He returned to the bedside and sat down on the edge.
He didn't pull his sleeve free, letting her hold on to it.
"Okay," he said softly. "I won't go."
Shuiyue's brows gradually relaxed, and her breathing once again grew long and steady.
Lu Jiuyuan sat there, watching the woman sleeping on the bed.
Time passed, little by little.
At last, the hand gripping his sleeve slowly loosened.
Lu Jiuyuan looked down at the hand that had slipped away, gently took it, and tucked it back under the quilt before carefully arranging the covers around her again.
He stood and gazed at her sleeping face in silence for a long while.
"Master."
He spoke softly, his voice barely audible.
"Sleep well."
With that, he turned and left the room without a sound.
Inside, Shuiyue rolled over, unconsciously hugging the quilt in her arms.
She clutched his outer robe tightly, as though she were holding something precious.
There seemed to be the faintest hint of a smile at the corners of her lips.
Lu Jiuyuan stood beneath the corridor, drawing in a deep breath of cold air.
The chill filled his lungs, suppressing that inexplicable flutter in his heart.
He looked up at the moon in the distance and suddenly gave a wry smile.
Tonight's little episode...
Had truly been unexpected.
Lu Jiuyuan opened the Peerless Beauty Group and raised an eyebrow at the 99+ messages.
Women really could talk!
[Yun Yun: Oh, the group owner's online?]
[Feng Qing'er: Well? Done keeping the beauty company?]
Lu Jiuyuan stopped in his tracks.
He looked at the message, then at the main hall of Xiaozhu Peak, barely visible in the night. After a moment of silence, he replied in the group.
[Lu Jiuyuan: Yeah, I'm done.]
[Medusa: What kind of beauty is she?]
Lu Jiuyuan thought for a moment, and Shuiyue's appearance that night came to mind.
[Lu Jiuyuan: A very gentle beauty.]
[Feng Qing'er: Tsk, tsk, tsk. The toad actually got to eat swan meat. Impressive!]
[Bibi Dong: @Lu Jiuyuan, send us a photo!]
[Yun Yun: +1]
[Medusa: +2]
Watching the group chatter, Lu Jiuyuan shook his head.
Back in his cave residence, he lay on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
But his mind was full of what had just happened.
The thin, sheer white nightgown.
Her soft, warm body.
The hand gripping his sleeve.
And those words: "Don't go."
Lu Jiuyuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
He couldn't sleep.
Now he really couldn't sleep.
He rolled over and buried his face in the pillow.
The group messages kept ringing in his mind.
[Bibi Dong: Why's the group owner gone quiet again?]
[Feng Qing'er: Who cares! I'm going to bed!]
[Yun Yun: Don't you think something's strange?]
[Medusa: ?]
[Yun Yun: The group owner seemed a little different tonight.]
[Bibi Dong: How so?]
[Yun Yun: I can't put my finger on it... It just feels like he has something on his mind.]
Lu Jiuyuan stared at the message for a long time in silence.
He really did have something on his mind.
It just wasn't something he could tell these women.
He closed the group chat and shut his eyes.
Tomorrow. There was always tomorrow.
The trip to the Southern Border was about to begin.
As for everything that had happened tonight, he'd just treat it like a dream.
Morning light streamed through the window. Lu Xueqi sat by the bed, gazing affectionately at the sleeping Lu Jiuyuan.
When he was awake, he talked too much, always teasing her until her face turned red.
Now that he was asleep, he seemed unusually quiet.
As she watched him, she found herself leaning down.
Ever so gently, she placed a kiss on the corner of his lips.
It was over in an instant.
Like a dragonfly skimming the water, like a spring breeze passing over a lake.
Lu Xueqi straightened up, her face already flushed. She bit her lip, her heart pounding, yet she couldn't help smiling.
Then she met a pair of eyes.
A pair of eyes glinting with amusement, open who knew how long.
Lu Xueqi froze.
"Madam, what are you doing?"
Lu Jiuyuan spoke, his voice raspy with morning sleepiness, playful and roguish.
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