Madam, What Are You Doing

Lu Jiuyuan: "..."

He sighed.

He couldn't really just sit here until dawn.

The wind on the back mountain was strong, and she was dressed so thinly; what if she caught a cold?

He carefully pulled his arm out from beside her, supported her back with his other hand, and slowly lifted her into his arms.

She was very light.

Much lighter than he had imagined.

Shuiyue seemed to sense something in her sleep; her brows furrowed slightly, but they soon smoothed out again as she leaned closer into his embrace.

Lu Jiuyuan's body stiffened slightly.

That layer of nightclothes, thin as a cicada's wing, offered almost no barrier at all.

His arm pressed against her back, and he could clearly feel the warm skin beneath the fabric, along with every curve of her soft body.

A faint fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose, even more intense than before.

He took a deep breath, averted his gaze, and carried her toward her dwelling on the back mountain.

The journey was silent.

There was only the night wind and the light, shallow breathing of the person in his arms.

Lu Jiuyuan walked with extreme steadiness, terrified of jostling the person in his arms awake. Yet, the steadier he walked, the more vivid that soft sensation became.

Her head rested on his shoulder, her hair brushing against his neck, tickling him.

Her arms hung down, swaying gently with his steps.

Her body pressed against his chest through that thin layer of clothing—warm, soft, and woven with an indescribable sensation where the chill of the night wind met the warmth of her body.

Lu Jiuyuan's Adam's apple bobbed.

This was truly torture!

Lu Jiuyuan kept telling himself internally to stay calm, to be rational!

Having finally reached Shuiyue's dwelling, Lu Jiuyuan gently pushed the door open.

The room was furnished simply: a bed, a desk, and a few swords hanging on the wall.

A small lamp was lit on the desk, its flame like a bean, casting a dim, yellow glow across the room.

He walked to the bedside and carefully laid her down.

His movements were extremely light and slow, as if handling a piece of fragile porcelain.

As Shuiyue's body touched the bed, she shifted slightly, a vague murmur escaping her lips.

Lu Jiuyuan paused.

Seeing that she hadn't woken up, he continued his movements, gently placing her head on the pillow and pulling the quilt up to cover her.

Her sleeping face was very peaceful.

Her brows and eyes were relaxed, her eyelashes trembling occasionally, as if she were dreaming of something.

In the dim lamplight, that thin layer of nightclothes appeared even more translucent, faintly revealing the scenery beneath.

Lu Jiuyuan swallowed hard, quickly averted his gaze, and reached out to tuck in the corner of her quilt.

After finishing all this, he straightened up, preparing to leave.

The moment he turned, his sleeve was tugged.

Lu Jiuyuan's footsteps halted.

He looked down.

Shuiyue's hand had reached out from under the quilt at some point and was gripping his sleeve.

She still had her eyes closed, her breathing steady; it seemed to be nothing more than an unconscious action.

He gave a gentle tug.

It didn't budge.

He tugged again.

Still, it didn't move.

"..."

Lu Jiuyuan felt helpless and looked down at her.

Just then, a murmur escaped her lips, extremely light and soft.

"Don't go..."

Lu Jiuyuan was slightly stunned.

"Stay... stay with me..."

Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she were having an unpleasant dream.

The hand clutching his sleeve tightened, as if she were afraid he might leave.

Lu Jiuyuan sighed softly.

He walked back to the bedside and sat down on the edge of the bed.

He did not pull his sleeve away, letting her hold onto it.

"Alright," he said softly, "I won't leave."

Shuiyue's brows gradually smoothed out, and her breathing became long and steady once more.

Lu Jiuyuan sat there, watching the person sleeping soundly on the bed.

Time slipped away bit by bit.

The hand clutching his sleeve finally loosened slowly.

Lu Jiuyuan looked down at the hand that had slipped away, gently took it, placed it back under the quilt, and tucked the corner of the blanket in for her again.

He stood up, looked at her sleeping face, and remained silent for a long time.

"Master."

He spoke softly, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"Sleep well."

After saying this, he turned and left the room without a sound.

Inside the room, Shuiyue turned over, unconsciously hugging the quilt in her arms tightly.

That outer robe was held firmly in her embrace, as if she were holding something precious.

The corners of her mouth seemed to carry a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

Lu Jiuyuan stood under the veranda, taking a deep breath of the cold air.

The chill entered his lungs, suppressing the inexplicable stirrings in his heart.

He looked up at the moon in the sky and suddenly gave a bitter smile.

Tonight's turn of events...

It really was unexpected.

Lu Jiuyuan opened the Peerless Beauty Group, looked at the 99+ messages, and raised an eyebrow.

The chatting ability of women is truly terrifying!

[Yun Yun: Oh? The group leader is online?]

[Feng Qing'er: Well? Are you done keeping the beauty company?]

Lu Jiuyuan's footsteps faltered.

He looked at that message, then looked at the main hall of Xiaozhu Peak hidden in the night, and after a moment of silence, he replied in the group.

[Lu Jiuyuan: Yes, I'm done.]

[Medusa: What kind of beauty is she?]

Lu Jiuyuan thought for a moment, and the image of Shuiyue from tonight surfaced in his mind.

[Lu Jiuyuan: A very gentle beauty.]

[Feng Qing'er: Tsk tsk tsk, the toad actually ate the swan meat; impressive!]

[Bibi Dong: @Lu Jiuyuan, post a photo for us to see!]

[Yun Yun: +1]

[Medusa: +2]

Lu Jiuyuan looked at the commotion in the group and shook his head.

He returned to his cave dwelling, lay on the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

His mind was filled with the images from just a moment ago.

The white nightgown, thin as a cicada's wing.

The warm, soft body.

The hand clutching his sleeve.

And that "Don't go."

Lu Jiuyuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He couldn't sleep.

He was even less able to sleep now.

He turned over and buried his face in the pillow.

In his mind, the messages in the group were still pinging.

[Bibi Dong: Why has the group leader gone quiet again?]

[Feng Qing'er: Who cares about him! This young lady is going to sleep!]

[Yun Yun: Don't you all find it strange?]

[Medusa: ?]

[Yun Yun: The group leader seems a bit different tonight.]

[Bibi Dong: Different how?]

[Yun Yun: I can't quite put my finger on it... I just feel like... he has something on his mind?]

Lu Jiuyuan stared at this message, remaining silent for a long time.

He did indeed have something on his mind.

It was just that this matter could not be shared with this group of women.

He closed the group chat and shut his eyes.

Tomorrow, there would be tomorrow's troubles.

The journey to the Southern Border was about to begin.

As for everything tonight, let it be nothing more than a dream.

Morning light spilled through the window into the room, and Lu Xueqi sat by the bedside, gazing at the sleeping Lu Jiuyuan with eyes full of affection.

Usually, that mouth of his was too glib, always teasing her until her face turned beet red.

Now that he was asleep, he appeared uncharacteristically quiet.

As she watched, she didn't know why, but she leaned down.

Ever so lightly, she pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips.

It was a fleeting touch.

Like a dragonfly skimming the water, like a spring breeze brushing across the surface of a lake.

Lu Xueqi straightened up, her face already flushed crimson. She bit her lip, her heart pounding wildly, yet she couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth into a smile.

Then, she met a pair of eyes.

A pair of eyes filled with amusement, which had opened at some unknown moment.

Lu Xueqi froze.

"My lady, what are you doing?"

Lu Jiuyuan spoke, his voice carrying that unique morning rasp, sounding as cheeky and roguish as ever.