Lu Xueqi tried to take a step.
Her legs were weak.
Last night, they had started in the afternoon and gone on until late at night, then continued from late night until dawn, with only a few scattered hours of rest in between.
This morning, he had made her do it once more. Her body felt as though it had been soaked in warm water for too long. Every muscle had gone soft, and even the spaces between her bones ached.
When she took her second step, her knees buckled and she pitched forward.
A hand reached around from behind and clasped her waist, steadying her and drawing her into a warm chest.
Lu Jiuyuan's arm circled her waist. His grip was neither too tight nor too loose, holding her snugly against him.
Lu Xueqi's back pressed against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat, steady and strong, thumping again and again.
"Careful." Lu Jiuyuan's voice brushed her ear, tinged with amusement.
Lu Xueqi's face reddened. She tried to wriggle free of his embrace, but couldn't. His hand remained clasped around her waist, unmoving.
She lifted a hand and gave his waist a gentle pinch. It was no harder than a cat pawing at someone.
"It's all your fault." Lu Xueqi's voice came out muffled, playfully reproachful. "You nearly made me fall."
Lu Jiuyuan looked down at her flushed ear and her slightly pouting lips, and smiled.
His quiet chuckle sent a tingling vibration through his chest and into her back.
"It was my fault." Lu Jiuyuan's voice was low and amused, as if soothing a little cat with its fur standing on end. "I'll be more careful next time."
Lu Xueqi turned her head slightly in his arms and glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
His expression was earnest, his gaze clear, and a gentle smile touched his lips.
She gave a huff and turned her face away, though the corners of her mouth curled upward.
"There'll be a next time?"
"What do you think?"
Lu Xueqi didn't answer, but her smile grew wider.
Lu Jiuyuan took a small porcelain bottle from the storage pouch at his waist and poured out a pale green pill.
It was a Huiqi Pill, personally refined by Master Shuiyue of Xiaozhu Peak. It was far more effective than the ones sold elsewhere.
Lu Jiuyuan held the pill to her lips.
"Take it."
Lu Xueqi opened her mouth and swallowed it. The pill melted in her throat, turning into a warm current of spiritual energy that flowed through her limbs.
The warmth spread from her dantian through her body. The soreness and weakness gradually eased, though her legs were still unsteady.
She leaned against him and rested for a little longer before slowly straightening up.
"Feeling better?"
"Mm."
"Then get ready. We should go."
The two of them began tidying the room.
Lu Xueqi bent down to pick up the scraps of clothing scattered across the floor: pieces of her moon-white top, scraps of her pale green skirt, and the undergarment with one broken strap. She folded them one by one and stacked them neatly beside the bed.
Lu Jiuyuan folded the bedding, straightened the pillow, poured out the untouched pot of cold tea on the table, washed the teacups, and put them back where they belonged.
The room returned to how it had been when they arrived, clean and tidy, as if nothing had happened.
Only a trace of intimacy lingered in the air, mingling with the fresh scent of soapwort and the warmth their bodies had left behind. It slowly faded in the morning light.
Lu Xueqi stood in the middle of the room and took one last look at the bed.
The sheets were fresh, the bedding folded, the pillow straightened. There was no sign of what had happened.
But she knew. Her face flushed again, and she turned and pushed open the door.
The two of them walked downstairs side by side.
The innkeeper was doing his accounts behind the counter. When he looked up and saw a blue-clad figure and a white-clad figure coming down from upstairs, he quickly put on a welcoming smile. "Take care, honored guests. We hope you'll visit again."
Lu Xueqi's steps faltered. She hurried out of the inn.
Jin Ping'er stood on the stone steps outside, leaning against a hitching post and playing with a wildflower. She plucked off the petals one by one, letting them fall at her feet.
When she saw the two of them emerge, her eyes curved slightly, like two crescent moons.
Jin Ping'er tossed aside the flower, now stripped down to its center, brushed nonexistent dust from her skirt, and walked toward them with a beaming smile.
Her gaze fell on Lu Xueqi.
Lu Xueqi stood in the morning light, her moon-white dress gleaming softly in the sun. Her long hair was still loose, falling over her shoulders instead of being tied up.
A faint blush colored her cheeks, and her lips were rosier than usual, a little swollen.
There was something indefinable in the corners of her eyes and the curve of her brows. It wasn't the shyness of a young girl, but something softer and more tender, like a presence refreshed by spring rain.
A bride, newly a wife.
Jin Ping'er's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then moved to her slightly swollen lips, and then to the faint red mark on the side of her neck.
The mark was very light, barely visible unless one looked closely, but Jin Ping'er had a sharp eye.
Jin Ping'er's smile didn't change, but something flickered in her eyes before quickly vanishing.
She stepped forward and stopped in front of Lu Xueqi, less than two paces away.
The morning light illuminated both of them, one as cool as frost, the other as alluring as a flower.
"Miss Lu." Jin Ping'er's voice was soft, with just the right touch of warmth. "Congratulations."
Two light words, like a breeze passing over a lake and raising a ripple before the surface went still again.
Lu Xueqi met her eyes. There was no mockery or jealousy in those foxlike eyes, only a calm, tender blessing.
A faint blush rose over Lu Xueqi's face. It wasn't embarrassment; it was something more complicated, something she couldn't quite put into words.
Lu Xueqi gave a small nod. Her voice was soft. "Mm."
There was nothing more to say, nor did they need to say anything more.
In that moment, the two women shared an unspoken understanding.
Jin Ping'er smiled and looked away, her gaze settling on Lu Jiuyuan.
Her eyes brightened, like a cat spotting a fish, like a flower finding the light.
She stepped forward, took his arm, and pressed herself against him. Her movements were as natural as if she had done it a thousand times.
"Husband." Her voice was deliberately seductive, its rising lilt like a cat's paw gently scratching at one's heart. "I'm hungry."
Lu Jiuyuan glanced down at the hand hooked around his arm, then looked up at her face. He didn't pull away, only smiled.
"Good. Let's go eat."
As soon as he finished speaking, another voice came from beside him.
Lu Xueqi stood on his other side, looking at the arm Jin Ping'er had linked hers through. After a brief silence, she spoke.
"So am I."
The two words were soft and casual, as if she'd said them without thinking.
But Lu Jiuyuan understood what lay beneath them: I'm hungry too. I want you to take me with you. You can't take her and leave me behind.
He turned his head to look at her. She stared straight ahead, her expression composed, but the tips of her ears were red.
The corners of Lu Jiuyuan's mouth lifted slightly. He reached out with his other hand and took hers.
Lu Xueqi's fingers curled in his palm. She didn't pull away, only turned her face aside so he wouldn't see the smile tugging at her lips.
The three of them walked down the streets of Black Stone City like that.
Lu Jiuyuan walked in the middle, holding Lu Xueqi's hand in his left and letting Jin Ping'er link arms with him on his right.
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