The Bed

Countless fluttering snowflakes drifted past the upturned eaves of the courtyard gate and slowly landed, while the Inscription Lamp on both sides of the road emitted a faint glow that illuminated the girl's dark eyes.

Somewhat dazed, somewhat confused, and even more overwhelmed.

The snowflakes falling into the gaps between her neck and neck brought a refreshing coolness. Ran Qingmo suddenly came to her senses, blinked her beautiful eyes, and was about to ask a question when she saw that the middle-aged man standing at the entrance of the courtyard had already made way for her.

Glancing sideways at the Sword Sect maid outside the door, Xu Yinhe asked in a calm voice:

"It's cold outside, aren't you going to come in?"

"."

Ran Qingmo's clear, dark eyes held a hint of hesitation.

Xu Yuan must have had his reasons for saying that.

Feeling disappointed, Ran Qingmo pursed her lips gently, lowered her eyes, and whispered:

"Uncle, Xu Yuan... so he probably doesn't want to see me now, right?"

"."

The words were spoken, then silence.

Ran Qingmo did not receive a reply from Xu Yinhe. When she raised her eyes, she saw that the courtyard gate was empty. The middle-aged man in the black dragon robe had left at some point, leaving only the half-open door in the falling snow.

As night deepened, the Inscription Lamp inside the Prime Minister's Mansion dimmed, and the dim yellow light reflected off the courtyard gate, faintly illuminating a row of shallow footprints on the snow.

After staring at the footprints for a few moments, a thoughtful look flashed in Ran Qingmo's clear eyes.

Brother Xu Yuan's cultivation is profound; he can walk on water as if it were flat ground. Even if he walks, he shouldn't leave any boot prints on the snow.

Xu Xinyao is a woman, but the boot print in front of her is so large that it doesn't resemble a woman's at all.

So, this was left behind by Xu Yuan?

Thinking of this, Ran Qingmo lowered her head, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

So, the sound of footsteps she heard at the door was Xu Yuan's.

For a moment, the entrance to the inner courtyard was so quiet that one could hear the falling snow. The girl in black stood there silently, staring at the two rows of footprints that stretched into the depths of the inner courtyard.

In this seemingly deathly silent snowy night, a thin layer of white frost gradually accumulated on her shoulders, and her clearly visible footprints were buried by the freshly fallen snow.

She didn't know how much time had passed when a calm and indifferent voice suddenly rang in her ears. It was abrupt, and she couldn't find the source of the voice.

"If you don't want to go in, quickly close the door and leave."

As soon as she finished speaking, Ran Qingmo's heart tightened, but before she could say anything, she felt a gentle force push against her back.

The person who came after him was extremely powerful.

The force that struck her left her defenseless, and her slender, graceful body was casually pushed into the dark inner courtyard.

Just as I stumbled two steps and regained my balance, the voice rang out again:

"Since you've chosen to come in, let's go take a look. Changtian's room is in the second-to-last courtyard."

Ran Qingmo quickly spoke up:

"I don't"

"Bang."

The inner courtyard gate was closed from the outside.

"." Ran Qingmo.

After a moment of silence, Ran Qingmo looked around uneasily.

This was her first time entering the inner courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and it didn't seem particularly special. However, her master had told her that outsiders were not allowed to enter Prime Minister's Mansion inner courtyard, so no matter what, she absolutely must not go in, or her life might be in danger.

However, she was pushed in this time, and Xu Yuan's father also asked her about it, so it shouldn't count, right?

Thinking of this, Ran Qingmo's mood calmed down a little. She glanced at the depths of the alley, muttered "Excuse me" softly, and then slowly walked in the direction of the footprints in the snow.

The snowy night was moonless, and without the illumination of the Inscription Lamp outside, the path in the inner courtyard was quite dark. However, with Ran Qingmo's cultivation level, he was still able to see. The crunching sound of his footsteps on the snow filled his ears until he saw a half-open courtyard gate and stopped in his tracks with a slight hesitation.

This should be Xu Yuan's courtyard.

Whether intentionally or simply left open, the courtyard gate remained wide open, allowing Ran Qingmo a complete view of the courtyard.

Pavilions, small ponds, and artificial hills constitute all the accommodations. Compared to the various elegant and noble or magnificent buildings in the outer courtyard of the Prime Minister's Mansion, the inner courtyard appears somewhat overly simple.

However, Ran Qingmo only glanced at these courtyard scenes. Her dark, bright eyes searched the courtyard for the familiar figure in her mind, but unfortunately, Xu Yuan was not in the courtyard.

Then, the girl's clear gaze, tinged with a hint of timidity, fell upon the tightly closed door. Her hands, hidden beneath her sleeves, clenched slightly, revealing a strange sense of nervousness.

After a long pause, Ran Qingmo seemed to have made up her mind. She crossed the entrance and slowly walked into the courtyard.

"Creak."

"Creak."

"Creak."

After taking a few steps, Ran Qingmo's delicate nose twitched slightly; she smelled the aroma of wine in the cool air of the courtyard.

It was very light and faint, yet it seemed to permeate every corner.

Ran Qingmo subconsciously wanted to Will Soul to investigate the source of the wine smell, but then realized that her master and Xu Yuan had both said it was impolite.

Gathering my thoughts, I took a step, and landed.

But this time, there was no crunching sound of footsteps on the snow; instead, there was a seemingly unintentional murmur:

"Hmm"

The sound was very soft, but it could be clearly heard in the quiet snowy night.

The familiar voice made Ran Qingmo's beautiful eyes widen immediately. She hurriedly withdrew her foot and looked down, only to see a corner of a gorgeous dress peeking out from where she had just stepped.

After a moment's hesitation, Ran Qingmo bent down, squatted down next to the gorgeous robe, and poked it with a slender, jade-like finger.

A warm sensation came from my fingertips.

The magnificent robes below seemed to feel a little itchy, and the body that was lying flat turned over, causing the snow covering its surface to roll off to both sides with a whooshing sound.

This action allowed the girl crouching beside him to see his face clearly. She blinked her beautiful eyes, looked at his sleeping face, Ran Qingmo once again reached out and poked his cheek.

No response.

Tap again.

Still no response.

He seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

A slight smile unconsciously crept onto Ran Qingmo's slightly pursed lips. She turned her head and looked around, her gaze lingering for a moment on the open courtyard gate before she silently nodded.

Xu Yuan was drunk.

I'll just sleep here.

Then Xu Yuan's father wanted her to take him back to his room.

Logical closed loop.

Without hesitation, Ran Qingmo reached out and grabbed Xu Yuan's arm, helping him up from the cold snow.

He was as heavy as a dead pig, but Ran Qingmo, being Grandmaster, easily lifted him up from the ground with a slight smile and carried him towards the side room.

The snowflakes fell softly through the folds of the elegant robes, and the sound gradually roused someone from their drunken slumber.

"Hmm"

A soft murmur arose, Xu Yuan slowly opened his slightly drowsy eyes. What he saw was a snowy field and a door that was getting closer and closer.

The brain, which had crashed, fell silent for a moment.

Oh, he seemed to have slipped when he entered the courtyard.

And that was it.

Someone must have found him and is taking him back to his room.

Is that Xu Changge?

Xu Yuan lowered his eyes, thinking subconsciously.

But his remaining consciousness and the sensation in his hands told him that the person supporting him was not a man.

"Is it Xin Yao?"

He murmured unconsciously, Xu Yuan shook his head and muttered to himself:

"Xin Yao is sleeping even more soundly than I am. Oh~ hehe, big sister, what are you doing in the inner courtyard?"

"."

Hearing the muffled voice beside her, Ran Qingmo pursed her lips and didn't reply. She silently supported him step by step towards the side room, his legs, which were completely suspended in the air, leaving two scratch marks on the snow.

"I feel so disgusted now. I'll never drink again."

"."

"Sis, could you give me some medicine to help me sober up?"

"."

"Why do I feel like there's a sword waving around in front of me?"

"."

"Sis, why aren't you saying anything?"

"."

Ran Qingmo kept her head down and didn't speak, silently listening to the rambling of the man beside her, her eyes looking somewhat downcast.

The two arrived at the door of the side room. Ran Qingmo used her cultivation Cultivation Method to push the door open with her Source Qi. Just as she was about to help Xu Yuan inside, she suddenly felt that the arm she was carrying on her shoulder was lighter.

Just as I was wondering and about to turn around to take a look,

"Smack."

"."

The sound of falling snow is like the sound of a heartbeat.

Ran Qingmo's beautiful eyes widened instantly, but she then bit her lip hard, her gaze fixed on him with anger and resentment.

He... probably mistook her for that busty older sister from last time.

After kissing her fair, flawless cheek, Xu Yuan collapsed weakly to the ground.

Seeing this, Ran Qingmo quickly reached out and pulled his body, which was like a limp lump of mud, and, suppressing her grievances, helped him onto the bed. After a moment's thought, she covered him with a blanket.

Xu Yuan said that those with low cultivation levels cannot withstand the cold.

After doing all this, Ran Qingmo stood by the bed, gazing at his face, hesitating whether to leave.

At this time,

Ran Qingmo suddenly noticed that the man on the bed had struggled to open his eyes.

"."

They locked eyes for a moment,

With a hint of a smile in his dreamy eyes, Xu Yuan looked at the girl and said softly:

"Ran Qingmo, I finally dreamed about you."

Then,

Xu Yuan suddenly reached out and grabbed her.

Before Ran Qingmo could react, she felt a strong force pull her onto the bed.

"."

Ran Qingmo blinked, looking at his face so close to hers, struggling to suppress the instinctive urge to retaliate.

The master said,

If anyone tries to sleep with her before the wedding, she can simply chop them up with her Ink Sword.

However, the master's wife said that in this situation, a good beating would suffice.

That's how her master and mistress taught her, but now she's in Xu Yuan's room.

Her heartbeat quickened, Ran Qingmo blinked her beautiful eyes, her body was completely tense, and her Cultivation Method began to circulate in her meridians.

but,

After those words were spoken, everything in the room fell silent.

After waiting for a while, Ran Qingmo tentatively moved her body, wanting to get up.

But as soon as she made a move, Xu Yuan instinctively hugged her tightly.

He pulled hard, as if afraid she would run away.

Ran Qingmo pursed her lips, trying to pull his large hand away, but unexpectedly Xu Yuan's hand, which was holding her lower abdomen, moved up a little bit.

Seeing this, Ran Qingmo tensed up and didn't dare to move, letting the drunk man hold her like that.

After feeling the soft warmth of the girl's skin through her clothes, Xu Yuan didn't dare to move any further.

He sobered up.

Under Spirit Sight,

The girl's emanating Qi and the icy chill of her Daoist essence had already locked him firmly in place.

Oh no, this Big Ice Block in my arms is actually real.