Ye Lingling Did It Too

(Beautiful picture of Ye Lingling)

"Brother, use me..."

Then she gently bit his earlobe.

The string in Lin Jiang's head snapped.

He pressed her against the alley wall, one hand cushioning the back of her head, the other braced against the bricks beside her ear.

Moonlight spilled in from the mouth of the alley, drawing a silvery arc across her face, from forehead to nose to lips, then downward, disappearing beneath her collar.

Ye Lingling closed her eyes, her lashes trembling like butterfly wings.

She was waiting for him.

Lin Jiang lowered his head and pressed his lips to the side of her neck.

She shuddered all over, her fingers tightening around his collar.

"Brother Lin Jiang..." Her voice came in fits and starts, as though someone were squeezing her throat as she spoke.

His lips slid from the side of her neck to her collarbone, where they stopped.

The skin beneath his nose was scorching, and the pulse beneath it beat fast and frantic.

The alley was so quiet that all they could hear was each other's breathing.

After waiting a while, Ye Lingling realized he wasn't moving again.

She opened her eyes and looked down at him.

Lin Jiang had buried his face in the hollow of her shoulder and was completely still.

"What's wrong..." Her voice was weak.

"Give me a moment," he murmured, his warm breath brushing her collarbone.

Ye Lingling froze for a beat, then burst out laughing.

She wrapped her arms around his head, slipped her fingers into his hair, and gently rubbed it.

"Then... I'll wait."

Lin Jiang lifted his head from her shoulder and looked at her.

The moonlight had washed her blue eyes clean, leaving not a trace of impurity.

Under his gaze, she grew embarrassed and turned away, the tips of her ears bright red.

"What are you looking at..."

Lin Jiang said nothing.

He picked her up again, but this time he didn't carry her in his arms. Instead, he had her face him and cling to him.

Ye Lingling gave a startled cry, buried her face in his shoulder, and refused to lift it no matter what.

And so, it was like an ant climbing a tree.

The ant climbed the tree, its antennae sensing a branch.

The branch's progress reached one percent.

Then the progress reached twenty percent.

Then thirty percent.

In the end, the branch's progress could only hold at around fifty percent.

And so, the progress kept shifting back and forth between one and fifty percent.

Who knew how much time had passed.

The moonlight in the alley shifted, sliding from the top of the wall to the ground before slowly retreating.

Lin Jiang's legs had gone numb from standing. Ye Lingling, nestled in his arms, was like melted taffy, her whole body limp against his chest,

her fingers plucking at his collar now and then. Her breathing had long since evened out, but she refused to open her eyes.

"Lingling."

"Mm..."

"I'll take you back."

She said nothing, but her arms tightened around his neck.

Lin Jiang waited a moment, then carried her out of the alley.

The moonlight stretched their shadows long across the ground, blending them together until it was impossible to tell whose was whose.

When they reached the entrance to Ye Mansion, Ye Lingling stood on the threshold and glanced back at him.

Moonlight fell on her face, and her blue eyes gleamed as though they held a pool of water.

Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she lowered her head and hurried inside.

The door closed with a soft sound.

Lin Jiang stood outside for a while, then turned and left.

The next day.

Lin Jiang got up at the crack of dawn.

He couldn't put off the matter of the Golden Dragon King's fourth Soul Ring any longer, but before that, he needed to visit Qian Renxue.

He tucked the token away and headed to the East Palace.

When the guards saw the token, they didn't even ask any questions. They let him pass at once.

He walked all the way to the door of Xue Qinghe's study. Before he could knock, a voice came from inside.

"Come in."

He pushed the door open. Xue Qinghe sat behind the desk, holding a memorial, her posture straight and her expression composed.

When she saw Lin Jiang, the dignified Crown Prince's face seemed to crack.

"Lin Jiang?!"

She jumped to her feet, the chair sliding backward, and nearly dropped the memorial.

She quickly glanced at the attendants on either side, suppressed the excitement in her voice, and regained the composure expected of "Xue Qinghe."

"Everyone, leave."

The attendants filed out, and the door closed behind them.

The study fell silent for three seconds.

A golden light flashed. Xue Qinghe's features melted away like rippling water, revealing that peerlessly beautiful face.

Her golden hair fell over her shoulders. The sternness in her features softened, replaced by a joy she could barely hide.

"Lin Jiang, you finally came to see me!"

Lin Jiang leaned against the doorframe and smiled at her. "Xue'er, I missed you."

Qian Renxue blushed and turned her head away, though her words remained sharp. "I asked you to stay here, but you wouldn't."

"The imperial palace is still too complicated."

Qian Renxue crossed her arms over her chest, raised her chin, and put on a face that said, "I'm not happy."

But her thoughts were already galloping ahead.

That dual cultivation method from the Simulator's reward... she had to use it, didn't she?

She bit her lip, let her gaze travel over Lin Jiang, then quickly drew it back.

What if they got married right now?

Then they could practice dual cultivation openly and without hiding it.

But she was still "Xue Qinghe." They couldn't exactly have two men get married, could they? Maybe she could dress him up as a woman?

She pictured Lin Jiang in a woman's outfit, then nearly choked on her own imagination. The tips of her ears turned bright red.

"Xue'er?" Seeing her lost in thought, Lin Jiang called out.

"Oh..." Qian Renxue came back to herself. Her blush hadn't faded, and her eyes wandered. "Um..."

They spoke at the same time.

"Um, there's something I want to talk to you about."

Their words overlapped.

They both froze for a moment.

Lin Jiang smiled. "You go first."

Qian Renxue's face grew even redder, and she twisted her fingers in her sleeve. "You... you go first!"

Lin Jiang scratched his head.

"All right... um, Xue'er, could you..."

Qian Renxue's heart suddenly sped up, and her ears perked up, though she forced herself to look composed.

"Mm? What is it?"

"Could you find me some Soul Tool materials?"

"???"

The anticipation on Qian Renxue's face shattered to pieces.

Lin Jiang blinked. "Hm?"

Qian Renxue snatched up a memorial from the desk, set it down, picked it up again, set it down again, then finally crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. Her voice squeezed through clenched teeth.

"Sure. Of course I can."

Lin Jiang scratched his head, feeling that something was off.

Qian Renxue stared at him, her emotions churning like a storm-tossed sea.

Blockhead! Big wooden block!

She took a deep breath and forcibly tamped down her frustration.

No. The tragedy from the Simulator absolutely couldn't happen again.

She had to take the initiative. She had to get stronger alongside Lin Jiang as soon as possible.

The dual cultivation technique awarded by the Simulator was crucial.

Qian Renxue's stare was making Lin Jiang feel uneasy. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "By the way, Xue'er, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

Qian Renxue parted her lips.

"I..."

"Mm?"

"Um..."

"Go ahead, Xue'er."

Qian Renxue took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and spoke in a rush.

"Can we get married?"

Lin Jiang froze.

"Huh??"

Qian Renxue opened her eyes. Her face was already bright red, but she didn't avert her gaze.

She stood up, braced both hands against the desk, leaned forward slightly, and spoke one word at a time.

"I'll marry you."

The study was so quiet they could hear the candle flame crackling.