A Moonlit Kiss

Although the atmosphere at the round table was lively, Xie Yue and Hu Liena appeared unusually reserved when they sat down, like two little lambs who had wandered into a pack of wolves.

Xie Yue sat upright with her back straight, her chopsticks only daring to dart around in the dish in front of her.

Hu Liena sat next to her brother, wishing she could bury her head in her bowl, and didn't even dare to stretch her chopsticks out too far.

Liu Xiulan picked up the large soup bowl filled with chicken legs, her loving gaze sweeping over the four children, and asked with a smile, "A chicken only has four legs in total."

"Who wants chicken drumsticks? Who wants chicken wings?"

Qian Renxue spoke first, displaying the demeanor of an older sister. "Give it to Nana and Xiao Xiao. Xie Yue and I are older and more sensible."

Of the four, Qian Renxue is the oldest at nine years old, Xie Yue and Xiao Xiao are the same age, and Hu Liena is the youngest.

Xie Yue quickly declined, her eyes darting around, "I won't eat it either. I don't really like chicken legs, they're too greasy."

Hu Liena also whispered, "My teeth aren't good, I can't bite it... I'll give it to the two older sisters."

Ling Yuan chuckled upon hearing this, then playfully scolded, "This chicken was simmered over a low flame for over an hour; it's already tender and falling apart. How could it be tough to chew?"

"Children are growing, so they should eat more meat... Here, one for Nana, one for Xiao Xiao."

Without a word, she placed two plump chicken legs into Hu Liena's and Bi Xiaoxiao's bowls respectively, then picked up two chicken wings and put them into Qian Renxue's and Xie Yue's bowls, saying, "If there aren't enough legs, chicken wings are legs too. You two can each have one, no refusing."

Xie Yue took the bowl, thanked her softly, and then quietly moved her wing leg into her sister's bowl.

Hu Liena looked at the overflowing chicken in her bowl, then at the few lonely green vegetables left in her brother's bowl, and her eyes welled up with tears. She tried to put the chicken leg back, but her brother blocked the bowl with his hand.

The brother and sister were pushing and shoving a chicken leg around the edge of their bowl when Bibi Xi finally tapped the bowl with her chopsticks, making a crisp sound, "Alright, half for each of you. No one's allowed to give way anymore. If you give way again, I'll take the chicken butt and give it to you to split."

Amidst laughter, Qian Xunji put down his chopsticks, his expression slightly serious, and told the two elders that Bibi Dong would be starting her seclusion the next day.

Bi Dashan's chopsticks, which were about to pick up food, stopped in mid-air. He turned to look at his daughter, his eyes full of concern. "Daughter, are you sure you can handle this seclusion...?"

"Have."

"I've been prepared for a long time. I've already gathered all six Spirit Bone and absorbed the Million-Year Soul Ring. I'm just one step away from the finish line."

Hu Liena looked up from the bowl, blinked curiously, and asked, "What is seclusion?"

Qian Xunji patiently explained, "Seclusion means closing the door, isolating yourself from the world, and focusing on cultivation without being distracted or disturbed."

"You will all be the same in the future. When you reach a bottleneck in your cultivation, you will also need to break through it through seclusion."

Hu Liena nodded as if she understood, then asked, "How long will the teacher be in seclusion?"

"It shouldn't be too long, so I plan to start tonight."

Qian Renxue put down the wing bone in her hand, looked up at Bibi Dong, and said, "Mom, you can do it! You're the best!"

After dinner, night had completely enveloped Spirit City.

Ling Yuan, holding Bi Xiaoxiao's hand, stood at the courtyard gate, waving goodbye and watching everyone leave.

Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong, along with Qian Renxue, Xie Yue, and the siblings Hu Liena, walked along the quiet street towards the Spirit Hall.

After taking the brother and sister and Qian Renxue back to their rooms and settling them in, it was already late at night.

The corridors of the Spirit Hall were extremely quiet, with only the occasional patrolling knight passing by in the distance.

Bibi Dong held Qian Xunji's hand and walked slowly, seemingly reluctant to part with this moment of tranquility.

Her fingers slipped between his, palm to palm.

Qian Xunji turned his head and glanced at her. Her profile looked softer than usual under the warm yellow light, and a faint smile played on her lips, shedding her papal majesty.

Bibi Dong suddenly asked, "Do you remember the first time we held hands and took a walk like this?"

"I remember, back then you were walking in the corridor behind the Pope Palace, and I mustered up the courage to hold your hand, and you blushed."

"You're not shy anymore, your skin is getting thicker and thicker."

"Of course! We're an old married couple, what's there to be shy about?"

The two stopped in their tracks simultaneously, their gazes falling on a building not far away.

The Saintess Hall – Ever since Bibi Dong moved out of here, this temple has remained empty, with only maids coming in to clean it regularly each day.

Qian Xunji gazed at the tightly closed palace door and recalled, "You kissed me for the first time here, right on these steps."

Bibi Dong released his hand, took two steps forward, turned around to face him, and her skirt fluttered in the wind.

The moonlight fell perfectly on her, turning her long, silvery hair into a hazy, frosty color, making her look otherworldly beautiful.

She tiptoed, placed one hand on his shoulder, and tilted her head back to gently kiss his other cheek.

Then she took a half step back, tilted her head to look at him, and said with a playful smile in her eyes, "Is that so?"

Yes, that's it.

He raised his hand and cradled the back of her head. "But this time, I want to kiss her more, not just on the cheek."

Bibi Dong blinked, feigning ignorance. "How exactly are you saying we're intimate?"

He didn't answer, but spoke through his actions.

His hand slid from the back of her head to her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin, then he lowered his head and first touched her upper lip with his lips, then her lower lip...

Bibi Dong closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted, and her arms slid up his shoulders, interlacing her fingers to encircle the back of his neck.

Qian Xunji tightened his arms, pulling her into his embrace.

Then, it entered her cherry-like mouth and began to conquer it.

The kiss lasted a long time, so long that the two of them forgot about time and where they were.

Just then, a patrol of knights came around the corner.

The squad leader glanced up in the direction of the Saintess Hall, then abruptly stopped, nearly causing the knight behind him to bump into his back.

He saw the two overlapping figures beside the pillar, opened his mouth, then quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any longer.

The knights behind them saw it clearly, and they all held their breath, kept their eyes straight ahead, and quickened their pace to pass by.

Only after they were a hundred meters away did the squad leader lower his voice and sigh, "His Holiness the Pope and the Dean... they've been so loving after all these years, it's truly enviable."

The young knights behind him nodded silently.

After all, she was the youngest Pope of the Spirit Hall, Peak Douluo, and the undisputed number one beauty of Spirit City. Now she was so gentle and tender; who wouldn't envy her?