The girl's cheeks were flushed with nerves, her long lashes trembled, and her clear, luminous pink eyes held a mix of shyness and panic. Every bit of it was reflected in his eyes.
The smile on his face deepened. His voice was gentle, as though it held a bewitching coaxing magic. "Xiao Wu."
"Hmm?" Xiao Wu raised her face and answered foolishly.
"Would you like to... eat a Heaven-Deficiency Spirit-Replenishing Pill?" Zhao Linchuan asked.
"A Heaven-Deficiency Spirit-Replenishing Pill?" Xiao Wu blinked. Almost reflexively, she blurted out without a second thought, "I would!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize that her answer was a little strange in this situation. Her cheeks grew even redder.
"Good." Zhao Linchuan's smile widened. He gently patted her arm. "Listen to me. Close your eyes first."
Xiao Wu obediently closed her eyes. Her long lashes cast fine shadows across her eyelids.
"Then," Zhao Linchuan whispered, guiding her, "slowly... lower yourself into a squat."
"Keep your eyes closed... and follow the Soul Power circulation route I taught you."
After who knew how long—
"┗|｀O′|┛Awooo~~—!"
Zhao Linchuan let out a scream. A brief whimper, like the mournful howl of a beast, suddenly rang out from Xiao Wu's bedroom.
Time slipped quietly by.
The scene shifted. It was already the following morning.
Soft morning light streamed through the delicate window lattice and spilled into the room, dispelling the lingering ambiguity from the night before.
The spacious bed was a mess of rumpled covers.
Xiao Wu lay sprawled atop Zhao Linchuan's broad, sturdy chest, her little face buried in the hollow of his neck. Her breathing was soft and even, and she seemed to still be asleep, but the faint trembling of her lashes showed she had woken some time ago.
After a long