The next morning, dawn seemed to arrive later than usual—or perhaps someone had simply woken up too late.
Yan Lingji slowly came to.
The moment she opened her eyes, she felt as though her whole body had been taken apart and put back together. Every inch ached, and every limb felt limp.
The burning sting and intense soreness brought back memories of the "brutal" "battle" she had endured the night before.
Her throat was parched as if it were on fire.
She tried to move, but felt she didn't even have the strength to lift a hand.
After struggling for a long while, she finally managed to raise an arm, trembling, and murmured in a hoarse voice:
"Water... I need some water..."
Zhao Linchuan, who had already woken and was leaning against the headboard, playing with a lock of her hair, immediately got up.
He hurried over to the table and picked up the teapot he'd kept warm, along with a clean cup. After a moment's thought, he brought the teapot back with him instead.
He held it out to Yan Lingji.
Yan Lingji couldn't care less about manners. She took the teapot and, without bothering with the cup, tipped her head back and drank straight from the spout, gulping down mouthful after mouthful.
The cool, faintly sweet tea soothed her parched throat and brought a welcome relief, clearing her muddled mind a little, too.
Watching her look as though she had just survived a calamity, Zhao Linchuan felt both sorry for her and unable to suppress a chuckle.
He sat down and reached out to smooth the damp hair clinging to her cheek, but she turned away in annoyance.
"This is what happens when you don't focus on your cultivation. You'd only just finished fusing the Soul Bone, and