Night enveloped the woodland cottage. The evening breeze slipped through the window lattice, bringing the faint, fresh fragrance of the mountain forest.
After dinner, Xia Kong returned to his room, intending to enter the Farm Space and study the Mad Lion's Roar Dou Technique on his own once more. Just then, exceedingly soft footsteps sounded outside his door.
At this hour, Xiao Yi Xian should have returned to her room to rest. To his surprise, however, she was standing outside his door.
A little confusion stirred in Xia Kong's heart.
Had she come specifically to see me, or was she merely passing by?
An image flashed unbidden through Xia Kong's mind: the girl, dressed in thin nightclothes, bashfully pushing open his door and stepping inside, followed by a few intimate words of affection, then a storm of passion on the bed.
The wicked thought flashed past. Xia Kong quickly shook his head, suppressing his tangled fantasies.
No, Xiao Yi Xian wasn't nearly that forward. She would never do anything so bold.
When no knock came from outside, Xia Kong remained silent, deciding to wait and see.
Outside the wooden door, Xiao Yi Xian was caught in a tug-of-war of indecision.
Were those half-serious, half-joking remarks Xia Kong made during the day actually a veiled hint that I should take the initiative?
If it was all just my own wishful thinking, barging in would only make Xia Kong think I was frivolous.
Not only would I lose more than I gained, but I'd be too ashamed to keep living with him.
She had finally found a life so satisfying that it felt like a beautiful dream. She did not want to lose it so soon.
Wait. Xiao Yi Xian suddenly realized something.
With Xia Kong's senses as a Five-Star Dou Master, he should have noticed me standing outside long ago. Why hasn't he opened the door?
Disappointment flooded her heart. So I'd only been imagining his affection all along.
A shadow crossed Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. She gently bit her lower lip and finally made up her mind, turning to leave.
Just as she was about to move, the wooden door creaked open inward.
After hearing her linger outside for so long, Xia Kong was certain she had come for a reason rather than simply passing by. Only then did he reach out and open the door.
But when he saw her, Xia Kong's gaze froze briefly, and his mind went blank.
Just as he had imagined earlier, Xiao Yi Xian wore nothing but a light pinkish-purple nightdress with slender straps and a bandeau bodice. The silky fabric set off her snow-white skin, leaving her smooth arms completely bare. Her slender waist looked as though it could be enclosed in a single hand, and beneath the dim lamplight, she was especially alluring.
"Uh, Xiao Yi Xian, what are you...?"
Xia Kong spoke with some bewilderment, stepping aside to clear half the doorway and invite her in. He could hardly leave his girlfriend standing in the night breeze wearing so little. His gaze swept over her graceful figure, and his throat bobbed involuntarily as he quietly swallowed.
In a daze, Xiao Yi Xian stepped into the bedroom. Her gaze swept across the room and landed on the large, soft bed, spacious enough for two. Her cheeks suddenly burned, and she asked in confusion, "Wasn't... wasn't there a hidden meaning in what you said earlier, hinting that I should come over?"
Xia Kong did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had indeed teased her quite a bit during the day, but he had never meant anything of the sort. He and Ya Fei had been together for quite some time, and he had not even made that move with her yet. Why would he hint that the inexperienced Xiao Yi Xian should do such a thing?
Seeing the genuine bewilderment in Xia Kong's eyes, Xiao Yi Xian instantly understood that she had completely misread his intentions. A scorching blush spread from her ears to her cheeks. So ashamed that she wished the ground would swallow her, she turned to flee.
There was no way Xia Kong would let her leave in such embarrassment.
He and Xiao Yi Xian were very alike in certain respects, so he understood her temperament all too well. Mustering tonight's courage had already been an enormous step for her. How could he let down that anxious hope of hers?
He reached out, gently but firmly caught her slender wrist, and gave a slight inward tug. With barely any resistance, Xiao Yi Xian fell into his arms.
"You're already here. Why rush back? Why not stay in my room from now on?"
Xia Kong chuckled, wrapped an arm around her waist, and swept her up into a bridal carry.
Xiao Yi Xian was light, almost weightless, and her skin was exceptionally delicate and clear, wonderful to the touch.
As her light body settled onto the bed, Xia Kong leaned over her, closing the distance between them in an instant. Their noses almost touched, their warm breaths mingling.
Xiao Yi Xian's heart pounded like a drum, racing several times faster than usual.
Having practiced medicine in Qingshan Town for years, she was not entirely ignorant of intimacy between men and women, thanks to what she had seen and heard around town. Faced with what was about to happen, she felt a faint anticipation, but far stronger were the fear and unease she could not shake.
Xia Kong quietly watched the changes in her expression. Seeing the uncertainty hidden in her eyes, he felt helpless.
He had never intended to take things that far so soon. He had not expected Xiao Yi Xian to become flustered first.
"Heh heh~"
With a low chuckle, Xia Kong slowly leaned toward her delicate, lovely face.
Xiao Yi Xian went rigid and squeezed her eyes shut, her long lashes trembling faintly as she resigned herself to whatever came.
The deeper intimacy she had expected never arrived.
Only a soft warmth brushed her tender pink lips, as lightly as a dragonfly touching the water. A moment later, Xia Kong straightened and rolled onto the bed beside her.
Xiao Yi Xian opened her eyes in surprise. A watery sheen shimmered in her clear gaze as she turned toward him, utterly confused.
Xia Kong stretched out an arm for her to rest her head on, casually mussing her soft hair with his other hand.
"Silly girl, I'm not that impatient. Doing it now would affect your cultivation. Let's wait another couple of years."
More importantly, there was the terrifying Woeful Poison Body within Xiao Yi Xian. That brief kiss alone had already left Xia Kong's lips faintly numb. He dared not imagine the consequences of going further, let alone making contact at a negative distance. He had no desire whatsoever to meet the miserable fate of only being able to join Xiao Yi Xian, Ya Fei, and the others as one of their sisters.
His explanation filled Xiao Yi Xian's heart with the warmth of being tenderly cherished, yet she still could not entirely let it go.
Xiao Yi Xian instinctively glanced down at herself. The two little loaves hidden beneath her dudou had some rise to them, but they could hardly be called full.
Despite herself, a sulky resentment welled up.
"Hmph. Lecher."
In a fit of pique, Xiao Yi Xian hugged Xia Kong's forearm and bit down hard. She pressed her teeth into it until she had left a neat row of tiny tooth marks before finally letting go.
Xia Kong could more or less guess the reason for her embarrassment and annoyance.
Xiao Yi Xian had surely misunderstood him. But he was beginning to grow accustomed to this sensitive girl's habit of dreaming up all manner of things. He simply relaxed the muscles in his arm and let her vent. That little bit of force barely hurt him anyway; it only left a slight tingling sensation.
After Xiao Yi Xian released him, most of her resentment dissipated.
She had already heard Xia Kong talk about his relationship with Ya Fei. He had also said that he would take her back to meet Ya Fei after some time.
Thus, she wanted to learn more about this older sister, Ya Fei-especially her figure.
Xia Kong had always been honest. He neither knew how to lie nor cared to, so he shared all his impressions of Ya Fei.
The more Xiao Yi Xian listened, the more her teeth itched with irritation. Suddenly, she rolled over and straddled Xia Kong, using her tender lips to stop his mouth from praising another woman.
Realizing that Xiao Yi Xian's jealousy had shot beyond the heavens, Xia Kong sheepishly stopped praising Ya Fei and silently endured her outpouring.
Though his lips were a little numb, it was nothing a single Tier Three Cucumber afterward could not fix. Naturally, Xia Kong was not about to spoil the mood by pushing Xiao Yi Xian away.
As for his original plan to practice his Dou Technique alone, Xia Kong had long since flung it beyond the nine heavens!!!
Only their slightly hurried breaths remained within the room. Outside the window, the mountain breeze rustled through the still, lingering night, and the occasional roars of magic beasts formed the finest symphony of midsummer.
Before you continue