Xiao Yi Xian finally noticed Xu Qi's gaze. He seemed to have been staring at her feet the whole time.
"Ahem, it's nothing. I was just spacing out," Xu Qi hurriedly said, withdrawing his gaze in an obvious attempt to cover it up.
But Xiao Yi Xian was far too clever. She quickly realized what Xu Qi had been looking at just now.
She hurriedly trotted back down the stairs and put on her shoes, her pretty face flushed as she said in a low voice, "How can you keep staring at someone else's feet... Pervert!"
Xu Qi: "...???"
"I've been wronged!"
"When did I look at your feet?!"
"I was looking at that spot the whole time. You were the one walking back and forth barefoot in front of me, and now you're blaming me?!"
Xu Qi argued his case firmly. He absolutely refused to accept the title of "pervert."
"Hmph, you are a pervert!"
The girl pouted slightly, huffed, then turned and quickly left the room to sort out the medicinal herbs outside.
Xu Qi helplessly spread his hands, loosened his joints, and walked outside.
The sunlight was bright today, passing through layer upon layer of obstacles to fall into this valley and bring a radiant warmth.
Xiao Yi Xian was laying out all kinds of medicinal herbs to dry on a rack nearby.
Beneath the sunlight, the girl was as radiant as the sun itself.
Leaning against the doorway, Xu Qi quietly watched Xiao Yi Xian's every movement. His mood was cheerful, and a faint smile unconsciously curved his lips.
With such a beautiful woman before him in such a scene, it truly was one of life's greatest blessings.
Naturally, Xiao Yi Xian could feel Xu Qi watching her.
At first, she could pretend nothing was happening. But gradually, she began to feel uncomfortable.
Back in Qingshan Town, people often secretly stared at her like this, yet she had never thought much of it.
But this time, perhaps because there were only the two of them here, or perhaps because it was Xu Qi, Xiao Yi Xian felt increasingly uneasy.
Something felt strange in her heart, leaving her deeply unsettled.
In the end, she could no longer bear the feeling. She put down what she was holding and quickly walked over to Xu Qi.
"Y-you... why do you keep looking at me?"
She had come to question him, but the moment she spoke, Xiao Yi Xian's momentum weakened.
And though she clearly knew Xu Qi was looking at her, her cheeks still could not help growing hot.
"Because you're pretty." Xu Qi blinked and answered honestly.
His bluntness only made Xiao Yi Xian more embarrassed. A visible blush rose across her pretty face.
"Y-you, what nonsense are you saying?"
"I'm not talking nonsense. Who told you to be so beautiful? I don't want to keep looking at you either, but I just can't help it." Xu Qi spread his hands, wearing a helpless expression.
Though he spoke in that tone, his straightforward words left Xiao Yi Xian unsure how to react.
Back in Qingshan Town, many people had secretly stared at her, but never had anyone said something so bluntly to her face.
For a moment, she could barely process it.
"Y-you're spouting nonsense! I'm ignoring you!"
Xiao Yi Xian's heart was in turmoil. Pretending to be angry, she quickly turned to leave, but Xu Qi suddenly reached out and caught her soft, jade-like hand, giving it a gentle tug.
"Ah!"
With a cry, the girl's soft body was pulled into a broad chest.
"Y-you... what are you trying to do?"
Looking at his handsome face so close to hers, Xiao Yi Xian's heart suddenly raced. Her cheeks reddened like ripe tomatoes in a field, making her utterly ravishing.
Xu Qi said nothing. His hands slowly moved to the girl's waist and held her tightly.
Xiao Yi Xian could clearly have pushed him away, but she did not. She merely nervously clutched the corner of her clothes, at a complete loss.
"Xian'er, can I kiss you?"
Xu Qi whispered softly in her ear, his warm breath making her earlobe tingle.
"X-Xian'er? How can you... N-no, you can't..."
Xiao Yi Xian's mind suddenly could not keep up. She did not know which piece of information to deal with first.
The next moment, her slightly cool, soft lips were enveloped in warmth.
"Mmm..."
The girl's eyes widened at once, her mind going completely blank.
That burning, powerful breath constantly assaulted her will, leaving her without the slightest desire to resist. She only wanted to savor this moment.
"Mm..."
For a long while, her mind remained blank as she let Xu Qi do as he pleased.
Only when he finally released her did Xiao Yi Xian begin gasping for breath, her awareness gradually returning.
"You... bad guy!"
Her face was as red as if it could drip blood. Filled with bashful resentment, she vented by striking Xu Qi's body with her little fists, but they were soft and completely powerless.
"Since I'm a bad guy, isn't it perfectly normal to do bad guy things?"
Xu Qi gave a wicked smile and lowered his head again, kissing the girl's thin lips, sweet as lychee.
The girl did not resist either. Her hands slowly wrapped around Xu Qi as she began to respond little by little.
Until a pair of rough hands touched her delicate, sensitive skin.
That faint touch was like a massive bomb exploding in Xiao Yi Xian's mind.
She immediately snapped awake like a startled kitten.
"N-no, you can't!"