Chapter 187: To think, or not to think?

    “What are you... hitting yourself for?” Chu Xianning asked, puzzled.

    “It’s nothing, just that I had some strange thoughts just now, and I couldn’t calm down without a slap,” Jiang Huai replied, feeling a bit guilty.

    Then he focused his attention seriously on Chu Xianning’s delicate feet. Master’s feet were so small and soft, with the veins on the back of the foot particularly clear.

    But her foot was slightly cold. Jiang Huai looked at her toes, which were slightly curled, perhaps due to nervousness, like buds waiting to bloom. He gently straightened them one by one. Chu Xianning’s body seemed unwilling subconsciously, but she still tried to cooperate with him.

    Perhaps because Jiang Huai was looking down so seriously, he didn’t see the faint pink that appeared on Chu Xianning’s earlobes, nor did he notice her trembling eyelashes.

    He was just very serious about finding the acupoints on the sole of Chu Xianning’s foot and using the small amount of ‘Qi’ refined from the Overlord Art to stimulate them, trying to disperse the cold poison. Gradually, Chu Xianning’s foot began to warm up a bit, and Jiang Huai breathed a sigh of relief, but he felt a bit dizzy.

    The ‘Qi’ from the Overlord Art was naturally refined from the overflowing essence, energy, and spirit, and now that it was depleted, Jiang Huai naturally felt dizzy. He tried to hide it, knowing that Chu Xianning would be unhappy if she found out.

    Gradually, Master’s feet became softer, and the snow-white soles turned a cute pink. Jiang Huai Jr. was mesmerized, so he slapped his head again. He looked up at Chu Xianning,

    “Does Master feel a little better?”

    Chu Xianning snapped out of her daze and replied softly.

    “It’s better.”

    “If the last two acupoints are opened, and the spiritual energy flows even more smoothly afterward, that Cold Qi will be further dispersed,” Jiang Huai said cautiously.

    But the remaining two acupoints on Master were in particularly sensitive locations—one at her coccyx and one on the inner thigh, especially close to the soft flesh near her private area. If Jiang Huai were to apply needles, she would have to spread her legs wide, and such a shameful posture might make Chu Xianning want to dig a hole and bury Jiang Huai in it, let alone let him apply the needles.

    At this moment, Jiang Huai suddenly felt that Luo Yueguan was indeed very generous.

    If possible, he would have preferred that the last two acupoints of Chu Xianning were located in very safe places, like the arms or palms. That way, even if he touched her, Chu Xianning wouldn’t feel ashamed, and there wouldn’t be that sense of immoral unease in her heart.

    Chu Xianning remembered the locations of those last two acupoints.

    She looked into Jiang Huai’s eyes, always trying to find a hint of impropriety in them, but Jiang Huai’s eyes were truly as clear as ever.

    The clearer they were, the more Chu Xianning felt an indescribable unease.

    Why did he suddenly tap his own head just now?

    What was that strange thought in his mind?

    Perhaps she guessed it... but she shouldn’t and couldn’t say it.

    Would he be so restrained with other women? Would his eyes be as they are now?

    Chu Xianning became increasingly unable to distinguish her own thoughts, but she shouldn’t be distracted now. Moments later, she turned her face away and said,

    “Let’s talk about... the acupoints after your friend returns to the Western Region.”

    “Alright, after Bai Li leaves, I will open the remaining two acupoints for my master,” Jiang Huai agreed.

    “I didn’t say...” Chu Xianning started to speak but stopped, looking into Jiang Huai’s innocent eyes, feeling as though she had been tricked in some indescribable way. But after a moment, she gave in without further struggle,

    “Fine, as you wish.”

    “Then the wine we agreed on, should we also drink it after Bai Li leaves?” Jiang Huai suddenly remembered this matter and asked softly.

    Chu Xianning was startled at first, then clenched her teeth slightly.

    She hadn’t heard Jiang Huai mention it during the many days since returning to the courtyard. She thought he had forgotten or changed his mind, which would have been a lucky escape for her... But it seemed that the little scoundrel had always kept it in mind.

    Despite his indulgence with Luo Qingyu in the courtyard these days, and this morning, he emerged disheveled from Bai Li’s room, leaving her to wonder what they had done last night... Yet now, as he spoke, his face was still innocent.

    And even now, his hand was unconsciously playing with her foot! Sёarch* The ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Chu Xianning turned her face away,

    “Can we not drink?”

    “We can.”

    Unexpectedly, Jiang Huai didn’t whine or insist stubbornly; he answered naturally, though his tone carried a hint of disappointment.

    Jiang Huai just really wanted to challenge his own weakness.

    It seemed not long since he had left the courtyard, but many things had indeed happened. In the Daoji Ancestral Land, he had consummated his marriage with Wen Wanwan, and he had no intention of running away.

    Sometimes he felt his views were very pure; since he had taken someone’s purity, he should stay with them for life, especially since Wen Wanwan had saved his life.

    How could he bear to let her down even a little?

    Not long after Wen Wanwan, he and Qingyu had naturally dual cultivated. In the last four days with Qingyu in the courtyard, they dual cultivated seven or eight times a day. Luo Qingyu was always gentle and obedient to him, liking a bit of pain during their cultivation. Jiang Huai felt even his own preferences were being influenced without realizing it. When his palm struck Luo Qingyu’s soft buttocks, causing ripples, he felt an inexplicable pleasure.

    There was only one year left until his marriage with Qingyu, and soon after that, Wen Wanwan could prepare for marriage. Last night, he had talked so much with Bai Li.

    It wasn’t just chatting; it was more like two hearts finally tearing down their defenses after a little alcohol and directly touching each other, leading to a natural progression.

    Now, he was committed to three women and couldn’t let them down. He didn’t feel burdened, but rather a sense of fulfillment and a bit of guilt. At first, he thought finding one good person to grow old with would be enough, but now he had become a greedy person.

    But Jiang Huai felt he couldn’t be greedy anymore.

    Master Chu Xianning knew about his relationships with Luo Qingyu, Wen Wanwan, and Bai Li. Jiang Huai understood Chu Xianning very well; she had a sense of cleanliness, both mentally and physically. That’s why he wanted to avoid her when she wiped his sweat last time... always worried about dirtying her.

    So now, in Chu Xianning’s eyes, was he a dirty little scoundrel?

    When he mentioned opening Chu Xianning’s acupoints again, it really wasn’t to take advantage of her, but rather to help her old injuries heal. And when he asked about drinking... he really wanted to ask his own heart.

    It seemed his alcohol tolerance was not very good. Many things had quietly changed after a few drinks, and it seemed that many of his hidden sensitive emotions surfaced with the help of alcohol.

    Sometimes he couldn’t distinguish his own thoughts, but he also wanted to know, if he was alone with Chu Xianning, if they were both drunk, if he knew she wouldn’t notice or resist if he kissed her... would he still have the desire or the courage to kiss her again?

    He couldn’t guess now, but he really wanted to know.

    After liking the icy cold fairy master for so many years, it wasn’t something he could just let go of. But both reason and intuition were urging him in his mind that he should let go.

    Jiang Huai Jr. had recently understood a very important principle.

    To this world, he was an outsider. In his eyes, the so-called respect for teachers was not that important.

    Instead, because of the strange novels he had read in his previous life, like “My Beautiful Master Falls in Love with Me,” his concept was that teacher-student love was just breaking a small taboo and wasn’t something shameful or disgraceful.

    But he had come to understand that it was just his own thinking.

    In the world where Chu Xianning lived, the concepts she had been instilled with from childhood were about respecting teachers and not violating human relations. If a teacher and student fell in love, it would be against ethics and they should be beaten to death.

    Perhaps Chu Xianning could not fear being laughed at by the world because she never cared about anyone’s opinion, but she couldn’t get over that hurdle in her own heart.

    How could the deeply rooted concepts of six hundred years be easily broken?

    In the past, his liking for Chu Xianning was forcing her to tear apart her deeply rooted concepts, forcing her to change herself. Changing oneself is always extremely difficult; it’s not as simple as tearing flesh and bone.

    So when Chu Xianning asked if they could not drink, he wasn’t so persistent anymore. He would listen to Chu Xianning; he shouldn’t hold such selfish thoughts towards his master.

    His so-called infatuation with Chu Xianning was just his possessiveness towards her. He loved her cold purity, her untainted nature, her lonely brokenness, hoping she could be his alone, to hold her tightly by his side, never to leave, to accompany him forever.

    It was these despicable and greedy desires that were quietly at work.

    Thinking this way now, had he grown up? Jiang Huai Jr...

    “Do you really want to drink with me?” Chu Xianning slightly raised her eyes, her gaze cold as she looked into Jiang Huai’s eyes.

    “Let’s do what the master wants. If the master wants to drink, we can have a little chat and talk about our feelings. If the master doesn’t want to, then we won’t drink,” Jiang Huai replied.

    Jiang Huai realized that he was increasingly unable to look directly into Chu Xianning’s eyes, unclear whether it was guilt or cowardice, or perhaps both.

    “Why don’t you dare to look at me?”

    “Huh? What do you mean... It’s not polite to stare at the master,” Jiang Huai looked up, his gaze falling on Chu Xianning’s snow-white cheek.

    Her eyes were as cold as ever, like a bright moon hidden behind clouds.

    Chu Xianning stared into his eyes, muttering to herself.

    ...As if you haven’t stared at me enough before.

    The two looked at each other for several breaths, Chu Xianning’s lips moved slightly, her voice still cold, but seemingly hiding some other emotion.

    Jiang Huai couldn’t understand, but he heard her clearly.

    “I’m asking you, do you want to or not?”