CHAPTER 486: CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-NINE_2

Ji Nanjue nodded seriously, believing she might soon meet with the old man once again.

Looking around at the figures lying about and listening to the even breathing, she subconsciously asked, "So, what are we doing today?"

Su Bei turned his head and spoke seriously, "Ji Baoer, you shouldn’t ask, ’what are we doing today’!"

Ji Nanjue’s phoenix eyes were slightly puzzled. She reached out to embrace the breeze and tidy the strands of hair the wind had tousled. "Then what should I ask?"

Su Bei looked at her seriously and said, "You should say, ’what am I doing today’?"

Although Ji Nanjue didn’t understand why he wanted her to phrase it that way, she asked again, "Is there a difference? What am I doing today?"

Su Bei wrapped his arms around Ji Nanjue from behind, embracing her delicate waist, and whispered into her ear, "Today, it’s doing Ji Baoer."

"???"

Ji Nanjue hadn’t reacted yet. The next moment, as her gaze gradually cleared, she first looked down, then around. Realizing the situation, she tried to break free from Su Bei’s strong grip, her cheeks flushed crimson as she blurted out, "You... what nonsense are you spouting! Crass, vulgar..."

Su Bei scooped her up like a little chick and, laughing loudly as he walked upstairs, said, "How can it be considered vulgar or crass with my own wife? This is flirting!"

Ji Nanjue bit her lip and patted Su Bei’s shoulder, looking guiltily at Li Zijun, who was also in his arms, sleeping soundly. "Stop fooling around. What if Zi Jun wakes up and finds out? Put me down quickly, you... you Su Dudu..."

But Su Bei had already laid her entirely on the brocade couch. He lifted her slightly arched embroidered shoes and took them off, followed by the removal of her silk stockings. Her slender feet shone like alabaster in the light of the setting sun, her little toes round and lustrous, glimmering like captivating fireflies.

"Be good and listen, it will be over soon..."

Ji Nanjue had been poised to give up resistance, especially since she had indeed promised him something for that evening. But his words set her off. With a flash of annoyance, she opened her eyes wide, pushing her foot against Su Bei’s chest. "It will be over soon? When have you ever taken just a moment? Haven’t you always tormented me all through the night?"

Su Bei grabbed her foot, gently massaging the acupoints with his index finger, and said with a tender expression, "Isn’t it because Ji Baoer has been too tired lately? As your husband, I should give you a foot massage. This is a secret technique, foot therapy!"

"..."

Ji Nanjue was half-skeptical, but remembering that her master had also mentioned such a technique, she couldn’t help but believe him. She tilted her head, looking at Li Zijun sleeping soundly beside her, her hands resting on her belly, unwilling to cooperate. "Then you better not think about anything else... Just keep massaging my feet."

However, before long, as Su Bei pressed a certain spot on her foot, Ji Nanjue’s face turned bright red all the way to her earlobes, and her soft, shallow breaths caressed Su Bei’s ear.

Her little feet were ticklish; she wanted to pull them back but couldn’t move them—perhaps it was too comfortable? Yes, naturally, that was it, Ji Nanjue confirmed to herself, nodding vehemently. He just wanted to give her a foot massage; all she had to do was calm down. What was there to fear? Could he possibly devour her? Even if things got a little rough, she could just close her eyes and it would be over. It wasn’t like she was losing... a precious field to worry about. She had to calm down.

Calm down? How could she possibly calm down? From the moment she lay down, her heart had been thumping wildly, letting him do as he pleased.

"I’m telling you, just massage; don’t go upwards..."

Ji Nanjue lifted her head, intending to protest, but before she could, a pair of warm lips gently captured hers. His warmth flowed between them. Her tense body gradually relaxed, softening more and more amidst the deep kiss. Ji Nanjue was sure she had succumbed once again.

She had no idea how much time had passed; outside, the sky had already dimmed.

Su Bei waved his hand, and the candles beside the bed flickered to life. He then looked at Nan Ji, whose clothes were slightly disheveled. From his angle, he could even see the bellyband beneath her garment. Her clothes fell away one by one, revealing her exquisite figure. Her skin, in the hazy moonlight, seemed to shimmer like flowing silk, from her long, jade-like legs to...

In Su Bei’s heart, only the word ’perfect’ could describe her.

Su Bei gently untied the last ribbon and pushed upwards.

Smoke shrouded the cool water, and the moon veiled the sandy shore.

Nan Ji had said it before: these were the snows of No-Sword Peak, those were the plum blossoms of No-Sword Peak.

The fabric, once creased, gradually formed a single line before bunching up in disarray.

"Take off your bellyband... it’s so uncomfortable rolled up like this."

"Okay."

"You just say okay, but take it off..."

Su Bei gently kissed Nan Ji’s forehead, fulfilling the grand promise he had made at the dinner table.

"That’s my foot; I’ve been walking all day... What are you doing? Why are you so perverted?"

"It’s fine, Ji Baoer is always fragrant," Su Bei mumbled unclearly.

Li Zijun’s eyes, however, cracked open slightly, slowly regaining clarity. Her arms were limp, and her eyelashes quivered lightly. Her fair cheeks, turned away from the two, carried a hint of a blush.

The moonlight was serene. It illuminated this part of the world, shining upon the people of Tao City, deep in their slumber.

This night, between heaven and earth, two people remained awake.

—And one person was utterly sleepless.

「...」

In Peach Blossom Cove, within that peach grove, the early-blooming peach blossoms had withered, while the late-blooming crimson ones were in full splendor. The night was deep, yet despite this, the blossoms were still in furious bloom.

A serene shadow quietly appeared, her eyes greedily gazing upon the peach grove in its full glory. Dan Wulan let her gaze wander through the scenery of the grove. She noticed the fallen red petals lying unswept on the ground, with faint traces of crimson mingling with the pale mud. Paradoxically, this lent a unique charm to the scene, making her solitary wandering feel all the more tranquil. In each breath, she inhaled the rich fragrance of peach blossoms.

RUSTLE. The sound of wind blowing through fallen leaves filled the air.

Suddenly, a soft cough rang out. "Are you here seeking the Peach Blossom Spring?"

"This place isn’t open to the public... How did you get in, miss? You would have had to climb sheer cliffs hundreds of yards high..."

An old woman, leaning on a cane, walked out from a dilapidated cottage. As she looked up, her steps slowed. Under the moonlight, a cluster of late-blooming peach blossoms shone vividly, setting off the woman in a deep reddish-purple robe—a figure of almost bewitching grace. Her deep purple robe was fashioned in two layers, wrapping around her body from below and ascending, the fabric becoming sparser as it reached her shoulders. A spray of purple orchids was artfully arranged in her white hair, some at the back of her head and others over her forehead. A Gilt Phoenix Feather Stepping Shake was inserted at a slant into her snowy locks. Her skin, white as snow, seemed to melt into the night. Her brows were like distant, blue-tinged mountains, and particularly striking were her vermilion lips. Though slightly thin, they added an extra touch of allure.

"So beautiful..." the old woman sighed in admiration, gently sitting down with the aid of her cane.

Dan Wulan had just plucked a peach blossom. She glanced at the old woman, sized her up for a moment, and realizing she was an ordinary person, asked, "These peach blossoms, did you plant them?"

She paused, feeling her voice was a bit cold, and somewhat embarrassed, added, "Um... I followed the fragrance here. They’re very pretty."

The old woman, however, shook her head and with a kindly smile, said, "Who am I to have planted them? This old one is merely looking after them for someone else." With that, she walked leisurely to the most vibrant peach tree and sat down.

"For whom?"

"Why do these peach blossoms never wither, regardless of the season?"

Dan Wulan’s gaze casually shifted to the ancient peach tree, and she sighed to herself, It’s truly lonely... but what a pity he’s not here...