Little did Xue Chenjing know that this was merely the beginning, and there were many more humiliations awaiting him tonight.
Yu Yi's fingertips lightly touched his cheek, not fully pressed against his skin. Only the slightest heat from her fingertips, like being tickled by the softest feather, spread a tingling sensation that quickly turned into an undeniable burning.
The fine hairs on Xue Chenjing's cheeks all stood on end, and goosebumps rose from his face down to his neck. A rosy color seeped through his porcelain-white skin, especially in his eyes, which were misty and pitifully red at the corners.
Such a sensitive reaction greatly diminished his normally unyielding demeanor. He was like a dog forced to expose its belly for petting, snarling and growling on one hand, yet unable to control its tail wagging in pleasure on the other.
Xue Chenjing deeply hated his own reaction. He raised his hand to grip Yu Yi's wrist tightly, his knuckles turning white. After a moment of struggle between pushing her away and pressing her palm to his face, he finally chose to forcefully press her hand against his cheek.
As her palm finally made full contact, the warm body heat instantly permeated his senses. Xue Chenjing closed his eyes contentedly, nuzzling into her palm twice to relieve the skin's craving, before immediately pushing her hand away.
He stood up and stepped back, wariness hidden in his gaze. "Are you sober now?"
Could she have gone into heat like the people outside?
Xue Chenjing glanced at Crane Senior Brother, who was still enthusiastically performing a mating dance nearby, then looked back at Yu Yi. He recalled the scenes he had witnessed since entering the city and imagined if she were to embrace him intimately like that. It wouldn't be so bad, as long as she didn't deliberately torment him like before.
Just thinking about it made his breathing quicken and his heart race with excitement.
"Master," Xue Chenjing called out ingratiatingly, moving closer and offering his face to her hand. "Go ahead and touch me. Touch me some more."
He now somewhat regretted destroying that rabbit mask.
However, to his surprise, when he offered himself, Yu Yi retreated in disgust. She rubbed her wrist, slowly furrowing her brow, and looked up at him, seeming to be deep in thought.
His face was very handsome, and his reactions were quite pleasing to her, but he was disobedient and had hurt her wrist.
Her gaze wavered between clarity and haziness, very different from usual. The unfocused look in her eyes made her appear much softer, with a hint of annoyance from the pain in her wrist.
Xue Chenjing felt increasingly agitated under her appraising gaze, as if she were evaluating merchandise. He tried to lower his stance and explained, "Master, I didn't mean to. Did it really hurt? You can hit me if you want."
Yu Yi stared at him for a long time before finally making a decision. She didn't want a disobedient dog, so she said, "You can go now."
Her cold tone was like a needle piercing through all the agitation Xue Chenjing had been suppressing. He sprang to his feet and lunged at her angrily, his fingers nearly touching her shoulder.
His figure completely overshadowed her. With just a light push, he could pin her to the bed, trapping her between his arms.
But Xue Chenjing saw Yu Yi's eyes suddenly clear as she faced the threat, filled with the same wariness towards him as always.
The Green Bamboo Sword on the table hummed softly, sword energy leaking from its cracks and suddenly surging, nearly burning Crane Senior Brother's wings.
Xue Chenjing abruptly withdrew his hand and quickly retreated, as agitated as a vicious dog forced back into its cage, colliding everywhere, unable to find an outlet for his emotions.
He growled in a low voice, "What exactly do you want? What do I have to do? After evaluating me, you still think it's better to throw me away, is that it? Why can you accept Xue Mingyuan? Is he really that good? Am I really that detestable?"
"You just called out for Ah Qiu, you clearly called for me."
"Ah Qiu, Qiu." Xue Chenjing laughed, his eyes bloodshot. "My courtesy name doesn't come from some 'dragon in the southern mountain pool.' It's just because his name is Mingyuan, and they missed him so much, so they gave me the courtesy name Qiu."
"Do you miss him too? Do you also want me to turn back into him? Is that the only way you'd like me a little more?"
"I won't let you see him again. Even if you all like him, even if you miss him and want to see him so badly, I won't let him come out again!"
Yu Yi raised her hands to press against her buzzing ears. She knew she wasn't entirely clear-headed right now.
She had also been affected by the unusual atmosphere in the city. The dopamine in her body must be overproducing, making her heart race and her mind clouded with love, to the point where even watching Xue Chenjing throw a tantrum in front of her seemed somewhat cute.
She heard what he said, but her sluggish brain couldn't analyze the meaning behind his words. Her gaze kept being drawn to his constantly moving lips and his reddened eyes.
He was just too noisy. Why was he so noisy?
Yu Yi couldn't help but scold, "Xue Chenjing, shut up."
Xue Chenjing froze for a moment, pressing his lips tightly together. But after less than a moment of silence, he defiantly opened his mouth again, "I'm not leaving. I don't want to go. You're not normal right now, neither is Crane Senior Brother. I can stay here to protect you both."
"You're so noisy. You're giving me a headache," Yu Yi said with disdain as she sat on the edge of the bed with her knees drawn up, both hands covering her ears.
Xue Chenjing suddenly closed his mouth and didn't speak again. He stared at her with his pitch-black eyes, like deep wells, feeling both resentful and angry.
He was noisy? Could he possibly be noisier than that stupid bird cackling next to them?
She just didn't like him, that's all. So everything he did was wrong.
Yu Yi kept her ears covered as she stared back at him, watching him breathe angrily, wanting to speak but unable to. He paced back and forth in the room like Crane Senior Brother, except Crane Senior Brother was strutting with his tail feathers raised, trying hard to show off, while Xue Chenjing was just angry.
But Yu Yi wouldn't comfort him. She didn't have the same indulgence and patience for him as she did for Crane Senior Brother.
The system felt truly sorry for its host and advised him in an extremely gentle voice, "Master, the female lead must also be affected by the Passionate Love Wine. Why don't you just go along with her a bit? She even called you over and touched you on her own initiative earlier. That's so rare."
"If she touches you more and has more physical contact with you, her favorability will surely increase."
Xue Chenjing closed his eyes briefly, trying his best to calm his breathing. That's right, he was only trying to win her over. There was really no need to get so angry because of her. Whatever Xue Mingyuan could do, he could do too. He could please her as well.
After a long while, he finally managed to calm himself down. He cautiously walked over and sat down on the floor by her bed, his back against the edge of the bed. He said in a muffled voice, "Alright, I won't make noise anymore. You go to sleep. I'll keep an eye on Crane Senior Brother for you."
Yu Yi tilted her head in thought, then hugged her pillow and lay down facing outward. Him sitting like this must be deliberately inviting her to touch him, right? It's fine, she was in a good mood today and willing to grant him some extra points.
She remembered that touching his face was worth ten points, which she had already done.
What about other places? Fifteen points? Yu Yi reached out to brush back his hair, her fingertips landing on the nape of his neck.
Xue Chenjing's whole body trembled. He instinctively wanted to turn his head to look at her, but then remembered her evaluating gaze, as if appraising merchandise. He didn't want to see that look again, so he turned his head to the other side, presenting the back of his head to her.
Yu Yi didn't mind. She stroked his neck for a while, watching as his neck and ears turned completely red. Then she pulled out his ponytail, spread his hair out on the bed to play with, braiding it into various sizes of plaits and inserting her favorite vermilion hairpins into his hair.
Xue Chenjing remained still and didn't turn to look at her, allowing her to do as she pleased, as if sulking.
A soft voice came from behind his ear, warm breath brushing against it, saying, "Ah Qiu, stretch out your pseudo-feet."
Xue Chenjing hunched his shoulders and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking up, "Didn't you find them disgusting?"
A drawn-out nasal sound came from behind, "Mmm..."
Xue Chenjing laughed coldly, "If they're so disgusting, why ask me to bring them out?"
"Mmm, after looking at them for a while, they're actually not that disgusting," Yu Yi said slowly.
Xue Chenjing raised his eyes, glancing sideways, catching sight of her fingertips playing with a strand of hair in his peripheral vision. After hesitating for a long time, he slowly extended a tentacle and gently touched her hand.
Yu Yi felt the cool, damp sensation on the back of her hand and reflexively grasped the invisible tentacle. Its icy coolness was just right to soothe the uncomfortable heat in her heart.
Xue Chenjing narrowed his eyes, feeling her embrace his tentacle with both hands, kneading it like dough, before finally pulling it into her arms.
The scent of her body washed over his senses like ocean waves. Xue Chenjing controlled his breathing, his fingers clenched tightly, nearly tearing his clothes. She always had so many ways to torment him.
Yu Yi held it for a while, warming it up until the transparent flesh took on a reddish tinge. She then pushed it away, saying, "Give me another one."
Xue Chenjing: "..." That tentacle was suddenly abandoned, still trying to cling on, but Xue Chenjing forcibly retracted it and replaced it with another.
Throughout the night, Yu Yi took turns hugging all of his tentacles, even attempting to braid them, nearly tying them into knots.
Crane Senior Brother finally tired of dancing and collapsed on the table, hugging the Green Bamboo Sword with his wings as he fell asleep. The two people by the bed also grew still.
The system was left speechless. Such a good opportunity, and the host just let Yu Yi sleep while hugging his tentacles. The bottle of passion wine had been wasted.
Xue Chenjing slept very comfortably that night. The warmth constantly transmitted through his tentacles to his senses, a familiar softness and fragrance. Midway through the night, he lost his balance and fell to the ground, but didn't wake up.
The next day, as dawn broke.
Noise filtered in through the window, and Yu Yi's eyes snapped open. She exhaled a long breath, feeling the confusion of a hangover. It took a while for her mind to clear, and she became aware of a strange constricting sensation on her body.
Startled, she tried to sit up by pushing with her hands, but failed. Looking down at herself, she vaguely saw something semi-transparent coiled tightly around her body like snakes in the dim morning light.
Seeing such a sight first thing in the morning was truly like a horror story.
She struggled to free her hand, pulling away the tentacle wrapped around her chest, then kicking off the one across her legs. She glared angrily at the person on the floor beside the bed, now understanding why she had slept so uncomfortably.
"Xue Chenjing!"
Yu Yi kicked a pillow down at him. Xue Chenjing woke with a start, first seeing Crane Senior Brother's sharp beak nearly poking his face - it had rolled off the table onto the floor in its sleep.
Xue Chenjing sat up, his eyes still clouded with sleep, his mind not yet clear.
"Xue Chenjing, retract all of these things!"
Hearing Yu Yi's angry voice, he turned his head in confusion. The disheveled figure on the bed caught his eye, and Xue Chenjing rubbed his eyes before opening them wide to look again.
Yu Yi forcefully pulled at her clothes to cover the marks on her body, her cheeks flushed red. She grabbed one of the tentacles and bit down on it.
Xue Chenjing let out a pained "Ow!" as he jumped up from the ground. The tentacles all over the bed quickly retracted, disappearing into thin air.
Yu Yi wiped her mouth. "Awake now?"
Being bitten first thing in the morning certainly woke Xue Chenjing up, and put him in a foul mood. He put his hands behind his back, secretly rubbing the tentacle she had bitten.
Last night she had played with him, calling him "A-Qiu" and saying his tentacles were cute. Now, after waking up, she coldly called him Xue Chenjing again and even bit him.
Seeing him standing there like a resentful spirit early in the morning, Yu Yi gestured to lower the bed curtains and shooed him away, "Get out, I need to change clothes."
Xue Chenjing let out an exasperated huff and turned to leave, but heard her say, "Take Crane Senior Brother with you too."
He paused for a moment, heaved a deep sigh, and stooped down to pick up the drooling crane, swallowing his pride.
Behind the bed curtains, Yu Yi propped her head on one hand, trying hard to recall what ridiculous things she had done last night. In the end, she realized that apart from actively hugging Xue Chenjing's tentacles, they hadn't done anything too outrageous.
She belatedly remembered Xue Chenjing's angry confession last night and muttered quietly, "A-Qiu, Qiu."
He had clearly said before that his father had chosen his name from that poem, but now he said it wasn't true. It was hard to know which of his words were true.
Not knowing what was true or false, she decided to treat it all as false. When it came to Xue Chenjing, it was best to view him with the worst perspective possible.
Yu Yi shook her head, pushing these stray thoughts out of her mind, refusing to delve deeper.
She cast a cleaning spell on herself, put on her clothes, wrote a note and placed it in the small basket by the door, then rang the bell to call for an attendant.
Half an hour later, the attendant brought the hot water she had requested.
Yu Yi stayed in the room and thoroughly washed herself before applying fragrant ointment and getting dressed to go downstairs.
In the main hall, Crane Senior Brother had already finished eight plates of fish. Xue Chenjing had been waiting impatiently for her to come down for breakfast, but thinking of the tasks she had completed with Xue Mingyuan, he restrained himself.
After last night, Yu Yi's favorability had indeed increased, now reaching thirty percent. Thinking that this increase in favorability must be because of him, Xue Chenjing's mood improved significantly, and he no longer dwelled on her biting him.
He asked the system to bring up the hundred-day conquest plan, proudly wanting to check off the "sleeping together" item. But no matter how he tapped, the light screen didn't respond.
He asked inwardly, "What's going on? Why can't I check it off?"
The system had to remind him, "Master, you slept on the floor beside the female lead's bed last night. At most, you shared the floor with Crane Senior Brother."
Xue Chenjing glanced at the crane tilting its head back to swallow fish, and said angrily, "My tentacles were on the bed, and they're a part of me."
The system considered this and felt it made some sense. It reassessed the task and allowed him to check it off.
The panel suddenly lit up, showering him with a handful of flowers. It praised him for setting a record on the third day of the hundred-day conquest plan, calling him a natural at conquest.
The system quickly closed the panel because its host would indeed become very proud!
Xue Chenjing stroked Crane Senior Brother, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from turning up.
Crane Senior Brother, confused by the petting: "Gah?"
When Yu Yi sat down at the table, she gave a strange look at Xue Chenjing's once again cheerful expression. The morning light slanted in through the window, enveloping him. His face was half in light, half in shadow, making his nose look even straighter.
Those pitch-black eyes, under the sun's illumination, finally shed their darkness, revealing a transparent amber color.
"These have all gotten a bit cold. I'll ask them to bring fresh ones," Xue Chenjing said, pushing the cooled breakfast items towards Crane Senior Brother, who pecked at them without hesitation.
Xue Chenjing ordered some new dishes for her, all things she liked to eat.
Finally, the waiter brought over a bowl of egg custard, steamed with milk and eggs, with an extra layer of caramelized sugar on top, emanating a sweet fragrance. Yu Yi took a spoonful and tasted it, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
Xue Chenjing's eyes showed a hint of pride. Adding extra sugar had indeed been the right choice. He waited for Yu Yi to finish the custard, then took out a storage pouch and placed it on the table. "Two hundred thousand spirit stones, to pay you back."
Yu Yi licked her lips. "The Unmasked Tower has already compensated me three thousand."
Xue Chenjing waved it off dismissively, putting on an air of generosity. "Their compensation is theirs, mine is mine."
Since he put it that way, Yu Yi naturally didn't stand on ceremony with him. After all, she had many uses for spirit stones.
Looking out the window, there weren't many passersby on the street. Yinzhou City was much quieter today, with many shops still closed. The atmosphere was somewhat strange; just during the time it took to eat breakfast, Yu Yi saw several pairs of entangled pedestrians walk by.
Last night's blooming of a hundred flowers and stirring of spring emotions had brought joy to some and sorrow to others. Everyone was still trying to come to terms with it.
However, the mortals here were clearly more resilient and worldly-wise. After all, with so many cultivators coming and going through Yinzhou City, strange occurrences were not uncommon. Take yesterday's rift above the Unmasked Tower - it looked frightening at the time, but once it was over, it became just another topic of daily conversation.
At another table in the hall, diners were discussing the damage to the city's buildings, planning to report their losses to the city patrol and seek compensation from the Unmasked Tower.
Yu Yi glanced at Xue Chenjing, not wanting to mention the events of the previous night. She silently finished her breakfast and returned to her room to organize the materials for tempering her sword. Fortunately, before the Unmasked Tower was destroyed yesterday, she had already purchased all the necessary materials.
Carrying Crane Senior Brother, she left for the forge in the southern part of the city. Yinzhou City saw many cultivators coming and going, and numerous sects had established facilities there.
This particular forge was a branch of the Flame Splendor Sect, which specialized in artifact refinement, called the Pure Flame Pavilion. The southern part of the city had fewer residents, mostly consisting of workshops. The forge's location there meant that even if a furnace exploded, it would affect fewer people.
The Pure Flame Pavilion occupied a vast area, with cylindrical buildings reminiscent of Hakka earth buildings. Each building housed a forging furnace, rented at a rate of 300 spirit stones per day for standard furnaces and 500 spirit stones for premium ones.
Besides furnaces, the Pure Flame Pavilion also provided spiritual fire for artifact refinement, which required additional spirit stones to purchase.
Upon arriving at the forge and dismounting from Crane Senior Brother, Yu Yi noticed Xue Chenjing following her. She said resignedly, "I'm going to the forge to temper my sword. It might take over ten days. Do you intend to follow me inside as well?"
Even if he wanted to, Yu Yi was reluctant to allow it. The presence of others during sword tempering could affect the purity of her blade. Even Crane Senior Brother had to be sealed in a pouch with talismans.
Of course, she could entrust Crane Senior Brother to Xue Chenjing, but Yu Yi didn't trust him enough yet.
Xue Chenjing pondered for a moment before pressing, "Ten days or so?"
"It depends on my progress. If things go smoothly, it might take about ten days. If not, it could take up to a month."
Xue Chenjing reluctantly conceded, "Alright, I'll wait for you outside then."
Despite saying this, he still followed Yu Yi, watching her pay the spirit stones and rent a premium furnace before entering one of the open-air earth buildings.
As her figure disappeared behind the door, the formation activated, sealing off the building.
Xue Chenjing lingered outside for a while. With nothing else to do, he decided to return and cause some trouble for Pei Jingchao and Shen Qingzhi.
He came to the Pure Flame Pavilion every day, circling Yu Yi's furnace building to sense the familiar sword fire inside before leaving reassured.
Observing his daily back-and-forth, the system kindly suggested, "Master, the female protagonist said she'd be out in over ten days. You don't need to come check every day."
Xue Chenjing remained cautious, "What if she finishes tempering early and runs off? Are you planning to scream inside my head again?"
The system replied, "Master, why don't you just leave a surveillance bug here?"
Xue Chenjing: "..."
