That night, Ye Qiu wasn't sleepy at all.
His mind was a bit muddled, so he simply released the Blue Silver Emperor cat and petted it.
His eyes glanced behind him; Zhu Zhuqing was lying on her side.
'Would it be possible to pet a cat someday?'
He shook his head, trying to shake these awful thoughts out of his head.
His primary task now was to become stronger; rabbits and cats had to wait until he was older!
"This is disturbing my Dao heart!" Ye Qiu sighed, and in a daze, he seemed to hear a few voices.
"Brother~" The voice was ethereal, clear, yet extremely unreal.
"Who's speaking?" Ye Qiu turned to look at Zhu Zhuqing, but she was motionless, and the voice didn't sound like her.
'Could it be a hallucination?' Ye Qiu frowned, completely bewildered.
*Slap slap!* He slapped himself twice more, realizing he must have been completely bewitched to hear a girl's voice.
"Hoo!" Exhaling a breath of stale air, she sat cross-legged again. What could relieve her worries? Only meditation!
"Hehe. Silly brother~"
The Blue Silver Emperor beside her emitted a faint glow, its form writhing as if it were a human, its delicate body trembling with laughter.
Zhu Zhuqing wasn't asleep either; she had naturally heard Ye Qiu's movements, except for his auditory hallucinations.
'Hmph! I thought he was so serious, but it was all a lie.'
'Speaking of which, he seemed to blush when he kissed me! Hehe.'
Recalling her bold actions earlier, Zhu Zhuqing felt embarrassed, but seeing Ye Qiu's reaction, she felt it was all worth it!
She turned over, looking at Ye Qiu's cross-legged back, thinking he understood her meaning. A smile played on her lips as she peacefully fell asleep.
...
Outside, the sun was rising.
Ye Qiu was still meditating. Zhu Zhuqing had gotten up and was sitting beside him, watering the Blue Silver Emperor and then staring at him.
She was about to leave!
Before leaving, she had to remember Ye Qiu well.
More importantly, she had to make him remember her too; she couldn't let him forget what he had done for her, as he had said before.
Under her gaze, Ye Qiu's brows seemed to twitch, and then his face flushed slightly.
Seeing that Ye Qiu was even less composed than her, Zhu Zhuqing temporarily put away her embarrassment and removed the thing that had originally belonged to her from Ye Qiu's eyes.
"Oh!" She noticed that Ye Qiu had actually ended his meditation, and a mischievous smile appeared on her lips. "Ye Qiu~ Why haven't you opened your eyes yet? Am I that scary! Aren't you uncomfortable holding your breath? Whew~" She
blew a gentle breeze into Ye Qiu's eyes, and he blinked several times, forced to open them.
"Why are you so close to me?" Looking at the pretty face so close to his, Ye Qiu turned his face away before daring to breathe.
"Haha~ You weren't like this when you applied the medicine to me!"
"I've already forgotten about that."
"You dare!" Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing immediately grabbed his collar and slammed him to the ground. "Now, I won't allow you to forget!"
"Really?" Ye Qiu looked at her, wondering if she was testing him again.
Seeing Ye Qiu standing there without reacting, her sharp claws reached out. "Did you hear me clearly?"
"I heard you clearly, I heard you clearly!" The words might be false, but the claws on his neck couldn't be fake, right?
In the end, Ye Qiu chose to follow his heart, after all, he really couldn't forget.
"So, after thinking about it all night, have you figured out my feelings?"
"Huh?" Ye Qiu chuckled awkwardly. Was this something he could say? Wouldn't it be embarrassing if it was just a misperception?
"Huh? You still say 'huh'? It seems you're not quite sure yet." Zhu Zhuqing pursed her lips, her eyes showing a hint of shyness, and she was also a little angry, secretly annoyed that this guy was so stubborn!
Fortunately, the Shadow Spider Spears emerged from her back, directly surrounding Ye Qiu.
"What are you trying to do?" Ye Qiu raised an eyebrow and almost activated his martial soul. This was too dangerous!
"I'll make you understand better!" With that, he bit Ye Qiu's lips.
Their eyes met. This time, Ye Qiu didn't hesitate. Three tomoe appeared in his eyes, and he was about to use his soul skill when a spider spear was already pressed against his eyelid.
Forced to stop, the red in his eyes dissipated, leaving the rogue cat to do as it pleased.
This time it lasted longer than last night, and Ye Qiu's face flushed red, almost shedding tears of humiliation . "Hiss!
" A sharp pain shot through his mouth. After a long while
, their lips parted.
"Now...now do you understand?" Before she could catch her breath, her eyes were filled with lust, her face flushed, and she asked Ye Qiu impatiently.
Ye Qiu was still adjusting his breathing when he saw her increasingly unpleasant expression out of the corner of his eye. He quickly nodded.
"Tell me!"
"Huh? Do I have to say it?"
"What do you think!" She sat on him, pressing her hand against his chest, the shadow spider spear held high! It was clear that she wouldn't stop until he spoke.
"Gulp." Ye Qiu swallowed hard, turning his head away, his face full of embarrassment. He whispered, "You...you like me?"
This feeling was too shameful; Ye Qiu couldn't help but close his eyes!
This was completely different from saying "I like you!"
Hearing Ye Qiu's answer, Zhu Zhuqing's face and neck flushed red, her eyes full of satisfaction, her voice brimming with joy, "Say it again!"
"You like me~" Ye Qiu's face turned bright red, even his toes felt uncomfortable.
"Hehe! Did you hear my confession yourself!" She looked at Ye Qiu beneath her teasingly.
"I heard it!" Ye Qiu wanted to cry but had no tears. This was your confession? Why did I have to say it?
He should have been more confident from the beginning!
Now he regretted it!
"Um...although I already know, I already have a rabbit...no, I already have Xiao Wu!" Although somewhat embarrassed, Ye Qiu had to make things clear.
"Did I ask for your consent?" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes dimmed slightly, but she remained assertive. She had promised to make a lasting impression!
"Huh?" Ye Qiu was stunned.
"I was just informing you, letting you know! Humph!" Zhu Zhuqing finally put away her Shadow Spider Spear, stood up, and pulled Ye Qiu up as well.
Her face flushed, she straightened his clothes as he remained bewildered.
"Let your horse out!"
Ye Qiu looked at her strangely, then, still bewildered, did as she said.
Zhu Zhuqing mounted her Ironhoof Horse and said to Ye Qiu, "I've done that favor. If I really go to Soto City, I'll protect that girl named Xiao Wu!"
"Thank you then."
"Goodbye! Giddy up!"
Ye Qiu's thanks were interrupted by her voice and the horse's neighing. He rode off like an arrow towards the cave entrance.
"Damn it! My horse!" Ye Qiu, regaining his senses, shouted, reaching out to grab the cave entrance.
Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from outside, "Ye Qiu! You just wait!"
Her voice was loud and cheerful. Yes... she had a new goal! She was going to desperately become stronger! Strong enough not to be bound by marriage or family! She wanted to escape fate and embrace Ye Qiu!
And that girl named Xiao Wu, she wanted to see what she looked like!
Ye Qiu ran out of the cave, but the man and horse were already gone.
"They're gone already!?"
Just a moment ago they were so passionate, and now they're just smacking their lips and walking away?
'How do you explain this? Who dumped whom?'
This huge contrast made Ye Qiu feel insecure and increasingly depressed.
"Damn it! I've been taken advantage of again, and I've lost a girl too!" (