Morning sunlight spilled over the windowsill, washing away the haze of last night.
Wei Qing opened his eyes and immediately felt the warm, heavy weight in his arms.
Jingliu was curled against him, sleeping deeply. Her white hair was scattered over the pillow, with a few mischievous strands tangled around his forearm. The face that was usually frost-cold looked uncharacteristically soft in sleep.
…She was kind of cute like this.
No—she'd always been cute.
The memory of her shy-but-stubborn composure from last night flickered through Wei Qing's mind, and he couldn't help but smile.
He shifted slightly, trying to slip out of bed without waking her.
Jingliu reacted at once.
Her lashes trembled, then lifted.
She didn't turn away with the embarrassment most women would. She simply stared at him, then tightened her arms as if on instinct and buried her face deeper into the hollow of his neck, as if needing to confirm he was real.
"Morning," came her muffled voice against his skin.
"Morning," Wei Qing replied.
By habit, he lifted a hand—about to send a thread of Harmony through her temple and check her condition.
Jingliu caught his wrist gently.
"No."
"I'm fine now."
And she was. Her eyes were clearer than they'd been in days. The gray film of Nihility had faded noticeably.
It seemed that—one way or another—getting what she wanted had stabilized her mind in a way even Wei Qing hadn't fully anticipated.
Wei Qing lowered his gaze to her in his arms, then turned his hand and held her wrist instead. The two of them lay there, tangled together, neither in a hurry to rise.
Jingliu seemed pleased by his compliance. Like a cat, she nudged closer, pressing herself into his warmth.
They stayed that way for a long while, unhurried, as if the world outside the bed didn't matter.
Eventually, Wei Qing shifted again.
"We should get up," he said.
"If you're still tired, stay in bed. I'll make breakfast."
Jingliu tightened the arm around his waist, her voice holding a rare laziness—almost petulance.
"I feel fine."
"I just want to stay a little longer."
Wei Qing chuckled and combed his fingers through her hair. "Alright."
Only after another stretch of time did she finally loosen her hold and let him rise.
Wei Qing dressed quickly. When he looked back, Jingliu was already sitting up, calmly gathering the clothes on the floor and putting them on piece by piece—unhurried, unflustered, not the slightest hint of awkwardness.
When the two of them stepped out, Baiheng was already in the courtyard, sitting on a stone stool and tossing a piece of fruit in the air with bored rhythm.
The moment she saw them, her face went red.
The fruit slipped from her hand with a plop and rolled away. She didn't even bother to pick it up.
She opened her mouth, as if about to tease them like she always did—
But the words got stuck.
"M-morning…" Baiheng's voice was so small it barely counted as sound.
Jingliu acted as if Baiheng's mortification didn't exist. She walked over, sat down beside her, and casually picked up the fruit Baiheng dropped and placed it on the table.
"Morning," Jingliu said—still calm, but softer than usual.
Wei Qing, seeing Baiheng's discomfort, cleared his throat. "You two sit. I'll make breakfast."
He turned and went toward the kitchen, leaving the courtyard to the two women.
Baiheng swallowed hard and leaned closer, lowering her voice.
"So… last night?"
Jingliu turned her head and nodded without hesitation. "Mm."
The blunt confirmation somehow made Baiheng's remaining words die in her throat.
After struggling for a moment, she managed: "And… how do you feel?"
"Very good," Jingliu answered, concise and firm.
Then, almost imperceptibly, her lips curved—just the faintest upward tilt. Baiheng froze at the sight.
"I feel… safe."
Baiheng stared at her friend, a complicated tangle of emotions rising in her chest.
Then she huffed and tried to play it off.
"Don't worry. As your best friend… if Wei Qing ever dares to mess around outside, I'll be the first to beat him up."
Jingliu didn't respond. She simply rested a hand over her lower abdomen and looked toward the kitchen, eyes gentle.
That one motion made Baiheng's eyes blow wide.
For long-lived beings, "hitting the mark" was harder—but not impossible. And Jingliu, at her level, would notice even the smallest abnormality.
"W-wait," Baiheng hissed, grabbing Jingliu's wrist. "Don't tell me… that fast? One night? First time and—?!"
Jingliu blinked, then gave a small, amused exhale.
"Not yet."
"But I think… it might be nice."
If they truly wanted it, it wouldn't be difficult. With Wei Qing's Abundance-level authority, adjusting something that concerned life was… trivial.
But Jingliu had made her preference clear last night.
She wanted it natural.
One—she hated anything that felt forced.
Two—if it happened, there were things they wouldn't be able to do so freely anymore.
Last night had satisfied her far more than she'd expected. The child could wait.
Baiheng stared at her, speechless, forced to watch that soft, almost hopeful look settle on Jingliu's face.
"You… really got eaten alive by that bastard," Baiheng muttered, half laughing, half helpless.
Jingliu didn't deny it. Her gaze stayed fixed on the kitchen doorway.
Breakfast was… complicated.
Wei Qing's cooking was steady as always—simple porridge and side dishes.
Baiheng buried her head and ate, occasionally sneaking glances at the two of them across the table.
Jingliu ate slowly, composed. Every so often, she would scoop a spoonful of porridge from her bowl and offer it to Wei Qing as naturally as breathing.
Wei Qing hesitated the first time, then accepted without fuss, drinking from her hand.
Their intimacy wasn't loud.
It was the quiet kind that made a third person feel like an intruder.
Baiheng suddenly felt like the brightest, most useless lamp in the universe.
So "I like them both" had tiers now?
She cleared her throat hard to reclaim a shred of presence.
"So… what's the plan today?"
Wei Qing set his chopsticks down and looked at Jingliu. "Do you need more rest?"
Jingliu shook her head. "No."
"Wherever you go, I go."
Baiheng's eyelid twitched.
The clinginess hadn't decreased even a millimeter.
Then, from the courtyard gate, a bright voice rang out:
"Senior Yi Qing! We're here!"
Yunli and Yanqing.
The two youngsters stood at the entrance, energetic despite yesterday's punishment—fatigue still clinging to them, but their eyes were full of anticipation.
Apparently, they were satisfied.
The moment they stepped into the courtyard and felt the atmosphere, they paused.
Senior Yi Qing and Senior Jingliu…
…were even closer today.
And why did Baiheng look like she was holding back laughter?
Jingliu's expression remained calm. She dipped her chin faintly—no irritation this time, only something that looked disturbingly like… mild indulgence.
Yanqing and Yunli both shuddered at their own imagination and hurriedly bowed.
"Senior Yi Qing! Thank you for yesterday's guidance—junior benefited greatly!" Yanqing said quickly. "Today I hope you can continue—!"
"And me!" Yunli blurted. "Today too! That place you took us yesterday was amazing! Are we going again?!"
Wei Qing looked at them, then felt Jingliu quietly tighten her grip on his hand.
He smiled faintly.
"Sorry. Not today."
"Today, your Jingliu-jiejie and I have private matters to handle."
Yunli and Yanqing's faces visibly fell.
Yanqing forced himself to be proper. "Then… when will Senior have time?"
Wei Qing naturally looped an arm around Jingliu's waist and drew her into his side. He lowered his head, brushed his chin lightly through her hair, and looked back at the two kids with a helpless, indulgent smile.
"Well…" he dragged it out, then turned his head and asked Jingliu softly, voice full of blatant favoritism, "I'll have to follow your Jingliu-jiejie's schedule."
Yunli and Yanqing turned red instantly.
Yanqing bowed so hard he practically folded in half. Yunli's entire neck flushed. They looked like frightened rabbits caught in a trap.
"We—we won't disturb you!" Yanqing stammered.
He grabbed Yunli and bolted.
"W-wait—!" Yunli stumbled, then caught herself and blurted, "R-right! Seniors, please… be busy! We'll come again another day!"
They fled the courtyard like their lives depended on it, leaving only chaotic footsteps behind.
Baiheng finally snapped.
She burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha—! You two, you scared the kids half to death!"
She pointed at them. "They came to learn, and you just stuffed them full of—"
Thump.
A peach landed perfectly in her open mouth.
Baiheng: "Mmgh?!"
She yanked it out, furious. "Hey! What are you doing?!"
Wei Qing raised an eyebrow. "Didn't want you to get thirsty. You talk too much."
Baiheng glared.
Jingliu, however, simply took the other peach Wei Qing handed over and bit it delicately.
Baiheng suddenly felt the fruit wasn't sweet anymore.
"Hmph. You said private matters," she muttered. "What private matters? Let me hear them too."
Jingliu glanced at her, said nothing, and simply tightened her grip on Wei Qing's hand in a quiet show of possession.
Baiheng understood immediately.
Oh.
They were kicking her out.
"Ugh, fine, fine!" Baiheng sighed theatrically as she marched toward the gate. "Everything's yours, I get it! I'm a thousand-year-old lightbulb with extra wattage today!"
At the door, she turned back and winked at Jingliu. "Jingliu—good luck. I'm rooting for you."
Jingliu's expression barely shifted. "Mm."
Then Baiheng vanished, still grumbling dramatically.
The courtyard finally became quiet again.
Only Wei Qing and Jingliu remained.
"Where do you want to go today?" Wei Qing asked.
Jingliu thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"Anywhere is fine."
The place didn't matter.
He did.
For eight hundred years she'd walked the stars and seen wonders—none of them had filled the emptiness.
Now, even this small courtyard felt complete, simply because he was here.
"Then let's take a walk," Wei Qing suggested. "I haven't properly looked at the Luofu in a long time."
"Mm." Jingliu nodded.
Just as they were about to leave, Wei Qing's gaze shifted to the flowerbed in the corner of the yard.
"You've been watching for a while," he said calmly. "Not coming out?"
The space rustled.
A small black cat crawled out awkwardly, eyes full of "caught red-handed" irritation.
"Cough." The cat flicked its tail. "As expected of you, Qingzhou. Still sharp."
Wei Qing's expression didn't change. "Elio. What do you want?"
Elio licked a paw. "Checking how our 'important member' is enjoying his vacation."
"I'm worried you forgot you're still a Stellaron Hunter. The script has plenty of scenes left for you."
Jingliu's hostility spiked immediately. Even without understanding every detail, she caught the meaning.
This thing came to take Wei Qing away.
Her gaze sharpened like a blade.
Wei Qing didn't even look at her reaction. "Oh, that? I'm on strike."
Elio: "…?"
"Listen," the cat snapped, tail stiffening. "The kid named Star is already on the Astral Express."
"War is coming early. Penacony's stage is already built. Kafka and Silver Wolf are running the next part of the script. You can't just leave the juniors to do everything."
"And aren't you also some kind of old senior of the Astral Express now? Don't you want to see them again?"
Wei Qing said slowly, "Not really."
His "Astral Express" tenure had lasted less than a year. The only one he truly knew was Pom-Pom.
Whatever attachment he had to that identity—
It didn't outweigh Jingliu right now.
Elio's tail froze midair.
"…You—"
Wei Qing suddenly reached out and pinched Elio's tail between two fingers.
"Meow—!!" Elio yelped, fur bristling in a way wildly incompatible with his mysterious reputation. "Let go! Let go!!"
Wei Qing didn't.
He tugged lightly—no real force, maximum humiliation.
"I'm in recovery," Wei Qing said evenly. "Employee mental health is also within the boss's responsibilities, isn't it?"
"Mental health?!" Elio screeched. "You're just—! Let go of my tail!!"
Wei Qing didn't answer.
Trailblaze surged in his hand.
Then he casually swung his arm.
Elio turned into a black shooting star, streaking across the Luofu's sky with a long, fading—
"MEOW——————!!"
—and vanished into the deep star-sea.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter220)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter125)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 220
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 185
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 230
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 125
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 145
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 115
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 110
My Harem Is Indescribable 100
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 105
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 80
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 85
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 78
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 80
Checking In in Demon Slayer 85
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 85
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 90
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 75
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85
Why did they assign me to Uma 75
MYGO Beauties 70
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 75
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 80
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 100
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 60
The Uma Musume Who Became 60
I'm Definitely Not the King of 80
After Maxing Out Every Class 80
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 44
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 57
I, the Elden Sword Saint 50
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 43
No One Knows Pokémon Better 50
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 45
From Trilobites to Titans 45
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 55
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 60
An Anime Heroine Darkened 55
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