When the sky outside the window was slightly bright, Bo Xuenong had just awakened from her cultivation. Beside her, Shen Yanting slept soundly.
Shen Yanting held a pure black furry tail in her arms.
Her tail.
It was unclear whether her tail had crawled over first or if Shen Yanting had reached for it first.
If it was the former, it proved that Shen Yanting indulged her. If it was the latter, it proved that Shen Yanting liked this furry tail just as she had hoped. Either way, it was worth being happy about.
Bo Xuenong felt delighted, and her tail subconsciously perked up a little. The tip of it just reached Shen Yanting’s jaw and slowly brushed along that nearly perfect contour.
The little beast who had done something wrong suddenly felt guilty, her ears turning red. She had not fully absorbed the energy yet and had almost deviated in her meridians.
In her sleep, Shen Yanting slightly furrowed her brows and gently grabbed the restless tail tip.
‘Itchy.’
Shen Yanting gripped it firmly, without any tenderness.
Bo Xuenong did not feel pain. She only felt as if a strand of tail fur had drifted into her heart, scraping gently against the softest spot. It itched terribly, but she could not grasp it for a moment and could not shake off this strange tingling sensation.
Of course, she did not really want to shake it off either.
Shen Yanting’s palm was slightly cool, smooth and delicate like fine white jade. The tail pressed against it and only wanted to rub gently.
Bo Xuenong did indeed move her tail, but because she was afraid of waking Shen Yanting, the tail tip only trembled lightly. The pure black fluff softly covered the back of Shen Yanting’s hand, making her skin appear even snowier.
The fine, soft, pale skin looked softer than the fluff. Bo Xuenong no longer dared to move recklessly, afraid that even the tail tip would disturb Shen Yanting’s sweet dreams.
She stared at Shen Yanting while keeping an eye on her tail’s movements.
Very attentively.
A breeze that sneaked in through the window blew the pure black fluff. The slender, soft black hairs swayed with the wind, gently brushing over Shen Yanting’s hand back, palm, and neck. A few strands that were blown high rubbed against Shen Yanting’s lips. Bo Xuenong watched this scene wide-eyed, so nervous that her heart leaped to her throat.
A soft, warm breath escaped from between Shen Yanting’s lips, drifting along the fine hairs toward the tail.
‘Hot.’
She needed coolness to soothe it.
She should go find a source of water to quench her thirst, but her gaze could not help lingering on Shen Yanting’s lips, watching intently.
The beastly instinct for survival made her feel that there was the best spiritual water there, which could soothe the strangeness and comfort her inexplicable emotions.
But she could not.
She was a good disciple. A good disciple could not offend her master.
Bo Xuenong stared even more intently, with the intention of quenching her thirst by gazing at plums.
Cultivating all night had not made Bo Xuenong feel tired. Her body only felt the comfort of soaking in spiritual qi the entire time, her spirit was fully refreshed, and staring unblinkingly in one direction did not feel tiring at all. The more she stared, the more she felt that Shen Yanting lived up to her reputation. Even looking at her features individually, she was beautiful enough.
This was probably why all those otherworld souls she had encountered wanted to obtain Shen Yanting, and also why Shen Yanting had so many enemies.
Bo Xuenong suddenly remembered the original book plot where those old enemies of Shen Yanting ambushed them in the secret realm, causing her and Shen Yanting to separate and setting up the male lead’s hero-saving-the-beauty scenario. Many of those people were ones who loved Shen Yanting but could not have her, and later there were women who admired the male lead and saw Shen Yanting as an enemy.
Only now did she understand why Shen Yanting had seemed unhappy looking at that Absolute Beauty Ranking yesterday.
Shen Yanting had probably been troubled by this ranking for a long time.
Mortals would revere and acknowledge their deities, naturally developing fear toward ‘deities’. But people in the Cultivation World would not.
In the Cultivation World where the strong were respected, the title of number one beauty would not earn respect. It would only incite coveting and contempt.
Many of them despised this ranking but wanted to obtain the people on it to add to their own glory. Shen Yanting, placed in the most dazzling position, naturally faced the most malice. Without looking back at Shen Yanting’s past, one could guess their faces—they coveted her beauty while hating her talent and the sect that protected her. So after Shen Yanting became a discarded disciple of the Cloud Smoke Sect, they all swarmed to attack, wanting to step on her hard while she was down, best if they could drag her into the mud and trample the once high-and-mighty person.
Bo Xuenong bit her teeth until they made a sound.
Just thinking about it made her wish she could kill them all cleanly.
Even knowing she adored Shen Yanting, Bo Xuenong had never thought of possessing her. Shen Yanting was like the moon and should hang beautifully in the sky, not belonging to anyone. She was content with just a bit of her gentle light.
She hoped everyone in the world would love and respect Shen Yanting like her—they could like her, they could love her, but they should not try to drag her into hell.
If Shen Yanting were really dragged into the mud by someone, she would truly go mad.
Her response to Si Xianling yesterday had not been complete. She had kept one sentence in her heart: if someone really dragged Shen Yanting down, not only would she put Shen Yanting back up, but she would also crush every bone in the bodies of those who hurt her, pile up a heavenly ladder with their bone and blood, and help Shen Yanting climb step by step.
Even if that person was herself.
It was just… her blade was not sharp enough, and Shen Yanting’s enemies were all very powerful. She still needed to hone herself more.
For her, killing people was the best whetstone and a shortcut to getting stronger.
Unfortunately, it was something Shen Yanting did not like.
She remembered Shen Yanting saying that no matter what she turned into, she would not be disliked. But she also remembered that Shen Yanting disliked indiscriminate killing.
If her master disliked it, then she could not do it.
Bo Xuenong’s excellent mood was completely ruined by thinking of those future enemies of Shen Yanting and otherworld souls. She lowered her head slightly and gazed levelly at Shen Yanting’s face, which had become gentle in sleep, lacking its usual aloofness. She whispered softly, “Master, I will really be very good.”
She never denied that she was a bad seed, but she was a bad seed who listened very well to her master.
This should count as extra points, right?
Shen Yanting had a favorability of seventy toward Feng Jin. Could she be a little higher than Feng Jin?
She did not want much.
Eighty would be enough.
Bo Xuenong’s mutterings and inner thoughts were naturally not heard by Shen Yanting.
She woke up because she felt a scorching gaze lingering on her body. The moment she opened her eyes, her sight met Bo Xuenong’s gaze, and she easily saw her own reflection in those eyes.
Those eyes were very close to her, close enough to hold only her.
When Bo Xuenong saw her awake, her head subconsciously lowered a bit more. She said in her softest voice, “Master, you’re awake.”
The slightly joyful voice drifted into her ears and once again stirred a bit of Shen Yanting’s memory.
Bo Xuenong always spoke to her with delight, no matter how depressed she had been before speaking. The moment she opened her mouth, joy would soak into her voice.
Just one sentence.
Shen Yanting’s already soft heart softened even more, touched at its weak spot again.
She subconsciously raised her hand to touch Bo Xuenong’s face. Before her consciousness was fully awake, she called out to Bo Xuenong in a slightly lazy voice, “Xuenong.”
The softness, different from her usual cool tone, made Bo Xuenong’s cheeks flush slightly red.
Her eyelashes trembled as she pleaded, “Master, can you call me once more?”
“Xuenong.” Shen Yanting’s fingertip subconsciously slid downward, unexpectedly touching Bo Xuenong’s neck.
Bo Xuenong did not dodge; she even lowered her head further to make it easier for Shen Yanting’s hand.
She was a bit worried that Shen Yanting would get tired from lifting her hand to touch her.
Bo Xuenong lowered her head even deeper, her breath gently sprinkling on Shen Yanting’s side face. Only then did Shen Yanting fully awaken.
She had touched Bo Xuenong too many times recently; it seemed like she had gotten used to it.
This was truly a bad habit.
She had to change it.
“Xuenong.” She called out to Bo Xuenong guiltily once more and hastily withdrew her hand. A faint soft fragrance lingered on her fingertip, making it slightly warm.
Bo Xuenong did not suspect that Shen Yanting could have any special feelings for her. She obediently maintained her previous posture, waiting for Shen Yanting’s next touch, and responded meekly, “Master.”
Shen Yanting shifted slightly.
The White Porcelain Doll’s method really worked. The pain from excessive spiritual power consumption was gone from her body, without even a trace of minor ache.
Shen Yanting was just about to thank Bo Xuenong when her gaze suddenly noticed the tail leaning in her arms. Only then did she see that her other hand was holding Bo Xuenong’s long tail. She pretended to be calm as she released Bo Xuenong’s tail, swallowed the thanks, and forcefully steered the topic to something more serious. “Was your cultivation last night smooth?”
As she spoke, she got up.
Bo Xuenong hurriedly helped Shen Yanting up with her hand and sat closely by her right arm. “With Master accompanying me, it was perfectly smooth.”
Shen Yanting’s eyelid twitched.
She felt that today’s Bo Xuenong had become especially clingy.
Bo Xuenong did not know Shen Yanting’s thoughts. She only knew the ‘anytime’ that Shen Yanting had mentioned last night.
Seeing that Shen Yanting had no intention of avoiding her, she leaned closer and reached out to hold Shen Yanting’s arm. “Master.”
Bo Xuenong held Shen Yanting and nudged her head toward her other palm. “I still have ears?”
…
