Chapter 294: Night Deepens Again
After the matter of the Medicinal Pill was explained clearly, the two good sisters in the room fell silent.
Because there was no conversation, when people quieted down, looking at the two red plum blossoms on the bed, the wonderful scenes easily replayed in the silence.
Although she had many enchanting dreams and was no stranger to Ji You's prowess, she truly hadn't expected her first intimate encounter to be with the little Master Jian.
Her childhood wish seemed like innocent childish talk, but it truly wasn't made casually.
She couldn't help but glance at Yan Shuyi and found that the little Master Jian's cheeks also began to slowly blush like the morning glow, but she quickly narrowed her apricot eyes, putting on a very serious expression, wondering what she was thinking.
"Sister Caiwei is truly worthy of being an Alchemist from the Upper Five Realms; that Sore Back and Aching Waist Pill really works wonders."
?
Yuan Caiwei, with a clear look of bewilderment, slightly raised her head and saw the little Master Jian speaking with a calm expression.
Her eyes were extremely beautiful, with a faint pinkish glow, combined with her delicate nose and cherry-red small mouth, making her cold, elegant, and exquisitely beautiful.
However, the words spoken from that cherry-red small mouth were not easily understood directly.
Yesterday it was clearly the Two Energies Returning to Essence Pill, there was no Sore Back and Aching Waist Pill.
After being bewildered for a long time, the Dan Sect's daughter suddenly understood what her previous words meant, and her red lips couldn't help but part slightly.
Pretending it didn't happen won't do, Sister is still so childish—
At this moment, Ji You had already met with Kuang Cheng and others in the courtyard, discussing today's arrangements.
The New Year's routine was nothing more than those: cleaning, preparing dishes, strolling, dining together, and admiring lanterns, but this year, an additional item was added:
That was putting up Spring Couplets.
He used to live in Tianshu Academy, so such matters naturally didn't require much effort, but this year, living in the Worry-Free Commerce, the necessary customs still had to be observed.
As for Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu, they were currently looking at the window of Ji You's bedroom with curious expressions.
They could vaguely see figures inside, confirming that it was their Master Jian, and couldn't help but imagine various martial arts in their minds.
While Ji You was chatting casually with Kuang Cheng, the corner of his eye was also fixed on his bedroom.
After confirming that the two women had gotten up, he felt he should give them some time to wash up, so he called Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu to make paste, then sent everyone away under the pretext of hanging paper lanterns and putting up Spring Couplets.
"Brother Ji, why do you have a faint smile on your face this morning?"
"Smile?"
Kuang Cheng pointed to his mouth: "Since you came out of the room, Brother Ji's smile hasn't left his face."
Ji You touched the corner of his mouth: "Is it that obvious?"
"It seems there's really good news."
"Someone gave me a precious gift yesterday."
?
Ji You unfolded the couplet, then he took the brush from Ding Yao's hand, spread the paste on the door porch, put up the couplet, and then stepped back a few paces to look at it.
This was the facade of the Worry-Free Commerce; the couplet read: 'May there be no hunger in the world, rather let grain gather dust in the granary,' with the horizontal inscription being 'All things proceed smoothly.'
Then they put up some New Year's stickers and hung paper lanterns under the eaves, before returning to the courtyard.
Upon entering the courtyard gate, everyone saw Yan Shuyi's figure in the tea pavilion.
She had already washed up, wearing a light blue floor-length dress with flowing gauze and silk, her eyes serene, reflecting the white snow on the ground, exuding an ethereal Immortal Qi like a goddess descending to the mortal realm, and was sipping tea with her cherry-red lips slightly parted.
The little Master Jian's skin had always been fair, no less so than the falling snow, but today it had a touch more vibrant pink.
She didn't know what had changed, but she looked even more captivating.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu couldn't help but exchange glances, thinking to themselves, 'Master Jian really stayed overnight last night...'
And to stay overnight so quietly and secretly, she probably already gave herself to the young master yesterday.
The two were a bit flustered, their minds filled with the scenes described by the storyteller at the Drunken Immortal Tower.
Why did their Master Jian have to hide from the young master instead of directly refusing? Wasn't it because she lacked backbone and was afraid she would give in if he asked, which is why she preferred to pretend to be strangers?
So the two felt that there was a high probability that Master Jian had lost her virginity.
However, in the next instant, the two immediately dismissed this thought.
Because they saw Yuan Caiwei in the side hall; she had changed into a dark silk dress with a golden gourd and double happiness pattern, and was sitting quietly in front of the tea table in the side hall, lost in thought.
They lived in the same courtyard and naturally knew that Yuan Caiwei was not in the courtyard yesterday, but they didn't expect her to be here with the young master either.
It turns out both of them stayed overnight, so the chances of Master Jian being dragged into endless activity were smaller...
Given their Master Jian's personality, it was fine for her to be tender in the young master's arms, but she would never let others see her tenderness.
Ji You also came into the courtyard at this moment, his eyes soft as he looked at the woman who had been intimately close to him last night.
The two seemed to be deliberately keeping a distance, as if to indicate that they hadn't been screaming together last night.
"Jian Zhu JieJie, you're here so early."
Wei Rui was the most innocent and guileless; she waved happily when she saw Yan Shuyi.
She didn't know that her adored Sister Yan didn't leave early, but rather couldn't run away last night.
The little Master Jian's original intention was to pretend nothing had happened, but Wei Rui called her, and she couldn't not respond, so she looked over following Wei Rui's voice, and when she saw Ji You, her eyes were like a raging snowstorm, full of aggressive Aura.
If an ordinary woman had been claimed, her lover should embrace and kiss her, and say sweet nothings.
But Yan Shuyi was no ordinary woman, and besides, the situation last night was truly complex, plus there were others in the courtyard; if he really did that, it would only make her draw her sword.
So Ji You pretended not to see her and called Kuang Cheng to put up the couplets inside the house.
The couplets for the shop were ordered in advance, while the couplets in the courtyard were all written by Kuang Cheng, who brought a large stack.
Ji You picked and chose, then took out the couplet that read: 'Three wives and four concubines fill the backyard, with orioles and swallows. Many children surround the knees, bustling and lively.'
Kuang Cheng's eyes couldn't help but narrow, and when he realized Ji You had actually chosen this one, he couldn't help but ask: "Brother Ji, didn't you dislike this one, and even felt Life Qi after seeing it?"
"I like it today."
?
Ji You finished spreading the paste and put up the couplet, looking at the words 'many children'; his brows couldn't help but furrow, and in a daze, he wasn't quite sure if he had 'bestowed his favor' last night.
He smoothed out the wrinkles on the couplet and turned to look in the direction of the tea pavilion, finding that the tsundere was peeking out of the corner of her eye, and after reading his gaze, her expression was as fierce as that smooth little water tiger from yesterday.
Kuang Cheng spoke softly beside him: "Yan Xianzi always loves to be jealous; I knew she'd be angry when she saw the first line of this couplet."
"Perhaps she's angry about the second line today."
"What's there to be angry about?"
Ji You shook his head: "I don't know either."
Kuang Cheng was confused for a long time, then he was called by Wei Rui to chop vegetables, to prepare for tonight's New Year's banquet.
Yuan Caiwei then walked out of the room, lowered her head, and came before Ji You, softly asking if she could go back for a while.
The Dan Sect's daughter, though gentle, wasn't this obedient and well-behaved in the past.
But this inquiry was completely in a personality that listened to Ji You in everything.
She had 'ascended' countless times yesterday, and from early morning, she had been thinking, and it took a long time for her to remember that she still had a My younger brother.
She remembered that she had agreed with Yuan Chen yesterday that he wouldn't Cultivate today and would come to the Worry-Free Commerce for the New Year, but he hadn't appeared yet.
Yuan Caiwei didn't believe he was Cultivating; the only possibility was that her My younger brother had stayed up late last night reading storybooks and hadn't gotten up yet.
So, after getting Ji You's permission, the Dan Sect's daughter headed towards the Wei Family Residence.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu put up window decorations, then were arranged by Ji You to go shopping in the streets to buy things needed for the New Year.
So the courtyard suddenly became quiet, leaving only Ji You and the little Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain.
Ji You noticed Yan Shuyi secretly looking at him, but when he turned, she quickly averted her gaze.
Seeing this, he put down the glutinous rice cake and brush, stepped towards the Fairy in the tea pavilion, sat beside her, watched for a long time, and couldn't help but pinch her rosy cheek.
He used to always find her adorably contradictory, possessing both the Master Jian's dignity and the tender cuteness of an ordinary woman.
But after seeing her whimpering 'husband' while curled in his arms last night, he felt no dignity at all, only that she was soft and adorable, incredibly cute.
Yan Shuyi didn't react to his arrival at all, seeming like an emotionless Fairy who looked down on everything, but as he sat down, her cheeks gradually flushed, and a hint of shyness appeared in her eyes.
"Little Tianshu Academy Disciple, why don't you kneel and pay respects to this Master Jian?"
"Still playing around? I'd like to ask Master Jian why you pretended to be asleep and ignored me this morning?"
"If you kneel and pay respects, this Master Jian will tell you."
Ji You remembered her kneeling for half the night yesterday, using all her persuasion, and knew that she was feeling unbalanced and wanted him to kneel back.
Yan Shuyi looked at him and muttered again, "A mere Tianshu Academy Disciple—"
"Master Jian knows clearly that such a way of addressing me is inappropriate."
"???"
The young Master Jian frowned slightly, thinking that she used to call him a mere Tianshu Academy Disciple, so how could it be inappropriate?
Then she suddenly remembered the thing that made her scream yesterday night, and her gaze sharpened even more.
The first time she saw it was during the Tiandao Conference. At that time, she hurriedly caught a glimpse of it to retrieve her shoes and socks, and couldn't see it clearly, but she was still startled.
What she saw most clearly was when he was in a coma in An Yuan City, which made her feel scared for a long time.
But she knew very little about men and didn't realize that when interest was lacking, it couldn't be compared to 'that day,' so it wasn't until last night that she saw its most terrifying form.
Ji You picked up a melon seed from the tea tray at this moment, gently peeled it, and offered it: "Open your mouth."
"I'm going to beat you to death—"
"It's just a melon seed, not anything else."
Yan Shuyi felt the melon seed enter her mouth, and her gaze became even more fierce.
Although the first round last night was initiated by her, the subsequent times were mostly forced, to the point where she was a bit reactive now.
She would bristle at the mere thought of it.
Ji You peeled a few more and fed them into her mouth: "Actually, I've already clarified what happened last night. Although it was a Medicinal Pill issue, it was bound to happen eventually, so there's no telling who was right or wrong."
Yan Shuyi's eyelashes trembled slightly: "I don't know what Medicinal Pill you're talking about."
"Yuan Caiwei has already admitted it and told me the whole process of you asking her to refine the Medicinal Pill."
"I don't know any Yuan Caiwei."
"Then who am I?"
"A strange man, My younger brother's friend's lover."
Yan Shuyi didn't bear to say she didn't know him, nor did she dare to call him a mere Tianshu Academy Disciple again.
However, for many of the remaining questions, she uniformly replied, "I don't know," with a look of "I didn't, I didn't eat, I didn't do it, I didn't scream," which made his mouth twitch uncontrollably.
It was just like the last time they kissed; as long as she didn't admit it, it didn't happen.
In fact, Dual Cultivation with Ji You alone was nothing for the young Master Jian of Lingjian Mountain. Although she didn't admit it, she genuinely liked Ji You in her heart, otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed Zhuo Wanqiu to keep calling him 'son-in-law,' nor would she come to find him whenever she had free time.
But as soon as she thought of kneeling and being fed yesterday, and curling up in his arms while repeatedly calling him 'husband,' she wanted to escape.
Especially being threatened and, in a moment of distraction, admitting that she was the little water tiger.
That person wasn't her; she couldn't have been like that last night.
"Why did you wake up in my courtyard this morning?"
"I just arrived a bit early."
"Where did you sleep yesterday?"
"Wei Family Residence."
"If you get pregnant, you can't call me uncle later."
Yan Shuyi heard his words, looked at her lower abdomen, and couldn't help but narrow her eyes, then fiercely punched him.
Yuan Caiwei and Yuan Chen quickly returned from the Wei Family Residence. The seventeen or eighteen-year-old lad was bustling, and upon entering the courtyard, he saw Ji You entering the tea pavilion, while Yuan Caiwei followed slowly behind.
"Brother-in-law, Master Jian JieJie, do you know what happened? My JieJie seems much gentler, just a bit hoarse."
Yan Shuyi narrowed her eyes upon hearing this, while Yuan Caiwei outside the pavilion averted her gaze.
Many things happened last night, more exciting than what the Drunken Immortal Tower wouldn't let him hear, and certainly not for outsiders to know.
Ji You turned to look at Yuan Chen's dark circles under his eyes and appropriately changed the topic: "Did you really stay up all night reading storybooks?"
"No, I was up all night refining the things my JieJie gave me."
"Really?"
Yuan Chen pursed his lips: "The New Year is almost over, so I plan to hurry up. I don't want to disappoint my JieJie anymore."
He mumbled this, then darted off to the kitchen, planning to see what dishes were available today.
The three remaining people looked at each other. Yuan Caiwei's cheeks flushed first, and even the usually frosty-faced young Master Jian gradually developed rosy cheeks.
However, this atmosphere was quickly broken. Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu, who had gone out for shopping, also returned with large bags, and after putting their things down, they came into the tea pavilion.
After the Dan Sect's Medicinal Pills were sent to Lingjian Mountain, they were bestowed a few days ago, and the Disciples from the mountain just sent a message. They were brought into the courtyard here.
Yan Shuyi took this opportunity to send Ji You away, claiming it was a secret of Lingjian Mountain and no outsiders were allowed to listen, which left Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu bewildered.
They felt that Master Jian was a bit strange today, and her voice was hoarse for some reason.
Ji You, who was driven away, could only go to the kitchen to help, acting as a third wheel for Wei Rui and Kuang Cheng.
"Brother Ji, how about a simple chicken stew for lunch?"
"Add some red dates."
"That's good. What about twice-cooked pork?"
"Also add some red dates."
"???"
As cooking smoke rose, lunch was brought into the hall.
Yan Shuyi and Yuan Caiwei saw that every dish was full of red dates, and thinking of the two blooming flowers on the bedsheet, they puffed out their rosy cheeks.
【The scoundrel's concern】
However, by Shenshi (3-5 PM), the sky had already darkened slightly. Red lanterns adorned the streets, and the sound of stringed instruments filled the air, spreading far and wide through the streets and alleys.
Ji You and the others changed their clothes and went out together, stepping onto the streets of Shengjing.
The ten-mile-long street was lit up as if it were day. Colorful lanterns hung high in front of vermilion gates and embroidered households. Peonies made of silk gauze and carp made of gold leaf swayed gently in the night breeze, making the bluestone slab road shimmer with light.
By the moat, a thousand lotus lanterns floated down the water. Their wicks, soaked in tung oil, burned with trembling halos on the water's surface, and the reflections of the lanterns on the shore shattered into a river full of golden scales.
Yan Shuyi did not walk with Ji You and was still staring at Yuan Caiwei.
Ji You had long looked forward to strolling arm in arm like this, but after a fierce battle yesterday, he was now alone.
However, this situation did not last long. As the city's splendor bloomed, Yan Shuyi involuntarily followed, and even Yuan Caiwei walked to his left side, watching the lanterns while closely trailing his figure.
The group strolled along the road until they reached a theater, attracted by the lively scene.
Chong Wang had invited a troupe to perform 'Ascension in Broad Daylight,' a traditional Qingyun opera, and many people had gathered there.
Ji You found a secluded spot, and just as he stood still, he saw the two of them pressing close, leaning beside him and gazing down, their eyes filled with colorful light.
Yan Shuyi was the closest, almost burrowing into his arms, and she herself seemed unaware of it.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu followed behind their Master Jian, and after walking with her for a while, they couldn't help but whisper to each other in the crowded theater.
"Master Jian is so strange today. All morning she was cold as ice to the son-in-law, and she was full of jealousy when looking at Yuan Caiwei. Just now when we left, she said she wouldn't stroll with the son-in-law."
"But as she walked and walked, she became obedient. She went wherever the son-in-law said, and she even walked with little 'da-da-da-da' steps."
"She's almost burrowing into his arms—"
The two looked at their Master Jian in front, embraced by their son-in-law's side, her fair hands gripping his arm, her toes lightly touching the ground, her feet gently swaying.
Once attention is diverted, it's difficult to maintain a performed persona.
At this moment, even Yan Shuyi herself realized that when she forgot to feign aloofness, she seemed to cling more to the strange man.
However, when it was time to return, the young Master Jian remembered what happened last night again, her eyes cold and arrogant, with an unkind expression.
As night fell, the New Year's banquet, prepared for the day, began.
Although they usually gathered often, it was rare for them to be so complete, so the entire evening was filled with joy.
After eating and drinking their fill, Wei Rui and Kuang Cheng were going to the poetry gathering in the city, Yuan Chen was going to continue watching 'Ascension in Broad Daylight,' and Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu were ordered to watch Yuan Chen and also wander around.
It was their first time celebrating the New Year in Shengjing, and they had only been focused on their Master Jian earlier, so their minds were blank when they returned.
And after everyone left, the courtyard became quiet. Ji You sat at the tea table in the side hall, brewed the tea, and then leaned over to throw some charcoal into the brazier.
Yan Shuyi and Yuan Caiwei sat in front of him, silently sipping their tea.
"It's late again."
"???"
